Is it too early for Spring?

While browsing my Facebook, I seen a card I think Sue Wilson had made with her new butterfly border....it reminded me I'd not posted up my card 😳

Today's meant to a day off, but does anyone actually get a day off? 

I've done shopping, cleaned out the dog run, and cut the grass 😮 and as per usual cooked tea. 

Here is my card I'd made to post over the weekend...

 

I've used Sues, new butterfly border and in the pack you get 3 dies, the butterfly strip, and 2nd strip which is an outer layer and then a centre strip with all the little dots.

I started by cutting out my strip of butterflies in cream with the centre strip, I then created a frame using the strip. I cut the outer butterfly layer in a lovely lemon colour. I layered my front onto lemon and the cream at the back. 

 

     

I stamped out Johnathon Lockwood's Mondays Child verse on cream card, and went around the edge with the centre dotty die to create a matching frame, and layered on the lemon card. 

  

I cut the pair of bold scrolled vines, these are stunning and will work with a lot of flowers. After watching Johnathon on hochanda today, I think these will be fabulous with the poppies.....so watch this space 😉

The flowers I've used are Sues caped Daisy's, again new releases. I've shaped these by laying them on my stamp mat, and and prodding my tip of tweezers into the end pod and layered them up, the centres are pretty flat so I just used the end of my wooden poky tool to add a bit of shape up at the edges and added my pearly centres. 

Don't forget, please do ask any questions, request any pictures of anything your not sure of......I'm easily found on Facebook as Franki Clark or at Franki's Craft, Chat & Coffee page. 

Thank you for popping by.......

P.s if you like my blog, please please share 👍🏻 xx

My bonny wee card.....

As promised, my card on a Scottish theme...

I was gutted to find the Ross papercraft show at Meadowhall Edinburgh had to be cancelled.

I'd already bought lots of new craft stash I thought out craft Scottish friends would like...I.e embossed thistle & tartan card,  tartan card which is popular for Christmas too...lots of new Sue Wilson dies. 

But your all more than welcome to come visit my wee shop in Darlington for slice of yummy cake & cup of coffee while you have browse through the stock or even a bit of demonstrations on pixie powders & gilding polish....

For now, back to my card. 

 

My friend Julie was working with me yesterday, and was amazed how I worked...

I pick my card theme, browsed through my dies.....decided yes they work together and let it all fall into place as I went along. 

I started off by cutting out the Belgian collection Background die by Sue Wilson (no surprise there eh? 😜) and trimmed to the edge and layered onto my tartan card. 

I then cut out 4 of ravello striplet. 

  

I attached a strip at either side of the tartan card and then cut up 2 of my striplets so to have the centres left over and attached them in between the ends as below.....

  

I trimmed the edges of the centre pieces, and stamped a little verse from Johnathon Lockwood's Autumn wreath stamps...layered it in to my tartan card and the add a piece of the die cut on either side..

 

I layered my full card on to tartan and white card, added a couple of bows in red and a green ribbon. The little pearl gem, I found in the local £1 shop for 8or 10, they are a brad but I bent the legs and snapped them off. I finished the card with pearly gems....

Hope to visit you all in Scotland soon.....xx

Decisions decisions......

Today I made a card with my Scottish friends in mind due to the Ross Papercraft show having to be cancelled. 😪 

Only then, the new releases from Sue Wilson arrived....so I had to make a card with them too....so which should I show today? 

Such decisions are so hard to make 🤔 

As promised, it's not Christmas.....I hope you all like butterflies.

 

I've used the double pierced square frames for my mat and layering, and they fit perfectly around the butterfly frame, the centre and single butterfly are all part of the same set of dies. I've also used the flower cluster die.

My colours white, wisteria and a dark purple ribbon. I stamped with my silver encore ink, using the Johnathon Lockwood's Autumn stamps. 

The pearls I've used, are the creative expressions double row, but I've cut them down the middle to twice the amount. 

 

So tomorrow I'll post my Scottish themed card....and it's a birthday card too 

I've got that Autumn feeling......

So this evening I had my craft class, it'll be around 6yrs since this group started. Though only small, it's very friendly. 

After class, I got on with card for today (evening)  I've used Johnathon Lockwood's Autumn range of stamps, which I fell in love With, as soon as I'd seen them on tv. 

 

Today I've used the pixie powders again, starting to become a favourite product of mine....colours used are plum twist, lava red and rich gold. I spinkled the powder onto my card and spritzed with water, and took a 2nd piece to get a print. I've then used Johns falling leaves background stamp, with flitter flake glue and copper flakes to create my coloured background. 

 

I also used Johns Autumn wreath elements stamps, to stamp my wreath, the happy birthday and the extra leaves added as embellishments. 

  

I used black archival ink to stamp my images and cut out by hand. I used a banner from the frames and tags range, and stamped my happy birthday. 

I Matt and layered using foundation rich plum card, and finished the card off with a plum ribbon bow. 

Look who I met.....

Sunday was the first day of the trade show at NEC Birmingham, was a nice drive down with my daughter in law and a lovely day was had by us both. Until time to go home, and was charged a robbing £12 for parking!! Nice drive home too not too much traffic thankfully and roads were clear all the way home :-)
But.....I got my shopping list of Johnathon Lockwood, and placed my order for next weekend 😇 hope all those coming to the class have their credit cards with them ha ha.
And, look who I bumped into also on the Creative Expressions stall, an absolutely lovely lovely lady

(not my best picture admittedly)

I mainly hung around at Creative Expressions stall, and placed my little order (£1000 by time I added my top up on the web).. and now I've told off Johnathon he'd got his dates mixed up and had to cancel his class this weekend arghhh

On the Positive side New stock has arrived today, with more to follow tomorrow and then next week too..... phew so much excitement I could burst :-)

Johnathon Lockwood's class is now 13th March, and is fully booked. If you are interested in any of his future classes and would like to be contacted regarding them, please contact me on either 01325 461043 or email me at acraftytouch@hotmail.co.uk titled Johnathon Lockwood, just in case your email should go into the spam folder. 

Where does the time go...........

I can't believe we're half way through February already.. What happened to January?
This month is an exciting month for traders, we have the big show to look forward to, and see all the up and coming new products set out for the next year ahead of us.
This month I have the privileged of Johnathon Lockwood  http://johnnextdoor.blogspot.co.uk/
coming to the shop and doing a workshop.. we've not had a peak at what we'll be working on, as we've been promised new stock again.... spoilt rotten we are.
Here are a few cards I've been working on and not posted, sorry....I just don't know where the time goes?

this card was made from the idea Johnathon gave us on his last visit to the shop.

I love this little card, was nice to see my customers surprised when i told the fern strip was actually the snowflake one they'd bought at Christmas :-)

this design was made on my silhouette, the flower used is the Sue Wilson Orange blossom range 

 

See, I have been busy :-) If you would like to ask any question regarding the cards I've made, dies and embossing folders used. Please feel free to email me. or find me on facebook @

https://www.facebook.com/frankiscraftycafe/