Saturday, 15 May 2010

APRIL SKETCH CHALLENGE WINNER!!!!


Good Evening!!

Hope you have all had a good day today - I have now finished my Cricut classes for the week and can relax a little.  Anyway just thought you would all like to know who the winner of the April Challenge is ......

Drum Roll Please ......

ANIKA - ANIKRAFT

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
Please contact me on lindasalmon826@btinternet.com with your details and I can get your goodies sent out to you

Here is Anika's card - what a beauty!!!!

MAY CHALLENGE

Good Morning All!!!

Welcome to another challenge - well it is supposed to be spring but I can't see much evidence at the moment so ........ get yourself comfy and join in this month's challenge - thank you to everyone who took part last month and check back later to see who has won our crafting goodies.

So .... here we go .... here is this month's sketch - don't forget you can rotate it, resize the elements of it but just make sure you keep to the basic outline and put your personal interpretation on it.



and here is what you can win!!! (unfortunately we can only post to the UK but please still join in just for the fun)
:o)


Here is what our Design Team came up with

Designed by Di Cox


Designed by Janice Rohde


Designed by Laura Barton


Designed by Lynne Salmon


Designed by Michelle Wright


Designed by Réne Young

Designed by Sally Humphrey


Designed by Sharon Press

Thank you to the Design Team for all your wonderful cards this month

 
 So...  all you have to do to enter is post your entry on your blog and leave me a comment with a direct link to your post (not just your blog) and we will come and have a look, alternatively you can email me your entry at lindasalmon826@btinternet.com or finally if you live locally you can pop your entry into the shop.

Good Luck to you all and most of all HAVE FUN!!!  :o) xx

Thursday, 6 May 2010

A CATCH UP

Hello Everyone!!

Before I start another tutorial I thought I’d give you a little update on what’s happening in the shop. First of all thank you to everyone who turned up for our Do Crafts Demo Day, Amanda was brilliant and I think you all thoroughly enjoyed yourselves – as you know on that Saturday and the Bank Holiday Monday if you used your privilege card you were entered into a prize draw and I can now tell you that the winner was ..............


ALISON MONK


Well done Alison – look forward to seeing you when you collect your voucher.

Laura, our “I.T” department has been really busy lately updating the website with lots of products and she has now reached the grand total of 5,703 – we mustn’t forget the “3” that’s very important – pop over to the website and see what goodies you “must” have!!

 
On the subject of the website, we have had a few occasions recently where orders have been placed and then not finished due to the customer believing they can only pay if they have a PayPal account – this isn’t so – you just use your credit/debit card in the normal way and the web order will process that way.


So now ..... scroll down ..... and enjoy the Tutorial xx

TUTORIALS - NESTABITLIES SHAPED / EASEL CARDS

So here we are with another tutorial - I do hope these are helpful to you - I know I have a lot of fun doing them!!
Before I start I must pay homage to Sharon - this was something she did on one of her classes and I fell in love with it - so all credit to her xx
The first one is simply using your nestabilities to cut a shape from an already pre-scored card. This enables you to mat and layer on your card using the smaller sizes of the nestabilities shape you have chosen.
Please scroll down to the very bottom of this post as an Easel Card version follows these instructions .... and you don't want to miss that do you!!



So ... first of all gather together your "tools" you will need


A die cutting machine, low tack tape, nestabilites shapes, pre-scored cards, a bone folder and some double sided tape.  For this particular card I used "curved rectangles" (Click Here for stock availability) and so I needed a 7x5 pre-scored card.

Place your nestabilites shape you have chosen cutting edge downwards onto the folded card leaving a small gap to the fold so that the whole shape isn't cut and secure with low tack tape


Turn your card the other way up so that the nestabilities shape is underneath the card with cutting side now facing up and cut - (if you are using a Cuttlebug the order is A Plate, C Plate, nestabilities face upwards with card face downwards then B Plate)
 

run through once and then run back again towards you (giving it a double cut) - with some die cutting machines the pressure on the roller can be slightly uneven - and mine is no exception - as you can see it has cut deeper to the right than the left

- this is easily remedied by simply turning the plate around and running it through again.

 
You now have your shaped nestabilities card

Next gather together what you want to use to decorate and finish your card
I have chosen some die cut decoupage, complimentary blue card, adhesive pearls, ribbon, stickles and flowers

I have cut the next two smaller sizes down in the blue card 

I have then cut a small amount off of the left hand side to make it straight - this is necessary so that when you mat and layer your card the straight edge will line up against the fold of your card

 


Now just finish off your card with the embellishments you have chosen





Here is an alternate version I thought I'd show you this time using Labels Two (Click Here for stock availability) and using a tent fold so that the card opens the other way


Now ..... to take it one step further and make an easel card you follow the same principle


Place your chosen nestabilities shape face down on your pre-scored card and secure with low tack tape - in this instance I have used Scallop Circles (Click Here for stock availability), and cut, using the same procedure as before
You will also need to cut an extra single scallop circle

You will then need to fold back the lower scallop on itself
So it now looks like this - this is the support for the "easel"


On the single scallop apply double sided tape to the BACK OF THE LOWER HALF of the shape - you are going to stick this to the folded over scallop



This forms the basis of your card - all you need to do now is decorate and finish it with your chosen embellishments



I have cut two smaller classic circles (Click Here for stock availability) from complimentary card


I left the white card inside the circle and distressed the inner with Spun Sugar Distress Ink (one of the new colours) Click Here for stock availability with some cut n dry foam this gives you a white "rim"


I then stamped a butterfly from "gem stone insects" a clear stamp set from Inkadinkado click here for stock availability again with Spun Sugar Distress Ink, and cut another circle from pink spot card  - so I now have three circles, one of the pink spotty ones I have trimmed an edge to leave it straight - this is so it will fit inside the card easier.



I then mounted the butterfly image onto the top of the card

To make the "stopper" for the easel I decided to stamp a greeting and cut it out using the smaller circle and scallop circle nestabilities and using the same technique as before inking the circle to leave a white rim.

I then decorated the greeting and the butterfly with silver sequins


And here is the finished card!!




Thank for for staying with  me through this "long" tutorial but I have tried to be as precise as possible with lots of pictures so that you can see step by step how to achieve this lovely cards - I hope you have a go as they really are easy once you get the hang of them.  If you do make some, post them on your blog and leave me a link in the comments and I will pop across and have a look - I would love to see what you do.
If you live nearby pop your finished cards into the shop so we can all see what you've done.
I'm going to have a rest now!!!
Lots of Love and see you soon :o) xx

Sunday, 2 May 2010

FREEBIES!!!!!

Good morning everyone!!
What a glorious day ... ha ha ha!!

So .... on this miserable Bank Holiday weekend I thought i'd give you something to smile about.  As a new feature I will hoping to post some freebie downloads for you.  I will try to post these around the 1st of the month.  And ..... to start you off ..... i'm giving you two!!!!
What we have for you first is a sheet of easel display instructions.  These were very kindly designed and donated by our very own Sally.  They go hand in hand with the easel card tutorial I posted a while ago.  So .... you make your easel card and then you download and print out your display instructions, cut them down to size and enclose them with your card - that way the recipient will know how to display their card properly.


Secondly, we have a sheet of "sentiments" I have designed these so that you can download them, print them out on whatever card or paper you choose and then punch them out with the Woodware 1.5" yellow circle punch (click here to check stock availability)


Now for the boring stuff ... We have no problem with you downloading these freebies and using them as often as you like - that's what they are for but please do not mass produce them, copy them or pass them off as your own as a lot of time and effort goes into making them for you to use
(We know you won't .... but we have to say it anyway :o) )

So all that leaves me to say is download and enjoy!!!  Oh and please leave me a comment to let me know if they will be a useful addition to the blog - thanks so much
Lots of Love xx

Saturday, 1 May 2010

DO CRAFTS DEMO DAY TODAY!!!

Good Morning All!!

Just a quick reminder to let you all know that the Do Crafts Demo Day is today.  Amanda Curtin will be showing you all sorts of techniques using the new products from the new promotion that launches today, and I know for a fact that all the goodies are there waiting for you because we spent all yesterday afternoon unpacking, pricing and scanning 15 boxes of wonderful papers, punches, flowers, gems, decoupage .... the list goes on and on!!!!

The demo will be on from 10.00am to 4.00pm and is completely free, just come along and find yourself a place and enjoy yourself. (Shop is open from 9.30am to 5.15pm)
If you are a privilege card holder you will be getting double points today and Bank Holiday Monday and if not, why not!! Sign up today - ask for details instore.  When you use you card today and Monday you will automatically be entered into a prize draw with a chance to win a £25.00 gift voucher (draw will take place on Tuesday and I will be back to let you know who won).

Have a great Bank Holiday weekend and hopefully we will see you at the demo.
Shop is open on Monday 10.00am to 4.00pm

Wednesday, 28 April 2010

MORE MENS CARDS - WEDNESDAY 4TH MAY

SPACES AVAILABLE!!!!
Just to let you all know that Di's class "More Mens Cards" on 4th May has spaces available. So if you fancy making cards for the men in your lives give the shop a a ring on 01268 730234 and book yourself a place. The class is in the morning and will run from 10.00am until 12.30pm approx, no need to bring anything, everything will be provided including tea and biscuits!!
Just so that you know what you will be making .... the pictures of the cards are below
Go on book it ..... you know you want to!!