What's New?

These and these ....use them together with a few punches to make your own flowers
Punch out the flower shapes, clip to almost the center and use a round ended pen to add a little dimension to the flower. Place the shape onto a soft surface... a mouse mat or similar and rub each petal in a circular motion, this will break down the fibers in the paper and give it shape.

Layer up the shapes and add the stamens and the centers. I used the stamens as antenna on the butterflies too

Pretty!

I think I may add a little more bling to the bunny.. maybe a necklace.

and an eye!

Julie: Cardmaking with a touch of romance

Hello, hello.

 

If you're looking for some last minute romantic crafting inspiration, just in time for St.Valentine's day then the Tando Hearts mask new in the shop might just be the thing!

I wasn't really planning to make a Valentine's card this year but ... well, as it's only days away what better way to combine trying out a new mask ... with a little romance:

On to an old book page I simply sponged three different shades of pink/red ink through the mask to create my own patterned backdrop:

[BTW: the pin-up girl focal point came from a sheet of tissue paper images which were once in stock at 3DJean too, so if you've got some left, this is a really fun way to put them to use!]

 

Then I began adding layers of interest on top including a few experiments with the new Shimmerz Dimensionz [dimensional liquid, pearly paints with a nozzle top] which are available in various colours:  

I began with the Pearly Gates [far left in this photo] a pearlised white which turns out to be a great usable neutral. Personally I always tend to buy a pearlised white/pale shade across the majority of mixed media supplies [be it in acrylic paint, spritzed inks and Stickles etc] because I find they come in useful in so many situations and coordinate with all kinds of colour-schemes.

 

Here I covered a plain wooden heart with the Pearly Gates Dimensionz and you can see just how thick and glossy it is:

Then I also dotted Dimensionz around the card to create some metallic stud effects using the Streets of Gold shade:

And finally a few finishing touches include some washi tape strips, a paperclip and a single black organza rose cut from the lengths available in the shop:

Rather than cut it free from the mesh backing altogether I left some of it attached to mirror the fish-net stockings worn by the pin-up!

 

 Here's the full card again so you can see how the Tando hearts mask, the Dimensionz and  the organza rose all combined to make an eclectic, vintage-influenced tiny-bit-risqué Valentine:

See you next time.

 

Julie :-)

New Tando Creative Products to play with.

We have had a nice big delivery from Tando Creative and these pictures are just a taster of what's in the store now. These were my favorites out of the box.  

I think this boat has got to be a real favorite and I think you might see it again soon on the blog , but it wont be so bare looking.  

I love this mask and with Kate Crane coming to do another class at the end of March I think this is going to be just what I need to help me that day.   

p.s. there are still a few places left on Kate's workshop 

DIMENSIONZ have landed

OOOOO the new DIMENSIONZ from SHIMMERZ have finally landed and they are fab. Costing only £3.95 for a 1oz bottle you can afford to buy a couple of colours to get you started . Adding loads of Dimensionz to your craft projects. 

It's The Simple Things......

....Sometimes you see things and think 'that's so simple ...why didn't I think of that'... well I didn't but Valita did..I copied...  you can see what she's done here.....  The hydrangeas are made with a heart punch from Stampin'Up.

and finished with some pearly centers from the shop.. you can get them here.

....and grab yourself some Lily Bee papers, they're great quality, more of a cardstock  and at 50p a sheet they're a bargain

even more so are the papers in the sale.. 30p!

If you would like to order some Stampin'Up goodies then just contact Jean

Effie

Open a can

of beans or peas or anything for that matter as long as you keep the can. Make sure it's nice and clean and then you can make one of these...

 The paper I've used is out of stock at the moment but there's plenty of others to choose from.

This one has been wrapped in the gorgeous pink Lily Bee dotty paper, trimmed with pom pom trim and decorated with a couple of cut out hearts. I've also decorated the inside of the can with the green dotty paper and made a rim so that you can't accidently catch a finger on the edge of the can.

So the next time you open a can remember to clean it carefully, allow it to dry and then you can make a pretty container too.

Julie: Embellishing with ['sonic-screwdriver-blue'] diamantes!

Hello there and, as it's my first Design Team post of 2014, Happy New Year to you!  

 

Today I want to show how the wonderfully 'blingy' faux diamanté mesh - which makes a perfect sparkly addition to girly cards - can work equally as well on masculine-themed projects!

 

Like this one ...

It's a Dr.Who themed scrapbook page featuring my other half posing as 'the Doctor' in a TARDIS-like photo-booth at my sister's birthday party [now I've said that out loud I realise it may sound the tiniest bit strange ... but never mind!]

 

And what better embellishment to compliment the light from the 'sonic-screwdriver' he's wielding ...   

... than the fab electric blue faux diamanté mesh!  

I used a strip of it along the photo [it's easily cut with craft scissors - the mesh is only made from thread] and then, to balance out the colour across the page I added a few other smaller clusters at the top left and bottom right:

And I even sneaked in some of the silver mesh too:

I think one of the best things about scrapping something sci-fi themed like this is you can get away with using lots of shiny things and metallics ... and who doesn't enjoy that?!

 

You really can experiment with the whole 'space-shippy' feel which is why, beneath all the diamante I laid down a base of Shimmerz Texturez paint [in 'Patina']:

...  by scraping it through the Tando Creative 'Distorted Harlequin' mask:

And I also added a few random hexagons the Shimmerz Dazzlerz lovely and shiny black 'Licorice Stick':

And finally ... I flicked a Shimmerz spritz at the page for some relaxed and messy artiness [my favourite kind of artiness!]:

 

So, there you have it ... sci-fi scrapbooking with a little help from diamanté and Shimmerz ... never let it be said that a bit of bling is just for the pretty pages!

 

See you next time.

 

Julie :-)