The Stencil Specialist

Crazy about cameo's

2012-01-21T03:50:00.000-08:00

I have finally gotten around to playing some more with Dreamweavers LL3017 Cameo stencil. It helps that these cards are the inspiration for some classes.

The first card is simple but elegant. White embossing medium on a bronze metallic cardstock was the first step. Because there is a large open area on this stencil I used the thicker cardstock so that it would buckle less. When it was dry I mounted it onto the white card base.
It's not a great picture but you can see the embellishments. They just aren't sparkly as in real life. I used white cotton trim across the card then added off white paper roses. The flourish is a rhinestone design.

This second card is foiled with left over scraps of foil and black flock powder..
White opal glitter was added to the background but in order to make the cameo stand out I coloured the white glitter around the outside of the cameo with black ink.

For the second set of cards I wanted to use a stencil that worked well with the stencil used in the preceeding class. I chose Dreamweaver LL3002 Rose Bush.
The cameo was embossed with a mixture of clear and white embossing medium. This allowed the colour of the base card to show through in some areas. When it was dry I cut it out with a circle die. Crocheted lace was attached under the edge of this circular piece.
The blue square base card was dry embossed with the rose stencil. I then went over the raised design with white pigment ink and a finger dauber. I then went back over the leaves with blue pigment ink to help highlight them. The cameo was mounted onto the card with foam squares and the ribbon added to finish the card.

Black embossing medium was used with the cameo on heavy white cardstock. While it was still wet gold glitter was added to the frame only. When it was dry I stenciled the rose design around the cameo fading with the ink as I got closer to the cameo. I added the black ribbon and bow then mounted the topper onto a metallic black card base.

By using the stencil from two classes together I hope to encourage my students to use their stencils in more than one way. Even though the rose stencil is great as a stand alone image (see above pink card) it is a beautiful background design.

Have fun creating.
Julie

Small cell honeycomb paper

2011-12-25T18:44:00.000-08:00

Our newest product for the coming year is our small cell honeycomb paper. It is available in 10 colours and can be used to enhance any card for any occasion. here are a few ideas.

This first card was printed using Lasting Impression software. I created a template by tracing the parts of the design I wanted to pop out when the card was opened. I am aware that the black and yellow bands are not exact but in real life you don't notice because there is a coloured print under the paper.

This second card was created the same way but I used a Nitwit Collections software design. Most of the designs I use this way are not symmetrical but it doesn't matter that you can see some small areas of the printing.

I really like this one. Only his mustache was honeycombed but it makes a big impact.

Most people enjoy plum pudding. I certainly do. The one thing I took away from doing this card is to keep the design s simple. There are a few drips down the sides of this pudding that just weren't necessary and don't show well anyway.

I actually stenciled and coloured this one by hand. You can draw, stencil or stamp your designs. Keep in mind that any design you choose will have to be symmetrical and rounded otherwise it just won't work.

So what is different from our honeycomb paper to that which you can get from party supply stores? The size of the cells. The cells are 1/4" instead of 1". That means you get more honeycombing happening for small designs. You cannot open our honeycomb paper 360 degrees like you can normal honeycomb. You know how Christmas bells open out to create a full bell well you can't do that with the small cell paper unless you glue two identical pieces together back to back as it opens out 180 degrees. Perfect for inside cards.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas as you celebrated the season with family and friends. As you can see I am back to work as I took quite a bit of time off before Christmas. I hope you all get to relax and rest before the next year arrives.

Health and happiness to you all,
Julie

Christmas Carousel

2011-11-25T02:33:00.000-08:00

I have been playing with Cottage Cutz dies again. I love the way this one turned out and thought I'd share it with you. now that I have done it as a Christmas card I am looking forward to creating a pretty birthday card with it.

Enjoy your day.
Julie

Nothing new

2011-11-20T12:41:00.000-08:00

I am so sorry I haven't put anything new up in such a long time. I have been very busy helping my DIL with the new baby. I promise to get some work done this week to share with you.

I love being a Grandma!

First Grandchild.

2011-10-14T18:06:00.000-07:00

I would like to announce the safe arrival of our first Grandchild. Ian and I are the proud Grandparent of a little boy, Jackson Peter Arthur Makela. He arrived 12th October, 7lb 4oz or 3750g and 52cm long.

Isn't he beautiful?

Julie

Berryliscious

2011-10-14T17:59:00.000-07:00

The following cards were made using one of the new Nitwit Collections sheets from Craftywitch. The newest in the range are not die cut but very easy to cut out. They also come with an A4 size backing shetts that has two designs on it to go with the images. This sheet is the Berryliscious sheet.

As you can see I got four cards out of this sheet.

Have fun creating.

Julie

Diamonds are a grils best friend.

2011-09-21T01:01:00.000-07:00

I love a challenge, don't you?
Liz from The Scrap N Patch in Toowoomba asked me to come up with a few display cards to show her customers various ways you can use the Dreamweaver Diamond background stencil (LJ882). Of course you can do these following techniques with other combinations of stencils. You are only limited by your imagination. However, having said that we all have imaginations that can be given a little push by something we see. This is called inspiration. I hope the following cards inspire you.

This card was created with foils, flock and glitter on Jac paper. You can see previous posts for the explanation on how this is done.
I used LL568 Grape Cluster for the main image. LS96 Hello was embossed with black embossing medium (paste).
The difference here is that before the opal glitter was added after the grape stencil was removed the diamond background stencil was placed over the top of the Jac paper. You have to secure it with tape or glitter will sneak under the stencil. The opal glitter was added then the diamond stencil removed. I finished it with gold glitter. It works best with fine line designs.

This card is called faux tiling which I learned from Lynell who owns Dreamweaver stencils.
The diamond background stencil is dry embossed first. The flower stencil (LG625) was then embossed through the first stencil. The flower was then coloured with ink and light blue ink was smudged around the flower. I removed the flower stencil and cleaned the ink from the diamond stencil (slip a piece of paper between the stencil and the paper to help prevent smudging more colour onto the background of the design).
Use clear embossing ink with a large finger dauber all over the image through the diamond stencil. Remove the stencil and add clear embossing powder and melt with a heat gun. I used ultra thick and it gives the look of a hand made tile. You can add another layer to get a clear glossy finish.

The Kimono (LG634) was dry embossed and then double embossed with the Dragon (LL588). The dragon was coloured with ink and then removed. The diamond background stencil was then placed over the Kimomo and the back panel was dry embossed and then coloured very lightly with pale blue ink. The background stencil was then removed and the rest of the Kimono was coloured. You don't see very well in the picture but the diamond areas were then puffed up with a shaping tool on a soft pad the create a quilted look. It was then cut out leaving a fine white border around the edges and mounted with foam tape onto the beautiful panel of foiled paper from Alison Ellis.

This was done by taping around the edges of the card first. The Grape Cluster was dry embossed and coloured. The diamond background was placed over the image and softly stenciled with purple and green ink. Note: it is not dry embossed. I didn't go over the grapes at all as I wanted to create a halo effect. When the tape is removed there is no need to mat the image as you have already created a frame.

I hope you are inspired enough to try a couple of these ideas yourself.

Julie

Stencilling on foiled paper

2011-08-28T22:53:00.000-07:00

This is Dreamweaver LL3017 Cameo stencil dry embossed onto Alison Ellis foiled music note paper.
I coloured the image with black pigment ink before removing the stencil. The ink was then wiped off the foil. I added dots of graduating sized pearls with the Viva paint Pearl Pen on each side of the single dark red rose. A cream bow was added just under the rose.The black mat was created with Spellbinder Fleur de Lis Square die. I dry embossed the front of a square card with Dreamweaver LJ820 Flower Lace background stencil. Red and black ink was added around the outer edges.

This card was done exactly the same way as the first only using Dreamweaver LG676 French Horn and Alison Ellis cream and gold foiled script paper. I finished the card with a piece of cram and gold lace ribbon and large gold self adhesive metal dots. Three cream paper roses were added to the design over the middle of the embossed bow.

I hope you like these as much as I do.

Have fun crafting.

Julie

Art Nouveau

2011-08-15T01:38:00.000-07:00

These cards were made using a 3D decoupage sheet from Craftywitch. They are a Reddy die cut product. Even though they come as a two sheet pack I got more for my money by making individual cards from the 3D topper sheet.

This card was made from a metallic cardstock and stenciled with Dreamweaver LL 516 Bearded Iris and India ink. The black matting helps the image stand out from the rose coloured background.

This card is basically the same as the first card except for the fact that the greeting was added to the metallic gold card with black embossing medium and given a wider border.

I like the way this one turned out. I dry embossed the white mat with Dreamweaver LL 374 Long Stem Iris. I probably should have used LL 542 Long Lillies but I think I lent it to somebody and haven't got it back yet. Anyone who is as florally challenged as I am wouldn't have picked up on the difference so I went ahead and used the Iris stencil.

I used a Spellbinders Floral motif die for the leaves. For someone who would never consider tearing paper in the past, I have become very happy to do so these days.

Have fun with your paper crafting.

Julie

Hunkydory Christmas Elegance - Stylish Trees and new Dreamweaver stencils.

2011-07-26T21:39:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a long time between posts but I have been busy designing these cards with this new die cut sheet from Craftywitch. I still have 5 more trees to put onto cards or tags but there are so many already from this one sheet I thought I would save those for another day. So, here we go......

The patterned paper is from Alison Ellis designs. It is one from her latest release called 'A Formal Affair - White Tie Swirls'. it is a more chocolate colour than appears in the photo.

This card was created by using a Spellbinder tag die to cut out the front section. I drew around the outside with a glue pen then foiled it after it had gone clear. The gold mesh was trimmed to fit and added using a glue dot roller on the back after it had been trimmed to fit. The red and rhinestone trim was added to the brown organza ribbon on the base of the card and the tree attached to the front. Make sure there is no glue added to the places on the back of the tree where the center panel of the card has been removed or you will glue your card shut. I added a cream insert to the red card to help highlight the tree.

This rather simple card has been made very elegant just because of the small foiled dot background paper attached to the brown card. Yes, another Alison Ellis Design paper from the same range.

I layered this one with a strip of Swirls paper down the centre of the brown card. I embossed two strips of mint coloured card with an embossing folder and a Dreamweaver stencil and highlighted them both with brown ink. A Spellbinder die was used for the central rectangle and edged with brown ink. I created a small shadow of the tree with the waste card from the sheet before attaching the tree. I finished the card by placing lots of gold dots with dimensional paint across the top and bottom of the card.

This one is self explanatory. The music paper is another from Alison Ellis.

The acetate front was created using a foiled acetate from Craftywitch. The hinges are metallic paper cut with a Spellbinder tag die. You could use any patterned card for the front. I added the cream paper panel behind the tree so that the tree stood out more. The back of the card is brown cardstock. All three layer were cut 1cm larger on one side and the acetate was sandwiched between the other two layers.

The Chocolate Tree is attached to the mesh. The blue circle that was cut from the blue topper has then been attached to the inside back of the card. I think I like this one the best.

New Dreamweaver stencils are about to arrive! Whoohoo!
Here are a few advance picture to whet your appetites.

Foil, flock and glitter on Jac. Dimensional paint for dots. This is the actual shape of the stencil so the Jac paper was cut around the stencil leaving a small border which I foiled. I have a couple more ideas in mind for this stencil so you will have to pop back to find out what else I do with it.

Back to basics with this one. I used the Pallete brand hybrid inks with a finger dauber on mat cardstock. It was shaded with India black ink and a stencil brush. I also shadowed it before I embossed and coloured the design. This means I stencilled it with blue ink then shifted the stencil slightly sideways then upward before dry embossing.

This would have to be my favourite stencil out of the new releases. I used white and red embossing medium on black gloss cardstock. Mix the two colours together lightly. Wiggle the scraper from side to side as you pull the scraper over the stencil to create the marbled effect. The sentiment was written with an opaque gel pen. The topper and tag were added to the card then I glued the strand of small plastic flowers around the cameo.

This was a very long blog but I hope you enjoyed it.

Julie.

Cat-agorically Cute!

2011-06-21T00:31:00.000-07:00

I'm still working on those Nitwit die cut sheets from Craftywitch. I am a cat lover and these designs are adorable. The three cards all come from the one sheet. There is also a topper sheet with more single designs on them.

Meercat madness

2011-06-17T19:12:00.000-07:00

There must be a cartoon or childrens show in England about meercats that this range comes from. The only show I have seen is the wildlife show 'Meercat Manor' which features the real life animal. These are much cuter. This pack includes the background sheets, 4 die cut girl meercats and her 3 D die cut decoupage outfits to dress her in. They were fun to make up but as you can see the first card is A5 size. We in Australia don't like such large cards so I had to see what I could do with this kit to make it more Australian user friendly. Because her hat is so wide the first one had to be A5. If I had cut it down to a square the background would have been lost.

This one was successfully cut down to a square card. She is such a 'star' isn't she?

This one is so cute. The gingham paper is perfect for this image but I wanted a little more visual interest so with a white gel pen I wrote 'kitchen' themed words on the plain side of the card in different styles.

There were two bunny outfits to choose from. One looks to the right and the other to the left. I can put a photo in the head area to use up the other one and make a card. That would give me 5 cards from this kit. Check out the other meercat designs at Craftywitch.

Have a great day,
Julie

Toppers plus

2011-06-15T00:52:00.000-07:00

This set of cards was made from the matching topper sheet to the 'Deer Friends' decoupage sheets in my last post. This image is the same as one of the decoupage images but it is smaller. It is one piece. The depth is achieved by drawing around the design on the front with a stylus on a soft surface then shaping from the back of the piece.

These three cards were created using the same technique. There are quite a few pieces left over so it is possible to get five or six cards from this sheet.

These three cards were created using the Tail Wags decoupage sheet.

More to follow people........

Julie.

More 3D decoupage

2011-06-01T00:57:00.000-07:00

This card was hard to photograph because I needed for you to be able to see that there was a window in the front of the card. It was cut before the background paper was cut to fit into it. Then the daisy was added. A smaller eyelet circle was cut from the same paper to place under the bee. I dry embossed the background with a cherry blossom stencil from Dreamweaver and highlighted the branches and centres of flowers with a white gel pen. To finish the card I used the gel pen to add the dots. The triple dot idea has been purloined (pinched) from my American friend Donna. Other people may have copied her 'stitching' ideas but I prefer the dots.

This was a simple card to make as the sheet is die cut and easy to push out. I did take the time to shape the image parts as I built up the image. I never used to do this but it does make a difference.

This final card is A5 in size as the image is too big for a normal A6 card. I could have fitted onto a square card but putting onto this size card gave me more room to play with embellishments.
The inside of the card says....'cause it's a Boy!

Take note that these 3 cards came out of the one A4 decoupage sheet from Craftywitch.
The following four cards were made from the one A4 decoupage sheet as well.

Have a wonderful day.

Julie

New 3D Decoupage sheets from Craftywitch

2011-05-28T23:32:00.000-07:00

Isn't she 'Gor-juss'? Yes she is. This is one card made from one sheet. Unfortunately I didn't get a good shot of the companion card that I did with the same sheet before I gave it away.

The same thing happened with the square card I did with the other image that comes on this sheet. You will just have to go to the Craftywitch website to see the whole range. They are Gor-juss by name and gorgeous images.

More build-a-blossom designs. This one is the red Poppy. I used shiny gold cardstock behind the black fancy edged square. The red and gold ribbon finished this card off nicely.

This is the purple Azalea. The 'Thanks' was done with
Dreamweaver stencil LS 1006 and white Embossing Medium.The wording was flocked while still wet. The background was drawn with a white gel pen.

Have a great time whatever you are doing.

Julie

Coloured aluminium sheets

2011-05-22T19:34:00.000-07:00

I know, two posts in one day! Incredible. LOL.

We are the Australian distributors for MercArt. So far we have a small selection of tools and alumimum sheets but I am still learning how to use them. That involves a level of trial and error as I don't have access to the classes run by MercArt in the States. You can use a stamp on the back of the metal sheets or your own design with a permanent marker but the easiest way is to use a metal stencil. If you aren't into hand tooling then you can always use an embossing folder. Her are a few of my practice pieces.

This is a stamped image with an embossed stencil background. When I sanded the gold colour off the design I then coloured the raised sections with copic markers.
The lesson I learned with this one is to let the filler dry before trying to sand or do anything else as you can knock the puff out of your design. The teapot is a bit flatter now than when I sanded. I used the MercArt filler which hardens as it dries. Don't let the crust fool you as it can look dry but still be liquid underneath. Patience is the key.

This is the same gold sheet but coloured with alcohol inks before being embossed. The colour is then sanded from the raised sections. I filled the back of this one with clear embossing medium and it worked well. I was happy with this one.

For this card I used a stencil for the bee as well as the background. Again I used copic markers to highlight the design and filled the back with embossing MercArt filler as the design is a lot deeper and it definitely dries harder than the embossing medium. I did the extra swirls with a glue pen and foil. The sentiment is done with black embossing medium and a Dreamweaver stencil.

This is a close up of the bee.

The border is created with a decorative wheel.

If you want to do a class with me on these techniques let me know. I would prefer if you come to me rather than me traipsing all over the countryside. Let me know if the June long weekend would suit those of you who are store owners.

Julie

Trinitage 2 ways

2011-05-22T19:05:00.000-07:00

This is the front of my Lighthouse Trinitage card. I took the picture in a rather dark corner of the room but the picture stands out well. I used a dark blue card for the base and created a dark brown frame with Spellbinder dies. I wanted the front of the card to resemble a framed picture hanging on a wall. The dots are done with a glue pen and then foiled. The picture is a pyramid or stacked picture.

This is the inside of the card. You don't really see the depth of the card in a picture but you can in the next picture. I had to put a piece of white paper under it so you could see it better.

This is what the card looks like from the side. I made the two cubes from white cardstock. There is room for you to place a printed verse above the sentiment. They are quick and easy to do but you do have to cut them out as they are not die cut. Luckily there are more straight lines than wiggly ones. There are 16 designs to chose from with half of them being Christmas designs. They make a great class with variations to the front of the card being the focus rather than the middle section.

Another way of using the Trinitage sheets is to decoupage the front of a card with the main picture or make a diorama card like this one. The front is a piece of acetate. The small pyramid picture can be used for the front of a second card like the one below.

Have a great day.
Julie

Elegance

2011-04-16T23:16:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. This week I was inspired from two different sources. One was the Magnolia Stamps magazine and the other was Cristina Re papers.
I love the elegance of the Cristina Re papers and I knew I could create stunning backgrounds for my cards similar in look to these with Dreamweaver stencils.

I used a lustre cardstock with Dreamweaver
LX 7001 Tapestry stencil with white embossing medium. The motif was cut out of the same cardstock with a nestabilities die and shaded around the perimeter with blue ink before using white embossing medium and LL 3011 Lovebirds heart. Glitter was added to the lovebirds while the medium was wet. The dry motif was mounted onto the card with foam squares after the ribbon with rhinestone buckle was attached to the topper and then affixed to the white card base. It was then just a matter of adding the embellishments.

I was tempted to add more to this card but I think it would have been too much of a good thing so I let the elements speak for themselves. I maked off the perimeter of the card with low tack white tape before I started then added the design with black embossing medium on gold metallic cardstock. This design is the same as the Tapestry stencil on the first card but in actual fact the stencil is smaller and is called Damask LJ 907. The actual size of the pattern is also smaller than Tapestry. I wanted to add black flock to this but couldn't lay my hands on it before the medium had started to dry.
I finished the card with a strip of black cardstock then mounted the rhinestone buckle which had silver edged and plain black organza bows threaded through it onto the black strip.

Both of these cards were simple in construction and design but I think they are both beautiful even if I do say so myself. Having beautiful stencils to work with helps a lot.

Julie.

Home Tweet Home

2011-04-05T00:29:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. it has been a very busy time in my household lately hence not much action on my blog. New samples from Craftywitch have got me going again. The following cards were made with one of the new Hunkydory 8" x 8" die cut sheets called 'Home Tweet Home'. I could have made two more cards but I wanted to move onto something else so used 3 images on one card. These die cuts go beautifully with the Alison Ellis new range of papers.

Now I'm on a roll keep checking back to see what else is new from Craftywitch.

Julie.

More.....

2011-03-16T21:34:00.000-07:00

Because I make sample cards for stores using these I make lots. I hope you like seeing them. I will move onto something else very soon.

Have a great day,
Julie

More 'Build a Blossom' cards.

2011-03-07T22:35:00.000-08:00

I admit it. I'm hooked. These cards are so easy to do. Easy to cut out, easy to shape and look beautiful. What more could you ask of an A4 sheet of paper with some pictures of flowers on it?

Go to Craftywitch to see the full range.

Have fun.

Julie

Dreamweaver Plaid stencil LX7002

2011-02-27T18:49:00.000-08:00

I did this card before I went to CHA. I used to do something similar years ago with another brand but it was made from plastic and the lines kept moving. Now I have this one and boy am I happy. It is large enough to do the whole front of a card without having to lift it. Expect to see many more tartan designs in the future.

I used LJ907 Damask with silver Embossing medium and silver glitter on the black card. The silver strip at the bottom is double sided tape with the same glitter over it.
I dry embossed the LL594 Open Bird onto white cardstock then did random blocks of colour using a finger dauber through the stencil with pigment ink.
I masked one of the larger stripes on the Plaid stencil to allow enough colour to come through and using black ink I added the stripes through the two stencils then again after turning the stencil 90 degrees.
You could get way more pedantic than me by making the blocks of colour on the bird stencil match the stripes exactly. It depends on how much work you want to put into it.

Quite frankly I don't have the time or inclination to get that fussy. I think it looks great as it is. What do you think?

Julie.

Owl and Puppy Cottage Cutz

2011-02-27T18:27:00.000-08:00

I don't know if you have guessed this or not, but I have a love affair going with die cuts, especially Cottage Cutz dies.Craftywitch has all of the designs I put on this blog for sale to you retailers. How can you resist?

I used a deckle edged rectangle for the night sky and a plain circle for the moon. I wish you could see how he wobbles on his branch. I used a new style of spring I found at CHA to mount him onto. Just brilliant.

This die is a double set with lots of little pieces. It makes it easier if you break down the image into sections. For example, I did each puppy then the box before I put it all together. Fiddly but not difficult and look at the result.

Check out the Craftywitch website to see all the other great designs they have in stock.

Julie

Build a Blossom

2011-02-22T14:47:00.000-08:00

I received some new samples from Craftywitch a couple of days ago and I must be truthful and tell you that I was less than impressed with these new Build a Blossom sheets from La Pasche..........until I made them up. Now I'm a huge fan. A craft knife, soft mat and a couple of shaping tools (which I improvised with things I already had in my craft room) and a bit of glue and the results speak for themselves.

There are 3 flowers per sheet and many more designs available. Go to the Craftywitch website and check them out.

Julie

Back from CHA

2011-02-21T16:40:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone.

I had a great time in the States and met some lovely people at CHA. I enjoyed my time showing Dreamweaver Dream Team designers, reps and store owners my latest foil techniques with stencils.
Here are a few more cards using these techniques with the new Rooster stencil LG732.

The first two cards were done on a base of Jac paper.
I used small amounts of different coloured foils on the first design
before filling it in with black flock. Notice one short edge of the Jac was punched first.
I only ever use opal glitter on the background after the stencil is removed as other colours muddy the image and can even make your image disappear into the background.

This card was done exactly the same as the last one only I used only
one colour of foil. In this instance it is the Copper foil.

This card is done differently. I dry embossed the image and then coloured it with pigment inks. I removed the stencil and covered the image with 'Stuck on You' powder from Stampee. The powder was then melted with a heat gun. Transluscent foil in the Water pattern was placed over the image and run through a heated pouch laminating machine (without the pouch) between 2 pieces of copy paper. The foil was then removed quickly after it had cooled.
I then dry embossed around the outside of the rooster to add extra dimension.

This was done exactly the same as the previous card only I used different coloured inks. Instead of dry embossing the background I sprayed the card with Blue Hawaiian Memories Mist. The foil acts as a resist so you can wipe the image down and not affect the image.

This card was done the same way as the last two only Silver Bubbles foil was used on black card. You don't have to colour the image first if using a solid colour foil so I used the Palette brand glue pad but you can use Versamark. Note: you do have to dry emboss though.

More to come in the following days using the newest Dreamweaver stencils.
Have a great day,
Julie

Sneak Peak

2011-01-03T02:13:00.000-08:00

After a time of rest and relaxation I suppose it's back to work!

I have been busy creating sample cards for the Dreamweaver stand at CHA which is being held in Los Angeles at the end of this month. I will be spending time on both the Dreamweaver and Stampee stand showing their customers and designers how I use their products. I use stencils and foils together but not all the time so I won't be doing exactly the same things on each stand.

The tie stencil is one of newest in the Dreamweaver range which will be released at CHA The first design uses ink to colour and Stampee transluscent foil to add the shiny rainbow effect.

The second sample card uses the new
Heritage background design on the tie
but this time with the addition of solid gold foil.

This sample differs by using the new Stripes Background stencil to add the design which was then coloured with pigment ink. To add the foiled stripes I used thin strips of Jac paper in the centre of the widest stripes then pressed the foil over the exposed sticky areas. The base cardstock has a pinstriped texture and is a metallic colour which made a great suit effect to mount the tie and 'shirt' topper on to.

I hope the New Year is good to all of you.

Julie.

Iron-on glitter and flock fabrics

2010-12-09T23:29:00.000-08:00

I love being able to create designs for t-shirts,bags, tablecloths etc (in fact, anything you can iron). I created this design to add an Australian feel to Christmas. I cut it out on my Pazzles electronic cutter. I added it to a black bag as well as a white apron.

If you want to see how it was done I created a YouTube video. Be gentle with your critique as it is my first and way too long. It ends early as well as I think the file was too big even for YouTube.

You can find it by searching for 'Iron-on fabrics with the Stencil Specialists'.

Glitter, foil, flock and Jac.

2010-12-05T05:20:00.000-08:00

Both of these cards were done using glitter and foil on Jac paper. The difference between the two cards is that the first one was using Dreamweaver Stencil LG675 Pine Cones and the second was using the Christmas Doily Cottage Cutz die. Both had Stampee foil used on them and where the foil didn't stick I rubbed black flock powder onto the sticky paper. The copper colour foil is beautiful.

This one was the time consuming card as each small part of the die cut Jac paper was removed before each colour glitter was applied.

My second DVD is out for sale so check out my website to see who our stockists are so you can get one as a gift for a friend or loved one.

Calendar from my American friend.

2010-11-24T17:23:00.000-08:00

This calendar was made and sent to me for my 50th birthday by Donna who lives in San Diego.
I had to share it with you as it showcases Lasting Impressions products as well as Cottage Cutz. There is a lot of work put into this and I will treasure it.

Thank you Donna.

A new spin on things.

2010-11-08T17:25:00.000-08:00

This is not a new idea but I thought it was worth revisiting.

The bird was cut out of the front of the card using Dreamweaver LL594 Open bird stencil as a guide. The semi-circle was punched at the half way mark on the right hand side of the card.

The front was then decorated and the spinner placed on the inside of the card with a brad. The spinner itself was dry embossed with a selection of different stencils and then coloured with pigment inks and finger daubers. Now the bird changes colour and patterns.

This card was manufactured in the same way with just a couple of changes. I used clear embossing medium through Dreamweaver LL574 Ornament Tree which I then covered with different coloured glitter while it was still wet.
The corners of the card were punched out and an window cut out of the lower left hand side. The spinner was then written on. The greeting, 'Merry Christmas.....may the joy of the season be with you through the coming year' appears in the window as you spin it. The background was dry embossed with Dreamweaver LG713 Holly Flourish before it was put together. A red insert was placed in the card to complete it.

These are two of my favourite things.

2010-10-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

Both are Cottage Cutz dies.

The cat is a 4 x 4 and the ice-cream truck is a double 4 x 4. Both borders have had the same treatment. I punched a strip of pink cardstock along two edges then backed it with double sided Jac paper. Then I added the glitter which went through the holes to give a hint of glitz.

This border is a little glam for the old ice-cream truck but what the heck. I punched the edge of the strip and put it onto a pice of double sided Jac that was wider than the strip. Then I added the glitter and finished it with the ribbon. The background was dry embossed with Dreamweaver LJ 890 Flourish background stencil. I also went to the trouble of adding acetate windows and colouring them on the back instead of using paper or cardstock.

Embossed rub-ons

2010-10-29T17:14:00.000-07:00

I have been playing with one of the rub-on sheets from Craftywitch. You will be happy to know that they go onto acetate as easily as they go onto cardstock. What I liked about them over stickers are that you can get your design to go just where you want it to before you rub it on. It's harder to make a mistake. There are enough designs on one sheet to make five cards. Notice that I used the card I cut the oval from as a base for the second card.

Polly's technique

2010-10-14T16:01:00.000-07:00

The first card is using a technique I saw at a craft show in the U.S. Polly from Polly's Pals in California was demonstrating it.

The white base card was dry embossed with the pine trees stencil LL570. It was then coloured with pigment ink. I made it fairly dark. I then used clear Embossing Medium through the stencil on a piece of thick vellum 170gsm. While it was wet I sprinkled opal glitter over the image. When it was dry I brushed it down and matched up the images and glued the vellum to the card along the spine with a glue pen. I then added the greeting and the ribbon which was wrapped around the entire front of the card and tied in a knot.
A very pretty effect isn't it?

This is yet another Cottage Cutz die card inspired by a beautiful card I saw in a Swedish magazine put out by the Magnolia Stamp Company (purchased at a Newsagent). I used one of the new Martha Stewart punch sets to create the lattice work.
The puppy die has a back to it but wasn't needed for this card. Keep an eye out for it done as a back and front card.

Cottage Cutz Gingerbread House

2010-10-10T23:41:00.000-07:00

These are pictures of the Limited Edition Gingerbread House which is a triple die set. I used copic markers and ink to colour a lot of the small detail and it still took me 6 hours to complete it. It is set into an 8 x 10 frame so it is quite large.

The second photo is dark as you could see a reflection of me in my P.J's when taken in proper light and nobody wants to see that! (No.....they were perfectly respectable flannelette shirt and pants with hot pink ladybugs on a bright blue background.)

The Christmas shop will be next but don't hold your breath for a completion time. Maybe next Christmas. The gingerbread house
was done whilst I was on a retreat so I had no interruptions.
If you would like to order this one you can contact Craftywitch
direct and they can give you a time frame for delivery as it is
not in their regular line.

Fan and Orchid stencils

2010-10-04T15:53:00.000-07:00

I love the new stencils from Dreamweaver.
The large open fan LJ903 gives so much scope to use with other stencils. The black eyed Susan background LJ902 has become one of my favourites already. On this card I dry embossed the fan then coloured with Stewart Superior Hybrid inks using a finger dauber. I then placed the daisy stencil over the fan stencil and used gold embossing paste through both stencils. I removed the stencils and added gold glitter to the wet medium. When it was dry I brushed the extra glitter away then dry embossed the diamond pattern around the image using the LJ841 Fleur de Lis stencil without the Fleur de Lis. The metal tag is from a Lasting Impressions senti-metals pack which was attached with foam mounting squares.
.

Isn't this card pretty? It's unfortunate you can't see the transparent stars foil on the plant. I used LL3006 Tall Orchid and coloured with pigment ink and a finger dauber. I went over the design with Versamark, took off the stencil then added Stampee's Stuck on You powder and melted it with a heat gun. Then I put the transparent foil over the image, popped it between two sheets of paper and put it through my laminator. It's amazing how the colours become so much brighter with the foil over the top.
The Double Happiness Character was added using Dreamweavers gold embossing paste. The dragonfly is a brad and the dots for the flight path were done with a glue pen and gold foil.

Both of these cards were done as swaps for the Embossing Exchange which is a group dedicated to the use of metal stencils. There are a few Aussies there as well as at least one Brit that I know of. The main moderator is Canadian but my friend Donna is co-moderator. She is American as most of the other members. They are always looking for new people to swap with so if you would like to join us you would be made very welcome.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Embossing-Exchange

Foiled Christmas Pear

2010-09-19T00:22:00.000-07:00

This card was created using Dreamweaver stencils, inks and Stampee Transparent foil. The foil is the Mirage pattern which gives a diagonal striped effect. It's a little paler in the picture than in real life and is designed to look very 'Olde Worlde'. The pear was dry embossed onto cream cardstock then coloured with pigment ink. It was then covered with Versamark ink, covered with Stampee heat and bond powder which was then melted with a heat gun. The foil was then placed over the design and run through a pouch laminator (without the pouch) between two pieces of paper. The foil was removed when cool and the other designs were stencilled around the outside of the pear. I filled in the stencilled areas with ink the same colours as the designs to fill them in a bit. Any ink that got onto the pear was removed with a clean cloth. Extra ink was smudged around the edges of the card and in between the designs.

Cottage Cutz

2010-09-12T21:34:00.000-07:00

Isn't this Bluebird adorable? He has been placed on acetate in the window. It was difficult to find an insert that didn't detract from the image so I went for a pale blue check. Next time I'll dry emboss the front before I put it together.

The Gingerbread people come with a boy and girl face stamps. They didn't have buttons either so I used some black adhesive pearls. The hair and lollipop come on a separate die that is one of three available accessories dies for the 'dolls' dies.

This is another 'dolls' die. the mittens, bow-tie and buttons are included as well as the face stamps but the Santa hat was on the same accessories die I used on the previous card. I added the pearl necklace and earrings with adhesive pearls. The silver foiled blue background paper is an Alison Ellis paper from the latest Christmas range. The snowflake is one of the flakes from a Cottage Cutz die.

This card was made using the two die Cottage Cutz set. I did it in three sections. First the chimney then Santa and last of all the presents. Cutting out all the parts was time consuming so it will be done with copic markers in future. When I get it done I'll post the picture of the card and you can do a comparison.

I will be in Toowoomba tomorrow doing as stenciling class and a demonstration of the iron-on fabric.........which reminds me, I haven't posted any of the pictures of the samples I have created with this wonderful product. I will remedy this ASAP.

More Wacky Wheelz

2010-09-09T01:49:00.000-07:00

Here are the latest cards using Wacky Wheelz Die Cut sheets. While they are not challenging for the experienced cardmaker they are quick and fun to do. There isn't that much out there for men if they don't like sport or fishing and these designs are great for boys of all ages. The background of the first card was dry embossed with Dreamweaver stencil LJ890 Flourishes.

Alison Ellis Christmas paper

2010-09-08T18:31:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of examples of the money folders created by friends Lyn and Danielle using Alison Ellis Christmas paper. They are lovely foiled papers and come in a range of six designs with three colour ways. Check them out on Alison's website or contact me if you own a shop in the south-east part of Queensland and I can show them to you in person.

Stencils at last

2010-09-01T20:48:00.000-07:00

I finally got to play with this new stencil from Dreamweaver. It is LL3005 Holly Leaf. There are 3 cards that I will be teaching in a class at Stamp Antics in late September.

This first card was embossed, coloured with pigment ink and then I cut the edge away from the design. The red paper insert just makes this pop. The greeting was done on my computer.

I used Dreamweaver Metallic FX powder on this
one. I've tried both Versamark and Stewart superior
glue pads and the heat activated glue works best.
This card has the black glue under the powders
to give it rich colour.

The third card was created like a glitter card....sort of.
Double sided Jac paper was placed on the card first, then
the soaped stencil was placed on top of that. Foils were
then rubbed into the design areas. Black flock powder
was then rubbed over the entire design to fill in the bits
where the foil wouldn't go. Opal glitter was used on the
rest of the Jac paper once the stencil was removed. I
then dry embossed the background using the new
LG731 Holly Flourish.

La Pasche decoupage

2010-09-01T07:32:00.000-07:00

These cards were created using a La Pasche decoupage die cut sheet. It's hard to see the dimension in the picture but these particular sheets are quick and easy to put together with foam squares. They are great for boys of all ages. You get one large 3D sheet and one pyramid image on the same sheet. Of course I had to get a bit of dry embossing onto a card somewhere so I did on the square card.

If I post a picture of a card made with a Cottage Cutz Die every other day I may get them all up by next month! This is the Cupcakes on stand and yes the stand is part of the die. This is an early card and note: no shading. It looks perfectly fine so you only have to put as much work into the card as you would like.

If you are a store owner and I have taken your order, I will send pieces for you to make up your sample card for your store for each die (type not amount). That way you won't have to open your stock. If you are time poor I can do the whole card for a price. I'm not looking to get rich out of this just offering a service, I'd much rather you do it yourself.

If you have any questions about where to get any of the products I use on a card just ask.

Chooks

2010-08-29T15:59:00.000-07:00

I am currently doing sample cards using the Cottage Cutz dies from Craftywitch so expect to see quite a few cards featuring them for a while. I will occasionally slip in a stenciled card. Todays effort is the chickens die.

If you can't read the writing the first one says 'We're expecting!' and the second one says 'Happy Birthday from one old chook to another!'. Insted of cutting tiny pieces of the design with different colour card I did them all in white then coloured them with Copic markers. Quicker than cotton tips and pigment ink.

2010-08-28T17:24:00.000-07:00

This is the Cottage Cutz 'Giraffe' die done in soft pastel colours. I shade all the pieces using pigment ink before I piece them together. Sometimes the area I am shading is big enough for me to use a finger dauber but smaller areas I use either a stencil brush or cosmetic cotton tips. The difference between cosmetic cotton tips and ordinary cotton buds is that one end is pointed so I can get into very small areas and do highlights with white ink on the smallest pieces. If I can get away with it I use adhesive beads for eyes rather than fiddling with tiny cut out dots. Only the head has been raised with foam squares. I print my sayings on my computer. This was inked around the edges so that it stood out from the background.

My very first post

2010-08-28T17:05:00.000-07:00

Hi.
I started this blog at the request of a few of my customers. I think it's a great way to keep everyone I know up to date with where I am and what I'm up to as far as work is concerned. Knowing me I won't be able to stop myself from adding a few personal notes every now and then about my family. However, my main aim is to show new products, share ideas and display pictures of my work. As soon as I get the hang of this I'll be posting pictures of the cards I have created using Cottage Die Cutz.