Little Claire Bees Knees Card

 

This is a card I have made using the Little Claire Bees Knees stamp set and apart from the cute little images I have used paper scraps that I had in my stash box and a load of punches (I love using punches).

 

what you will need:

Little Claire Bees Knees stamp set

5 6/8" x 5 6/8" cream base card

craft card

cream card

good quality white card to stamp onto

Bird Song 8" x 8" paper pad - green leaves

black Versa Fine ink pad

Tim Holts Distress Ink - Vintage Photo

colouring in implements of your choice

1 1/2" circle punch (or die)

scissors

ring binder hole punch

various printed paper scraps

various punches (hearts, flowers, butterflies)

pearl gems

silver Sekura gelly roll pen

 

Cut a piece of craft card to mat and layer onto the cream base card and stick into place.

Cut a piece of the Bird Song green leaves paper to mat and layer onto the craft card which is already stuck onto the base card and stick into place.

 

Cut apiece of cream card 4 1/2" x 4 1/2".

Mat and layer the cream card onto craft card.

Using the 1 1/2" circle punch and your paper scraps punch out 6  circles.

Using the Little Claire Bees Knees stamp and the black Versa Fine ink pad stamp the images onto good quality white card.

Colour the images with colouring in implements of your choice.

Using scissors cut out the samped images.

Stick the circles and the stamped images onto the cream card square.

Stick the circles square onto the base card at a jaunty angle.

Using your stash of punches and your stash of paper scraps begin punching out shapes to stick onto the circles.

Arrange the shapes onto the circles until you are happy with how they look and then stick them into place (I gave definition to my shapes by folding the hearts and butterflies down the centre and rolling the centre of the flowers with a ball tool).

Paper piece the heart on the bee hive and the flower by stamping the images onto printed paper and then cutting around the desired part of the image and then stick the cut out printed paper onto the stamped image.

Draw a sparkly silver line down the centre of the butterflies and place pearl gems at the centre of the punched flowers.

 

Punch out 6 dots from your scrap paper using the ring binder punch and bevel the dots using a ball tool and a piece of foam.

Stick the dots onto the card (I use hot glue to stick the dots onto the card as it makes a solid bond with the card and fills in the void under the dot, but it is a messy job and you have to be quick and accurate).

 

Stamp the sentiment "You really are the Bees Knees!" onto craft card using the black Versa Fine ink pad.

Cut the sentiment out and shade the edges using Tim Holts Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

Stick the sentiment onto the card.

 

 

 



 



Little Claire Special Offer

Little Claire have given everyone an early Christmas present today and it is a fantastic 30% discount on everything. Head on over to their shop and when you have decided what you want to buy (this may take some time as they have so many fabulous things) simply proceed to the checkout and type in the code GAP30. So go on give yourself am early Christmas treat.

Little Claire November Stamp Challemge - Christmas in White

 



 

Good morning and I hope you have all survived the wet and windy weather we`ve been having lately. Little Claire have launched their November stamp challenge and the theme is Christmas in white. I was looking through the entries for last months competition and I have to say the standard was high but I especially liked the entries by Jane`s Journal so I suggest that you have a look at her blog which is filled with fantastic creations and how to make them.

These are the prizes that you could win if you enter the competition, aren't they fantastic and so useful.

It includes :

A selection of Little Claire Snowy papers

Little Claire 'Robin & Snowdrop' stamp set

One pack of Bling Stones

One pack of Pearl stones

One pack of White Adhesive Lace

 

This is the card that I have made as part of the Little Claire design team and it is really easy to make but it does require a lot of dies and these are expensive pieces of kit so I would suggest that if you don't have a particular die that I have used then have a play with the dies or punches in your own stash. The main thing with this card is to make layers of embellishments because you don't have a lot of colour to hold your interest.

what you will need:
Little Clare Three Sparkly Snowmen stamp set - snowman with Owl and Robbins
Little Claire Dinkie Text Merry Christmas
14.5cm x 14.5cm white base card
Tattered Lace Essentials Circles dies No 10 & 11
Marrianne Creatables Frame & Swirls die - just the lager swirl
Lea`bilities Poinsettia die 004
Marianne Creatables Poinsettia die LRD122 - just the middle stamen
large trellis background die
die cutting machine
black Versa Fine ink pad
score board
orange paper
small circle punch
colouring in implements of your choice
wet glue
fine paint brush
Docraft Glitter Strips glitter
4 x small AB faceted gems
foam pads

Cut a square of white card 13cm x 13cm.
Score the card using a score board making vertical lines (remember to make the space at the outer side of the end scores equal).
Mat and layer the white scored card onto the orange paper.
Stick the mat and layered paper/card combo to the centre of the base card.

Run the large trellis die and the white card through the die cutting machine (I don't know what this die is called or even who makes it because it was one of the first dies I ever bought, that was years ago and the packaging is long lost but this is a picture of it and it is still on sale because I see it at craft fairs).

Stick the cut out frame onto the centre of the base card.

Using the Little Claire snowman with Owl and Robbins stamp from the Three Sparkly Snowmen stamp set and the black Versa Fine ink pad stamp the image onto the white card.
Take the Tattered Lace Essentials Circles die No. 11 and secure it to the white card so that it will cut out a circle with the image nicely placed within it.
Run the image and die through the die cutting machine.
Colour in the image with colouring in implements of your choice.
You now need to make a frame for the lovely image so take the Tattered Lace essentials Circles die No 11 and put it onto the white card. Place the Tattered Lace Essentials Circles die No 10 within die No 11 and make sure it is central to die No 11 (you may wish to secure the dies with low tack tape to make sure they do not move). Run the dies through the die cutting machine.
Stick the frame over the top of the image.
Using the wet glue and a fine paint brush apply wet glue to the bottom of the image where you would find snow.
Sprinkle the Docrafts Glitter Strips glitter over the wet glue, shake off excess and allow to dry.
Stick the image onto the base card.

Create 2 swirls using the lager swirl die from the Marrianne Creatables Frame & Swirls die and white card.
Cover the cut out swirl shapes (one at a time) with wet glue, cover with Docrafts Glitter Strips glitter and shake off the excess. Allow to dry.
Stick the swirls to the bottom left of the base card.

Using the Lea`bilities Poinsettia die 004 cut out 3 layers of the Poinsettia from white card.
Shape the Poinsettia petals by running a ball tool or something similar down the centre back of the petals and rubbing around the right way round centre of the flowers.
Assemble the flowers.
Using the orange paper and the centre stamen from the Marianne Creatables Poinsettia die LRD122 cut out the stamen.
Stick the stamen to the centre of the Poinsettia.
Stick a faceted AB gem to the centre of the Poinsettia.
Stick the Poinsettia onto the base card.

Stick the remaining 3 AB gems at the corners of the large trellis cut out.

Using the black Versa Fine ink pad and the Little Claire Merry Christmas dinkie text stamp the text onto white card.
Cut the text out.
Cut out 2 small dots using the small hole punch.
Stick the dots onto the sentiment banner.
Stick the sentiment onto the base card with foam pads.



























Dandelion Friend Card

This is what I was doing at the beginning of the week when the wind was howling down the chimney and blowing all the leaves off of the trees, and it`s made using the new Little Claire dinkie Dandelion stamp. I like my character stamps but sometimes it is really nice to use a simple stamp to get a stylish/classy result. Its easy to do and once you've had a go at this technique you will want to use it over and over again so have a go......

what you will need:

Little Clair dinkies Dandelions stamp

Little Claire dinkie text Happy Birthday Mrs Lovely

black Versa Fine ink pad

Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink

white base card 15cm x 23cm

copy paper

white card

black paper

craft card

page from an old book

small hole punch

medium hole punch

string

Black fine tip pen

flower die 3.5cm across

flower die 2,5cm across

die cutting machine

black brad

Cut the base card down to 12.2cm x 17.5cm.

Mat and layer the craft card onto the base card.

Using the black Versa Fine ink pad stamp the Little Claire dinkies Dandelion image onto white card at least 1.5cm from the side of the card and 2cm down from the top of the card.

Tear 4 wide strips from the copy paper.

Stick the strips together with tape to make a frame for the stamped image but make the frame longer than the stamped image because you are going to lengthen the stems of the Dandelions.

Using low tack tape secure the frame over the stamped image.

Shade the edges of the image using Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink (Use Cut n Dry foam and dab the foam into the ink and then onto some scrap paper to remove excess colour, using a small circular motion begin to work from the edge of the frame into the middle of the image and always work away from the frame so as to not tare or fold back the edges of the frame).

Carefully remove the frame.

Lengthen the Dandelion stems using the black fine tip pen.

Cut the card to 10.5cm x 16cm.

Cut 3 pieces of string long enough to wrap around the bottom of the image card and tie a knot where you want the flower embellishment to sit.

Wrap the string around the image card at the bottom making sure that the knot sits where you want to place the flower embellishment, fan out the strings to the left of the knot and secure around the back of the card with tape, cut off any extra string.

Secure the right hand strings around the back of the card with tape and cut off any excess string.

Mat and layer the white image card onto black card.

Using the old book page and the two flower dies cut out the flowers.

Shade the edges of the flowers with Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

Shape the flower pieces and lay the smaller flower on top of the lager flower, make a hole at the centre of the flowers with the small hole punch.

Make a hole on the white image card where the knot is.

Place the black brad through the holes on the flower die cuts and through the

white image card and spread the legs of the brad at the back of the black card.

Stick the image topper onto the base card.

Using the black Versa Fine ink pad stamp the Little Clare dinkie text "You`re a lovely friend" onto white card

Cut the sentiment out.

Shade the edges of the sentiment wit Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

Cut 2 small circles from the black card using the small hole punch.

Stick the black circles onto the sentiment banner.

Stick the sentiment banner onto the base card.

Cut 6 circles from the black card using the middle size hole punch.

Stick the black circles onto the base card.



Make a Wish Card

what you will need:
Little Claire Floating Dandelions Paper Stack - yellow
Inkylicious Make a Wish stamps
6" x 6" base card
black Versa Fine ink pad
Tim Holtz Mustard Seed Distress Ink
Cut n Dry foam
yellow pastel chalks
grey satin/pearl paper
black paper
darker grey paper
Tattered Lace Essentials Circles dies - No 11 & 12
die cutting machine
Tonic small butterfly boot punch
1/4" wide grey and white spotted satin ribbon
1" wide white organza ribbon
1/4" wide white organza ribbon
black button embellishment

Using the Tim Holtz Mustard Seed Distress Ink and the Cut n Dry foam shade the edges of the Little Claire Floating Dandelions paper stack.
Mat and layer the yellow dandelions paper onto black paper.
Mat and layer the black paper and dandelions paper combo onto grey satin paper.
Make sure that the yellow dandelions paper is shaded darker at the bottom, cut a piece of the white 1" organza ribbon and secure it to the mat and layered papers about 2 3/4" from the bottom of the papers to the top of the ribbon (remember to wrap the ribbon behind the papers and secure with tape).
Cut a piece of the 1/4" grey and white potted satin ribbon and secure this to the card about 2 1/2" from the bottom of the mat and layered papers to the top of the ribbon, secure the ribbon around the back of the papers as before.
Stick the papers/ribbon combo onto the base card.

Cut out a circle from the white card using the Tattered Lace Essentials Circles die No 11.
Stamp the Inkylicious Make a Wish images within the circle (remember that you can bend the stems of the dandelion clocks into a suitable position when placing the stamp onto the acrylic block).
Shade the edges of the circle with yellow pastel chalks.
Using the Tattered Lace Essentials Circles die No 12 and the darker grey paper cut out the circle.
Stick the stamped image circle onto the darker grey circle (remember to off set the white circle so that more of the grey circle is showing at the top).
Stick the circle toppers onto the card.

Make a bow from the 1/4" white organza ribbon and stick it onto the card.
Make a bow from the 1/4" grey and white spotted satin ribbon and stick it on top of the organza bow.
Stick the black button to the middle of the bows.

Stamp the sentiment using the black Versa Fine ink pad and the Make a Wish stamp onto the darker grey paper.
Cut the sentiment out making a ribbon tail shape at the beginning of the words.
Stick the sentiment onto the card.

Using the Tonic small butterfly boot punch make 1 butterfly from the darker grey paper and 2 butterflies from the grey satin/pearl paper.
Bend the butterflies wings back along the butterflies bod.
Stick the darker butterfly to the card within the topper circle and the other two butterflies to the top left of the card.

Cupcake Tree Picture

 

 

 

Little Claire are launching their November digi stamp challenge and the theme is "anything but a card" and this is a little picture that I have made as part of the design team. It is such a sweet digi stamp and it was really fun to make. I hope you are inspired to have a go for yourself and enter the competition and if you do you could win this lovely prize.............





 

 

FIVE DIGI STAMPS OF YOUR CHOICE

 



 

 



 

what you will need:

Little Claire Cupcake Tree digi stamp

printer

Serif Craft Artist graphics program or a similar graphics program

your choice of background

Hobbycraft 5 3/4" x 5 3/4" stretched canvas

120gsm white linen print paper

white copy paper

good quality mat print paper

Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Tumbled Glass, Mustard Seed, Dusty Conchord, Shabby Shutters

Cut n Dry foam

black fine tip pen

pink faceted gems

Liquid Pearls - White Opal

mauve coloured ink pad

black Versa Fine ink pad

pale green colouring in pen

 

I use Serif Craft Artist as my graphics program and I will take you step-by-step through the process of creating the image but if you do not have this graphics program don't worry, your program will do the same things but unfortunately I can not walk you through the process.

 

On your computer open up the Serif Craft Artist graphics program.

From the start up wizard double click on the "blank project" at the left hand side of the screen.

A  page set up will appear, in the "regular" box at the top of the page double click on the "A4 portrait".

The Digi kit browser box will now appear so click on "done" at the bottom of the page.

Now you have a blank A4 work area to place your design onto.

My Craft Artist always has cm as default ruler guides and we need to change this to inches so at the top left of your screen you will see a point where two rule bars meet, hover the cursor over this point until it changes from an arrow to a hand and then right click, select inches from the drop down box that will appear.

Hover your cursor over the left hand ruler and left click and drag at the same time to create a guide line. Drag the guide line to the 5 1/4" measure on the top ruler. Repeat this action with the top ruler dragging the guide line down to 5 1/4" on the side ruler.

You now have guide lines on your work area. These guide lines can be moved or removed at any time and will not print onto the finished work.

You need to have a file on your computer which contains your background image and this can be a file from a image CD or it could be one you have purchased from the Serif Daisytrail online shop or you could do as I did and make your own background and scan it to create a PDF  file (I made this image using alcohol inks and acetate).

Click on the insert tab at the top of the screen, select photo from the drop down box, select from file from the drop down box, a window will open containing the files on your computer, simply select the file/image you wish to use in your project and click on open at the bottom of the box.

You will now be back at your work sheet and your cursor will have turned into a white cross, left click and drag the cursor diagonally and your image will appear in the box you are creating.

Your image will appear within a blue box with cross hares at the top left corner, left click on the cross hares and drag the image to the top left of your work space.

You will see white boxes at intervals along the edge of your image (these are re sizing points), hover your cursor over the bottom right square until the cursor becomes a double ended arrow, left click and drag the square until the image is the same size as your guide lines (if your image is not a square shape simply repeat the re sizing process with the white squares along the edge of the image until it is the required size). 

The background image will have a grey box at the top left corner, left click on the box and drag the background image to the centre of the work sheet (you can also left click any where on the image and drag it).

Move the guide lines to the edges of the background image by hovering the cursor over the guide line until the cursor turns into a double ended arrow, left click  and drag the guide line into place.

Click on the edit tab at the top of the toolbar, select copy from the drop down box, *click on edit from the tool bar, click paste from the drop down box. You have now duplicated the background image but you can not see it because it is on top of the original image.

Left click on the image and drag to butt up to the side of the original image with no white showing in between* (if the edges of the image look odd or don't line up you can flip the copied image and this may look better - click on the arrange tab in the tool bar, click on the flip vertical or flip horizontal button from the drop down box).

Repeat from * to * another three times and arrange the copies around the original image to form a + shape.

 

You will have downloaded the Little Claire Cupcake Tree digi stamp when you bought it and it will probably be in your download folder, I would recommend that you create a new folder for your digi stamps and put the Cupcake Tree in this folder and any other digi stamps that you may have.

Click on the insert tab on the tool bar, click on photo in the drop down box, click on from file in the drop down box, you will now have a file location box open and you must find the Cupcake Tree file and click on it (it will change colour), click the open tab at the bottom of the box.

As before with the background image you will be taken back to the work sheet  and the cursor will appear as a white cross, left click and drag diagonally to make the image appear.

Re size the Cupcake tree image to 5 1/2" from the top of the tree to the bottom of the tree (you may wish to use guide lines to help with this).

Move the Cupcake Tree image to where it needs to be on the canvas (I made my little bird on the branch wrap around the side of the canvas so if you want to do this make sure that the bird on the branch is outside of the right hand guide line).

You now need to make the Cupcake Tree image partially transparent so that you can see the background image through it and this is done by left clicking on the Transparency slider bar at the right hand side of the screen, slide the bar till it reads 53%.

 

Now you need to make the sun so using guide lines make a box 2" square any where on the work space.

Click on the arrow at the side of the shapes tab on the tool bar, select the circle shape from the drop down box, black cross cursor to the top left of the guide line box that you have just made, left click and drag until you have filled the box with a circle.

Whilst the circle is selected click on the yellow colour from the squares at the right hand side of the screen, amend the colour by clicking within the triangle in the colour wheel at the right hand side of the screen.

Click on the format tab in the tool bar, click on filter effects from the drop down box, click on feather in the filter effects box and move the Blur slider until it reads 8.25%.

Move the sun to behind the Cupcake Tree image.

If you want to save this work I suggest that you do it at this stage.

 

Select the Cupcake Tree image by clicking on it and make it totally transparent by moving the transparency slider to 100%.

You are now going to print the background image so load your printer with the 120gsm white linen print paper.

Click on the file tab at the top of the task bar, click on print from the drop down box, (you should see the name of your printer in the printer box) click on the properties tab, in the properties box select photo and click on the OK button at the bottom of the box, click on print at the bottom of the box.

When your print comes out of the printer re load it back into the printer exactly as it was loaded before (this is really important because you are going to over print onto the same piece of paper and if it is not in the right place it will not look right).

Your Cupcake Tree image should still be selected even though you can not see it and now you must return the transparency slider bar to 0% so that you can see the image.

One by one select the background images and delete them by pressing the delete button on the keyboard.

Print the Cupcake Tree image onto the already printed background.

 

Load the printer with copy paper and print the Cupcake Tree image.

 

You are going to print the recipe wording so delete the Cupcake Tree image and the sun image behind it.

**Click on the text tool tab in the tool bar, bring the cursor down onto the work sheet and begin typing the word** Recipe, move the cursor over the word and right click, select text from the drop down box, select character from the drop down box, click on the arrow at the side of the font box and select Vive, type 52.88pt in the size box, click the OK box at the bottom.

Repeat from ** to ** and type the words for a purrfect day.

Move the cursor over the text and right click, select text from the drop down box, select character from the drop down box, click the arrow at the side of the font box and select Studio, type 27.53pt in the size box, click the OK box at the bottom. 

Move the two texts until they are suitably arranged.

On another part of the work sheet write the words

1 x worries away cat,

1 x cupcake tree,

add time to enjoy,

sprinkle with sunshine

Select the words and as before select Troutkings BTN in the font box and type 32.54pt in the size box.

Print the text onto good quality mat print paper.

 

THAT IS THE SCARY STUFF OVER WITH (NOT SO SCARY REALLY) NOW FOR SOME CRAFTING

 

Remove the canvas from the Hobbycraft 5 3/4" x 5 3/4" frame.

 

Cut out the printed paper to fit the frame but remember to leave tabs on 4 of the edges (as you would do when making a box).

Roughly hold the cut out printed image over the wooden frame and cut one of the sides which has tabs on so that it wraps around the side of the frame and onto the back of the frame. 

Mark the paper where it will need to be cut and with scissors cut to size.

Apply wet glue to the edge of the paper where it will stick to the wooden frame and hold in place till the glue sticks.

Glue the tabs in place and repeat for the opposite side.

Cut away the excess paper and glue the two remaining sides in place.

 

Using the Tim Holtz Distress Inks Dusty Conchord, Picked Raspberry and the Cut n Dry foam shade the edges of the canvas.

Using the mauve coloured ink pad stamp your swirly stamp image around the left hand side of the canvas (be careful not to press on too hard as the canvas is hollow at the centre).

 

Take the image of the Cupcake Tree which you printed out earlier onto copy paper and cut out the cupcakes and stick onto the canvas image.

Colour the bun cases with a pale green pen.

Add the White Opal Liquid Pearls to the top of the cupcake images to represent icing and allow to dry (you may need to repeat this process three or four times to give the required height).

Add a small faceted pink gem to the top of each cupcake.

 

Cut out the recipe text which you printed earlier.

Using the Tim Holtz Distress Inks Tumbled Glass and Shabby Shutters shade the words.

Define the edges of the word blocks by rubbing a black ink pad around them.

Stick the words onto the canvas to form the recipe.

 

If you wish to hang the canvas from something you must apply a ribbon or some other form of hanging to the canvas.