Thursday 17 December 2015

Bobble Hat Man Card

Issue 3 of the Little Claire Magazine is on sale now and I have made this card using the stamp that comes free with the magazine. The leaves on the trees this Autumn were a lovely mix of colours and so I have tried to capture the colours on this card.



what you will need:
Little Claire Magazine issue 3 free stamp
Little Claire Dinkie Text Sending Smiles
Spellbinders Eyelet Squares S4-305 die
die cutting machine
cream card to stamp onto
black Versa Fine ink pad
Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink Pad
Hot Off The Press Cardmader`s Earths Palette Creative Pack paper stack
cream 14.7cm x 14.7cm base card
black card
red paper
hessian
colouring implements of your choice
Maple leaf punch 1" from side to side
black fine tip pen

Cut the Hot Off The Press paper to around 14cm.
Shade the edges of the paper using Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink.
Mat and layer the paper onto black card.
Stick the card/paper combo onto the base card.

Cut a strip of hessian to around 14.7cm x 3.5cm and frey the edges.
Stick the hessian onto the base card.
Using the leaf punch make 8 leaves from the cream card.
Colour the leaves and using the fine tip black pen draw the vanes on the leaves.
Stick 7 of the leaves onto the hessian.

Using the Spellbinder Eyelet Squares die and the red paper cut out a background frame.
Thread a string of hessian through the hole down the side of the die cut and allow the end to stick out, repeat this for the other three edges.
Stick the die cut background onto the base card at a jaunty angle.

Using the Little Claire stamp and the black Versa Fine ink pad stamp the image onto cream card.
Cut out the image and colour it in.
Stick the coloured image onto the card.
Make a triple bow using the hessian string and stick to the card.
Colour a piece of cream card yellow and cut out a circle using the ring binder hole punch.
Bevel the yellow circle and stick onto the centre of the bow.

Using the Little Claire Dinkie Text "Sending Smiles" and Have a beautiful day" and the black Versa Fine Ink pad stamp the sentiments onto the red paper.
Cut the sentiments out and stick onto the base card.
Stick the remaining leaf to bottom right hand corner of the card.



Saturday 12 December 2015

Christmas Village Card



Today is the launch of the Little Claire December stamp challenge and the theme is special Christmas card. I have made this card for my big sister and her husband and they have a very special place in my heart. This is the last Little Claire challenge of the year so good luck with your entry.....

The prize for this months lucky winner is........
£10.00 Voucher to spend on-line


what you will need:
Little Claire Christmas Village Scene stamp
Little Claire Dinkie Text Merry Christmas
6" x 6" base card
black card
white card to stamp onto
black Versa Fine ink pad
Hunkydory shooting stars background paper
copy paper to use as a mask
blue pastel chalks
Cut n Dry foam
Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Stormy Sky
Lea`bilities Poinsettia die 004
Marianne Creatables Poinsettia die LRD122
swirly accent die
Glamour Dust glitter
die cutting machine
wet glue
thin paint brush
fine tip black pen
colouring in implements of your choice
black liquid pearls
4 x faceted AB gems
ball tool

Cover the 6" x 6" base card with the black card.
Cut the Hunkydry Shooting Stars background card to mat and layer onto the black paper/card which is now stuck to the base card, stick the Hunkydory card in place.

Using the Little Claire Christmas Village Scene stamp and the black Versa Fine ink pad stamp the image onto white card.
Cut the image to size (about 12cm x 10cm).
Stamp the image onto copy paper and cut around the outline of the houses, thee owl and the moon.
Use the cut out images as a mask and secure onto the master image.
Using the Cut n Dry foam and the blue pastel chalks begin to shade the sky area of the image (I made it darker coloured in the top left of the image and lighter coloured around the moon).
Remove the masks and colour the rest of the image with colouring implements of your choice.
Colour in the trees with the fine tip black pen.
Using wet glue and a fine paint brush apply glue to the image where you want it to look like frost has formed (including the moon).
Cover the glue with the Glamour Dust glitter and shake off the excess.
Mat and layer the image onto black card and stick onto the base card.

Using the Lea`bilities Poinsettia die cut out 2 Poinsettia flowers (one lager than the other) from white card.
Using the Marianne Creatables Poinsettia die cut out 8 Poinsettia flowers ( lager than the others) from white card.
Using the Marianne Creatables Poinsettia die cut out 4 middles from black card.
Using the Tim Holtz Stormy Sky Distress Ink shade the centre of each of the Poinsettia flowers.
Apply wet glue to the shaded area of the Poinsettia flowers, sprinkle with Glamour Dust glitter, shake off the excess and leave to dry.
Apply the black liquid pearls to the tips of the black flower centres and leave to dry.
When all the pieces are dry assemble the flowers (the big flower has 4 sections and a middle piece and the rest of the flowers have 2 sections and a middle piece).
Stick a AB gem in the centre of each assembled flower.

Using the swirly shaped die cut 4 pieces from white card.
Stick the white swirly cut outs and the Poinsettia flowers onto the card.

Using the Little Clair Dinkie Text Merry Christmas select the "A little Christmas greeting just for you" and stamp onto white card.
Cut out the text and rub the edges along the black Versa Fine ink pad to define the edge of the sentiment box.
Stick the sentiment onto the card.






Thursday 10 December 2015

A Little Bird Told Me



Hello, well I have to confess that I haven't been crafting as much as I would normally at this time of year but I was hoping to move house before Christmas and suitably packing etc in preparation. Unfortunately I will not be moving until the new year but my thinking now is new year new start. Then my car broke and needed mending and I have started a new job oh and preparing for a family visit before Christmas. So much going on and something had to give and it was my crafting that took a back seat, and I do miss it. I was really glad for an opportunity to a blog project for Little Claire using this fantastic steam punk/zentangle digi stamp, it was a real joy to get back into my craft room and I hope that in the new year when I have moved house I will be able to make more time for my crafting and blogging.

I use Serif Craft Artist as my graphics program and if you have this program you can follow the step by step instructions below. If you do not have this graphics program you will still be able to print the digi stamp image but your instructions for achieving this may be different.

what you will need:
Little Claire digi Book Owl stamp
Little Claire A Little Bird Told Me stamp set
Inkylicious Latin Script stamp
Tim Holtz Alterations Tattered Florals die
die cutting machine
Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink & Cut n Dry foam
Tim Holtz Bundled Sage Distress Ink
14.7cm x 14.7cm cream base card
craft card
cream linen printable card
page from a book
green & red card scraps
colouring in implements of your choice
ring binder hole punch
1.5cm Hobby House dark red gingham ribbon
scissors

Load your printer with the cream linen printable card.
Open your Serif Craft Artist graphics program on your computer.
Select Blank Project from the Get Started section of the Start Up Wizard.
Select A4 from the Page Setup.
Select Done from the Digikit Browser.
You will now be taken to a screen with a representation of an A4 work sheet on it.
Click on the Insert tab in the tool bar, select Photo from the drop down box, select From File from the drop down box.
Now you will be taken to a browser box which will allow you to find the file where you have stored the Little Claire Book Owl image.
Select the image and click on the Open button at the bottom of the Insert Photo(s) box.
You will now be taken back to your work sheet and if you move your cursor to within the work sheet you will find it appears as a cross with a hashed box underneath, left click and at the same time drag down to the right and your image will appear.
You now need to re size the image so make sure that the ruler bars which run along the top and left hand side of the work area are in cm.
Left click on the ruler at the left hand side and drag (a red line will appear) the line until it reaches 9cm.
Click on the digi image and a blue box will appear, a grey box with cross hares is shown in the top left corner outside the blue box, click on the cross hares and drag the image to the far left of the work sheet so that the left edge of the branch is butted up to the edge of the work sheet.
Re size the image by clicking on the white square at the bottom right corner of the blue box and make the right hand leaf at the end of the branch touch the red guide line.
Move the image to the centre of the work sheet by clicking on the grey  cross hares at the top left of the blue box and drag the image to where you want it.
You are now ready to print off the image so select File from the toolbar, select Print from the drop down box, select the Print button at the bottom of the Print box.

THAT IS THE COMPUTER STUFF OVER, NOW TIME TO START CRAFTING..........

Cut the image to size making sure that it is 8mm from the right hand leaf to the cut line, 4cm from the left hand branch to the cut line, 1cm from the bottom leaf to the cut line and 6cm from the right ear to the cut line.
Tear a piece of paper (this torn line is going to be a mask for the shaded part of the card) and secure the paper to the linen card making sure that the edge of the tear buts up to the end of the branch.
Using Tim Holts Vintage Photo Distress Ink and the Cut n Dry foam apply a light shade to the exposed left hand side of the linen card.
Using the Inkylicious \latin Script stamp and Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink stamp the words onto the exposed linen card to make it look like a page from a book.
Remove the mask.
Shade the edge of the remaining linen card with the Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

Colour in the image.

Cut a piece of the Hobby House ribbon and make a V cut in the right hand side of the ribbon.
Stick the ribbon onto the linen card.

Using the Little Claire A Little Bird Told Me stamps and the Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink stamp the sentiments onto the linen card.

Mat and layer the linen topper onto craft card.
Stick the craft card and topper onto the cream base card.

Using the Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die cut one flower from green card.
Shade the edges of the flower using Tim Holts Bundled Sage Distress Ink.
Cut the petals towards the centre of the flower with scissors and shape the flower.
Cut a  flower using a piece of paper from a book and the smaller of the Tim Holts Tattered Florals flowers.
Shade the edges of the flower with the Vintage Photo Distress Ink, shape the flower and stick on top of the green flower.
Punch a circle from a scrap of red card using the ring binder punch and bevel the circle.
Stick the red circle onto the centre of the flower and stick the flower onto the card.

Cut out 7 leafs by hand from the green card.
Tint the edges of the leaves with the Bundled Sage Distress Ink.
Shape the leaves and stick over the leaves which have been printed.

Wednesday 2 December 2015

Little Claire December Digi Challenge


 
 
I have tried to be good and make as many of my Christmas cards as possible ready for posting and I think I have done it. This is one of the cards I did and I thought it would be a good one to post as my inspiration for the Little Claire December digi challenge, which this month is "favourite Little Claire digi stamp". I hope you are all ready for Christmas.......
 
This is the fantastic prize that you could win if you are lucky enough to be picked, so GOOD LUCK.
 
5 LITTLE CLAIRE DIGI STAMPS OF YOUR CHOICE
 
 
 
what you will need:
First Edition Nordic Christmas 6" x 6" paper pad
6" x 6" base card
white card to print onto
colouring in implements of your choice
green card scraps
red card scraps
Gina K Designs corner dies - rounded corner die
Marianne Creatables Poinsettia die LRD122
die cutting machine 
dark red 5mm dark red satin ribbon
Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink
Rounded corner punch
black Versa Fine ink 
White Opal Liquid Pearls
Glamour Dust
3 red gems
scissors
medium hole punch
3/8" hole punch
 
Cut the 6" x 6" base card down to 6" wide by 4 1/2" wide.
Stick the green and white paper from the First Edition Nordic Christmas pad onto the base card (remember to line up the design evenly along the top and bottom edges).
Round off the right hand corners with the corner punch.
Cut the Christmas trees paper form the First Edition Nordic Christmas pad to roughly 3" x  4 3/4".
Draw a curved line along the right hand side of the Christmas tree paper and cut out with the scissors.
Shade the right hand edge of the Christmas trees paper with Tim Holts Vintage Photo Distress Ink.
Stick the Christmas trees paper onto the left hand side of the base card, trim to size and shade the remaining three edges with Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink.
 
Load your printer with the white card.
Open up the Serif Craft Artist program on your computer and select "blank project" from the Get Started section.
Select A4 portrait from the Page Set Up section by double clicking on it.
Craft Artist will now take you to a page with digi kits on it, click on the Done button at the bottom of the digi kit browser to close it.
Now you should be looking at a representation of a A4 work area.
On your A4 work space you will notice two rulers above and to the side of the workspace and if yours is like mine it opens by default in cm so to change this hover your cursor in the corner where the two rulers meet and right click, select inches from the drop down box.
You need to draw guide lines so move the cursor to the left hand ruler and left click and drag the red guide line out to 2 1/8".
Left 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, select the Little Claire we 6 cats digi stamp from the place you filed it which will be displayed in the insert photos box, click on the open tab at the bottom of the box.
A cross with a box beneath it will appear on your work area, left click and drag the cursor, as you do the digi stamp image will appear.
Select the image by clicking on it and you will notice a box appears around the image and a grey box will appear at the top left corner of the image.
Click on the grey box and drag the image to the area on your work sheet where your guide line is and place the image to the left of the guide line.
 The image needs to measure 2 1/8" from the bottom of the left hand cat to the bottom of the right hand cat so re size the image by hovering the cursor over the white square at the corner of the image till a double headed arrow appears, left click and drag the image to the correct size ie between the edge of the work area and the edge of the guide line. If you need to adjust the size further repeat the last steps with any of the white squares.
Once the image is the correct size move it to a more central position on the work sheet ready for printing.
Click on the file tab at the top of the screen and select print from the drop down box, select properties from the print pop up box, select photo from the properties pop up box and then select OK from the tab at the bottom.

Cut the image to size (about 2 11/16" x 2 11/16") and colour it in.
Round off the corners with the corner punch.
Very lightly shade the edges of the topper with Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink.
Cover the edges furry parts of the hats with Liquid Pearls White Opal, sprinkle with Glamour Dust, shake off the excess and leave to dry.
Stick the image topper onto the card.

Using the Gina K Designs rounded corner die and the green card cut 3 corners.
Cut into the corners to make a frame for the top and bottom of the topper and stick into place.
Using the medium hole punch make 3 dots, bevel the dots and stick onto the card.
Using the 3/8" hole punch make 3 dots, bevel and stick onto the card.
Using the green card and the Marianne Creatables Poinsettia die cut 1 of the lager poinsettia.
Using a scrap of the green Nordic Christmas paper and the Marianne Creatables Poinsettia cut 1 of the smaller Poinsettia.
Shade the edges of the Poinsettia with Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink, shape the flowers and stick together.
Add 3 red gems to the centre of the flower.

Using the Little Claire Happy Christmas and Christmas Hugs x text and the black Versa Fine ink pad stamp the sentiments onto white card.
Cut the sentiments to size, shape the ends and shade the edges with Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink.
Cut 2 pieces of red satin ribbon.
Stick the ribbon onto the card where the Poinsettia will go.
Stick the sentiments onto the card over the ribbon but still allowing the ribbon to show.
Stick the Poinsettia onto the card.
Trim the satin ribbon to size.