Fit for a Queen....

Hi Blogland. I hope you had a good weekend? I know I certainly did! Well, at least I think I did! It was my mates Stag night on Saturday. And, although I can remember very little of the night itself, the fact that all involved made it through the night relatively unscathed, even the Groom!, should stand for something. Although, there was a visit to A&E for one of the group... He doesn't know how or why, we don't know how or why, but if it was going to be one of us, it was going to be him! But, what goes on on tour, stays on tour!! Let's say no more about it shall we...! Cuttlebug Tuesday Today and this week’s theme is.... Something fit for a Queen... Here in the UK we certainly have a lot to celebrate for the next few weeks! OK, let's forget about Eurovision! The Olympic Torch has arrived on our shores from Greece and is whinging it's way around the country, ready for a pretty much once in a lifetime event! The Olympic and Paralympics Games are coming to London. How many people can say that the biggest show on Earth is being held less than 30 miles from their front door? Well, quite a few I imagine but it's still a pretty big darn deal for me! Anyway, we are still a few weeks away from the Olympics razzmatazz, but there is still cause for us Brits to celebrate this weekend. The Queen, affectionately known in our house as Liz, is celebrating 60 years on the British Throne. No mean feat! She's had her up's and down's but it really feels like it is a time when all the country is pulling together to celebrate such an Historic occasion. You just have to take a look around here at Barleylands and see the amount of Red, White and Blue there is!

So, here is my submission for the Cuttlebug Blog Spot. It's nothing special and really rather simple in it's make up, but all the elements are there! Diamonds on the background paper! Well, it is Liz's Diamond Jubilee. A Solider on guard, and a very apt sentiment me thinks... Don't forget to hop on over to the Cuttlebug Blog Spot to see what my fellow Design Team Members have created with this week’s theme... Another little bit a news for you, this bit is not craft related in the slightest but is for all you Holly fans out there!

Today was the first day that I let her off the lead, and you know what?... She came back to me after running around enjoying her new found freedom. Well, when I say I let her off the lead, she actually "slipped" her lead (again!) after going for a paddle in the pond! So here she is. Yes, she has her lead with her as she enjoys playing with it, but notice it is not around her neck!! Someone’s a proud Papa!! Thanks for checking us out, and don't forget our Paper Sale at the weekend.. 40% off of ALL in stock paper and card, single sheets and packs to everyone.. This makes these products HALF PRICE to all Pinnacle Crafts Club Members. Sale starts at 10am on Saturday 02nd June 2012 thru Tuesday 05th June 2012 ending @ 4pm... Come and grab a bargain.. See you soon.. Andy..

If nothing ever changed....

Hi Blogland. I hope you are enjoying this wonderful springtime/summer weather we are having here in the South East at the moment? After all the rain we have had over the past few weeks, it sure does make a pleasant change, even if it is a little too hot for some...

With Father's Day here in the UK just around the corner, I thought I'd make a few projects in colours and themes suitable for this and other male occasions, but also could be adapted for anything else! Today’s project is quite a quick one really. Well, it's really quick to put together, but I guess, as always, it's coming up with the idea's that really takes the time. How many times have you been asked to make a card, and the event is Tomorrow?!

So, for this project I started off by cutting out the Cheery Lynn Lace Flourish Butterfly (DL132) into some Black Mirror Card. I also cut out the Cheery Lynn Lace Butterfly Angel Wing (DL132a) in Gold Mirror Card

and layered the two pieces together...

Next, I cut out the Sizzix Framelit Die, Ironworks (657556) in Black and Gold Mirror Card.

Popping out the pieces from the Black version

and adhering the frame to some Green card,

cutting around it

and then inserting some of the excess pieces from the Gold frame

and adding a couple of Green Gems.. How Art Deco is that?!

Next, I added my stamped sentiment

and the layered Butterfly

before mounting the topper onto my prepared base card. See, I told you it was a quick one.... Have a great day everyone, and enjoy the sunshine (while it lasts!) See you soon. Andy.

1,2,3 Recipe Challenge...

Hi Blogland.. It's a Cuttlebug Blog Spot Challenge Day today... And we have a 1,2,3 recipe challenge for you.. Use 1 Button, 2 Ribbons and 3 papers (one of which should be embossed). I'm sure, like a sketch, that the recipe is open to interpretation?! Well, I hope it is!...

Here is my Design Team submission.. I really struggled with this one; I'm not really one for adding 6 elements to my projects! Unlike many of you, I guess I just cannot multi task! But hey ho, I eventually got it done. So, here's a quick step by step...

I started off by cutting out the 3 smallest shapes using the Spellbinders Die Wonky Rectangles (S4-306) onto some Blue Vellum (Paper #1)

and then threaded some cord (Ribbon #1) through each shape to form my sails...

These were attached to my nautical striped patterned paper (paper #2) using Pinflair Glue.

There really wasn't any other way of attaching the Vellum and you can see it soaking through, nothing more I could do than to cover it up with some nautical Peel Off's..

I then added my second piece of Ribbon to the side of the card.

Next, I stamped my image onto some White card stock (Paper #3)

and cut it out using the largest shape from the Spellbinders Wonky Rectangles set,

whilst the card stock was still within the Die I inked around the image.

When the Die is removed it creates a really nice faux embossed edge (paper #3 Embossed).

As much as I liked the effect, it was too White against my chosen background, so I inked it a little more to soften it.

Next, I stamped my sentiment

and again softened the "Whiteness" with my ink, before attaching the 2 stamped images to my base card.

Adding the last "ingredient" of the recipe, a Button.....

to complete the project. Don't forget to hop on over to the Cuttlebug Blog Spot to check out what my fellow Design Team Members have been creating with this week’s theme.. Thanks for checking us out. See you soon. Andy.

Mica Powder Masking....

Hi Gang, how's it going? I hope you all enjoyed your Bank Holiday Weekend?, despite the weather!... Never mind if not, there'll be another one along very soon.. I've been asked by a couple of people if I could go over the technique I used on this project.. It's one of the ones I prepared for our Demo day a week or so ago now.. I was in a bit of a rush to get those cards made, that I didn't take my usual step by step pictures, so my posts may have seemed slightly different from the norm.. But, with plenty of time to "play" over the weekend,

I can now show a similar project using the same technique in full.. So, grab a cuppa, and let’s begin shall we?!!

To start off with, I cut a shape out using the Memory Box Die Catalina Wreath (98189) onto a medium weight card stock.

After spraying a piece of Acetate with some Stick and Stay Spray, I placed my die cut shape into the centre; this will form your mask..

Next, take your chosen Cosmic Shimmer Mica Powder and, with a Paint Brush, cover all of the exposed, sticky Acetate.

Next, peel back your Mask; this will expose areas untouched by the previous application of Mica Powder, therefore allowing you to add different colours.

Before adding my second colour of Mica Powder, I cut the flowers off of my Wreath template and stuck them back onto the Acetate.

This was so that I could add one colour for the Wreath itself,

and the another colour for the Flowers. It's very subtle at this stage, remember it is on Acetate and it's this subtleness that "makes" this project I think. If it had been done on solid or darker card I suspect the colours would be much stronger..

Finish this part of the project off by sealing the Mica Powder with a cheap generic brand of Hair Spray. No, this is not from my own personal hair care regime!!

Once the Hair Spray is dry, adhere the Acetate to your chosen backing paper. I prefer to spray my backing paper with Stick and Spray as opposed to spraying the Acetate. The backing paper seems to "soak up" some of the "wetness" of the Spray Glue and doesn't show through the Acetate. The other way round, the Acetate will hold onto the "wetness" as it is not porous! By the way, this is all done on the back of the Acetate, the side that you applied the Mica Powder. This way the front will be as smooth as a baby's, well, you know the rest!

I repeated the application of the Mica Powder onto another piece of my backing paper, matt and layering the pieces with some Gold Mirror card. I also stamped my sentiment into the centre of my "masked" image

and applied the pieces to my base card.

The Mica Powder colours I used have certainly turned this project in the direction of "Vintage". So, I added some vintage Blossoms and Leaves which were cut from The Spellbinders Die Bitty Blossoms (S5-086). Now, with my chosen sentiment, I guess it would be wrong not to actually add a Butterfly or Two!

These were cut from The Memory Box Die Vivienne Butterfly (98265) in Gold Mirror Card.

Sticking the pieces together

and then applying them to the project to finish it off... There you go ladies; I said I would post this for you. I hope you can now put all of your Mica Powders to good use.. Thanks for checking us out. See you soon. Andy.

When is a leaf....

...not a leaf?

When it's a feather of course... Hi Blogland. You know when sometimes you see something different in a product other than its intended use? Well, I do anyway!

This was the case with one of the new Leaf Dies from Marianne Designs Cretables.. I doubt that I will ever use it as a leaf as to me it looked like it would work perfectly as a Peacock feather....

So, to start this project off I made my own Peacock paper using some of the new Vintage Cosmic Shimmer Mists (Egyptian Blue, Antique Green & Tarnished Gold).

Cutting out as many Leaves as I could using the Creatables Die Anja's Leaves 3 (LR0228)

to create my individual Feathers...

This was the image that gave me the inspiration to make the feathers.. It's great as a one dimensional image but really could do with a little bit of oomph in the feather department to add that much sought after dimension.. So, once stamped and randomly coloured,

I cut it out, trimming off the bits that I would not use.

I then attached the Leaves/Feathers to the body,

adding some Peacock coloured Gems as the "eyes" of the Feathers...

Whilst this was drying I prepared my base card, cutting out the largest Die from the Spellbiders set Floral Ovals (S4-356) in some Light Green coloured Mirror card and the largest die from the Spellbinders Set Classic Ovals Large (S4-110). This was cut in White card stock and then coloured with... what else.... "Peacock Feathers Distress Ink" which is part of the new Spring set of Distress Inks...

Layering the two together to form my frame.

For my corner elements, I cut out a shape using the Marianne Creatables Anja's Corner (LR0200). Note that the Die only cuts only two of the edges,

so if you want it as a separate corner then you will have to cut the third edge manually..

Repeat this for each corner piece

and then attach them to your project

along with the frame

and finally the Peacock... Very opulent I think you'll agree? Thanks for checking us out, see you soon. Andy.