Titanic 2

Found it at last :)  the scrapbook page showing the full length version. Don't you just hate it when you know you've got a picture of something but can't find which file you put it in? (Actually that goes for half my crafting stash! LOL ) I'm not overly happy with this page and may consider re-doing it at some stage, but I thought you might like to see the full length version.

Mum's Birthday cake

This is a cake I made a couple of years ago for my Mum's 70th Birthday. Although I've made cakes before, this was (I think) the first I did which was not Royal Icing. The roses were all hand made by myself (they took ages!) and the '70' was printed from the computer and laid under baking parchment before being piped and filled in. The cake is a rich fruit cake made from a recipe which was handed down to me from my late Grandma and not forgetting the marzipan. I did cheat at that. Although I have made marzipan before I decided to go for the quick option and buy it in this once.
Unfortunately, making cakes is quite an expensive job, especially rich fruit cakes, so again I don't make these commercially and only do them for family gifts on special birthdays (better than spending a fortune on a present they either don't want or need).
Mmmn, just looking at this makes my mouth water but "I must RESIST" (with French accent). Weight and me are mortal enemies and we've been battling each other far too long!

Whimsy Boy

Whilst at 'The Great Northern Papercrafts Extravaganza' last year I saw some die cut sheets with Whimsy characters on them. I didn't want sheets, I wanted stamps so I made a note of the manufacturer and looked them up on line. Imagine my joy when I discovered they came in stamp form. Since I couldn't find a UK based stockist (at the time) with the ones I wanted and I ended up ordering from America. There aren't many boys stamps I actually like but I fell for these instantly because they have attitude. This is done with the Whimsy Teen Idol stamp. It is coloured with pro markers, the background distressed with Tea Dye and the edges ripped and torn to give a white frame effect. The far backing paper was created using the resist technique with Anna Griffin polymer (banner) stamps as are the "Bash" and "Let's Party" greetings.  A bit of sacking material has been added and the corners distressed a bit more with some acrylic paint.

Baby Card

Well here I am again, having just finished cutting out the lining for my daughter's prom dress. (post coming shortly since prom is on 28th June)

The vast majority of the cards I make are for my own use or made as Christmas presents, however, every once in a blue moon I get special orders (and two in one month is a cause for celebration). When I got one for a baby card I struggled because I didn't have any baby stamps and had to go buy this one from ' Lili of the Valley' (too close and tempting to where I live) and don't you think it's just SOOO cute? I've wanted to do something in browns and blue/pink for a while, so when I coloured the teddy brown I just couldn't resist. As with most of my cards these days, I've distressed the edges to give it a shabby chic look. I ummed and ahhhed about adding the lace effect and a flower because they are not generally boyish, but in the end I decided to go for it and am really pleased with the result. As usual it's coloured with promarkers, the backing papers are from the Polka Doodles, Fredrika CD-rom and the ribbon is threaded through a Martha Stewart punch which has been punched on both edges.

Titanic outfit

OK!
I told a friend that I would post a picture of an Edwardian dress and hat I made last year for an anniversary production of 'Titanic the musical'. This is the scrapbook page of the newspaper cuttings and show flyers. I am the one in black with the wide brimmed ostrich feather hat. The dress is in dark green velvet with a black lace overlay. The neckline, cuffs and lace hems were all in scalloped lace. It was supposed to have a high neckline but I thought it would be too warm for the stage so I did away with it, opting instead for a choker style necklace to replicate the high collar.
The hat was a pain to make! When I tried to fuse the taffeta and the buckram the taffeta buckled, so I ended up recovering it in crushed black velvet. Because of the thickness of the fabric I ended up with very sore finger tips. It was every inch worth it though. I think I can honestly say it was the most authentic outfit of the production and I felt every inch the elegance of the era.
Making the dress all came about because there was a recreation of the last meal on the Titanic pre-production party. I could have hired a dress for a fraction of what it cost me to make, but this was a once in a lifetime event for me and the dress is now my monument to my stage debut. Once I lacked courage to sing out loud. Now I embarass my daughter (and Mum) in supermarkets singing. I'm no longer afraid of making a complete idiot of myself and I have CONFIDENCE to do what I should have done years ago!!!

 Moral - It is never too late! Go for it!!

Yve

Special order Swan

 

This is my newest creation. From time to time I get  orders for special occasions. This one is for a 70th Wedding Anniversary. Most of the orders I get have no specifications and I am given a free reign in what I create. YEAH !!!!!  I haven't had one back yet, so I take it as a good sign. 

It is made by making an easel card from the scalloped oval Spellbinders Grand nestabilities. The base/support is cut from a piece of folded A4 cream card and is cut over the folded edge. What will become the base of the card is distressed around the edge with Tea dye distressing ink. The topper part as I call it is cut using the same die as the base and again distressed around the edge. Next I have cut another oval 2 sizes down and embossed it with the Die'sire A4 leaves embossing folder and distressed the edges (I sense a pattern here ..!). The next layer up is a PSX stamp (swan) which has been stamped using a Sepia Versafine ink pad, cut with the small scallop  nestability and the Cheery lynn lace oval die (with the circle lace in the centre) used as a frame over the swan. Along the inside of the lace die there is a lip which I have just run a Caramel promarker around to highlight the edge. I didn't do any distressing on either of these layers. I have added as embellishments 3 homemade rose flowers (my own design and aren't as pinky in real life), edged with Gold versamark, leaves cut from beige lightweight card with a woodware punch, a hat pin and some gold ribbon.

The text was typed into Corel draw,printed and cut, but this could easily be done in a Word document. Just remember to change the colour of the text to suit the colour of the card (something I generally forget to do the first time I print! - DUH!!!!) For cream cards I prefer to use a brown/sepia colour and a light gray for cards on a white background/white insert.

I put 2, Crafts too you, Flora, die cuts emerging from the 'stopper' which was created from the left over lace circle and a quickutz scalloped circle die cut. To finish I added a Spellbinders banner die.

Hope you like it??? !!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Vintage look

This is a Vintage look using the same stamp sets. I have listed the list of items used so that you can re-create this look. The background is made by ruling vertical lines 3cm apart and then stamping in alternating columns with the small stamps from the frame set. The frame has been decoupaged by stamping twice and then cutting out the centre of the frame and layering on 3d foam.

Vintage Card

1 x A4 base card Folded to A5

1 x A4 card for main image and frame
1 x A5 card for background
1 x A5 sheet gold mirri
1 x A5 black card
Adirondack Espresso ink pad

 Promarkers

Roses                          Daisies                        Frame                                     Leaves/stem

Sandstone                   Tan                              Tea dye distress ink                Khaki

Caramel                       walnut                                                                       soft green


Yve

 

New to Blogging

Ok! ...... this is a first for me, getting into the more difficult side of computing (as I see it anyway).

I'm starting this blog as a way of displaying the crafts that I do. Mostly I will be showing the handmade cards I make, but in amongst there may be scrapbooking, dressmaking, cake decorating, knitting and whatever I decide to put my mind to.

So,... without further ado........ the first card I am going to post! 

This is a demo card I made for Samuel Taylor crafts, which I taught for a class on the 11th May (2013). It was made using 'Justrite' stamps (French Rose and a frames set). Also used was the Woodware vase punch and coloured with Promarkers.

Vase of Flowers

1 x A4 Base card (cut to 14.75 cm)

1 x Smooth 160gsm White card
Woodware vase punch ( 13/4 inch or 4.5cm)
3D foam squares or silicone glue.
Tuxedo Black  Memento ink pad

 

Promarkers

Roses                          Daisies                        Frame                         Shadow                      Leaves/stem

Maroon                        Denim blue                  Buttercup                    Ice grey 5                   

Berry red                     China blue                   Pastel yellow               Ice grey 3                   

                                     Sunflower                   Pastel Blue                  Ice grey 1              

                                            

 

Stems

 

 Bright green

Apple

 

Ok! getting nagged by my daughter so I need to finish off...........I'LL BE BACK!

 

Yve