The ball

This is an old favourite stamp from Stampendous.

Materials: Black cardstock, Silver encore ink pad, Clear embossing ink pad, Silver embossing pwoder, Silver show, Silver netting, stickles glitter glue, bodice stamp by Stampendous, Writing stamp by Hero Arts, needle and thread, diamante, white cardstock, Foam pads.

Method: Fold black cardstock to form base card. Stamp bodice onto white cardstock and emboss with silver embossing powder and cut out. Gather up netting for skirt using a couple of stiches with needle and thread and attach to the back of the stamped image. Take silver Encore ink pad and stamp writing repeatedly over front of the card and then attach bodice with skirt using foam pads on the bodice only. Highlight areas of bodice with silver stickles glitter glue and then attach a few clear rhinestones.

Shattered Glass technique

Something different for me - African style card using shattered glass technique. I have to say that I don't do African images on cards all that often.

I thought I would use this card though to demonstrate a slightly different take on the Shattered glass technique using Lumiere paints. If you don't have any Lumiere paints don't worry you can use Dala Metallic paints - they work as well.

The most important thing to remember when doing this technique is that you need low tack masking tape. Now if you were in America, believe it or not you can buy what they call low tack masking tape but here where we can only get regular masking tape, you can easily make it low tack and clean your outfit at the same time - how you ask. Tear off strip of masking tape and for this technique I use the tape that is about 3cm wide and I also tear down each outer edge so that I am left at the end with two rough sides. Before you tear down the outer edges though place the tape on your clothes and lift off - do this several times and you will have clean clothes with no stray hairs on and also you will have low tack masking tape. It is important to get rid of most of the stickiness of the tape otherwise it will stick like glue to your paper and you won't be able to tear it off later without leaving marks on your paper.

Ok now that you have your low tack tape, tear down the outer edges of the tape so that you have two torn sides and then take black cardstock and place tape where you don't want paint. Once you are happy with design then take sponge and sponge on Lumiere or Dala paints and allow to dry. Carefully lift off the tape and you will be left with rough edged paint design on the paper. Once it is dry you can then stamp onto the paint using Brilliance black ink. I have used animals on the card above. I then mounted my pieces onto copper cardstock and then to cardfront as shown.

Shattered glass is a super technique and real quick to do. I normally paint up several sheets at a time and that way you get dig a piece out when you want to make a card and its quick then just to stamp it up and mount it onto a card.

Hope you enjoy this technique.

Pop out Cards Technique

I love making pop out cards and they are so easy to do and so effective. These and funnily enough shaker cards always seem to get the most comments even from people that don't normally pay any attention to my cards. I use templates by Ws Designs which are great and make the whole thing so easy

This one uses their Large arch pop out template.

Materials: Two pieces of A4 cream cardstock, Penny black scroll vellum, selection of angel stamps, clear embossing ink pad, gold embossing powder, white thread, star die cuts, gold pen, large arch template, alcohol inks, acetate, violin, I believe in angels stamp by PSX,alcohol ink tool, pencil and ruler, copper cardstock, 4 small brads, tea stained music paper rolled up into a scroll and tied with small piece of ribbon, Cuttlebug swiss dot and swirl folders.

Method: Fold both pieces of cream cardstock in half and score well and set one aside. This you will work on just now when you do the inner part of the card. For now lets complete the outside of the card. I took some acetate and used the alcohol inks tool and alcohol inks to pounce the alchol inks over the acetate. I then stamped the angel image onto cream cardstock and then mounted it over a piece of copper cardstock that I had cuttlebugged and then added the acetate and fixed it together with 4 small brads. I then took some scroll vellum from Penny black and wrapped it around the fold of the card leaving about 1.5 cm at the back of the card with the rest of it showing on the front. I then added the stamped image. I stamped the words and embossed them and mounted again onto copper card that I had cuttlebugged and attached to cardfront using foam dots. I then added the music scroll and the violin. Now lets work on the inside of the card. Take your other folded piece of cream cardstock and place the arch pop out template on the fold line and trace around the template with a pencil and make marks at the notches on the template as this is where you will score another line. Flip template over and mark score marks on the other side of the card - no need to trace template again as you will simply just cut through both layers of card around your pencil marks and viola you have your arch. Score the two lines and fold well. You will now see the you have four panels if you like - the middle two containing your arch and then one of each side of that. On the two outer panels stamp angels and emboss. Go around edges of card with gold pen and make sure you have rubbed out any pencil marks that may be showing. Then take your outer card and open it up and tape in scroll vellum - doesn't have to be the width of the card as it just needs to sit behind your pop out template. Then tape up just the two outer panels of your inner card and attach to the inside of your outer card. Attach star die cuts that I cuttlebugged with Swiss dot folder above the arch and then take two star die cuts and place a piece of white thread running between them and glue together and then attach one piece of the cotton thread to top part of the pop out and the other piece to the bottom. You will now have what looks like a floating star inside your card.

Spot of Yoga anyone

Now I could do with a bit of yoga in my life right now - to balance my ying and yang. Life seems to be rushing by at a furious pace and would be go to have some relaxing time. Oh well a girl can dream.

Materials: Stamping Bella stamp, White cardstock, Green cardstock, Strip of green pattern paper, Flowers, Rhinestones, Needle pricking tool, tombow pens, green color box ink pad, black brilliance ink pad

Method: Fold white cardstock in half to form cardbase. Go around edges of green cardstock with needle pricking tool so you are left with what looks like a row of stiches and attach to cardbase. Attach strip of green pattern paper and rhinestones and flowers. Stamp image onto white cardstock and color with tombow pens and then go around edges with color box ink pad and attach to cardfront as shown.

All seeing eyes

Today's card uses some lovely gold fibers that I bought in America last year on my trip to the Panama Canal.

Materials: Black cardstock, Penny black scrapbook Chinese paper, Penny black music vellum, gold fibers, Scrapbook G letter, rhinestones, Penny Black scroll vellum, Gold pen, Face stamp, Black Brilliance ink pad, amber color box ink pad

Method: Fold black cardstock to form base card. Go around edges of Penny Black Chinese pattern paper with amber color box ink pad and then wrap fibers around and secure them at the back of the paper and then attach to cardfront. Stamp face image using black brilliance ink pad and go around edges with gold pen and then attach to black cardstock and wrap scroll vellum around the top of image. Attach torn corner of music vellum paper to cardfront in bottom right hand corner and then attach stamped image as shown. Add the G for girl and the rhinestones.

Men are like Cheese and fine wine

Today's card uses another stamp from Stamps Happen - don't you just love the saying on it.

Materials: Black cardstock, white cardstock, red pattern scrapbook paper, red bazzil cardstock, black die cut tag, flowers, word charm, rhinestones. clippola, tombow pens, red color box ink pad, black brilliance ink pad

Method: Fold black cardstock to create base of card. Go around edges of red scrapbook paper with red color box ink pad and attach to cardfront. Attach strip of red cardstock as shown. Use black brilliance ink pad to stamp image onto white cardstock and color in with tombow pens and go around edges with red ink pad and attach to cardfront. Attach die cut tag using foam tape and then attach word charm, flowers, clippola and rhinestone.

Wow November is here

Can someone please tell me where this year has gone. It seems to have flashed by so quickly. Can't believe its November already - nearly Christmas and still so much to do before that comes.

Today's card uses an image from one of my favourite companies - Stamps Happen.

Materials: Black cardstock, gold cardstock, white cardstock, mauve and pink pattern scrapbook paper, Stamps Happen stamp, Black Brilliance ink pad, Glue pen, Gold glitter, Prima flower, Metal word charm, watercolor pencils, waterbrush, gold pen.

Method: Fold black cardstock to form cardbase. Add strip of mauve pattern scrapbook paper to cardfront as shown. Use black brilliance ink pad to stamp image onto white cardstock and go around edges with gold pen and mount onto black and then gold cardstock and then to cardfront. Colour in image with watercolor pencils and highlight areas with glue pen and add gold glitter. Add flower and word charm.