A warm welcome to all my visitors,

Thank you for taking the time to come and look at my blog, I really do appreciate it. I would love you to leave me a comment, even if it’s just to say Hi. It means I can come visit you!

All my designs are original, so copyrighted to me. If I have been inspired by someone elses work, I have named them in the post, and where able, I have provided a link.

Please feel free to use my designs for inspiration, I just ask you to credit me, and provide a link back to my blog.

Thanks, Shaz XX

Monday 29 April 2013

Asian Panels

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Three more cards, this time using the glittered Asian Panels. This stamp is available from Non Sequiteur, which can be bought from De Stempelwinkel. It also used to be available on a plate from Tanda Stamps, but having just been looking, I see they are no longer trading.
I started off by matting the glitter panel onto some silver mirror paper, then onto Red glitter card.
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I used an assortment of oriental papers, the one with the lettering is a print off a Joanna Sheene cd, and the one on the left, which is the same image as the panel, was from a block of Kimono papers, from Arts & Crafts Direct. I remember buying these from a Hobbycrafts NEC show, and having searched the Internet, they only seem to be on e-bay, with a few items of cardstock!
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I added a triple embossed Kanji letter to one, and a Kanji letter stamped & heat embossed onto an alcohol ink background to the other two,with some cord wrapped around the spine as a final touch.The Kanji letters were bought a long time ago, and don’t seem to be available now, although Judikins do have 2 large Kanji cubes, and I’ve linked to that below.
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Links for the products:
 Samurai Plate 67, Non Sequiteur,De stempelwinkel
Kanji Cube 2
Kanji Cube 3, both at Blade Rubber Stamps.

Sunday 28 April 2013

A whole mass of Birthday Cards


 So, having glittered up all those Medallions, it was definitely time to turn them into cards. I had already done one batch, which I added a little dry embossing detail to, in this post, here.










 I thought this time I'd try something different- I I fancied running the card front through the Cuttlebug, in various embossing folders. So, 10 assorted card fronts here. I went with mainly geometric designs, as that seemed to fit the medallions better.






   The medallions were added with silicone glue- gives a bit of dimension, sticks to the glittery back of the image, and evens out into the embossed design of the card.

As I'd embossed the base card, I had to stamp & matt the Happy Birthday sentiments for these.









 
 
Then I started wondering if they were a little TOO plain? So I added ribbon to the left side.
 Now I'm not sure at all. I think maybe it suits some, but not all. So I will leave it a few days and look at them fresh. It seems like some look unbalanced now- but its a simple fix if I really don't like them.












 These were the original batch, with the sentiment stamped, and some ribbon.















This is before I added the ribbon.












List of Embossing folders I used:
Quickutz Diamond Dots, Lines & Dots, and Diamond.
Darice Honeycomb,Brick Wall,and Plaid.
Creative Expressions Lattice.
DoCrafts Tri Boss Checkerboard.
Cuttlebug Swiss Dots.

Saturday 27 April 2013

First Holy Communion

 On my WOYWW post, I had a part made card in the background, which used one of those glittered medallion crosses I'd made. The Stamp is by Creative Expressions, called Large Kildare Cross, and it was stamped onto Transparency film using Black Staz-on. I'd stamped out four, and one was glittered in pinks, one blues, and two in whites/silvers, as I expected to use them mainly for Christening cards. However, the white ones became the perfect idea for this Holy Communion card.









I had to wait till today to post this, as the girl it is made for is the daughter of a couple we work with, and they were returning to Poland last night, ready for their daughters First Holy Communion next Sunday.
I stuck to a completely white on white theme, using two shades of pearl white card, one for the base card & embossed panels, and one for the matting layer between them. The matting layer was cut slightly smaller than the base card, and the two embossed panels were trimmed down to also leave a border on the panel.These were stuck to the matting layer with DST and I made the embossed pieces roughly 2/3 and 1/3- it seemed to give a better balance than half & half. The join was covered with a wide layer of white organza ribbon, topped with a band of narrower silky ribbon, then topped with a bow from the organza ribbon.
 This whole panel was added to the front of the card with DST again, then I positioned the cross using blobs of silicone glue, which gave a little dimension, as well as gripping the glittered surface well.
 After the cross had stuck properly, I added the flatback pearls on all the visible 'dots' of the folder design.
 The sentiment panel is using Nesties Labels 4, large & small. The words are computer printed onto some white gloss embossing paper I bought a long time ago, and am coming to the end of. I've never been able to get it again, which is a shame. It means you can print onto it via a computer & printer, then heat emboss it.
 I added a few white flowers, just constructed by using assorted small flower punches.

This is the detail from a card I posted a while ago, and shows how the Medallion Cross can look layered up.This one was stamped In Pearlescent Brilliance inks, onto Pearl card.


 A slight change to how I post today, I think. Instead of adding links to what I've used throughout the post, I thought I'd try doing a list, with links at the end. So here goes:

  Creative Expressions, Large Kildare Cross.
  PDA Card & Paper,White Pearl Card.
  Flatback Pearls ( this lady has masses of colours & sizes, as well as acrylic gemstones.)
 Quickutz Diamond Dots folder ( I can only find it on Amazon .com)

Wednesday 24 April 2013

WOYWW #203

Hello again, WOYWWers, time once again to head over to Auntie Julias at The Stamping Ground for our regular nosey round the desks. Heres mine this week, featuring those tiny beads Jozarty told us about last week, courtesy of Poundland. I actually bought two, as I shall keep one as is, and I thought I could make up some mixes from the second one.  I also think the empty vials will make cool embellishments too.
Next to them, a couple of things from The Works- two mini artists mannequins, and a small canvas & easel. Not as small as the mini ones they have,this one is 6 inches by about 4 1/2. At the back, the start of a card for a First Holy Communion- making use of my glittered crosses. All the things I glittered are in the previous post, and I think its time to put the glitter away & start using them on some cards now.
 One more lovely picture to show you, my son Mikey (who moved out to live with his girlfriend last year), decided they wanted to get a cat. At first they were going to have a kitten, then he said they wanted to adopt a cat from a shelter. So they went along to one of the Cats Protection branches near them, and here is Mikey with Pumpkin:
She was taken to the shelter after what was probably a road accident, and lost an eye because of that. Mike says she's settled in happily, and follows him everywhere- the shelter were surprised how quickly she took to him when they visited- apparently she wasn't very bothered with visitors. But she was purring at him when he fussed her, and that settled it, lol. He decided she was the cat for them, and a couple of days later the shelter phoned & said they could collect her. So a happy ending for Pumpkin- Mikey loves her to bits.I've also linked this one to Wipso's Friday Smile this week.

One final note, Monday was Geoffs funeral. It was a lovely service , and the Crematorium was packed with Family, friends and old colleagues. The wake was held at a local hotel afterwards, giving everyone a chance to swap memories & stories about him. Becky & Marg picked the tune to play at the very end of the service, as everyone was leaving, and it probably tells you a lot about what Geoff was like- Monty Pythons Always look on the Bright Side of Life! I could just see him laughing at that.

Sunday 21 April 2013

Okay, enough glitter now!

Well I said I'd post these up when I'd finished the glittering, and trust me, I'm well & truly all glittered out now!
 I did another bunch of medallions,  its actually called Striped Jewel, and is by Hobby Art Stamps, and some guitars, which will be good for Teen cards, I think. I have some Inkadinkado Rock Star stamps I can team these with, and a couple of freebie stamps somewhere that will also be useful. I think you can still find this set on e-bay- Amazon has it on site, but out of stock. 
  I'm quite pleased with the Butterfly medallion stamp, its from Creative Expressions, but having looked on the site, I assume its been retired, as I couldn't find it.



  Another of their stamps I used is still available, its called Large Kildare Cross; Christening cards, I thought, so I did one blue & one pink, and a couple of white. Which actually turned out well, as I need one this week for a First Holy Communion card.




I also did four more Butterfly panels, and I thought these I wouldn't infill the background with glitter like I did the first ones. Not sure what I will do yet, maybe a couple with the caught in crystal method? Also the Harlequin Rose, from Chocolate Baroque. I've glittered the rose & leaves, and will do something else with the background. Alcohol inks, perhaps.








Wednesday 17 April 2013

WOYWW #202

 Morning all, I don't know about the rest of you, but I can't believe how fast these weeks go! Seems like only yesterday we were all over at Julia's Stamping Ground, perusing blogs near & far! My desk hasn't changed a lot over the last week, it's still Glitter Central. You may have seen the post I did over the weekend with some more images I stamped up & started glittering, so I'm still working through those. As well as a few more medallions, I've stamped up some Harlequin Rose, guitars, a Cross medallion type stamp from Creative Expressions and a whole
bunch of different butterflys.











Anyone who did see it, and my info about the Woodware glue bottles, I had a couple of people warn me that the pin that seals the top of the bottle has a tendency to rust after a while, discolouring your glue. So if you keep your glue in these, be warned! I usually empty my mini- bottles when I'm completely done glittering,pouring the glue back into  the larger bottle it came out of, and wash them out.

 Marg (Maggie, Silvercrafter) asked me to thank all those who have sent her condolences, good wishes & cards, until she is able to get around again & thank everyone herself. I passed on the messages some of you left in my comments last week for her too.  As you would expect, she has good moments, bad ones, good days & bad. She has put a post on her blog over the last week about Geoff, and it includes a very important message that we often lose sight of in our busy daily lives.

 Take time throughout your life to laugh and make good memories. In the end, they are what hold you together in the bad times. My wonderful husband died suddenly on Sunday, and my happy memories and all the wonderful tributes and memories are a great comfort. I am lucky to have incredible children and friends and we will get through. Do all you can to fill your lives with joy from the simple things of life. If anyone tries to put you down or upset you, remember that they are not as lucky as you. xx


Anyone who wants to leave her a message, please visit her, I know all the messages from friends mean a lot to her. See you all later, xx

Sunday 14 April 2013

A Bit More Glittering


I've really got into this glittering lark, so as well as stamping & glittering some more images, I thought I'd share with you how I did them, what worked, what helps and what to avoid. You won't be able to avoid looking like you were at Ground Zero when a Glitter Bomb went off, so you'll just have to deal with that, :) .


I stamped up a batch of images, using Staz-on onto Transparency sheets.  Stamping onto these is a bit tricky, its very easy for the stamp to slide on the slick surface. What to do really depends on how bad the slide is, and your image. Simplest solution is to just wipe it off with Staz-on cleaner & restamp. If its not too bad, you can live with it, as you'll cut out the image later, so it may not even be seen. 
As you can see, I've not only stamped out Medallions- there are a lot of stamps that will lend themselves to this technique.

 

Most have been done in Black Staz-on, but these ones have been stamped using the Staz-on Blue, White & Pink.
These are an old Elusive Images set, which I believe is retired now.




So, you've got your images, the next thing you will need is a clear drying white PVA type glue. It has to be clear drying, so make sure to check for that. You also need some way of applying it, and there are a number of fine tipped applicator bottles available, as well as extra fine add on nozzles.You can see the bottles at the back of this pic, which are the ones I have been using, and also the add on very fine tips at the front. Recently I bought some by Woodware, which come as a three pack, and I really like these. For a start, the plastic the bottle is made from is really soft, meaning it doesn't take much pressure to get the glue to come out.  Important if you are going to do a lot of these, or have mobility problems with your hands.











They have a normal sized nib, an ultra fine that fits over the top, and a pin to seal.My pack cost me three quid, which is a bargain. Some places charge that for an ultra fine nib!

Last, but by no means least, you will need glitter. Ultra fine glitter is available from pretty much anywhere, and since the boom in nail art, you will find a fantastic array of colours cheaply available on E-bay. You can get Barbara Trombley's Art Institute Glitter, which is available in a stunning 400 colours- but it is dearer. I've bought a lot of mine at the Hobbycrafts NEC show, from Glitter Magic, and also E-bay.



This medallion is also an old Elusive Images stamp. I've glittered the central 3 patterns, and will put it aside to dry. Its better to do this sort of thing a bit at a time, letting areas dry between colours. This is the glittered side, and as you can see it doesn't look like much. Neither does the reverse!


But, once its dried, it looks quite stunning.
 It doesn't matter, by the way, which side you glitter, the stamped side or the reverse. Just make sure you always glitter on the same side, lol. In case off accidentally glittering the wrong side, scrape it off with a bit of scrap card, and wipe over with a baby wipe to remove all trace of the glue.
Useful tip here, don't try to apply glue from a sharp corner or point. You can bet it will pretty much always blob. Instead, apply the glue in a more open area and either push or drag the glue to the point with the fine nozzle, or a pin. Also, when you put your glue bottle down to apply glitter, lay the bottle on its side. That way you will reduce the amount of times you need to shake the bottle to keep glue at the tip. Shaking mixes in air, and then you get bubbles in your glue. Which you need to pop with a pin, or push off the visible part of the design.
With a regular design like this Medallion, always work in one direction. Doesn't matter if you work clockwise, or anti, just always go the same way. Its easy to get disorientated with these, and you end up with the colours in the wrong order on one side or another!
 So, first off apply glue to one section, and its useful to hold the image up to a window, to see if you've got right up to the edges, or left any gaps.



Next, dump a pile of glitter onto the glue. Let it sit for a moment or two, so more glitter sinks into the glue. Then tip it off onto a scarp sheet of paper, ready to return to the jar.









Continue with the sections you are going to use this colour in, being careful where you rest you hands & fingers!
Put them aside to dry. I find generally this takes under a couple of hours, especially if I lie them near a radiator. The glue has to dry by evaporation, as the transparency won't absorb any moisture from the glue, as paper would.

This is why I have a few sheets of images on the go- I can just swap from one to another as they dry.




A sheet of medallions with the first colour in each.


 
  The same sheet with a second colour added.














As I said, you don't only have to use Medallions. This Oriental Screen with Butterflies lends itself to this perfectly. The stamp is available as part of a sheet from Non Sequiteur (available from De Stempelwinkel).
 To glitter the butterflys, I placed the glue alongside the butterfly body, then dragged it out across the wings in streaks.
When sprinkled with glitter, it means I can get a two toned body effect.













 
 I do all the butterflys the same and put them aside to dry, doing the second colour when the first is dry.








I thought these Guitar images, Dimension Stamps, would be good for teen cards.


Final tip- what do you do about all the stray glitter that ends up on your desk, instead of back in the pot?
Take a brush, and sweep it onto a sheet of paper.



Then create your own custom glitter mix! All the glitter that I gather off my desk up goes into this pot.I started this pot when I first bought loose glitter in little plastic bags. The inside of the bags was still coated in glitter after I'd emptied it into pots, so I gave the bags a good rub, and collected it all onto paper. Poured it into this pot, and I've gradually ended up with a sort of Rainbow Black mix.
I also put a dab of glue on top of the glitter pots, and sprinkled it with glitter, so I could see what colour was in each pot, rather than having to lift every pot out of the box to find the colour I wanted.


I shall gradually be glittering these over the week, so I will post pictures as they are finished & dry.

An End of an era

An end of an era

I write this with a broken heart, that only time can heal My beautiful, wonderful wifelet Shaz (Silverwolf) passed away peacefully in the ea...