MHK Designs - Various Vehicles

     For our second new release at MHK Designs we have a great vehicle set, perfect for making masculine cards, called Various Vehicles.

     For this project I teamed this new set with a paper set called World Traveler. I decided to make a scrapbook page, it is 8x8 which is possible from an A4 sheet of card.
     I chose the ship and plane background paper and set it as a watermark so it wasn't too bold, then I have set the two images over the top of this page, they are png files so they will print quite happily over a decorated background.
     With the addition of a couple of photographs and a cut out banner across the page it is complete. Should you be lucky enough to have an A3 printer then a 12x12 page would be easy for you but I am quite happy with an 8x8 unique backing paper.
     Please take a look at the MHK Designs blog page for lots more inspiration and don't forget there is a chance to win a new set of stamps.

World Traveler

Various Vehicles

MHK Designs - Chicken In

     Welcome to the first of our new releases at MHK Designs, this set is called Chicken In. It has three images and five sentiments, all chicken related.
     For my project I decided to make some index cards for my recipe box, as well as a subject divider. I keep all my favourite recipes in the index box for quick reference, or the page number and name of the book where the recipe can be found.
     The divider was printed out on plain card, cut out using one of the existing cards and then coloured with watercolour pencils.
     The index cards where printed directly on to the card after a few trial runs on paper. My photo package will show me an actual size image so I was able to get it quite close to correct, just making a few final tweaks on the paper trial runs.
     MHK Designs also have a great vegetable image set called Eat Your Veg and there is a cow on one of the other sets, with cake on another, so it is possible to make a full set as a gift, guaranteed to be a unique present.
     Pop over to MHK Designs blog to see lots more inspiration and for a chance to win one of the new sets.

Chicken In 

Spooky Manor at The Male Room

     For the new challenge at The Male Room we have a Halloween theme and as we are not just cards I thought I'd make a spooky manor to go in the games room.

     I have used the Sizzix Tim Holt Village Dwelling die to make the basic house and then the Village Manor die to add all the extras which include the tower, fence, porch and window frames.
     The basic house was cut from Kraft card and then stamped with a woodgrain stamp in white and then brown, so was the porch and the tower it's a large Stampin'Up stamp called Hardwood, that I've had for over a year and use regularly.
     I saw a great tip on You Tube about cutting the roof open where the tower sits so the tea light can shine through to all the windows, so that's what I did. The roof is decorated using the Village Rooftops die which has several different styles, this one was cut in dark grey and then speckled with white paint to age it.

     The windows have acetate covered with white tissue stuck on the inside, this way you can't see the tea light, just the lovely glow.
     On the display version there are tall chimneys but I didn't like the look when they went on so I took them off again. On all the dwellings I've seen so far the doors are folded out, all the outer doors on my house open inwards so this house does too.
     For more of a Halloween feel I have added a small pumpkin made from orange flower petals folded up and a bare tree that my friend gave me last year. Having made this house I really want to make a whole village now, ready for Christmas.
 
     You can come and join us at The Male Room with any masculine Halloween project you've made right up until the evening of 25th October.

I would like to enter spooky manor in the following challenges:

Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Tuesday Throwdown - Halloween

Country View Challenge - All Things Spooky

Paper Creator - Anything Spooky

Retro Rubber - Halloween (had the stamp over a year, got it 2015 I think)

MHK Designs Halloween Lanterns

     If you're looking for something simple to make for Halloween here's an idea for you. All you need for this is a battery tea light, some double sided tape, a pair of scissors and MHK Designs Trick or Treat paper set.    

     The papers were printed on to thin card, to find out how much you need wrap it around the tea light and allow an overlap for sticking together. Fold your card in half so the fold runs around the light, then cut at regular intervals to around an inch from the edge.
     Put double sided tape around your tea light and along one side of your paper. Wrap the paper around the light and stick, then stick the edges together to form a cylinder, squash down slightly to open up the slits.
     Add a small strip of card for the handle at the top and the side decoration. These little pumpkins are die cut after printing images from Flight By Night and Spooky, you don't have to have a die cut machine as you could draw around a cookie cutter and cut out.
     This would be a great project to make with young children ready for Halloween and with battery tea lights it's perfectly safe too.

Trick Or Treat

Flight By Night

Spooky

   
      All of these digi sets can be found in the MHK Designs Etsy shop along with a whole lot more, so please pop over and have a look. If you would like to win some digi sets then please come and join in with our blog challenge, you might be one of our lucky winners.

I would like to enter these lanterns in the following challenges:

The Paper Players - Colour Challenge

A Gem Of A Challenge - Halloween

Decorate To Celebrate - Anything Goes

Door To The House Of Cards

   
     Welcome to the new challenge at House Of Cards. For October we have a photo to inspire you, we would like to see a gatefold card and/or the colours from the picture.

     For my gatefold I have folded the card and then die cut with an arched window die, making sure to keep the folds inside the cutting edges. Then the doors are stamped in pale green using a woodgrain stamp, it didn't quite reach the bottom so I have added another piece across the bottom of each door on the opposite grain.
     The wreath is a digi from MHK Designs due for release next week (sh...don't tell) but it was perfect for this door. It is coloured with alcohol markers and cut out, then mounted on a die cut ring of white card using foam pads. The wreath is only stuck down on to one door, then red Stickles are added to the berries.
     There is some die cut holly stuck to the doors to brighten them up a little, these also have red sparkly berries.
     This challenge will run until the end of the month so you have lots of time to come and join us with your cards at House Of Cards.

Gatefold card and/or colours

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

A Snowflakes Promise - Anything Goes
Christmas At Sweet Stamping - Die Cuts
ABC Christmas - T is for Two

Christmas Shopping

     Something festive that's not a card, just what we would like to see at Altered Eclectics. It doesn't have to be festive, just not a card or an ATC, something altered or mixed media.

     This bag fits the bill for me, something bright and cheerful for my Christmas shopping.  
     The robins where stamped, using fabric ink pads, on to patterned fabric, ironed on to fabric adhesive sheet. The tummies were coloured and then they were cut out. The feet are to difficult to try and cut out so the same stamp has been put on to the bag and the cut out birds are put over the top.
     The snowflakes are die cut iron on adhesive covered with transfer foils and then ironed. The wooden buttons are coloured with fabric pens and then attached to the bag with hot glue.

     The letters, candy canes and large gingerbread man have all been die cut, it is best to iron the adhesive on to the fabric, then die cut. There is a paper backing that comes off before ironing them on to the bag.
     The small gingerbread men are stamped onto fabric and coloured with fabric pens.
     This would be a great way to personalise a canvas bag for a gift, especially now that we need to have one with us whenever we go shopping. I much prefer to have canvas bags for my shopping as they are stronger and the handles don't cut into your fingers as much as plastic used to, not to mention the environmental impact.
     The iron on adhesives are firm when washed, they will not come off. The only thing that may be effected by washing is the foil, it is delicate but for occasional wear and on something like a bag that is rarely washed it will be fine.
     You have a month in which to show us your creations, anything altered, recycled or mixed media, so if you're making Christmas gifts and decorations come on over to Altered Eclectics and show us.

I would like to enter this creation in the following challenges:

Not Just Cards - Anything Goes

My Time To Craft - Anything BUT a Card
My Sheri Crafts - Christmas

Christmas Collage

     Now we are into October 'Tis The Season to get those Christmas cards made, although I expect many of you already have a stash of finished ones.  This card is for CraftyHazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge, a monthly challenge to help you use up your stash of patterned papers, anything goes as long as you use patterned papers.

    The stamp on this card is called Christmas Collage by Woodware, it's stamped on white card and embossed in gold, the card is then coloured with pale green ink. The small deer in the circle is stamped and embossed again and cut out, the centre is coloured and then it is mounted on foam pads over the deer on the main card.
     The holly surround is punched from dark green card and stuck to the back of the image panel. This image panel is then mounted on some polka dot paper from a 6x6 assortment pad. Mounted on gold mirri and then on to green card sets this off and lifts the gold embossing.
     With the addition of some gold Candi and a punched stamped greeting the card is finished. It will fit through standard post even though the deer is raised as the foam pads are only 2mm thick.
     You have a whole month to join us at CraftyHazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge with anything containing patterned papers.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas - Vintage

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Christmas