Kusudama snowflake ball

   I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and to thank you for your kind comments throughout the year, I do appreciate you taking the time to look, comment and follow.
    I spent a lovely morning with a new crafting buddy this week. Our children are at the same school and through various chats in the playground we discovered we have some mutual interests, so we booked a grown up play date. Jane showed my how to make these amazing flowers.
     We began by making a single Kusudama flower using 6x6 papers, the result was great but me being me I thought 'how small can I go?', so these flowers are made with a 2inch square. That means I can get a complete ball out of two 12x12 sheets, the ball measures 3inches across. There are tutorials available on youtube, I would recommend www.wikihow.com, 'Make a Kusudama flower' and 'Make a Kusudama ball'.
    I do apologise to any 'black belt' origami experts out there, this is not a perfect example by a long shot but it is my first and I like it hanging on my tree. I did discover that a good quality paper is much easier to fold than a thin card, especially when working smaller squares. I do need to practice more and get my folding more accurate as this is the key to it all working out well.
    Each flower has Glamour Dust on the centre veins and a clear gem in the middle which catches the light as it hangs on the tree. It took about six hours in total, I fold a few squares in between cooking duties so I can then spend the evening sticking it all together, which for me was the trickiest part.

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

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Past Challenge=Snowflakes

Creative Moments - Anything Goes, Winter Wonderland

Here Come The Boys - Anything Goes (my son has claimed this already)

Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes & Blog Hop

Make My Monday - Frosty Theme

The Glory Of Christmas - Snow

Try It On Tuesday - Handmade Gift or Tag 

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Whatever is urgent to make (I just HAD to try it)

Feeling Crafty - Christmas

Allsorts - Snowflakes

A 'Deer' Little Treat Box for The Male Room

If you are looking for the House Of Cards Blog Hop post then please click HERE

    I know...... my posts are like buses, nothing for a week or two and then three in a row! It's the beginning of a new month and Christmas mayhem too. Just spent a long weekend in Wales with my parents, no mobile phone reception, no computer either and if  it wasn't for freesat  there'd be no TV ......very relaxing!

    This little chap here is for our new challenge over at The Male Room, we would like to see something masculine with a food or drink theme. It doesn't have to be a card, it could be a gift or a scrapbook page, a tag or a decoration as long as it fits our theme and is for a man or boy in your life.

    I was given the template for this deer by my friend Val who is always making something interesting. I have enlarged him as another friend has asked me to make some to hold six truffles for gifts to workmates.

    He is cut from a brown slip folder that you can find in any stationary shop, I had some in the cupboard so I thought I'd use them up. I put Distress Ink on my embossing folder before I ran the body through so I got a darker brown background to my snowflake pattern. The face is drawn on with a brown pen, he has wobbly eyes from my sons craft box and a red nose pompom that was in a Christmas bits box on the shelf , his bell is from a well known chocolate rabbit so I think you could say that he's a complete stash deer. He holds half a dozen or so wrapped sweets and is just the right size to sit on the Christmas table, you could even write a name on him to use as a place marker.

    I hope you find time to join us at The Male Room with your creations.

I would like to enter my deer in the following challenges:

Inkspirational - Anything Goes

Holly Jolly - Anything Goes

Try It On Tuesday - A Handmade Gift or Tag

Sparkles Christmas Challenge - Christmas Feasts and Treats

CrafthHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Goes

Technique Time Tuesday - Pick a Favourite

If you are looking for the House Of Cards Blog Hop post then please click HERE

      This month at Technique Time Tuesday we would like you to choose your favourite technique from the past year. Pop over to the blog and take a look at the list, I'm sure there will be something you will like.
    I chose water stamping which has to be one of my all time favourites. I have given it a little twist for this card though, it just seemed right for Christmas.
    I began by die cutting a snowflake in double sided sticky paper, then I stuck it on to white card. Before removing the top layer I coloured my white card with Distress Inks in Broken China, Faded Jeans and Dusty Concorde. Then I used two snowflake stamps to water stamp with, but before the ink was dry I dusted over the whole card with Cosmic Shimmer Pearlescent Mica Powder to give it a shine. The powder will only stick to the inked areas and not the water stamping.

    Once the powder was dusted off the card I then lifted the top layer on the sticky snowflake and sprinkled it with Glamour Dust to make it sparkle. It didn't look quite as good as I'd hoped so I then made a Tim Holtz Snowflake Rosette in glitter paper and stuck that on top.
    I tried it on a white card blank but it didn't look right, the white made the snowflakes fade so I went for a blue card blank instead.
    To finish off I added some snowflake embellishments that I've been hoarding for years, it took some doing but I was brave and used some treasured stash!, well it is Christmas.
    Please pop over to Technique Time Tuesday and take a look at all the fabulous DT samples, there's lots of inspiration to get you going.

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

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Pick a Previous Theme - Snowflakes

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Christmas

Inkspirational - Anything Goes

Cards For Men - Anything goes

Here Come The Boys - Anything Goes

Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes

House Of Cards Term One Blog Hop

Welcome to the House of Cards Term One Blog Hop!  If you've come here from Macarena's  blog, then you are in the right place!  If you have just stumbled here and would like to participate, please hop over to the House of Cards challenge blog to get started!  We've got some fabulous sponsors that are providing prizes, so make sure to leave comments at each stop for a chance to win!

    This beautiful image is available from Stitchy Bear Digital Stamp Outlet and is called 'O Winter Trees'. 
    It has been printed in blue which I managed to do by switching off yellow and magenta in the advanced setting area of my printer, allowing only cyan ink to be used. I have covered the image with double sided sticky sheet and then sprinkled Glamour Dust all over it. I used deckle edge scissors to cut it out and then mounted it on silver mirri card.
    The card blank has been coloured with Distress Inks Iced Spruce and Stormy Sky using a shaving brush to try and match the printed image. There are a few gems in opposite corners and the sentiment is a die cut greeting in silver mirri card coloured with alcohol markers.
     I think these trees are gorgeous, very useful for a male card as well as a non religious greeting card, a versatile digi that you don't have to colour in.
    

    This is the second item made with a fabulous freebie from Eclectic Anthology. They have some wonderful vintage style items, this little chair tag is from a set that includes flowers, a crown and a chandelier. 
    I have printed this tag in shades of grey by setting my printer to use black ink only, then I have coloured it a little with Distress Inks. There is a small gem stuck over where the hole would be and the edges are coloured with a silver glitter gel pen. 
    The place card itself is a copy of our inspirational photo with a silver mirri 'A' die cut and mounted on silicone glue.
    A basic place card but easy to do if you are making a large quantity, ideal for a special dinner or Christmas lunch.
    There are prizes hidden all over the blog hop so make sure you leave a comment on every blog to be in with a chance of winning some fabulous prizes from our amazing sponsors. Don't forget to start at House Of Cards to see the full list off sponsors and blogs to visit.


Thanks for stopping by!  Please join in the fun of our hop and make your way over to Sue B blog!

Playing around with a digi stamp

I haven't used a digi stamp before but I have seen some beautiful cards made using them, so when asked to use one I thought I would take the opportunity to play around with it and see just what I could get out of it. It's been fun using my printer to alter the effects, I expect most of you already know how but for anyone who doesn't here is what I've discovered so far.

    There are four variations in this picture. 

    #1 is the image as received from the supplier.
    #2 is the image printed out on the 'draft' setting on my printer, this gives a paler image which can be really useful.
    #3 is the result of reducing the 'magenta' ink input to zero using the advanced settings on my printer. Now I have green trees.
    #4 is the result of reducing 'magenta' and 'yellow' to zero on the printer which left only 'cyan', blue trees.
    I am not a very technical person but I did find this quite easy, so I would encourage you to play around with your digi's to see just what you can do with them, after all we crafters love value for money don't we?!
    If you would like to see what I've done with these images and where the original came from then please join me on Sunday afternoon for the House Of Cards Blog Hop when all will be revealed, there are prizes to be won so pop over to the House Of Cards where the hop begins (Sunday 1st December 12noon GMT) and read all about it.

Industrious Little Boy

     Today sees the beginning of a new challenge over at The Male Room, this time we are looking for anything for 'Little Boys or Babies'. It doesn't have to be a card, it could be a scrapbook page or an altered art project, as long as it fits the theme and follows our few rules we would love to see it.
     This card has been made with a stamp set from Stampendous  called 'Gears Kiddo', it reminds me of my son sitting on the floor engrossed in making something. The cogs are stamped and embossed in black, I have found this makes colouring in much easier as the pen stays within the embossed lines very easily. I have used a variety of metallic pens to colour the cogs and alcohol markers to colour the boy.
     The main cog image is cut out with a Spellbinder label die and then inked with a shaving brush with the die still in place so I get the little white border. The background is the same stamp clear embossed on a white card before being inked with Distress ink, believe it or not it's the same blue on the image panel but as the card is different the colour looks different too.
     The boy is cut out and mounted on foam pads once the image panel is stuck on and the sentiment is cut with the smallest die of the same set, this is also mounted on foam pads. If this card was for an older child I would have used some metal cogs and brads but my concern is that a small child may hurt themselves so I have kept it all card just in case it should be chewed!!

Salt 'n' Flake

     This is my second Christmas card this week, which is a good way of catching up on some weeks that I missed altogether. In the run up to Christmas life is becoming busy so I am very glad that I've been making seasonal cards all year.
     The layout is inspired by a sketch at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown, the 'homemade background' by The Glory Of Christmas Challenge and lots of bling for CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge.
     The background has been made using Cosmic Shimmer misters, a plastic bag and rock salt. I began by spraying the thick white card with the inks to spread them around, this gives a lovely effect in itself but I then sprinkled it with rock salt while it was still very wet. The salt absorbs the liquid around it causing the little blotches and rings of colour, this process should not be accelerated with a heat gun, it is much more effective when left to air dry slowly.
     The snowflake is a Tim Holt Rosette Die cut in glitter paper, I have reinforced the back by using surgical tape, this stops the perforations splitting when you fold but still allows a clean fold. There are two blue ribbons across the card stuck down with red line double sided tape as it's a bit stronger than ordinary DST. The greeting is a Tattered Banner from another Tim Holtz Die, edged with blue ink and decorated with a silver peel off greeting.

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

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Sketch

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Bling It Up

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Christmas

The Glory Of Christmas - Homemade Background