Making a frilled rose..

This is for the person who left a message for me on my blog asking how to make the frilly flower from the Rose, Pansy, Camelia, Gardenia Punch and Stamp set ...and anyone else who has bought the set and wants to expand the range of  flowers.

NB. You can follow the same procedure with the other set of punches for a frilly flower which has more of a point as shown above.

Frilled rose.

1. Punch out as many petals as you want. I've used 16 but you can use less or more. A little tip is to double the paper over and punch 2 at a time for speed.

2. Using reverse tweezers hold the petal in the centre but leave a tip showing.

3.  Place your fingers and thumb round the petal and give a quick twist in a clockwise direction.

4. It should look like this now.

5. Dip the tip into a blob of glue while still holding it with the tweezers.

6. Then place down on the sepal.

7. Make a layer of 5 petals , then offset another 5 and add a blob of silicone glue in the centre.

8. Twist more petals and add them to the silicone glue, pointing towards the centre.

9. It should then look like this.

10.  Recap

Please feel free to get in touch if there is anything unclear in the instructions.

I am thinking about doing some videos showing how to make these flowers as they are so quick and easy to do. I'll keep you posted.

Tonic Die and Die pad sets

 Just got a chance to have a play with the new Tonic Studios Die and die pad sets designed by Jodie Johnson...they were so easy to make and turned out lovely! You just place the dies over the marked area on the die pad, cut and assemble. The top one is the Anemone (love the colour) and I've done a bit of ribbon weaving on the Trellis Wall die cut behind it...

 This is the Oriental Lily - there are also sheets included for making up white with silver/gold lilies

Two more anemones and a begonia....

There are also beautiful cornflowers which I'll show soon..

Country style

Would you believe it, as I'm sitting here adding this bright, summery looking card, it's actually snowing again here....hope it doesn't lie!  EDITED - it's now lying about 2-3 inches deep....

Another card today using the new Tonic Studios Punch and Stamp set..Clematis, Lily, Poinsettia. I've used some of the petals (which I've shaded with Promarkers to add depth) down the edge of the card to echo the Rudbeckia stamp image. The stamp is mounted onto the Trellis Wall die ..which I can't stop using as it seems to fit in with most things. The grass at the bottom is from the Window Basket die which I've just cut the little flower heads off. 

Oodles of flowers...

I've been really enjoying making lots and lots of flowers with my new Punch and Stamp sets by Tonic Studios....all the ones above have been made with the Clematis, Lily, Poinsettia set...

...and all the ones her have been made with the Rose, Pansy, Gardenia, Camelia set.

It's quite addictive ....

Stamping Sensations DT card....Fur and Feathers

As you know I've been on the DT for the Stamping Sensations for quite a while but I have been so busy getting my Tonic designs ready (as well as family commitments) that I haven't been able to make a card for the challenge for a couple of months. Thanks a million to all the others who carried on without me and never complained once :)

The theme this month is "Fur and Feathers" so I have used my Parrot digi image from A Passion for Stamps and made a lot of colourful flowers with the new Punch and Stamp sets by Tonic Studios.
I've also used the Trellis Wall die behind the parrot and on the front of the tent card.

There is a super prize this month on the challenge blog.....

Great stuff!!

First scrapbook page

This is the first time I've tried a scrapbook page and I started with a very old photograph which I found a couple of copies of in my mother's house (with her permission, of course!) To tie in with the sepia photo, I've added a little bit of inking and some peach colours to give it a lift. This was a sample for Tonic Studios to show how their Pick of the Bunch range could be used for scrapbooking as well as cardmaking. The peach blossom at the top left is from the Rose set of stamps and the dimensional flowers were made with the new Punch and Stamp sets - one from each set, so far..

The butterflies were stamped from the Rudbeckia stamp set (it has flowers and butterflies in it)

You can see the Window box die here - and I've used one of the coordinating stamps to create the basket weave effect.

Flower shop

I'm busy at the moment making up samples of the Pick of the Bunch range for Tonic Studios to take with me when I'll be demoing at NEC next month at the Trade Fair and this is one of them..

Sweet peas (from the Rose, Pansy, Camelia, Gardenia set) attached to part of a Trellis Wall die and Arum lilies (from the Clematis, Lily, Poinsettia set)

Everything inside the "shop" (except the little bottles!) was made using stamps, dies and punches from the Pick of the Bunch range by Tonic Studios.

And the Daisy Border2 punched strip along the top to set it off

I bought the little "shop" frame and the cute little glass bottles from Forgetmenot Crafts in Pottinger's Entry, Belfast.

Orchids

I did not make this myself - just had to share!!

I just couldn't resist showing you the beautiful orchid which the very clever Brenda made using the Orchid digi image (from A Passion for Stamps) and some petals from the Rose, Pansy, Camelia, Gardenia Punch and Stamp set by Tonic Studios! I'm off to try it now....

Some more of my cards in Cardmaking and Papercraft mag

 ...And now for something a little bit different!

I made some "music themed " cards for this month's Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine - you'll have to buy the magazine to see how to make them!!

 Guitar card

 Keyboard card

Turntable card

A little bit different from my usual cards but I really enjoyed making these. Hope you like!

A bit of inking

Hi.I hope it's drier and warmer wherever you are... :(

 I don't usually do too much inking on my cards but I tried a little on this one because I thought it suited the image and paper. The image is from the Peony set from the Tonic Studios Pick of the Bunch collection. This is just the bud but the pack also contains full flowers and leaves etc. To tie in with the Peony theme, I've also used the Peony Window die and added some sponged ink to the edges and the embossed flowers at the corners. The ivy leaves peeping out from behind the gingham paper are some of the other stamps in the same Peony set.

Wishing you sunshine...

The snow is melting and it's raining today so I thought I'd share a bright, sunny card - Sunflowers, made with my one of new Punch and Stamp sets - Clematis, Lily, Poinsettia (by Tonic Studios)- just to show you that you can make many, many more types of flowers from each set. All you need is a little imagination!

I've twisted each petal quickly with reverse tweezers and added an embossed circle to the centre.

The greeting in the centre was cut with the Tonic Studios Daisy 2 Circle die and I've used the matching Daisy 2 border punch down the edges.

I know that lots of you have now got your Punch and Stamp sets delivered ....so, don't be shy, let's see what you're making with them!

Punch and Stamp sets on C&C today

Good morning, hope you're enjoying the snow! Just a reminder about my new designs for Tonic Studios on Create and Craft today. The next show with the Punch and Stamp sets is at 12.00 noon.

Create and Craft on Saturday

This is a little preview of what you'll see on Create and Craft on Saturday at 9.00am and 12.00. These are some of the samples I made with the new Tonic Studios Punch and Stamp sets.

Some of the achievable flowers...

Above...from the Lily, Clematis, Poinsettia Punch and Stamp set

On Create and Craft live from CHA, USA at 7.00pm tonight

Rose book card

Another card made with the new release of Tonic Studios Punch and Stamp set (Rose, Pansy, Camelia, Gardenia)

You can see another Create and Craft show live from CHA, USA featuring these tonight at 7.00pm.

Tonic launch at CHA

Here are some of the cards which I made for today's Tonic Studios launch at CHA using my new Punch and Stamp sets. There are repeats tonight and tomorrow and another live show at 7.00pm tomorrow on Create and Craft ...plenty more inspiration to come :)

A little bit about the new sets - 

I spent a long time in the summer dismantling (for want of a better word!) flowers and comparing petal shapes so that I could come up with a very simple set of punches with coordinating stamps which could be used together to make an array of realistic looking flowers ranging from quite flat to completely 3 Dimensional and also from beginner level to advanced. My initial flowers from the sets were meant to be realistic  - as named on the boxes - Rose, Camelia, Gardenia and Pansy ; and Clematis, Lily and Poinsettia. However, they can make wonderful flowers too when used with old book pages, music sheets, parchment, patterned paper and plain cardstock with glitter, ink etc. I've come up with lots more ideas for the same punches and stamps than the ones in the instruction sheets inside the boxes so keep an eye on here and you'll find more ideas.

Enjoy!

New Tonic Launch!!

Ok, I can't show photos just yet (even though I'd love to!!) but I'm delighted to be able to tell you about the release of my newest designs for Tonic Studios  - another addition to the Pick of the Bunch range

Below is the link to the Create and Craft schedule for the 1st show and I do hope you really like the new Punch and Stamp sets I've designed. You can make so many different projects with them....and there's more to follow!!

Tonic Studio World Launch Sun Jan 2013 05:00 PM - 06:00 PM

Join us for our Tonic Studio World Launch of Punch and Stamp brought to you exclusively from the USA.

live from CHA in the USA

Sunday 13th January...5.00pm
Monday 14th January... 12.00am
Monday 14th January ..6.00pm

Mon 14th January ......7.00pm
Tuesday 15th January ...12.00am

Ruth :)

Fuchsia in Domed Window die and CREATE AND CRAFT NEWS

Thanks for all your good wishes! My eye surgery went well but I can only use the computer for short bursts so this will be quick.

For this card I stamped one of the Pick of the Bunch Fuchsia stamps onto white card, then die cut it with the Domed Window die, coloured with Promarkers (Aqua, Duck Egg, Turquoise,Cinnamon and Cocoa) and then embossed it. After that I raised the 4 square pieces onto 3D foam square from Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L  and mounted the whole thing onto a Tonic Studios Doily Square die cut.

The embossing folder is Tied Together by Creative Expressions .

The little panel down the side was punched with the Tonic Studios Daisy Border2 punch and I've added some embroidery thread around the edge and a length of ribbon and bow.

For the first time ever, Create and Craft will be doing live broadcasts form CHA in California this weekend ....and Tonic Studios will be taking part!!

Tune in on

Sunday 13th January...5.00pm 

Mon 14th January ......7.00pm

to see some lovely new Tonic Designs -have a look and let me know what you think!!

My cards in Crafts Beautiful - Feb issue

Just a quick last post before my eye op to let you see the cards I made for the February issue of Crafts Beautiful which is out now. They feature Spring flowers and I have supplied templates for downloading of the flowers on the cards. 

Must go now as I have so much to clear up so I can have a day or two to recover. "See" you soon :)

Red Peonies and Gingham

Happy New Year to one and all!!

 I've been missing for a while as my mother has been ill and was in hospital followed by a short stay in a nursing home. Thankfully she is now home again but very weak.  

So...this is "one I made earlier" in true Blue Peter style! It's actually one of the sample cards I made for Create and Craft when my window dies were released by Tonic Studios.

This one is the Peony window used with the coordinating Clear Stamp Die Toppers which I've coloured with Promarkers. The border punch is the Daisy Border 2 and my favourite Multi Detail Butterfly is up there at the top if the card.

I may be missing again for a short time as I'm going to hospital on Monday for an operation on my eye. I've been wanting this for a looong time and am really looking forward to the results!!

I suppose it's only right that I should take a minute to warn you all.....I damaged my right eye badly a long time ago with the cardboard label on a sweater which I was trying on to buy. As I pulled off the sweater the label tore my cornea very badly and I have had terrible problems ever since. Don't say you weren't warned!!

See you soon :)