How to make the Winter Woodland aperture card

I made this card earlier using the Trimcraft Winter Collection and 

am following that up with a step by step tutorial showing how I made it.

What you'll need:

Trimcraft Winter Woodland 6x6 paper pad

Trimcraft Winter Woodland 6x6 cards and envelopes

Trimcraft Winter Woodland Ric Rac

Trimcraft Winter Woodland Adhesive Toppers  - Sentiments

Trimcraft Winter Woodland Dies 

Dovecraft Super Value Crafters Glue

Dovecraft Glitter Glue - Crystal

white card 

brown card

double sided tape

masking tape

brown ink

die cutting machine

 brayer

How to make it

 1. Cut two pieces of white card measuring 1.75cm x 14.5cm and attach inside the card to each side of the circle aperture with double sided tape. This is to strengthen the sides before creating a "tent" shaped card.

 2. Cut another piece of white card measuring the same width as the aperture card and 6cm wide. Score this at 1cm, 3cm and 5cm and fold "mountain and valley" style as shown.

3. Attach this piece to the inside back of the aperture card with double sided tape.

 4. Trim a piece of snowflake patterned paper from the 6x6 pad to 14.5cm x 14.5cm and attach to the back of the card with double sided tape.

 5. Place the tree die on the brown card, facing downwards, and secure with masking tape.

6. Pass the card and die through your diecutting machine. I'm using the XCut Xpress here so I have the die facing upwards under the card.

7. Remove the diecut from the die and cut two more the same. You'll need 3 trees for this card.

 8. Trim the bottom of the tree slightly and glue to the inside of the card.

 9. Glue the ric rac around the outside edge of the aperture.

 10. Trim the other two trees  and glue to the card with the bottom of each inside the card and the top outside. Add Dovecraft Glitter Glue to the tree tops and some dots to the blue paper.

 11. Add a little brown ink to the surface of the envelope die with a brayer -  NB.this is optional but it emphasizes the debossing on the diecut.

 12. Remove the diecut and fold into the envelope shape.

13. Add the envelope to the bottom left of the card with 3D foam pads and attach a Season's Greetings Adhesive Topper to the top right.

Finally, attach the bottom extra flap of card to the card front with double sided tape.

Warmest Wishes - from Trimcraft

This is a card I made with some of the Winter Woodland range from Trimcraft.

I've used one of the 6x6 aperture cards  and attached paper from the 6x6 pad inside. I used a little piece of folded card to make this into a "tent " card and added some ric rac, an adhesive sticker and Dovecraft glitter glue.

I used the Winter Woodland dies to make 3 trees and the little envelope.

Winter Wishes

Good morning.....Just a reminder that the brand new Tonic Studios Christmas header dies, bauble dies and Christmas Rococo dies are Pick of the Day on Create and Craft today..

You can see the shows on both Ideal World and Create and Craft at these times...

Ideal World - 8am. 10am. 1pm. 4pm. 7pm.

Create and Craft - 12pm. 3pm. 5pm. 

I've used 2 dies from the Christmas Wishes Header Fold Die Set along with the Rococo Beautiful Bow die on this tent card.

Scrapbook page - Grace Taylor papers and more - TUTORIAL

 I've used a selection of papers from the Grace Taylor "Springtime Posy" 12 x 12 pad to create this scrapbook page featuring a photo of my maternal grandmother. I liked the way the retro style papers could begiven an "aged" look by spattering them with ink.

Here's what you'll need:

Grace Taylor - Springtime Posy 100 sheet paper Kit

Dovecraft Super Value Crafters Glue

Dovecraft Double Sided Tape

Dovecraft Forget Me Not Paper Blossoms and Leaves

Dovecraft Forget Me Not Glitter Stickers - Tools

Dovecraft Forget Me Not - Buttons

Dovecraft Forget Me Not Raffia
Dovecraft Glitter Glue - Crystal

Liquitex Professional Acrylic Ink - Titanium White

Derwent Inktense Blocks

Derwent Artbar Spritzer

Derwent Inktense Block Grate and Shake

Lefranc & Bourgeois stencil  - IVY

Reeves Modeling Paste 

Reeves Artists Painting Knife

Dovecraft Clear Stamp  - Spiral Butterfly

white card

Acrylic block

Dovecraft Adhesive Gemstones

Here's how I made it 

1. Select these papers from your paper pad.

 2. Cut strips from the patterned paper to various lengths but each measuring 5cm wide. Trim the ends so that the left side is 3cm longer than the right side. Attach these strips to the page with double sided tape  - overlapping each but aligning them with the top of the page.

 3. Cut a strip of the leaf patterned paper to fit across the top of the page and 5cm wide. Cut a strip of the darker patterned paper also to fit across the page but 6cm wide. Layer these as shown and attach across the page with double sided tape.

 4. Prepare the photo for the page by matting it onto white card, stippling some white ink around the edges and smudging it with your finger.

 5. Drop some white ink onto an acrylic block and dip a small lid into it to use as  a "stamp"  - I've used the lid from the Derwent Artbar Spritzer.

6. Randomly spatter some ink onto the page from a small paintbrush/toothbrush and stamp some circles from the Spritzer lid.

7. Make a customised spray for your page by grating some of the Derwent blocks (1200 and 1800) with the Derwent Grate and Shake into the Spritzer along with a few drops of Liquitex white ink and a little water.

8. Randomly spray this onto your page.

9. Use the same spray to customize one of the yellow Forget Me Not Paper Blossoms - and set aside.

 10. Attach the photo to the page with Double sided tape and mask off with a piece of card. Attach the stencil over the top, positioning the ivy where you want it.

 11.  Mix some grated Derwent Intense blocks (same as before) with Reeves Modeling paste.

 12. Spread it over the area of the stencil you have selected....and remove carefully.

 13. Add glitter to random leaves and stems.

14. Add the flowers with buttons in the centre.Then stipple with white ink. Glue raffia behind the flowers and add some cut out leaves from the leaf patterned page. Add a "seed packet" from the Glitter Sticker sheet.

 15. Add a few gems.

 16. Rub the two Inktense blocks across the stamp and spritz with water.

17. Stamp onto white card, cut out and glue to the page.

New Tonic Studios Christmas release

 Join Jo Austin on Ideal World on Tuesday 12th August at 9pm for the launch of the Tonic Bauble Die sets, Christmas Header Fold Dies and Christmas Rococo range.

I've made this card with the Rococo "Hot Cocoa" die and added a couple of Frond Finesse die cuts.

Wedding idea

Just thought I'd share this photo from my nephew's wedding on Saturday - another idea for using your Tonic Studios dies :) Of course there were a couple of others but in the excitement of the day I forgot to take photos. Such a lovely day! I have lots of photos on my FB page but I'll post some here as soon as I get a chance.

Beautiful Wishes

Good morning....here's another sample with the new Tonic Studios release dies. I've shown how you can simply cut out the wording twice to create a focal point as a shadow effect.
I love using pretty patterned paper on cards but I've kept this plain to keep the message clearly visible.
This card was really meant to be posted here yesterday but Blogger was playing up all day..I tried several times and had to give up eventually :(

The next show is Create & Craft TV at 6.00pm

Made with Papermilldirect pale turquoise, white hammered and black smooth card.

Card tutorial using Papermill card and Tonic Studios dies

I've made a few cards of this shape lately and have been asked to show how I made them ...so here's how it's done ..

You can use this idea keeping the card upright or using it sideways as shown further down the post.

I've used the new Tonic Studios Threaded Scallop Square Layering dies, Intrica Wild Vine border punch, Regal Frame and Love Bird insert, Amelia embossing folder, and Birds on a Branch 8x8 paper pad along with white hammered, dark violet and raspberry pink card from Papermill.

 1. Cut an A4 piece of card to 15cm wide and score VERY LIGHTLY or MARK with a pencil at 15cm, then score at18.5cm, 22cm. 25.5cm and 29cm.

 2. Fold all the score lines and crease with a bone folder..NB do NOT fold the 15cm line - it is a marker.

 3. Add a strip of Hi Tack (red) double sided tape along the edge of the 1cm fold.

4. Fold this over and stick down exactly along the 15cm marker line. You will know if this is perfectly in place if you fold it over from the base and it lies perfectly flat.

Now you can decorate it whatever way you like :)

...and here are some I made earlier...

Mixed media 8x8 canvas

Hi :) Doesn't Kaya look like a little doll in this photo? I'm looking forward to my nephew's wedding on Saturday when Kaya will be flower girl! She's so cute! Of course, I'll be with all my other little great nieces and nephew too, so lots and lots of photos ;)

 I've been experimenting and creating some pieces of mixed media art but haven't really been sharing many on here yet. It's a completely different style of crafting from what I normally do but there is something fascinating about this that is very therapeutic and relaxing. Of course lots of stuff gets binned  - I try to be precise and neat but it just doesn't look right with this style!

I've been using Liquitex Spray Paints, Liquitex Gesso, Reeves Modeling Paste, and lots of products from the Trimcraft Santoro range.

 I made the spray to coordinate by mixing Derwent Inktense block shavings with water and Liquitex Professional Acrylic ink....so many ideas for this result!

Dragonfly Delight

 I think I've just found my "new favourite" die!...isn't it beautiful? This is the new Dragonfly Delight Frame and Insert die set from Tonic Studios. I just love how the dragonfly's wings can be shaped.

This die and lots more will be launched on Create and Craft today at 1.00pm TODAY!

It's one of those dies which made me reach for gorgeous floral paper - Bella Rose by Trimcraft. My Peruvian Lily Punch and Stamp set was put to good use to make a big focal flower with 4 smaller ones from coordinating paper and inked edges. I've also made a border with the Tonic Studios Dotty border punch and added some gems.

Cardmaking and Papercraft - September issue 134

The September issue of Cardmaking and Papercraft has just been delivered - I'm itching to stop everything and have a good read...there's always so much to inspire in the mag.

I was asked to do a Scrapbooking project for this issue featuring a family holiday so I chose some photos from a holiday to London in 2010 - one of the last holidays we had as a family. Seeing as how "the boys" have changed so much in appearance from then, they agreed to let me use their photos!

Roll on this evening so that I can have a good look at everything else inside.

Are you like me? I start by having a quick look through the whole magazine, then I pick out the features which interest me the most and read them carefully. Next time I'll start at the front cover and read it in depth (including the advertisements and fine print) right through to the back. .....then I keep it handy so I can look at certain things again and again. All in all it gets a really good read!!

Papermill Offer - Summer colours

Hi :) This week's super offer at Papermill is on summer colour card - Daffodil Yellow, Ocean Blue, Raspberry Pink, Pale Turquoise, Orange and Dark Violet.

You can buy a  MIDI box for £21.60 and you can see the offer page at Papermill HERE.

I have used the Raspberry Pink and Dark Violet along with white hammered card to make this card :)

I've used the new Tonic Studios Threaded Scallop Square Layering dies, Intrica Wild Vine border punch, Regal Frame and Love Bird insert, Amelia embossing folder, and Birds on a Branch 8x8 paper pad.