Made to measure.....

This is a Birthday card for my girlfriend.

She is a sassy redhead, too!

View 1

View 2

View 3

Resource - Materials - Method

Jem's Designs "Clearly Bowed - The Seamstress" cd from http://www.jemsdesigns.co.uk/

Super Smooth white card

Gold peel off borders

Finger-lift tape

Pinflair gel

Crystal adhesive gems

Triple pearl hat pins

Lace ribbon

all from my crafty stash

Spellbinder dies - Scalloped Ovals

Olive 25mm Olive Green Tea Roses

from Wild Orchid Crafts

http://www.wildorchidcrafts.co.uk/

I printed a background from the cd onto one side of an A3 sheet, flipped it over and printed an image of this shaped card from the cd after resizing it in my MCS graphics programme. This gave me a printed background for the insert right away. I then cut around the shape and folded in half to form this 6x9" card. I used fine gold peel off borders around the shaped edge to highlight against the back of the card. I then printed the main image out another twice and decoupaged the front of the card. Then, using the gorgeous lace backgrounds from the cd, I printed out an A4 sheet of card, placed my own text on it and then cut the ovals using my dies. These were then simply glued in place to form an insert feature and the sentiment tag. Flowers, hat pins, ribbon and gems were added to complete this design.

I hope you like this as much as I do!

I would love to have your comments, please.

Thank you for visiting, and, as always,

Haste ye back!

Crafty hugs, Sheenagh x

ps. You need to check out this cd...it's fab-u-lous!

A study of wisdom......

How gorgeous are these wise owls?

This is an A5 card for an elderly and much loved uncle who was once as wise as they are but is now, sadly, in residential care. However, he is safe and well cared for and I know that he will most definitely appreciate this Birthday card which has been handcrafted with love.

Resource - Materials - Method

Jem's Designs Cardz 4 Men - 3 cd set

Cryogen White card from Craft Creations

Gold Mirri Board

Gold peel offs

Finger-lift tape

3d foam tape

Pinflair glue

I imported the elements from the cd that Iwould be working with into my MCS graphics programme and printed an A5 background and two different sized toppers. Using the crop tool I picked a piece of colour from the topper and created a border strip and a background for my sentiment tag, onto which I printed my text and then cutting it with a Spellbinder die - Label A.

It was then a simple case of edging the main card and inking over the edges of the tag with Distress Ink - Tea Dye - before matting and layering all the elements.

I hope you like the finished design.

To see more from Jem's Designs please visit

http://www.jemsdesigns.co.uk/

You can also join our fb group at Jem's Designs where you can be assured of a friendly welcome.

Thank you for visiting - I would really appreciate your comments.

Haste ye back!

Crafty hugs, Sheenagh x

Sending Hugs...

This "Hugs" card is going to my brother and sister-in-law as my niece left yesterday for Australia to follow her heart and live her dream.

I hope it cheers them up a little.

Resource - Materials - Method

Elegant Inspiration "The Rachelle Anne Miller Collection" 2 disc set cds

Super Smooth white card.

Core'dinations blue card cut using Spellbinders - Grand Label One and

embossed using Grand Impressabilities - Butterfly Garden - and then sanded.

Topper from cd was imported to MCS graphics programme and resized and, using the MCS Digital Punch tool, I made a circle and a heart changing the colours to suit and then typed the sentiment onto the heart. I cropped a bit of the background, tiled it and changed the colour to make a contrasting but toning back layer I printed the topper out twice, cut away the border from one and layered it on top to give added depth. I created loops at each end of a length of bright spotty ribbon and glued this to the card before placing the topper on using 3d foam tape. The scarf is glazed with 3d Crystal Lacquer and mulberry paper flowers and adhesive gems complete this design.

I hope you like this and you can see more from Elegant Inspiration at

http://www.elegantinspiration.co.uk/

Thank you for visiting and I would welcome any comments.

Haste ye back!

Crafty hugs,

Sheenagh x

That little black dress...

Commissioned 65th Birthday Card

with a fashion theme

from my luxury card range

Source and Materials

MCS Fab Glam Fifties cd

Europa Ivory Pearl card stock from Craft Creations

Gold Mirri card

Spellbinder dies - Parisian Accents, Parisian Motifs,

Scalloped Circles, Grand Labels One

Gold organza crinkled edge ribbon

Flowers and gems from crafty stash

featuring a chocolate brown Gardenia and

2-tone tan Wild Roses from Wild Orchid Crafts

3d foam tape, finger-lift tape, Pinflair gel

Insert verse composed by myself

I haven't listed the construction method for this as it very much is what it is,

but should anyone want any more precise information, please feel free to ask.

I do hope you like this one.

Thank you for visiting.

Haste ye back!

Crafty hugs, Sheenagh x

I love these meeces to pieces.....

My Samples for Crafty Catz

Bubbles and Squeak cd

Now available from

http://www.craftycatz.co.uk/

For this card I printed an A4 sheet of Super Smooth white card with a different background on each side and folded in 3 to make an easel card. I then printed another piece for the back layer of the main area and matted this with a piece of matching red card made by cropping and stretching an area from the main design in My Craft Studio graphics programme. The main topper was heavily glittered and placed on using 3d foam tape. A strip of red card and a printed sentiment tag from the cd were raised on deep foam tape to provide the stopper bar. More glitter and gems complete this design.

This little drummer boy is an A5 card with printed background from the cd on Super Smooth white card. Again simple matting and layering on 3d foam tape give this design depth. His hat, jacket, drum and drumsticks have been glazed using 3d Crystal Lacquer on both the main topper and the ribbon tag which was matted onto a red circle cut using Spellbinders - Scalloped Circles. Using printable ribbon, I ran this through the printer in a matching red and added the text in my graphics programme. A silver number peel off and red star gems complete this design. This 8x8" square card is made with Super Smooth white card. I took the topper into MCS and created a background which I then trimmed with a deckled edged rotary blade. I resized the topper and created a red shape slightly larger to layer it on to and typed a hidden "peek a boo" message on it which is seen when the top image is moved to the side. Using printable ribbon, I printed part of the background onto it and using extra strong adhesive tape placed it on the front of the card folding a couple of pleats in it at the edge. I attached both topper layers together with a brad and secured them to the front of the card with 3d foam tape. I printed the text onto matching yellow card and cut it using Spellbinders die - Scalloped Circles. Some bright flower brads finish off this design. For this 8x8" square card made again with Super Smooth white card, I printed backgrounds from the cd and printed out the topper twice, having resized it in my graphics programme. I made a matching plain turquoise matt and cut it to size. I then scored it using my Hougie Board and pricked along the border using my Tim Holtz ruler and used this on the diagonal as the base matt. It was adhered to the card using 3d foam tape and the main topper was decoupaged and placed on top. I cropped the bluebird from the main image and resized it, made a copy and flipped it. I then glazed all 3 birds using 3d crystal Lacquer. The sentiment tag is from the cd. Some turquoise ribbon and gems complete this design.

I thoroughly enjoyed creating these and I hope you will visit the website and have a look at all the other goodies available from http://www.craftycatz.co.uk/

Thank you for visiting and I would welcome your comments.

Haste ye back!

Hugs, Sheenagh x

Little Firecracker.....

Jem's Designs

Fairy Cobblers cd

"Firecracker"

This post introduces my new Luxury Signature Cards range.

This is a commissioned 40th Birthday card which will be, as always, tissue wrapped and boxed.

It is 7.25" square as I have managed to source boxes to take this size of finished card - until now my commissions have always been A5 finished size - so let's see how successful the larger luxury range will be.

I have used Cryogen White card from Craft Creations Pearl card range and made a toning pink base colour by using the crop feature in MCS graphics programme to select a small piece of colour from the main image and stretching it to A4 size. I printed two A4 sheets on both sides for the base card and another piece sized for a layer. I also printed out two different backgrounds from the cd and cut away the corners using Fiskars rounding scissors, then these were all matted and layered to the front of the card with different depths of 3d foam tape or finger lift tape. I then cut a border from silver mirri board using Spellbinders edgeabilities - Classic Petal - and glued it to the front.

The printed topper was also matted onto silver mirri board and I cut out corners and a flourish using Spellbinder dies - Twisted Metal Tags and Accents - and glued the corners under each corner before placing it on the card. The fairy image was printed out again and was then decoupaged using Pinflair glue and highlighted with MCS Embellishment Attic Crystal Glitter.

I used the flourish in the floral embellishment along with pearl sprays, white and pink small flowers from my crafty stash and the beautiful large baby pink rose and pearl crown hat pin from my luscious new goodies from Wild Orchid Crafts.

I printed my own text using MCS graphics onto a blank sentiment tag from the cd.

For the insert I have made a pocket for a gift card/cheque which I embossed along the edge using a Glitter Girls board (which I've had for so long I can't remember what it's called) and then cut the scalloped edge. I also added a small tag from the cd with narrow red satin ribbon and my own printed text.

I hope you like what you see, and I would love to know what you think of my work - does it deserve the "luxury" label, please?

Thanks for visiting -please pop in again soon.

Crafty hugs, Sheenagh x

Time flies...

Jem's Designs

Cardz 4 Men cd (3 disc set)

"Time"

I made this A5 Good Luck/New Job card today using Cardz 4 Men cd from Jem's Designs. The base card is cream linen card stock and I printed a background from the cd onto Super Smooth white card. I then tore this and attached to the base card. Then, using Distress Ink - Tea Dye - I aged the edges of the torn element and also the plain section of the base card. I also printed out a tag from the cd to which I added my own text using MCS graphics programme, and then distressed around the edges of this before attaching a piece of raffia as a label tie and gold card candy as a brad. The main image is printed from the pyramage section of the cd and layered and matted on to a piece of dark brown leather effect card stock. I used Metallic Rub-Ons - Gold and Copper - to highlight some areas of the clocks and watch faces and added a Tim Holtz metal embellishment, gold peel off chain borders and peel off waste to finish this design

This is such a useful cd set, and what's more, it's on sale from http://www.jemsdesigns.co.uk/ for only £10 instead of £30! I love a bargain.

I hope you like this and thank you for visiting...you are always welcome!

Crafty hugs, Sheenagh x

Winning ways with inserts...

My samples for MCS Simply Sentiments cd

as featured on Create & Craft

13th January 2012

I'm just going to share the images in this post other than to say that I hope they show that what were initially intended to be printed out from the cd as Inserts, can, in fact, be imaginatively used as the main feature on the front of cards.

With different techniques and all of our crafty tools, machines and embellishments, they can be transformed to examples as I'm showing here, and I hope they inspire you to look at the humble insert in a different and creative way.

Friendship

Wedding Day

Birthday Congratulations Retirement

Special Birthday

I hope you like what you see here.

Thank you for visiting and your comments would be greatly appreciated.

Crafty hugs,

Sheenagh x

I Believe In Unicorns....

This is a collection of my samples for

Jem's Designs

Where The Unicorns Roam cd

as featured on Create and Craft 11Jan12

For this 8"x8" card I used Cryogen White card from Craft Creations to provide the base for the design and the top layer which along with Silver mirri board I cut using Spellbinders die - Grand Labels One. I cut the unicorn twice and decoupaged it. For a textured finish I actually cut small "v" shapes into the feathered wings using a sharp scalpel. I typed a sentiment and cut it using Spellbinders die - Scalloped Ovals. Broad crinkle edged white organza ribbon, satin flowers, pearl sprays and crystal gems were used to finish this simple design. This landscape 10"x8" card was created using Super Smooth white card with a printed toning plain background colour as a base layer onto which I layered Holographic Silver card. The main topper was made into pyramage using My Craft Studio graphics programme Crop tool to make the different sized layers and then assembled using 3d adhesive tape. Using a bookmark from the cd, I adjusted the shading and then copied and flipped one of them to give reverse images for the side panels, and then added the text. Some toning narrow satin ribbons and self adhesive star gems and glitter complete this design.

This almost A4 sized card again is made using Super Smooth white card onto which I have layered a patterned background from the cd and then topped that with a white layer. I imported the main topper into MCS and resized it. Taking a bookmark from the cd, I added text and merged it into the main topper. I then printed the bookmark out again. On the main topper I cut a small diagonal slit in the top right and bottom left corners of the bookmark before layering it up. The separate bookmark was then slotted in to secure after punching a hole for the piece of narrow white satin ribbon. The sentiment was cut from a Wordart banner on the cd and layered on a picec of white card. Both were cut using Spellbinders die - Labels Four - and the white one inked with Distress Ink - Faded Jeans. A sprinkling of glitter completes this design.

This approx 7"x7" card again uses Super Smooth white card for the base card which has been cut using 2 sheets of A4. The printed background, the small card on the front (cut from the gift wallet) and the sentiment (again a Wordart banner) are all from the cd. I have used narrow white lace and narrow pistachio satin ribbon behind the mini card. A large daisy and yellow mulberry paper flower from my crafty stash and gold adhesive gems embellish this design.

This gift bag uses backgrounds from the Unicorn cd printed onto Super Smooth white card which were cut using a template from MCS Advanced Encyclopaedia Templates cd which I resized. The gift tag is from Unicorn cd to which I added the sentiment using the MCS graphics programme. I then printed a sheet of paper in a matching self colour which I made by cropping a section of the main background and stretching it which I then used to cut out the flowers using Spellbinders die - Daisy Flower Toppers - which, with narrow lilac satin ribbon and glitter, completes this design.

This chocolate bar wrapper was simply a background from the cd printed onto Glossy Photo paper with a small topper and Wordart banner from the cd merged into it by softening the design in MCS graphics programme, adding the extra text and cutting the sheet to size. Thank you for visiting. I hope you like what you see here, and I would welcome any comments.

Hugs x

Introducing Cromford Bear...now appearing on Create and Craft!

MCS The Artist Collection

Cromford Bear

Samples Sep11

This delightful character has appeared again on your TV screens over the past coupls of days when MCS 4 day deal features this 4cd set. He originally appeared when it was launched back in September 2011. So, as I didn't have my blog back then, I thought I'd resurrect my sample photos and introduce him to you. This square card was cut using Spellbinders die - Grand Scalloped Squares - and I then cut a frame from a printed background from the cd using two smaller sizes of the same die. This was backed with acetate and it was then layered to form a shaker card with MCS Embellishment Attic Snow which I thought looked a bit like raindrops. The front layer was cut around the fence to give depth and then the bear was decoupaged on top. I glazed his wellies and the puddle with 3d Crystal Lacquer. I printed a sentiment and cut it out using Spellbinder die - Scalloped Circles - to complete the design.

This twisted easel card shows Cromford decoupaged on to a printed background under a mound of leaves which were also decoupaged and moulded to shape. I printed an A4 sheet of background paper and a piece of bronze metallic card and used Spellbinder die - Foliage - to cut our a selection of leaves and shaped and decoupaged them onto the base of the easel. Again I printed a sentiment and cut it using Spellbinder die - Fancy Tags Two to finish the design.

Better late than never...

My Craft Studio Papercraft Library vol 9 Christmas Bunny Snuffles

I know Christmas is over for another year so I hope you don't mind this late offering on my blog. This 7x7" Christmas card was made especially for a dear friend and her husband and it has travelled a bit since I forgot to photograph it before I posted it in the mayhem that is all things Christmas! So, it was posted back to me so that I could photograph it and share it with you on my blog page...that's what I call a real friend! Mind you, it was conditional upon it's return to them which I have done today. I used a background from the cd but, using the on board graphics programme, I was able to create additional swirls and add other icons and small touches to the design before printing it out on white Super Smooth card which I cut using Spellbinders Grand Labels One die and using 3d foam tape with Pinflair glue mounted it onto a piece of 7x7" white glitter card which I had stuck to the main card. I used one of the elements from the cd as a sentiment tag and cut it using Spellbinders Scalloped Circle die. I decoupaged the lanterns and glazed them using my favourite 3d Crystal Lacquer. I then added My Craft Studio Extra Fine Crystal Glitter, and Frost and Ice from Embellishment Attic to give the sparkling finish. I think this show the versatility of MCS cds - it's not always necessary to use the main images...sometimes a background can be the main feature! I hope you agree.

Samples for My Craft Studio Setting The Scene "Shop Fronts" cd

My samples for Create & Craft Pick of the Week shows launched on 30th December 2011.

This 8x8 monochromatic design was printed onto Super Smooth white card which I then sanded around the edges to distress and then matted and layered on white and printed card which was also distressed. The printed sentiment tag was inked around the edges using Distress Ink - Black Soot - and I also inked white ribbed ribbon with the same ink to tone it to a greyish colour. Using a printed background on Super Smooth paper I used my Spellbinder dies - Anemone Flower Topper and Floral Flourishes -to create the flower and embellishment flourishes. Metal corner embellishments and clear adhesive gems complete this design.

This landscape A4 card was created on Super Smooth white card using various artwork elements manipulated to represent a city street. I cut around the rooftops to give a different skyline finish, decoupaged the window boxes and steps and glazed each window with 3d Crystal Lacquer to give another dimension. The interior of the card is an exact shadow of the front of the card except for the end building which I left in full colour. I printed the New Home sentiment on toning card and cut out using deckle edge scissors. Some paper flowers from my crafty stash and adhesive gems complete this design.

The 3rd and final card is also an A4 landscape and this is the interior view of the Craft Shop.

This is the front view of my Pink Ribbon Crafts shop. Wishful thinking on my part - who wouldn't love their very own craft shop? I couldn't not do this one, now could I...lol?

I manipulated the elements to create the layout and then overlayed it with the shop front from which I cut out the window and door glass areas and backed them with acetate. The shop front was put onto the background using 3d foam tape. I created the shop sign by adding a printed ribbon and text which I decoupaged and layered it to give depth above the decoupaged shop awning. The sentiment tag was printed on toning card and cut using Spellbinder die - Scalloped Ovals - and gems and another piece of printed ribbon were added to embellish. The inside of the shop was printed again and used as an insert - see previous photo.

Happy Crafty New Year!

Hello, my friends and fellow bloggers. It has been a little while since I last blogged and I apologise for that, but something had to give and unfortunately, it was my blog! However, here we are in a new year, and for some of us, no doubt, it's always good to get the chaos that is Christmas over and move on to new beginnings. So, whatever you have planned to do or resolved to do better in 2012, I hope it turns out just right for you. I love it that most of you make a card or two in a day and then share it on your blog daily - I wish I could work that way, but the very nature of most of my work being on Design Teams means I usually post my cards on here in batches and only after they have been "aired" so to speak, so I'm hoping that I don't bore you with too many cards at a time...lol! That being said, I am just about to upload the latest cards that I can share with you. I hope you like them, and I look forward to your comments, please. You are always most welcome on my blog. Hugs, Sheenagh x