Love embossing

January 13, 2016January 24, 2016 10nyaLeave a comment

Have you tried embossing?

Today I will talk about two ways of embossing. There are variations and further ways to improve on these techniques but I will be talking about the basics today of heat embossing with powder and dry embossing with folders. I love both equally and have a project using both techniques.

I remember heat embossing when I was a child with my mother. We didn’t have the heat guns back then. What we used to do was turn the toaster on and hold the card stock above it. That idea still works today so if you can’t afford a heat gun just whip out the old toaster and give it a go.

To begin have a piece of a4 paper with a fold in the middle handy. Stamp your image or sentiment with the Versamark Stamp Pad. Then using one of the embossing powders cover the stamped image with powder. Tip the excess onto the a4 paper and tap the back of the card to ensure all excess has left the area around the image. Then pour the powder back into the container. By having the fold in the paper to begin with that acts as the funnel and ensure it is easy to pour back into the container ensuring you are not wasting any. Then using your heat gun heat the powder so it melts.

If you are using a toaster then do heat from underneath. Also remember when using any heat instrument keep the paper from an element as it can catch fire. Sorry just had to put that here as I don’t want to be responsible for not adding a warning.

When dry embossing most crafters will have a big shot or a cuttlebug. I have the big shot and find that it is extremely sturdy for all my needs. Do not fret if you do not own one of these machines. You can still use embossing folders. All you need is a rolling pin and a hard surface. Place your card stock in the embossing folder and press heavily on the rolling pin to add pressure as you roll it over the entire card. That is all those expensive machines are doing anyway.

Give it a go and see if you can get the same results. Have you got any other tips like this you want to share with me? Either comment below or email me at tanya.armitage@me.com and share your tips on what you use.

Below is a card that I have used both heat embossing and dry embossing on. I have left a blank space in my embossing to stamp and heat emboss the sentiment. If you would like the instructions to make it simply make a purchase from My OBA before January 31 2016and I will email them to you. There is no minimum order requirement for this.

I hope you give these ideas a go and share your thoughts below.

Happy Paper Crafting everyone

Tanya

0407581163

tanya.armitage@me.com

Cards with a splash of colour

January 9, 2016 10nyaLeave a comment

Hi everyone and welcome to my first post for 2016. I have much happening in my life to keep me busy. I have undertaken the role of activity coordinator for Tiny Tappers; a group that promotes coordination and confidence through dance/movement for children with disabilities. It is a wonderful group and will keep me on my toes all year.

Despite this I have made myself a promise to escape the stress of life through crafting rather than reading. So you will be seeing more of me. I am not sure if I will save money buy not buying books because I may just spend the money of new craft supplies. oh well but a lot of fun to be had.

Speaking of new craft supplies the new year has brought with it a new Seasonal Expression 1 idea book. You can view and download it from the link. As usual each month there is a new Stamp of the Month. This month it is the gorgeous Beloved Bouquet stamp set. This Stamp set is stunning and has so many uses. It will be one I will constantly use. You can purchase this stamp set for $7.50 with any qualifying purchase or for $27 full price but only through January.

Sometimes you do not want to keep your cards simple. Sometimes I can find paper can distract from the impact of a stamped image. I am not sure if that is just me or if others find this as well.

I had a lot of cards to make before christmas and wanted some cards that were quick and easy. I came up with the below cards. The one on the left is coloured with watercolour pencils and the one on the right I left monochromatic. I personally feel that the monochromatic pops more against the colour than the other. What do you think?

CTMH January 2016 SOTM card and envelope

I have sponged some colour across the middle of card and then stamped the image over the top. I have raised the flower just to give it some depth.

When I sponge I find I get the best results to add ink to my sponge and rub a little off on scrap paper first before I then apply it to the card. This helps eliminate the risk of getting splotches of heavy ink in some areas.

I also find putting pressure on the song and applying in a circular motion allows for a much smoother and even finish. I do like to stamp the envelopes and I have done so on only two corners of the cards.

If you would like the instructions to make this card please contact me via email: tanya.armitage@me.com

Below are some more cards I have made using the same style. As you can see they are simple but effective. Please comment and let me know what you think and share some of your own cards using this technique too.

I hope you all give this a try this weekend. Happy paper crafting everyone

Tanya Armitage

0407581163

tanya.armitage@me.com

scrapbook page layout

CTMH Nevermore paper pack bloghop- Halloween layout and invite

September 9, 2015September 8, 2015 10nya14 Comments

Hello and welcome aboard our Australasian Close to My Heart Blog Hop. If you have arrived here from Shaunna Richards Passionate about Pages then you are in the right place. If you landed here by accident, no problem, please join in by following the link at the end of this post.

Today I would like to share with you my ideas with using the Nevermore Paper Packet. This Paper Pack is featured in the new Holiday expressions.

Around my area people will have a party for the kids so they can go around trick or treating together. This creates a bit of safety in numbers and also they give the neighbours warning so that there is plenty of fun for all those participating.

With this in mind I created this cute little invite.

I used Trick or Treat Sweets stamp set to stamp on the 1¼” square tiles. The corners have been removed from the tiles with the Corner rounder. My one tip for those making invites is when you finish them add a piece of magnetic tape to the back of it. This allows the recipient to place it on the fridge.

I have also created a double page spread using the Nevermore Paper Packet. When deciding on a design concept I look at the photo’s I want to use rather than trying to match photos after. I have one photo I will be cutting into 3 parts. With that in mind I went hunting through the how to programs for a design that I found suitable. My final decision was to use 1a Master for the left side and 6h Alternate on the right from the Reflections How To Book. I liked these two designs together because there was an element that flowed from one page to another giving it continuity. For that element I decided to use the Green Shimmer Trim. It is a new product and works wonderfully with the colours of this pack.

I have used the Sanding Kit on all card stock. I wanted the misty/old look that is associated with Halloween and this tool gives these pieces that look. I just love it don’t you? I also do this on old photos to help blend them into the design. The Halloween title is from the Artiste Cartridge, and the cobweb corners are from the Artbooking Cartridge. To finish off these pages I have used the Nevermore Compliments and Slate Diagonal striped Ribbon.

Thank you for stopping by. Please leave a comment before moving on to Expressions of the Heart by Wendy Hopper.

I hope you have been inspired to do some crafting of your own. Please feel free to contact me about any of my ideas or products. Happy papercrafting everyone.

Cards · religious

Baby Christening.

September 6, 2015 10nya2 Comments

Sunday was a day for celebration. Not only was it Father’s Day here in Australia but it was also the day my friend had her baby girl Baptised. I wanted to make a card for her but as with life time got away from me. So the morning of I spent 30 minutes trying to decide what to do. I didn’t have any religious stamps so I decided to use the stars from the new Charming Cascades stamp set. This stamp set is my favourite from the new Annual Inspirations Idea Book.

I used the Versamark to stamp the stars. I then heat embossed with silver embossing powder. If you are wanting to heat emboss and do not have one of those plastic embossing trays, here is a tip that I do. Fold a piece of A4 paper in half, after stamping in Versamark put the image over the folded paper. Pour an even amount of powder over the stamped image. Tip the card on its side so the excess falls off and onto the folded paper. When you have removed all excess powder you can then pour all the powder back into the container. This will make your powder last longer. The fold in the paper acts as a funnel to make pouring back into the container easier.

Here is a tip for all you crafters who never have the right wording/phrase stamp when you are looking for it. Use an alphabet stamp. This way you can spell out the words you need. This is cost effective as you don’t need to buy a stamp for that occasion you may only need once or twice. As I have no religious stamps I used an alphabet stamp set to stamp GOD BLESS.

You can use this design for all different events. Just change the sentiment on the card for a thank you or a congratulations card.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. Please leave a comment with any feedback you have. Would love to hear what other’s think or have used similar designs.

All occasion card · Cards

Minnie Mouse Cricut Card.

May 20, 2015May 20, 2015 10nya2 Comments

Today I want to share with you a card I made at the request of a friend. She wanted a Minnie Mouse card made for her cousin who is turning 1. I had fun making this card. It was quick and easy and a great way to use up some scraps for Minnie mouse.

As you may be able to tell from my previous post. I love the Disney characters. So yes I own a few of the Cricut cartridges digitally. This Minnie mouse layered image come from the Disney- Mickey & friends Cricut cartridge. I set the size at relative 4″. If you are going to try this and are new to Cricut, using Relative dial size automatically sets each item for cutting to be set at the size to match the black base/shadow image.

The card was made to measure 5×7. I cut a piece of black card stock measuring 4¾” x 6¾”. I then cut a piece of white card stock to 4″x 5¼”. This white piece I then embossed with the dot embossing folder.

I followed the assembly instructions in the handbook for Minnie mouse. I Attached her to the embossed card stock. Adhered the black card to the 5×7 card and then attached the embossed white on an angle to the black card. I feel that by placing it on an angle adds a point of interest for the card.

I then glued the balloon to the position I was happy with and then glued the string down. I used liquid glass to attach the string, I find when sticking fabric down it is best. I just get a little bit to the tip and then wipe along where I want so there is no leakage onto the project.

I had some black and white spotted ribbon and made a bow and positioned it in the corner of the white embossed card. I tried to make sure none of the ribbon was outside the card space as I didn’t want to squash it too much when placing in the envelope.

I hope this inspires you to create some cards this weekend. Please feel free to pin this to Pinterest for future reference and to share it with your friends.

decorations

Adding that little touch to make your event memorable.

May 14, 2015May 18, 2015 10nya2 Comments

There are many events that you have in your life that you want to make special. With modern times comes modern convenience’s. Many people today will just use Facebook or text message to create an event and send out invites. Other’s will go out and buy generic decorations or thank you gifts. for those stuck for time that is all good. However, for events that you want people to realise are important and distinguish them from others, sometimes those small little touches make the difference. It can just be the invites. Remember they are the first thing people see when you tell them about your event.

Reverse of invite — Reverse side of invite

For a family event that we wanted people to others to make a big deal with we handmade these invites. They were quick and easy and made people take note of that special occasion. We made the invites more personal by adding a photo of the person we were celebrating. You can add photos for many different invites or even thank you. A wedding or birth thank you with a photo makes people remember the event well after the date.

For an event that you want to have fun at try making some of your own decorations. Personalising a sign, making something that can’t be brought commercially will help add to the atmosphere of your event. For a recent baby shower we made raindrops to hang under an umbrella and under tissue clouds. Very inexpensive but that one touch is what many people were talking about on the day.

Rain clouds baby shower decorations. Very inexpensive decoration.

Great way to add colour and fun to any event. Personalise to suit your event.

We handmade the thank you tags that were attached to our gifts. Having a handmade tag can even make an inexpensive gift look special. Remember that a thank you gift is something that people take home with them and will show others. Having that non commercial touch to those gifts makes a person feel appreciated.

It's a girl thank you tags made these very inexpensive gifts look special. — It’s a girl thank you tags make these very inexpensive gifts look special.

I hope that these little ideas will help inspire you to make those personal touches to your event.

Cards

Frozen Birthday Card

May 10, 2015May 18, 2015 10nya4 Comments

When thinking of a making a children’s card I will often think in 2 ways for the design. 1. What does the child like; and 2. What is the theme for the party. I was extremely lucky with my choice this year for my friend’s little girls birthday. Like all other 3 year old girls she is a huge Frozen fan and she was also have a frozen themed party. Her favourite is Elsa So I made this card for her and kept it simple. I have many projects underway to help decorate her room for when her baby sister arrives next month and I will share more with you as I create them.

This card was created by <a href= — Elsa Frozen Birthday card.

I used the Disney – Frozen Cricut cartridge to cut out Elsa. I love this cartridge. If you are new to Cricut and how these layered images work the one thing you must remember is to make sure that you use the relative dial option when setting the size. This ensures that all the images, when cut, will be at the correct sizing relative to the original shadow size to create the featured image. For this card I had the relative dial set at 4 inches. Thought I would also share a picture of the cake that my friend made for the Birthday party. It was fantastic to hear Isabella say Zia this is the best cake ever.

All occasion card · Cards

Butterfly Gap Card

March 4, 2015March 5, 2015 10nya2 Comments

This card uses tone on tone and random stamping techniques. The Butterflies are attached to give the card the 3D look. Uses CTMH stamps and card stock and Cricut cartridge. It is very quick and easy. Give it a go! — Butterfly Gap Card

Hi everyone, Thank you for taking a look at my very first Blog post. I was thinking of what to share and decided to share this card. I came across the idea of gap cards in an old magazine and combined it with my love for butterflies.

When I am not scrapbooking or making gifts and cards for special occasions, I am making cards for all occasions. Besides being girly I love butterflies in my projects as they can be used for many different occasions. There have been many times where I have the intention of making a specific card for someone but sometimes time gets away from us and our plans do not eventuate. By having all occasion cards on hand I am able to use one when these instances occur.

This card is quick and easy and you can use it either this exact card or basic design for many occasions.

I began by trimming two strips from the front of a card. First 1 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ and the second at 1/2″ x 5 1/2″.

The second strip will not be needed for this card so you can save it to use on another project.

Cut Two pieces of cotton candy card stock (or any colour you choose), 1 measuring 3 1/2″ x 5 1/4″ and 1 measuring 1″ x 2″. From the first piece trim a piece off measuring 1″ x 5 1/4″. Trim a piece of colonial white card stock measuring 1 1/2″ x 2 1/2″. Sponge the colonial white piece with cotton candy ink.

Stamp background using the stamp set Your Own Kind of Wonderful, I picked two butterflies and used the ‘Tone on Tone’ technique to create my own pattern (Tone on Tone is using the same ink colour as the card stock). Using the random stamping technique I stamped the butterflies alternating them. To give it a more interesting feel I stamped over the edges. I think it looks great. Remember this technique next time you can’t find the exact paper you are looking for. I then attached the these stamped pieces to the card.

From the Artiste Cricut cartridge, Cut 2 solid butterflies (accent 4 shift ‘spring’ image) and 2 filigree butterflies (accent 4 shift ‘K’ image). To assemble the butterflies you slightly bend the wings, doing this will keep the wings away from the glue and give them a 3D look. Use liquid glass or another adhesive on the underbelly of the butterfly. Attach this to the solid butterfly.

Stamp your sentiment onto the Small piece of cotton candy card stock. I embossed mine with white embossing power. Then attach to small colonial white card stock.

Line the loose piece up with the card so it reforms the original card with the 1/2″ gap. put glue on the four corners of the butterflies and place them as to join the loose piece with the main card. Using 3D foam tape to attach the sentiment to also join the two pieces. You have now completed your card. Adjust the wings of the butterfly so they sit to your desired look.

I hope you had fun assembling this card.