Thursday, December 28, 2017

Through the Letterbox Round Up!

Hello All
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and found lots of lovely treats under your tree.  We still have present-giving and more family time to look forward to over New year so it's not over yet!
As my blogging went a bit awry over the last few weeks with lots of comings and goings and extra things taking up my time, I thought I'd do a quick catch up for Bubbly Funk Through the Letterbox projects today,

I'll also add a Sneak peek for the new box which will be coming soon - we all need a little treat to look forward to once the holiday mayhem has died down and realisation of the long, cold, dark Winter has set in!

Anyway, back to the "Seeing Stars" box that landed on doormats in the middle of December.
It was full of shiny things, glittery things, lovely fabric, Stars, interesting 'hardware' and fabulous ribbon, braid trims.  There was even a fab starry stencil, which is going to be used so many times as I love using starry backgrounds - they are so perfect for male cards dfor starters!
I used three stencils on this "Wish" card, using inks, paints and glitter gels. 
Info:
From the Through the Letterbox Craft Box I used, Stars stencil, 3xWooden Stars (painted and glittered), Small white bow
Other stash: Stencils are Tiles and Mini Window Screen.  Various Inks, Starlight Paint, Sparkle Medium, Silver twine, "Wish" die cut from a Spellbinders set
Here are two of my other projects using items from this box - and I still have masses left to use. 



If you like what you see, but think you missed out, head over to the Website where you can still get your hands on this box (while stocks last), check out the other boxes and peek into the stencil shop too!
Honestly, its hard to believe how much can be squeezed into a box that fits through my letterbox!
Moving on to the 'coming soon' bit though, here's a little sneak peek of something I've made



If you visit the BLOG, you can see more of our "What's in the Box" hints, and lots more of our projects using the other boxes.

That's all from me today.

Hope you're managing to stay warm and toasty!
Happy Crafting

Saturday, December 23, 2017

Flower Top Box Ornament - Spellblogging for Spellbinders

Hello!
I'm here with another Spellbloggers post today
I had a bit of fun with Marisa Job's Flower Top Box
  this week - in fact I used two of them joined together to try out an idea I'd had for acute hanging decoration.
This is very much a prototype and there are things I'll tweak when I make it again, but I thought I'd share the idea anyway.


 Spellbinders

These boxes are hexagonal in shape, with sweet little petal shapes at the top which you can gather in with ribbon or twine to close up the box.
I made two boxes and joineg them together, adding thread right though the middle, and a couple of jingly bells (one is inside the lower box)
I added a hanging decoration using the second bell, some beads and a ready made tassel to the bottom, concealed where the boxes joined with some pretty rather opulent trim and some red ribbon, then added a couple of ribbon bows to either end, and a hanging loop of narrow gold lurex ribbon to the top
The patterned card, Braid, Ribbon etc are all from my stash

Here is the link for the Spellbinders die used for this project:

Flower Top Box  Celebrate the Day by Marisa Job
 Shapeabilities Etched Dies (Spellbinders)


I also used:
Here's a photo of the three boxes I made using this die for an earlier post

Thanks for visiting, now head over to the Spellbinders store and get you mitts on this one ;)  You know you need it.....

Wishing you all a Wonderful Christmas and a Happy Crafty 2018

Friday, December 22, 2017

Snowflake Lantern

Hellooooo!
I hope you are feeling calm, collected and ready for Christmas/  I have a feeling that most of won't be though!
A quick post from me, got just that reason!

It's the last Daring Cardmakers challenge of the year today, so the LinkUp goes right through till January 12th, so plenty of time to join in and share your makes, even after the big event!

This week, it's the last challenge for 2017 and time to take a final "Step Away from the Cards".
 Anything Else for Christmas
We've shared  cards, boxes and tags, so this week lets see what else we make, or arrange for Christmas.  We would love to see your sewing projects, Handmade Decorations, Table centres, Crackers, Other home décor - absolutely anything really!

Despite being having quite enough to do without trying out new ideas, I just couldn't resist having a go at making a lantern.  


 I made it from gold card, white card and vellum
Inside there are 4 of those LED tea lights
For the snowflakes I used the gorgeous
Shapeabilities Etched Dies from Spellbinders




The rounded cornered square used for the apertures is from another
Spellbinders set:
Art Deco Divine Deco Shapeabilities Etched Dies 


The box is made from couple of strips of gold card joined together, with an aperture cut from each face.
I added some Stick It paper to the white card before cutting the largest Snowflake Snippet four times.

Each snowflake was glued to the inside of an aperture in a slightly different position then a piece of vellum was fitted over using the Stick It side of the snowflake
I cut tabbed triangles from the cold card to make the lid, punched holes in them before glueing together then tide ribbon through and added a multi loop bow.
 

I love how it turned out, and now wish I'd given it a whirl earlier.  I could have made a few using the middle sized snowflakes and had them all along the mantelpiece!
Or maybe not!

Have a wonderful Christmas!
Happy Crafting


Friday, December 15, 2017

The Special Ones

Hi there
I'm back today with a card for The Daring Cardmakers.

This week its back to cards and a challenge called
The Special Ones
We all have special people in our lives and sometimes their cards 
get left to last.  
Don't leave them till the last minute this year make and share a card made for one of the special people in your life
It doesn't have to be a Christmas card, just a special card for a special person in your life
Here's my card.  I'm not particularly happy with it.  If I get time in the week (unlikely!) I may see if I can come up with something I like better
 Info
Selection of white, gold and red cards of different finishes
All dies by Spellbinders 
Narrow gold and red ribbon plus Gold twine
Punches for heart and star accents 
Sentiment made in Paint Shop Pro - a bit of trial and erro to get it to fit the die for this label.
It's a pretty simple card, but seemed to go wrong at every opportunity!  You don't need days like that, do you?

Ah well, it would be great if you'd join in - don't leave your card for your own special person till Christmas Eve, eh?

Thank you for coming by
 

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Stencils and Stars

Hi there, how are you doing?
Everything on your Christmas to-do list ticked off?  No, not here either!
I've a card using the brand new (and rather late) December LO from the Sketch File to share today
The background for this one is stencilled - There were bits of still inky wipes left from another project, so I used up the ink to add backgrounds to a couple of cards.  I then stencilled over again, but this time with silver Sparkle Medium. I love the way the colours show though the glittery upper coat.
I added the crossed lines from the sketch using silver twine, then added the stars - they were all in my box of spare die cut bits and bobs, which was handy, and quick!  The sentiment is a decal sticker.
This is the new December Sketch:
I'm starting to wind down on the Christmas card making at last, so I'll soon be using this sketch to help get me out of the Cword groove.  I struggle to get into it, and then I struggle to get out of it....

That;s all from me today, thank you for popping by.  I know I've been rubbish and blog-visiting, but hopefully I'll put that right soon!

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Its a Wrap!

Hello
Here's a quick share of a little project using goodies from  the  "Seeing Stars" Bubbly Funk Through the Letterbox craft box.

There are more pictures and instructions over on the BLOG HERE

I used the shiny gold lamé fabric to make the perfect wrapping for a small, awkward, round gift.

Basically I turned this:
into this:

From the Seeing Stars Letterbox Box I used:
gold lamé fabric
 diamanté gem covered braid
 plain wooden stars

It's a really lovely box of goodies that will inspire you and help your creativity shoot off in all directions!

That's it for this time.  Thank you for visiting.

Happy Crafting

Friday, December 08, 2017

Tags and Labels

Helloooo, Happy Friday!

It's sunny here, but nippy - at least we don't have the snow that some parts of the UK are threatened with today.  If  only snow only settled on the grass, gardens and roofs it would be ok.  You'd think by now they'd have invented something to add when they make tarmac etc to keep the roads and paths clear......  I guess that is something to add to the same wish-list as my teleporter 😀😀
I've been a rubbish blogger again this week.  So much to do just now, and its not all Christmas stuff either!
Anyway, at least the Daring Cardmakers gave me the nudge I needed to get going on gift tags.  
"This week, it's time to take another "Step Away from the Cards" and share
 some of your other creations with us.
The time the "Step Away From the Cards" challenge is:
Tags, Labels and Toppers
We'd just love to see the tags etc that you'll be adding to your gifts to show who they are for and from!  it doesn't have to be Christmas-themed, we give gifts for lots of reasons and they all netter with a vit of extra decoration!!
Tags are not my favourite things to make, but I feel a weird sense of guilt if I don't make an effort.  The last couple of years I've come up with a sort of solution and I make a name label and decorative topper all in one.  It's a bit like making a 3D card embellishment (which I love doing) but instead of sticking it on a card which would cost a fortune to send, I just add a name tag to it.  I even print the name tags on the pc so I can just cut them up!
 This year I'm making loads of different sized poinsettias in my colour theme of red, white and gold for the labels which will go on the gifts for the females, and little faux gifts as embellishments for the male parcels.
It's a great way to use up those lovely 3D bits and bobs we accumulate - the berries, pine-cones and even little jingly bells, and its easy to make a few larger embellishments, as little ones look really silly on a big box!
Info;
Gold , red, white and green card
Scraps of wrapping paper, or paper from 6x6 paper pads as the scalled down designs are good for the mini gifts.
Christmassy bits and pieces; ribbons, pine-cones, bells, braid, beads, etc
Die cuts - for example Snowflake, Holly and Stars
The Poinsettia Die is the fabulous Spellbinders one (Layered Poinsettia Shapeabilities  Etched Dies) that I've used soooo much this year.  I just use the different petal sizes to make small, medium or large flowers.
I enjoy putting these together so much more than making regular tags!  They don't really take long to make as most of this stuff is already on the desk from other projects.  There's always a box of die cut snowflakes and stars etc that I've cut but not used yet. 
I bought the bells in a sale last year - although they are small, they are bigger than I expected and would be way too bulky for cards.
Cut in batches, the poinsettias are dead easy to make.  I just put a load of different sized ones together then add some gems to the centres.  I make the name label part separately, leaving enough space at the left end so that I can add the flowers singly or in groups depending on the gift they are to go on.
Apart from adding a ribbon around the parcel, these toppers are the only decoration my gifts need now.  I used to spend hours with bows and ribbons decorating my gifts!


That's it.  I hope you like this idea, I know I'm not the only person who loves making things, but find making tags  a chore!

All for this time
Have a great weekend

 

Monday, December 04, 2017

Mosaic Border - Spellblogger post for Spellbinders


Hello! 
I'm here today with another Spellblogging post for Spellbinders
 This time it's another card, using the beautiful ornament dies - and some waste from another project!
 A couple of weeks ago I made this box for the weekly Daring Cardmakers Challenge, and used Stacey Caron's French Flair Card Creator die set to make a decorative panel for the top.  I saved the 'waste' from this project because I felt sure I could make use of it!
 
Click here for more info on this Poinsettia Gift box
I used all those little pieces of card that would otherwise have gone in the bin to created a mosaic border and I love how it turned out to be the perfect background for the beautiful ornament, and I think I'll be saving those waste pieces more often from now!


Info
White card blank
Patterned Centura card for the mosaic and the filigree bauble
Red Glitter card for the backing circle and the sentiment
Gold twine

All the info for the box and the Spellbinders dies I used to decorate it, including the poinsettia and the gorgeous label piece in the centre can be found HERE, but here are the Spellbinders die sets used on this card


French Flair Card Creator 
Etched Dies from the Rouge Royale Deux Collection by Stacey Caron
 

 Shapeabilities  Etched Dies 


Ho Ho Ho Holiday 2017 
 Die D Lites Etched Dies 
 



I also used:

Platinum Die Cutting and Embossing Machine

That's it for this time, This bauble die set, along with the Snowflake Snippets one are my favourites and the ones I've used most on this year's Christmas cards and projects!

  Thank you for visiting, if you click on This Link  you'll find yourself at the Spellbinders store where you will be tempted by lots of lovely dies, stamps and much much more!

Happy Crafting