Docrafts Monday

Its the last day of March already, and today I have some a card  to share that I made using the new creativity club downloads.

1) Start by covering an A5 card blank with the Creativity club Easter part 1 digital paper.

2) Next cut out six small squares and six larger squares using the Xcut nesting dies.

3) Adhere a strip of ribbon across the card then layer the squares up using the 3d foam pads.

4) Cut out a larger scalloped edged circle and a smaller sized circle using the Xcut nesting dies. Layer them on top of each other.

5) Using the a5 flower die set cut out 2 flowers from felt, if you are using thick felt run then run it  through your die-cutting machine a few times to get an outline that can be cut out.

6) Adhere flowers together and stick down in the centre of the circles. cut out a sentiment and adhere to centre of flower.

7) Finish card by adding a bow and adhere an adhesive pearl.

A beginners guide to using clear stamps with die-cuts

Today I am going to share with you the first part of a series of beginners guides which I hope you will find helpful. I know I use a lot of Docrafts products but a lot of the tips and hints will apply to any brand.

 Today my tutorial will be  on how to  line you stamps up with the matching dies. Its a new trend hitting the craft industry at the moment with companies such as Papermania and Sizzix having there own products. I prefer the Papermania ones because they are cheaper and still provide the same quality as the other brands but its up to you to decide.

 For this tutorial I have used the Papermania Butterfly Stamps ( PMA  907322) that match the Xcut A5 Buteerflies die-set (XCU 503196). '

 1) This may seem obvious but carefully peal the stamp off the plastic backing. I say carefully because when using stamps with intricate parts on its easy to tear them. Place the clear stamp on to a acrylic block or CD case. Any smooth and clear surface will work but the acrylic blocks have a better grip.

2) Ink the stamp by dabbing the ink pad on to the stamp making sure you get an even coverage of ink.  doing this way reduces the risk of the stamp falling in to the ink pad creating a mess. I've had this happen to me once when I tried to stamp using the lid of an ink pad.

3) carefully place the die-cut shape over the matching stamp but do not press down until you are happy its in the correct position. once I position press the die down all over using your fingers so that the ink covers the die evenly.

4) your finished item should look like this, you can then use embossing powder to gloss over the details or decorate with adhesive gems. the possibilities are endless.

A quick tip on maintaining your stamps

as you use your clear stamps some staining may happen and I know there are a load of expensive cleaning products available for keeping them clean. but I just use alcohol free baby wipes to clean mine after use. for a deeper clean I use warm  water and washing up liquid and give them a rub down. always let them air dry otherwise the clingy bit on the back wont be as effective.

if you have any questions or feedback  then drop us a comment.

 My next tutorial will be for the end of April on how to use misting sprays.

Docrafts Monday 24th March

Docrafts Monday is here again, its a lovely sunny morning where I am today but its still freezing cold and I cant wait for Spring to hurry up and get here.

For the card base I covered an A5 card blank with the new Papermania Oyster Blush papers and toned it down with Papermania Parisianne Blue papers as the Oyster Blush is so pale it doesn't always show up when layering up the different patterns. I would advise matting it on plain cardstock and inking the edges to make the layers stand out more.

Using the Xcut A5 Butterfly Die-set. I cut out 3 of each different size before embossing them and inking the edges. I then layered them up using 3d foam pads.  I folded up the wings to make them look like they were fluttering about.

try layering up different ribbons and fibers to add dimension to your project. I did this by adhering a length of ric-rac over a length of ribbon.

if you would like to submit a crafty make then hop over to the official Docafts Facebook page.  Hope you have a good day and would love to see what you have created for #docraftsmonday.

Docrafts Monday

join us for Docrafts Monday by visiting the official Docrafts page. To add your project, upload a photo to you Facebook page and in my status add a photo or link along with #docraftsmonday. Here is my share for the week.

I used the new Bellisima range to make this card, first i covered an A5 card blank with the Bellisima A4 patterned paper. then i cut several strips of paper at different widths and gave the edges a lace effect using a Xcut boarder punch and layered them on to of each other. I made up the topper using the A4 decoupage sheet and adhered it to the centre of the card base. I decorated it with little stick on gems. i then cut out several small butterflies using the A5 die-cut set by Xcut and stuck a gem or pearl in the centre and folded up the wings to make them look like they are fluttering about. the decoupage toppers are great for making quick cards as you don't need to add much to the card.

The Memory Nest Make it Monday Sketch Challenge

Here it is my first entry as a fully fledged member of The Memory Nest Design Team !!. you can play along here www.thememorynest.blogspot.co.uk

i have created a double layout which show cases all my photos of Poole Quay a beautiful place when the sun is shinning. unfortunately it rained heavily for most of the week, so it only looks half as lovely as usual. Poole is one of those places that has everything, which is great if you are one of those people who like to pack everything including the kitchen sink only to discover that a) you've forgotten something very obvious or B) you cant fit anymore into your suit case because there is a kitchen sink in there!!. Poole has a  lot of history which is nice but it also has one amusement  arcade which means there is no way you are going to spend you life savings on penny pushers which is also nice.

The Ahoy There papers by Papermania were the perfect choice for creating a seaside themed album, I always go for blue or teal colours lately but only because it reminds me of the sea and the next holiday is a few months away.

 I used the Xcut Square Nesting Dies to crop the photos into a perfect square, I find they fit better on your layouts. gone are the days when you had to try and squeeze a couple of 6X4 photos on a page.

 I love to cluster my embelishments, here I have combined my rosettes with a big bloom and decorated it with buttons. I have a thing about buttons they end up on every thing.

 Did I mention I also stick buntings on everything as well? I like to experiment with inks and I used a mask to create the spotted effect on the background.

I found that the lace die-cuts from Papermania are a great way to add journaling to your pages.

Madame Payraud's Layout: Family

I have to admit i am looking forward to the end of February, not only has the constant rain and storms sunk half of the UK (poor Devon and Dorset) but hopefully Spring will be well on its way along with the brighter days and warmer weather. My term with the Docrafts Creativity Design Team has been extended to the end of this year. It feels great knowing that i have done a good enough job for them to want me back. i am looking forward to playing with the new products and sharing them with you. but in the mean time here's one i made earlier.

 I've been meaning to get this photo in an album for ages. Its of my Grandparents with my mom on holiday. i used mainly the Papermania Madame Payraud's collection to create this page with. i just love all the muted colors and the lace trims work nicely with this vintage theme.

 i love to work with different textures and try to add as many different ones as possible.

 Big Blooms are another favorite of mine. i ink the edges to create a shadow effect as it makes them pop off the page. I actually sewed the buttons on to the page to give it a home made feel.

The Madame Payraud's papers have a lot of images that can be cut out and used as embellishments which is great if you don't want to keep using die-cuts.

Forever Lost but Never Forgotten.

I've been rooting through my old photos again and came across this one. Its of my Great Uncle Victor posing with his troops during the second world war. This war started in 1939 and ended in 1945 and all fit men between 18 and 41 years of age either signed up to The Army or the Home Guard. /the casualties were huge with 450,900 deaths between civilians and military.  I looked at this photo and even though my Great Uncle lived till an old age, I wonder how many of these men made it home.

I used the Capsule Collection Bexley Black and layered up the papers. I've had this one in my stash for ages and found the harsh black and white patterns a bit challenging. I added red as a secondary colour in honour of all the poppies that we wear on Remembrance Day.

I only gave a brief description this time but I would like to add more journaling to my album at a later date as I consider it living history, my Grandparents lived through the war and I should document their story.

These striking paper blooms are from the Sew Lovely Collection and are fast becoming a favourite embellishment of mine. They are great for finishing off a layout and can be layered up and decorated to add a unique touch to your pages.

I would like to end on a note of how lucky we are to live in an era where we are quite safe despite the fact that a lot of the world is in upheaval.