A Wreath

So Dad is well enough to go back to his day centre 2 days a week, and he loves going and having the company to talk to. He rarely asks anyone to do anything for him so I was more than happy to make this wreath for him to take to his day centre to be sold to help raise funds.

I started cutting out flowers from the silhouette store and some that I made the files for and have used time and again on various wreaths especially the roses made from scalloped circles! they always go down well. I joined a flower making group on facebook  and some of the ladies flowers there are superb and I  just wish I was as good at making flowers like them, but one thing I have learnt is that they use their spectrum noirs an awful lot! I just had to make this one very quickly though I only had 3 days to make it and by doing a 2am night I managed!!

I tried to choose bright and colourful flowers because most of the people at the day centre are partially blind so I hope that a bright one would help them see it a little better. I decided not to do a christmas one or even a summer one just a bright one!

It took about a 6 hours to cut all the pieces for the flowers and I had intended to make 2 or 3 but after cutting so many and it only doing one...well...one had to do...then I realised I had used a much larger ring than I usually do so no wonder it took so many flowers.

I particularly liked the blue cornflowers from the silhouette store they were so easy to put together and look fab in real terms. I cut some of the leaves on my cameo and hubby cut some from a die he had.

Some one asked me what tools I use to make my flowers...well I havent bought anything special, I use a 6mm ball tool and a wooden kebab stick (which I find invaluable for shaping) and a foam stamping mat I got years ago and never used, and of course my trusty glue gun....

Having made this wreath I came to the conclusion that me and a glue gun are a dangerous combination, as I managed to burn one finger 3 times and 2 other fingers and my leg (dont ask!!) but Im hoping the end result was worth it...

Thank you for looking, if you want more info on how to put a wreath together then I have several older posts explaining how to...

Love debby xx

Heat transfer vinyl

This week for my design team work I was sent heat transfer vinyl (htv) to play with. It was something I had never plaayed with before and I was interested in giving it a go as I have seen many a project around the web that people have done and it always looks fun.

I was sent a sheet of pink, blue green purple and light blue. I was also sent some heat transfer flock but I havent played with that yet.mmmhhhaaawwww....

I wanted to do something that would really stand out and be noticed because it was for the television show so ordinary really wouldnt do. I found a lovely free file on a group on facebook of a lovely hummingbird and made a cushion that was very very easy to make and did the hummingbird. I loved it and was very pleased, but alas I was too trusting and took the lady who gave the file away free well i took her word that it was a henna tattoo file that she had traced.... it turns out on further instruction to be a stamp by a well known company so I wont be showing that any more, and it will be my own personal cushion because I still love it!
I just wish I had been a little bit more on the ball and I would have probably recognised it sooner before I had spent my time weeding all the little bits...thats what you get for trying to take the easy way! I had had a terrrible week and was not consentrating as I should due to a close family member leaving this earth....

So I then had to rethink.... and I decided to do a few babygrows (onesies) and I bought these files from the silhouette store...I figured at least you know where these come from and they were quick and very easy ones to weed (yea I know I took the easy option!!!)

 This 1st one was an easy boys one a simple car from the store and it changed the onesie instantly!

 This 2nd one could be for either sex depending on what colour vinyl you used. I chose the pink just because.. I added the bow not just for effect but because I had a slight accident and had a spot of vinyl where it shouldnt have been instant bow instant fix, si guess what happened with the next???

I thought the bows added to this last one. The words file came from the silhouette store and cut beautifully.

Thank you for looking
love debby x

Playing with alcohol inks

I have been very busy with family matters the last week or so and today I really needed to relax and forget all my troubles and woes. I couldnt concentrate on making a card or even the boxes I wanted to make for my glitters to go into. I needed something tranquil to do... so I got out the alcohol Inks and did a little 'painting with them.

Apart from covering myself with delightful colours this is the painting I ended up with...

 For some reason I dropped the brush and it landed in the middle and gave the dotty-splash of colour and I then chose to do some more dots for interest....

 After it dried I thought it rather looked like a sunflower and I suppose I should have done the flower in browns and oranges, but hey...Im using artistic license here and have a red and purple one instead...I may also add that when I started the flower I had no idea what it would turn out like and was very plleased with it!

 After finishing painting, I did a little more organising of the craft room, and heres a small corner all labelled and sorted. I have found this to be so much help when Im crafting because now I look on the drawer fronts and boxes and know exactly where everything is....I didnt realise just how much crafting time I wasted before looking for things....

If you havent tried alcohol ink painting there are videos on youtube why not have a look and give it a try when you next need to calm...

Thank you for looking
love debby

Teddy Love

I had a nice present of several cds from my husband and amongst them was a teddy bear one. The bear was so cute that I just had to make a card straight away with it. So I did a print and cut using my beloved cameo and looked at the end results for inspiration. I decided it would make a good double twisted easel card.

When I looked amongst my cameo files I realised I didnt have a double twisted easel, I had several twisted easels and one triple twisted easel but no double., so I made my own which I will post a link to at the end of the post should you want it.

I had a lovely embossing file A4 size that I just havent used yet and was looking for a project to use it in so today I decided it would make an interesting background for teddy. The embossing foldercame from a set I bought off create and craft last week and it was a set of 9 different folders. This particular one is script that is quite unreadable and meaningless yet fun.

I embossed onto some pearlised card and then layered the teddies on to it. I had some chipboard sentiments found during the big clean up of the craft room and added some liquid pearls

Here is a link to the file for the double easel card incase you would like it, if you do take it please send me some love. Please do not repost it but send people here to collect it themselves and leave me some love.



Thank you for looking

Debby xhttps://www.dropbox.com/s/zvxhx2pd37yald5/double%20twisted%20easel%20card.studio3

Silhouette software version 3

I waited once the update was announced because like so many had upgraded immediately when they had the bad glitch a few updates ago, and felt I wanted to sit on the side lines and see what everyone was saying about the new version. This week I finally felt it was time to upgrade and so far I am so happy...

I have the designer edition software and wouldnt be without it now, even though I dont really do much designing from scratch, I do alter files alot to suit me and my use., so for me the de is like gold....

Now there has been much shouting about this new version, and of course I wanted to try for myself and so far, I seem to find it so much better than the last version. I did panic at first when I couldnt find the offset button, but once I found that I stopped panicing hehe. I havent really played with the layering yet, I didnt want to get to far infront of myself, as regular readers of my blog know I dont always retain information first or second time or even third, I have to wait for it to just 'click' before I get something... we all learn differently! and of course with my medication I then forget sometimes I feel lllike I could forget my own mname ! hehe

But today I did something that feels like it blew my mind, I was so happy to discover I could import pdfs into the software. Oh how Ive wished for this over the years! I have always worked around it but that can be  time consumming but now oh Im in love with my cammie all over again. Then I discovered that I could now scan straight into the software too... all I can say is  Silhouette America I Love You xx it feels like I have a brand new machine and not just software... the possibilities of what I can now do is really blowing my mind. Now where are all my cds you know the ones full of pdfs......if you dont hear from me for a while youll know what Im doing...

All I can say is that I love this new software

thank you for visiting me

love debby x

Ive been absent for a while again...

Yes I know ivee been nawty and been absent for a little while again., but between illness and the total reorganisation of my craft room Ive not had a chance to write on my blog, and also I forgot my password and tried so many different variations that at one stage got myself locked out of my blog for a week! I have now linked it to my google account so that I have several ways to get into my blog! Thats a lesson learnt...

I found so many items I didnt even know that I had bought all hiding in drawers, and faithful old tools I forgot about that it has made me stop and think about what Im doing.. yes I have the crafters illness of hoarding my stash, and so to that means I gave my mum my cuttlebug and my niece my bigshot, as I really dont use them now I have my cameo and ebosser. but who knew I had so many dies and embossing folders I didnt thats for sure.... so I have all the dies in one drawer and all my embossing foldeers in another for now but Im going to make open boxes for them to stand on the top of the drawers so that they are in sight and never forgotten again.

I think from now on I will have to use at least either a die, embossing folder or stamp with every card I make as ive neglected them for so long and have focussed only on using my beloved cammie that things are being wasted....  I know the card group Im organising will be in a hall where i wont be taking cammie so i will have to go back to basics then but im sure it will be a good creative exercise for me.

I think Im going to have so much fun in the next few weeks!

Have fun too

thank you for reading this

love debby

An Easter doily

I wanted a mat and layer for my easter cards but didnt find one so I made my own...

This is a mat, a doily and an inner mat, it was fun to make, but othr than cutting it with leftover paper I havent used it as yet, butI will soon. I also want to share the file with you all but I cant remember who I used as a file share before and Ive tried dropbox but havent worked it out yet so when I do Ill share this  x

Love debby

http://www.fileswap.com/dl/enbYMTNAzN/easter_egg_doily,_mat_and_inner_layer_by_debby.studio.html

A Dove on Canvas

What else could I call this creation than what it is ... A Dove on a canvas..... For the Design Team work this time we were asked ( when I say 'asked' what I actually mean is 'Challenged' by Karine) to make some home decor with our Cameos,  and to use fabric....

Well when I sat and thought about what I was going to do, knowing Im not much of a sewer, I had a mental block..... so I looked in the silhouette store for inspiration. I saw this lovely Dove and ideas began to grow on how I could use it. Then I noticed as an added bonus, that I had already purchased the file!

Now all I needed was to get some sort of project done....

I decided after looking at the file that I would never be able to sew it onto anything and it look good, so I had the idea of applique-ing it somehow.... then I noticed some canvases lying around on my shelf... and Dove on a canvas was born....

I was a little frightened about wether the fabric would stay on the canvas as I know from experience that it isnot easy to get vinyl to stay on a canvas without preparing it first. So I looked amongst my lotions and potions and found my Winsor and Newton Acrylic Gloss Medium, and decided to experiment with that, some alcohol inks for colour and my fabric.

I played with a mini canvas and found that it worked and the fabric stayed put when I ironed it on.
I used the silhouette brand of heat and bond on to my fabric and then cut out the pieces on my cameo from some oddments of fabric I had in my box. As there were quite a few pieces when it was all cut I figured that I would get rather confused, so I decided to use one of my pens in my cameo and came up with a drawing of the pieces so that I had an idea of what went where.

I found this a great help when I needed it.

Next I cut a little off my sea sponge, then mixed my gloss medium and alcohol ink and painted a first layer on the canvas.

The colour I used was mustard seed. Now I love alcohol inks and am found playing with them with alsorts of materials, but on the canvas, that bottom layer was flat, so it needed pepping up a little, once it was dry the sponge came into its own. I mixed some watermelon alcohol ink and gloss medium and I also mixed another batch with mountain rose

I randomly dabbed first one colour then the next over the canvas and put it to the side to dry overnight.

The next morning a took my pieces from the sheet and manually laid them on the canvas piece by piece, which didnt take long as because I had laid them out on my 'template' I knew exactly where each piece should be. I then heated my Iron and Iron on the fabric to the canvas. It took like a dream and didnt need any coaxing at all.

So there you have it, a canvas with fabric and no sewing at all...

Thank you for looking
Love debby x

A new sewing machine

I have been laid up for a few days as I am currently having a reaction to the dosage of methotrexate that Im prescribed. It has given me a rash from head to toe and a very nasty headache indeed.

Today I am starting to feel a little better but as the morning turned to afternoon my head started banging again.

I had some Design Team work to do, and had intended to use my sewing machine, but for some reason it didnt want to play, so I did some vinyl work instead, but it was quick and easy stuff as I still feel quite unwell, but at least I was able to create with my cameo. I will show pictures in a day or so but feel unable to get the energy to actually take photos today.

Hubby realising that I felt rather low today said he was going to the shops, and came home with a new sewing machine for me! Its not the dearest but its not the cheapest either... I am so spoilt! I love it!.. Hubby says its something to make me want to get better as soon as I can.... I will also take photos of my new machine too., and show you soon.. he also knows a way to a crafters heart is bring them new stuff too and he opened his bag rather like a magician and produced a fat quarter and some hessian too.. I feel a wall hanging coming..

See you soon

Thank you for looking
love debby x

Design team work..

 For my first DT project I had the new corrigated self adhesive card to play with. I spent ages deciding what exactly to do with it, and found I had 2 colours, brown and white. For the white I had the idea of doing a shabby chic style box, to show what you can do with the left overs after you have cut out the corrigated card on your cameo. Rather than throw the bits and pieces away they look good on a gift box or even a shabby chic type card. I was very pleased with how the box looked when decorated up with a few flowers and some string! The flowers were distressed with inks and a flourish from the silhouette store completed the project, a box worth putting something in!!

 My 2nd project is thanks to Krafting Kelly, I used her idea from christmas and used Tattoo paper on a candle. It was so much easier to place on the candle than the vinyl I usually do and as it is a print and cut you can put on whatever you like, Im thinking hearts for valentines day, a cute girl for mothers day you get the idea. but without Kelly sharing that idea I dont think I would have even thought of it,. it shows her brilliance!!

 So my 3rd project... I was already in the shabby chic mode,having made the box for item 1, but I have also been making a steam punk shadow box and I think the two ideas sort of intermingled and gave me this card, which once again shows the versatility of the corrigated card. The heart cut perfectly, and I still have most of that sheet to play with!I think the shabby steam punk look goes well for this card and I loved the colours...

 My 4th project was a fun project. I bought this phone cover in the pound shop, because when I saw it , it just cried out to be vinylled!. The bubbles on the case is the same as the ones I covered my kitchen appliances in, although on the appliances they were much bigger.. hehe.. I just had fun with this and added the gangham style because thats the type of dance old ladies like me should do!

 I made this card to show the brilliance of the cameo when making your own decoupage. The lamb came from the internet. I took it into the silhouette software and put several onto my mat, where I traced them and used the knife on them to make the decoupage.The lamb felt very easter like and spring like hence the tones used. A few frames from the silhouette store a few leaves and flourishes flowers and an easy easel card.

 For the double easel card I made a file and cut it on the cameo. I will share it at a later date. I did several layers with mirri board and cream card. The eiffel tower was cut from the double sided adhesive sheets and foil was laid on it. A heart from the silhouette store serves as the stopper on the bottom to keep the top layers upright. A few flowers and leaves finished this card off.

Thank you for looking
Love debby x

Duck Shadowbox

For this months design team projects we had to use the print and cut feature of the cameo. As you will gather I dont do too much print and cut and I loathe decoupage because I can never line it up properly!

I dont really have any cds with decoupage on so I looked on the internet and found this adorable chick. I thought he had a little attitude! So the sentiment to go with him couldnt be a cutesy one!

I thought he would look good in a shadow box and so I downloaded the file for this one from the silhouette store. It is a 5x7 shadowbox

I found a lovely yellow check paper amongst my american crafts and thought it would look great against the chick and make a very spring like shadowbox.

I took the chick into the designer software as it was a jpeg download. I then did a trace on the chick. I copied the chick 3 times, and did traces on all 3. I then used my knife to cut away at the chicks(!) until I had suitable pieces for my decoupage. I then did the decoupage on a print and cut through my cameo.

I had a border amongst my files that also came from the silhouette store and cut that out of the remaining paper leftover from the background.  I found a saying that I thought fitted the chick, a little attitude but not too much!

The shadowbox is easy to make and once youve done one it gets easier and easier..  I added a few flowers and a butterfly and it was ready to see the light of day!

Thank you for looking

Love debby x

Oh my...

Hello,

Oh my, I didn't realise it was so long since I had made a blog post. Im very nawty!

But I do have a few excuses, take which ever one you want, firstly before Christmas I was so busy doing the last minute crafts for gifts and I couldn't find my camera,. secondly I went down with the flu like virus that's been going around the UK and was very sick with it for 2 weeks, everytime I thought it was going it would flare up again.. and thirdly my PC broke and died. I now have a brand new pc its got 16 gigs of memory and a 1 tr of memory so Im hoping that this one will last me a long time and be man enough for my crafting needs.

I also haven't crafted since before Christmas....bad crafter mojo hit...but today Im feeling better except the ear infection ive managed to get, but that's not going to stop me, it just means that I cant hear hubby moaning!!

Inspiration has finally struck and Im going to make a shadowbox for the dt teamwork. It depends on how it ends up as to whether I send it in or not but we don't have  a show until March so hopefully lots of craft can be done by then..

Off to source my elements for now see ya soon!

Thank you for visiting me

Love debby x