Paint Fusion

After a lovely day with the family, celebrating the christening of my grand-daughter Nicole,it seemed only right that I had a little play. As usual, I have things that I must do but this was what I wanted to do! So here are the results - daisies and sunflowers on a crackle background.

The technique is called Paint Fusion and has been brought to us by Sheena Douglass, and she has made the one-stroke brush painting so much easier, with practically the same results. It's all about the way you load your brush!
Tomorrow I'll bring you some cards - quick Christmas cards - as that's what I shall be needing very soon!!

Thanks for looking.

Tricia -x-

A little bit sketchy!

Now that my weeks holiday is coming to an end, I thought it about time I updated the blog - well it has been since last Sunday that I posted! And thanks to the multi-talented Sheena Douglass, here is my CASE on her lovely card using a couple of the latest 'A little bit sketchy' stamps. So useful - and I shall be trying some different colourways soon. She's on TV tomorrow at 10am so I shall be watching so as not to miss a single tip!
If you want to get your stamps from this range, my lovely place of work, Colemans Craft Warehouse in Rushden, has them in stock now along with an Aladdins cave of crafting items.

I'll see you there tomorrow then?

Thanks for looking and will be back soon.

Tricia -x-

It's been a very long time!

It's been nearly 9 months since I updated my blog and what has happened to Blogger? It's seriously different! But here's a picture of what I have been teaching today at Colemans Craft Warehouse. In March this year, I managed to secure the best job I have ever had. I absolutely love going to work now! And as you see here, this is what a lovely group of 8 ladies made today  during a 5 hour workshop. The kit is by Kaisercraft and can be decorated in whichever colourway you desire but we chose this way.

If you are in the Rushden Northants area, Colemans Craft Warehouse is well worth a visit. We are only open at weekends to the general public but have workshops running most days of the week. I have a regular Tuesday afternoon cardmaking class and a monthly patchwork class as well as individual workshops on various themes.

For my loyal followers, I hope to be able to bring you projects on a regular basis now that I'm back. And as you have inspired me over the years, I hope to return the favour once again.

Thanks for dropping by.

Tricia -x-

Only 6 days left...........

No card today - I'm sorry - but just a little reminder that there's only 6 days to go before Sale-a-Bration is over for another year. There's 4 lovely stamp sets to be collected -

Punch Bunch
Sweet Summer
Happy for You
Bliss

and one of these could be yours, FREE, with an order of £45 or more. Or collect all 4 with an order of £180 ( and there's additional free goods with an order of this size!)
I shall be placing my last order of the month on Saturday 26th February, so if you would like to place an order, please let me know by calling Tricia on 01933 353695 or email

triciaablett@hotmail.com
I'll be back tomorrow and I will have something to show!
P.S.
Did you notice the change in my blog?

The sun is shining........

.......and I can see that I need to go on a Photography course! I know my camera is just a 'shoot'n'click' but honestly - do they have to be so..bad when I'm doing a close-up?
Well, you can hopefully get the idea.
This is a tad better (really you say?) but what I'm trying to show you is the way I've made the flowers. I don't know if the idea is original, but I thought about trying this earlier today. I've seen flowers made with twisted ribbon stuck to a sticky circle so I thought I'd try the same principal with very narrow strips of coloured card. I punched a circle in the same colour as the card strips, and covered one side of the circle with sticky strip. Having twisted my 2mm strips of card, (carefully as too tightly twisting will break the strip) I placed the twisted strip around the edge of the circle and continued around and around, all the way across ,until the sticky circle was covered. A little prod in the centre so that the end was securely fixed to the card.

Thanks for popping back.
I would love to read your comments if you have the time to leave one.
Tricia -x-

And here's another passion.....

Well the weekend passed so quickly as well as another birthday! I've stopped counting now because I feel just the same as I did years ago - in the mind anyway! - perhaps not in the body!

Thank you to everybody who sent birthday wishes and the lovely cards I received from my crafting friends. So as Sunday is not a work day, I thought I'd play with my 'other passion' - Tilda! I can't stop buying them especially as I have collected them from day 1. I've used promarkers here as I really need to get used to them and produce some creations like many of the talented promarker users out there! One day I suppose!

Back tomorrow with the StampinUp creation which I am about
to make for my ladies session tomorrow!
Thanks for looking
Tricia -x-

Fast and Fabulous!

Inspired by the fabulously creative Monica Gale (My many many passions blog), I have re-created her style in my own way. Using Baja Breeze and Early Espresso with the Fast and Fabulous level 2 hostess stamp set, this is the result! And one of my favourite ways to always have the matching ribbon for any card, is to sponge the ink onto white satin ribbon. OK it's not the same depth of colour, but boy! does it work!
A side view to show the simple fold, which we usually use vertically.
And at the back of the card, with the help of a post-it note mask, there's a nice area to write your message.

Thanks for looking and hopefully see you tomorrow.
Tricia -x-

Greenhouse Garden favour box

And here's another!! I'm on a roll now - and stamped first before assembling. So much easier. I could quite get carried away with these little beauties. But then I think,'What am I making these for?'. No reason but, little things please little minds! And so many other things I should be doing like h.......k, card commissions, orders of service, menus, place names..........but it's Sunday and this is my playday!

I'll be back soon!
Thanks for looking.
Tricia -x-

Love you much!

I just love my Bigshot and so wish that Stampin Up would have it available in their UK catalogue, along with all their exclusive dies. Well I managed to find this lovely favour box die yesterday, intending to use it for my son's wedding in March, not actually knowing what he wanted to put in them. Guess what? Something that will never fit in a box this size! Great!! Never mind - I love the little box anyway and it was an excuse to buy it!
Anyhow, I decided to try it out this morning. Duly ran it through the Bigshot - perfect! Folded the score lines, sticky strip on the tabs for quickness, and voila! - fits together beautifully. Lovely shape, I thought but really should be decorated. So.......... have you ever tried stamping on a 'not so sturdy' box? Moral of the story - stamp before you assemble. It's much easier! hasn't turned out too badly though. Thought I'd give it, empty, to my husband and ask him to put my birthday present in it! Just the right size for jewellery!!

Thanks for looking and see you again soon!
Tricia -x-

Every Moment

It's a lot brighter today than of late and Spring keeps coming to mind. I know we should not wish our lives away but many people feel a whole load better when the sun is shining! So roll on Summer!

Well here's the card that my Tuesday afternoon ladies will be making today! I know they won't be looking right now so it will be a surprise. So Wednesday evening girlies - here's a sneak peek!
And here's the inside - you know how much I like to decorate the inside of a card these days, instead of a standard insert!
And neatly completed in it's own little revamped envelope. I've used a stamp set called Every Moment and a beautiful, delicate wheel design with So Saffron as the main colour.

Hope you like this one and thanks for looking.
Tricia -x-

Simples!!!

Just a quick make today!Made in probably 5 minutes from one A4 sheet of Very Vanilla.
I am absolutely loving using any of the red inks with this sumptuous, creamy card - it works so well! So the stamp is one of the Punch Bunch set (current SAB and FREE), and I've used my SU markers in Red Riding Hood and Wild Wasabi. Punched with the circle punches, and the scallop circle, and layered up. The card on the left has been distressed on both circle edges just to add interest.

Thanks for looking.
Tricia -x-

Something a liitle different.....

At the weekend I really wanted to make something other than cards, although I knew I needed to plan my cards for workshops this week. So this is what I came up with! A set of drawers, matchbox size, stacked and covered with papers for effect. It could be used as a jewellery box or to hold lots of crafty bits and pieces.
But that wasn't enough - I've been desperate to use my sewing machine for ages but knew if I got the bug for sewing again, there would be know stopping me. And I need to focus on cardmaking and papercrafts, NOT fabric and threads. So just a quick makeover for a couple of calico bags I've had for a while.
As we're all trying to save the planet by using fewer plastic carrier bags, I invested in a few of these bags which were crying out to be altered! So a simple flower die to cut the fabric with my Bigshot, and blanket stitched to the bag.
And as I can never make just one of anything, I used the extra flowers to decorate a smaller bag without stitching the edges, just ironed on with 'wonderweb'. I feel it needs a little something to complete it but at the moment , I can't think what! A few buttons in the centres perhaps?
Well maybe next time, I'll have produced a different design when a little inspiration has come to me.

Thanks for looking,
Tricia -x-

Who loves owls?

How cute! This stamp set is a 'must have' for those of you who adore owls. And although I cut this simple image by hand, on this occasion, the good news is, that very soon, there will be a punch that does that for you. Punch Bunch can be yours, FREE, with any order of £45 from the SU catalogue, until the end of February. The greeting comes from So happy for You stamp set, yet another set for FREE in Sale-a-Bration.
I've also used the 1 3/4" circle punch for the moon, the Bird and branch punch for the branches, and Night of Navy /Wild Wasabi/Early Espresso card and inks.
If you would like any of these items , you know what to do!!

Thanks for looking.
Tricia -x-

Happiness shared........

Well I'll share my happiness with you after Mr Brown has been to deliver my Sale-a-Bration stamp sets I ordered on Monday!
But...........that's also the name of the stamp set I've used on this twisted easel card - Happiness shared. The beautiful rose takes little effort to colour as the shaded areas take away the hard work of blending colours for shading. I used So Saffron for the rose, stamped in Crumb Cake and matted the image on Crumb Cake cardstock.
For a normal easel card, after scoring the centre fold, you then score half way across one of the panels , parallel to the first score line, and fold. But for the twisted easel , based on any sized square card, the first score line is the same - the centre fold. Then instead of the straight , parallel line, you need to score the diagonal line, from the top right point of the card down to the centre fold scored line. (Hope that makes sense!) Fold the diagonal scored line so that makes a 'mountain fold' and mat a square of card (the same size as your base card folded flat) onto the triangle which is touching the base of the card. Decorate as desired!

Thanks for looking!
Tricia -x-

Sweet Summer III

Variation on a theme - using the same stamp set as a couple of days ago but using colours outside my comfort zone! Tempting Turquoise, Early Espresso and Wild Wasabi - how exotic! And then a dash of my trusty Spritzer ( I must get used to playing with this gadget coz the results get better every time!)

Thanks for looking.
I have a 3D item tomorrow so pop back soon.
Tricia -x-

Sweet Summer II

Back again! I fancied a play yesterday with this Sale-a-Bration stamp set, just to see how useful it could be. And you can see how different the cards can be just by placing the elements in different positions. I used a favourite colour combination of Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive on Very Vanilla cardstock, and coloured the leaves and flowers with ink from the ink pads giving a perfect, but lighter, shade-match with a paintbrush and minimal water.

Thanks for looking and see you tomorrow.
Tricia -x-

Stormy skies

I was just looking through the window at how beautiful the sky looked when I remembered that I needed to show you a card. I do have a few but they've not been photographed yet so at this time of day, I stand no chance at all!
So here's one I made a couple of weeks ago - quite simple, using the Just Believe set again and a resist technique. I used whisper white cardstock, stamped the image with versamark then embossed with clear embossing powder. Then sponged colour allover the card so that the image 'popped'. A delicate punched border adds the final touch!

Pop back tomorrow and I will show you what I made today!
Thanks for looking.
Tricia -x-

Spring into Summer!

I'm jumping ahead now, Spring yesterday and today, Summer. And with the prospect of more snow today!
Well the card is quite simply a tri-fold with a curved front using the Sweet Summer stamp set which you could have for free, during the Stampin'Up sale-a-bration, with any order of £45. And if this set doesn't appeal, there's three more sets to choose from! Can't be bad?






So I decided to decorate the inside too - always a nice touch, I think!
Cherry Cobbler, Wild Wasabi and Daffodil Delight are the colours I used on Very Vanilla cardstock. Hope you like.
Thanks for popping by and see you tomorrow.

Tricia -x-

Getting back into the routine...

Today was the first cardmaking class in the New Year so it feels as if the routine is slowly coming back - at least I shall know which day of the week it is!!
And this wasn't the card I wanted to show you but the picture I had taken was so bad that I need to photograph it again.
I made this card using my new baby - the Grand Calibur - a Present to myself! And the cardstock was, of course, Stampin Up Pretty in Pink, Blushing Bride and Whisper White with which I made my 'flowers of the moment' along with some sponging.


I'll be back tomorrow with the card that should have been here, using one of the FREE stamp sets available during Sale-a-Bration with every £45 order. If you would like to know more, please drop me a line triciaablett@hotmail.com

Thanks for looking
Tricia -x-

A little bit of Spring in the air?......... I wish!

Wishful thinking! It's New Year bank holiday Monday and I'm looking forward to springtime so here's a little easel card using Funky Four stamp set. It's quite difficult to see but I have distressed the edges with scissor blades although precision files from the Distressing Essentials kit would be better.
And the card is surrounded by small distressed roses which I just can't stop making. They are made from punched circles cut in spirals, edges sponged and then coiled loosely and glued at the base. So easy to make whilst watching TV!!

Thanks for looking!
Tricia -x-

And a Happy New Year to you all!

So the New Year is here and hopefully better things to come if you don't listen too intently to the Government. We've just got to make the best of everything and think positively! And one of my aims for the coming year is to blog on a more regular basis and share some of my cards with you.
Considering I have to come up with new ideas every week for my card classes, there is no reason why I shouldn't be able to do this!

So here's one I made earlier, as they say! Yet again the Just Believe stamp set, a bit of sponging and spritzing, a TH flourish and paper roses which have been distressed to match the colour scheme.

Thanks for dropping by and maybe, just maybe.....
there'll be another tomorrow!
Tricia -x-