Sunday 28 December 2014

Think I am on a roll...so to speak

Yes I am back again..think being in crafty bubble for several days its got me on roll....

Yesterday I spend most of the afternoon trying out another idea that I found the web, so just add to give it ago for myself, I have been looking at embossing folders or templates online and from my research they can be bit expensive so I decided to see if making my own would work the same.

First of all you need doe-flex but I don't have any in so I decide to box clever and put laminated pouch (these are so cheap to get hold of in stationary shops and discount stores) through a laminater first, then spray light mist of Stick and Spray on the back and stick the sheet to the cameo mat. 

This designed was created by myself using just circles in the silhouette software, and didn't think it would work but I always say give it ago and see what happens. Glad I did.. I have got the result I wanted which is always good and hasn't costed a lot neither 
 

 This one was made using cutting file that was purchased from the Silhouette store and still available to buy (the cutting file was originally a border)

The cutting settings I used to make these are as follows -
Blade 6 - Speed 8 - Thickness 8

This was a experiment with the settings and found they worked perfectly for me, but every machine can be slightly varied so you can play about on yours to see what suits you.

I am so chuffed with how they turned out and cant wait to start making something creative with them, I will be bring my creations on here very soon and show you how I got on with them. I am experimenting with them as embossing folders using the cuttlebug and I must say you do need a few sheets of copy paper to act as shims and using the two B plates and brown mat. Its not a really deep embossing but its very pretty and I will be using them regularly. I have not tried them as yet as templates for inking but think they should work well, but I will of course let you know how I get on.

(These are slightly smaller than 6 inches so they fit in the Cuttlebug)

So glad you visited my blog today, please leave me comment so I know you have been by and don't forget to follow my blog via the Follow button on right hand side of this post, so you can be the first to hear my latest news, posts and of course updates. 

I will be back very soon and until next time
Keep crafting and smiling 

xxxx 



Saturday 27 December 2014

Spent the holiday season getting back into my crafting with the Silhouette cameo - Part two

Well as I am enjoying being back in crafty swing again, I have tried out something I have been waiting to do in while after spotting this when I blog surfing. This one is from a brilliant blog called the Silhouette School blog - click here to take you straight there.

There is many pen holders available out there and can cost a range of prices, just recently Silhouette Cameo brought out their own pen holder that fits most pens and pencils. Well at the moment I personally can afford to purchase them. But I wanted to be able to still draw with the cameo and not have to buy add ons. So when I notice this idea in summer, I must give it try and see if it works for me. well I have finally got round to trying it and wow its brilliant idea..

First off you will need the pens that the Silhouette School states and are available in UK and I have seen them in stores -
Poundland - Poundworld - 99p Store and other discount stores for £1. (Available in many characters and colours too)

You can use these pens directly in the machine without converting them for other pens


Following the simple and quick instructions at Silhouette School blog (blog link above)

You will be able to make this pen holder for your cameo and its not costed very much neither, and the pens I have been using it with are the Bic round stic pens in black ink, but bic have range of bright colours are aswell and available in most stores. 

For the settings - I use the silhouette cameo sketch pen settings and works perfectly with this home made version,

As you can see it does a really good job of sketching and with excellent results.


Hope you give this a try and let me know how you get on it, you will have to be careful which designs you choose like they tell you with the normal sketch pens. But I know you will love this idea once you give it ago.

Keep crafting and smiling and I will be back soon with more ideas and inspiration

xxxx 

Spent the holiday season getting back into my crafting with the Silhouette cameo - Part one

Hope all my friends and followers had nice relaxing break during the holiday season, well like the title says I spent most of the holidays getting back into my crafting and getting my mojo back. I must tell you its been really refreshing to be able to chill out and focus solely on my hobby and its given me loads of lovely ideas that I will be sharing with you lovely people over the next few weeks and months ahead. Including tips on keeping costs down in your crafting as this time of year budgets are already squeezed.


After having such a lovely time playing and designing with my cameo machine, I set upon designing and making my own Peel offs from vinyl that I picked up free from my local sign writers shop. I would recommend anyone trying out the option as most sign writers will give you off cuts of there vinyl for FREE (a word I love to hear)

Has you can see, I have got tons of vinyl and its excellent quality and I have never paid a penny for it neither and if I hadn't of required it, it would of end up in landfill.  

I love peel offs so much and personally think more of us should be using them, as it seems they not in fashion at the moment but like everything, I know they will be back in fashion in no time at all. 

Using the silhouette cameo software I type and weld three occasions I regularly use on my cards, using Comic Sans font. 

As you can see it works perfectly on vinyl and looks better than the ones you can purchase in store, as most can sell for about 50p -£1 sheet, so you are saving money making your own.
The vinyl in these pictures are colour gold and pink..

 With using the vinyl makes the peel offs awful lot stronger than shop ones and would look fabulous on any card.

 Made using cutting file available in silhouette cameo



Also I have started creating my very own backing papers using Serif Craft Artist, this is so simple to do and so much more original. Using A5 document in the program, the paint brush tool and brushes tool.

I will be adding part two of this post next with more ideas and tips to save you all money.

I really hope you have enjoyed visiting my blog today, please leave me comment so I know you have been by and don't forget to follow my blog through the follower button on right hand side of this post - so you are updated on my latest news, ideas and plans.
Keep crafting and smiling
xxxx





Wednesday 17 December 2014

News to share

Hello my friends, I have some sad news to share that after nearly two years I have decided to stand down from Carley Duff's Cameo and Creata design teams, I have not took this decision lightly and loved being apart of such lovely team and the wonderful Carley Duff for giving me the fabulous opportunity in first place. 

I would like to wish Carley, Tracy, Michelle and Tina the very best of look for the future and we all remain friends, which I love as those guys have been amazing.


A few things have happen recently that as made me re-evaluate my crafting life, and will be getting back into my crafting and bring you more ideas and posts for 2015 on this blog. So be sure to follow me, by signing up with the followers button on right hand side of this blog.


Bigs Hugs and Crafty Smiles


xxxxxx


   

Saturday 6 December 2014

A Thank you gift


Well my posts of late seem to be coming fast and furious or like buses, waiting ages for bus and three turn up all at once. 

Well my mum asked me, could I make Thank you card and little thank you gift.. So I set out on making a gift box using The Boxer board with the fabulous card from Active paper who have eBay store - Click here for Active paper link

The handmade soaps and bath bomb fizzes were purchased from local market, but it as inspired me to give handmade soaps a try, so when I do get round to making some I will do a blog post on here..

I do love a Thank You card and gift and think we should send more as I find we don't seem to do it as offer as we should really.. What with our busy life's but its lovely to such someone you really appreciate them. 





Items used - Active paper on eBay - Couture creations embossing folders, Lifestyle crafts embossing folders, Ribbon, Card stock from The Works, Martha Stewart border punch, Docrafts Rubber Stamp, Spellbinders dies, Sequins,

Until next time keep crafting and smiling 
Big Hugs

Monday 1 December 2014

Hooray!! CREATA is back on our screens


Yes you have heard right that CREATA is back on our screens...Its been far too long since we have had our crafty army leader back on our screens but Carley Duff is back..

Create and Craft Channel (UK) Saturday 6th December 2014 11am - set your clocks and recorders ready.. Its going to be a-maz-ing!! 

Some of my samples for the fore coming shows















So hope you can join us and watch the show on Saturday, as CREATA have some amazing products on the market and lots of inspiration of course.

Bye for now and keep crafting and smiling


Back to Basics

I had to make couple of Thank you cards but didn't have a lot of time to get them done, so I decided to set myself my own challenge for change and go Back to Basics, creating my own background paper using stamping and rubber stamps - Which I have not done in ages...rather naughty I know!! but its something I've not done for many years. But I have re discovered my stamping bug now..so hoping to bring you more stamping samples soon. 

Also when I first started crafting I always used Peel Offs, but I am trying to start campaign to get crafters using Peel offs again as they seem to have gone out of crafty fashion these days. Which is sad as I love peel offs and they are good value and you can get them for next to nothing. With be being on budget these days like most people are, we all need to find crafty treats that fit around our budgets..

I love crafting on budget as I feel you don't have to keep spending lots of money on craft stuff when you can hunt out deals online, auction sites and local stores. You just have be a bit of thrifty crafter and think how you can craft on budget.





Items used for these cards are - C-ART-US embossing folder - Paperchase adhesive dots - Docrafts Papermania Free stamps from their magazine - Various Peel Offs - Forever Friends The Good Life Clear Stamps for the background wording - Pink and Red card by The works - Papermania adhesive gems - Purple,Orange and Light orange card DCWV - Martha Stewart Border punch and inked with Paintbox Pigment ink 

Thank you ever so much for visiting my blog today, please leave comment so I know you have been by..

Keep crafting and smiling until next time..Bye Bye