About Me

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My name is Natalie and I love anything to do with card/paper. I have been a papercrafter for many years now and I never get bored playing with all the wonderful products available. I've been married to my wonderful husband Nathan for 35years now and we are still very much in love with each other as the first day we met each other. We have 3 wonderful children and 5 gorgeous grandchildren so we have lots to be thankful for. Since joining Stampin' Up! in 2018 I've grown so much in confidence with myself and I even tackle technology, which for me is a huge step to have taken, but I'm getting there slowly.

Tuesday 21 December 2021

SUOC# 291 - Celebrations




Hi everyone, it's time for another Stampin' Up! only challenge (SUOC#291) and this week the theme is Celebrations!
 Now I chose to use the amazing Eden's Garden bundle for my card this week. This bundle is an early release from the NEW soon to be released January - June mini catalogue, I'm so excited and can't wait for you all to get your hands on a copy of it, so if you live in the UK and don't already have a demonstrator, but you'd like a copy of the catalogue then please do get in touch and I'd be more than happy to send you a copy.

This is a very simple stamping card but I love the images and the colours are just beautiful together!


I chose to use some of my favourite colours  for this card - Bermuda Bay, Pear Pizzazz, Pool Party and Soft Seafoam, I just love mixing these colours on a project, I think they look amazing together - what do you think?

I used a Basic White thick card base that measures 14.8cm x 21cm scored at 10.5cm, then I added a slightly smaller layer of Pear Pizzazz cardstock onto the front of the card and a Basic White layer to the inside.
For the main focal piece of my card I took a piece of the Basic White cardstock approx 9.9cm x 14.2cm and in the middle of it I stamped some of the leaf and foilage images using Pool Party, Pear Pizzaz and Soft Seafoam ink pads, then using the Bermuda Bay ink pad I stamped around the edges and in the corners using second generation ink, this gives a softer look to the image, I then took my Light Bermuda Bay blending pen and flicked some of the ink onto the whole of the card piece, this gives a really subtle depth to the whole layer. This piece was then attached flat to the card front using glue. 




The flower that has been stamped with Bermuda Bay and fussy cut out is then attached to the front, again using glue, but only a small amount in the middle, this allows you to tuck things underneath it.
Using the Bermuda Bay cardstock I die cut out 3 of the foilage pieces and then attached these, tucking them under the flower using glue. 
For the sentiment I stamped this onto Pear Pizzazz cardstock, using versamark ink and applying white embossing powder onto it, I shook the excess powder of and then heated it up using my heat tool. Once it had cooled down I then cut the sentiment into two seperate pieces, these were attached to the card front using dimensionals. 



The last thing I added to the front of the card were a few of the really pretty Artistry Blooms Adhesive-Backed Sequins 152477 (forgot to add these to the Product list 🙈 ) and that is my card finished.
I love how the sequins make the card almost feel like it's come alive, and these gorgeous images from the Eden's Garden bundle are just so beautiful and great to create with. Please do hop over to the SUOC#291 and see what all of the other design team have made for you to grab yourselves some inspiration, and maybe join in with the challenge yourself,  we would love to see what you create!

 Until next time which will now be in the New Year
Huge Crafty Hugs
Have a great Christmas
Natalie x 

  Product List

Paper Trimmer
[152392]
£23.00
Paper Snips
[103579]
£9.25



Wednesday 8 December 2021

Blog hop Touches of Ink - Whimsy & Wonder

 



Hello again and welcome to another Touches of Ink blog hop. We have another Winter/Christmas theme for this month, which really makes me happy, I love this time of year when we can go all out and keep making christmas cards and projects, my favourite makes!

So whether you have just hopped on to my blog from the lovely Simone, whom by the way is the lady that organizes this amazing blog hop every month, or you have just come on to see, a very warm welcome and thankyou!

For this months challenge I've made a rather cute box, which has another surprise box inside for you to store some delicious treats. So let's begin ..........


For this box you will need to use 12" x 12" cardstock for the size I've done.
For the lid you need a piece that is 6 1/4" x 8 1/4" and you will score on all 4 sides at  2 1/16" you will then cut this piece, score it and make each corner into a tab, these all get glued to form the lid.



I've cut a small piece off of each tab so that they don't sit on top of each other inside the box lid, they meet in the middle.
 This is then decorated how you like and put to one side. I've used tear and tape to attach ribbon around the lid so that it looks like a wrapped present, constructed a paper bow with strips of the paper and added to the centre using glue dots. The label I attached 2 small die cut trees to and a sentiment stamped in misty moonlight ink, this then had a hole punched through it and a piece of the simple elegant trim attached.

For the base you need a piece that is 6" x 12" and on the 12" side you will score at 2,4, 8 and 10". On the 6" side you will score at 2 and 4". On all of the score lines along the 12" side you need to cut up to the score line that runs along the short side, this is done on both edges of the 12" sides.


 You will now need to cover all of the sections, I've just used papers on the outside and for the inside I've used papers along all of the flaps, but cardstock for the inside panels.


Each panel is covered, the only one that isn't is the base as this won't be seen. As the panels are all folded in on themselves it's best not to make them bulky, this is why I left mine plain.

For the box inside I constructed a small box that fitted inside the middle panel, decorated it and popped some delicious treats inside.




For my ribbon I took a length of the really pretty frayed grossgrain ribbon, cut it into 3 long strands and then tied these all together in a bow. I attached half of a snowflake onto my bow with a glue dot, stamped my sentiment, attached this using glue and then attached the bow on top using glue dots.


Strawberries 'n cream lindt chocolates inside and it's ready to gift to someone I love!

Hope you enjoyed the project I made for you today, now please do hop over onto the lovely Karen Egan where on her blog you can see what delights she has waiting for you.

There is a full list of all of the participants in this months blog hop at the end of my blog post!

Until next time
Huge Crafty Hugs 
Natalie xx

 Product List

Paper Trimmer
[152392]
£23.00
Bone Folder
[102300]
£6.50
Paper Snips
[103579]
£9.25


Simone Kleine - derdiedasKleine bastelt

Natalie Arnold (UK) - CraftyHunnypots

Karen Egan (UK) -  Crafty Karen Designs 

Nina Unbehau - Nina’s Kreative Welt

Anja Ehmann - Bastelanja

Liane Gorny - Jungle Cards

Melanie Fischer - MeeFischs Bastelecke

Petra Wittig - Cum Gaudium

Petra Masukowitz - PetMa-Kreativ

Angela Köber - Stempelfamilie








Tuesday 7 December 2021

SUOC #290 - More Christmas Inspiration

 


Well it's time for another Stampin' Up! only challenge (SUOC#290) and I'm so excited, as it's another christmas inspiration theme.... yayyyyy love it!


I'm just loving these trees! They're so great to create with.
 This time I've made a card that folds flat at the sides and then fits into a DL envelope. I love to try and make different shapes, sometimes they work 😊 and sometimes not! This was actually meant to fit into a C6 envelope, but then I realised the trees stuck out too far 😕, but all was not lost as it fits into the DL so I'm happy with it......

Let's see just how I made it, and if you want it to fit a C6 maybe attach the trees further inside!  After you've had a look at my post, please do hop over to the SUOC#290and have a look at all the other design team members makes, and maybe you'd like join in with the challenge yourself, we all love seeing what you all create!

I started with a piece of Basic White cardstock that measured 10.5cm x 29.6cm and along the long edge I scored it at 3.7cm, 7.4cm and 14.8cm I then turned it round and scored from the other end at 3.7cm and 7.4cm. This was then folded and burnished using a bone folder, valley fold, mountain fold, valley fold and so on.
I then cut myself 2 pieces of the Whimsy and Wonder papers, same pattern just used both sides, these measured 10cm by the whole length of the paper (12"). Then I cut it into pieces, cutting them as you go so that the pattern flows - 3.2cm, 3.2cm, 6.9cm. 6.9cm, 3.2cm and 3.2cm there will be a small piece leftover. These were then glued onto the front and back of the card, following the pattern as you go.

Reverse of the card and other side of the paper.

I then die cut the large trees out, using the Christmas tree dies, these I glued onto white card and then cut around the edges (just wanted the trees to be filled in and not seen through). These were then glued onto the card front with  them hanging over the edge.



Glue them further in if you wish to use a C6 envelope!

I cut myself a piece of the window sheet - 1.5cm x 9.5cm and scored each end on the longside at 1cm. I marked where the centre of the length was, placed tear and tape onto the reverse of the tabs and then attached to the card, making sure the centre mark lined up with the middle score line of the card. This will fold flat when card flattened for putting into the envelope, but it will bow out when card is open. The sentiment was stamped using Mint Macaron ink, cut to the size required, glued flat to a slightly larger piece of Mint Macaron card, and then it was attached to the window sheet piece by placing a dimensional in the centre. 

Baubles and small stars were die cut out and attached to the trees and card front. All of the different colour trees were die cut out and glued into place. The stamped trees were stamped using Evening Evergreen ink and then die cut out. These were attached to the middle of the card, on each side using glue for 2 and dimensionals for 1. 
With my pokey tool I attached a couple of glue dots to the back of the window sheet piece, behind the sentiment, this then had one end of my silver trim attached to it,  I wrapped the rest around the sentiment and tied the other end in a bow, attaching to the trees, that have been attached, with another glue dot. The glue dots on the back of the sentiment were then covered with a scrap of white card, this will prevent them getting stuck to the card when folding it.
Rhinestones were then added to the card to finish it off.


I love how it looks when finished, and like I said, it wasn't really the size I wanted, but all was resolved in the end 😊.

Hope you enjoyed todays project, and maybe you might give it a go yourself ?

Until next time
Huge Crafty Hugs
Natalie x



Product List

Paper Trimmer
[152392]
£23.00
Bone Folder
[102300]
£6.50
Paper Snips
[103579]
£9.25