Thursday 30 October 2014

Less is More Recipe Week #195: Newsprint

Yaay, it's half term and that means I get a little bit more time to myself this week and can do some crafting! The Less is More challenge this week is to use newsprint on your card, whilst, as ever, keeping the design clean and simple. I decided to make some newsprint rosettes from a page of the local paper using the large Tim Holtz/Sizzix rosette die. These were easy enough to fold but tricky to flatten out as the paper is quite delicate. I chose a page with some colour on it and decided to make my friend Jane a birthday card using one of the rosettes. Jane is a good friend who shares two of my other passions, for both Girlguiding and narrowboating.

The embossed panel was made using a birthday embossing folder from Papermania and I picked out the main colour from the newsprint to edge the panel. The card is finished with a computer generated tag using an old typewriter font and a button in the centre of the rosette.


I would like to enter my card into the following challenge:
Less is More Recipe Week 195: Newsprint

I am also really enjoying making these 12 stranded kumihimo bracelets, having made three now! This one, also for Jane, is made with plum as the accent colour which was chosen to represent our Bridgewater Boaters' narrowboating colours. The other colours in the braid are Royal Blue and Williamsburg Blue to represent Guiding colours and Dark Grey and Silver which combine to give a neutral base.


I hope she likes both the card and the bracelet and doesn't see this post before I see her tonight!
Fingers crossed!
Stef x

Wednesday 8 October 2014

CAS on Sunday #43 and my first jewellery project!

When looking for inspiration to make my brother Neil a birthday card, I came across this week's CAS 'Lift a Card' challenge on CAS on Sunday's blog and thought I would give it a go. The original card looks like this...


And here is my take on the original design...


I don't have any alphabet dies but found these Doodlebug alphabet stickers which I have had in my stash for ages so thought it was high time they got used! Whilst rummaging in my sticker drawer I also came across some Woodware peel-off bubble stickers so used one of the butterflies on a piece of white card which I fussy cut and embellished with Craftwork Cards candy (coloured with Promarkers to match the design), tiny buttons and also coloured in some of the bubbles with Promarkers. The tab is computer-generated and the ribbon I have also had for ages so the whole project turned out to be a really good way of using some of my old stash!


So I would like to enter my finished card into the following challenge:
CAS on Sunday: #43 Lift a card



The other project I would like to share with you is my first proper adventure into jewellery making. I have made Kumihimo braids with my Guides lots of times before but have never had a serious go at making an adult bracelet. This pattern is a 12-strand twisted Kumihimo braid made with 2mm rattail cord. I made it for my friend Angela's birthday. I was very pleased with the end result (though I learned a lot about sizing on the way) and think that Angela really liked it too. I was immediately asked to make another one for someone else and will probably make some more in different colourways to give as Christmas presents.


Thanks for looking at my blog today.
Stef x