Top Tip Tuesday #31

Goooooood Top Tip Tuesday Morning Everyone!

What an amazing number of entries we had into last weeks challenge
 - over 300 - 
WOW!!!

Thank you so much to all that took part as well as those of you who left your tips.


Please forgive us if we did not get around you all - please rest assured I did take HOURS & HOURS looking at ALL of the cards to come up with my Top 3 ...and that was sooooo hard - there was at least 50 I wanted to shout from the rooftops about!!!


On to this week......

This weeks tutorial is a very easy Envelope Box by our wonderful Leanne


Pop over to Top Tip Tuesday for information on this week's Challenege..............

SQUARES!

Square cards, square 'non' cards, squares on your card..... if it's a square or got a square it can go in the square challenge!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This weeks fabulous sponsors, who are giving away AMAZING prizes are:

Stash Books

who are offering our winner an amazing book:
Fanciful Felties from Mummysam

A bit about Stash Books: Stash Books is an imprint of C&T Publishing located in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you’re craving beautiful authenticity in a time of mass-production…Stash Books is for you. Stash Books is a new line of how-to books celebrating fabric arts for a handmade lifestyle. Backed by C&T Publishing’s solid reputation for quality, Stash Books will inspire you with contemporary designs, clear and simple instructions, and engaging photography.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This weeks featured tipper will win this wonderful prize collection from

Pizzazz Aplenty

Pizzazz Aplenty is run by Judy Bennet,
and she is offering our Top Tipper this fabulous stack of goodies...

Judy's Bio: Pizzazz Aplenty began with only a bit of bling and some ribbon, but over the past few months, we've added so much more. . . from cardstock to cellophane bags, as well as a variety of embellishments for your cardmaking or scrapbooking projects. , , stick pins, brads, buttons, cords, twines, laces, lots of ribbon, and over 20 choices of colors in our flatback pearls and rhinestones. Our two newest additions to the inventory are The Best Glue Ever, and the Embellie Gellie - tools to make your crafting sooo much easier! Please stop by and take a look at our store: Pizzazz Aplenty. Remember, there's no such thing, as too much bling! Judy Bennett.

*******************************************************************

 Here's my take on 'Squares'

I got the inspiration for the 'Faux Quilting'  from a card I commented on last week - But I can't remember who! It was amazing - if it was you PLEASE shout!

The 'patchwork quilting' (squares) are sewn onto a piece of gingham look DP (squares) and is then covered in pieces of shiny mesh (more squares) before being adorned with a few more squares and one or 2 circles!

ABC......HotSpot!

I cannot believe I have done a Christmas card whilst it was so hot!

I saw the ABC Christmas Challenge last week and really liked the look of it - H is for HotSpot!

They have a fab tutorial over there and some really gorgeous entries - pop over!

Here's my first attempt at HotSpotting!

I wanted to repeat the circle that I'd used to punch out the HotSpot so I punched out some circles of a 'Merry Christmas' text Backing Paper and randomly fixed these over a plainer holly paper (although that has got a bit lost!)

The 'shimmery' coating over the whole backing piece is.................................Wonder'Web!

Yep the stuff you cheating hem your trousers with! I had a roll of it out a while ago and thought it would give a lovely shimmer to a card - and it does! .....I roller-taped strips of it down - it's not ironed on ;)

The Whipper Snapper image is stamped in Stazon and the 'ready-brek' glow added to the uncoloured image.

The coloured 'HotSpot' piece is done with Promarkers.

Both the main image and the HotSpot were completely covered in Versamark and heat embossed with a clear powder.

As I don't have any red gems I coloured some clear ones with my Promarkers.

Less is More - Off Centre

Happy Sunny Easter!

Last week's Less is More's Acetate was amazing - I didn't manage to get one done each day tho :(

I wish the acetate challenge had been this week as I'm off work ........never mind, I still feel more acetate cards coming on!

This weeks challenge from the fab Mandi and Chrissie is 'Off Centre'

I did this card for my niece's birthday which is tomorrow......but then realised she's 22 not 23 so I've got to do another one too!!!!!

I started by corner punching 2 corners to start off the asymmetric look.

I just love Mandi's random glitter strips she's added to her sample card so was inspired to get my DST and gilding flakes out!

The sentiment was printed directly onto the card blank and then I Versamark stamped 'Consellations' and heat embossed it with a copper powder.

I went over the printing with a clear Gelly Roll Sakura.

Todays Acetate......

I'm afraid I didn't manage to make a card today to enter into the LIM Acetate challenge - but as I'd promised to upload one each day this week here's two I made back in 2009 for my twin niece's birthdays.

I've used the same DB Acetate as I did on yesterday's card but this time used the whole sheet to make a blank. I then added flowers cut from the most gorgeous sparkly wrapping paper to the INSIDE of the blank and then they doubled up as the writing panel! A couple of Miss Anya stamped images and ribbon.........done!

I will try very hard to do a NEW Acetate card tomorrow!

Arty Farty meets Mo Manning.......The Start of Something New!

Good evening all - have you had a good day in work, in the garden, doing housework (Arrhhh!) or crafting :) Whatever you've been doing today I hope it was good one.

I have a 'New Baby' project to share with you today - I delivered it yesterday so am safe to show it. I wanted to incorporate Mo's digital challenge which this week is 'The Start of Something New' ....new job, new life, new anything.....

As mine is for a New Baby I've included one of her 'Diaper Crew' images - I've coloured him with Promarkers.

The box is slightly different to how the Arty Farty instructions say to make it - I have adapted it to enable A4 card to be used - that way I don't have to find larger!

The 'foot' of the crib has a 'name plate' on it with the baby's name, date of birth & weight.

The Mo Manning image is on the outside head of the crib

Isn't he sweet?

Thanks for popping over and 'see' you soon,

(did you notice my mistake............

.....on the heart on the inside?

No prize offered but see if you can find it!!!!!)

 I did manage to rectify it before I delivered it :)

Top Tip Tuesday #30

Good Top Tip Tuesday Morning To You All :)

Wow, more amazing creations from you this week :) Thanks.

Pop over to TTT now to see if you were one of our winners or Top 3.

This week it is my turn to play and I've done a tutorial that I hope you'll enjoy!

The wonderful sponsors this week are...

Pink Cat Studio are offering one lucky winner 5 digis of their choice.

**********************************************

Your Next Stamp prize is $10 voucher

The challenge I have chosen this week is....

OPEN CHALLENGE!

Pop over now for more info....

Less is More....Number 4 !

Sounds like I'm Bingo calling!!!!

Well here's number 4 for the Less is More Acetate Challenge...

I finished this lastnight but only just managed to finish my DT stuff and upload!

I've used my most favorite acetate ever................I've bought boxes of this over the years - I usually use it for the 'windows' in my card boxes - it's embossed with gold/silver/holgraphic flowers/butterflies/dragonflies, here I've used the silver dragonflies. I'm sure it's a Dawn Bibby item - I get it from QVC.

I've creased it to create a sleeve for the blank and afixed it to the card with 24 gauge wire through the spine - I then added a few beads and a couple of charms to the wire.

I hope you're enjoying my Less is More Acetate daily upload!!!

I've not done tomorrow's yet! ..................

Better have a good think about it when I'm in work!



Less Is More....Part 3!!!

I hope you are enjoying the Sun wherever you are at the moment....here in South Wales it has been gorgeous all day.
We went for a walk and bite to eat in Swansea Marina earlier - very nice :)

On to the matter at hand - Less is More Acetate Challenge ....................Part 3

I made this card for my FiL's birthday today.....

Yesterday I said this card would be using acetate in a different way to my first two.


Less is More Acetate Number 2
Less is More Acetate Number 1

Here I have embossed a piece through my CB (can't remember the name of the folder - I do wish they'd print it on them!) and mounted it onto a piece of blue card. This was a little too blue and didn't match the clothes of the gorgeous LOTV Die Cut image, so I lightly brushed over the acetate with a green ink pad.

I got rid of the line and float in the image and substituted it for some cord and a 'Happy Birthday' embellishment.

Must get working on LiM #4 for tomorrow

....................................what shall I do next????????????

I'd also like to enter this card into LOTV challenge which this week is 'Happy Birthday'

LiM Acetate Number 2

Firstly I want to send a HUGE Thank You out to all of the LiM Challenge participants who take the time to comment on other entries - There's not many challenge blogs that I've come across where this happens so much and so quick!

Here's my second Less is More Challenge Acetate card - I did actually do this half an hour after my first one - I thought I'd wait and post a new one each day - but I couldn't!!!

This one is again using the 'off cut' pieces from self made blanks - I NEVER throw these pieces away, they come in sooooo handy!

Here I've used 2 'off cuts' and used my folded acetate as a centre band - again making the whole card 15x15. I decided to use the DP as the insert so the pattern would show through the band on the front as well as the back.

I used some ribbon threaded through punched holes to hold the insert in as I didn't want any 'glue' showing. The holes and ribbon are only through the front, this is sufficient to hold the insert in place. I creased the insert 3cms from the spine so that it was not held at the same angle as the card front.

I'm afraid to say I've also done LiM Acetate number 3 - but that one is using it in a totally different way to the first 2 - I'll be back tomorrow.......................

Less is More ...Acetate

I got VERY excited this morning when I saw the new LIM Challenge for this week was to include acetate - I just love the amount of things you can do with it!

My first card for this challenge - there will be more - is using one of those 'cut off' sections you end up with when making your own blanks from A4 card.

I added a piece of folded acetate to take it back to 15x15 and added some panels of the First Edition paper to 'hide' the fixings and edges.

Thanks for popping over to check out my Acetate LiM card - have you checked out the rest of the amazing entries????



Top Tip Tuesday #29

Good Top Tip Tuesday Morning To You All :)

Wow, more amazing creations from you this week :) Thanks.

Pop over to TTT now to see if you were one of our winners or if Elaine picked you for one of her Top 3.

This week's Tutorial is all about 'Spring Cleaning' ........well organisation really and Moriah has shared with us her amazing Craft Room and some of her storage tips!

...and who doesn't like noseying around other crafters rooms - I know I do!

We have some more fabby prizes this week from more of our amazing sponsors...

Random Org Winners Prize...............................

$20 Credit to spend in store

*****************

Top Tipper's Prize..............



x2 Images of winners choice

So this week we want to see your

Spring Has Sprung

creations. Cards, altered items anything that is inspired by 'Spring'

As soon as I saw Moriah's fantastic shelves I was inspired to alter this Fruit Tub (one of those plastic 'jars' that you can now buy 'tinned' fruit in - if you know what I mean!)

 ...and I topped the lid off with an assortment of Spring coloured buttons.

Pop over to TTT to see the rest of the DT's SPRING creations.

Now it's over to you...........................................

Don't forget to follow the rules -

Link your project NOT your blog

Include a link to Top Tip Tuesday in your post

No more than 3 entries

and

Add your project by 8pm (UK) Mon April 18th so we can see all cards before picking the winners!

Don't forget our new improved method for leaving your Top Tip - Post about it on your blog and then add '(TIP)' after your name in Mr Linky - that way everyone knows at a glance to pop over and have a read :)

LIM Set of 10!

I couldn't wait to start playing along with this week's Less is More Challenge - One layer, focusing on the Sentiment.

I love using Quotes on my cards so was more than happy to spend ages trawling the internet to find a 'Thank You' type quote I liked.

..."The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention"

 - Oscar Wilde

I copied it into Word and used text boxes and fonts untill it looked good - it's surprising how long this actually takes before I get anything I'm happy with!

I then printed this onto Pearlised card and cut down to 10x10 blanks.

I then had the idea of running them through the Cuttlebug, each a different embossing folder.................................should I have?

I added some clear gems to each card to finish off.

As a set I like them - whether they are too 'fussy' for LIM I'll have to see what Chrissi & Mandi think!



Penny Black's Sketch

Another card? I must be better ;)

Loved the look of the Penny Black Saturday Challenge sketch for this week so had a go - nothing like waiting till the last few hours of a challenge!!!

I've turned the sketch 45* CW and shifted the 'flowers' (shells) up the image a bit - but other than that it's exactly the same!!!! ;)

This gorgeous image has been coloured for an absolute age, and of course with the sun shinning through the window today (well it doesn't really as I'm in the 'no sun room!' but it sets the scene!), I just had to use it.

As I live close to the beach I have a lovely little pot of shells too - perfect!

I tried to get a sand/water 'feel' with the lace and ribbon.

The Ticket is TH and the paper is First Edition 'Hideaway'.

Hope you are planning a fab weekend :)




I'd also like to enter this card into Sentimental Sunday's challenge for this week that is entitled 'Let's Get Wet!'
There's still a day left  if you want to enter this one :)