my chocolate house box

If you are on Facebook you will probably know that I have been working on this box.  if not --I went to Kendal  on Saturday and in the old Chocolate House shop window there was a lovely box of chocolates - however it was the actual box that caught my eye and so I spent yesterday afternoon working out how to make one so after I had sussed it out I thought I would then create a sample for my up coming demonstrations for Crafters Companion  I thought I had taken a picture on my phone of the original box but sadly I can't find it .

  

Here is the top of the box - I made it all with centura pearl cardstock  

So how did I work it out?  back to school and a compass ---I drew a circle onto the back of the card and if you all remember you then use the compass at the same size to mark off around the diameter.  join up the dots and you have a hexagon 

the box had two layers that open out with a lid.  With the Ultimate pro, to make a box you start off with two pieces the same size - one for the lid and one for the base, now in this case because I wanted to add an extra layer of card around the outside of the base ....I cut the two bases the same size as each other but slightly smaller than the lid ...I just set the compass every so slightly smaller.

I used the same size on to two sheets of paper ( that I printed off from the cd that came with the latest crafters companion magazine) to line the boxes.  I cut a piece of card the same height as both the bases and long enough to go all the way round  I marked off where to score the lines then stuck the bottom layer to the bottom of the side panel on three edges then I stuck the top layer to the top half of the side panel on the opposite three edges

I added some panels on the bottom half of the side panels with some more white centura pearl  embossed with a butterfly embossing folder.  I added a bit of lace some little fabric flowers and some pearl dots.

Centura Pearl card - lilac

Centura Pearl - snow white

circle doilies

butterfly die

embossing folder

Sapphire Wedding Anniversary

I am on a roll aren't I three posts in three days lol

I hope you are all having a fantastic Easter and for those of you that like them - lots of Easter eggs!

I had a lovely day yesterday, firstly I went off to see one of the other members of the Crafters Companion demonstrator team doing her first demo - it was great to catch up as we are spread all over the country!  

Then I went to my friends for a crafty afty with Cindie Cooper and Stella Wilkinson over at Cindies house.  Whilst I was there she was showing me her new Tonic dies and as I have been asked for a Sapphire wedding anniversary card  it seemed only fitting that I should borrow them - well it would have been rude not to  and I did take her some butterfly dies of mine for her to play with.

That's what I like about crafty friends - it's all about sharing - not just knowledge and tips but each others stash!

Anyway this is what I came up with - I used an A4 embossing folder  with little hearts on from Creative expressions on pearlised card.

The pearl card will not go through my printer so I printed on pearly paper - best quality print and added silver embossing powder as the printer was spitting it out.  I then stuck this down on card before cutting them out.  I did the same for the box lid.

I cut some leaves with a spellbinder die and added some sweet lilac flowers 

This is the box Lid .

Enjoy what's left of the Easter break and don't eat too much chocolate - well you can if you like I won't say a word xx

Christening s

Morning all - it  must be the time of year but I have been asked for several Christening cards this month so I just thought that I would share them with you .

Have a Super Saturday 

Most of them are of a similar theme using spellbinder dies 

some were for girls

and some were for boys

this last one uses a LOTV stamp - I do love it for christenings

faux leather box

Hello - it's me I am still around - did you think I had disappeared?

Whilst I am waiting for my demo kit to arrive from  I thought I thought I would have a play with the faux leather technique and a Sheena embossing folder that comes  with the Spring Inspiration magazine from Crafters companion.

I opened a cupboard (full to bursting) and a box lid fell out so I routed about and found the bottom half - one of those nice square boxes with a separate lid from the MDF man.  So  I thought I would combine the two and maybe use it as a sample on my demo table.

In order to do that though I had to line it with something also from Crafters Companion and with the same magazine are a couple of DVD and on one I found a vintage floral paper - just right for the job.

I painted the box with gold acrylic paint, crackle glaze and burnt umber for the top coat .

I used vintage photo, forest moss and aged mahogany distress inks for the "leather" and inked the paper with the same.

I cut the card to size before I transformed it and I also did the scraps too - I have used some of these to cut out some flowers to decorate the lid and added some metal embellies from my stash 

Added a bit of guilding wax on some of the edges too - I quite like it .

celebrate your day

Morning all - I got another for you today - what's going on 2 cards in 2 days - might have to go and have a lie down lol

So it has also been my other brother in law's birthday and this is the card I made for him.

I used the brick stencil from Claritystamp again - it's brill for men cards  I then added the splodgy rings from the journalling set - also from Clarity the words from the Clarity word chains - the Day is made from the Diary word and then I added the beer mug - it was a freebie on a mag yonks ago .

Happy birthday Eric

Morning all what a lovely day, the sun is actually shining what a nice change.

Today I have actually got something I can share.. its my Brother in Law's birthday later this month so here is his card..they are not on the internet so I am safe lol

Its an 8 x 8 made into a gate fold I  used the brick and the clickwork stencils and some of the journalling stamps tomake the background  I stamped the man to the left I stamped the car on another piece of card and coloured with greens  letterbox kit for his name and some if the word chains for the sentiment.

Grumpy's 65 & NEWS

Morning all - I have been a very bad blogger lately - the truth is more that I have been busy making stuff that I cannot share. 

I HAVE NEWS

If you don't do facebook - you may not know but a few weeks ago I trotted off to Darlington for the weekend on a training session with Crafters Companion and I can now reveal that I am now an accredited demonstrator for them and I will update you when I get my first demo to do .  I was given a one for 15th May but the shop then cancelled so I am still in limbo.

 Anyway I just come to visit my blog to update the craftrange tab with my next workshop and realised I uploaded this picture of hubby's birthday card and then never blogged it.

I have to say a massive thank you to Jane Telford for lending me the sport stamp.

OH doesn't do much but does love watching footy on the telly - hence the theme - he doesn't particularly support any team - just watches it all - British , Spanish Italian .....need I go on lol

I also have a little football stamp I got free on a magazine once.  I used the hexagon shapes from the Clarity letter shapes to house his name and age - I thought it reflected the shapes in the football .

Anyway that's all - I am off to update my other page.

MONOCHROME

Spring has finally sprung - don't you think?  The leaves are starting to sprout on the trees and there are lots of lovely daffodils everywhere it sure makes a girl feel much brighter.

You might want to brew up as this has ended up being a long post for me !!

We have had a fantastic response again from you guys for our Flower challenge, so many fantastic entries - wow and some lucky person is going to win  so come on get your thinking caps on and join in this month!

It's the first of the month again - how quickly they come around and it has been a busy old month with lots going on culminating in a fabulous day out at the Port Sunlight Happy Stampers show . the Clarity stand was as busy as every and oh I just had to buy all sorts lot - MORE stencils - I am as addicted to these as I am to the stamps lol I was a very good girl though and I have saved some pennies because our Barbara will be on the telly next week so there will be more new stamps out and my guess says there will be some more word chains...oh I need a house just for my crafty collection lol - I have to try and be really organised as i haven't got a dedicated craft room that I can shut the door on and hide my stuff!

On the subject of organisation I do use the dining room table to craft on (we don't use it every day now there is only me and grumpy at home) but tables unlike desks do not come with drawers so my stuff is all in a little tool bag with handles but its not big enough for some stuff and my brushes would get spoilt so when I went to a show in February the lovely MDF man was there and I bought this "thing"  I think it might supposed to be for remote controls but I thought it would be ace for some of my stuff so I have decided to combine the decoration with this month's them of monochrome.

Here is the result but I have done a pictorial tutorial of how it all came about.

I started by giving it a couple of coats of black gesso inside and out  and left it to dry thoroughly

I cut sheets of paper to fit all four sides - 

I forgot to take a pick but I then stamped all of them with the crackle stamp and slate grey before adding the trellis stencil and swooshing through with more slate - all very subtle like - look at the state of this stencil  I tried to clean off all the acrylic paint from my gelli sessions but got fed up and I thought - that'll do.

Now I wanted to create some decoration  so I used this really lovely corner stamp to form a border top and bottom

 and the diamonds from the letterbox frame set to create another pattern around the middle 

It took me ages  - it would have been far quicker just to use patterned paper  but I think this is much nicer and here it is full of stuff - my brushes are missing cause they have been having a wash lol because I bought another set on Saturday so now I have eight and I can keep one brush for each colour family - yay

Oh and my hand made by stamp just lives on the front  - do you like the flutterby - it's a pencil it was a pressie from a friend lol.

Crackle stamp

Trellis stencil 

Velvet corner

diamond shapes