Tuesday 18 December 2012

Tea - Light Lantern

Hi everyone, Katrina here The Fruit Pixies little design Elf with another Christmas craft idea,so make yourself a cup of tea and grab a mince pie and lets get crafting!

   I have been working again with Craft UK Collage topper sheets again, I used Joy this time.

   This little lantern to use with a tea light but please be careful*, is really easy to make and only uses 1 sheet of card for the lantern itself....
 
 

So take the backing card and cut it down to 51/2 x 10 3/8. The place it on the Hougie board and score at 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10. Then turn the card around and score a line at 1.5, this will be the bottom of the lantern so if you are using a pattern with a top and bottom this needs to be at the bottom. You then need to cut the scored lines up to the 1.5 line you have just scored.

  Now to cut the apertures, use any shaped die that will fit in the panel and cut them out. Place velum on the back of each aperture. Choose the images you like from the toppers and cut them out. I used a little snowflake punch to punch out snowflakes from the waste twinkly card. Fold up your lantern and glue together. Add your images and embellishments and you are done.

      Hope you like it, tell me what you think and better still show me yours!
Happy Christmas crafting, love
Katrina
 
*or you could use a little battery operated one, FP!

Hanging Heart Box


Hi there, Katrina here! OK, More Christmas crafty ideas all the way up to the big day!!
Well a week before then I am off on a dreamed of holiday to the Christmas markets in my second home, Austria.

   So, I have been playing with the Craft UK collage sheets for this idea. They come with diecut toppers and a sheet of extremely good quality cardstock that matches the toppers. 
 
 
 

  This little hanging heart box is easy to make. I drew a heart shape and cut it out twice. Then to make the box sides I cut a strip of card about 2 inches wide and then score 2 lines down the length of your card then fold in half horizontally to fit in the bottom of your heart. To make the point cut along the half fold to the long fold lines, fold it up and stick to one side of the heart then stick the other heart on top, add your topper and embellish. Add something to hang it up.

              Hope you like it, love Katrina

Quick & Easy Christmas Cards

Quick and easy Christmas cards
Hi there Katrina The Fruit Pixies little designing elf here with some quick and easy Christmas cards you can make with the Craft UK Die Cut Collage Sheet sets.
 
They come with a sheet of die cut folded toppers and a sheet of really good quality cardstock. These are perfect for quick and easy cards and other projects.
 
 Of course every Christmas project has to have a touch of glitter and the best glitter glue I have ever used is Imagination Crafts Magi Glitz Gel - Arctic Frost If you have never tried it add it to your next order and give it a try, you won't be dissapointed!
 



 
The card is such good quality I was able to make a sweet little box too.

 

Tuesday 6 November 2012

Phone charms not just for phones!!

 I love to use these phone charm clips for all sorts of things except hanging from my phone, no hole.
 
 
 
I use them to identity my memory stick, hang from zips, all kinds of things and these cute little God beads are ideal to hang from the end. I mixed them up with some handmade paper beads made with scraps of the Ruby Rocket kit which matched perfectly.
 

 

 
 
Or the word tiles look good on the end of them and of course the pendant I made in my last melt pot session was also the right size.
 
 
 
 
 
 
These would make great cracker prizes or just a little gift to pop in with a Christmas card. What will you hang from yours?????

Thursday 4 October 2012

Canvas Welcome Sign

 

Hi everyone, Katrina here from the design team.
 
 
As you can see I have been playing again with the Ruby Rocket Nostalgia collection. This time I teamed it up with the Cosmic Shimmer chalk misters, they were made for each other and a 12x8 canvas to make a welcome sign.

   The bare canvas was sprayed with the following colours of misters - Pastel Orange chalk mist, Pastel Blue chalk mist, Pastel yellow chalk mist and then to give it a bit of shimmer the Egyptian blue vintage mist. I also sprinkled a tiny bit of Cosmic Shimmer Mica Pigment Pearlescent powder.
 
 
 
Once that was dry I played about with the chip board pieces from the Ruby Rocket Nostalgia Collection Pack and some buttons form the Button Assortment Halloween which are just the right colours untill I was happy with the look. The stems and bird house along with the welcome word is cut from some of the paper in the pack but everything else is in the chip board pack.
 
 

To finish the sign off I added Bead Cafe Large Link Silver Chain and threaded some wool I had through it to soften it a bit and its ready to hang in the hall and welcome all my visitors!
 
 

Hope you like my sign, why not give it a go yourself, they would make great presents for Christmas ( I know I said the "C" word but its getting very close now )
 
What ever you are making happy crafting! love Katrina
 
 

Saturday 22 September 2012

Sale 15% off everything

Our usual September sale
15% off Everything

Come and grab a bargain or just try something you've had your eye on for a while
Don't forget we still have free postage too...

Thursday 9 August 2012

Alice in Wonderland

Hello, Katrina here. I have been re visiting my love of stamping using the lovely IndigoBlu Alice stamp plates. I especially likes the original art from the book. I was also playing with the Cosmic shimmer chalk mists, if you are not a fan of the sparkle you get with the mica sprays or want a different look then give these a go, I love them and they went so well with the stamps.
Tea Party Alice Card



I used -
* Cosmic Shimmer Chalk Mist Pastel Blue
* Cosmic Shimmer Chalk Mist Pastel Pink
* Cosmic Shimmer Chalk Mist Pastel Purple
* 25 Craft UK A5 Card Blanks White
* IndigoBlu Rubber Stamp Plate Alice 2
* IndigoBlu Rubber Stamp Plate Alice 1
* Craftime Enchanted Paper Flowers
* Craftime Enchanted Pearl Gems
* Creative Expressions Bakers Twine Black & White 50 Yds
* edging die or punch
* Pages from Alice in wonderland
1. Use the chalk mists to spray a piece of A4 card, dry in between colours.
2. Stamp the image of Alice at the Tea party and Alice in Wonderland onto white card, cut out and mat onto black card, cut a small border. Cut or punch your border top and bottom of a mat cut from your misted card. Mount Alice onto it.
3. Cover the front of your card with the pages of your book and ink around the edges. Tie a piece of the Bakers twine around the card.
4. Cut out the Alice in Wonderland and ink around the edges.
5. Use 3D tape to attach the main image to the card and add some flowers and the Alice in wonderland, add gems to the flowers middles and you are done!
 
Sorry it's late card

My next card is a little sorry its late card. We all miss a birthday now and again and this little card is just so cute, I'm sure they will forgive you!!
I used -
* Part of the card you misted for the first card
* IndigoBlu Rubber Stamp Plate Alice 2
* Artistic Stamper Time & Keys A5 Plate
* Plain white card
1. Cut your card blank from the card and stamp the Alice Stamp image with the watch and some clock images from the time stamp plate along with the late saying and cut them all out.
2. Cut a piece of the sprayed card to fit your card and stick down. Ink around the edges.
3. Arrange all the images on the page and once you are happy stick down.
4. Cut sorry from a die cut alphabet or use sticker and your done!
Rabbit tag
 
I just had to use the rabbit image and so made up this little tag.
I used -
* IndigoBlu Rubber Stamp Plate Alice 2
* IndigoBlu Rubber Stamp Plate Alice 1
* Card you misted for the first card
* Bakers twine
1. Cut the misted card into a tag shape
2. Stamp the rabbit and cut him out, stamp curiouser and curiouser and cut out too.
3. Arrange and stick on your tag.
ATC
And lastly I made a little ATC using the Tweedledum and Tweedledee image and the rhyme from the book. Its amazing how far 1 A4 sheet of card will go.
 
All these from just 1 A4 sheet, promise!!

Monday 30 July 2012

Enchanted Family Album

Enchanted family album
 
 
As soon as I saw the new Enchanted papers from Craft Time I thought of the old cabinet cards I have of my family. I used a new binding method I have learnt called "stack the deck". This is a really easy , quick method to make your own book, the inventor recommended using envelopes as the pages but I had the idea of using the Woodware cd selves. They make nice sturdy pages and cover and have the bonus of being the perfect colour too. Here is what I used and how I made it.
You will need -
 
* Woodware Cd sleeves - 12 pack ( I used 6 for my book )
* Craftime Enchanted A4 Printed Papers
* Craftime Enchanted Metal Roses
* Craftime Enchanted Ribbon
* Craftime Enchanted Rub Ons White
* Craftime Enchanted Pearl Gems
* Scraps of craft card - for your binding
* Magnetic dots
* Double sided tape
* PVA
* Silicone glue
How to put it together-
1. Put 6 of the Cd cases together using PVA glue
2. Make up your "Stack the deck" binding - a)Bottom layer - Cut a strip of card 2.75 " x length of your page then score at 3/4" from right side and 3/4 " from left side
b) middle layer - 2.25" x length of page scored at 3/4 from right side and 3/4 form the left
c) top layer - 1.75 x length of page scored at 3/4 from right side and 3/4 from left
3. Stack them on top of each other and glue together.

4. Apply double sided tape to both sides of the flaps on your binding and then stick them to the inside of the Cd cases, these will give you your pages.
5. Now to decorate your book. Cut the papers to fit your pages. You get 2 of each so I used 1 to cover the page and then cut the flowers out of the other and decoupaged them on top.
6. For the cover I cut a strip long enough to go around the front cover, spine and about an inch onto the back cover. If you want to put a magnetic dots onto your cover for the metal flower closure, do this before you stick the paper down. Stick the front piece to the front cover crease the spine fold but don't stick down, the stick the remaining strip to the back cover.
7. Now stick your ribbon onto the back cover. Cut a piece of paper for the back cover and stick down.
8. Add your photos and embellishments to your page as you wish. Finish off with the rub ons, which a great to use and pearl gems. Glue the metal rose to the end of your ribbon closure and snap your album closed.
 





 

Wednesday 25 July 2012

7 Gypsies Trousseau & Postale

We have two new collections from 7 Gypsies.

 Firstly, Trousseau reminiscent of fading shabby wallpaper, with vintage ephemera and fabulous old photographs.

We have six 12x12 double sided papers,
Always

Charming

Dearest

Grace

Lovely

True

a 6x6 48 sheet paper pad
48 sheets, 8 each of 6 designs

and a coordinating clear stamp set

18 piece clear stamp set


Both obviously are based on a postal theme, Postale has a crisp new feel about it while Antiquaries is aged and faded.

12 new double sided 12x12  papers in all, 6 in each collection
(3 from each collection pictured)
Postale Airmail

Postale Arrows

Postale Ledger
Antiquaries Numero

Antiquaries Parcel

Antiquaries Post

a matching 6x6 paper pad

48 sheets, 4 each of 12 designs
 and a coordinating clear stamp set

16 piece clear stamp set
All can be found on our website here any questions just ask...

Monday 23 July 2012

Olympic Record Book & UTEE Pendants

If you saw the fabulous record book & Pendants Katrina posted on Face book and have been waiting patiently for the full instructions here they are...finally!

I used -
* Bare Chipboard Album Tabbed
* Eco Green Acrylic Paints - Green patina, Gold, silver and bronze
* Vintedge Collection Pack
* Vintedge Paper Twine 15yds
* Craftime Britannia Ribbons
* Exquisite Pigment Ink - Lapis
* Craftime Britannia Laser Mesh Sheets

How I made my book -
1. Use the fantastic paint to paint your book. I used the green patina for the covers and the back page then used the gold, silver and bronze for each of the tabs. Leave to dry,
2. Trim the papers down to fit your pages. If you like the inky look, ink around the edges with the Lapis ink and the to add the dotty pattern apply ink with a sponge through the mesh sheets in a random way.
3. For the front cover I used a image from the collage sheet paper from the collection pack along with the word London. I cut the other words with my Cricut but you could use any letters you like.
4. On the back page I used an off cut of paper to make a pocket to add any keepsakes. Put you book together and add the ribbons to the book rings.





 
So now you can make it your own, my plan is to add the medals won as they happen to the appropriate page and use the other pages to add memories and journalling along the way. But you could add pictures and journalling of how you celebrated the year the Olympics came to London.
 
 
UTEE Pendants


Before we start just a bit about the difference between normal embossing powder and UTEE (Ultra thick embossing enamel). Embossing powder, which is very fine granules, like powder is usually used on top of a stamped image, although there are lots of other things you can do with them. The granules are fine enough to stick to the ink and keep the fine stamped lines of the image. They are then heated with a heat gun and melt into a raised line. With UTEE the first thing you will notice is it has much larger granules, like sugar. So not good for using over a stamped image but great for melting and pouring into shapes and covering large areas. Again there are lots of ways to use it and things to make with it. If you have any questions just ask but do have a play with them, they are such good fun. Just watch your fingers as they get very very hot!!

So here is how I use UTEE in my melt pot. If you don't have a melt pot you can still use UTEE. You will need a heat gun, a hair drier won't do the job as it blows air and will just blow your powder all over your table and also its just not hot enough. You can hold the little pie trays with a wooden peg, the tray gets very hot, and use your heat gun to heat from the bottom till the powder melts. If you have a melt pot though get it out, heat it up to UTEE -

I used -
* Melt Art Texture Treads Mod Circles
* Imagination Crafts Magi Boss Chunky Mother of Pearl
* Cosmic Shimmer Malachite Fire 20ml UTEE
* Metal pie trays, the small ones
* Wooden cocktail stick
* Wooden peg
* Melt pot or heat gun
* Mould of some sort like a small cookie cutter or as I used the plastic inside of a roll of tape!
1. Put the powder into a little pie dish
2. Place the pie dish into the melt pot. You can just pour the powder into the melt pot but then you have to clean it out and you can only melt one powder at a time. This way you can get 3 pie dishes in, just. Pop the lid on and wait till it melts.
3. In the mean time decide where you wish to pour on the Texture tread and place your mould over the area.
4. Once the powder is molten carefully pop a wooden peg onto the dish as a handle and pour the molten powder into the mould to cover the bottom.
5. As quickly as you can put a cocktail stick into the top of your mould if you want to use it as a pendant and leave to cool.
6. Remove from the texture tread and push out of your mould. Then make some more!!
7. If you don't like the way it turned out just throw it back in to the tray and re melt it and pour it again, the same with any little bits you get, just throw them back in the dish. Once you have finished leave all the dishes to cool, stack them on top of each other and store. When you want to play with them again jut pop the dish with the solid UTEE onto the hot melt pot and off you go again. You can of course mix your powders and molten powder together if you like.

The examples were all made this way, the top 3 were made with the mould, the one on the bottom in the middle is a piece of sequin waste punched out with a circle punch and put at the bottom of the mould then the mother of pearl poured over the top. The gold and blue ones at the bottom were just poured free hand straight onto the texture tread.
I know the texture treads are an investment but other ideas of how to use them coming up!