Steampunk book cover

Hi everyone Katrina here, the Fruit Pixies design elf, to show you how I made my Steampunk book cover. So here we go.....

To make my book I used card taken from the Pizza box that the order came in, 2 squares 6.2 x 7 inches and a strip for the spine 7 x 1inches. One of the Tim Holtz Idea-ology ring binders and a selection of the Bo Bunny Timepiece collection 12x12 papers.

Choose the piece of paper you want for your cover and cut a piece 9x12 and 9x4 inches. Place the pieces face down, so the side you want for the cover is on the outside, and place your card covers on top of the paper as shown here. You will have a border all the way around and make sure there is a small gap either side of the spine so the book will open and close. The join needs to be on you back cover so you won't see it in the end. Use a wet glue, I use PVA to stick the paper to the covers making sure you leave the gap between the covers and spine. Leave to dry.

Mite all 4 corners and then using a bone folder or back of you scissors score around the outside of all the covers and fold the paper over. Once folded you then stick using your PVA glue. Leave to dry.

Now we need to put in the ring binder. I found the easiest way was to attach the ring binder to a piece of contrasting cardstock. Cut it slightly smaller then the height of your book and wide enough to be scored as shown, either side of the spine of the book and lap over into the covers so you can stick it in. Once you are happy with the card, attach the ring binder using the brads that come with it and stick the card to the spine of the book using PVA. Once stuck to the spine make sure the creases are in the gaps snugly and stick the overlap to each cover with the book flat.

Next cut 2 pieces of the Bo Bunny paper to cover the inside of your book and stick down. Leave to dry.  That is our book made!! Not too bad was it?

Now the fun bit, decorating. You can decorate it any way you like but here is how I did mine.

 Over the paper on the cover I stamped with a brown ink and a script stamp and used a time template to add some detail. Don't forget the back too.

I then cut one of the Alterations Cabinet card dies shapes from the Bo Bunny paper and used the same stamps and templates to decorate that. I then used the Ranger embossing pad and wiped on some of the ink then added Aged Mahogany distress embossing powder, make sure you shake the tub first. Heated it and then added more where needed until I got the grungy look.

I then cut the different Alterations gear die cut shapes out of Grunge paper, which I then painted, card stock and scraps of the Bo Bunny papers. I then poked them out from behind the cabinet card and stuck them all down. I then added some of the distress embossing powder around the outside of the cover too.

I then took a copper plant label, Hubby is a keen gardener so I pinched a few :), rounded off the other end and ran it through the Tim Holtz texture fades pocket watch and steampunk, then covered it again with Ranger embossing ink and distress powder then heated it. Watch your fingers as it gets very hot!!

I then put it all together using the Alterations Typeface die for the title and added some of the Tim Holtz Idea-ology Sprocket gears. I added a couple of the Creative Expressions Faux screw brads to add the copper pieces to the book.

So there you have it, how I made my Steampunk book. Now all we need is some pages for the inside.

Hope you enjoyed the tutorial, any questions just ask here or on our Facebook page and I 'll try my best to answer them.

 Happy crafting

                              love Katrina

Craft UK Mini card

Hi everyone, design elf Katrina here with another project using the Craft UK die cut topper sheet, this time the Mini set. This is very bright and breezy and is great for all car lovers and those who love the London look. As with the other sets it comes with lots of toppers and a sheet of good quality matching card stock, this one has little minis and telephone boxes on.

As there is only one sheet of card you can use multiple toppers together to make this card and still have a couple over to make a tag for the gift or another couple of simple cards. I used foam pads to raise the toppers up on different levels to give a dimentional look. Hope you have a go too.

 

 

Travel card and mini book

Morning, Katrina the Fruit Pixie design elf here again to show you all what I came up with using the Craft UK die cut collage sheet travel.

First a simple card that would be useful as a Bon Voyage or Birthday card.

 

 

 

 

  I had used the back ground cardstock for the next little project so I teamed the topper and the " with love " strip with one of the Craft UK 6x6 cards and the A4 Crafthouse Press Vintage map paper. Add 4 brads for the corners of the topper and you are done, a card to go with................

 

My second project using the Craft UK Travel die cut sheet is a little book. There are plenty of toppers to use inside you book, you could make it into a little mini album, a travel diary or just a note book to plan a summer holiday.

 

 

 

 

   I used the background card for the covers (4x4) and backed them with card. I cut some paper for the pages and added a couple of cardstock dividers using scraps of the background cardstock to make little tabs. The remaining toppers I added to the dividers and one as an extra page.

 

 punched holes in all pages and covers and added 2 of the 3/4 inch book rings.
 

 

 

For the title I used the Tim Holtz typeset die and a card alphabet I punched out with a small hole punch.

 

 

 For a little extra touch I tied a piece of ribbon to the top ring and added 2 of the Vintage buttons to make a little book mark.

 

 

 

They would make a lovely gift for someone off on a trip or for someone who likes to plan their holidays down to the smallest detail.

 

 Happy Crafting!

                            Love Katrina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gardening box card

Hi everyone, design elf Katrina here. Hope you are all well.

I have been playing with the new Craft UK Die cut collage sheets . This box card was make using the Garden set. You will get a sheet of toppers and a piece of background cardstock. I also added a sheet of matching card to make the box. This would be great to give to the gardener in your life, the gardener in my life is my hubby and when I asked him what her would like to find in the box he said " seeds, lots of seeds!"

To make the box card I made a matchbox type box using the Hougie board. I used the background cardstock for the slip cover but the contrasting card for the drawer and the leftover card to cover he front and back of the drawer. I cut a vertical slit in the front of the drawer and poked a strip of folded card through and opened it out at the back like wings, then glued it down. This makes your handle.

To make the card on the top, I made an easel card using the contrasting card and added the striped boarder and topper, on foam pads, to the front, then the Happy birthday border with some foam tape to make the "butt" bar.

Then all you have to do is fill up the drawer and you have a card and gift in one!! Of course you could make this style card with any of the topper sets. Coming up next the Travel set!!

Cosmic Shimmer hearts

Hi there, Katrina the Fruit Pixies design elf here.

We always think of using our spray inks on paper but you can use them on material too. They give a lovely look and as its near to Valentines Day I have made a couple of hearts using calico and the Cosmic Shimmer Vintage mists.

First I drew a heart onto calico and sprayed the material with the Cosmic Shimmers spray. Once dry I went over with another colour and left it to dry again. I coloured some of the Creative expression seam binding with the sprays and then I then stitched it up on the machine, stuffed it and added some of the Tim Holtz Lavish trims which I also coloured with the spray. For the pink heart I used antique rose and then Lava red for the bottom half. The antique rose for the trim and a mixture of both for the seam binding.

 

 

   You can then embellish it how you like, I added some flowers I had and one of the very cute jewellery tags from the pound shop and one of the many lovely keys Sarah Jane sells too.

 

 

  Here is the other heart I made, a different shape heart and different colour but made in the same way as before. The coloured spray I used on this was a mixture of Egyptian blue, Antique Green (that gives the gold sheen) and Patina, all from the vintage mist range.

 

 

To embellish it I used 2 of the Bo Bunny Timepiece buttons and some of the sprayed Tim Holtz trim. 

 

 

 I hope you have a go, these would make lovely gifts , great for a bride too.

Button Valentine

Hi Katrina here, the resident design elf with another project for you.

 

Sarah-Jane inspried me to create my version of her button heart.

 

   For mine I used a piece of packaging as the base and covered it with a piece of the 7 Gypsies Trouseau papers . I then used some of the wonderful Fruit Pixie buttons, the bright selection, and one of the Romantic word tiles to finish it off, glued on with Imagination Crafts Magi Bond. I then went around the edge of the piece with Tattered Rose distress ink. Quick, easy and fun!

Gloss Resist Tags

I learnt a new technique the other day and had to give it a go and share it with you...

 

 

If you like the resist look then this is for you. You need a template of your choice and Eco Green Artist Medium Gloss ( you can do it with the Matt but ...the gloss works better ) You also need an old credit card type thing to apply the medium and a surface to apply it to.

I decided to make some tags so cut the PaperArtsy Smoothy Card with the Alterations Die Tag & Bookplates Then applied the Artist medium with the credit card making sure all the areas were covered, removed the template and left it to dry. Then something magical happened, when it dried it gave a crackle affect! It must be what the card is coated with!! Looks cool though!

I then used PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Acrylics to colour the background and decorated it with Kaisercraft Miss Match Bingo Cards and Kaisercraft Collectables Miss Match. I filled a Creative Expressions Glass Vials Medium with Imagination Crafts Magi Glitz
Gel - Arctic Frost and tied a tiny White Jewellery Tags and stuck on the tag to finish off. Hope you like it!

 

 

 

The Fruit Pixie design elf here again with the other tag I made using the resist technique I described before. This time I went bright, which is slightly unusual for me but it shows the different effects you can get with this technique.

 

 

I used the same as before, a tag cut from the PaperArtsy Smoothy Card and the resist technique that again gave a crackle affect. This time though I used the Cosmic Shimmer Chalk Misters in Yellow, green and blue. I then cut a Alterations tattered flowers die to cut the rose shaped flowers out of Foundations A4 Kraft Twistwrap 10 sheets, which is great fun to play with if you haven't yet tried.

 

To add the colour to the flowers and the Tattered leaves cut from the same paper I used Imagination Crafts Silkies which I love. I then added a button form Sarah's wonderful button collections, added BLOOM using Alterations Die Typeset Alphabet to the leaf and finished off the tag using something very unusual!!

 

 

 

Bet you can't guess what it is?????????

 

Nellie Paper Doll

Happy New Year everyone from me, Katrina the Fruit Pixie design elf!

 Now things are back to normal I am back in my craft room again.

I would like you to meet Nellie my paper doll made from the 7 Gypsies Trousseau collection.

 

 

 

 

I used a part of the Trousseau Grace paper, the one with all the wonderful pictures on it and then I just used my scraps to make up her clothes.
For the body I used the Artistic Stamper Art doll stamp set, large. This is good to give you a base but you can re cut the shape to fit with what you have in mind. I went for an Edwardian look to match the paper but you can do what ever you want.

Other things I used were - Some small brads for her joints. Imaginations crafts silkies to paint her shoes, I used Turquoise lace from the Persian velvet set. A little bow from the Craftime Enchanted ribbon bows, the little pearls are from the same collection. The flower in her hair is from the brights button collection.
 

    I think that is all. Hope you like her and have a go at making one of your own. Happy crafting, love Katrina