About Me

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Hi, I'm Pam and thank you for visiting my blog. I have been making cards for over 10 years and am an independent demonstrator for Creative Expressions. I am lucky enough to teach on cruise ships and also get the chance to demo at The Big Stamping and Scrapbooking Show at Alexander Palace. I run workshops for a local craft shop and if anyone would like details of the them please e-mail me at stephen.smith870@ntlworld.com I love to scrapbook but my all time favourite thing is to get messy with ink!

Wednesday 30 July 2014

Dasher Deer!

Good Morning All and may I wish you a very Merry Christmas!

No, I haven't completely lost the plot, but I do want to introduce you to one of the new Xmas stamps from Sam Poole at Creative Studios!!

The stamp I've used to make the card below is "Dasher Deer" and he is just so cute.  If you loved the range of Woodland stamps Sam did earlier in the year, then you're in for a treat this winter.

I'm afraid that my photography isn't showing how well this came out.  I'd love to be able to pass it around you all.  If you're coming to the October workshop at Martells, not only will you be able to see it, you'll be making it too!
Of course, there are the step by step instructions on the Creative Studios Blog.

There is a hedgehog, robin and partridge as well as some trees and a poinsettia.  I'll be blogging those over the next few weeks but if you can't wait, I'll have all the stamps for you to see on Crafty Sunday (3rd August).

So, until next time, have a fab week!

Tuesday 29 July 2014

Black and Gold

Good Morning All and a very Happy Tuesday!

Well, this is the last July DT piece for Creative Expressions using the gorgeous Masks I was sent to play with so I thought I'd come up with a real "classy" number!

Anyway, here goes.......

Cover a piece of Teresa Collins paper with Creative Expressions Double Sided Adhesive.

Apply Perfect Medium to the mask to help it release and apply Micro Beads.

Remove the mask and sprinkle Cosmic Shimmer Aurora Crystal Sparkle Emboss Powder over the paper and heat carefully.

Cut out with Spellbinders Grand Circle Dies.  Matt and layer with Teresa Collins Paper cut with the Spellbinders Grand Scalloped Circles.

Emboss a piece of Coconut White card using the Creative Expressions A4 Heart Lattice Folder.
Matt and layer with black card and the same paper as the main design.  Add a length of Black Crushed Satin Ribbon.

Use 3d foam pads to attach the circle to the card.

Make "faux" pearls around the edges with Cosmic Shimmer Golden Pearl Coloured Pearlescent PVA Glue.

 
Using Black Card, die cut the Faux Quilled Blooms and the D-Lites Fantastic Flourish 1.  Cut the flourish into smaller sections and glue to the card.  Glue the flowers into place and add the Coloured PVA Glue to the flower centres.
 
 
And there's the finished card!
 
I hope you like this one, it's not inky at all which isn't like me!!
 
Well, that's it for today.  I'll be back in the morning with a Creative Studios project so I do hope you'll stop by for a look.  Many thanks for visiting and any comments you leave.  Just a quick reminder that Crafty Sunday is on 3rd August at my place....usual times (although you can stay after 4pm so warn your husbands!!)
 
Hope to see some of you there!

Wednesday 23 July 2014

Tour de France!

Good Morning All and a very Happy Wednesday!

I'm back with a project I've made for Creative Studios.

I think I must have been inspired by the "Tour de France" for this one although their bikes are a bit more hi-tech!

I've used 2 sets of stamps; "Timeless Journey" and "Carte Postale".  They are both available from Creative Studios and designed by the very talented Sam Poole.

I've posted a full "how to" on their website so please pop over there for instructions!

I hope you like it!  Lots of fun to make and not too messy!

Well, that's all for today except to remind everyone that it's "Crafty Sunday" at my place on August 3rd.

So until next time, have a fab week and thank you for visiting!

Tuesday 22 July 2014

Thinking of You

Good Morning, it's Tuesday and I'm back with another project for Creative Expressions using the Decorative Elements Mask.

Well, we'd better get started!

Spray a piece of Coconut White Card with Cosmic Shimmer Purple Orchid Vintage Ink Spray Mist.
Dry, then spray again with Cosmic Shimmer Antique Rose Vintage Mist.  Dry.
Distress the edges with Victorian Velvet Distress Ink.
Place the Decorative Elements Mask over the card and apply Cosmic Shimmer Vivid Violet Sparkle Texture Paste to one corner.  Remove the mask and leave to dry.  Repeat on the opposite corner.

Replace the mask on the two opposite corners and stencil through with Victorian Velvet Distress Ink.

Ink up the Baroque Frame Singles Stamp with Black Archival Ink and stamp onto a piece of Coconut White Card.
Heat emboss.
Spray some of the Cosmic Shimmer Mist Sprays that were used on the background onto a craft sheet and paint the stamped image with them.

Stamp the sentiment with Black Archival Ink and heat emboss with Cosmic Shimmer Clear Powder.
Die cut with the Spellbinders Italian Collection Decorative Frames.

Edge the background with black ink.  Matt and layer onto white and black card.

Attach the stamped images with 3d foam pads.

Make some 3d roses from white card.  Apply some of the Vivid Violet Sparkle Texture Paste to them with a cotton bud.
Die cut leaves from the Spellbinders Foliage Die Set.
Glue the leaves and flowers onto the card.

I admit to having a problem with the Texture Paste.  It's not that it's difficult to use, it's just that I'm an impatient soul with the attention span of a gnat.  I just wish it wasn't so pretty, then I could put it away and forget about it!

I did like painting the roses with it and a cotton bud makes a great applicator!

Well, that's it for today, I'll be back in the morning with a design for Creative Studios.

Until then, many thanks for visiting and have a great day.

Wednesday 16 July 2014

Your Journey

Good Morning All and a Happy Wednesday to everyone.

I'm back with another project using some of my favourite Sam Poole Stamp sets.  I haven't used these for a while (guilty again of letting them get to the bottom of the stamp drawer!), but I know I'm going to keep them out now I've re-discovered them!

Anyway, the sets I've used are "Carte Postale" and "Up, Up and Away" and they're available from Creative Studios (as are all the products I've used).

I was pleased with how the colour scheme worked out.

If you head over to the Creative Studios site there's a step by step with photos and, I have to say, the first photo didn't look that promising!!

Well, that's all for today.  I'll be back on Tuesday with a Creative Expressions Project so until then, whatever you're doing, hope you have a great week and thanks for stopping by.

Tuesday 15 July 2014

Just a Note!

Good Morning All, it's Tuesday so it's Creative Expressions Blog Day!  Hope you all had a great week.

The Design Team were sent some Masks to play with this month and it's been terrific fun trying to come up with new ways of "playing" with them!

This week I've gone for Distress Inks.  Anyway, enough chat, let's get on with it!

Place the mask over a piece of Coconut White Card.  Ink through the flower head parts of the mask with Cut 'n Dry Foam using Squeezed Lemonade, Barn Door and Rusty Hinge Distress Inks.  Move the mask around to put the flowers where you want them.  Add in some of the leaves.
Distress the edges with Rusty Hinge.

Matt and layer onto white and orange card.

Using orange card, cut out Spellbinders D-Lites Medallion 2.
Stamp "Just a Note" with Black Archival ink onto Coconut White Card and heat emboss with Cosmic Shimmer Clear Powder.
Use a Spellbinders die to cut out.  Leave the die in place and distress with Rusty Hinge Ink.
Attach to the Medallion with 3d foam pads.

Attach to the background card with pads.

Using Coconut White card, die cut flowers from the Spellbinders Finishing Touches Faux Quilled Flowers and leaves from the Faux Quilled Leaves sets.  Cut the leaves to make smaller pieces.  Glue to the card with Cosmic Shimmer Dries Clear Glue.
Add a few of the flowers with 3d foam pads.
Add some Creative Expressions 8mm faux pearls to the flower centres to finish.

And there's the finished project!

It's the same mask that I used last week but looks completely different.

I hope you've enjoyed this week's project.  I'll be back tomorrow with another project for the Creative Studios team.

Many thanks for visiting and until next time, have a happy, crafty time!

Wednesday 9 July 2014

Multi Coloured Stamping

Good Morning All and a very Happy Wednesday!

I'm back with a quick card using a stamp that I haven't played with for a while.

I think we're all guilty of that.  We buy a stamp, get excited, use it once then put it away.  It usually ends up under a pile of newer stamps and gets forgotten about (or is that just me?).

Anyway, here's todays offering for the Creative Studios Design Team.

As usual, I've put the full "how to" with photos on the Creative Studios Website.

It's a lovely, quick card to make that would be great for a man (and we all know how difficult they can be!!).

Well, that's it for today.  Many thanks for visiting and I'll be back next Tuesday with a new Creative Expressions project.

Until then, have a happy, crafty week!

Tuesday 8 July 2014

Just a Note

Good Morning All and a very Happy Tuesday!

I hope you're all well and had a great week.  I'm busy working on the projects for September's workshops and also the Xmas ones in October....aargh....I've used the dreaded "C" word!!!

Anyway, let's get on with a project for the Creative Expressions Design Team.

For this one, I've used the Decorative Elements Mask.  So let's get started....

Cut a piece of Foundations Teal Card to size.  Place the Decorative Elements Mask over the top and tape into position.
Using some Cut 'n Dry foam, dab Cosmic Shimmer Flake and Glitter Glue through the chosen corner of the mask.
Remove the mask and apply Cosmic Shimmer Harvest Moon Gilding Flakes.
Do the same on all 4 corners of the card.


Stick some Creative Expressions Double sided adhesive onto a piece of white card.
Using the Spellbinders Italian Collection Calabria Die, cut out.
Remove the protective covering and apply the same Gilding Flakes as before.


Glue onto a piece of Teal Card and cut to size.
Cut a circle of White Card with the Spellbinders Grand Circles.  Matt and layer.



Matt and layer the Teal Background with White and Teal Card.
Attach the circles with 3d foam pads.


Using the Spellbinders Italian Collection Decorative Frames Dies, cut a circle from white card.
Cut from Spellbinders Peony Dies a piece of Teal card.

Stamp "Just a Note" onto a piece of white card with Black Archival Ink.  Heat Emboss with Cosmic Shimmer Clear Powder. Cut out using the Spellbinders Peony Dies.


Matt and layer.  Add to the card with 3d foam pads.


And that's the finished card!

I do love Gilding Flakes....just remember not to sneeze, leave a window or door open and everything should be fine!!

Well, that's it for today.  I'll be back in the morning with a design for the Creative Studios Design Team.
Until the, have a happy, crafty day!


Wednesday 2 July 2014

Ship Ahoy!

A very Happy Wednesday to you all and welcome to this weeks offering of a design for Creative Studios.

As always, I've put the full "how to" complete with pretty pictures on the Creative Studios website.

I've used my favourite colour combination of Teal and Brown....you can't go wrong with that as far as I'm concerned!

I will just say that, if you're coming to the workshop in September, this may very well be one that we'll be making!

Well, that's it for today.  I'm off to pack for a festival...yay!  I get to be an ageing hippy for the weekend!!

So until next time, have a happy, crafty week!

Tuesday 1 July 2014

Blooming Lovely!

Good Morning All and welcome to Tuesday's Creative Expressions project.

This month, I've been sent some new masks to play with and here's a card I've made using the mask called "Bloom".

So let's get started...........

Stick a piece double sided adhesive onto some white card and peel off the top layer.
Use an anti-static bag on the mask to help with the release and place on top of the adhesive sheet.
Using a small spoon, add each colour of Cosmic Shimmer Polished Silk Glitters at a time.
I've used Fire Red, Penny Copper, Sahara Gold and Sea Green.

Remove the mask.  Add Cosmic Shimmer Ebony Ice Glitter Jewels to the rest of the double sided adhesive.

Cut out using Spellbinders Grand Circle Dies.
Draw around the outer edge of the die on white card, cut out and matt and layer.

Emboss a piece of white card with the Creative Expressions A4 Art Deco Fanfare Folder.

Matt and layer onto a piece of Foundations Black Card.

Cut a length of Black Crushed Satin Ribbon and heat with a heat gun to crinkle it.  Attach to the card.


Cut a Scalloped Circle in Black Card from Spellbinders Grand Dies.  Matt and layer the glittered topper.
Attach to the card with 3d foam pads.

Cut another length of the Black Ribbon.  Heat again with the heat tool.
Tie a bow and attach to the card with a glue dot.
Add a Black Dazzler to the centre of the bow to finish.

And there's the finished card!

It's very different from my usual style....no ink for a start!
I even managed to stay clean making this one!!  I did look as though I was headed out to a disco with all the glitter I managed to get on myself!

Well, that's it for today.  I'll be back tomorrow with a project for Creative Studios so until then, have a happy, crafty time and many thanks for visiting.