Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from November, 2017

Christmas Tree Card

Feeling super sparkly and Christmassy today... I've used a combination of Christmas mix sequins from SpiegelMom Scraps, glue and washi tape to make this Christmas card. Added a sentiment on a strip contrasting coloured card... Sticking the sequins took 16 minutes so not too time-consuming at all. Thanks for watching! Entering at Make My Monday and Simon Says Stamp .

SMILE

Another week, another SpiegelMom layout!  This one is based on a sketch I made in August last year featuring circles. I've pulled out my Shimmerz stash and matched colours to the sequin mix The Nice List . I often reach for carstock alphas from Elle's Studio.  They are just the right size for my style of creating. I added detail with my sewing machine.  Sewing circles scares me but not too slow did the job!  I went at a medium speed confidently and just kept turning the page.  Luckily I wasn't after perfect symmetrical circles!

The Boys

I've recently discovered that there is a sticky film that picks up the negatives from your cutting mat holding them in their correct position until you stick them down on to your layout.  It seems I am the only one who didn't know such a thing existed!  It is great for using up bits left behind from a background.  The bits are often so pretty but way too intricate to pick up piece by piece. That is how this layout started.  I played with my Daniel Smith watercolours for a background and picked up a section of leftovers from my cutting mat.  Using my Liquitex inks I mixed the perfect metallic rose gold (1 drop of bronze, 2 drops of copper, 3 drops of gold) to match a chocolate wrapper I had kept to use.  I'm trying to be less 'ooh, I'll keep that bcauseIll use it one day' but sometimes old habits die hard!  Still, at least I actually used this keeper quickly. I threw in a few scraps of coloured card, some ribbon and buttons and called it done.  Now I k

Scraplifting Rachel Lowe

It's Scraplift Week at SpiegelMom Scraps .  I am loving this new tradition of lifting our guest designers.  This month Rachel Lowe is guesting and I picked out this fabulous layout of hers... I love the bird, obviously, and that is the section I focused on.  You can watch me creating here: I pulled out the same collection Rachel used, Wildflower from Kaisercraft.  My sequins are a mixture of Birthdays and Balloons and some of my hoarded Glass Slippers. I have guilt... we are nearly five sixths of the way through this little chaps first year and I still don't have even half the layouts as I had for his brother! And it gets worse... I want to keep this layout and not pass it on to him and his lovely Mum! I need a serious scrapathon to get an album completed by his birthday!! You can nab the cut file I created here - if you use it I would love to see what you create.  You can tag me @beadsbuttonsandbirds on Instagram or find me on Facebook

Hanging Advent

I grabbed the numbers ribbon from the Nisse range from Crafty Ribbons and wondered how it could be used in a sewing-free way... I pasted the back of the ribbon with matte medium (PVA glue will do too!) and allowed to dry before cutting into individual numbers.  This stops the ribbon from fraying.  Then I gathered up 24 little envelopes to hold my advent treats - nothing huge just a chocolate or two. I used matching colours of 3mm to tie each number to an envelope and then attach it to a string of Christmas tree beads.  Quick and easy, and very effective!

Gingerbread Jar

Guess who's been having fun..? Me!  I made this jar up with some kitchen staples and some Gingerbread House ribbon from Crafty Ribbons. So.  Much.  Fun!! I nabbed the recipie from Auntie Beeb - link - but added in some smarties to decorate with. I added in some green seam binding and some red heart lace . Thanks for looking!

Father & Son

This month The Sparklers are working with circle and sketches... The first sketch is from Laura Whitaker and was easy to scale back to my minimal style. I was incredibly lucky to be gifted a Lottie Loves Paper voucher and bought a couple of packs of stickers from the new 1canoe2 range, and they formed the colour scheme for this layout. The sequins are Puppy Dog Tails and Road Trips & Sunshine from the newest release.  This mustard colour is my 'thing' at the moment.  I'm wearing it daily and sneaking it on to as many projects as possible - it's my new neon!! Thanks for looking!

Stick It Down!

Hello November! I'm the featured designer for Stick It Down 's single page team this month.  Here is the sketch... I've stayed pretty faithful to it but I have flipped it. My first idea was to use some giant sequins (well, 25mm!) as scallops.  I used two colours of paste through a stencil from Pretty My Page. When it came to my splatters I didn't have the exact colour I wanted - the silver was too dark and the white was too pale.  The solution was simple - mix the two together! I also added a little shading with the mist to make the title pop. Here is the video: Also, there's a quick little cameo from Henley, my new budgie.  It was her first time on the desk and I was very distracted!  Photos of her will follow soon... when she learns to sit still!!

Advent Stocking

This creation is courtesy of my Mum - I had too many ideas to make so she stepped in, her hand sewing is much better than mine!! This advent countdown stocking started life as a pillowcase.  Crafty Ribbons Gingerbread number ribbon is hand sewn to the front and a glass candy cane marker can be moved along each date as you countdown to Christmas. As it is a pillowcase you can pop 24 small wrapped gifts inside, one to be pulled at random each day.  I love this idea as you are not constrained by the size of the pocket - it's hard to find 24 goodies that are so small! It can also be used as a stocking on Christmas Eve.  As it is personalised, Father Christmas will know whose it is and filled with the appropriate goodies or lumps of coal!! If you fancy whipping one up you can grab the ribbons from here and a pillowcase from either the airing cupboard or your local cheapy shop!  Have fun!