Docrafts PDT End Of Term Blog Hop

Hi all,

On the Docrafts PDT we're having a final blog hop as the current team.

We found out the results today and I didn't get back on the team. I'm disappointed but I guess it's a silver lining as now I'm free to use whatever products I want and apply for other teams. It's not so bad as I'm not the only one to not get back on either - but a very well done to Julie and Mags though for getting back on!

For this blog hop we're sharing our favourite makes from the current PDT term, with the option of making something using up the last of our current kits.

So, here's my favourite layout I made, using the Neon collection. I remember having it planned weeks in advance and as soon as my kit arrived I got on with it. I was so pleased with it, even more so when it was featured in Creativity magazine.

Another favourite memory from this year's team is when I was sent these beautiful cards for my 21st birthday by my fellow members!

And now for something new using the Geometric Neon collection. As you can tell, I love me some neon....

Just a couple of cards I put together.

I'm going to miss this team, I've made some great friends and we are all going to stay in touch on facebook. 

Check out their blogs:

Heather https://heathermitchelldesign.wordpress.com/

Mags https://thetaglady.wordpress.com

Julie http://newnanny.blogspot.co.uk/

Michelle- http://scrapthology.blogspot.co.uk/

Katie http://whatkatiedid2.blogspot.co.uk/

Sarah http://stickerkitten.co.uk/

Amy https://amysureycreations.wordpress.com/

Thanks for stopping by!

Emily xx

Die Cut Cards!

Hi all,

I was lucky enough to win over £80 of Xcut dies in the docrafts December Club Prize Draw.
Two of the sets I already had so I have mailed them to a couple of friends. :)

Here are some things I made using them!

This first one is cut directly into the blank card, and some Geometric Neon paper stuck behind.

This one uses the beautiful swallow die, and sentiment set.

And finally a card using the Folk alphabet die set and Geometric Mono collection.

I left the bottom part of the letters out of the die cut sandwich so only the top part was cut. I then cut along the in-between sections of the letters to remove the top part of the cardstock.

Thanks for stopping by!

Emily xx

Geometric Mono ATCs

Hi all,

I've made some little cards using the note cards that came free with Docrafts Creativity mag issue 67, along with Geometric Mono ribbon. The paper is from the Forever Friends collection.

Thanks for stopping by!

Emily xx

London Geometric Neon Layout

Hi all,

Here's a layout I made using the Geometric Neon collection from docrafts.
I took the picture on a beautiful evening on the south bank in London last August. I thought the bright blue of the sky and river went so well with the blue and grey in the neon paper.

I did lots of layering on this layout, including using an envelope - the rings and string add some extra detail and texture.

I took inspiration for the layout from those big american companies like Crate Paper and My Mind's Eye. They use lots of layering and co-ordinating embellishments too. I wanted to show how you can achieve this look with more affordable products you can pick up at your local Range or Hobbycraft.

Thanks for stopping by!

Emily xx

Valentine's Day Layout (and January/February Quirky Kit)

Hi all

On Valentines Day, Nathan and I went to York. He took me to dinner at Wagamama and then we spent the afternoon looking round the shops and gardens. It was such a lovely day (bit chilly though!)

Here's a layout I made using a selfie we took in the gardens near the museum. My January/February Quirky Kit arrived last week so I used elements from that in this layout. I love the Project Life cards,  and the acrylic birds are so cute!

Here's a picture of what was included in the Quirky Kit embellishment kit this time, you can find out more here

Thanks for stopping by!

Emily xx

Beautiful New Day Layout

Hi all,

A new layout to share today, using a picture I took in January of the sky one morning.

The backing paper is Crate Paper Maggie Holmes 'Shine' and it's perfect to use with my picture... lots of blue with a pop of pink. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Emily xx

Gorjuss Shadow Box Step By Step (Craft Stamper Magazine March 2016)

Hi all

This project is something I made for the new issue of Craft Stamper Magazine.

Here it is in the magazine, out now!
I absolutely adore the privilege of being asked to make things for magazines, and it's so exciting seeing my work and my name in print. I'll never, ever tire of it!

I was sent a shadow box by Docrafts and the instruction to do as much or as little stamping as I wanted. For this project I chose to use the Santoro's Gorjuss collection (also from Docrafts).

So here's a more in depth step by step of decorating a shadow box.

To start with paint the insides of all the little boxes. Paint a little around the outside rim too so you don't see any edges when it's put together. Try and stick to a colour scheme that matches the papers and embellishments you're using. Once this is dry (acrylic dries very fast!), line the bottoms with co-ordinating papers and stick down to hold them in place.

Then line the main box. Use deco sheets and PVA glue for this. I covered the back and sides but not the inside - this won't be seen.

Then cover the frame.

Once the glue is dry (I'd suggest leaving it overnight to be safe), you can arrange the box. 

Then you can decorate the box. 

I used a Gorjuss stamp and matching embellishments. Also I picked up some little glass vials at The Works and covered them with distress paint. The 'it's gorjuss' hanger is suspended through holes in the top of its little box, secured with tape. 

Thanks for stopping by!

More Than Words Challenge February 2016!

Hi all,

A brand new layout to share today, my entry for the February 'More Than Words' challenge.
This month's word is 'Wonderful' and the creative challenge is 'sparkle'. You can play along here 

Here's my layout:

I love flamingos. Any excuse to include them in a layout. This picture was taken at Chester Zoo.

I'm loving bright colours lately so I wanted to create a tropical theme to match the hot pink of the feathers.

I have lots of bits of 'sparkle' on here - glass beads, embossing powder, glitter pens, glitter Thickers, and some die cut glittery feathers (my favourite part of the layout!)

The other day I went to Hobbycraft and bought some mixed media supplies - Gelatos, modelling paste, embossing powder and a heat gun. I (loosely) followed a Finnabair tutorial, adapting it to my layout and I'm quite pleased with the result - not the neatest layout ever but I had so much fun making it!

....also, flamingo washi tape and it's the best thing ever....

Thanks for stopping by!

Emily xx

Upcycled Storage Frame

Hi all

I think it was a couple years ago that I made this frame to store my stationery in.
It's a frame that used to hold a print, but I removed the print and painted the background, stuck on washi tape, and decorated some canvas drawstring bags.

But it started to look a bit shabby, so I redesigned it. 

I painted the frame with several coats of silver acrylic, painted the background white and stuck a Papermania Geometric Neon deco sheet on once it had dried, and stencilled shapes onto the canvas bags using fabric paint.

If I'm honest the adhesive on the stencils is too sticky for paper but not sticky enough for fabric, so the shapes are a little fuzzy... ah well!

Ta-daaaah!

Thanks for stopping by!

Emily xx

Stamped Birthday Cards

Hi all

Today I'm going to share some birthday cards I made as samples for Docrafts to be shown on the Home Shopping Network in the US to promote their new 'Creativity Essentials' stamp sets
Now I'm not really a card maker. Or a stamper... But I'll give anything a go! (I find stamping too messy and fiddly...)

So to start with I picked my favourite from the stamps I had been sent to use. The A5 Steampunk background! I wanted to keep this simple as the background is do detailed so I stamped a sentiment from the 'Birthday Verses' set, along with a frame in gold. I went over the frame with my gold Sharpie because it didn't stand out very much. I then drew around the outside edge of the frame stamp on brown metallic paper, cut it out, and then mounted the sentiment onto it. I then coloured in bits of the image with my Sharpie.

This next card feels a bit more scrapbook-y. Whoops... With this I used the 'Musicality' background stamp and rubbed a red ink pad over the roses. I fussy cut some 'Musicality Icons' out and layered them up with a birthday sentiment.

And finally a stepper-type card. I didn't follow a template for this, just looked at a ready made one and worked out the measurements. I used the 'Floral Icons' stamp set on pastel pink paper in pink ink as a background. I then added 'Butterflies' and a sentiment in black and then finished with fussy cut butterflies. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Emily xx

Decopatched Star Boxes

Hi all,

I finally finished off some star shaped boxes so I'm going to share them today.
They are from the Bare Basics range, decorated with Papier Patch deco sheets, all from Docrafts.

I'm glad I finished these as I got to use up the last few stickers on sheets that had been sitting in my sticker box for a While..

The first one is the larger one, it's decorated with apothecary print paper which I painted with pale pink Distress Paint once the sheets had dried so the black of the paper wasn't as harsh. I then added Madame Payraud stickers and an accordion flower.

The star boxes are hard to decopatch because of their awkward shape.

Here's the second one, the smallest one. They are so easy to decorate because they don't need a lot to look pretty.

I think they would make nice little gift boxes if you put a nice jewellery set in with some pretty tissue paper.

Thanks for stopping by!

Emily xx

Craft Room Layout

Hi all,
Just stopping by to share a layout I made using a picture I took of my craft room - my happy place!

I temporarily secured the circles in place with masking tape and then went over them using the sewing machine, the top thread being white and the bottom being black.

Thanks for stopping by!
Emily xx