Sunset Journal

 Wow - time has passed me by ... quite a lot of time in fact.

But I am still here.

Sharing a little creativity using the most gorgeous papers - a new collection and a card collection from the team at 3Quarter Designs.

And look at the colours in these papers - oh my ...

Those of you that know me, know that I love creating with the colour purple - and if I could do just that every day, I would be in my happy place.

Until next time my friends,

Happy crafting

CYA

Michelle

The Gift of Giving ...

Hello to all our Couture Creations fans around the world,

Today I am sharing with you a project that I have made with one of Couture Creations brand new Christmas collections releases for this year - The Gift of Giving collection and it really will be a Gift of Giving and ongoing, for quite some years to come.

For many years I have made a different type of advent calendar every year and this year is no different, with the exception that this one really has been a labour of love.

You know that I love to make boxes [and I do] ... when you combine different sized boxes together and box them all up in a shadow box, what do you call it? A shadow box advent calendar.

Whilst this idea is not my own and I can't take credit for it, that honour goes to a very special crafter in the paper crafting world - a special lady by the name of Ann Melvin and her blog link can be found here.  I saw Ann's advent calendar some time ago and had it earmarked to make and then when I saw the papers from Couture Creations, The Gift of Giving collection, I thought to myself - yes! and so began a labour of love.

Full instructions can be found on Ann's blog together with a video - I suggest that you watch the video in its entirety and perhaps twice, write down the measurements and double check them - why? because I wrote down one of the measurements incorrectly - yes, it happens and I may have made a few more boxes than what I needed to make and one size a little bigger than I needed to make and then they didn't fit in the shadow box ... sometimes we learn the hard way.

These boxes are generously sized and if you were popping choccies in and had two young children, one advent calendar could be shared.  Ummmmm ... good luck with that ...

Let me share some more pics and let's have a look at some of the gorgeous papers I used to make my advent calendar.

This paper I have used on the inside of the base of my shadow box ...

I have used this paper around my shadow box frame and to decorate a few of my boxes.

Each box, yes, all 25 of them have been individually measured, cut and scored and my Couture Creations scoreboard has been my best friend during this process.

This background paper was used for some boxes as well to bring a little more of the plain red into my creativity.

And this 'branch' paper was brilliant to cover my boxes with as well.

And it goes without saying that you will see poinsettias pop up on my Christmas creativity - I've had the poinsettia production line going the last few days making my poinsettias.

Instead of making foamiran leaves I've used  the holly sprig mini die and green cardstock.

Throw in a little muslin [cheesecloth], some crafting fibres, handmade poinsettias, some True Snow and sparkling dust and my advent calendar boxes came to life.

And just so you know there is a whole lot of die cutting involved with numbering an advent calendar - but it really was so much fun putting it all together.

To finish off my advent calendar I have added a little 'True Snow' to my framework and tied a soft sparkly gauze ribbon around the edge.

Adhered a couple of pine cones and berry branches to the top and glued on a Merry Christmas sentiment from the ephemera pack and voila.

The Gift of Giving collection will keep on giving for many years to come.

CO726342 Scoring board

CO724389 glue pen

CO721985 - double sided tape
ULT200067 - Cardstock - Carnelian

ULT200038 - Cardstock - Jungle

ULT200001 - white cardstock - 12" x 12" - Snow White

CO727898 -  The Gift of Giving patterned paper

CO727899 -  The Gift of Giving patterned paper

CO727900  -  The Gift of Giving patterned paper

CO727901 -  The Gift of Giving patterned paper

CO727902 -  The Gift of Giving patterned paper

CO727909 -  The Gift of Giving ephemera die cuts

CO727918 - Holly sprig mini die

Happy creating my friends.

Until next time.

Michelle [aka Mrs Frizz]

Ancestors

I'm back again - you might not hear from me for a day or two and then it's wham, bam, thank you m'am and a flurry of activity on my blog.

This time I'm sharing another creation using the gorgeous mid month collection released by the team at 3Quarter Designs  'Forgotten Manuscript'.

A small mini album titled 'ancestors'.

Lots of inks, modelling paste, doilies, tags, cardstock, twine, a little bling, art stones, my Sprocket to print off smaller photos, a little fussy cutting and I have to say, I really do love the way that this wee project came together.

Happy creating my friends.

Until next time,

Keep warm and dry

CYA

Michelle [aka Mrs Frizz]

Steampunk Dreams

Today I'm sharing a little creativity using the Steampunk Dreams collection by Lucy Campeanu.

So here we go - first up a card.

and now let me share a tag ...

Let's talk a little more about the card.  I've made a double base for my card using a white cardstock layer and another layer using orange cardstock.

I've used two gorgeous papers from the Steampunk Dreams paper collection CO727707 and C0727709 and with a little more orange cardstock and patterned paper I've cut out a large intricate heart shape and layered on the top of my card before I've put together an embellishment cluster bringing in some of the gorgeous colours to bring out the papers.

The sentiment 'dreams' comes from the printed strip along the edge of the 12" x 12" paper - never waste anything - you never know when you might use some of the printed matter.  

I also dug deep into my stash and found some liquid drops - 'cinnamon' and I've used them on some of the scroll work on my heart.

Looking at these two photos [side on view] - you can see my card has more than one layer/fold - it is a 'z' type fold - more of an upright 'z' than a normal 'z' fold card - if that makes sense.

I've also adhered a smaller folded strip underneath the small orange card fold to strengthen the front so that is remains standing and doesn't flop down.

And my tag ... a close up ...

I love making tags and just in case you didn't know, the Steampunk Dreams collection comes with two, yes, two sets of tags - a distressed tag cutting die set - three different sizes of tags and a strip - a chain piece and then the second set is a straight tags cutting die set - another four piece - three different size tags and a key.  Have to say I had a wee smile when I saw tags.

The cog shapes were cut out in a light weight white card and I have sprayed them with a light orange mist and tucked them in behind my leaves and bloom

Materials used :

CO727713 - straight tags cutting die set

CO727707 - Steampunk Dreams double sided patterned paper

CO727709 - Steampunk Dreams double sided patterned paper

CO726342 - Scoring board

CO721985 - Adhesive tape

CO724389 - glue pen

ULT157654 - liquid drops - 3D pearls - cinnamon

Happy creating everyone.

Until next time, keep warm, stay safe and I hope you find a little creativity time,

Michelle

Neglected ...

Wow, I had no idea my blog had been neglected for so long ...

Not intentional and posts that I thought had posted haven't for some reason.

I am still here, honest.

Quick post from me ... it's new release day and here's a whole lot of purpliciousness.

There are wants, needs and must haves in the crafting paper world my friends and this is purpliciousness and comes under the heading 'must haves' - just saying.

3Quarter Designs

have just released this gorgeous new release today and they have a collection for the scrappers out there and the cardmakers ... have fun my friends.

Triple cube card

Hi everyone,

I'm back to share my latest creativity using the Couture Creations Peaceful Peonies paper collection

It really is my 'go to' paper collection at the moment.  I'm still loving the greens and pinks in this collection.

Let me share my triple cube card ...

I've also made two hinge pieces on the front corner edge of this card - recently I was asked how I put my hinge together - it really is easy ... cut three circles in cardstock, two of them need to be folded in half and then another circle adhered to the top then adhered to the card to make the hinge itself [on the fold] .

On this card I have made two ... one is tucked in behind the floral embellishment cluster and the other is behind the calendar page.

stuck down to the whole circle

This is what my cube card looks like before I've added my embellishments to it.

one of the back panels

There are numerous tutorials all over the place - I watched this

and now ... my finished card ...

Materials used :

CO727351 Peaceful Peonies small patterned paper pad

ULT200001 

CO726342 

CO721985 

CO724389 glue pen

Couture Creations - calendar page

Happy creating everyone

Until next time

Keep warm, stay safe and I hope you find a little creativity time

Michelle

Triple pop up card

Okay - so I just had to ... I did, honest.

This type of card has been popping up all over the internet of late and so I had to go with the craze and make one.

Really, it's just an extension of another card that I have been making for many years, but it does kinda have that 'wow' effect.

Team that up with some papers that I purchased quite some time ago, cos they just had to find their way into my stash - a paper collection called Summer Rhapsody from

13 arts and knowing that I love adding bitsers to my creations - well I'm loving this card.

When I'm not playing with a little purpliciousness, well I love pinks, greens and white together ...

I cut a couple of doily shapes out and then cut them and adhered to make another layer [and added a little bling] - I've stamped some words from 49 and Market onto patterned paper and cut them out and adhered. I also ran a lacey edge die through my cutting machine and added another layer to the top of the front panels

I've also made a hinge piece on the corner of the top front of the card - three circles, two of them folded in half and then adhered to make the hinge itself [on the fold] - adhered a little branchy-fied bauble thing, a little muslin, some fibres, a bloom, some pearls and leaves and added a toothpick with another word sentiment 'dream' stamped on patterned paper and adhered to said toothpick.

You know I like adding bitsers and that's what I have done.

And then of course, I've added a little gesso - just randomly applied with a toothpick.

There are numerous tutorials all over the place - I watched this one and then I changed things just a wee tad. But watch through the whole video tutorial before you start cutting and playing.

So this is what I've done ...

Base card white cardstock : 5 1/2" x 11 1/2" [cut one strip]

Base card white cardstock : 2 3/4" x 11 1/2" [cut two strips]

* score each of the pieces of white cardstock as follows : 2 3/4", 5 1/2", 8 1/4" and 11"

Pink cardstock : 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" [cut 10 squares]

Patterned paper : 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" [cut 10 squares] - ink edges

Adhere patterned paper squares to pink cardstock and then adhere to white panels as shown in the photo

Pink cardstock : 2 1/2" x 5" [cut two panels]

Patterned paper : 2 1/4" x 4 3/4" [cut two panels] - ink edges

Adhere patterned paper panel to pink cardstock and then adhere to back white panel of card - long skinny panels at the back of the card that you can't actually see in this photo - there are two of them

Have fun.

Happy crafting.

Until next time,

CYA

Michelle [aka Mrs Frizz]

P.S. would love for you to come and visit again ...