LILLI OF THE VALLEY CARD

Well another week or so has passed by and i have only just managed to get to play for a few hours.
Work seems to have taken over my life lately, and i feel that i never find any me time.
Anyway my friend Kim came over to visit me on Friday and she always manages to inspire me with her beautiful creations.
She has made this stunning card which i am hoping to steal off her so that i can put it up here on my Blog.
It is a true piece of eye candy and no mistake.
I can't wait to get hold of it.....yum!
anyway this is a little something i had a play with today, as i do love my LOTV stamps and such, but i decided to buy a few of their images whilst at the Craft show earlier this month.
I don't normally go in for this kind of thing, but i thought a few already coloured images would be great for a quickie card.
and how right i was too. this one took o time at all.
I hope you like it.
I am seriously thinking about starting a challenge, so if you would be interested, please let me know.

HEAT EMBOSSING A DOILY WITH SPARKLING EMBOSSING POWDER

Well I did say I would do some demo's, I just seem to have got carried away....I'm enjoying playing.

I have just got these fab new 5.5" Normady lace Doilies in, and as ever i thought i would try heat embossing on something a bit larger than i usually do.

As usual the Doilies are available from my Website and my eBay store

I generally only emboss smaller Doilies, but these are so pretty i had to have a go.

I used WOW! Nice Ice Blue embossing powder and my VersaMark pad.

I was really impressed with the result as I think you will agree, it looks lovely.

It took the powder beautifully and evenly, and the Doilies are really tough and a good weight for such harsh treatment.

Personally i have tried to do a few of the home made Doilies using a selection of Dies, but i couldn't be bothered with all the hassle picking out all the bits, and even having to turn the dies and roll them through the Big shot 3 or 4 times to make sure they cut properly and pick out all the left overs out of the Die before i could use it again....anyway hope you like the end result of the Heat embossing.

Doily toppers

Here is another sample of how to use Doilies.

This is a piece of a Doily cut out and heat embossed in Black, then layered onto black and gold mirri card.

a few little gems were added.

also shown is the whole Doily which was brushed over with a black ink pad, and also a section heat embossed in gold.

                                  This is a Doily called Victoria  for sale in my website or eBay store

WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH A DOILY

Now, Forgive the overkill on this one, but i have done this purely for demonstration purposes only.

I have been asked so many times... How do you use Doilies on a card? and what can you do with them other than stick them on?

So here is a little demonstration of what and how.

I have taken a plain 8" x 8" card and used a 6.5" round Doily.

I used the Doily as a stencil and using a distress ink pad and a cotton ball, dabbed the ink which has given the lovely mottle effect.

I also used distress ink to colour the edges of the Doily and the rose pattern.

I cut the center of a doily out and flattened it to use it as a lace border trim on the bottom of the card.

On the right hand corner i again used part of the doily as a stencil and glittered it, and on the left side i heat embossed a part of the Doily in gold to look like a metal corner.

The center Doily is coloured using my Distress inks and stickled with gold  following the embossed design on the Doily.

I will add a few more Idea's later on, but this was a quickie to demonstrate a few ways to use Doilies on your cards.

Above is a Doily that has been heat embossed in Silver, you still have all the fine detail.

Idea's to Inspire Lili of the Valley card by KIM

It's not often people put other artist's work on their Blog, but i just felt i had to put this one on.

My friend Kim is such a talented artist and card maker, she has more certificates for her art and design than i have made cards.

When she showed me this lovely LOTV card, I just loved it and had to share with you all.

Kim is more an altered artist (A Tim Holtz fan) and just loves Steam Punk and anything out of the norm.

We travel to as many Craft shows and craft shops as possible together (Our road trips)
Kim has a special talent when it comes to male themed cards (Something we all have problems with) and you can be sure she will come up with something just perfect for the occasion as this lovely card she made for her fishing lover Brother.

I hope she will get her own Blog up and running in the near future, it will be a feast for the eyes and an inspiration to all.

                                      Aren't those Brads just gourg! and those distressed Buttons

                                                                    The inside of the card

love the layering on the cap and shirt which matches the backing papers.  and that measuring tape is to die for.

Another Christmas card

I just love doing the Boxes of presents, they make such a lovely center piece and are so quick to make.

how sparkly is this?

A Christmas card

Here is a little commission card i made for a customer using the lovely LOTV stamp.

5" Square doilies are back!!!!!!!YIPPEE!!!!

Hi everyone.

just a quickie to let you all know that i have the popular and much loved 5" square paper lace doilies back in stock.

As you know they are like Gold dust to get hold of, but i was fortunate enough to find some.

I believe I am the only stockist in the UK and Europe to have them as they were discontinued last year.

They are available from my web-store poppyscabin.co.uk and also from both my ebay stores  The Doiliy dealer and Pinkthoroughbred where I also sell my Toppers.

just click on the links to grab yours now before they all go.

Just to remind you how beautifully intricate and embossed they.......

Wedding day card

I know i am a bit slow these days with my posts, but i have been so busy i have hardly had time to think.

Anyway, here is a card i made this week for a wedding which is next week.

I thought the Cream and gold colours were appropriate as they have 2 children and its a December wedding.

I hope you like it.

More Shoes!

This one was a rush job, and you can probably tell as i didn't put as much into it as i usually do.

being plagued with a sticker of a head cold, i just couldn't think straight,  but the customer was happy.

Shoes Glorious Shoes

Here is another Card i made recently for a customer's Daughter.

She wanted Turquoise for the colour scheme and i cut the shoe to fit the 8" x 8" card

I used my beautiful Anna Griffin papers and glitter card for this one 

40th Birthday card for a Man

Well at last i have found a few minutes to post something on my Blog.

It has been quite a while, with work being so hectic orders to be packed and posted, and my die cutting machine breaking down.

I have managed to get a few cards done recently, but not had time to post them here.

so here are a few i have done.

This one i did for a customer a few weeks ago for a male 40th Birthday.

I used various papers for this one and holographic mirri card to give a bit of sparkle

A BEAUTIFUL RETRO DIVA FOR A BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER

Well this is a busy time of the year for Birthdays in my family, and with 2 of my daughters having Birthday's within a week, i had to come up with something to suit each of them.

I had decided that i should make my eldest Daughter a card using this beautiful retro 1930's Diva stamp.I cannot for the life of me remember who it's by, but i recall getting it from a craft show last year.

I have used my Promarkers and Prismacolor pencils for this one.

Its quite a large stamp so it was a bit of a challenge especially with all that flesh.

I will add more photo's as i complete this card.
just finished and added the photo's.
i darkened down the Image and added flowers and a darker surrounding.

Well i think i have finished doing what i had planned for this beautiful image, I hope you enjoy what you see.

70th Birthday card shabby chic style

Hi Folks!

well it's been a while since i put anything up on my Blog.

just been too darned busy with Horse shows and work.

 I must say making a card has been a refreshing change...

Well ! this as you can see is a 70th Birthday card i made.

i hope you like it.

I used pretty pinks and baby blues with a hint of sparkle and of course some delish mulberry flowers and some fab satin leafs.

i coordinated the inside with a personal rhyme and sentiment.

Christening cards

Hi Folks!

What a dreadful day it's been today, rain, rain and more rain.

I am thinking of my poor Daughter and her friends camping this weekend in the Cotswolds....swimming more like...lol

Anyway i thought i would share these two commision cards with you today.

A bit odd to say the least, but i was asked to make 2 Christening cards, one for an adult and one for a 7 year old.

The theme was pink and pearly, and the child likes Princesses......Hmmm!

 what little girl doesn't?

But for a Christening???
Anyway i came up with a LOTV christmas Angel praying and disguised the Holly head garland with Roses and coloured her in pink.

The adult one was a bit simpler, with a Cross.
The purchaser was delighted, so i must have done something right.

WOMAN'S WEEKLY MAGAZINE CRAFT FEATURE

Hello folks!

I am proud to announce that i have had my Doilies featured in the Womans Weekly magazine this week.

Magazine dated the 19th July.

They asked me to be their supplier for the article.
There is a double page spread with some really great uses for Doilies.

If you would like some Doily inspiration then go and grab a copy.

DOILIES TAKE THE HEAT...

Did you know that all my Paper lace Doilies could be Glitz up?

Well now you do!!

I love Doilies, all the beautiful intricate and delicate designs they come in as well as the shapes and sizes.

Usually they come in plain white (the most practical and useful colour) i know.

But sometimes you want them to match up with a colour scheme and that's where i like to play.

I have used all sorts of mediums, from Promarkers and Distress Inks to Acrylic paints and glimmer mist.

well i was having a play (My usual Sunday morning pastime) and had a Bright spark moment!!

why not try to heat emboss them!

So i got a few of the most fragile and intricate ones and hastily coated them with Versamark and poured the glitter embossing powder over them.

I was thrilled with the result..

so now I can add that all  my Doilies can be heat embossed too...Smashing!!

Here are the pics of my experiment.

Would love to hear your comments.

Hugs

Helena x

BUTTERFLY NAPKIN RING / PLACE NAME SETTING

Good morning folks!

I hope you are all having a lovely lazy weekend.

I want to share this little creation with you today.

I know more and more Brides to be are making their own wedding stationary like Invitations, place settings, flower arrangements etc. Its hardly surprising considering the cost of such things.

I was playing around with a few of my dies and punches the other day, and came up with this idea for making Napkin rings/place name settings in one.

I hope you like it.

If anyone is getting married and wants to have a go, i have the butterflies and border strips for sale on my website and also in my eBay store

21st Birthday cards for a male

Good morning folks!

And another fine and sunny one it is at that.

Today i would like to show you a couple of cards i have made.

They are for a 21st Birthday for a young man, and the theme was to be Blue.

Now i will be the first to admit that i am not all that when it comes to making cards for men folk.

No flowers, lace, pearls, and all the other pretty bits that one would like to use.

Plus i had a real stinker of a headache when i had to make them which probably impaired my creativity.

Anyway this is what i came up with.

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION CARD

Here is yet another First Holy Communion commission card.

It is very Different to the one I did last week.

I have made this one as an Easel card with the childs name.

all done in white embossed papers and silver mirror card with white flowers, Organza Ribbon and a little metal cross charm.

I was told that she loved it!

it's always nice to get feedback of the positive kind.

Sorry the photo's are a bit poor, it was collected in a hurry and i didn't have time to mess about with photo's.