published in Making Cards Magazine

The greatest thing happened!! One of my projects was published in the Making Cards Magazine in the UK. I am so proud and excited I could burst!!

A while back a friend of mine showed me a picture of a project made by Tracey Evans in a magazine. She asked if I could make something similar. So I gave it a whirl.

I posted it on Facebook and somehow it got back to the artist in question. She tagged the editor of the magazine and that lady contacted me. She asked for a picture of the project and a certain picture of me that she saw on facebook. So I emailed her the photos and awaited patiently.

months passed and I didn't hear anything, so I thought they changed their minds. Oh well, nothing ventured nothing gained.

But then out if the blue, yesterday a friend of mine posted on my facebook wall that I was in a magazine!! So I was over the moon!!

This is the tag trifold in question. 

And lil ole meeee in the magazine!!

One of the biggest compliments one can get!!

Thank you for stepping by and sharing 

in my joy!

Hopefully until next time,

take care.

Freddie

xxx

A simple stamped tag

My mojo has been missing a bit lately and crafting was put on low as my crafty mind was a bit blocked.
Today however it came together again. I fancied making a simple layered stamped tag.

I started with a plain manila tag and stamped the crackle on it with old paper distress ink. After that dried I stamped the handmade part with frayed burlap distress ink.
I stuck the floral stamp to my block and coloured it in with my red and green distress markers. If you use various colours of the same family, you get that vintage look, love it!
Befor stamping I huffed on the stamp to moisten it with my breath, and stamped the image on top of all the others. Then spritzed it with a mini mister to make it bleed a tiny bit, to get that real oldish look. I dried it with my heat tool to prevent too much bleeding.

After looking at it, it was missing something. So I coloured in the Handmade stamp with markers and a water brush. I stained a piece of crinkle ribbon with the spiced marmelade and mustard seed distress ink to match it with the handmade stamp. The edge of the tag is inked with my trusted walnut stain ink and tied the ribbon.

I think this is one of my favourite tags I ever stamped....

Thank you for stepping by.
Until next time, take care.

Freddie
Xxx

Crazy cats and Dyan Reavely quotes

As a fairly new cat mommy, we rescued Xena in October last year, I am slowly getting to know cats. I was never a cat person, but Xena put a spell on my and I love her as much as I love our other fur babies.

The hubs gave me the crazy cat stamp set and I am hooked hahaha. And they work so well with the Dyan Reavely quote stamps.

In this post I show the first two of more to come.

Thank you for stepping by and hopefully until next time.

Take care
Freddie
Xxx

30 day challenge part three...

I know I know it is June already, and I am sooo behind on the 30 day challenge I was asked to do in May.

Other projects had to be finished first, as they were being paid for....and one has to earn ones craft cash ;-) ;-)

So here are number 13 to 16.... 14 more to go and I will try and do them this coming week.

Thank you for stepping by.

Take care and hopefully until next time :-)

Freddie
Xxx

12 tags of 2016 June

It is that time of the month again..... tag time with Tim Holtz!!

This is my version of the tag of June, I might try to duplicate the one the master did himself, but just wanted to give this one my own twist. I just loooove the umbrella man ;-) ;-)

Thank you for stepping by and I hope to see you again :-)

Take care,
Freddie
Xxx

Layered stamping and masking tutorial

The other day I made a card using the above mentioned technique. I make masks of most if my stamps using masking sheets by Tim Holtz. I stamp on them with stazon ink and let it dry. Once completely dry, I cut out the image. I always keep the masks with my stamps. That way I have easy access.

I started out with a piece of white card that I inked up using the wrinkle free distress technique. My absolute favourite distress ink technique. 

I stamped the eye

in the middle of my card and am going to cover it with mask.

Here you see it stuck on top of the stamped image.

The hand is stamped over the mask. The image underneath is protected by it, so still visible after the mask is removed.

Another mask is stuck on the images to protect both stamped images.

Now I can add more layers. In this case gold embossing paste.

Here you see I covered nearly everything with the paste...

As you can see, after I removed the masks, the images underneath are still visible and pop like they are on the foreground. 

After adding some embellishments, a sentiment and glossy accents to it...it is a finished card topper.

I hope it explained the masking and layered stamping enough so you can give it a try yourself!

Thank you for stepping by and I hope to see you here again.

Until next time,

Take care.

Freddie xxx

30 day challenge part deux...

Oh boy, this challenge proves to be much much harder than I thought. I could have kept it up in winter, but in spring when everything is happening in the garden, it is close to impossible to do!! I did sneak in a little practice on my calligraphy...need lots more!!

But here's three more cards made for the challenge....

More to come as this is only #10, 11 and 12....

Thanks for stepping by :-)
Take care,

Freddie
Xxx

Progress of 30 day challenge

I was asked to participate in a 30 projects in 30 days. Well that turned out tougher than I thought. Not only because I don't have time every day to craft, but also because I am working on various other projects.

Anyway... here are my first 9 projects I have done. The only rule is that they have to be 4 x 6 inches. Otherwise...anything goes!

Thank you for stepping by and hopefully until next time.
Take care.

Freddie
Xxx

12 tags of 2016 May

So far so good... with this tag finished I made 5 out of 5 tags. 

I'll show you step by step how I made it. 

I started out with a manila tag and stuck on some washi tape.

I stamped some images over the washi tape and tag with stazon.

I put some embossing paste through a stencil on the tag with a palet knife.

I love the look, I really must use it more!

This is what it looks like after it has been inked up and stained. I used various distress inks and water to give it some colour. And I inked the edges after I took this pic..

I gave some areas a spritz with my copper perfect pearl mist to give it a shimmer.

I cut some flowers with my tattered flower garland die from sheet music, Some walnut stain ink on the edges and some stamen and my flowers are done. I made the little label by cutting it from plain white card stock and I coloured the edge with a sharpie and inked it all up wih old paper distress ink. I stamped the image on the label and stapled it on the tag with the tiny attacher.

The lace is stained with distress stain and I used a vintage brad from Emerald Creek Crafts and glued it to the tag. Along with some more sheet music paper flowers.

I wound some twine around this arrow and thought it needed something extra. So I dipped it in embossing ink and in Ranger Verdigris embossing powder. After melting that it looked a lot better. So it was ready to be glued on the tag too. But befor I did I stamped some faux stitching on the tag as I don't have a sewing machine.

As the finishing touch I stained some crinkle ribbon and tied the ribbon on the top of the tag. And voila.... it is done.

Thank you for stepping by and taking the time to visit my blog.

Until next time, take care.
Freddie
xxx

Washi tape background

I have so many stunning washi tapes and I have decided to use them more often!

I covered a card topper with vintage washi tape and grunged the edges with distress crayons. Oh how I love that stuff!!
I covered the whole surface with crazing collage medium and let it dry. I used to use distress crackle paint befor this medium came out. I love love love me some crackle/crazing!! After it dried I grunged the edge with more distress crayon.

I cut out the vintage type writer and rubbed some silver gilding wax on parts of it. I glued it on the topper and added the sentiment sticker.

Until next time, take care  :-)

Freddie
Xxx

Vintage Ivy embossing powder by Emerald Creek Crafts

I have posted about the specialty embossing enamels from Emerald Creek Crafts and wanted to show the vintage ivy one "in action".

I already loved this ivy die I have but with this vintage ivy embossing powder it takes it to a new level! 

I will post part two of the powders very soon and also the projects I make with these amazing powders.

They really make my projects come to life. I love them like my other specialty powders like the Frantage range by Stampendous. One has got to love special effects right?

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and hopefully until next time.

Take care,

Freddie
Xxx

playing with layered stamps

It is all the rage right now: layered stamping. I only have a few sets at the moment and they take some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it they are a lot of fun. 

My favourite at the moment is the (discontinued) Stippled Blossom set by Stampin Up. I also have the Vintage Flowers by Altenew, they take a bit more practice though.

In this post I want to show the fun thing you can do with the stippled blossom stamp. I love to combine it with heat embossing with gold powder.

I made this card for my mom and used this technique. It makes the roses a bit more interesting.

I always use my MISTI when using these type of stamps, it makes it easier to work with them. I stamped the first layer with a red distress ink.

The advantage of stamping with the MISTI is that when the first print isn't crisp, you can stamp it again in the exact same position. 

this is the second layer, the stippled part, of the stamp.

I stamped this with embossing ink and covered it with gold embossing powder.

 Doesn't look like much now hahaha.

Wait for it.....

Tada!!! They always look different. And work with any colour.

That was my little tutorial for today. 

Hopefully until next tine, take care.

Freddie

xxx

Emerald Creek Embossing powders/enamels.. part one

It is no secret that I have a huge love for embossing powders. Especially the special effect  enamels float my boat. They make crafting so much fun and versatile. Not only can you turn a piece of card I to anything, but also customise embellishments.

My collection of Emerald Creek Crafts is just starting to grow, and I can't wait to get my next batch, as they are unlike anything I have seen on the market. I have the distress powders by Ranger/Tim Holtz, and the Stampendous Frantage powders, but they are not at all like these enamels. I will do a little highlight on those in another post.

I will share here the ones I have got in my stash at the moment, once I get more, I will show you what they look like!

This is the Burnt Copper leaves, one of my favourites!! It is chunky and the pics don't do them justice!!!

Eventhough the enamel is really chunky, you can use them with stamps. It gives a beautiful look. Almost like a gilding flakes effect. 

I dunked my brads in embossing ink and pressed them into the jar...

Here you see the befor and after, I turned a boring grey brad into a vintage one in no time.

This Hammered Metal enamel is out of this world. This will make your faux hardware look like the real deal!! I know I will get through this jar very quickly as I will use it for everything!! 

I used it on a piece of card and stuck that behind this cut out. As you can see it looks like real hammered metal....

I will share more projects I made with these really soon.

I made swatches of my enamels as it is easier to choose the effect and look. Below are more swatches so you get the idea, I haven't used them yet, but I will very soon as my head is full with ideas ;-)

You can't really see it, but this rich blue has tiny glitter in it to make a beautiful sparkle. It really looks like a midnight sky with stars that glisten.

Onyx frost is like the midnight sky a subtle glitter powder. It has the most beautiful sparkle!

Well that is it for this post. I will do the part 2 later this week. So I hope to see you back then.

until next time, take care!

Freddie
xxx