Happy Craftmas to Me!

When I started crafting I started out with some stamps and pens. I then got a Sizzix Big Shot so cut dies and used this for two years before it was replaced by my Cricut Mini and then Explore. As I didn't use my Big Shot I sold it as I only used it for die cutting and found my Cricut was more versatile and also took up less room (strangely!)

So recently I've been wanting to add texture to cards and was looking at getting a die cutting machine that didn't take up much room and then Cyber Monday happened and I found the Sizzix Texture Boutique for £20! A great deal in my opinion and perfect due to its size and that it only embosses.

It arrived last Wednesday afternoon and I had such a headache, bordering on a migraine, but I wanted to try it out! 

I looks so pretty and is a great size. I was also so surprised by how much stuff you got with it! In the box you get:

Two packs of card blanks (in white and cream) with envelopes

A stack of different coloured card (about business card size)

Rub on sentiments 

Three embossing folders 

The machine itself with plates and a shim

This would make a great gift for a new crafter or children as you can get crafting straight away. 

I tried it out quickly on a piece of card and it was so easy to use. I can't wait to use this now in conjunction with my Explore. I have a lot of coredination card stock so I'm looking forward to using it with this and sanding it back. 

Embossing - Through The Purple Haze Challenge #29

This weeks challenge at Through The Purple Haze is Embossing. 

The sponsor for this challenge is:

http:// www.mymumscraftshop.co.uk

I've actually made two cards this week - one with dry embossing and one using heat embossing.

Dry Embossing Card

I made this card using my own hand-made embossing sheet (you can see how to do this on my last blog post.) I embossed some core-dinations card stock and layered it onto some already embossed Bazille Basics pink card. I added Tilda ribbon and this lovely digi from Polkadoodle Etsy shop - it's so sweet! I coloured this using my Spectrum Noir pens. The sentiment was part of the digi and I just stamped a doily stamp over the top so it wasn't on stark white card.

Heat Embossing Card

I decided to go for 'heat embossing' as I have the tools but don't do it much (mostly because it use to be such a pain to plug in my heat tool before I re-arranged it). My card is quite differet to my normal colour pallette but I decided to use things which I don't usually use and step out of my comfort zone a bit and this is the finished card.

I used backing paper from Kaisercraft Miss Empire Collection in Realm and matted and layered using kraft card (I love that stuff but don't use it much). I then took some orangey peach coloured paper from Craft Creations and stamped on it using Versa Mark and a rose pattern stamp I got free with Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine and then I used a white embossing powder. I also stamped the roses on the same paper (but elsewhere) with Distress Ink (Tattered Rose).

I cut the stamped and embossing pieces into 3 inch squares, rounded off the corners and then added them to kraft card. I stamped a sentiment onto kraft card and heat embossed that too (the sentiment was from a Kanban Sugar Buttons stamp set).

Stamped with distress ink

Stamped and embossed

I finished the card by wrapping twine around the card twice and tying a knot.

I hope you like my cards - I'm usually more into bright cards using pinks, blues and purples but enjoyed trying something different with my heat embossing card and using bits and pieces I hadn't used in a while.

Go over to Through The Purple Haze Challenge Blog to see what the other Design Team members have made and why not have a go yourself

 

http://www.throughthepurplehazechallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ 

I'm entering this card in the below challenges:
http://avenue613.blogspot.co.uk/ - #59
http://onestitchatatimechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/  - #200 Use a Digi
http://pileitonchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ - Pile it On #7 Sentiment as the focus 
http://www.scribbleandscrapcrafts.blogspot.co.uk/ - #12 Anything Goes
http://doodlepantryblog.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/DPDC - #43 Any Digi Goes
http://emergencycrafterschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ - Pink or Red
http://2sisterschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/challenge-173-embossing.html 
http://craftyhandsdevon.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/heatdry-embossed-background8th-challenge.html

http://heather-bittenbythebug2.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/cricut-cut-as-stencil-challenge.html?m=1 - used Cricut to make as email and used this to emboss my background