Makes from my last few Crafty Creative boxes

Last week I brought some jewellery findings as I had so many beads from Crafty Creative boxes and some other beads in my craft stash.

I had a few hours in the study on Saturday making bracelets, earrings and wine glass charms (in my own way, no memory wire so used tiger tail and looped it) 

I'm thinking of putting some of these bits in my handmade Christmas crackers this year (much better than the same old cracker presents) 

Snowy Acetate Tutorial

I know is June and there are still just under 6 months until Christmas but its the perfect time to start card crafting for Christmas so you can take your time as enjoy card making.

Recently I brought a card kit and wanted some snowy acetate but the place I got my card kit from had sold out PLUS I had lots of acetate at home which I hadn't used so thought I'd try and make it myself! It's super easy!

First you will need acetate and a Uni Paint market in white with a thick bullet tip (PX-20)

To get a random pattern of snow fall start making random large slodges with you pen 

Then randomly dot all over the sheet with then pen to make smaller snow flake. Leave to dry and ta-dah 

Then use it in your card making 

3D Birthday Cake Card

In a Crafty Creative box a few months ago there were some paper straws which wanted to use but wasn't sure on which project, then in last months Papercraft Inspirations magazine they had just the card, a 3D birthday cake with paper straw candles.

For the cake I printed some designs from Craft Artist onto Centura Pearl card (so it had a nice sparkly finish) and also printed some text onto the card strips as I wanted to add glitter text but didn't trust myself with writing it properly so used the printed text as a template.

Crafty Creatives Box 12! #Ccbox12 Finally arrived

My box finally arrived (I usually get it the day after its posted and mine didn't get to the postman until yesterday so finally got it today)

I did break and looked at spoilers on Thursday as someone posted a link on Facebook and the photo showed up of the art card and I was drawn in!

This months theme is 'The Treat Box' 

This is the best box so far! Don't know if anything will top it.

This months box contains 

CC Kit - sewing hoop with cross stitch (took me a lot of swearing to get the hoop apart but luckily it was easy to assemble after)

3 cake slice charms - love these!!! No idea what to do with them but after looking on the Cut Enough To Eat etsy shop I'm thinking wine glass charms

Cupcake cross grain ribbon - LOVE THIS! Hair bows clips? 

'M' print cabochons - mine are pink, purple and blue 

Fat quarter Paris macaroon fabric

Stix2 alteration tags - already have some still in their packet but saving for Christmas wrapping

Biscuit cutter - butterfly 

Recipe card

Juicy beads

Craft papers 

Ice cream buttons (thinking of making bows with these in the centre)

 Out of all of it there is only one thing I'm not keen on (the juicy beads) but I'm sure I'll find something to make with them for my little cousin.

My favourite thing from this box is by far the material. I want more!!!!! It's Paris Macaroon fabric and I'm thinking of making another cafetier cosy (I made my parents a Cath Kidston one a few years ago and then was asked to make one for a friend too).

I'm going to use the 'm' print cabochons for earrings and brought some stud eating posts last night along with some other jewellery findings. 

I made the craft papers into little envelopes to put on cards as embellishments using my CraftersCompanion  Ultimate Pro 

I've been very good and have 'filed' away this months box's contents so I know where all the bits are and don't have  boxes everywhere. 

Now off to feed hubby (and myself) then chillax in my chair with the cross stitch from this months box :) 

Quick Cards

Finally got round to using my embossing folders with coredinations card stock as well as the free papers from Crafters Inspiration issue 2 from Crafters Companion

Minecraft Wedding Card

Friends of ours are getting married in a few weeks and they are both gamers, so I had to make a gamer card for them of course!

They're huge fans of Minecraft, which for those who don't know is a game where everything is made of pixel cubes and you have to survive in a pixel world (I've played it and have to play the peaceful mode where there are no baddies). 

I made the below card by making the characters on a Minecraft skin maker online and then bringing them into CraftArtist. I got the Minecraft font online on a Minecraft font creater. 

Can't wait to give them the card! The inside has a pop up pixel heart and the verse inside is written in pixel font.

Vinylux Nail Varnish .... does it last 7 days?

 I recently heard about a new weekly nail polish which lasts up to 7 days so couldn't wait to give it a try and my nail varnish lasts a maximum of 2  days without chipping (and thats only if I've washed my hair before I do my nails as that causes my nail varnish to chip).

Vinylux is made by the people who do shellac polish but with this you don't need a uv lamp or any special equipment. I went for the mini pack with four colours and a top coat which was £20 rather than paying around £16 for one large colour.

 With Vinylux you need put the coloured polish on bare nails and then put the top coat on and the whole thing dried in under 9 minutes (which is the best bit in my opinion).

The colour looked good but the polish is quite thin so all ridges showed through so I took it off and smoothed my nails before repainting them.

 

The above polish lasted for ....... less than 24 hours before chipping.....NOT GOOD! I hadn't even done anything strenuous!

I tried again and also painted my sisters nails, this time in a different colour. I made sure that I ensured the tips of my nail were sealed in and it lasted a little bit longer, around 2 days before chipping (the below is after 3 days)

 My opinion on Vinylux....nice colours and it does what it says....lasts UP TO 7 days so technically 2 days is fairplay. I wouldn't buy it again though

Suit Up! How I Met Your Mother Card

 While I was going through my computer I found a photo of the card I made my Husband to open on our wedding day morning. Running up to our wedding day we had watched lots of How I Met Your Mother, and for those who don't know Barney always wears a suit and his catchphase includes 'Suit Up' and 'It's going to be legen......dary' so I made the below card in our wedding colours and had a pop up in the middle with 'dary' to finishing of the 'Legen' from the front.

This was one of my early cards and I was so excited to give it to Lee and he loved it.

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Stamps, stamps and a few more stamps!

I apologise for the lack of blogging! I've been doing a lot of crafting but forget to take photos of it and post. 

Recently I brought a huge bundle of unmounted stamps as I'd been wanting more for my card making and always stick to the same kind of thing. When I got the stamps I wasn't sure exactly what designs I'd be getting as the picture was just showing a mound of rubber. I was so excited when I got them to find out what designs were in there and I was so pleased. There were different themed designs including Christmasy ones and lots of cool characters. 

I then had to set about cutting the stamps to shape and finding out how on earth you mount rubber stamps. I won a Mulberry Wood stamp from Crafters Companion last year and they suggested either using EZ Mount or Stick and Spray but I ended up using some doublesided tape on the stamp I won (which didn't work well). This time I wanted to do it properly so brought Stick and Spray and some Crafters Companion Rock-a-Blocks. Rock-a-Blocks for those who don't know, are slightly curved stamp mounts you can use instead of normal acrylic blocks. The rocking motion means that you could get a perfect image every time. 

 

Stick and Spray is a re-positionable adhesive spray.

You need to put the stamp (or what ever you want to make tacky) onto some scrap paper, shake the can then spray on the back of the spray. DO NOT spray it on the etched side of the stamp, ie the design.......yes I got a bit tired of stamping, didn't think and sprayed the wrong side! Luckily it washed off. You then need to wait 30 seconds until the adhesive stops being wet and is tacky.

Then you just need to attach your stamp to the block! Ta-da! Then just tap the ink onto the stamp (making sure you don't get it on the ink on the side of the block then it's ready to use!

 What I didn't realise is that the tackiness of the Stick and Spray stays on the stamp and it can be repositioned up to 50 times! So for storing my stamp I stuck my stamps onto plastic packaging and acetate, ready to use the stamps again when needed.

I really like using the rubber stamps as they don't stretch or squish like the see-through stamps you get. I also love the Stick and Spray so much I think I'll get the permanent one, Stick and Stay, for when I have thin diecuts to stick, especially at Christmas.