Day one Basic Grey journaling cards

There are lots of bits and pieces that turn up at the shop that i have to get my hands on straight away. THere are some that i look at that i say 'hmm that is gorgeous' but dont buy as i know that i will never use them ( yep i can be restrained sometimes!!!) And there are some that i look at and think WOW i need to find a use for them.... but they are a bit more than i wanted to spend.

THese are such things...

They come looking like this...

What are they...They are journaling cards with transparencies. And they are £4.75.
They look like this when you get them out of the packet...

and this is what they look like when they are put together.

Gorgeous huh!!! ( sorry about the bad light it is daytime as i am writing this but the day is horrible and dark and raining!!!)

I spent a while thinking about how to use these. THe problem is there are alot of them, too much to put on a page and if you are like me you wouldnt be able to put them all on a page even two so you would have some left over. So why buy them???? well i will show you...

THe way i did this was to turn them into cards.

This is simple, quick and easy as they are already mostly decorated and you dont have to do much to them.

I made this one first...
Here is how to make it...
The size of this journaling card is about14cm across and 14cm down.


I cut out two circles from some of the Lemonade pattern paper line. One bigger than the other and put it into the centre of the journaling card. I added brown ink round the edges and then added faux stitch lines.

I then made some flowers... the first one i made had these components on them...
I added them all together. I also added another flower set made with the smaller flower punch that i used in the photo above...

I then placed the transparency part of it over the journaling card and adhered. I added the little gems round the edges which i used to cover up the glue dots. I always use wet glue to adhere gems but just make sure you give them time to dry when adhereing them onto the transparency as they will slip until they are set firm...

I then turned my attention to the back of the card. As this is not a normal card i had nothing but a boring white back of the journaling tag to write on... I dont do BORING!!! lol.

So i cut out the following...

TO make this i drew out two circles that overlapped each other a bit, so i could fold it in half and have it open...

I then cut out a bigger circle and punched out some smaller kraft circles.

And put them all together to look like this...
It opens up so you can write your message.
And volia a card...



Come back in a few days and see how i used one of the other ones xxx

Supplies
Basic Grey Take note
Basic Grey paper: Tea Time
Strawberry patch
Retro flower punch

That Christmas Feeling

'That Christmas Feeling' is what my LO is all about. Christmas carols, shopping, all wrapped up cozy, good food and being together just about sums it up for me. So here's how I created my Christmassy LO.

I started by lightly spraying my blank page with some lime twist and peppermint glimmer mists.
I love this light shimmer coverage. It's a really good start to a LO.

I've used the My Minds Eye - Colourful Christmas papers and the 12x12 die cut page too that matches.

Once my photos were positioned and my borders in place, I added 2 flowers with my own handcut leaves in the matching papers. I stitched up the centre of each leaf so they stood out better and then scrunched them up, inked them and stuck them down with a couple of small foam pads so they regained the crumpled look.

I wanted my subtitle to be seen better so stuck each mini alpha (my little shoe box) onto card, trimmed down and stuck a small amount of foam padding behind everyother one. This really did the trick.

I now have my Christmassy LO : )

CHRISTMAS LO

The making memories papers are just the perfect thing you need to make your christmas layouts pop I decided to keep this layout really simple as not to distract from the darling photo

steps
1 start off by cutting the white card stock about 3cm all the way round so when mounted onto the black it looks the same but before glueing it into place using a circle punch ... punch two holes on the top left of the card stock as shown

2 cut two different strips of patterned papers and two different colours of card stock layer as shown then using a worded stamp stamp the image to the right hand side of the layout

3 mount your photo onto black card stock then glue this into place cut several trees from the patterned paper and mount onto 3d foam pads finish off the layout by adding your title and add glitter glue for that sparkly effect x

Happy Christmas...

For the 12th cards we have a couple of designs from Chloe and Lisa. First up is Chloe:

Believe it or not, a keen scrapbooker does not necessarily make a skillful cardmaker. While I will happily put together a layout without a second thought, I have been known to angst over a single card without coming up with a single idea. So I am always on the lookout for simplicity. And I think with this idea I've achieved it. As a scrapbooker, I'm never sure what to do with Cosmo Cricket border papers - I don't go in for borders a lot on my pages, and these sheets inevitably go to waste. However, I think I have found a use for them in cardmaking. Simply cutting up a border sheet provided all the embellishments I needed for this card.

First, I cut a 6x6in card blank from off-white card and affixed a slightly smaller square of Cosmo Cricket Breezy Freezy paper to the front, inking the edges first for definition. I then attached a piece of pale blue ric rac and some buttons which toned with the paper to the bottom of the card.

Next, I cut up a piece of the Cosmo Cricket Jolly By Golly Borders paper into separate embellishments. This strip came in the form of a snowman and four pieces of a rhyme. I fixed the snowman and three pieces of the rhyme ot the front of the card using foam pads to raise them.

The final piece of the rhyme I fixed inside the card, along with a scalloped paper circle and some more ric rac.

The finished card is blissfully simple to make but perfect for kids - and I've finally found a use for those border papers too!

And now from Lisa:

I love making mini cards to send. I think they look so cute. All I've used for these cards are 4x3'' card blanks, a sheet of 12x12 My Minds Eye Die Cuts - from the Colourful Christmas range.

Some pva glue and stickles to finish.

To start choose your embellishments from the 12x12 sheet. I've then sanded the edges for a smoother look and inked the edges.

I've then stuck my pieces in place and decorated with stickles to finish.


Very simple, but really effective.

And we would like to wish all our blog readers a Very Happy Christmas!

The 11th Card

To start this you need some green cardstock to make the card - cut it to 28 x 15cm and fold in half. Take a 14cm strip of green patterned paper (I've used some MME from the Stomp range here) and punch down one width with Martha Stewart Half Spiral punch. Trim this whole piece then to 12cm across. Punch out a half circle on the right hand side and draw with a white pen round the edge.

Stick this onto the front of the card blank.

Stamp the Tapestry Tree onto some cream cardstock with distress ink.

Trim to 7.5 x 12cm and edge with black pen. Using icicle stickles highlight parts of the tree. When dry stick onto the top and add some gemstones.

Computer generate your greeting onto pale green cardstock and punch out with a scalloped circle punch.

Attach this as shown, leaving the right hand side to stick out over the edge. Use a gold pen to finish off with a line round the edge and dots on the scalloped greeting.

The 10th card..

For the 10th card, we have a guest designer, Karen Barker. She has produced 2 different cards using Kaisercraft paper...

This collection reminds me of one Christmas I wrapped up all my gifts in brown paper and string!

Card 1: This card has a pocket for a gift voucher or money:



1. Copy the template below onto Kraft cardstock (you will have to do this on the diagonal) and cut it out. Then score along the lines and fold.


2. Cover the bottom inside flap with patterned paper and ink the edges with distress ink. Fold over and glue to tabs. This makes your voucher pocket.



3. Turn the card over now so you can see the front. Cover the first and third panels with patterned paper and ink the edges.

4. Cut out 2 borders from the Billy Cart paper. Using a corner rounder, scallop the edges and adhere to the top of the card (panel 1). Roll the edges of the scallop using your fingers and attach the beige border underneath and against the bottom of the card.

5. Cut a 1.5" circle from the Bicycle paper and ink. Ink a large white flower with distress ink, adhere to the circle and top with a large red button. Embellish with twine and adhere to panel 1. Stamp a border stamp along the bottom of the beige border.

6. Back to the inside - Cut the dear Santa tag from the Billy Card paper and 11.2cm x 11.4cm of the same paper (you use the reverse).

7. Stick the green card to panel 2 and then the santa tag on top. You may have to trim this to fit.

8. Ink all the edges and draw round the edges.

Card 2:

1. Copy the template on to the Bicycle paper and cut out.


2. Score from the top at 11.7cm and 12.7cm with a bone folder and ruler and then fold. Ink all of the edges with antique linen distress ink. Cut a slit in the bottom panel with a craft knife.

3. On the Billy Cart patterned paper cut 3 strips - layer these on top of each other and adhere to front of the card.

4. Cut out the wish list tag from Billy Cart paper, ink the edges and mount on to Kraft cardstock. Round the corners. Punch a hole in the top and add an eyelet, then thread ribbon through the top. Adhere to the card with foam pads.

5. Ink 3 small prima white flowers with distress ink and adhere to the border and then add green buttons to the centres.

6. Stamp the border stamp along the bottom edge flap with stazon timber brown ink.

7. Cut a square of Kraft cardstock 12.4cm x 12.4cm, ink the edges and adhere to the inside middle panel. Add a green border to the bottom.

8. Lastly draw around the card edges.

The 9th card... Happy October Afternoon

I used the new Christmas line from October Afternoon for these cards...

Here is the first one...


The next one is this one...



I loved these little houses soooooooo much that i had to use them. I used a scalloped edge punch to create the feeling of snow along the bottom.

I then created this little tag ...
And lastly this one....

I hope you all have a wonderful xmas and thanks for looking xxx

For the 8th card... some layering

Today's card has been made by Karen...


For this card you will need two pieces of patterned paper and three co-ordinating sheets of Bazzill cardstock. I used Merry Berry, and Silly Chilly from the Jolly by Golly range by Cosmo Cricket, a dark brown ink pad and some flat backed gems. I also used a Bazzill In Stitch'z circle template and a woodware 1" circle punch.

Cut the red cardstock to make a 6" card base, a 5.5" square mat from cream cardstock and a 5" square mat from the green cardstock. Cut or punch a total of thirteen 1" circles and eight 1.5" squares. Ink the edges of all the cut pieces.

Assemble all the pieces, as shown, not forgetting to slip 5 circles under the right hand edge of the green cardstock before sticking down, to give you a scalloped edge.

Next use the template to mark out 2 circles, one in the emplty square, and one through all the squares.

Add a circle of flat backed gems as shown, and one on each corner of the cream layer. Then stick the punched circles of patterned paper on top of the squares, using foam pads.

The final touch is a computer printed 'Happy Christmas' layered with foam pads on a punched circle of red cardstock.

For the 7th card of Christmas, my stash shop sent to me...

Colourful Christmas by My Mind's Eye.

I cut a piece of patterned paper slightly smaller than my card blank.



I then used a white gel pen (white pen review) to draw a line around the edge of the paper.



I cut a piece of white card slightly larger than the tree stamp. Next I created a mask by punching some snowflakes from scrap card which I adhered to the white card using temporary adhesive. If you don't already have a snowflake punch tucked away in your stash, they can be found here, here, here or here.



I sprayed a light coat of glimmer mist (see this article for some tips on getting started with glimmer mists) and allowed the piece to dry.



My next step was to stamp and emboss the tree onto the glimmered card. I used Brilliance Dew Drop in Crimson Copper and clear embossing powder.




To assemble the card, I first adhered the embossed card onto the patterned paper and then adhered the layers to the card blank.



I used buttons and crystals for baubles.



Finally, I printed my greeting onto white card, cut into strips, inked with chalk ink and adhered to the card using foam squares.



Of course, the papers called out to be used again so here's number two:

I started my second card by putting a line of painted circles across the lower part of a card blank. I used a plastic pot as a stamp.



I then cut/punched several circles of different patterned papers just a little smaller than my painted circles.



Once I'd inked the edges of all the circles, I adhered them onto the card. I allowed some of the circles to overlap the edges of the card blank and then trimmed them.



As before, I printed my greeting onto white card, cut into strips, inked with chalk ink and adhered to the card using foam squares.




And finally, I came across these giant bottle tops that I'd had in a drawer for absolutely ages and was inspired to create this little hanging ornament. Cute to hang in your own home or to give as a gift.