Positive Quotes

Reasons to be happy today!
 - My cold and nasty cough is finally leaving my body
 - I'm going on a lovely trip this weekend
 - Paris, for New Years...need I say more?
 - Hot, creamy chocolate
 - A long walk amongst the Autumn leaves is a must this evening.

Day 3 - Christmas Card-athon Series 2011

Today's card introduces you to the wonderful world of embossing. I have in my craft room all the tools necessary for embossing but rarely use them, however they do add a really cool dimension to cards so I should probably dig them out more often!.

To start, I have used a plain, cream blank card from a pack of 50. As mentioned before these can be purchased in any good craft shop. I'm sticking with the Christmas colours of red and green and using a few 'unusual' materials to spice it up.

With this card, I have decided to cover the front side of the card in bright green card stock and cut the stock to fit the front of the card and then simply glued it down with glue. I then used a ruler to create "not so straight" lines with a white gel pen along the edge of the card.

I then selected a cream piece of paper with a snowflake design and cut it about 2cm smaller than the actual size of the card. I used 3D glue dots on the back of the cream card to adhere the piece to the front of the card, giving it a 3D feel. I love 3D glue dots and always ensure I'm never without them!

Place the card to one side for now and select some paper which you would like to use for embossing for sentiment. In this instance I have used a clear paper which is almost like grease-proof paper. I had it lying around the craft room and find it really interesting to use. In order to explain embossing, I've created a simple video below which should be of use to you.

Embossing made simple:
1 - Select your paper for Embossing
2 - Select your sentiment and ink (Ensure the ink you use is suitable for Embossing)
3 - Cover your stamp with your chosen ink
4 - Stamp your paper with your sentiment - remembering to apply equal pressure to the entire stamp
5 - Select your Embossing power, and lightly sprinkle over the wet stamp.
6 - Shake off excess Embossing power
7 - Use your heat gun on the stamped area and evenly distribute the heat of the gun across the sentiment.
8 - When you see a shine appear and the stamp "rise up", you're done!

Embossing is a really fun technique, but be careful not to burn your fingers as the heat gun is very hot! At the end of the post, I'll list below all the materials / tools you need if you're interesting in learning the embossing technique and exploring it further.

Once the embossing is complete, you should cut the strip of paper used to the size required and adhere it to the cream paper. To add something extra I have added faux stitches in white gel pen to the sentiment piece. You're now half-way there!

Next, I'm using one of my new favourite materials... doilies!! Yes, they're very "little old lady", but trust me they're the coolest thing and best of all, they're cheap! You can find them in your local euro shop or on Etsy.

For this card, I have cut the doilies to size and placed it half way down the card and just behind the sentiment. Feeling that the card was still a little bare at this stage, I cut a huge amount of red baker twine and carefully wrapped it three times around the card and tied it in a neat bow. Cut off any excess twine with scissors.

To complete, punch some festive snowflakes from some green and red pattern paper and place around the card and you're done!

See you tomorrow for Day 4!

I'll be showing you how to make a Christmas card for someone special!

Embossing Tools
- Heat Gun
- Embossing Power
- Ink suitable for embossing!

Day 2 - Christmas Card-athon Series 2011

For today's card I'm showing you how you can easily incorporate ribbon into any card. I did mention that I love embellishments, so over the course of the 25 day card-athon series you'll see lots of embellishments being used along the way!

Similar to yesterday, this is a very easy card to make. The only tricky bit is the tying of the ribbon and the stamping of the sentiment....in all honesty, even that's not to difficult! Tying the ribbon is like tying a shoe lace!

To start, select some red card stock (A4 in size) and fold in half. Cut straight down the fold and you're left with two pieces of equal length. Take one of those pieces and fold in half, now you have your blank card.

I've used the same paper range as shown to you yesterday and if you havn't already run out to buy it, a link can be found here.

Select some pieces of the card stock that you like and cut two strips about 3cm each in width. Attach them to the left hand side of the front of the card and then select your ribbon. When cutting ribbon, a good rule of thumb that I adhere to is to cut the ribbon about 2.5 times the length of the card, that way you'll have enough to tie the bow.

When adding the ribbon, cut with a craft knife, a small hole at the top so that the ribbon can easily slide through, thus allowing you to pull the ribbon through the card and tie it on the front. 

To finish, tie like a neat show lace and when done, cut off any excess ribbon with scissors. The ribbon I've used in this card was purchased in America last year so unfortunately I can't provide any links to the exact ribbon used, but I will recommend some places at the end of the tutorial.

Now to the fun part...embellishments! I used my snowflake punch once more to punch a few snowflakes from some scrap pieces and carefully decided were to put them before adhering to the card. To add some more depth, I've placed some tiny white pearls around the snowflakes, adding another dimension. To top it off, no luckyrainbow card is complete without white gel pen faux stitches.

To complete the card, I have used my corner punch tool (available from all good craft shops) to corner one edge of the card. Sometimes its fun / different just to corner edge one side like I've done with this card.

To finish I've stamped a "Merry Christmas" sentiment with black ink. This stamp was purchased from America on Etsy. I really find the best tools, stamps and papers are in America and when I visited NYC last December I brought home a suitcase full of  Christmas stock ready to use to this year! I'm anything if not prepared.

So there you go....one joyful and very red Christmas card to send to someone special!

Tomorrow, I'll be showing you an embossing technique on an alternative type of paper! A little more trickier but a useful technique nonetheless!

Ribbon Suppliers as promised:

Cara Craft Supplies

Cork Art Supplies

See you tomorrow for Day 3!

Day 1 - Christmas Card-athon Series 2011

I've kickstarted the Christmas card-athon series with a very easy card. I don't know about you, but at the end of a days / week / months crafting I am always left with oodles of scraps of paper. Because the paper I buy is expensive, I tend to keep all the pieces that I know can be used again. I store them in a particular space, but nine times outta ten they never see the light of day again! If you look at this storage space of scraps as physical money, you'd probably be more likely to use them again...eh?

Given Christmas will be harder on everyone this year as the recession is still in full swing, I've created a card that uses minimal amounts of paper, thus making your paper selection go that bit further!

To get started (and to make life that bit easier) just buy a pack of blank cards which you can get from your local craft shop pretty cheaply. This saves you time and saves you cutting card stock.

Grab all your scraps and bits and pieces and before you go sticking anything down, make sure the paper is somewhat colour co-ordinated. In this instance I have chosen the typical Chistmas colours of red and green.

Once you have decided on your scrap pieces, have fun with the layout. Move the pieces around the blank card, perhaps tilt them at an angle like I have done below, experiment with shapes and think of your card as a blank canvas and a mini work of art! Experiment with the paper, fold it, tear it...play with it! You'll love the results!

One you're happy with your layout, carefully stick all the items down. When done, think to yourself "Is there anything more I can add?" I love playing around with embellishments and have jars of stock lying around the craft room. To finish my card, I've tied some red twine to a shiny red button and glued it down. I've also punched a snowflake from some spare scrap stock and added it as a finishing touch.

Punches are invaluable tools if you love card making as much as I do. I have the snowflake tool a number of years now and while I'm not 100% sure where I purchased it, I think it may have been from Silkes in Limerick.

To finish, I have stamped a 'Christmas Greetings' sentiment in black ink and used a gold gel pen to create faux stitches, a little signature which is usually found on all of my cards.

There you have it! - Easy-Peasy, especially if you consider yourself to be  one of those non-creative types! Have a go!

Want to make your own?

Here are some links to get you started!

Christmas Card Stock curtosy of the Echo Park Company

Punches! - A card makers dream tool!

Blank Card Stock

Ink for stamping!

See you tomorrow for Day 2!

Christmas Card-athon 2011

Tommorrow I'll be launching the 2011 Christmas Card-athon series! Over 25 days, I will upload a new handmade Christmas card and share with you a few pointers about how you can make your own and hopefully inspire you to get out there and make a few for your nearest and dearest!

Considering it's huge blogging task, I've already gotten started and have the first ten ready to go! A girl is gotta be prepared!

The best bit...at the end of the 25 days, I'll give a luckyrainbow follwer the chance to win a selection of the cards, call it an early Christmas gift! I'm looking forward to the event and I hope you all get something from it! Feel free to share with others!

Happy Crafting & I'll see you all again tomorrow!

Today I heart....

One simple amazing invention...I need one of these, like now! Now that college is in full swing once more and I'm taking my beloved cannon here there and everywhere I badly want to transform one of my bags! Perhaps its an excuse to buy a new bag.....even one from Penneys! I don't own a sewing machine and I've never been a dab hand at sewing or using a needle and thread! Anyone out there wana help me realise my dream of a practical / pretty camera bag?

Wana try it for yourself? Instructions can be found on this lovely blog.

http://vanillaandlace.blogspot.com/2011/01/diy-camera-pursebag.html

RIP Steve Jobs

Very sad news about Steve jobs today....so I thought I's share with you this inspiring talk I've always loved listening to. I hope it inspires you too!

Weekend Plans

While it may only be Tuesday, I'm already drooling about weekend possibilities. A load of new stock arrived at my door this morning - It felt like an age since I've ordered anything online so I literally could not wait for the nice post lady to arrive. Weekend plans include first and foremost, updating my Etsy shop, its been.....probably two months since I updated and put some work into it, so it's crying for some attention...and while we're at it, sales too!

The next step of action is working on my blog interface, I follow lots of cool, hip and crafty blogs and have recently noticed modern and nice improvements so it got me thinking about my own. Sometimes when you look at something long enough you get bored with it and it's important to spice or jazz things up.....just so everyone stays interested. I'm a bit of a blogger novice so we'll see how that goes...bear with me as changes and experiments get underway!

And then there is C-C-Christmas! I saw my first selection box in the supermarket last night and nearly had a heart attack! I have oodles of Christmas stock purchased from my NYC trip last December (my heart aches for another trip!) and it's about time I got it out from under my desk and jumped straight back into all things red and green! I'll be sure to start listing these items once ready...and to get us in the spirit....Ho,Ho,Ho!!......Too early? yea I thought so!