Crafty Jo's blog of craft techniques » Nestabilities http://www.craftyjo.org.uk Tutorials on Altered Art, Calligraphy, Cardmaking, Embroidery, Encaustic art, Rubberstamping, Scrapbooking, Sewing and other craft techniques Mon, 23 Jan 2012 02:16:19 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= Random Card Making http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/cardmaking/random-card-making-2/ http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/cardmaking/random-card-making-2/#comments Sun, 06 Nov 2011 18:32:45 +0000 Jo http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/?p=4064 Xmas Telescoping

Xmas Telescoping

I’m going to add some cards I’ve made in the past few months – I’ll add the description under each photo so click on them to enlarge and read about each.

There are a variety of techniques involved although nothing that needs a lot of explanation. These are for quite a few different occasions; birthdays; sympathy; thinking of you; Christmas etc…

This is the card in its opened telescoping form - I used one large heart, one fancy circle and then a second smaller heart.

Opened telescope

The wings were die cut and mounted above the fancy tag with the angel definition on - two shrink plastic angels are just hanging around

Wings

Sympathy
Playing with my Iron Works Motifs from Spellbinders I cut these decorative papers.

Sympathy Card

The solid stamp was firstly inked with yellow and then a couple of different markers tapped on top of this base colour.

Thumping

I learnt how to ‘thump’ from GinaK at StampTV – see here.

Thinking of you
Got to love Costco ribbons! The base card was embossed with a folder and lightly coloured with Distress Ink.

Thinking of you

Fancy Label coloured whilst still in the die and the butterfly was die-cut and then touched with embossing ink and heat embossed with copper powder.

Label

Anniversary
I adore the Nested Hearts from Spellbinders, these were layered on top of deep red sparkle card and the wings are a nod to their GoldWing.

20th Anniv

Birthdays

We have three birthdays on three consecutive days in November, good job I made a birthday book some time ago :) .

Using Michael Strong stamps - Hetty's Coffee Cups- for a son who loves his coffee!

David's

The embossing is a little messy but looks OK in the flesh. The Spirelli die-cut was wrapped in a fine copper thread.

Large Cuppa

I stamped the smaller cup all over the background and then onto the same green card as I'd used behind the spirelli, this last was embossed with gold and then cut out.

Smaller Cuppa

There is a faux stamp under the cat saying 'Cleaning in progress' - don't know why they made it red!! Can hardly be seen.

Peter

Lost Coast playing cards stamped with masking involved; black card embossed with cogs (Tim Holtz folder) for a poker-playing son

Stuart

This is die-cut from a postcard Neil sent from Tenerife - re-purposing! Sorry about the glare of the flash.

Neil

Joanna Sheen stamp coloured with ProMarkers; Tapestry peg stamps for flowers, grasses and butterfly; Martha Stewart flower punch - oh, and Nesies, of course.

Amy

The Enchanted Forest Stamps by Joanna Sheen can be found here.

]]> http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/cardmaking/random-card-making-2/feed/ 0 Telescoping Card http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/cardmaking/telescoping-card/ http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/cardmaking/telescoping-card/#comments Mon, 01 Aug 2011 23:58:13 +0000 Jo http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/?p=3795 Telescoping Card

Telescoping Card

I recently found this idea for a card design and love the idea of it. I came across it at Donna’s Designs  with a link to Hetty’s blog where there’s a video tutorial. This is actually Barb‘s video so that’s the place you should go to see the tutorial.

The card shown is made using circle punches which I don’t possess so I used Nestabilities for this version. I cut three plain circles and three scalloped ones and while the plain circles were still in the dies I sponged poppy red ink leaving a lovely white border when the die is removed.

The stamps used are from Abiscraft, the poppy set mainly with a butterfly from this set. Oh, and the little filigree stamp is from Gloria – given at stamp club as part of a challenge she set us …… more on that to come at a later date.

The cute thing about this card design is that it folds nice and flat but, when you pull the ribbon, it opens up like a telescope ;) . You have to be aware of the orientation for the middle section but that’s simple once you’ve seen the video.

I have since tried it with squares – which works – and with hearts – which doesn’t!

As it opens

As it opens

Fully open

Fully open

Middle circle

Middle circle

Bottom circle

Bottom circle

All closed up

All closed up

]]> http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/cardmaking/telescoping-card/feed/ 3 Random Card Making http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/cardmaking/random-card-making/ http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/cardmaking/random-card-making/#comments Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:43:55 +0000 Jo http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/?p=3650 Acetate with crumpled foil behind, Michael Strong Fan stamped with StazOn

Foiled background

Here is a random selection of cards I’ve made recently, most don’t need a great deal of explanation but I’ve added a few words which you’ll see when you click a photo. If there is anything you’d like clarification on then please don’t hesitate to contact me.

This first one uses the Michael Strong Cloisonné Fan stamped on acetate. A layer of heavily textured purple paper with a flash of silver across it – at  jaunty angles (to hide the fact that I can’t always stick things on straight!) – and a couple of jewelled brads makes for one very heavy card! I do love the finished result though, guess it’ll need hand-delivering to someone special.

Crumpled foil; alcohol inks; diamond glaze to adhere it to the acetate

The Foil Background

A close-up of the stamped fans

Fans

Keys to the door of the new home and the motorbike because my son loves to ride his!

New Home

3 panels each with a Lavinia wildflower double stamped

Sympathy

The flower is stamped in black firstly and then overstamped in white (and embossed) to give a shadowed effect – used a stamp positioner to get it right

Close up

Loads of die-cuts used here; the frame around the flower is a Joanna Sheen stamp; Cuttlebug embossed layer; Fallen Angel sword

Grand Calibur

The card itself was cut out with a Grand Label Nestie

Full Card

Using up scraps of card and lots of space on the plate of the Grand Calibur

Grand Calibur

After cutting and embossing – love it!

Die Cuts Galore

A challenge over at Michael Strong – use 15 elements to celebrate 15 years in business (2 layers; 9 shrink plastic fans; 4 corners)

15 Challenge

The background is the Delft Tile Effect; fans stamped then shrunk and edged with a gold Krylon

Fan & Corner

Not the greatest photo :( – distressed flowers; Sizzix die-cuts; Eyelet Circle Nestie cut from felt .... masses going on!

Mother's Day

Michael Strong Cloisonne flower stamped on brayered background; two pieces of designer paper; flower edged with tiny dots using a Letrast pen

Sketch Challenge

]]> http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/cardmaking/random-card-making/feed/ 1 Anniversary Card http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/cardmaking/anniversary-card/ http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/cardmaking/anniversary-card/#comments Wed, 30 Mar 2011 16:09:09 +0000 Jo http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/?p=3605 Anniversary Card

Anniversary Card

I made this card for my Brother- and Sister-in-Law last week – I’m rather partial to using these Nesties for such a card and love the way they stack.

I used heavy-weight watercolour paper throughout and distress inks to add the colour. The background layer has the dictionary definition of Love stamped a few times – a Lost Coast design – and the heart flourishes and sentiment are by Prickley Pear. I tore the sentiment and the large layer before distressing the edges with Fired Brick and Vintage Photo inks.

Nestabilities

Nestabilities

Prickley Pear sentiment

Prickley Pear sentiment

]]> http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/cardmaking/anniversary-card/feed/ 4 Rubber Band Emboss http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/cardmaking/rubber-band-emboss/ http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/cardmaking/rubber-band-emboss/#comments Sat, 05 Mar 2011 14:01:18 +0000 Jo http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/?p=3569 On The Road

I re-visited a technique I’d tried years ago when I saw Gina K show it in this video.

It’s easy and yet beautifully effective and I’m thrilled with the result.

If you don’t already do so then I suggest you subscribe to StampTV, there are new videos, techniques and challenges every week and it is so very informative.

I find myself going back to look up ideas lurking in the back of my mind and following the step-by-step instructions which Gina makes so clear and simple. Have a look :)

The packaging around this embossing folder was a lovely shiny, sturdy card so I re-purposed.

Being frugal!

This is actually nice enough to use as it is without any colours.

Gold weaving

Not a lot of forethought went into the choosing of the colours, I basically just grabbed 4.

Distress Inks

The lightest colour doesn't change things too much.

Antique Linen

Rusty Hinge deepens the colour but I left some patches of the lighter showing through.

Rusty Hinge

Fired Brick is starting to add a bit of punch to it all now, these inks do all blend nicely.

Fired Brick

Vintage Photo is the final touch before polishing with a tissue to remove colour from the embossed lines

Vintage Photo

Using another piece of recycled card I stamped the car and words with Versafine and embossed with clear ep.

Stamping

ProMarkers were used to colour the car, a little ink sponged around the image while still in the die and a slightly larger oval die-cut to mat onto.

Colouring

Matted and layered, a strip of the dark card to look like a ribbon and that's it!

Finished

]]> http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/cardmaking/rubber-band-emboss/feed/ 0 Mardi Gras Card http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/cardmaking/mardi-gras-card/ http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/cardmaking/mardi-gras-card/#comments Sat, 05 Mar 2011 13:29:00 +0000 Jo http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/?p=3560 Over on Michael Strong’s Blog he explained how to make his Mardi Gras card. My sample uses the same basic technique but has ended up very different. I’ll explain what I did in each photo although I must apologise in advance – the silver embossing and stripes made it very reflective so a little hard to photograph.

Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras

I stamped the Cloisonne flower on bleaching paper and embossed with silver ep. Cut it out with Eyelet Squares and mounted that onto a piece of card edged with silver and grey stripes. Filled the holes with red glitter.

Inside

The triangular pieces are cut from the large Cloisonne Circle stamp and bleached out as in the centre.

Triangles

The base card is a metallic black edged with more silver/grey stripes. It will open either as a tent fold or side fold as it's quite symmetrical.

Black base

I'm trying to show the bleaching effect, you can see where parts of the card have turned orange where the bleach has worked. I added red glitter dots over the bleached dots in the centre.

Close up

]]> http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/cardmaking/mardi-gras-card/feed/ 0 Flippin Gardener http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/cardmaking/flippin-gardener/ http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/cardmaking/flippin-gardener/#comments Fri, 04 Mar 2011 00:58:54 +0000 Jo http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/?p=3543 Flippin Gardener

Flippin Gardener

I have 3 sisters and one of them is a very avid gardener so, with her birthday fast approaching, I got out my LaPasche stamps and set to work. I’m re-using the backs of cards which have been sent to me (both Christmas and birthday cards) – trying to re-cycle as much as possible – and so I stamped the two main images onto some nice smooth white card using black Versafine ink embossed with clear ep.

Colouring is definitely not my strong point but I’m determined to try :) so I got out the ProMarkers and set to work. The ovals were cut out with a Grand Nestability and a little yellow ink sponged around the edge whilst it was still in the die. I have a big problem with white space unfortunately so I just had to add some clusters of flowers around the edges too.

Having not thought this through beforehand (as usual), I now needed to mount the ovals to a card and remembered seeing a technique for partial cutting with a die over at Ikki’s Cuttlebug Cupboard.  I’m not sure if this is the post I was thinking of but it certainly helped me cut half an oval in the piece of A4 card I wanted to use.

Front and Back

Front and Back

Inside

Inside

Front

Front

Once I’d cut the semi-oval and scored and folded the card I used some of the accent stamps which came with this Flippin set to decorate and then glued the stamped oval panels into place. I’m really pleased with the way it’s worked out and thankful to Ikki for her blog post which helped enormously – I had a terrible mental block when I tried to work it out myself!

Inside finished card

Inside finished card

Front of finished card

Front of finished card

]]> http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/cardmaking/flippin-gardener/feed/ 3 Queen of Hearts http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/cardmaking/queen-of-hearts/ http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/cardmaking/queen-of-hearts/#comments Mon, 14 Feb 2011 01:52:34 +0000 Jo http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/?p=3482 Queen of Hearts

Queen of Hearts

Over at Quietfire Designs there’s the 2nd Annual Queen of Hearts Challenge going on.  I thought this would be easy but found it wasn’t really – everything I had in mind didn’t look quite right when I tried it! Oh well, I did manage to put a card together and I’m sure I’ll find a worthy recipient soon.

I started with a purple base card onto which I stamped lots of little hearts by Prickly Pear (Hearts & Flourishes) and then stamped the same on some white glossy card which I cut out and coloured with the same purple ink (Memento) and a little Fired Brick Distress Ink.

The large heart was die cut with a Nestie from a deep red glitter card and then smaller hearts punched out of the remnant. The Queen herself is from Lost Coast Designs (Kings, Squires, Damsels Set) and she’s scattering hearts onto a pile beneath her.

The scan shows the card colour better

Scanned image

You can see the red glitter card better here

Glitter card

Some of the little hearts are on 3D pads to raise them

Small hearts

Great detail on all these stamps, they always give a perfect impression

I'm ready for my close-up

]]> http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/cardmaking/queen-of-hearts/feed/ 6 Project Book http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/rubberstamping/project-book/ http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/rubberstamping/project-book/#comments Sun, 06 Feb 2011 16:41:50 +0000 Jo http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/?p=3444 Project Book

Project Book

We had been asked if we fancied a year-long project at Stamp Club and after everyone agreed they’d like that we were commissioned to make some sort of record of each technique we learned throughout the 11 months of the club year. We could make or buy the book itself so I used an album I’d picked up somewhere which had plenty of pages in it and which would, hopefully, cope with the thickness needed.

The front cover had a square aperture in it and I filled that with a clear plastic ‘shaker’ which I’d saved from brads or eyelets or something similar. It was a perfect fit for the hole and so I backed it with some die-cuts, added different coloured micro-beads and outlined the whole thing with a die-cut Nestie. I couldn’t resist using my recently acquired Fallen Angel die too and then, because I have trouble with a lot of white space, I stamped some hearts all over the cover itself.

I’ll add descriptions to each photo so click on the first one and then right-arrow through to see what’s what.

The Tri-Shutter card folds flat and is held closed by some brads; I showed how to make rosettes from a strip of paper (Tim Holtz has since released a die to do this!); and the show 'n tell was a decorated magnet.

January

Faux Cloisonné – an 'open' image stamped onto magazine pages and embossed with gold or silver. Some of them were filled with diamond glaze – lovely results.

February

Paper Casting – lots of toilet paper and (clean) water! I did a lot more samples at home and have described each one on the post-it note so I will remember what works and what doesn't.

March

Wax Resist – paper shapes under plain paper rubbed with crayons and then colour washed. Made some very interesting backgrounds.

April

Side Hinge Card – I've kept the instructions here with the sample so I shall be able to find it again in the future! I tried a small scalloped version too, it works OK. The show 'n tell was a brooch from a CD, I've attached a photo of one I'd made for a friend earlier in the year.

May

Serendipity – stamp on patterned paper, tear into rough shapes, glue onto card and then cut again into shapes.

June

Spring Pop-Up – I taught this technique, you can see the inside (the 'spring') on the next photo

July

Cut a circle into a spiral, attach to both sides of the card and add 'things' to pop-up.

July Inside

Stepper Card – the yellow card is the template, a copy of which I gave to all class members to make it easier.

August

Faux Stamping – although I wasn't happy with the colour-scheme on this sample I do like the idea of it.

September

Spotlight and Wax Resist – this evening I insisted that everyone 'finish' two cards, one of each of the techniques, rather than just do a sample piece. They all did :)

October

Card-io came to visit and show some lovely samples and techniques. The 'xmas trees' are a fold I was shown and I made lots of notes for next time I use my peg stamps.

November

I had several pages left over after I'd stamped the months so I started filling-in from the back of the album with other ideas/samples from the past.

Miscellaneous

Just another view of the album, I will keep adding to the blank pages so I have a record of all the great things we're shown at club – it's so easy to forget.

Finished book

]]> http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/rubberstamping/project-book/feed/ 1 Blog Hop http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/cardmaking/blog-hop/ http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/cardmaking/blog-hop/#comments Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:03:14 +0000 Jo http://www.craftyjo.org.uk/?p=3222 3 Weddings and a Blog Hop

3 Weddings and a Blog Hop

Well, this is my very first Blog Hop and I just hope I am doing everything correctly. The theme is weddings/valentines using Michael Strong stamps – the biggest problem I have is that I don’t have his lovely heart shaped stamp so I’ve had to work around that slight hiccup! I was bought four of Michael’s stamps for Christmas – circle, large vase, fan and flower but right now I do wish I’d requested the heart as well :) .

I have managed three samples though so I hope there’ll be something there to catch your eye and perhaps give you some inspiration. I am showing here my ‘mistakes’ – or should I call them ‘re-thinks’ so that you can maybe follow my weird thought process. Actually, that’s one of my big failings – I don’t plan ahead, just go for it and change my mind dozens of times along the way.

If you click the solitary photo above, on the right (3 Weddings and a Blog Hop), it will enlarge – you should then be able to ‘right arrow’ your way through the rest of the photos and read below each one a few more details of how I did things.

I stamped the circle on watercolour paper – I used the circle stamp as it had the most surface area for me to cut other shapes out of.

Stamped circles

Close up of the lovely detail

Close-up

I cut heart shapes out with Nesties

Heart shapes

Then decided they were too 'busy'! The dark purple was far too intense for the card I had vaguely in mind

Too 'busy'!

Changed to a paler, lavender ink and backed the hearts with Nestie scalloped hearts

Lavender ink

Coloured the fabric covered wire with a green ink pad

Coloured the wire

Made a bunch of 'flowers'

Bunch of 'flowers'

I also smudged the edges with lavender ink

Smudged

I think they make a nicer bunch now

A nicer bunch

Texture Fade - inked with lavender before running through the Grand Calibur. The watercolour paper tore a little but I don't think it shows on the finished card.

Texture Fade

Matted with purple card & mounted onto card base

Matted

Vase was mounted on 3D sticky pads to go over the stems

Vase on 3D sticky pads

Close-up of vase

Close-up of vase

More hearts!

More hearts!

Needs 'purpling-up'? After me thinking it was too pale earlier, now I want it darker!

Needs 'purpling-up'?

I wonder why it's always 3 or other odd numbers? The adhesive gems add just the right amount of depth of colour.

Always 3?

Glitter glue added with a cocktail stick from a puddle of it – the nozzle is too thick to apply directly to such small dots.

Glitter glue

I don't really 'do' bows but it was needed in this corner. I peeled back the dark purple card to tuck the ends underneath.

Bows

Went a bit gem-crazy!

Gem-crazy!

Base card is a Grand Nestie Label One which makes a lovely sized card with an interesting shape to it.

Base card

I'm still not totally happy........

Not totally happy........

....darkened the card edges, OK, I'm happy now

OK, I'm happy now

Card number two.
2nd Card, Stamped with pale pink Memento ink

Card number 2

Drew 'inchie' squares on all – I had in mind to do a card made of inchies but really wish I had the right sized punch to make it easier!

'inchie' squares

Stamped a couple of sentiments, the 'Love' is from Lost Coast Designs Dictionary Definitions. These stamp beautifully, you can always read every word.

Sentiments

Edged all in same pink ink

Edged

Laid out on letterpressed background but I feel the detail is lost both on the background and on the toppers.

Laid out

Matted all pieces on darker pink card to define the edges more.

Matted

Changed my mind about the background, decided to go square.

Squared

Stuck on double sided tape – quite tricky to do. Used masking tape to hold the pieces in place, lifted them onto the sticky surface and then found that when I removed the masking tape it took some of the stamped image with it!

Double sided tape

I hate glitter! This is a lovely colour though. I just dumped the whole jar on top of the square of card.

Glitter!

Pressed it into the DSST to make sure it stuck to all the spaces between the inchies.

Pressed

Far too wishy-washy – again! Who was it who said the darker purple was too much? Oh, that would be me – on the first card!

Wishy-washy – again!

Tried colouring/glittering inchies to disguise where the tape had damaged them – didn't work.

Colouring/glittering

Got out the stamp-positioner

Stamp-positioner

Stamped in purple ink over the pink. The stamp positioner rocked slightly on the glittered card so it was hard to get it to line-up perfectly.

Over-stamped

Almost perfect? Slight pink shadow shows below the purple but I quite like that, looks like I've given it a shadow.

Almost perfect?

Re-did the inchies in purple! I didn't want to waste all that glittering so that's why I just stamped more circles and cut out more squares!

Inchies in purple!

OK, now I am happy with it, the purple ink looks better with the purple glitter and isn't lost anymore.

OK, now I am happy

I even like the glitter! This is a smallish card, only 4.5" square, but it suits the overall 'inchie' theme.

I even like the glitter!

Number 3!
3rd Card. That letterpressed background which I'd briefly discarded earlier. 'Love' sentiment is mounted on a Nestie Eyelet Square

Card number 3

I used the 2 remaining inchies from the previous card plus Spellbinders Fallen Angel dies

Spellbinders Fallen Angel

Heart cut from MS Circle stamped and embossed with silver ep. The deep rose card complements the pale pink quite nicely.

Heart cut from MS Circle

Teeny-tiny silver crystal hearts on the inchies to brighten them up

Crystal hearts

White & silver ribbon to one side – very traditional? This ribbon is from a lovely roll purchased at CostCo.

Ribbon to one side

The Fallen Angel slightly less traditional! I think this is my favourite card of the three.

Fallen Angel

Want to see more?

Hop over to Michael’s Blog (yikes, how scary being followed by himself ;) ). This is a circular blog so it doesn’t matter where you start – just make a full circle and leave comments everywhere for a chance to win a prize (something special from Michael!).

All participants:

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