Hobby Art Poinsettia & Imagination Crafts

Hello all, this is my last blog post with the Hobby Art Poinsettia stamp set. It's a very simple little card but effective because of the Sparkle Medium.

I stamped the large poinsettia from the Hobby Art Poinsettia Stamp Set and coloured it in using the Spectrum Aqua Markers Floral Set, (they are 25% off on the web site at the moment at £15). 

I cut out the image and using my finger, dotted Diamond Sparkle Medium all over. 

The next step was to create the background by using the Imagination Crafts Flourishes Stencil that I taped down on some white Super Smooth card stock and also using Sparkle Medium Diamond to spread through the stencil.

I left this to one side to dry for a while, in the mean time I stamped the sentiment from the same stamp set using Versafine Black Onyx and Wow Clear Embossing Powder.

Once the background was dry, I measured a slightly larger piece of black card for a small border.  Then I found some thin ribbon from my stash that luckily matched the sparkle medium and wrapped it the white background, I made two large loops to look like a bow stuck them down and placed the cut out image over the top, then cut two tails and stuck then under the image and positioned them before placing the sentiment down.  I then stuck the whole thing on to a 7" x 7" card.

Here's the card again

Nice and simple and quick.  Hope you have fun making it.

Love, Jan -x-

Merry Christmas from Daryl the Quirky Turkey!

It's October! Halloween is around the corner so get out your witches' hats (yes Lisa, you can also keep some for the Christmas party!) And once the ghosties and ghouls have visited, Santa is soon to follow..

With that in mind crafters, today is my last post featuring our friend Daryl the Quirky Turkey from Hobby Art. A simple card for this week, with the idea that we do not always want to go 'full throttle' at a time when we are likely to make the most cards in one go. I was also thinking of postage costs and trying to keep my card to a thin layer!

My first step was to stamp the largest Daryl head onto one side of my topper panel using Staz On Jet Black Ink. I could not stamp directly onto the card on this occasion, as I wanted to use Spectrum Aqua Pens and they would have bled through once blended. 

Next, I made a mask to fit over the top of the turkey with a sticky note. Once this mask was placed down, I used two large sticky notes to mask and frame an area in which to work.

Working from the sticky notes into the middle with a Blending Tool, I applied some Tumbled Glass Distress Ink to fill the panel. Here is where I ended up experimenting a bit, as I did not like my initial idea when it was stamped out in front of me. I had thought to have lots of Christmas text in the panel behind the turkey, but I thought this was a bit busy and wanted the attention to be more on Daryl...

I thought maybe the text was too dark in the black ink, so tried to stamp the same text in Tumbled Glass Distress Ink...

Deciding I didn't think that text was right for Daryl, (not 'quirky' enough) I found a simpler sentiment and used this. This time the font felt more 'in-keeping' with my funny chap, and with the addition of the word 'GULP!' and some random snowflakes from the Hobby Art Winter's Snowflakes Set, I was happier! I coloured Daryl with some Spectrum Aquas, blending from the dark into the light to add some depth. I did not use much water as I was not using Watercolour Card on this occasion and I did not want to saturate the card too much.

Eventually I was happy with the final effect: I wanted Daryl to suddenly appear as if he has just realised Christmas was upon him and what this might mean...poor chap!

That's it from me using the Daryl stamps!

Have you created any projects with him? I would love to see some! Check out Lisa's online shop for the materials I have used this month, including many items in the MEGA SALE!

Love

Martina

xx

October Newsletter

Hello, everyone, welcome to the October newsletter - HOW is it October already??!! I hope you had a great September, wasn't it nice having some warm weather to the end of the month? As I mentioned in the previous newsletter, September was a busy month for me. Kirsten and I took a stall at the Southern Model Show in Headcorn, we had a great time and it's likely that we will be there next year. I demoed for Imagination Crafts at the Stitching, Sewing and Hobbycrafts show in Exeter last weekend, which was madly busy and we had a great time - apart from the Sunday, which I missed. (Thank you to everyone for the kind words and messages). I returned yesterday from Liverpool, where I was demoing for Imagination at the Happy Stampers show in Port Sunlight. That's always a fun show to do and Port Sunlight is a lovely place to visit. 

In other news, I was excited and thrilled when I realised that the Lisa B Designs Facebook page had reached 457 'likes', thank you very much to everyone who has signed up. I'm going to do a giveaway of some sort when we reach 500, just to say thank you. Wouldn't it be nice if that happened before Christmas..... :-)

If you've visited the website in the past week, you've probably seen the new Christmas Art Stamps from Imagination Crafts. They are beautiful images and perfect for vintage style Christmas cards.

         

I've also added the new Christmas Art-Cutz and some new stencils to the website and restocked Starlights, Alchemy Waxes and Sparkle Medium. You can find all the new products in the What's New section.

This coming Friday, October 7 is Class Day in Fant Lane Community Hall in Maidstone. You will make two Christmas cards, using the Imagination Christmas Script Art Stamp, Pine Trees Art Stamp & either the Santa Claus or the Winter Robin Art Stamp. We will be using them with Starlights paints, Sparkle Medium and Distress inks.

**I will be supplying pre-stamped images, so if you own any of the Christmas Art Stamps and would prefer to choose your own image, you are welcome to bring them along.**

To save you having to wait for items it would be helpful if you would also bring the following:

A brayer

Paintbrushes - small and medium

Versafine Onyx Black ink pad

***Please make sure your items are labelled with your name.***

Class times on Friday are 2.30 to 5.30 and 6.30 to 9.30. There are still places available in both, so if you would like to join us, please contact me on 01622 675078, by Wednesday evening, October 5. This gives me time to prepare your class project kit.

The cost of the class is £16. This includes your projects, a tool kit to use during the class and complimentary tea/coffee with a slice of cake. A deposit of £6, or full payment in advance, will secure your place. Please make any cancellations three days in advance, this gives me time to try to fill your place. After that, deposits are non-refundable.

The mobile shop will be in Fant Hall from 2.30 to 9.30 on Friday night - remember to bring your loyalty cards! The shop is open to all, so even if you're not attending a class, feel free to drop in.

You are welcome to purchase items in advance from the website and I will bring your order with me on Friday. Please complete your online order by Wednesday evening, October 5, so that I can pick everything before loading the van. 

PLEASE NOTE: At the October class I will be asking you to choose your project - an Imagination Crafts large MDF Bauble -  for the Christmas Party Class in December. Quantities of these are now limited, so I need to order them as soon as possible. I will have examples of the baubles at Friday's classes, you can also see them on Imagination's website.

Later this month I'm off to Spain for some rest and relaxation - I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to it! When I get back, I'll be going to Birmingham for the Christmas Hobbycrafts show at the NEC to demo for Imagination Crafts.

**This year, the show is falling on the first weekend of November, which is when I should be holding the Maidstone classes. I have managed to postpone the classes to the 

FOLLOWING Friday, November 11. I will remind you of the date change again, nearer the time.**

I think that's all my news for now. Thank you for your support. Have a great October and until next time, happy crafting.

Hugs, Lisa B x

Mouse Choir

 Good morning crafters, it's Julie here again with another mouse Christmas card from the cute Hobby Art stamp set; Have a Very Mice Christmas

First I stamped in Onyx Black Versafine my choir mouse once in the centre of a scrap of card and heat embossed with WOW! Clear Gloss embossing powder, and stamped the image again on a sticky note to make a mask. I cut out this mask and placed on the mouse I had just stamped and then re-stamped the same image again either side of my mask and heat set with clear embossing powder again, so I had my choir in place.

Then I set about colouring my choir in with Spectrum Aqua pens, (on special offer on the website).

 I die cut the card with a circle die and ran through again using a pinhole circle die from my stash to make a topper.

I then moved onto creating my background and decided I wanted an edge round the card, so I stuck masking tape around the edge, ( this is where I went wrong as I didn't de-tack this enough on my clothing, so you can guess what happened!). I merrily stamped my Imaginations Christmas Script (coming soon!), in the background using a purple ink and covered it with clear embossing powder. I didn't heat set until I had removed the tape as this would have activated the glue on the tape, however in removing this some of my card as well. A little despondent, I carried on and heat set the embossing powder.

So I then cut strips of purple card and attached them to my card blank overlapping each end (to hide my mistake).

 I die cut a scalloped circle in purple and attached this to the topper. The topper then got attached to my card using double sided sticky pads and I finished the card with a clear gem in each corner, some Icicle Stickles on the choir's ruffles and a bow I tied with a piece of coordinating ribbon.

                

Well that's my card for today, I hope you like it, mistakes and all....

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone at Friday's classes in Fant Hall, Maidstone, have a great week.

Love, Julie x

Watch Out For Icebergs!

Good morning, Kirsten here with my final two Hobby Art Christmas cards for now. I used the
 Poles Apart stamp set & Distress inks to create two very simple scenes. By the way, is anyone else bewildered by the fact that it is now OCTOBER??? It doesn't seem possible.....

I stamped the polar bear cub first, then masked her off & stamped the mama polar bear. I used Weathered Wood distress ink & Pearl Starlights to create some snowy areas & shading on the icebergs..........

For the second card I masked off the penguins - cutting out that mask was a little bit fiddly.... :-) - before stamping the iceberg they're standing on & adding two polar bear cubs........

The sentiments are from the Hobby Art Christmas Frosting stamp set.

         

This coming Friday is class day at Fant Hall, Maidstone, we'll be using Imagination Craft's beautiful Christmas Art Stamps to make two cards. More information is in the October newsletter, those of you who subscribe will receive it sometime tonight. It will also be posted here on Wednesday, or you can visit the October Class event on the Lisa B Designs Facebook page.

There are still a few places available in both the afternoon & evening class. If you would like to join us, please contact Lisa no later than Wednesday evening, this gives us time to prepare the correct number of class projects. 

Telephone: 01622 675078

Email: lisabaker1@btinternet.com

**If you're attending the classes & you wish you purchase items from the website in advance, please do so by Wednesday night at 8pm. Thank you. **

That's all from me for now, have a good week & I'll see lots of you on Friday. 

Kirsten