And the Winner is....

It is time to announce the winner of my 7 year Blog-A-Versary candy...

Note that this is my second post today... scroll down if you just want to see today's creative post...

So drum roll please... the draw said... D'Ann in the USA

D' Ann said.... Happy Blog-aversary! I am in the US and follow your blog by email for about a year now. Your cards always have the wow factor and are so gorgeous & always inspiring! I love that you provide measurements in imperial. I would love to see you create holiday treat bags or boxes. 

So D'Ann... you have won the 2 tutorials for the Handled Cantilever Box and the Suitcase Mini Album...

But wait... I have not finished... I double dipped!!!!

I then decided to do a UK only draw too as the SU! goodies were sitting there all forlorn and in need of a better home....

So another drum roll please..... the 2nd draw said ...

Ali in the UK...

Ali said ... Happy anniversary, I am in the UK and follow your blog daily you are a must go to blog, I love your makes and find them very inspiring

So yes Alison... you have won the booty (although you can still choose to have the 2 tutorials as an alternative)

If D'Ann and Alison would like to click here and email me ... then your blog candy will be on its way to you both very soon.... congratulations! And thank you for your really lovely comments... blush!

Thank you so much to everyone that left a comment... your feedback was so useful to me when thinking about what to post in the future... and I have a few new ideas to try now.... Though some of the other comments made me blush too!! You are all so kind and so lovely.... I will be back to you with a reply to your comments... my other life just completely took over after I posted my blog candy post.... maybe end of next week!

I am glad to see that I am still posting a lot of crafty inspiration for so many of you.... and that many of you are learning from me and getting use of the tutorials I post. It makes it all worthwhile - as well as enjoyable!

Swing Easel Card with new Tutorial

Another Reason for the Season Swing Easel card... using small poinsettias this time... this one WOWed everyone that walked in the room!!! Have to say...it "stands well" in the flesh...

These are each made from 4 of the small duos... my ladies had quite a lot of these left over from another project! More on that another day...

And the holly leaves are also made from the large petal - just nibbled around the edges with a 1/2" circle punch

And seeing as it is Friday... a Fancy Fold Friday Tutorial for you... for an A4 Swing Easel Card this time...

Apologies to my US readers as this card is specifically designed from an A4 piece of card... conversion won't work sensibly! You might as well use the 12x12 version here. I have put a 5 1/2" Square version from your card on "THE LIST" - but I honestly doubt the list will be touched again until 2016....

Now I do also have to warn you... I have had a good run on these cards - as we did 3 in this weeks' classes - and I made a few more as I was clearing up too!!! So this is now the second part of a series of Swing Easel cards....!

Recipe

Card (Vanilla) 14.8cm x A4 long (ie 29.7cm)

Paper (Top) 14.1cm Square

Paper (Base) 14.1 x 7cm

Card (Red) 9cm Square

Card (Vanilla) 8.5cm Square

Scallop Square die (Squares Framelits)

Personal Trimmer & Bone Folder

Instructions

1.    Scallop Square die cut the paper square

2.    LANDSCAPE. At 14.8cm on Top Bar. Score across whole card

3.    LANDSCAPE. At 17.3cm on Top Bar. Cut from 2.5 to 12.3cm

4.    LANDSCAPE. At 27.2cm on Top Bar. Cut from 2.5 to 12.3cm

5.    Bone Fold along central 14.8cm line

6.    With card as Tent Fold – adhere paper on front (around the cuts)
TIP – ensure you have glue spread all over (but thinly) half way down the sides

7.    Place card blank back on trimmer LANDSCAPE with papers to the right hand side…

8.    LANDSCAPE. At 21.7cm on Top Bar. Score from 2.5 to top (ie 0) and 12.3cm to bottom (ie 14.8cm)

9.    LANDSCAPE. At 22.7cm on Top Bar. Score from 2.5 to top and 12.3cm to bottom

10. LANDSCAPE. At 23.7cm on Top Bar. Score from 2.5 to top and 12.3cm to bottom

11. Place card blank on trimmer PORTRAIT with papers at Top…

12. PORTRAIT. At 2.5cm on Top Bar. Cut 2.5-7cm, LIFT, Cut 8-12.3cm

13. PORTRAIT. At 12.3cm on Top Bar. Cut 2.5-7cm, LIFT, Cut 8-12.3cm

14.  Fold the 2 side sections as Mountain, Valley, Mountain.
(Tip – it is easier to fold the 2 mountains and then push the valley fold in between)

15. Decorate as necessary

Large Poinsettia Swing Easel Card & AMAZING Year End Sale

Another Swing Easel Card share for you today....

But first... PLEASE DO NOT forget to check out the incredible Year End Sale - amazing selection of products there!!! Seriously!! There are a lot of retiring Christmas products for example - at up to 60% off... Please do not miss them.... I know some of these will sell out quickly...

Also check out this weeks' Weekly Deals (the Precision Plate is a Must Have for your intricate dies in my humble opinion!) Need something...?

I will be ordering this Friday so I can pop something on there for you... or don't delay and order through my Online Store as you look at these Deals...

This Swing Easel Card is from A4 card... so a new tutorial will be posted soon....

Lots to do...

Last but one class of the year today...

No guesses as to the stamp set we are using... time for Reason For The Season...

Skating Santa!

Couldn't resist trying out this idea...

A cut-out Santa from the Home For Christmas papers...

A large oval punched through the paper...

Stuck onto the white mat so as to create the skating rink...

Finished off with the Fine Tip glue pen and Dazzling Diamonds on the skating rink and the blades....

So here is the quartet.... well Santa didn't want to be left out....

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Another Winter Wonderland Mini Book & Another Tutorial...

 

Another of my favourite simple mini books.... though this looks very dressed up in the stunning black and gold foil stripy papers...

A few pages to add your photos too...

Simple in its decoration for now... the photos should be the main event after all...

So opening up....

Simplest of decoration... Just a triple embossed snowflake element along with a strip of washi tape...

Opening up again...

And again...

So back to the front....

 A simple wrap round ribbon as the closure...

 Covered over at the back...

And a little detail.... difficult to see....but there is a die cut circle behind the gold foil doily...just stiffens up the decoration sufficiently....

And an admittance.... I had to use Hello Honey 12x12 card for the left and right pages... given a choice I would have used Basic Black .... but my supplies had not turned up! And the cupboard was very bare...

And seeing as it is Tuesday.... so Tips, Techniques & Tutorials Tuesday....a tutorial for you....

Recipe

Cardstock 

Basic Black 12" x 6"; 6" Square (x2)

Whisper White 12" x 5 3/4"; 5 3/4" Square (x2)

Hello Honey ( Basic Black!!) 12" x 5 3/4" (x2)

Papers

Black/Gold Stripe 5 1/2" Square (x2)

Wide pages - 5 3/4"W x 5 1/2"H

Narrow Pages - 2 3/4" W x 5 1/2" H

Ribbon Gold Satin x 30"

Large Gold Metallic Doily

Tutorial

1. Score LANDSCAPE 12" Basic Black panel at 2 1/2", 3", 9" & 9 1/2"

2. Bone Fold (all mountains) and lay down with short flaps to front

3. Adhere the two 6" Basic Black squares to the short flaps ( Tip - put your glue on the short flap!)

4. Score other three 12" panels at 3" & 9"

5. Bone Fold (all mountains) and lay down with short flaps to front

6. Adhere White panel to centre back of book

7. Adhere Hello Honey panels to left and right of the Whisper White panel ( ie stick narrower panels together!)

8. Decorate as required....

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Winter Wonderland Scallop Square Matchbook Album Tutorial

Something you haven't seen for a while a The Craft Spa - a mini album... a Scallop Square Matchbook Album... and the tutorial for it too....

Or is it a mini album?

It also makes a great gift card holder... or even for cash...

I also dressed a great one for my husband's birthday...covered in rugby balls and pictures of posts & Twickenham... along with the tickets for a international match at Twickenham... even he thought the dress-up was great! Result!!

So here is the recipe for this Scallop Square Matchbook Album...

Cardstock 
Thick Whisper White 4" x 8 1/4" ( ie A4/21cm wide for us Europeans)
Scallop Square - Gold Foil 4 3/4" Square
First Page - Gold Foil 4" x  2 1/8"
Second Page - Basic Black 4" x 3 1/8"

Papers  
Front Top - 3 3/4" x 3"
Front Bottom - 3 3/4" x 3/4"
First Page - 3 3/4" x 1 5/8"
Second Page - 3 3/4" x 2 5/8"
Third Page - 3 3/4" x 3 3/8"
Back of Scallop Square - 4" Square

And the instructions... This is a really simple one... so one that can be made in  flash... just when you need one...
1. Score LANDSCAPE Thick Whisper White panel at 1" & 5"
2. Score PORTRAIT Gold Foil panel at 1/4" ( or 1 7/8" if you find that easier!)
3. Score PORTRAIT Basic Black  panel at 1/4" ( or 2 7/8" if you find that easier!)
4. Bone Fold panels
5. Adhere 2 pages (using the 1/4" section) just above the bottom score line - gold one just sticks on top of black one!
6. Stick your papers on...
7. Punch a 2" Whisper White Circle...adhere to top panel on book front - but DO NOT GLUE ALL OVER THE BACK... mine is glued to about half way down from the top - as the bottom unglued bit acts as the closure... that bottom flap just tucking behind it nicely to close the book of..

Though I will admit - I should not have stuck the Glad Tidings greeting where I did... it adds a layer where it would have been better without....

And the greetings/tags are from the hostess set, Antique Tags...

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Winter Wonderland NOEL - Quad Box Frame Card

Another of the projects from my All Day event last weekend... great card and/OR mantelpiece decoration OR even a hanging decoration if re-orientated... may try that if I get a chance when they are next been made at next week's class....

And seeing as it is Fancy Fold Friday - the directions for you!!!

Make 2 of these...

Attach the 2 duo Box Frame sections together using another 2 x 13cm (5 1/8" x 3/4") panel scored PORTRAIT in half at 1cm (3/8"). 

This time the panel is placed on the back of the 2 duos where they meet at the centre.... fold forward/ie mountain between the 2... adhered flat to the backs... hope that makes sense.... will take a photo tomorrow and add....

I will be back very soon to share the snippity snips of the windows for the NOEL... but technology has  beaten me this week! Which also explains the awful photo quality too!!

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Is Santa Here yet?

Quick little share today. Just a concept really...

How do you know when Santa has been down the chimney... 

When he is looking out of your window of course!!

Or ...maybe peeking out of the window instead... What about a photo of the kids or all the family on your Christmas cards...

Santa is cut out from the circular image in the Antique Tags hostess stamp set... Want the hostess sets but don't want to have a Stampin' Up! party or order £150+ yourself (or between you and your friends)... then see the details of my Rewards Club.... get the hostess stamps at your own pace... Though do bear in mind that the 2 Christmas ones are only around for 3 more months....

And the net curtains are from the Paper Lace Doilies...just one snipped up into 3 parts...with a bit left over!

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