PaperArtsy Reveal: PaperArtsy Papers

Today's Exciting reveal is PaperArtsy's new release of their own double sided http://blog.paperartsy.co.uk/2014/02/new-2014-products-paperartsy.htmlpapers.

These are of fabulous quality, and lovely muted designs to work with their new stamp releases

They work really well with die cuts, and paper modelling.

And are beautifuly smooth for stamping on.

(these flowers were made by painting Lin Brown's new paints onto Copier paper.)

Ask at your local stamp store for PaperArtsy's new range.

PaperArtsy Reveal: New Jofy Collection

I have to just say it, straight away...

Check Out those colours!!!

I am absolutely in love with the limited edition Jofy Paints. Such a gorgeous set of colours with amazing coverage.

6x6 greyboard

And the stamps are great too!

ATC

I created the dots using the eraser end of a pencil with the paints

5x7 card

And some tags

Again, just look at those colours.

and the new stamps

There's even more to see on the PaperArtsy Blog,  with even more stamps and stencils in the range.
Ask at your local stamp store for availability.

PaperArtsy Reveal : New Lin Brown Eclectica Collection

Time for a very exciting reveal from Paperartsy. Lin Brown has released a new range of stamps, stencils and paints, which work really well with Lin's existing range of stamps and dies.

I used them to make a simple 5"x7" card

and a 6"x6" greyboard scrapbooking piece.

I used the stencil on this ATC in my embossing machine to create the background.

and with  the paints on this large tag

I used the paints with PaperArtsy's crackle and then used the stencils on top for this small tag.

I used a couple of Lin's existing stamp sheet (andd the dies)

WIth one of the new words stamps

The gorgeous new paints

And the fab new stencils

Check out the PaperArtsy blog for even more of the reveal, and ask at your local stamp store for availability.

More PaperArtsy Clean and Simple

 I almost forgot to blog this, this week.

...ooops

This is my guest designer post at PaperArsty, using the gorgeous new Lin Brown Word stamps

check it out here, and don't forget to enter the challenge to win free stamps!

less is more, week 154 : one layer hearts

I find it very hard to resist the one layer weeks at less is more so here's my quick card using PaperArtsy stamps.

Just simple stamping and colouring with Derwent colour soft pencils. The hearts are colour with red, edged with black and then the colours blended with a derwent blender pencil.

Stealing an idea!

Today I needed to make a fiftieth card for a male..... I know! complete lack of inspiration.

And then I just happened to look at today's ShowCASe on Less is more and I saw this card (click on the link to see it) And that was it. I was inspired, so I immediatley tootled off and made my version of this card.

The numbers are banana frog stamps stamped with nougat fresco paint from PaperArtsy. I also used the script from PaperArtsy, again with the nougat paint, in a masked strip. I don't know who made the happy birthday but I use it alot.

While I was at it I also needed a 12th birthday card for a boy, and used similar techniques to create a totally different card.

PaperArtsy Blog: CAS corner

After all the fun of my guest designer stint at PaperArtsy, I was thrilled to be asked back to contribute a regular monthly spot- What I like to think of as my clean and simple corner on the PaperArtsy blog.

My first contribution is a CAS valentine card, which you can see here in full. I haven't used any inks at all to make this card, all of the stamping is done using PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Paints. I love the effect they give with stamping.

You can also enter the challenge, taking inspiration from any of this week's posts : including mine.
I hope you like my card, I'll be back next month with more from CAS Corner.

mug cosy and coaster all-in-one

I saw this idea on pinterest here and immediatley knew that I had to do my own version of it.
I chose to crochet as it's so much easier to custom fit things using crochet rather than knitting.

Instructions.

create a "magic ring" and dc(british -sc american) 5 into ring and tighten.
next round 2dc into each stitch (i do not turn, or join in round but crochet in a spiral (either method would work)
next round *2dc into next stitch, dc in next st, rpt from* all round
next round *2dc into next stitch, dc in next 2 st, rpt from *all round
next round *2dc into next stitch,  dc in next 3 stitch, rpt from * all round

continue in this way until you have a circle the same size or just larger than base of your mug.

next round dc into back loop only of each stitch.
next round dc into each stitch.
continue last row to base of handle (I didn't repeat this row at all.

turn and dc every row until reach top of the handle.
at end of last row do not turn but chain 1 and join to top of other edge.
next round dc all round.
repeat this row if need to reach near top of cup.

finish top with one round of reverse dc (crab stitch, rope stitch).
fasten off

attach yarn to row where you only crocheted into back loop, and reverse dc into front loop all round and fasten off.

less is more: any previous challenge

This week at Less is More we are challenged to make a card based on ANY of the previous challenges.

  I have decided to go right back to the beginning to week 2 and the very first one layer challenge - a flower or a tree and show this card that I have made for my mum's birthday.

i think that all of the stamps are hero arts except the splatter which is PaperArtsy

Quick Birthday card

I just needed to make a birthday card today, and wanted something pretty. The swirl and splatter are both PaperArtsy but the happy birthday is not. The flower is punched and then made 3d using an embossing tool on the back.

christmas bagelope

After making the bagelope for my guest designer spot at PaperArtsy, I realised I needed another to wrap a present for a friend
Before folding the envelope I stamped it with stamps from this set in brown inks, and again onto a white tag.
I also used the splatter from this set using white ink. The bell is from a set of 10 from the poundshop
The instructions for the bagelope are here.
I wish I could enter the challenge, but I think I wouldn't be allowed to!!

my final guest designer week at PaperArtsy

Have you seen my final week as guest designer on the PaperArtsy blog? I'm concentrating on last minute gifts and wrapping.

Of course there's a challenge, and you can win stamps.

Although I've officially finished my guest designer work at paperartsy, I'll still be popping up... to make sure that us clean and simple crafters are still represented!!

less is more: christmas card- use a bird

The theme at Less is more this week is to use a bird on a Christmas card.
For the Christmas cards that I make for my book group each year I try to incorporate book pages somewhere on the card. So, that was what I had in mind while making this.
Also every time I see this leaf die from the grunge flower #1 set from PaperArtsy, it reminds me of a bird, so I thought it was time to try it out in that way.
I have used PaperArtsy paints too. The blood orange (for the red breast) and spiced paprika (for the body) are both translucent so show the words through well. The cinnamon (main body) is semi-opaque, so gives a bit more coverage but not too much. I only applied a tiny amount of the paints, anyway, for a subtle hint of colour.

I drew on the eye and feet with a fine tipped marker.

The words are from PaperArtsy's squiggly ink range.

p.s. sorry, I know it's tuesday, but I have no new chutney recipes this week!

Chutney Tuesday: Persimmon, fresh cranberry and chilli chutney

I didn't even know what persimmons were before I bought the ingredients for this chutney. They had them in asda and I thought they looked interesting. A quick google told me that they were a bit like mangoes so I thought they would be good for chutney. They also had fresh cranberries, so I didn't have to make do with dried ones. Then I saw these skinny green chillies and my ingredients were decided.

during the cooking this chutney looks particularly unappetising. it goes a disgusting shade of pale pink and turns scummy, but keep going, it sorts itself out in the end.

Watch this one carefully for burning. I don't know why but this one seemed to try to burn a lot more than other recipes I have done.

makes approx 9-10 200ml jars.
ingredients:

2 tbls veg oil
6 small persimmons (approx 1kg)
fresh cranberries (300g)
1 large cooking apple (420g)
2 white onions (approx 400g)
350ml cider vinegar (350ml is one bottle of asda own brand)
350g white granulated sugar
6 thin green chillies
1 clove garlic
1/2 inch fresh ginger
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin

dice apples, onions and persimmons. finely chop garlic and ginger. finely slice chillies.

fry onions until starting to soften. add chillies, garlic, ginger and spices until thorougly soft.
add persimmon, apple and whole cranberries and cook for 2 more minutes turning all of the time.

add vinegar and sugar, cover and cook for 5 minutes until fruit looks soften abd cranberries split.
cook uncovered until jammy in appearance and a spoon can be dragged through leaving a clear channel (about 30 mins)

transfer to sterlised jars and store.

my third week as guest designer at PaperArtsy

This week on the PaperArtsy blog (here, here and here) I have concentrated on making cards suitable for batch-making for christmas.
Don't forget to take part in the challenge to win stamps! there's still time

less is more- photo inspirations

This week at Less is more, we are challenged to use this photo

to inspire our use of dark card with a splash of colour.

I made a simple heart stencil from post-it notes and then stamped through it using the small splatter stamp from this paperartsy set and some opaque paints from the fresco range of paints (I used guacamole, sky and cheesecake)


I finished by stamping the sentiment with cheesecake paint.

PaperArtsy opaque paints, work brilliantly on dark card, and a lovely to stamp with.