Kraft for Kids

 The theme at the Kraft Journal this week is Just For Kids. I decided to post this gift bag which I made from a kraft coloured A4 envelope for a new baby gift tag. The stamp is Lili of the Valley.

The image is coloured with pencils.
This was part of a set including the card from my last post. I've also included a picture of the bag when it was full. you can also see what was in the bag. a leopard print baby hat made with stylecraft safari chunky leopard

Another Fancy Way to Present a Voucher

I've previously presented my scroll box as a way of presenting a printed out amazon voucher, but this year I decided I needed a new method.

This is also for the gift challenge at the Kraft Journal

This is what I believe is called a "Z-fold" The A4 sheet of paper is folded into thirds to make a DL size (in a z) and then the other way.

two pieces of card are cut (8cm x11cm) and the corners rounded. One of these will be the front and I concentrated all of my decoration on this. I used tea dye distress ink around the edges with cut n dry foam and then stamped in the same ink with a selection of PaperArtsy stamps and a rub-on message.

Check how the fold opens so that the front of the fold is in the front left hand corner of the certificate. Fold up the certificate and then attach the front and back pieces.

The certificate should now unfold and fold easily, just by pulling apart the covers (it's quite clever)

I kept the back very plain

The finished item easily tucks into a card


or can be presented as a gift.

late...for a very important date!

The theme at the Kraft Journal this week is to be inspired by movies, books or songs. Now, of course it had to be Alice in Wonderland, and as it also had to be the pencil colouring on kraft card technique (of course) which means an excessive use of white, well that means that it has to be The White Rabbit!!


and he's perfect for belated birthday cards!

the stamp is from non-sequiteur and was one of the first stamps I ever got.

By The Seaside for Happy Daze

I made this piece for this month's challenge theme beside the seaside.
I've made a really simple piece using starfish and words by Jo Capper-Sandon for Stampotique, and mesh from Scrolls Work.

I finished it with a scrap of blue vellum, a scrap of sandpaper and a few dots of liquid pearls

I am also entering this for The St Luke's Charity challenge (Oh I do like to be beside the seaside) and a last minute entry to the Kraft Journal's anything goes challenge.

a rogue in my garden!

On the rogue redhead blog, Shar has challenged us to use pencils on kraft. ahem, hello!! how am I supposed to resist that one?


So I have made my card using Shar's stamps from Rogue redhead designs (relish reading plate) to make this card, which is also for The Kraft Jounal's "a walk in my garden theme"

The trick I use to achieve a sepia effect on kraft card, is to stamp the image in brown (versafine vintage sepia) and to make the images stand out, I always make sure I include white somewhere in the colouring.

To enhance this card I've added some touches of summer flower soft, it goes so well with this technique

Remember Rogue redhead stamps are now also available from StampDiva

This year's batch Christmas Card??

Every year I do a couple of designs for cards that I will be able to batch make (usually in late november). I think this is this year's first design. It's quick, uses minimal materials that are easily replaced, and is perfect for batch making.

The Stamps are all from Jo Capper-Sandon's range at stampotique, (available from Happy Daze in the UK) stamped in brown versafine on kraft card, and coloured with coloursoft pencils. the berries are highlighted with Glossy Accents, and the knotted ribbon is glued on.

This is one of my favourite ways to use ribbon, and so is my second entry for this week's Less is More Challenge. I have also entered this for the Kraft Jounal's Christmas in July theme.

teacher's card

It's that time of year.. The Teacher Card.

Of course I've gone for my favourite technique. You'd have thought that I would have been bored of colouring on kraft card with pencils by now, but absolutely not. The effect still seems really magical to me. The way the kraft takes colour is just amazing. On this one I have tried to keep a sepia effect throughout by only using neutral colours, except for the red highlight of the apples. I've also highlighted the apples with sepia accents, just to give a bit of lift to the card.

The stamp is from Sugar Nellie, and was a Craft Stamper Subscription gift ages ago.

I'm entering this for The Kraft Journal's favourite things challenge, as this really is made up of my favourite things in crafting at the moment, pencils on kraft card and one layer cards.

getting edgy...

The challenge at CAS-ual fridays is "getting edgy" i.e add an interesting edge to you Clean and Simple projects.

I was making this tag for the rogue redhead blog for next week, and I was sat there thinking, hmmmm it needs something at the edge. I had just been contemplating adding some sepia accents to the flowers, so it was there to hand, and I wondered, "what would it look like as an edging" so I ran a thin line around the edge and then smudged it with my finger (on purpose, lol).

so that's my interesting edge. The stamps are Rogue Redhead floriculture plate, and I have used pencils and kraft card (as usual)

I guess this is another one for the kraft jounal's summer theme too.

I obviously spend too much time watching telly!

*note: this is the second post of the day. Scroll down for the stampotique blog hop"


I admit it I am hooked on watching create and craft channel. I watch it like other people watch daytime pulp telly. I've watched Stephanie Weightman do her one stroke painting so many times now, that I thought I must be able to do it, so I decided to give it a go.

no practice, no special tools, just my trustee poundland non-stick mat, normal acrylic paints and quite a nice flat paintbrush (from a childrens set, probably from a supermarket)
I am entering this for One Layer Wednesday's Inspiration Challenge.


I chose to use the Kraft card to represent the wood background, and obvioulsy the yellow and white flowers.

I am also entering this for the Kraft Journal's "welcome summer" challenge

The Kraft Journal- it's a guy thing

I'm sure if you've visited my blog before you know that I love pencil colouring on kraft card for quick and simple cards for the real people in my life. So I've really been taken with the challenges at the kraft journal where the theme this week is "it's a guy thing"

This card is made "for a guy". it may not be overly masculine, but I think guys appreciate "stylised cute"... I think I just made that term up!! lol. I also added the cute image to the envelope.

The stamp is by Inkadinkadoo and I got it from the Frantic Stamper (Humorous Birthday INK-CSL-97529 $9.99)

OLW: Cats and Dogs

This week's challenge at One Layer Wednesday is Cats and Dogs, which gave me the perfect opportunity to use one of these DoCrafts Pampered Pets Clear stamps that I picked up recently as I thought that they would make good "for normal people" cards. I also thought they'd work with the pencil on kraft card technique that I love so much.

I couldn't decide whether to add a sentiment to this card, but decided to leave it, as I can easily add one later.

The "wet nose" and jewels are enhanced with Sepia Accents. The brown hint works well on the kraft card.

thank you Chris for pointing out that this also fits with the Kraft Journal Challenge of Clean and simple