What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 98

 

Well here we are ready for another mid week blog hop, starting over at our hostess’ Julia’s blog for link up at to all the wonderfully inspiring desks around the world... Come and join in the fun at Julia's Stamping Ground!

Today my desk shows the beginnings of the long hard haul of designing an Illuminated Text layout (for those thinking it is book it is not.. some comments below say this - it like the one at the top of my blog; it is hanging illuminated work). It is rather a laborious and arduous task which involves a lot of head scratching, brow furrowing, praying for wisdom, and rubbing out as I change it yet again for the umpteenth time. Here I am working on the tracing paper which I use, as it messes up good paper big time to work straight on it.

 I always feel greatly relieved when this stage is over, and really is half the time of a fifty hour text.

I have done a few cards which were requests so will show you these also.

The first one was started on my post last week with the lovely Leaves & Butterflies K Kingdom Embossing folder 129 from Fat Cats Card Corner which I have extended using my extended method to double the length ( see here or sidebar labels if you don’t know how to do this). It has small embossed butterflies on it Marianne Creatables Cutting Dies Butterflies (just brilliant, these dies!) cut with the pre-coloured card; also the border with Martha Stewart Blossom Eyelet Deep Edger Border Punch. Butterflies were added where they were on the embossing folder, adorned with mini pearls.

If you check last weeks post you can see how I coloured the card with Glimmer Mists. Labels 4 Nestabilities were used for the greeting.
A button was made with turquoise coloured card with Epiphany Button Studio Round 14mm and attached to ribbon.

 I really was excited after making this card. My friend wanted a Kookaburra card for her beloved. I had no resources of Kookaburra images, so I “Googled” and found this terrific image. It fitted (sort of with a little help) a Nesties circle die and I cut it outside the Image (see excellent Tutorial at Tickled Pink Stamps on doing this

see here!). {EDIT post has been removed so now have one here on my blog here}

 I had cut an extra picture which used also to give a 3D effect by layering on top of the first image.

I used the Nestie Scallop and Branches Cuttlebug folder and some Stampin Up DP card for the layout. I love my Epiphany Button Studio Round 14mm, which was used on DP paper and attached to ribbon. 

My friend’s tears at seeing the card and reading the poem inside were a great joy and reward for the time taken. God is very good!

 

The last card was for a very dear lady’s 80^th birthday which her Grandaughter asked me to make. I used my Brocade folder again and the Elusive Images stamp. I love the combo and used my new pencils Caran D’Ache watercolours and loved the effect on the watercolour paper - the colours were so vibrant!! Now off to peek at a few desks and must get back to the hard slog of doing my text layout!

Thanks so much for popping over and may God bless you over this Easter time, when we remember the  gift of the Son of God, Who came died for our sins and was raised again on that first Easter day, “Lo! He is not here! He is risen!”

Shaz in Oz.x

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 84

Well this will be my very first post on the WOYWW challenge and thought I would join the fun today as have been playing with two new items and thought I would share a little about them.
In today’s mail from US came my anxiously awaited Cuttlebug Plus and have I been excited by them, they are beautiful! You can see one of them (I bought two) on my rather tidy desk (no! that is not usual). It is just that yesterday was a major clean up, and now I can’t find my Stardream papers… looking hard, and guess they are in a safe place!

The Elusive Image Stamps are my one and only which I bought off a UK eBay site. Love them, they colour beautifully, and so thought would use them for the 60^th card I have to do and when  the Brocade widow folder came today thought I would try them together. I have a few words to say on these folders.
All the You-tube videos I watched said the Cuttlebug sandwich is A+B folder& card+ B plates. However there is no way it was going to go through my Cuttlebug, and yes! I did take the backing card off it (as on one site they said this is the issue).
I discovered the best thing for my machine is A plate + two shims (one thick one thin), and C plate worked for my machine. My advice is to try it out for your machine. And also you do not need the large plates which some sites (mainly Provo craft) say you need for these extra large folders.
They work perfectly for your standard plates, which are slightly larger than the folder. I then lifted the back flap on the folder and used foam to highlight the raised embossing with the White Chalk ink pad…lovely and fun!
What do you think?

Oh, and to find out what WOYWW is and to join in the fun, drop by Julia's Stamping Ground!   Happy WOYWW, everyone!

P.S.

Thought I would update with a pickie of how the card looked finished..so here 'tis, plus a close up of details.
   It looks almost velvet-like with the white chalk ink on top of the Elegant Eggplant paper by Stamping up, I edged with with black card and Lively Lavender (Stamping Up) on white linen cardstock to finish. I used a ribbon in same colour to attach the Nellie Snellen ribbon tag, and few pearls to adorn. There are actually spots like empty holes (indents) in the folders so looks like you are meant to put bling of some sort there!