I’ve got a new role!

News released today from Craftwork Cards:

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Neil Burley as our Social Media Manager. 

Neil has been a key part of our Design Team for the last two years and there is no doubting his amazing creative skills. He has made so many fabulous, inspirational projects for us and now he will also be working with us to coordinate the various social media sites we use, including our blog, Pinterest boards and Facebook page. 

Neil will be working closely with Julie Hickey, Design Team Co-ordinator, and the Design Team as a whole to bring you lots more beautiful inspiration, sharing their top tips and techniques, step by step mini tutorials on how to create some of their fantastic creations, and much more! There will be links to our collections too, making shopping much easier for you. 

We have lots of exciting plans for the new year, but we would love to hear your ideas too! Please email them to Neil at socialmedia@craftworkcards.com.

Welcome to the Craftwork Cards team Neil!

NEW SITE UP AND RUNNING

I have successfully transferred this blog to a new host, which means I can add more bells, whistles and other benefits to you, my loyal readership. If you previously subscribed by email for updates (thank you) you don’t need to do anything as the subscription list has been transferred too.

If you used to be a WordPress only subscriber, you will only see new posts in your Reader window. If you wish to have email updates, you will need to subscribe via email on the new site.

Until I have sorted a redirect out, this (perfectly4med.wordpress.com) site will still be here, but won’t be updated.

PLEASE GO TO THE UP TO DATE SITE AT http://perfectly4med.co.uk or click on any of the menu buttons above which will link you to the new site pages.

 

I’m migrating…

I am migrating this free version of WordPress blog to a paid host version over the next few days – I hope to be able to offer more resources and buying options as a result. Theoretically there should be no hiccups, but for a little while the perfectly4med.co.uk direct address may not work. This page can always be accessed by using the default WordPress format: perfectly4med.wordpress.com

Existing email subscribers will not be affected – you have been transferred to the new site.

WordPress.com subscribers may need to subscribe for email updates – once the new site is up and running, although updates will still show up in your Reader window.

A Tale of Two Crackles – Part One (for Creative Expressions)

As followers of my blog will know, I’ve been playing with some crackle effect mediums over the past months. Well, Cosmic Shimmer have brought out their own to compliment their new paint range, and I’ve finally got hold of some to try. Alongside, I’ve also played with their new Chalk Paint, and some new MDF shapes and floral stamps I’ve been sent to play with this month for my Design Team projects.

This week: Cosmic Shimmer Craquelure. This is a two step crackle medium, both layers go on slightly milky and dry clear. The base coat goes over the colour you wish to be cracked (in this case Antique Linen Distress Paint). The top coat forms a clear crackle, and can then be rubbed over with the crack colour (in this case Mulled Wine Matt Chalk Paint and Vintage Plum Gilding Wax. Where I didn’t get the top coat thick enough, the wax caught more (see top right), but the rest was a really lovely, random crackle. Loved it!

Die Cut Projects – Cordoba by Sue Wilson (for Creative Expressions)

Every now and then I’m asked to work on specific projects under a publication embargo – so the blog goes quiet as I’m furiously working but can’t show you anything 😦

Today’s post is an example of such projects – they feature the Cordoba die cut set from Creative Expressions, designed by Sue Wilson. Sue herself has approved their publication, which is around a month after I made them, so apologies if I don’t quite remember all the steps!

Creative Expressions have produced a fantastic range of dies and stamps by Sue Wilson – I’ve been given the Spanish inspired design ‘Cordoba’ to play with. This card is the first I produced with the three piece die set.

You will need:
Creative Expressions Cordoba Die Set
Creative Expressions Singles Set of 2 stamps: Perfect Poppy
Creative Expressions Self Adhesive Pearls: Cream (3mm & 5mm)
Cosmic Shimmer Specialist Acrylic Glue
Foundations A4 card: Rich Plum / Milk
Ranger Perfect Medium Pad: Clear
Ranger Distress Ink Pad: Seedless Preserves

1. Die cut the middle die twice from the Rich Plum card. Mount one onto your card using foam pads. Cut the leaf corners from the second, and stick to the card using Cosmic Shimmer Glue, as shown.
2. Die cut the large frame die from the Milk card and emboss. Cut out the centre round the inner embossed line. Mount onto the previous layer with foam pads.
3. Die cut the inner oval frame from Milk card and mount in the centre of the card with foam pads. Repeat, this time embossing and then trimming off the border to make the sentiment mount. Edge with Seedless Preserves Distress Ink and stamp with the sentiment from the Perfect Poppy set in the same colour. Mount on the card with foam pads.
4. Finally, cut a strip of Rich Plum card 1cm wide for the bottom border and embellish with the self-adhesive pearls, or use Cosmic Shimmer Pearlescent PVA.

– – – = – – –

 

 

This frame is inspired by the colours in the Cordoba Mosque, rich blues and golds. The image in the background is a doorway in that very mosque. The frame itself is built up with 5mm foamboard, with the die cut pieces layered over, and thin strips of card pushed round to cover over the thickness of the board. Finally I shaped real brass sheet round the whole thing to create the outer frame.

You will need:
Creative Expressions Cordoba die set
Creative Expressions Woven Leaves Pre Cut Stamp
Cosmic Shimmer Embossing Powder: Bright Gold Metallic
Foundations A4 Card: Cobalt
Ranger Perfect Medium Ink Pad: Clear
Walnut Hollow Metal Roll: Brass

1. Cut a sheet of the Cobalt card in half to make two A5 pieces.
2. Stamp the Woven Leaves onto one using the Perfect Medium, cover with the embossing powder, tap off the excess and heat set. When cool, cut out the centre.
3. Using the large frame, die cut the second card piece to make the dotty frame.
4. Cut a piece of foamboard to A5 size and mount your choice of image onto it. Make a border of foamboard around 1cm wide, and then mount the embossed card sheet onto the top.
5. Repeat the border on this layer, and before sticking on the dotty frame, cover the thickness with a strip of the Cobalt card, gluing into place with the Cosmic Shimmer Glue.
6. Add the dotty layer, and then a final border.
7. Carefully wrap pieces of the brass sheet round the whole frame from the internal edge round the top and wrapping it to the back. You may find it helpful to use high tack double sided tape to secure it in place.

 

Passiflora Card (for Creative Expressions)

It’s my last play (for now…) for this month’s featured stamps from Creative Expressions. I’ve combined the foliage components with embossed centres from one of the Henna collection to make a very passable impression of a passion flower for this summery card.

For a printable worksheet tutorial, click here.

Country Garden Gift Boxes (for Craftwork Cards)

Here are four gift boxes, with self-designed construction, featuring the new, and fabulous, Country Garden papers from Craftwork Cards. They are embellished with Card Candi from the same range, as well as paper bows from the offcuts. A smidge of Liquid Pearls here and there, and hey presto, a lovely project. And they got even more air time during the Craftwork Cards Birthday Bonus on Create & Craft on 15th/16th April – thank you Julie!

Full instructions and links to the templates are available at the Craftwork Cards Blog, here.

 

Tailormade Card (for Creative Expressions)

Another part of this month’s DT goodie pack was the That Special Touch ‘Rulers’ mask. I wanted to use it with the sparkle texture paste and came up with this card design, revisiting the fabulous Creative Expressions Antique Dressforms stamp set.

Studio Dog has Pups!

It’s not often that I post personal stuff on what is really my business blog. But who can resist pics of puppies? Esther, my cockerpoo and honorary crafter, gave birth to four pups last night, with the first at 21:30, and the last as a bit of a late surprise at 00:35. She’ll be spending the next few weeks in the studio with me, pups and all – got to start them young 🙂

Cue the ooo and ahhhing 😉

Craftwork Cards Dressform Workshop

Unfortunately, not enough people booked for the workshop to be held at Craftwork Cards HQ near Leeds on Saturday 26th April, and it has now been withdrawn.

As I’d got everything ready, I have sets of templates ready to go, so I have decided to run the workshop at my home studio in Leicester. Please book with me directly by following this link to my workshops page and scroll down to the April section.