Happy Easter

Hello and Happy Easter weekend to everyone, today for my DT card at Cheery Lynn Designs I have made a cute Easter card to share with you all. 

I used Maja Design papers on my card today which worked so well in creating my Easter Parade. My rabbits were so much fun to build up, I added cotton tails onto them and a drop of Black Liquid Pearls into the centre of their eyes.

My girl rabbit I also added a Diamanté onto her bow and a little lace onto the edge of her dress. I glued them in place with some Silicone Glue to add dimension mounting them onto my grass border, aren't they so cute.

My sun was layered twice and my banner was curled at the edges and mounted with Silicone Glue for dimension adding my Happy Easter sentiment.

Cheery Lynn Dies Used -

C182 Easter Parade

B126 Grass Border

B797 Whimsical Sun and Clouds 4 Piece Set

B226 Happy

B228 Easter

LSC-16 Rectangle Stitch and Cut Tool

XL15 Rectangle Scalloped LG Purple Stackers

Thanks so much for stopping by today and I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Crafty Hugs,

Julie xx

Easter Cupcake Baskets

Hi everyone, I'm so sorry I have fallen behind with visiting your lovely blogs recently but I am struggling with the glare off my IPad at present so it means I am only on for a limited time. Today for my DT post at Cheery Lynn Designs I am sharing with you some Easter Inspiration using their fab new Cupcake die.

These cute little baskets which measure approx 3" diameter by 4" height are easy to make and once I worked out all the measurements it didn't take long to make the second one. So let me show you how to make them.

I started by cutting my Cupcake Wrapper from cardstock and added a double layer of grass to the base. To get the grass strip to curve around your cupcake die, layer on sections measuring about 2 inches in length, offsetting the grass on each layer.

For my base I used the 2 largest dies in the Circle Classic set. You will see in this photo I cut my die out and then drew around the outer part of my smaller die and fussy cut in some notches.

My Cupcake Wrapper I added a little bit of glue to the die cut join for added strength for the weight of my chocolate eggs and formed the shape of my cupcake. I then bent all my notches up on my circle and added a little glue to each one, pushing my circle down into my cupcake to form the base of my basket, pressing all the notches onto my cupcake wrapper. 

This makes it all lovely and neat and the grass disguises the notches on the inside.

Next I added on my handle with some brads, you will notice I have the pretty side of my Brad to the inside of my basket as I hid the closure with a flower on the outside.

Now the fun bit of adding all my Easter Chicks, sweet Bunny and flowers.

I disguised my join on the cupcake wrapper be carefully placing a Chick or Bunny over the join.

I finished off my baskets with a pretty bow and some Chocolate Mini Eggs which had been gathered inside a Cello bag that we normally place our cards into. I tied with some Easter ribbon and a die cut Sweetheart Candy. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today and you still have plenty of time to join in the Cheery Lynn Designs Fortnightly Challenge - Doilies.

Crafty Hugs, 

Julie x 

Shop at Cheery Lynn for:

• M4 Circle Classic
• B422 Pretty Pretty Bows (set of 2)
• B699 Daisy Cupcake Wrapper Medium
• B527 Bunnies (set of 2)
• B126 Grass Border
• B373 Sienna Double Edge Border
• B675 Sweetheart Candy
• B434 Sweet Christine
• B528 Chicks (set of 3)
• B662 Chicks 2 (set of 3) 

Who Ate The Spider !

Hi Everyone, I am having so much fun with the Halloween Dies from Cheery Lynn Designs, creating little scenes on my cards that I just had to share another one with you for my DT project this week.

My background was created with Hickory Smoke and Stormy Sky and a Spiders Web Stencil.

My Washing Line and Moon were cut out in White Cardstock and coloured with Copics adding a little bling on to the Witches shoes.

My Tombstone was also cut out in White Cardstock and shaded with Distress inks. My Barbed Wire was heat embossed with Silver Embossing Powder and a little Rust Coloured Stazon ink added to it.

As you can see my very naughty Horrible Cat ate the Spider off the web ! I cut my cat out in Black Cardstock and trimmed his head and front legs off. I then glued the body part in to a sitting position and placed a little Silicone Glue on to the back of his head and re positioned it for added dimension. My Spider I trimmed his legs down a little bit in an uneven way so they had a chewed look to them.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Julie x

Shop at Cheery Lynn for : 

• B405 Barbed Wire
• B637 Tombstone
• B598 Horrible Cat
• B597 Spider Net
• B334 Witch's Laundry
• B596 Bat Family
• B126 Grass Border
• L1 Square Classic Silver Stackers
• XL2 Square Scalloped Stackers
• 469 Happy Halloween Twiggy Wreath
• M4 Circle Classic

Gingerbread House

Hi everyone,  today I am sharing with you my Cheery Lynn Designs DT card for this week using the adorable new Gingerbread House. This House reminded me of the story Hansel and Gretel and this is where my inspiration for this card came from.

My background was cut out in black card highlighting all the stitches around the edges with a white pen. I sprinkled on some chunky white Embossing Powder and heat set it to give a snowy look. My Icicles were cut out in white cardstock, spray adhesive added onto it and a layer of extra fine glitter.

My Trees and Grass were cut out in green and glitter added in the same way as the Icicles.

My Gingerbread House I cut out twice. My top layer in Kraft card and I shaded it with Copic Pens and used my Fineliner Pen in to all the embossed grooves to highlight it. My underneath layer my die was used to emboss onto white cardstock and I coloured with Copics before adding behind my card. Please check out the Cheery Lynn video HERE on how to do this technique. Finally adding an extra layer of glittered Icicles to my house.

Thanks for stopping by today and once again all of your comments are greatly appreciated. 

Julie x

Cheery Lynn New Release Dies Used:

• B606 Gingerbread House 

Other Cheery Lynn Dies Used:

• M4 Circle Classic
• B126 Grass Border
• B472 Icicles Border
• B483 Build a Christmas Tree
• LS1 Silver Stitching Stackers
• XL2 Square Scalloped Stackers

Little Birdhouse

Hi Everyone, today I am sharing with you a small balsawood birdhouse which measures approximately 3" x 5" high, that I got from Michaels in San Diego recently. Yes I hear you asking, when did you go there ? Well both of my daughters work in the Airline Industry and I came up with the idea I could go virtual shopping when they came across a craft shop, isn't technology amazing ! So they simply Face Time me and walk around the craft shop showing me things I would like. Isn't that a COOL idea !

The shape of this sweet little birdhouse caught my eye and I knew straight away what I wanted to do with it.

I wrapped garden string all around the roof gluing as I went, giving it a coat of Multi Medium to seal it.

I wanted a brick effect on my house and with a stencil just not being practical to place on the shapes I decided to make my own bricks out of packaging from my Tim Holtz Stencils.

I started laying my bricks pushing into Texture Paste similar to laying tiles and this is the finished effect.

My fence is a Magnolia die. My grass and tiny flowers are from Cheery Lynn.

I decorated my die cut fence colouring my flowers with Copics and shading my fence with Distress before adding to my house.

I then added a little Flower Soft to the base to look like grass.

My little Doves were a wooden die cut. I heat embossed some Lindys Embossing Powders into and added a little Distress Paint to shabby it up.

My birds are from Cheery Lynn's Bird Bath (Set of 2). 

My branches were all shaded with Copics and my Blossom flowers added.

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today. I have some more Birdhouses of different sizes which I will be decorating shortly.

Julie xx

Shop at Cheery Lynn for:

• B466 - Branches
• B376 - Tiny Flower Kit
• B126 - Grass Border
• B438 - Bird Bath ( Set of 2 )

I wish to enter this in to the following Challenges:

• That Craft Place - No Cards
• Anything but Cute Mixed Media Challenge - Vintage Garden 
• Rhedd's Creative Spirit - Anything Goes Challenge
• Altered Eclectics - Anything Goes Challenge

Birdhouse Card

Hi Everyone, I immediately fell in love with the new Fancy Birdhouse die from Cheery Lynn Designs as soon as I saw it and gathered inspiration for my 7 x 7 card from feeding all the birds that visit my garden, so I am sharing with you my DT card this week for Cheery Lynn Designs.

My background was made with shading Distress inks over cardstock, stamping on feathers to give a cloud effect and spritzing with water. I tattered the edges with a Distress Tool.

I layered my grass in two shades of green and shaded a little Distress Ink onto my fence to shabby it up a bit.

My Birdbath was layered twice with a little Silicone Glue added into the bath part to give some extra dimension and Distress ink added to it and my birds for shading.

My sign was cut out in white and the pole area coloured with a Black Copic Pen. I layered the oval area twice with Silicone Glue and stamped on my sentiment and added a little bird.

My branches and leaves were all shaded with Copic Pens and my Blossom had a little Distress Ink added into the centre with a little yellow Stickles.

My sun is made using the Sunflower die, colouring also with Copics and adding a little orange Stickles. My Birdhouse was cut out 3 times and shaded with Distress ink. I paper pieced the fence area twice and my roof three times to give the effect of being 3D.

Well I do hope you like my card which was a lot of fun to make. I have another few plans for the Fancy Birdhouse die which I will share with you over the coming months.

Thanks for stopping by today, your visits are always appreciated.

 Julie x

I wish to enter this in to :

• Craft for the Craic - May Challenge - Wings
• Fussy and Fancy - Lots of Flowers Challenge
• Audsentiments - Things with Wings plus a Sentiment Challenge 

Shop at Cheery Lynn for New Release Dies:

• B558 Fancy Birdhouse
• B547 Paris Sign #1 

Other Cheery Lynn Dies Used:

• B466 Branches (set of 2)
• DL121 Sunflower
• B215 Expandable Tiny Borders
• B376 Tiny Flower Kit (set of 3)
• B123 Victorian Picket Fence
• B126 Grass Border
• B438 Bird Bath (set of 2) 

I wish to enter this in to :

Craft for the Craic - May Challenge - Wings

Fussy and Fancy - Lots of Flowers Challenge
Audsentiments - Things with Wings plus a Sentiment Challenge 

Daffodil / Narcisi Flower Tutorial

Hi Everyone and a huge welcome to my new followers. I would just like to thank everybody so much for their lovely comments on my Spring Bouquet last week, I loved reading them all. I had a few people requesting a tutorial on how I made my Daffodils out of the Cheery Lynn Black- Eyed Susan Strip, so here it is for my Cheery Lynn Designs DT post.

These are the products I used to make my flowers. It is important to use Watercolour card for this technique and a Dye based ink. I found the Adirondack Ink (Sunshine Yellow)  kept the vibrance on my flowers the best out of all the Dye inks I have.

Spritz the die cut flower with water to dampen the paper but do not soak as it will go too limp. I like to press the water into the paper, then fold the flower as shown.

Keeping a tight grip on your petals, press and rub into your ink pad. Next dip into the water, lift out and press to remove excess water. You will now see how the ink has travelled down your petals to colour them. If you wish a stronger colour repeat the process.

Carefully open your flower back up. Pinch the ends of the petals as shown and press against your thumb to form the shape of your Daffodil. Dry with your heat gun re-pinching the ends of your petals half way through to re-tighten. Continue until totally dry. Your paper should now feel firm.

Cut the die cut strip in half winding around a cocktail stick repeating the colouring and drying process. I like to work with Pergamano or Cosmic Shimmer glue as find it grips quickly and doesn't soak into the cardstock /paper making it limp.

Cut a petal out of your flower to give the look of a Daffodil and press in the centre with your embossing tool.

Next put a little glue at the base and around the sides of the centrepiece.

Position the petals around the centre and hold in place for a couple of minutes.

Leave until almost dry and then start to pull petals back to open your finished flower. 

The bud is made in the same way without the centre piece. Just add a little glue and crush the petals gently together. Notice how I covered the base of the bud with a leaf and a little grass for a realistic look.

I die cut my Chicken Wire adding randomly Rusty Hinge distress stain.

Next I added Versamark ink along with Silver and Verdigris powders and heat embossed to give the look of rusty chicken wire.

I added Brushed Corduroy, Mustard Seed and Chipped Sapphire onto my tag. Spritz and flicked. I then layered on stencils and a little text stamping for more interest.

Accents of the Chicken wire were added onto my tag.

My Butterfly was shaded with Distress Inks and layered up 3 times for dimension and some bling added down the centre.

Here are the flowers once again on my finished tag with the beautiful Mayan Butterfly. 

I hope you have enjoyed my tutorial and I look forward to seeing all your beautiful Daffodils that you create for your own projects.

Also, welcome to our new talented Design Team members, Lisa, Jenny and Eva. Click HERE to read all about them over at Cheery Lynn Designs. 

Happy Crafting,

Julie x

Shop at Cheery Lynn for :

• B338 Black-Eyed Susan Strip

• B126 Grass Border

• B533 Mayan Butterfly w/Angel Wing

• B315 Ivy Corner Flourish

• FRM144 Chicken Wire