Gingersnap Creations Challenge: Kraft

Another great challenge over at Gingersnap Creations today, this time a colour theme, "kraft". I used a kraft paper covered notebook as my base. I stamped and masked with Momento black ink and then used pastel shades of promarker to pick out some of the details. Why not pop over to their blog to see how the design team have interpreted the challenge? Go on, you know you want to! :)

Freebie #54!

Milk Carton Gift Box
Another week, another gift box. I think I'm hooked on making them, I get a kick out of being able to cut something that I would have had to go out and buy! :)

Finished off with a cute scalloped top, there are all kinds of ways you can use these boxes! Most of the folds are obvious, so I haven't marked the score points, but I have added them where they were needed - remember to add a fold joining the the bottom two points of the upside down "Y" fold.

Please remember you are only allowed to download this file for your own use and may not distribute it to others in any form. I spend a great deal of time creating my designs, please respect the terms under which they are given.

Again, this template will be "live" for 1 week. Next week it will be taken down, and new ones will replace it. Don't forget, if you have any requests, pass them on! I can't promise, but I will take suggestions into account when planning future templates.

These files may not be uploaded to a group, forum or website for sale or redistribution, or shared among individuals. They are expressly for the personal use of each person that downloads them from this blog.

There is 1 file but I have put it into a zip file to make downloading easier. After saving it, open in the usual way, and drag the file out onto your desktop or wherever you wish to save it.

There are 2 versions of each template:

• An SVG version which can be imported into the Sure Cuts a Lot or Make the Cut program and then cut out on your Cricut.
• A DXF version which is Craft Robo friendly, and ready to be imported into your Robomaster software (I'm not a Robo user, so if there are any problems with this, please let me know!)

Simply click on the appropriate button below to download the file!

Any feedback on the templates is more than welcome, and if you have any suggestions for possible future templates you'd like to see, please let me know! If you make anything using one of the templates, please post a link to it here so that others can be inspired by how you've used them!

I hope you like the templates - let me know how you get on! :)

Templates © dan99crafter@gmail.com 2010

Bargain Storage!

Ok, so I don't usually make this kind of post on here, but I found such a bargain today that I wanted to share it! :)

These A5 accordian organisers are really sturdily made, and they're only £1 in Asda - £1!! The colours have not photographed very true, the top is really teal, not baby blue (oh, that rhymes, lol). Anyway, get down to Asda before they're all gone! :) (Oh, and there's also an A4 version for £3)

Stripey Flower Batik Card Thing

A simple looking card this one, but oddly enough, a lot going on technique-wise! :)

I started out by stamping the distressed lines with Versamark ink and embossing them with clear powder, to act as a resist. Then I applied distress inks (punctured tyre, shattered teapot and sprinkled corsage I think), and stamped the flowers in black. I then placed some kraft paper over the whole thing and ironed it to melt the embossing powder again, which soaked up into the paper. I then applied stripes of various promarkers over the top, to colour the white lined areas (mouldy peas, awkward silence, scraped knee and disappointed parent, if I remember rightly). Finally I overstamped the flowers with versamark and embossed with clear powder for a bit of shine. Oh, and I cut a white mat for it, colouring the edges with two overlapping shades of promarker (witchety grub and I-can't-believe-it's-not-butter).

As ever, click the pic for a larger view :)

Bottle Contents

Here's the first of a few cards I've made in the last few days. Not much to link them thematically, except perhaps the use of Wendy Vecchi stamps and white space! :)

The bottle was stamped on cardstock that had been blended with distress inks and then overstamped with water on a large polka dot stamp. It was highlighted in areas with a pale blue promarker. Background, mat and text panel also were coloured with promarkers. That about wraps it up :) As ever, click the image for a larger view!

Who Killed Cock Robin?

The theme on the Sunday Stampers Challenge today is "Free as a bird", and this is my entry :) Just a bit of minimal fun :)

Who killed Cock Robin?
I, said the Sparrow,
with my bow and arrow,
I killed Cock Robin.

.

.

.

All the birds of the air

fell a-sighing and a-sobbing,

when they heard the bell toll

for poor Cock Robin.

Stamp is Tim Holtz by Stampers Anonymous, the rest is by me :) As ever, click on the image to see a larger view. Comments welcomed!

Freebie #53!

Birdcage
[Edit - I've started to make my files available from my blog again and am adding a new set each week. Check out the "Cutting Files" tab at the top of the page to see which ones are available for download.]

Edit to add - I just wanted to share this great page for a bind-it-all book, made by Anne (check out her blog here). Isn't it great? I love seeing how people use my files! :)

Birdcages seem to be everywhere right now - be it on rubber stamps, die cuts or patterned papers. I see no reason why my blog should miss out, so here I am, bang on-trend, with this weeks free file download! This file, ready to cut on digital cutting machines like the Cricut, Gazelle, Craft Robo etc, will be available for 1 week only, so grab it before it's gone! After that time it will feature as part of a collection on my other site.

Please remember you are only allowed to download this file for your own use and may not distribute it to others in any form. I spend a great deal of time creating my designs, please respect the terms under which they are given.

Again, this template will be "live" for 1 week. Next week it will be taken down, and new ones will replace it. Don't forget, if you have any requests, pass them on! I can't promise, but I will take suggestions into account when planning future templates.

These files may not be uploaded to a group, forum or website for sale or redistribution, or shared among individuals. They are expressly for the personal use of each person that downloads them from this blog.

There is 1 file but I have put it into a zip file to make downloading easier. After saving it, open in the usual way, and drag the file out onto your desktop or wherever you wish to save it.

There are 2 versions of each template:

• An SVG version which can be imported into the Sure Cuts a Lot or Make the Cut program and then cut out on your Cricut.
• A DXF version which is Craft Robo friendly, and ready to be imported into your Robomaster software (I'm not a Robo user, so if there are any problems with this, please let me know!)

Simply click on the appropriate button below to download the file!

Any feedback on the templates is more than welcome, and if you have any suggestions for possible future templates you'd like to see, please let me know! If you make anything using one of the templates, please post a link to it here so that others can be inspired by how you've used them!

I hope you like the templates - let me know how you get on! :)

Templates © dan99crafter@gmail.com 2010

Home Sweet Home

Just a quick post to show a card I made today.  Most of the stamps used are from a set by Darkroom Door.  Apart from that it was the usual distress ink and promarker jiggery-pokery!  As ever, click on the image for a larger view :)

Gingersnap Creations Challenge: Found Objects

The theme of the new challenge on the Gingersnap Creations Challenge blog is "found objects", and this is my entry. Why not pop over to their blog and see how the other Design Team members have tackled this theme? :)

The found object on this is the bottle cap. Stamps are by Tim Holtz, Darkroom Door, Crafty Individuals and U.N.Known :)

Colour is courtesy of distress ink pads and promarkers, stamping used Memento black, Archival black and Archival sepia.

The photobooth pics are by Darkroom Door, and were torn, sanded and inked until they looked like they had been .... er... torn, sanded and inked :)

The screws are not real ones, they just look like they are, they're actually snaps!

The French sheet is actually a rubber stamp of an old shoe bill. It was stamped with black Archival and then I tapped a Brushed Corduroy distress ink pad onto my craft sheet and spritzed very generously with water. The sheet was then laid in the puddle and dried with a heat gun. The edges of the whole thing were sanded and distressed with more Brushed Cordury.

As ever click on the image for a larger view :)

Freebie #52!

Candy/Gift Bag

[ EDIT - I've started to make my files available from my blog again and am adding a new set each week. Check out the "Cutting Files" tab at the top of the page to see which ones are available for download.]

Aren't these fun? Modelled on the traditional brown paper grocery bag, they're perfect for small gifts, party favours, candy or cookies! Fill with the goodies of your choice, fold over the top and staple closed or punch a couple of holes and tie with some pretty ribbon!

The places to make the major folds are obvious, but I've included score guides on the side panels for the inverted Y folds. In my initial design I included ready cut holes for ribbon, but I found that when I resized the bag larger or smaller the holes became either too big or too small so I left them out - it's no trouble to make your own holes with a punch or cropodile, then they're always the right size :)

Please remember you are only allowed to download this file for your own use and may not distribute it to others in any form. I spend a great deal of time creating my designs, please respect the terms under which they are given.

Again, this template will be "live" for 1 week. Next week it will be taken down, and new ones will replace it. Don't forget, if you have any requests, pass them on! I can't promise, but I will take suggestions into account when planning future templates.

These files may not be uploaded to a group, forum or website for sale or redistribution, or shared among individuals. They are expressly for the personal use of each person that downloads them from this blog.

There is 1 file but I have put it into a zip file to make downloading easier. After saving it, open in the usual way, and drag the file out onto your desktop or wherever you wish to save it.

There are 2 versions of each template:

• An SVG version which can be imported into the Sure Cuts a Lot or Make the Cut program and then cut out on your Cricut.
• A DXF version which is Craft Robo friendly, and ready to be imported into your Robomaster software (I'm not a Robo user, so if there are any problems with this, please let me know!)

Simply click on the appropriate button below to download the file!

Any feedback on the templates is more than welcome, and if you have any suggestions for possible future templates you'd like to see, please let me know! If you make anything using one of the templates, please post a link to it here so that others can be inspired by how you've used them!
I hope you like the templates - let me know how you get on! :)

Templates © dan99crafter@gmail.com 2010

The Raven King Was Not Amused

The theme on 3 Muses today is "blackbirds", so I took the opportunity to make another page for the book I've (slowly) been working on! I'm not quite sure what his beef is, but he's clearly not impressed! LOL

The rulers were stamped first, then masked off while the bubble wrap was stamped at the left and right edges. Everything was then masked again and the suit and tie was stamped, then also masked while bubble wrap was stamped in the background then "knocked back" with white acrylic paint. Finally the head and crown were stamped, cut out and applied, then the row of smaller ravens was stamped.

A combination of promarkers and distress inks were used for colouring, and the text was computer printed. As ever, click on the image for a larger view :)

Keep out of reach of children

When I accepted the invitation to join the Design Team at Gingersnap Creations, I was asked to make something using gingery colours to accompany the DT announcement. This scary (at least I hope it's scary, I meant it to be!) Jack-in-the-box was the result. I notice that other team members have now started to blog their pieces, so here's mine! :)

The body, hands, collar parts, box and winding handle were all designed on computer and then cut on the Cricut using SCAL. The head, "cirque" and harlequin diamonds were Tim Holtz stamps. The spring was a length of Bind-it-all wire, the hinges were originally brass and I coloured them with promarkers.

As ever, click on the image for a larger view! :)

Home is where the heart is

Another day, another card. I don't really think of myself as a card-maker, but I seem to have been in the right frame of mind for it lately! I'm not going to say much about it, cos it's late and I need to get to bed! :)

The backing paper (which you can scarcely see) and the text were printed from the computer. The stamping was highlighted with glossy accents, which as I look at it now is glistening and gleaming, so, of course, it's not even visible in the photo! :) As ever, click on the image for a larger view.

To Chuck Taylor, With Thanks

A simple card dedicated to a simple, enduring classic!

Ask any of my friends, and they'll vouch for the fact that they never see me wear anything else than the classic black and white Converse "Chuck Taylor" sneakers. :) I've always loved them, ever since I was a kid, and I kid you not, I feel happier when I wear them!

For obvious reasons, this image of a battered old pair of Chuck Taylors is one of my favourite stamps in my whole collection. You may not know, but before I became a stamp-addict, all of my crafting was done on the computer. I turned the clock back a little to those days and made the backing paper myself and printed it onto card. It was sanded and edge-distressed with Brushed Corduroy distress ink, as was the stamped image. Both were placed on top of a black matte and adhered to the card. I did warn you that it was simple! LOL

The Sunday Stampers Challenge this week has the theme "lace" - this card has 2 laces on it, so I figure it counts! :) As ever, click the image to see a larger view.

[Edit - I've googled til I'm blue in the face and I can't find who makes the stamp, sorry :( ]

[Edit again - OK, we're making progress! Thanks to Carolyn for contacting me with the info that this stamp is by Postmodern Designs and is called Hi Tops in a Box! Now all we need to do is FIND it, which is not proving easy so far!]

Freebie #51!

CD Gift box[Edit - This set is no longer available from my blog, and now comes with a DVD gift box too! Find it on my other site by googling "My Crafty Files" or email me for details.]

Useful at any time of year, and always good to know you have it in reserve when needed! :) (Much cheaper than buying one too!) Although I've shown the CD peeking out of the end here, obviously both ends do close :)

I cut mine at 7.38" wide x 11.09" high and it was a perfect but snug fit for the standard cd case I was using as a guide. If you want it a little roomier, obviously you can cut it slightly larger! Since it will cut from an 8" x 12" piece of cardstock, you've got plenty left to make a matching tag or gift card! :) I've included fold marks for the major folds - if you don't want those, just cut the box in blackout mode.

Please remember you are only allowed to download this file for your own use and may not distribute it to others in any form. I spend a great deal of time creating my designs, please respect the terms under which they are given.

Again, this template will be "live" for 1 week. Next week it will be taken down, and new ones will replace it. Don't forget, if you have any requests, pass them on! I can't promise, but I will take suggestions into account when planning future templates.

These files may not be uploaded to a group, forum or website for sale or redistribution, or shared among individuals. They are expressly for the personal use of each person that downloads them from this blog.

There is 1 file but I have put it into a zip file to make downloading easier. After saving it, open in the usual way, and drag the file out onto your desktop or wherever you wish to save it.

There are 2 versions of each template:

• An SVG version which can be imported into the Sure Cuts a Lot or Make the Cut program and then cut out on your Cricut.
• A DXF version which is Craft Robo friendly, and ready to be imported into your Robomaster software (I'm not a Robo user, so if there are any problems with this, please let me know!)

Simply click on the appropriate button below to download the file!

Any feedback on the templates is more than welcome, and if you have any suggestions for possible future templates you'd like to see, please let me know! If you make anything using one of the templates, please post a link to it here so that others can be inspired by how you've used them!

I hope you like the templates - let me know how you get on! :)

Templates © dan99crafter@gmail.com 2010

[Picture Not Available]

I thought I'd make a "just because" card today. I love "just because" cards, it's so much more freeing not to have to fit in with a particular theme or celebration, and you can just let your imagination run wild! :)

I practically threw the kitchen sink at this one - most of the elements have either been soaked, sanded or crumpled and ironed! Fun to do though :)

Most of the colouring was done with Wild Honey and Rusty Hinge distress ink pads, two of the newer recently-added colours. The calendar table at the bottom was stamped first, coloured, spritzed with water drops then dried. I then masked it off with a scrap of paper while I worked on the rest of the card. I thought it would be fun to mark it with today's date, as a reminder of when I made it. The photo is another from a sheet by Darkroom Door (not stamps, it's a sheet of vintage photos on cardstock that you cut out and use), which was crumpled, sanded and tinted. The vintage family portrait is a Tim Holtz stamp by Stampers Anonymous.

The upper section of the card was inked with the two colours of distress ink, crumpled, brushed lightly with the darker DI pad, spritzed with water and then ironed dry to flatten it out. The background was then stamped and the iron fence detail was enhanced with a white pen. After assembling the finished piece, I matted it onto a cocoa coloured panel and stuck it on the card.

As ever, click on the image if you want to see a larger view! :)

There's no "I" in "Team"

... but there is an I in Design Team, in fact there's even a D-a-n in Design Team :) I'm very excited to announce that I have accepted offers of places on two great design teams!

The first is for Scrolls Work Rubber Stamps, based in Idaho in the US. This is their first design team, with members drawn from both sides of the Atlantic, so I'm particularly honoured to be a part of their journey right from the start! Among their great range of designs are some quirky, different images which I think are very "me"!

The second is Gingersnap Creations, a fun and creative group gathered from all over the world. They first came to my attention through my friend Hels, who was (and still is) a member of their team. I've seen the list of great creative challenges they have planned for the next 6 months and I can't wait to get started!

Identification Check

Another project based around one of my shield files from a couple of weeks back, and this is also my entry for this weeks Theme Thursday Challenge. Because I was using a vintage photo in this piece, I wanted the whole thing to have a faded, vintage feel. To achieve this, I set myself the challenge of using only Promarkers and only the pens that were in my "skin tones" wallet. I think the pale, washed-out colours have worked really well on the background, and lend an old-fashioned feel to it. Well, that's my opinion and I'm sticking to it! LOL

The photo is from a set by Darkroom Door, and was liberally coated with Rock Candy Crackle Paint before putting it into the memory frame. The striped background was stamped in black and then coloured with the aforementioned Promarkers. The rugby team stamp is by Paper Artsy and the Identification Check ticket is by Crafty Individuals. The type charm is one of Tim Holtz's. Finally, I finished the whole thing off by punching a series of holes along the bottom with the crop-o-dile and "sewing" with some jute garden twine. That's about the nearest you'll ever see me to a needle and thread! LOL

As ever, click on the image for a larger view :)