winners announced

Well I have discovered that scheduling posts late at night doesn't work.  All the samples of cards made from the KanBan Christmas selection were set to go live in December DOH!  Well you can see them below, but first - time to announce the winners of the Kandy.

Katherine Black

Massofhair

Her Indoors

Jackie Trinder

Teighan Barton

Please email me your address at jacquiscards@gmail.com.

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Kanban Xmas Card

Below is a Christmas Card used making a topper from KanBan - you could win a selection of toppers and embellishment sheets from FoilPlay.co.uk by following this link Blog Candy and following the instructions.

I added the holly border with Spellbinder dies to cut a border in gold mirri.

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Blog Candy Alert!!!!!!!

As some of you may know I have been guest designing for Foilplay.co.uk  and others of you will know I celebrate my birthday this month.  The lovely lady, Gill James, who owns and runs Foilplay has kindly agreed to sponsor a blog candy giveaway and I thought I would do this so 5 lucky people can also have some birthday joy with me this month.

Here is a selection of the sheets you will receive (the bundles will vary, but there will be 20 sheets of mixed toppers, borders and embellishments).

The bundle laid out on the floor as that was the only surface big enough to show it ALL

The Christmas selection (10 sheets in total)

The Everyday Selection (10 sheets in total)

Over the coming days I will post various cards I have made from each set and link back to this post.

All I ask is that you leave a comment on this post letting me know what you're favourite occasion is to make a card for.

Good luck!  Winner announced on 22 November (not my birthday btw).



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Dragon's Dream TIO - DT Post, "Undead"

This time is Gabby's turn at the helm and she chose U and a quote.  Well it was recently halloween and my OH loves zombies, do I have to say anymore?

I started by making a zombie-ish skin tone background by smearing Distress Inks on to a tag, I then scoured the internet for undead quotes and found one from the Zombie Survival guide relating to schools so a zombie teacher had to be order of the day.  Found a pic - printed it, and stuck it on.  I printed the quote and stained the paper with Distress Ink, and stamped the spiders web from and Indigoblu plate then added the yarn/fibres in contrasting colours.

Hope you like

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Application Cards

I recently - unsuccessfully - applied for a high profile DT.  I was disappointed not to make the team as I really love their products, but, I was extremely pleased with what I made and the techniques I used to create the cards give I only had a day and half to make them.  I'll let you judge them tho

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Dragon's Dream TIO DT Piece - V and a Feather

For this time's theme, I have gone with Valentine, I know it's months away, but that's what I keep saying about Christmas and look how quickly that comes round!!!!

I started by basing the tag with pink pigment ink, I used a Rennie MacIntosh inspired Heart stamp in gold Pigment ink to create a background.  The ATC topper I did some time ago from a stamp from Viva Las Vegas Stamps.  I cut the hearts in Coredinations with a sizzix die and embossing folder in one, sanded back the detail.  I added the feathers between the hearts and the under the ATC.

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Foil Play DT piece

This is a card I made for a colleague who was leaving to have a baby.  I started with the Saturated Canary stamp and coloured her in with promarkers.  I then used scalloped Ovals spellbinders to cut her and the matt of blue card.  I then glued the rim of the white card with quickie glue and added the gold foil in a distressed style to make the topper look a bit more aged.  I added some ribbon to co-ordinate to a matt of black card, a bling swirl and some flowers from stash.

The really spooky part - she was wearing a blue top and black skirt when she was presented with this and her gift!!!!!! do, do, do, do!!!

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Dragon's Dream TIO DT Piece - Wedding

With Helen choosing W and Lace, for this theme there was really only one option.

WEDDINGS

I started with a Kraft tag, Used a Crafters Companion Stamp of a bride stamped in versamark with Grey Cosmic Shimmer powder to emboss her in (I thought black would be too harsh) and cutoff her skirt, which I promptly replaced with some lace.  Mounted her on the tag and used the sentiment stamp in stazon black to remind what it's for.

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Creative Blog Hop

I was asked by the super talented @Massofhair on twitter to take part in a just for fun blog hop, having never done anything like this I hope I don't disappoint.

Something about myself

I am an administrator within the NHS by day and by night/at weekends I pretend I know what I am doing with ink, paint, stamps and papers n card.

I started out as per my bio, cross stitch embroidering but wanted quick result projects and moved into card making, and then the steampunk phenomena hit and that spurred me into altered art.

I am midway through the decade that begins with a 4 and have no intention of growing old gracefullly.  I am an ageing rocker and ex biker (never did pass my test but my ex hubby had so I just sat back and generally went to sleep).  

The Current Mr Hall is a mad model builder and we are both Sci Fi junkies.

Not many of you will know this either, I was the first membership secretary of the Guild of Fans and Disciples, the Terry Pratchett Fan Club and basically ran the club for three years before my second daughter arrived, and having two littlies under 5 and running the club were just a tad too much.  

What are you working on at the moment

I'll be brutally honest, mainly DT work to get ahead and some picture frames that I sell at my Christmas fair at the NRM at Shildon - the only one I do regularly.

I also need to get my finger out and design and make the model club Christmas Cards (Hubby runs the club and has done for 22 years) as well as our ones.

Why do you Create What you do

For me it's escape, a space for me to block the world and focus entirely on something, the creative process lifts me out of the daily humdrum and when it works out better than expected I get  a real sense of achievement out of it.

How does your creative process work?

Go with the flow, I have an idea of what I want to make, what I want to use and an image of the finished article in my head, but it generally is a case of once I'm in full flow nothing will stop it till it's finished.  Then I generally say I hate it.  Show it to @Sunshine_Cazz my bestest friend int eh world and my crafting buddy/conscience and she tells me straight, don't like or fab.

How do you stay focussed/motivated?

I stay focussed by ............................    oooooooooo shiny!!!!!!!

No honestly, if after an hour I am still staring at the wall behind my desk, or am finding spots to tidy and haven't actually done anything I pack in, I never force it, if it ain't gonna happen today it ain't gonna happen, that way I don't get too disheartened.  I think if you set yourself small goals you stand more of a chance of achieving greatness in bite size pieces.  I'll let you know when I get there lol.

I hope I didn't bore you too much, please pop and see the other lovely ladies included in this hop

@SezzieD

@Claires10

and my final nomination (she doesn't know yet!) @sunshine_Cazz

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Cup Cake delight

Made for a colleague who has hollow legs and keeps the office supplied with cakes

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Dragon's Dream TIO DT Piece - J & Diecuts

It's Eizabeth at the helm this time and she has chosen J and Diecuts.

For this tag I used an oversized chipboard tag and coated it in pale blue acrylic paint in an attempt to mimic the colour of those tacky tuxedos you see in movies.  I then used a music stamp with versafine lagoon blue to make the background.

The focal stamp is Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, a Stampsmith stamp I acquired recently, I stamped him in versamark and used  ranger black detail powder to emboss him and cut him out to mount using pinflair.  I used a cuttlebug cut and emboss folder to get the Pointy hand and used a die cut topper from KanBan to prove it was Jazz.

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Happy Birthday and as you're leaving

Two recent Birthday Cards I made for customers.

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Altered Eclectics DT Piece - Chunky ATC

I had never heard of Chunky ATCs until a friend on Twitter made one, She then very promptly sent me a RAK containing a blank block and 4 stoppers for the tops.

I started by basing this in Do Crafts Jumgle Green, then applying a coat of PaperArtsy Crackle Glaze and used Do crafts Sage on the top.  I then used PaperArtsy Tikka and chalk, I then used Do Crafts metallic Bronze to dry brush all over.

The images were all stamped in Black Stazon from various Tim Holtz stamp plates.

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