Happy Rainbow

It's a beautiful sunny day here today but this week we've had our fair share of rain and enjoyed seeing some spectacular rainbows. So I thought it might be fun to add a different kind of rainbow to my card today.

Stamps (Hero Arts) - Happy Stamp & Cut, Clouds Background & Fantastic Birthday

I started by inking up the clouds background stamp with salty ocean and faded jeans distress ink, spritzed it with water and stamped on white card. Then I die cut and stamped the sentiments and added a sprinkling of silver sequins to represent raindrops and also to use some of the big stash of sequins I seem to have accumulated in no time!

Next it was time to make my "rainbow". I applied double sided sticky tape to a piece of scrap card and added rows of embroidery thread in rainbow colours.

Then I trimmed the excess threads around the edges and added it to the back of the cloud panel.

After adhering the tiny extra pieces from the die cut sentiment I added strips of yellow card to the panel and used foam pads to adhere it to a red card base. I'm submitting this card into Simon Says Stamps' Happy Birthday Challenge.

Wedding bits and pieces and gift box tutorial

Since I went back to work recently, I haven't had much time (or for that matter, energy!) to make anything. So I was really delighted to get the chance to play and make this wedding favour box, place card and candle for the current Hero Arts Challenge.


Stamps (Hero Arts) - Blossom Art & Small Variety Alphabet

I white embossed the flowers on white card, applied shabby shutters & tumbled glass distress ink and spritzed lightly with water. Then I added some Hero Arts lace, pearls (thanks again, Sharon) and heart gems to the favour box and place card. A quick tutorial for the box is further down the post.

Then I decided to make a wedding candle.


Stamps (Hero Arts) - Blossom Art & Small Variety Alphabet

The flower is made in the same way as above. For the flower centre I embossed the couple's initials on a circle of kraft, lightly applied white chalk ink to the edge and added a couple of Hero Arts heart pearls.



Now to the gift box tutorial. I hadn't realised my writing is so small but you can click on the photos to get a clearer view! Cut two pieces of card 14cm x 14.5cm. Score at 3.5cm on three of the sides as in the photo below.


Cut out the two 3.5cm squares at the base of the pieces of card. Then adhere the two pieces of card together.


Flip the piece of card over and apply double sided sticky tape as shown in the photo below.


Adhere one side of the box together...


.. and then the other side.


When the box has been completed adhere a die cut piece of card to each side. I used the second biggest die from the Labels 8 set for my box but you can adjust the size of the box to fit any of these dies.


Hopefully it won't be as long till I post again! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend:)

Fabric Flower Tutorial

A few people asked me how I made the fabric flower on this ATC:


Stamps (Hero Arts) - Clouds & Big And Small Flowers

I thought it would be easier to explain in pictures how I made it, so put together a little photo tutorial on the process. The flowers are really easy to make and can be made with just small pieces of fabric - I hope you give them a try!

Cut 5 circles of the same size out of fabric. I used my Cuttlebug which made it really quick.


Fold each fabric circle in half.


Fold in half again.


Using a running stitch sew along the curved side, a little bit down from the raw edge. I would usually use a matching thread but went for white thread this time so the stitching would be more obvious in the photos.


Add the next petal to the length of thread using a running stitch.


Continue adding petals with the running stitch until all five petals have been added. As you can see you don't have to be fussy about doing even stitches!


Holding the two ends of the thread, pull tightly to gather the petals together and knot 3\4 times.


Snip the ends of the thread and add a button, large gem or yo yo to the centre to cover up the raw edges.

My Fuzzy Valentine

I thought it might be fun to have a soft and fuzzy heart on a Valentine and the tutorial further down in the post explains how I made this faux chenille one.


Stamps (Hero Arts) - Old Letter Writing & Tree Birds and Messages

For the top part of the panel I embossed the Old Letter Writing in white. I spotted a heart in a scrap of patterned paper (sorry it was only a scrap so I don’t have the name of it) and thought it would be nice for the bottom part of the panel. Then I added lots of buttons which had been recycled off old blouses\shirts. The buttons had been threaded with twine or white yarn (coloured with antique linen distress ink). Hopefully the yarn “x”s on some of the buttons look like little kiss signs! The sentiment is stamped with barn door distress ink.

I'm submitting the card into -

Double Dutch Challenge #61 - Love is in the Air.
Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #35 - Buttons
Fab'n'Funky Challenge #59 - Tempting Texture

So here’s a tutorial for the heart. Cut 5 assorted pieces of red\pink cotton fabric to the desired size.


Stack the fabrics and tack together (I skipped the tacking bit!) to prevent them shifting while sewing. Then stitch a diagonal line across the middle. I didn’t bother marking lines but you can do so if you wish.


Stitch lines 3/8 inch apart on the diagonal across the whole surface.


Cut through the top 4 layers in the middle of the channels between the stitching.


To fluff up the fabric you can either wash the panel or if you’re keen to go like me fray the raw edges by scraping along them with your fingernails.


Pin one of the heart templates by Shari Carroll from Hero Arts to the fabric and machine stitch around the heart with a very small stitch.


Cut the heart out by snipping as close as possible to the stitched outline without cutting through it.


I was able to cut out two large hearts and two small hearts from the panel I made. I’ve order this Hero Arts sentiment set and will probably use the other hearts with the “sending warm fuzzies” sentiment.