Origami Bow

Good Afternoon,
  Oh I am so upset I missed my morning.  But I am on it now and posting my tutorial of the Origami Bow.  Lots and lots of photos to show you step by step.

  I know the colours are not great but this is all the designer printed paper I have at the moment (buying more today!!).  Cut 4 pieces of 1/2" x 12" printed paper

Fold all four pieces in half

Cut the ends on a slant (as shown above).

Place all four pieces through each other, do not separate the pieces.  This bottom piece, should be in the middle together - not separated.

Pull pieces up, over, down and across slowly together to get this tight square (on all four sides there are two pieces) just trying to stress the importance of keeping the pieces together.

Starting at the bottom, bring one piece of paper up.  The right side, over.  The top, down.  The left side is the only one that is different.  When you bring it across, you need to loop it under the square on the left. (I haven't done that with this top photo yet, that is why the piece of paper is sitting up.

Sorry, just showing you another photo of the piece now tucked through the left.

I am going to show you a few photos of this little complicated bit.  It is easier to show this part then explain it.

This is the four sides finished.  Now we cut off the excess dsp (just the top bits)

This is it with all four excess dsp cut off

Turn over the bow and now we do the same thing on this side.  Turn the piece of dsp under and flip over to push into tab (did you like that!!!!! make heaps of sense - don't worry I have a heap more photos)

Ohhhhhhh, I haven't shown this one but you can refer back up to the top photos, as we are doing the exact same thing to get the points, at the end.

This is all the four sides finished.  Now we are going to do the little bow on the very top.

Sorry, it is a bit blurry (our days have been really overcast and I have been having trouble getting good photos).

This is two of the sides done.  You need to flip the dsp around and under the tab beside it and it pulls through the bottom triangle.  This photo is showing the dsp (at the bottom) coming through the triangle.  This is why you needed to cut the angle on the pieces of dsp in the beginning.

All four ends are sticking out of the triangles.  And to finish off the bow, we simply cut off the ends.

And one I did at Christmas time.  I did take the photo at the same time which is why it is blurry (sorry, I promise I am buying a new camera)
I hope that my instructions were easy to understand, but the more you make the easier they are.  Truly, they are so much fun to make.  I try and make one every week or so, so I don't forget how to make them.
Have a lovely afternoon...

Bows bows, bows Challenge

Hi,
  I have just finished the Pals Paper Arts challenge and it is such a sweet challenge.  Making bows, how much fun.  I watched the making of my bow on u-tube but tomorrow I will try and do a tutorial (I have taken the pictures) to show you. 
  And this is my card, not very colourful but I was using the newspaper print!!!!! (my excuse anyway)

Stamp set:  Curvy verses
Card:  Whisper white and dsp - newspaper print, basic black
Ink:  Basic black
Tools:  Scallop circle punch, paper piercer and mat.
I hope you like this and thanks for stopping by....

Valentine Gift Box

Good morning,
  Hope everyone had a lovely weekend!  It goes too quickly for me, but anyway onto another week.....
I am doing a 3D challenge, on Valentine, at Our Creative Corner today
  This is my gift box/bag.  I have been wanting to do this for ages and thought, with the challenge, great time.

  Sorry, we have had an overcast weekend, as well as today.  And it is hard to take photos, so I had to lye it down.
Stamp set:  Teeny tiny sentiments
Card:  Pink pirouette, cherry cobbler, dsp-play date, whisper white
Ink:  Chocolate chip
Acc:  Rhinestone brads (sorry should have taken a picture of the side) and velcro
Tools:  Scallop circle, 13/8 circle, heart to heart punch, word window punch and circle scissors.
There is a great tutorial on Holly's blog, Toyzhaven.blog.  And if anyone is interested I can do up the instructions.  I just tried to write down some quick ones for you but you do need to see a picture of the card to see where to cut off squares.  And you have to round off the sides, which I would need to show you in a picture.
Thanks for stopping by and have a good day....

Valentine CD Holder

Morning,
  Today I have a CD holder.  I have been dying to make one for ages, and finally got around to doing it.  Lovely present to give someone for Valentine.

I have been trying to do masculine things so this is why I have the blues going!!!!

And this is my CD case open.  I should have decorated the top too, and I will do that now, so I can write a little message or put a photo there.  I will have to think about that one!
Stamp set:  Occasional quotes
Card:  Marina mist, not quite navy, real red and dsp - play date
Ink:  Not quite navy.
Tools:  Heart to heart punch, paper piercer and mat, 13/8" round punch
1 x  77/8" x 11" card        score  11" side 3" from both ends
                                        cut     77/8 side at 3", so you now have two pieces of card
Adhere smaller piece (as a belly band around the bottom middle) with glue dots, one over the other.
Punch  half of 13/8" circle punch through the bottom piece of card.  Then fold up, using glue dot at each corner.  Now you have created a pocket.  You might need to trim the belly band too with circle punch.
You can add velcro dot to close if desired.  I left mine without as it sits neatly anyway.
Decorate as desired.
I have just put down quick instructions but if you are looking for more involved instructions, pop over to splitcoast stampers and check out their instructions.
Have a great day...

Valentine Lolly Pops

Good morning,
  I just came on the computer and saw the lovely messages from my challenges and gee it makes you feel good.  I smiled straight away, because you may not think that your card is that great (and probably, it isn't) but the feedback is always so beautiful and positive.  I would like to thank the organisers of the challenges as they definitely make my day.
  Now onto my Valentine lolly pops, they are oh so cute.  I brought a packet of mini chuppa chumps from the supermarket and made them all last night.  I can't wait to give them away.  I saw them originally on Patti Lee's blog (she is so amazing) and of course, she always give instructions.

This is my take on them.  I did not sponge as Patti did and I also did punch a pink and a red from the lge flower punch (whereas Patti used the lge flower punch for the pink and full heart punch for the red).  It was less work to use the one punch and I think it still came out well.  I also bent the pink flowers towards the lolly to give a more closed look (not that you can really tell in the photo).

Isn't that funny.  I was going to show you the flowers I did from Patti's instructions, and then using the two flower punch but I can't tell from the photo which is which but in the 'real world' you can tell.  I spent more time trying to get the 3/4heart's to sit right, under the pink flower.  Don't let me put you off though, as they are so beautiful.

We have a very overcast day today so my pictures are not as clear as they should be, but here are a couple of the flowers so you can see the stems.  They are so easy, you have to make some, and they were fun to make I will give you some quick instructions, but like I say, if you can't understand them, hop over to Patti's blog.Two punched lge flowers, one is pink pirouette and the other riding hood red (real red)
1" X 3 1/2" old olive card
Punch a hole in the middle of both flowers with the crop-a-dial and clip into the leaves about 1/2", it is only small, to give you a little more to play with (bending etc).  Now would be the time to sponge if you wanted to.
Thread flowers onto stick.  I did not use any sticky to keep the flowers together, as I didn't think you needed it.  Of course it is different if you are using the hearts, as you do need sticky for that, and I did use quite a lot. 
Now take the old olive (stem) and cut strips, on one side, snipping 1/8" along the strip.  You can measure down 1/2" to know where to stop cutting.  But I did it all freehand, just cutting randomly down to where I thought was good enough
Place sticky strip on one side of the card.  And to make the card a little more pliable, wrap around a pencil a few time.  Then using the untapped side start wrapping around the stick, pushing the cuts bits up and around the flower, finally sticking it together.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great day...
ps.  sorry I was going to direct you to where the tutorial was, but she has so much on her site, I just don't have time, at the moment.  But she blogged it on 27 Jan 2010.  creationsbypatti.blogspot.com

Cards and Things Challenge

Hi everyone,
  Keeping with my male theme (well, getting into making male cards), I have one here for the Cards and Things Challenge:

Aren't these colours lovely, definitely great male colours.  And here is my card:

Stamp set:  Curvy Verses and sanded stamp block
Card:  Crumb cake, pacific point, old olive and whisper white
Ink:  Old olive and pacific point
Acc:  Crystal affects (faux buttons, as I didn't have the right colours)
Tools:  Paper piercer and mat, big shot and perfect polka dot embosslit
I hope you like the card, have a great day....

Hoot Hoot The Sweetest Thing Challenge

Hello,
  Yes I know, I was up late last night doing my challenges, as I have not had a chance early in the week.  Now this may not have a male feel too it but it is a male card!!!

So this is the sketch we are working with and under it is my card, remember male!!!!












Sorry, just realised I can add another challenge to this sketch
Choose a sketch from another current challenge
Add some texture
Finish with a Punch!
This challenge is Cooking With Kate

I dont know if you can see, but the so saffron (background is crimped), the rest is easy to tell!!

Stamp set:  Occasional quotes and party hearty
Card:  Basic grey, so saffron, pacific point, baja breeze, old olive and whisper white
Ink:  Pacific point, versa mark and baja breeze
Acc:  brad, glue dots
Tools:  2 step owl punch, 2 step bird punch, crimper, corner rounder and paper piercer
Thanks for stopping by, I hope you like the card.
Have a great day....

Just Surfing Styles Ink Challenge

Good morning,
  I am going for my hardest challenge yet.
This is a sketch but it has to be one layered.  Sounds easy, ahhh, no it doesn't.  Anyway, here's my best shot:

I didn't want the card to be too plain!!, so I pin pricked around the outside of the board. Added the white gel pen onto of the waves (that didn't come out the way I had hoped) and then crystal affects over that for the water look.  That is my star up top, night time, see!!!!

Stamp set:  Just surfing and snow swirled
Card:  Bashful blue
Ink:  Baja breeze, pacific point, old olive, pumpkin pie and chocolate chip
Acc:  white gel pen and crystal affects
Tools:  paper piercer and mat
I hope you like it.  Have a great day...

Easter Basket

Morning,
 I just e-mailed Ariane over at R'n'I for approval to post this tutorial, as this is from her blog.  I have loved this basket since the moment I saw it and a friend asked me for instructions so I thought I would do a tutorial myself even though I know it is early to be posting Easter things.  After this I will get into the last lot of posts for Valentine.  As that will be upon us before we know it, and I have found a few cute little things.
 Anyway onto my second tutorial:

This is the little Easter basket, sorry there are no eggs in there yet, that, is a bit early for me, even though I am a chocaholic, I still need it to be a little closer to the day.

So this is what we need:
1 piece of card  82/8" x 57/8" (half of A4 cardstock)  score 57/8" at 3/8"ea side, 21/8
                                               score 82/8" at 11/8",1 15/16",63/8" and 71/8"
1 piece dsp  11/2" x 82/8"  (maybe a little longer, as it wraps around the bottom of the basket, and you can
                                            trim of excess later)
1 piece dsp 9/16" x 12"  scalloped on one side
1 piece dsp/card  scalloped on both sides (I scalloped mine off centre to give that rick-rack look).  This is
                                            the handle
Brads, as above.

Cut off all four ends at the score lines.  Then draw lines (or use cutter to cut) from outside corner into bottom score line (as next picture)

Hope this is clear enough for you to see where to cut the lines, I did pencil it in but other times I have just used the cutter.
Now you can stamp an image on the card or leave it plain.  At the end of the tutorial I will show you one plain and the other with a stamped image on it, purely up to you.

This shows the stamped image using Autumn days, in baja breeze (I didn't want it standing out too much).  Now you add tape to the edges, across from each other, as shown.  I have already stuck the scalloped dsp (play date) on one side, just to show you and left the other side with tape so you can see to do it on the edges.

After adhering dsp onto edges, tape the middle and place 11/2 x 82/8(or a bit longer) down.

Place tape onto edges, as I have done, ready to make your basket.

Sorry I didn't realise this photo is a bit fuzzy but I want to show you how you need to bring up the edges to meet in the middle.  You need to do this on both sides.

This is what your basket will now look like, before we add the handle (with brads).  I also added some retired ribbon on this one as well.  The brads I used are the designer brads (love them so much, I haven't used them before!!!)

And here is the picture of the one without ribbon and a stamped image.

I just realised how plain this looks in the photo.  Really it looks better in real life...... believe me, it does, lol.
rubrnink has a great tutorial on her site if I haven't explained myself clearly enough.  She has also done it in cm where mine is inches.
Thanks so much for popping by and I hope you like the Easter basket as much as I do...
Have a great day..