Clear embossing with glitter

Hi folks

Have had a couple of requests for 'recipe' for glittered embossed flowers from yellow card I posted for Less is More Challenge

I very rarely emboss but had bought the clear, deep embossing powder on QVC recently so thought I'd use it for the challenge card.

Its easy to do and works, it was just a trial for me! I used white card to punch flower, coloured with ink pad and dipped in embossing pdr whilst still wet, heated and then dipped in glitter while still hot. When you heat it again the embossing melts and the glitter sinks in, I repeated a couple of times to get the overall effect. I used clear deep embossing pdr from QVC and Martha Stewart fine iridescent glitter. Even with all the glitter they are glass like & smooth to touch.  Have a go, might get a chance to do some more experimenting tomorrow, will post if I do!

Have fun!

Mars xxx

LIM - Week 66 Colour Challenge - Yellow

Here's to the first of many challenges I hope, if I can manage to link it!  I punched a few retro flowers (EK Success punch), coloured with a dewdrop ink pad, yellow sunglower, and gave a few coats of clear embossing powder and glittered when still hot so glitter set into the gloss (a more subtle effect).  Also coloured 1st layer mat and ribbon to match with yellow sunflower, dried off with heat gun and also curled ribbon with heat gun.  2nd mat embossed with tiny dots and top mat plain.  Sentiment in matching yellow and embossed with clear powder, a little 'diamond' in flower centre to finish.
Card stock and sentiment stamp from Craftwork Cards.

Mars xxx

What a lovely Saturday!

Its been one of those lovely Saturdays where everything just glides along nicely and even the cat seems extra happy!  I watched my boy this am, the lovely James Martin on Saturday Kitchen, anyone who knows me knows he's 'MINE'!! even my darling Frank, I'm still grinning from the great news from Craftwork Cards yesterday and hopefully if my dodgy leg allows I'm taking a little trip out tomorrow.  Haven't been out of the house since early March as back and leg have been v bad and Frank has had an op on his foot so both of are click clacking around with waking sticks,  Molly cat is the only able bodied member of our little family at the moment!  Joking apart, I'm so looking forward to going out and we are hopefully going to spend the day at our holiday home, Holly Cottage.  We had lots of work done and it was only finished last month, to make it more disabled friendly for me, we haven't been there since February so it will be good to see everything finished, fingers crossed for a nice day and a gentle breeze off the sea. 

I've been in and out of the craft room all day, I'm doing a bit of spring cleaning of all my stash and at the same time making some cards and doing some Candi crafting, basically having a lovely crafty time.  I'm making lots of cards for a local community organisation, making cards and Candi bits and pieces for Julie for QVC show in a few weeks and making a few cards I can put on here as I can't show any of the CWC bits before the show airs and Julie has used them. I'm even considering entering a challenge if I can discover how to link back to the blog! Lol, I can use planning and analysis programmes and I find it hard to navigate around a blog!! Anyway I made a yellow flower card for less is more blog challenge so will try and give it a go.

have started to label ink pads!!

I didn't watch the football but could hear Frank's very loud whoops from the lounge when his beloved Chelsea scored, they won too so he made 'dinner', said it was too late to cook by the time all the postmortem commentary was over so we had smoked salmon on sourdough which was yummy and even better that it was made for me.  Now sitting with feet up and laptop, penning a line or two here before I tackle Mr Linky and the challenge!

Ok, signing off, hope tomorrow is just as nice (just noticed it's already tomorrow!).  Oh, one of the loveliest things about today was all the lovely messages from other new DT members, I hope its the start of a llovely 'crafty' future for us all.

Mars xx

It's official - I'm a Design Team Member for Craftwork Cards

Oh happy Friday, what a wonderful way to start a holiday weekend – a very big thanks to the fabulous team at Craftwork Cards who liked my work enough to give me a place on their Design Team.  From today I have the great privilege of becoming one of their new Design Team members, I’m still pinching myself!! 

I have been using their products since they first appeared on QVC and love working with them, many of my cards have appeared on their blog and QVC shows and I have made lots of crafted items using Candi for QVC, their stand displays at the NEC and CHA in USA earlier this year.  With Craftwork Cards it’s all about designs, fab colours and always amazing quality and price points and then there’s Candi, who doesn’t love Candi?!  I love it  so much, and don’t just use it when crafting, I’ve used it in my blog address (http://cardscandiandcupcakes.blogspot.co.uk)! 

My lovely Frank (hubby) keeps laughing at me for sitting here typing away with a big grin on my face, I can’t help it, I’m so excited and so looking forward to putting my all into making cards and crafts that will make the CWC team feel they have made a good choice.  Thanks again CWC, here’s to the start of a Candi filled future and  I love Candi!  Mars xxx

A couple of Candi creations ........

Blogtastic thanks to Shellie!!

Hello, hello, hello!  yes I know I've been in hiding but life has a habit of throwing the odd curved ball in our direction and its happened again.  You get over one hiccough in life (believe me I've had a whole life's worth in the last 3 years!!) when the next one comes along and takes the wind right out of your sails - again.  Well the hiccough erupted on 8th March when my darling hubby was rushed into hospital, ambulance the lot, and had to have emergency surgery on his foot. 

The awful thing was that I couldn't get to see him for 2 days as me being of dodgy leg, sticks/wheelchair and all that, can't get out of  the house on my own so was devastated not to be able to be with him, he is also my main carer so things were rather 'dodgy' trying to do things myself, the joys of no family in this country, and being too proud to ask for help until I was desperate for a shower and hair wash! Anyway, to cut a long story short, the outcome was good, we were expecting the worst, he is laid up still but the long term prognosis is good and no major damage has been done.  Life is strange with two of us clicking around on sticks, housebound and hating it but after over 8 weeks of being together 24/7 we haven't had a cross word so life is sweet and things are getting back to some kind of normal!!  I have to start planning nice things for all our fab friends who were so kind and helped out so much, handmade cards and lots of cakes and brownies on the way me thinks!

using new stamps from CWC

Card making has taken a bit of a back seat but have been stamping like a mad woman, new techniques learned from the lovely Amy Shaw and sooooo enjoying experimenting with the fab new stamp range from Craftwork Cards.  They are so lovely, flowers and butterflies, tiny birds with lovely cages and super sentiment stamps to suit so many occasions.  I'm using them at the moment to make loads of little cards, these are going to be boxed in groups of 8 (I'm making the boxes) for auction at my local catholic church to raise funds for a new mini bus.  While Frank was in hospital Sr Christine heard I was on my own and was on the phone instantly and visiting the next, so its just a little way of saying thanks. 

I have also just received the latest CWC recipe updates and the free book of flowers is absolutely beautiful, it was a fab surprise to find, also that the last few pages were lovely co-ordinating papers.  The flowers are so lovely, all of them, and the colour combinations are great too.  I can't show what I've done with them yet as I may use for a design team submission I'm making (if I pluck up the courage to apply).  Will post them here in a week or two. 

As part of the design team entry I need to have a blog, well I've had a blog for a little while but as you can see I don't get on here often enough.  With that in mind I did a little housekeeping on it but there were some techie bits and pieces I couldn't master.  Yet another lovely friend to the rescue, Shellie, who lives many miles away in the sunny Canaries has been beavering away making everything work, thanks so much Shellie, another special card to make!

CWC card with some fab new Giraffe candi



Mars xx

Craftwork Cards Stamps

Wow its so good that Craftwork Cards are doing more stamps as everything they do is such great quality and as I've only started stamping recently its great to work with such good products. The sets include beautiful butterflies, pretty flowers, birds and their pretty cages and varied sentiments and all fab to mix and match with CWC card stock and papers etc.

Just a few samples of my 'play' with them in the craft room

I have used CWC's tiny cards as I'm making a set to box up for a charity raffle.  On the cards I have stamped using various butterfly stamps and Tim Holtz distress ink pads, have also stamped and cut out some and layered on with foam pads, a dot of stickles here and there and a cuttle card is born!

Candi flowers, stamped stems and sentiments, another butterfly and a tattered layered flower for this trio.

stamped back ground with little flowers and added stamped and cut out butterfly, ribbon dyed with dewdrop inks to match.  WC paper and craft paper flowers with candi flower centres, stems and leaf stamped with distress inks and stickles for a little hint of sparkle.

A little more stamping, a touch of embossing powder,  punched border with stamped panel, centre of flowers in sweet pea candi, flowers stamped, some cut out and layered back with foam pads accented with Glossy Accents for a little gloss and texture, stickled centres and ribbon dyed pink and marigold to match flower colours.

What fun I've had experimenting, these cards are for charity, have to make lots more and then will be making pretty boxes for them (bundles of 6 or 8) and they will be an auction lot at my church who are trying to raise funds towards a new community mini bus.

SOOOOO looking forward to Alfie bear stamps, a very cute little bear with endless potential, better get out the pro markers in readiness!

back soon

Mars xx

more of my cards on Craftwork Cards blog!!

The lovely Julie from Craftwork Cards has featured some more of my cards on their blog today, it really is such a great confidence boost for me!

Here's what Julie said..........

"More gorgeous cards from Marie Chillmaid using her Recipe Cards for inspiration


Love how you have used one of the Technique cards to create the Candi petal for the centres of the flowers on Sweet Meadow papers.

Lovely card for Valentines, Wedding Anniversary or the birth of a new baby

I'm off to find my Kraft foiled papers, this colour combination is fabulous with those flowers.
Thank you Marie for sharing your fabulous ideas with us.

Julie "

Thanks Julie, and I'm still making!

Some of my cards on Craftwork Cards Blog!!

Just had a look at Craftwork Cards Blog and discovered that there are some of my cards on there today with a little blurb - its nice to see your work som ewhere other than your own laptop or craftroom, nice little confidence boost!!

 

This is what it looks like.............

 

"Inspiration by Marie Chillmaid

 

 

 

 

This is what Marie had to say ...

The inspiration from your fab TSV and economics has really made me go through all my piles of craftroom 'stash'.

Have found lots of lovely CWC treasures so have been making like mad, attaching a few pics for you!  Some just have candy flowers and have been using candi on hatpins too, makes a lovely addition with some pearls etc.Marie so glad you were inspired by the card designs from the Recipe Cards and that you could look through your crafting stash and use some of the bits and pieces you already have to create these beautiful cards.

 

More ideas from Marie coming soon!

 

 

Day 355 card Challenge

My Mum has been fantastic since I had a serious car accident 3 yeas ago so Mother's day is always a good time to make her a special card to show her how much I love and care for her.  She loves flowers and handbags, so I'll have to choose!  Mars xx

Embossed flowers using a stencil and embossing gel and then cut out when dry to use on this card.

easel card covered in lovely papers in shads of turquoise and pinks, with hand embossed flowers using a stencil and high glitter & mica embossing gel. The 'easel' sits against a layered flower with a gem centre. Ideal card for Mother's Day or a lovely lady with something special to celebrate.

card cut using template and then embossed with stencil and high glitter embossing gel.  Roses made using Craftwork Cards Candi and centre set with pearls.

Purple handbag card made from deep purple pearlised card. I have hand embossed with white diamond embossing gel with high fine glitter and mica content, and decorated with handmade roses with glass pearl centres, lilac organza and satin trimmed ribbon and hatpins which I have embellished with glass pearls and paper candi. The little catch has a tiny strip of faux marquise diamonds! A stylish and glitzy card that's ideal for Mother's Day or a lovely lady with something special to celebrate

flowers cut from 12 x 12 paper and glazed using glossy accents, roses made using Craftwork Cards Candi with pearl for centre.

Was so busy last week doing some pieces for Craft company exhibiting in US this week so cards have taken a back seat.  Have done a few yesterday so here goes ......... enjoy

lots of Martha Stewart fine silver glitter, flowers made from Cradtwork Cards 'candi' with a glass pearl for the centre.

just realised that I haven't uploaded pics from camera so will post some more tomorrow

Mars x

all u need is love x!

have been making valentine cards today, not entirely happy that I have crafted 'the one' yet, that's the trouble with being so fussy and persnickety about things!  I'm rarely 100% happy with anything I do! Anyway off to stamp inside message now.  Have discovered lovely stamps from US called 'my favourite things', I'm not a stamper but think I could get into it using these stamps, they are easy to use and the outline is lovely and crisp and clean which makes cards look so professional.  The inside reads "you hold the key to my heart"  ah!!

Mars x

A few pics!

made a few cards this afternoon - v random

this one is from last week

for Uncle John's 70th Birthday, not v good at doing cards for men but he loves nature so thought little birds might make him smile - they did, he loved it!! x

a very simple birthday

baby boy xx

for a sweet baby girl xx

                                 elements from my favourite Craftwork Cards with glossed up candi xx

                                                    simply best wishes for any occassion xx

Love is in the air xxx

Hello again!

have been asked to make some cards for a magazine spread/feature for valentines day.  Its's one of the big multinationals so if they decide to go with what I make it could help towards making a loved hobby more of a job which I need.  I really  miss work since the accident and even though crafting is so far removed from what I did before it would be so great to make a living from something that I am so passionate about.  Have done a few cards but haven't found the few yet to send so am still making.  I'm so fussy about detail, sometimes its not a good thing but I want everything to be more than perfect so I have to keep going until I'm happy!

A few samples of my designs and also some using great new stamp from US by company called 'my favourite things', I'm not really a stamper but these are so crisp and professional that I've loved using.