Build a buddy

When I saw the Build a Buddy dies from Crafter`s Companion I knew I had to have them because I used to make soft toys but enlarging the patterns to the right size and cutting them out accurately can be difficult and a lot of hassle. The dies make it easy peasy to cut accurate shapes and I`ve had so much fun using them.

Here is my version of the cat. I prefer hand sewing but used the machine to make the dress. I added the lace at the bottom of the dress and used a few dies from Tattered Lace Tiny Tubs to give the the face more features.

Here is my rabbit. I made the ears a bit smaller by using the die for the carrot as the ears. I used a small pom-pom for the nose.

I have developed some new characters using the Tiny Tubs dies. Here is Mr Fox.

I used some felt already with a tiger print on to make this tiger, Tiny Tubs dies were used to make the facial features.

Here is a smart panda with bow tie and jacket.

Continuing with my jungle theme  I made cheetah.

My dog character is dressed using African cloth.

I made another of the big cats- the lion. I think it is more a lion cub than an adult.

Rare Earth Sweet Traditions

Christmas comes early in the crafting word and these are the Rare Earth Christmas stamps. They feature all the sweet sugary thing we love to eat at Christmas. There are so many stamps that it gives you endless possibilities when designing your cards. I really love these set of stamps and have enjoyed trying them out.

The wreath stamp is lovely and you can personalise it how you wish. I fussy cut the gingerbread men and candy cane to give the card dimension.

I love making z cards as they are so easy to make and very effective. I went to town and added lots of the stamped elements to decorate this card. The gingerbread house is really fun and matches with the other stamps.

I love making pop-up box cards and used the gingerbread standing on top of each other to give some height. Doesn`t it make you feel hungry looking at all these mouthwatering delicious goodies.

I used the Kit n Caboodle Essential Cards and Envelopes Vol. 2 to cut out this penny slider card. The gingerbread man spins around the card as you move it.

Another use of the wreath with the Christmas shaped biscuits this time. Again the biscuits were fussy cut.

The Christmas tree stamp is very detailed and looks beautiful when stamped and give a bit of colour.

I used the background stamps for the pattern behind the tree.

I stamped the mug in red and added clear embossing colour. It makes a strong statement on a card.

I fussy cut the centre of this card and suspended the biscuit bell using thread. The bow is really lovely.

I love Christmas pudding and this one looks really appetising. Oxide inks were used for the background. I drew lines on the card to look as though the decorations are suspended.

There are some wonderful sentiments that come with the set and I love the design and lettering of this one.

Cheers!! by Rare Earth

The new "Say Cheers" stamps by Rare Earth are inspired by drink inspired images. There are also a set of sayings. I had the pleasure of playing with the images which range from non alcoholic to alcoholic drinks.  The stamps could be used for so many situations and are fun to work with. The stamps include drinks that can be found in a coffee shop , drinks for the summer or winter, and drink up which are spirits and a selection of bottles.
Here are the ideas I came up with...

I wanted to make the bottle look as though it wa being poured so I used three different angles. The background is one of the background stamps, embossed in white then ink added to enable the background to show up.

The champagne bottle is fun and  I love the curls which i embossed in green glitter powder.

A more homely scene with tea and cake. I used pencil crayons to colour the designs and cut them out to give a bit of dimension.

I used co-ordinating colours for the cup and background and found some ribbon and button that matched.

I did not really plan this design but it just grew until there was enough alcohol for a party!

This is more of a summery design. You can imagine the drinks at a garden party on a lovely day. I write this on a rainy day in June. I believe the sunshine will come.

I really like the tower of cups with a pretzel and other goodies. 

Some more mouthwatering goodies to eat  to accompany the drinks. Again I used pencil crayons to colour them.

I think the cocktails suit a vibrant background. Again I embossed in white and used inks to highlight the designs.

I made a centre stepper card using the pile of fancy cups.

Another summery drink with orange and cherry for garnish, I could do with one now!

Anyone fancy a cup of tea and a biscuit?  I liked the angle on the cup. I think it works really well with the background.

Country Wild by Rare Earth

The Rare Earth Country Wild stamps can be used to create country scenes. I love this blue tit stamp and used one of the background stamps embossed in white to mount it on.

The set contains bunches of wild flowers and insects.

I stamped the trees onto paper which I had already made a background and then added some extra colour onto the hill and the trees.

The signpost can be used to stamp a message or a name to celebrate a special event.

I stamped and embossed in white then used the colour to to highlight the design.

I made an easel card with some of the insects on the platform and around the card.

Rare Earth Cities

Springtime is meant to be the best time to visit Paris and these stamps bring the romance of Paris alive. Even if we can`t go literally, we can be there in our imagination. I love the sketchy feel of the stamps and although detailed they stamp really clearly.

The stamp depicts the Arc De Triompe and it`s symbol of power. I thought the background tied in with the sketchy nature of the stamp.

A typical French cafe. Can you smell the coffee? I can taste the fresh bread.

Happy Birthday Eiffel Tower!! I understand it is 130 years old. The tower was not seen as an icon when first built  but now the big iron lady is well loved. It was the tallest monument in the world when first built and was used to carry out a number of experiments. I like the way the stamp illustrates the setting of the building and the other stamps work well together.

It`s interesting that the issue of these stamps coincided with the fire at Notre Dame. The fire fighters did an amazing job of rescuing the building. I`m sure their bravery and dedication inspired us all.

Venice is an amazing city. I would love to visit. Unique with it`s canals and wonderful architecture. It is such a colourful place that I used a riot of colour on the bag.

I am fascinated by masks. The Venetian masks were traditionally worn for the Carnival  but were also used at balls and other occasions to hide a person`s identity. I layered the stamp to get a more dimensional effect.

There are two mask stamps which come with the set.

The stamps give the look of being sketched. I would love to ride on a gondola and this scene is appealing.

I thought a more monotone colour gave the scene a tranquil feel.

I also like it using more colour.

Spring has sprung...

"Spring has sprung, the grass is ris. I wonder where the birdies is. They say the birds is on the wing. Ain`t that absurd. I always thought the wing was on the bird." Anonymous
I did not realise there were so many versions of this poem. I remembered a bit from childhood but had to look up the rest. I understand Spike Milligan made it popular in the UK but it is said to have originated in Nevada. It usually comes into my head when spring arrives- and what a wonderful spring. It definitely puts a spring in your step.

Here are a few of the spring cards I made...

I used a Hunkydory topper and dies.

I used pictures from my born to garden digi-kit.

The lovely animal pictures are based on paintings by the famouse wildlife artist Pollyanna Pickering.

More Hunkydory topper and dies.