I had a great time crafting with the entire Christmas collection including the new Essential papers. You can see everything and all my projects and top tips in my latest YouTube video.
You may have seen this hexagonal pop-up box card before. I was reminded of it by my crafting friend Karen Watling who shared the design on World Card Making Day in my Facebook group Creative Minds Kind Hearts. https://www.facebook.com/groups/creativemindsiikindhearts
The Voyage Beneath the Sea papers from Graphic 45 lend themselves nicely to this card shape so I decided to see if I could make three different sizes. I used 12×12 card stock around 160 – 180 gsm. A few folds are required so try to pick a lighter weight for construction. My video has a full tutorial and I will explain that the depth of the box can be changed depending on the size of the hexagonal template.
MY SOUL
This hexagonal box is based on a die with an edge of 7cm/ 2 3/4″ and will fit into an 8″x8″ envelope
I’M REALLY A MERMAID
This hexagonal box is based on a die with an edge of 5.5cm/ 2 1/8″ and will fit into a 6 1/2″ x 9″ envelope
VOYAGE BENEATH THE SEA
This hexagonal box is based on a die with an edge of 5 cm/ 2″ and will fit in a 6″x6″ envelope.
To watch the full tutorial follow the link to my YouTube channel: –
If you would like to connect with other fans of Graphic 45 then join the Facebook Group
My season as a Brand Ambassador for Graphic 45 has officially begun. They are an international, iconic paper crafting brand and it has a privilege for me to be a part of their team. On a personal level I have lovingly curated their papers for many years and usually save, and then use them for my personal creations. The imagery evokes strong personal memories for me. My Mama was a crafter and passed her passion onto me. My Pa was an architect and my Grandad was an acrylic painter too. Creativity runs through my veins and I love keeping my family legacy alive.
If you have seen my other cards and craft makes over the years then you will see many similarities in the new creations I make. However, there will be far more personal projects using the Graphic 45 products and personal reflection so you may see another side to me. If you are new to my crafting journey then I really hope you like what you see and will enjoy following me and watching me develop throughout the coming months.
I will begin with a classy collection called Couture. I love it because my parents were born in the 1920s and they grew up with the style and colours depicted in these papers and embellishments.
KEEPSAKE TAG BOX
This began life as a simple mdf tag box. I die-cut the dress-makers mannequin and tried a few basque designs before I was happy. The buttons are tiny red sequins. It was then a matter of building up the layers using the Couture ephemera, stickers and papers. The box will hold one of Mama’s thimbles which you can see in the photo.
HANDBAG GIFT BOX AND CAS CARDS
Believe it or not, this handbag began life as Covid packaging. I have previously shown how you can adapt it. The peacock paper is wonderful to work with and so in keeping with the era. This is just one of four clean and simple cards. Graphic 45 works with all crafting genres.
LADIES DAY
This is a 4″x6″ card made for Ladies Day at Royal Ascot. Funnily enough the Tonic stamp is called Ladies Day too. I stamped onto the G45 papers and fussy cut the dress which I then layered onto the main image. I am a big fan of the notecards page in the collection too because they make the perfect instant background.
MATCHING HANDBAG
Every outfit needs a matching handbag and this mini Kensington bag works perfectly with the outfit above.
COUTURE NOTEBOOK
This is a notebook cover which you would pay good money for in a shop. I often buy cheap notebooks and art journals, and decorate the covers so that the beautiful designs inspire me to work on something new. The notecard worked beautifully with the Dienamix Iron Frame Die from Craft Consortium.
DOUBLE CORNER EASEL CARD
This is a larger style card which I made because I wanted to use the notecards. I embellished the middle one with a complimenting sticker and a Sentiment stamp.
FREE TUTORIAL
This is a smaller version of the card above and you can see how to make it in my YouTube video, along with all the cards and projects I have shared today.
You will be able to see another of my makes plus a full video tutorial on the Graphic 45 Blog on Monday 20th June. Let the creative fun begin!
As we near the summer holidays, I begin to think of warmer days and trips to the beach. I am fortunate to live near the south coast of England and have views across the Solent to the Isle of Wight. I don’t see the creatures depicted in the new collection from Craft Consortium called Ocean Tale but it hasn’t stopped me from admiring the illustrations drawn by Clare Therese Gray, and loving all the elements.
You can see the collection and my many design team projects in my YouTube video. In addition, in today’s blog post I will show you how to make your own version of the card below, using the stamps, papers and embellishments found in the collection.
OCEAN TALE – SCENIC CARD
YOU WILL NEED
2 x white cardstock (28cm x 15cm)
Ocean Tale 12×12 papers – patterned papers
Ocean Tale A4 Premium Quality papers
Ocean Tale stamp sets
Ocean Tale washi tape
Ocean Tale silver embellishments
Ocean Tale Iridescent dots
Dienamix cutting dies – Live Laugh Love
Nested circles cutting dies
Versafine Clair Inks – Blue Belle and Pine Cone
Colour Pencils
TO MAKE THIS CARD
1. Score both pieces of white cardstock at 7cm/14cm/21cm.
2. Die cut circle (with a plain circle die 9cm diameter) in centre panel of one of these scored pieces of cardstock. Cut a blue square (14.5cm) from the Premium Quality papers and die cut a (9cm diameter) circle in the same position as on the white cardstock. Adhere the blue panel onto the white panel. Take care to align up the two circular apertures.
3. Cut 4 patterned paper panels (7cmx14.5cm) and stick to the reverse of the second white folded cardstock. Cut 2 plain blue panels (7cmx14.5cm) and stick to the front side panels – either side of the centre blue panel. Trim the scene of your choice from the Ocean Tale 12×12 papers. Cut 4 pieces 7cm in length. Stick each panel in order on top of the blue panels. Cut and adhere washi tape at the bottom of each panel.
4. Place the 9cm circle die centrally inside the Dienamix Live Laugh Love die and cut into a darker shade of blue Premium Quality paper. Carefully fold and cut this die cut in half. Then place and secure around the circular aperture on the main card. Taking care not to cover the central fold line.
5. Now take the two main pieces of white folded card and match up the two outer panels then stick them together – back to back. The centre panels can then be gently squeezed to form an open diamond.
6. Cut 3 strips of white card measuring 9cmx1cm. Score at 1cm and 8cm. Fold one tab back and the other forward to create a long z shape.
7. Turn card upside down – with the bottom diamond facing towards you. Carefully stick the left tab to the base of the front panel. Stick the right tab to the back of the card. Repeat three times to make each slat. Allow to dry.
8. Stamp, colour and cut out all the required images. Position the sea creatures on to the tabs with the larger images at the back. Decorate the side panels and the circular frame. Do not overload the frame or cover up the central fold line. To complete the card, embellish with Iridescent Dots and the sentiment of your choice.
9 Create an outer band to hold the card together by cutting a piece of 12×12 patterned paper (40cmx7cm) and gently encasing the card. Add twine and a silver embellishment to complete the look.
TOP TIPS
When stamping use Versafine Clair Bluebelle/Pinecone inks rather than black to create toppers that match the colour tones of the papers.
Have a stamping, cutting and colouring session and create more than you need. This will give you greater scope to create decorative scenes. Plus, you have more toppers ready to go.
I am back today with another new collection from Kanban Crafts which has recently been taken over by Katy Sue Designs. This means that we can combine the papers and peelables that are known to Kanban Crafts fans with the boxes and stepper cards supplied by Katy Sue.
The starting point for my projects was the exquisite 12×12 papers which feature different songbirds perching amongst peach coloured foliage and grey/blue nesting boxes. I must admit to humming the wartime tune “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” which my Mama sang whilst working around the house. I am sorry if you now have that as an earworm!
Nightingale Square launches on Create and Craft TV on Thursday 28th April at 4pm and 8pm – with an additional show on Friday 29th April at 8am. After one week’s exclusivity, you can purchase the collection directly from the Katy Sue website. https://katysuedesigns.com/collections/kanban-crafts
Have a beautiful day
I adapted one of the stepper cards to fit inside a 6×6 pre-scored box. Older Kanban dies were incorporated into the design along with hints of mat gold card.
Two-drawer easel box card
Once the boxes have been made, it is relatively easy to form a paper wallet around them in order to stack them up onto each other. The peelables in the corner of the easel card perfectly finish the design.
A Handbag
The box can also be adapted to create a handbag with matching notelets. This particular one was made with the inside of the Covid packaging!
If you would like to see these projects in greater detail then I would recommend watching my latest YouTube video.
If you would like to connect with other Kanban Crafts/Katy Sue Designs fans then ask to join their Facebook groups
A few days ago, I received an email from the team at Graphic45 inviting me to be a Brand Ambassador for their 2022-2023 season! I couldn’t quite believe that my name had been included in the list of talented artists but there it was in black and white. I am thrilled and very humbled to think that my cardmaking skills are worthy of this accolade but I will gladly accept the honour.
Within hours of the email announcement, my Let it Bee video had been viewed two hundred times which for a small channel such as mine is really exciting. New subscribers have joined and new friendships are being formed with the other Brand Ambassadors.
I thank you for following me on my crafting journey thus far and I hope you will carry along the crafting road with me, over the next few months too.
Today, I would like to share a selection of cards that I created, with memories of my Pa. He would be 101 years old in June. Born in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England: he returned home from WW2 and studied to become an architect. The Graphic 45 collection “Catch of the Day” would have appealed to him because he loved to be by the sea and the sketch drawings could have been drafted by him. Although, he designed buildings not boats!
Catch of the Day
This pre-made stepper card (from Katy Sue Designs) is perfect for building up a scene. The imagery within the G45 collection is simply stunning and makes it easier to create stylish male cards.
Adventure Awaits
This teepee card is so effective and easier to make than you think. This card will be for my son Ben, who this summer, graduates from university as a Graphic Designer.
Sail the Seas…
This triangular pop-up card would have been perfect for my Pa. The lighthouse scene and the navy blue sketched illustrations would have made him smile.
If you would like to see more of these cards and learn how to make the triangular pop-up card, then watch my latest YouTube video.
During March, I set up an Etsy store for selling a small selection of my handmade cards and personalised labels for cardmakers. As with everything new, it took time to research, trial and error, but I persevered and my simple shop front is up and running.
Now, I am back to creating with the glorious Let it Bee papers from Graphic 45. I am a collector of these beautiful collections and enjoy using them in my family projects. There is something about the artwork that makes them very personal to me. Followers will know that I love creating with bee-themed papers and embellishments, so Let It Bee was very high on my crafting shopping list.
Throughout the years I have made many pop-up boxes in the “portrait style”. They are statement cards plus they lie flat for posting which is always a bonus. My latest video shows how to adapt the sizing of one box to another so that you can use the toppers and decorative papers in a way that suits you best. The video link will be lower down this blog post and you can hear me wax lyrical about Let It Bee in addition to a detailed explanation to make the pop-up box. The next three photos will show you the dimensions that I worked with for each box. Plus I have included dimensions for an over-sized pop- up box to feature the larger 4″x6″ Journal Cards
Please note – I naturally work in metric. However I have included the equivalent imperial sizes in brackets.
LET IT BEE – PORTRAIT
TAG SIZE 7.5CM X 10CM (3″X4″)
2 X A4 CARDSTOCK
1ST – SCORE AT 8CM/16CM/24CM/26CM
(3 1/8″- 6 1/4″- 9 13/8″ – 10 1/4″)
turn SCORE AT 10CM (3 7/8″)
2ND – SCORE AT 8CM/10CM
(3 1/8″- 4″)
HELLO FRIEND LANDSCAPE
TAG SIZE 10CM X 7.5CM (4″X3″)
2 X 24CM X 18 CM CARDSTOCK (9 1/2″ X 7 1/8″)
SCORE AT 11CM – 22CM
(4 3/8″ X 5 1/8″)
turn SCORE AT 8.5CM (3 3/8″)
LIFE IS BEE – UTIFUL (LANDSCAPE)
TAG SIZE 1OCM X 6.5CM (4″ X 2 5/8″)
2 X 24CM X 18CM CARDSTOCK (9 1/2″ X 7 1/8″)
SCORE AT 11CM – 22 CM
(4 3/8″ X 8 5/8″)
turn SCORE AT 7.5CM (3″)
BONUS-OVERSIZED BOX (PORTRAIT)
TAG SIZE 10CM X 15CM (4″X6″)
REQUIRES A3 PAPER
2 x 23CM X 34CM (9 1/8″ X 13 1/2″)
SCORE 16CM – 32CM
turn SCORE AT 11CM (3 1/8″)
In this video, I will show you how to create the Life is Bee- utiful pop-up box and the same instructions can be applied to all the different sizes.
Enjoy crafting with these gorgeous, uplifting papers and please do share your makes with me. Here are my social media links if you want to see more of my creations. Plus I have included affiliate links to Craft Stash (UK) at no cost to you – should you wish to invest in this bee-utiful collection.
Every now and then, I re-evaluate my craft stash, what I have and how I use it. Because of this, I discovered a set of Sizzix products and a few other mediums that I wanted to try out with my collection of stencils. Stencils are pretty reasonable to buy and they have far more uses than one first imagines.
I will leave you a link below to my video which is in the style of a workshop. It is over an hour-long so give yourself enough time to settle down with a snack and a drink then watch it. In the title I estimated 20+ projects but when I listed them out it totalled 28! You can adapt the mediums that you use and the way you use them. The main thing is to try one or two and make better use of the products that you have in your craft room.
Below the video, I will list the different effects you can try and where possible an affiliate link to Amazon so that you can find the products if you want to try them too.
Happy crafting
Love Elisabeth xx
BASIC ONE COLOUR INKING
TWO COLOUR LAYERING
APPLY INK, THEN STENCIL, BLEACH OUT WITH A DAMP CLOTH
SIZZIX DIMENSIONAL PASTE – ADD INK
SIZZIX DIMENSIONAL PASTE – ADD WAX
SIZZIX GESSO PASTE – BLEND IN INKS OR ADD OVER INKS
STAMPERIA GLOSSY GEL
STAMPERIA GLOSSY GEL – BLEND WITH INK
SIZZIX 3D ADHESIVE – ADD EMBOSSING POWDERS
SIZZIX 3D ADHESIVE – ADD GILDING FLAKES
SIZZIX PEARLESCENT MEDIUM – ADD INK
STRUCTURE PASTE – ADD PAINT TO PASTE
SIZZIX LUSTRE WAX – APPLY TWO TONES
HEAT EMBOSSING
GELLI PLATE – STENCIL ON AND STENCIL THROUGH WITH ACRYLIC PAINTS
GELLI PLATE – MASK ON AND COLOUR WITH INKS
STENCIL – AS AN EMBOSSING FOLDER
AIR DRY CLAY – IMPRINT STENCIL
DRAW THROUGH STENCIL AND ZENTANGLE
INK THROUGH STENCIL AND OUTLINE
SPRITZ THROUGH WITH INKS AND BLOT
ADD INK TO CARD THEN STENCIL OVER
METALLIC GILDING POLISH
GELATOS – ADD COLOUR TO CARD THEN STENCIL
GELATOS – ADD STENCIL TO CARD THEN COLOUR OVER AND BLEND
February sped by for me. I have been busy creating and filming new videos featuring the glorious Ink Drops Papers available from Craft Consortium. The Ink Drops form part of their Essential Craft Papers range. They are brilliant for card backgrounds, scrapbook pages and journaling. However, there is so much more you can do with them.
Here are all the names of the Ink Drops Papers:- Earth/Dusk/Vivid/Candy Drops/Ocean and each of the colour ranges are worth having in your craft supplies.
I have filmed two videos to show just how versatile these papers are. The first one focuses on the earlier papers. You will see that you can stamp, die-cut, emboss and create paper projects with them.
The second set of cards features the latest range called Ink Drops Ocean. It is a particular favourite of mine because I love the deep blues and greens.
I am pretty sure these projects will inspire you to make good use of your Ink Drops papers. It would be great to see your projects on the Craft Consortium Network on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/groups/989114164562461
You can still buy these papers in both the 12×12 and 6×6 sizes directly from Craft Consortium.
There are several new stamp sets and die sets featured in the projects which you can find at Craft Stash UK by following my affiliate links. If you would like further information then please comment below.
Elisabeth Hogarth Designs 