Decorations with Calories!

 

 Hi! Hope you're all enjoying the beginning of DECEMBER!

Wahoo. It's finally here. In lieu of having actual calories, I thought I'd just take photographs of some, or more precisely, capture some and save them for later!

 Well, a plain packet of sweets is not up to much, but create your own sweet filled tag or even something to hang on the Christmas tree or adorn your table. It's really easy, when you've got the perfect die!- (or this one if you want the dies that cut out the stamped characters from the matching stamp set too!)

 

I've backed the globe with the lovely' Let's Bokeh in The Snow' paper

It's just a case of gathering all the elements together (including these yummy mint M&M's)

Then just stick the acetate window into the frame shape. Add the blue snowy cut out to the larger outline piece and add a ton of foam pads.

When I say ton, I mean a TON. Unfortunately the sweets I'd chosen were super enormous. Let's just say it took rather a large amount of foam pads layers. Next time, I'm choosing some flatter sweets!



I wanted to add some glimmer and sprinkled in some edible lustre. It went everywhere!! I had to open it up, wipe out the lustre and re-seal. Fortunately, there was enough left to give a shimmer. Once I'd finished, I had the rest of the sweets to use up!

 
 This was really easy to make. No faff, no foam pads ;-) Here's what you need.

The tag set by Lia Griffith is perfect for this treat box. Simply make up a simple box shape. I just took the width measurements slightly wider than the tag shape.

I found a small acetate bag, added in the sweets and sealed it with the Candy Lane Washi tape

 Add the bag to the bottom of the box and then stamp out the 'Noel' and add to the tag.

Pull the tops together with twine and you'll find it makes a lovely shape.

Hope this gives you a push to creating your own favours, tags and decorations. If you don't like calories, just add a diamond ring or two ;-)



Birdy Christmas !

Hi! I know it's only November but since the adverts are all 'Christmas-ified' and the Christmas films are on, I thought you might forgive me for starting off with a simple card that could easily be a winter Birthday card too.

I'm using some Lia Griffith sets; Build A Wreath



 and the Stamp/Die set 'Joyful Tidings'

Rather than create ornaments, I wanted to make a simple card. It's mini sized to make more of a feature with the ornament shape.

These would also make great table cards for all that entertaining you might end up doing!

 



I wanted to use this 'Make A Wreath' set but not as a wreath. This is an incredibly cute set and if you don't mind a bit of fussy cutting, it's easy to create something 3D. I've added some graduated colour using a Distress ink colour and then some white and black pen details.

 



I've already used this set in alternative colours as tags for a previous MTDSS challenge

I added this 'Elves By Lia' set too

Hope you get some ideas of how to use these lovely stamps/dies. It would also be great to stick them together after you've folded several in half and then adhere them together to create a 3D ornament.

 

See you next week,



No-Line Wreath

 Hi! How are you all?
I thought I'd have a bash at No-Line colouring using alcohol markers. I'd tried it a while back with little success so I'd thought I'd have another using some of the new Lia Griffiths stamps sets from Hero Arts.

It's a set that might be small in stature, but it's a set that packs a mighty punch!
I'm creating a much larger image by using the tiny foliage pieces.
First, the wreath.. trace around a circle (I used a circle die) in one colour.

 Next, go around the shape with a slightly darker colour.

 Then I added a third colour and then added further detailing using alcohol markers. I then cut the whole shape out.
Stamp out some hearts and buttons. I stamped the buttons in Sahara Sand and added colour using markers and then detailing using a black finaliser.
I stamped the hearts in Pale Tomato (which may have been renamed by Hero Arts but it's in store as Pale Tomato)

For the little elf, again stamp in a light shade of ink. The challenge with no-line colouring is being really careful with where the colour changes. With normal lines, you've a little bit of play, but the colours are merging straight together and you don't want mixed colours. That means you need to stop the colour slightly before you would normally, allowing for bleeding on the card (some card bleeds more than others).

 Once coloured and with shading added, I added highlights with a white gel pen.
I also made a card before this one (yes, I know it's Christmas themed..sorry!) but I didn't love the clouds so relegated it and created the wreath. The wreath can be used wintertime and can be detached from the card for a home decor piece.

Hope you've been tempted to go and have a peek at the new Hero Arts releases- there are some amazing designs just in.
Enjoy your day and do have a go at no-line, it's a lot of fun. Any 'no-line' tips? I'd love to hear!

See you next week,

Keren xx