2 of a kind {the PAPERHAUS magazine}

hello scrappy friends!

well, most of you probably know that i'm a vet, and as such, i know the anatomy of almost any animal kind. but what i did not expected when i began crafting is that on day i'll be writing about the "anatomy" of a layout.

today, i've decided to prepare a small tutorial on how to create a page from scratch or how my creative mind works. and hopefully i’ll manage to inspire you a little and save you some time in the busy summer months ahead -

"2 OF A KIND"

here is the "dissection" of my creative process:

step 1: pick up a picture – the most difficult part for me… since we've got our first digital camera {about 15 years ago} we've got a constant picture overflow and it is getting worse…

i really LOVE this picture of my daughter and hubby - they look just like they always do - happily challenging each other.

step 2: choose the papers - though the MY MIND'S EYE "hip hooray" collection is for birthday celebrations, i thought the colours will look perfect with my picture.

step 3: prepare the main layers

step 4: cut the paper into shape. i distressed the red cardstock a bit, because it was too bright and stamped an edge on it. 

step 5: begin altering the white background - i used THE CRAFTER'S WORKSHOP "solace" 12"doodling template and PANPASTELS. i used Glimmer Glam for the spatters. 

step 6: gather all the elements together and begin arranging your deign. 

and this is the final result:

here are some close ups of my page:

i hope i managed to inspire you today!

make sure to check the PaperHaus blog for more inspiration from our design team!

hugs 'n smiles,
Emmy

tutorial with gesso, gelatos and punchinella {FABER-CASTELL}

hello crafty friends!

it's my turn as a GUEST designer at FABER-CASTELL design memory craft blog today and my projects is all about gesso, GELATOS and punchinella. 

if you are interested in my complete post, please visit FABER-CASTELL design memory craft blog today.

and just to get you more curious - here is another sneak peek of my project - my TIM HOLT inspired title made with art GRIP® aquarelles and PITT® artist pens.

have a lovely creative week!

hugs 'n smiles,
Emmy

mixed media card

hello crafty friends!

today my post is all about stamping and using different media! 

MIXED MEDIA CARD - 

i made this card for a very special friend, who recently proved that he is not afraid of falling!

and here is how i did it:

step 1: stamp the background of your card with the stamp of your choice {i used HC tattered background set} with blue ink. 

step 2: after the first layer is dry, stamp the image you would like to use with brown ink directly on the background and on a separate paper {to colour it and create a 3d effect on your card}.

step 3: i coloured my image with FABER-CASTELL design memory craft GELATOS - i'm really addicted to this cute little pastels.

step 4: while waiting for the coloured image to dry, begin altering your background with some more stamping. i used embossing powder on some of the gear wheels to add extra dimension to my card. 

step 5: cut out all the layers you need and begin assembling your card. for the yellowish label i used SPELLBINDERS golden labels four die. i coloured the edges with GELATOS and distressed them with brown ink.

i added pearls and die cut gears {SPELLBINDERS "sprightly sprockets" die} to finish off my design.

here are some close ups of the finished card:

i tucked the negative die cut under my sentiment and adhered the gear wheel on top of it.

i hope you enjoyed today's post!

hugs 'n smiles,
Emmy

HEARTFELT CREATIONS alumni designers JUNE blog hop

hello HEARTFELT CREATIONS friends! 

and WELCOME to the HEARTFELT CREATIONS alumni designers JUNE blog hop! 

here is a little bit of inspiration from me:

here is a list of some of the products i used on this project:

HC Tattered Background PreCut Set

HC Broken Cinder Blocks Set

HC Rye Grass Flourish Set

HC Holiday Mail PreCut Set

HC Vintage Life Background Set

grand calibur

Double Dots 100pc.

and here is a short tutorial on how i did it:

step 1: using the corner from HC rye grass flourish set  stamp on the blue base {10 x15 cm} for your card.

step 2: get a 10 x 15 cm piece of cardstock and begin altering it with different stamps. i used the harlequin background from HC tattered background set with blue ink and the crackled background {HC broken cinder blocks set} and the script {HC vintage life background set} with brown ink.

step 3: stamp the images you would like to use with brown ink and color them with FABER-CASTELL design memory craft GELATOS. for the bird i used 5 different colors: butterscotch, red cherry, tangerine, gold and snow cone for the eyes.

for the branch i used two shades of green: lime and spearmint.

step 4: give some extra colour to your background using the gold and blue GELATO. die cut the gears using a die cutting machine, SPELLBINDERS "sprightly sprockets" die and brown and white cardstock. begin arranging your elements on the card. i cut the large gear in two to fit better my design. 

to finish off my card i added blue pearls and brads.

i hope you enjoyed my creation today!

if you followed the right order you landed on my blog from selma stevenson's blog and your next stop is cibele glazer's blog.

in case you got lost, here is the complete list of the participants in this blog hop: 

selma stevenson 

emilia van den heuvel  --> ME

cibele glazer 

vicki dutcher

mary faus

alissa wells 

candy slabaugh

lisa allen

this hop starts today, june 25th and closes friday, june 28th at midnight. and as usual, the winner will be chosen randomly from one of the participating blogs. all you have to do is leave a comment on every blog and you will have a chance to win a $25 Gift Certificate to shop at HEARTFELT CREATIONS. the winner will be announced on the participating blogs at noon on saturday, june 29th. 

have fun hopping! 

hugs 'n smiles, 

Emmy

kaboodle doodles challenge #177

hello crafty friends! 

its monday and it is time for another challenge at KABOODLE DOODLES! this week is a special one for me, since it is my last post as a design team member. i really enjoyed my time here and i wanted to say a HUGE THANK YOU to all talented ladies at KABOODLE DOODLES - i'm proud to have been a member of such amazing design team!

now back to the challenge - this week the theme is "pastel colors"! 

and here is a little bit of inspiration from me: 

 if you wish to see more of the FANTASTIC projects the design team have created, visit KABOODLE DOODLES' blog. 

the sponsor this week is JUST SOME LINES 

and the winner will receive a $10 voucher to spend in their store. 

and remember, your projects need to be posted by sunday, june 30, 2013 under KABOODLE DOODLES' blog post and the winners will be announced on tuesday, july 2, 2013. 

hugs 'n smiles, 

Emmy

a mini-album tutorial {PAPERHAUS magazine}

hello scrappy friends!

yesterday it was my turn to dazzle you at the PAPERHAUS blog and i decided to post a mini-tutorial about a mini album!

it is almost summer {even in the Netherlands} and the days are getting longer, lazier, brighter and happier. it is also the time when children say good bye to their kindergarten and go to school. my goddaughter is going to school in september and i decided to create a mini album for her, where she can preserve all those happy pictures from her last summer as our beloved little baby girl. because as she put it herself “coming september i’ll be big and wise, mommy”!

so, here it is - a mini-album for a very special mini-lady:

i’ve written down a short tutorial on how to create this mini album. 

step 1: cover the craft cover of your album with gesso. allow it to dry. 

 step 2: when dry, cut out a small rectangle in the cover of the album. i wanted to give extra dimension to my album, without making it too “fat”. that’s why i cut out a few ‘windows’ on some of the pages. like this you can still have dimension and depth in your project, without worrying how to keep it safe. 

step 3: prepare a few pages from colorful cardstock. i usually start with two or three, because i never know in advance which color i’ll need next. 

 step 4: while cutting and arranging your decoration elements for the cover or an inner page, begin covering the rest of the album with gesso. usually, waiting for the project to the dry takes most of my time and i found out that by covering my album pages while fussy cutting or punching my embellishments, i’m saving at least 1 hour of waiting time. 

 step 5: ink the edges of the cardstock pieces and the edges of the album pages. outline where the window should be begin altering the page. 

 step 6: to create a unique mini album page you can use all the techniques you are familiar with. i inked the edges, stamped and used FABER-CASTELL design memory craft art GRIP® aquarelle watercolor pencils to add some shades and colors to my cardstock. 

step 7: after i was satisfied with the coloring i used a water brush to brush over my design to achieve the watercolor effect.

 i hope you enjoyed my short tutorial! 

you can follow these simple steps for the rest of the album pages, but you can also add more color, modeling paste, mod podge, etc. – the possibilities are endless. 

here are some close ups of my project:

i used pattern papers from BO BUNNY "country garden" collectiona; BO BUNNY flowers and brads and a lot of fussy cut and die cut {i used MARIANNE design dies} elements to embellish my cover. 

i stamped the butterflies on pattern paper and then i colored them with FABER-CASTELL design memory craft art GRIP® aquarelle watercolor pencils.

 to finish off my design i doodled the faux stitches and added liquid pearls. 

i hope you enjoyed my little tutorial today! 

have a lovely evening!

hugs 'n smiles,

Emmy