Autumn Decor

I've got a little Ribbon Oasis project to share today. I'm determined to enjoy autumn this year and not jump too quickly into winter and Christmas so I decided to make some pretty autumnal decor. Before I started this project I did a quick google for autumn wreaths and found lots and lots of inspiration so if you're wanting to make one for yourself that's a great place to start to pool your ideas. Most of the instructions begin with buying a ready made wreath or ring but I'm a bit of a recycler so I decided to find something I already had and found the perfect solution in a cardboard pizza base from a ready made pizza. I rescued it from the paper recycling bin and cut a hole in the center to make it into a perfect card ring base. Because it was white I covered it with brown paper first - again reusing some brown paper bags too! Next came the fun part of picking out some ribbons to use! These are the colours I went for.... I picked out the Browns and Golds organza mix, Yellow and Orange organza mix, the Browns and Golds solids mix, the mesh and chain ribbon in gold and the green leaf colour satin ribbon. I also picked out this lovely red stitched ribbon to make a bow centerpiece.

As well as ribbon I had a little look around the house for some bits to use. I found lots of lovely spices in the cupboard to use I picked out cinnamon sticks, cloves and these lovely star anise that echoed the tones in the ribbons.

Now it's time to start playing! I started by using some wired ribbon to make these rose type embellishments. I just twisted one end of the ribbon around my thumb and then took it off and bent the ribbon over to make extra petals then fixed it all together by twisting it at the ends. The buds were made the same way but without the extra petals just twist it around your thumb, pull it off then twist the ends together. It's really fun to have a go at and the wired ribbon makes it easy to 'sculpt' the ribbon into the shape you want. There are lots of wired ribbons to choose from here so you can pick out some that work with your project I went for ones in orange and gold colours.Another quick embellishment I made was to tie ribbon around the cinnamon sticks. I grouped together the green leaf colour satin ribbon and one of the brown organza ribbons and tied them in a bow around each of the cinnamon sticks.
To cover the inside of the ring I layered two more of the ribbons from the browns and golds set and tied them together in knots at regular intervals then glued it to the ring all the way around. To make extra embellishments I picked out some papers and cut out leaf shapes to layer with the ribbon embellishments.To fill more of the ring I glued another knotted length of ribbon around the ring. Then started to add more flowers.
Some of the flowers I made with more scraps of patterned paper. These are really simple to make. Just cut out a rough circle of paper and distress the edge.
Cut a spiral into the circle of paper
Then roll it up from the middle to the end, securing the end with a dab of glue.
I made a few of these up in patterned papers that worked with the colours of the ribbons.
Another quick embellishment I made was to use some of the orange organza ribbon looped over and then tying a piece of the brown organza ribbon around the middle to make a different kind of bow embellishment.
Once I'd got a good collection of embellishments made I started to build them up around the ring mixing in some other found objects like the pine cones and the little glittery balls that I found in last years Christmas decoration stash.
The gold mesh ribbon I made into little tiny flowers just by rolling small pieces of the ribbon around and gluing it at the end. They add just a touch of extra sparkle.
To finish off the ring I made a ribbon bow with the red stitched ribbon and glued it to the bottom leaving the ends long to hang down.
This was really lots of fun to make and I love the finished effect.

xx Leo

October Afternoon Evening

I've been having lots of fun playing with my new October Afternoon papers I picked out papers from the Report Card and Farm Fresh lines. Love the new mini market alphabet stickers too, I picked out the red and cream ones. I've only been chopping out small pieces at the mo, the patterns are so lush I wanted to showcase them and really I guess use them as the main embellishment.
Really simple one just sketching a cowboy boot on to pattered paper then cutting it out and decorating it with some extra little bits of paper then adding the letter stickers. The tag is from the Cherry Hill die cuts sheet and the bakers twine is from my stash - actually it's in my shop if you wanted some on this page. I did want to add a machine stitched boarder but I made this in front of the TV (project runway) and ironically couldn't be bothered to get out the sewing machine so I just doodled a boarder on instead. The Farm Fresh papers gave me the idea for this one even though I only used a tiny bit of the Farm Fresh papers on it - most of them are actually the Report card ones! I wanted to make a sweet little apron and that kind of developed in to a dress with an apron. These two are note cards so they're just on pieces of 6x4 card. I'm loving making note cards and hello cards at the mo more than any other. I'm in a kraft mood too - it's the autumn it brings it out in all of us right?

I'm not sure why I thought a patterned ice cream cone would be good I guess it's just quirky? I figured if an ice cream cone would be patterned it would probably be made out of fabric so I gave it a tag and little doodled stitching. Looking back on it, it would actually make a really cute soft furnishing embellishment - ice cream cone cushions? Hmmmm....

xx Leo

World Cardmaking Day on UK Scrappers

On the 3rd of October it's World Cardmaking Day and to celebrate we're going to have a few fun challenges over on UK Scrappers! There's prizes to be won too donated by the fantastic UK Scrappers sponsors! The event starts on Wednesday the 30th September up to World Cardmaking Day on Saturday the 3rd. To join in pop into the cardmaking forum on UK Scrappers (here) next Wednesday morning where the first challenge will be announced.

xx Leo

Shabby Chic

I love shabby chic, especially with regards to vintage elements. The way I like to think of shabby chic is to mix old with new so that's what I had in mind with response to this weeks daring card makers challenge....

I used a Jenni Bowlin journalling card and stitched on some vintage buttons, made the main embellishment with a piece of scrap packaging cut out with a nestabilities die and then embellished with some Sassafras Sweet Treats stickers. The bit of ribbon and string is tied around the card to hold on the button card and the embellishment glued on top to hold everything in place. The flowers I made with fabric. I also added a button to the envelope flap. It's a card and a gift in one I guess. I know if I got a card with buttons on I'd want to cut them off so why not make a card that is tailored to that anyhow and the recycling cool old stuff can continue :-D

I also made a shabby chic inspired envelope, I just thought why should a card always get the decorating, why not decorate the envelope and have a simple card inside {or do both!}. Might make a few people smile as it goes though the post too, got to be more fun than sorting all those ordinary white and brown ones?

Everything paperie is Sassafras and there's a little bit of woodgrain tape and buttons from my Quirky Kit.

xx

Home

I do love my interior design so I couldn't pass up a home inspired challenge over on Moxie Fab World, go check it out if you fancy a go & a peek at more home inspired projects it's here.

I decided to make notecards, I've been making a big stack of them just lately while I've got chance as I've completely run out and I like popping them in parcels. These were really simple to make, made just like the interior cards from a previous post. I freehand sketched the teacup and lamp shapes on to patterned paper, cut them out, reassembled them and popped them on a notecard - these are made on recycled packaging just chopped up to 4x6. Papers are a mix of October Afternoon, American Crafts and Sassafras.

xx Leo

Go check it out.....

Ribbon Oasis now have a new blog and if you pop along right now there's some ribbon candy on offer! Go check it out here, http://ribbonoasis.blogspot.com/2009/09/ribbon-candy.html

xx Leo

Merry Christmas!

Nope you haven't skipped a few months it's not Christmas yet, not even close really but I have been making sample Christmas cards all weekend. I also made this for a challenge over on Moxie Fab World you can check it out and have a go yourself here. There's always loads of cool cards to be inspired by :)

The challenge is to use stamps to make a festive holiday card/project. Now since I've been using new festive stash all weekend I figured I'd break out of that and make a holiday card without any particularly festive supplies. The card base was made from packaging and I picked out some yummy Sassafras Amplify papers to decorate it with. The robot stamp is an old BamPop one stamped on more packaging card and cut out. The little Santa hat I cut out from felt and then just added a bit of fabric, stitching and a pom pom. The bow is made from Jenni Bowlin crepe paper ribbon and I also added a bit more stamping using a date stamp. The ickle letter stickers are from My Little Shoebox.

xx Leo

Blog needs an update.....

Aggghh can't believe it's been so long since I updated my blog! Well it has been summer so I've been enjoying that in between being mega busy. I have been updating the Crafty Templates blog with a few things I've been making this past few weeks. I've also got some stuff to share I did a while back but haven't posted up yet......

I made myself a new noticeboard and turned some American Crafts Flair into push pins just by gluing flat topped push pins to the backs with a hot glue gun. I was thinking you could also do the same with buttons - will have to experiment!

A shaker card, I'm thinking shaker cards need to make a come back, I'm not sure if they ever went away though lol. Loads of American Crafts goodies on this one too. The shaker box I made with nestabilities. I cut a shape out from card, covered it with patterned paper then cut out a matching frame shape from thick card, layering that with a piece of acetate and then finishing it off by adding the same frame shape cut from paper to decorate it. The thickness of the card frame creates the shaker box so you need to make sure it's slightly deeper than what you're filling your box with - in this instance buttons. Oh and make sure you add your shaker bits before you stick it all together, nearly forgot that bit!

This is the card I did ages ago with my October Afternoon leftovers and it's in this months Cards mag! I was having a flick this morning there's loads more fab inspro in there defo recommend it. Took that photo in July when it was warm, wish it was that warm now I've already invested in my winter coat it's that cold! Brrrrr

I'm off to do some cards now so I should have something new to share, I've got a congratulations card to make and some samples to start for CT. Got a nice new box of Bazzill dotted swiss card to dip into - makes it so much more fun when you've got new stash to use doesn't it!

xx Leo

ETA Moley the base card I made with a piece of acetate cut into 10x7 and scored then folded in half. xx

Me Likey a Loty & DMC

I had a quick go at this weeks DCM challenge to make a card with decorative edges. When I think decorative edges I think Sassafras and it just so happened I had a nice pile of new papers to play with :D
I decided to make a zig zaggy card because I'm really getting into decorating whole cards at the mo (instead of just decorating the front adding stuff to the inside too) but when I came to photo it to post up discovered how difficult it is to photo three sides at once!
Oh well. I made three piccys...

I picked out the Sassafras Me Likey papers, chopping the gorge scalloped edge trims from the bottoms to layer up along with some rolled paper strips. I just cut out some of the characters from the paper to decorate with and added some flowers made with paper and felt buttons. I'm going to tie it up with ribbon to send it.

xx TFL

Rock & Roll

Just finished this up last night. It's my go at this weeks American Crafts blog challenge. This week it's making a LO that is inspired by music and I went a bit literal with my LO and picked a musicish photo and then went from there. Everything bar the felt buttons are from American Crafts. The strips are ribbons and patterned paper, some of the details I cut out from the Teen line paper too. Also used Rockstar miniMarks rubons and Flair from the 'Smile' pack. The title is Thickers, Shoebox I think, they're the raw chipboard ones and I've altered them with a silver Galaxy Marker and a black outline pen

I also made some extra star embellishments from shrink plastic, just drawing onto scraps of it, colouring in with silver and gold Galaxy markers and then shrinking down.

xx

Illustration & Interiors

I've been really busy just lately and neglecting my blog so I'm going to try and keep up with the updating!

I've been making some illustration type drawing this past week for various things and I thought of using the idea for some cards so I set to it and had a little go. I just sketched some drawings on patterned paper with pen and then cut them out, simple as that. I'm loving these seasidey colours just lately too.

Papers, Flair embellishment, miniMarks rubons and card blanks are all American Crafts.

xx

Howzat!

Woohoo! England have just beaten Australia at Lords for the first time in 75 years! And we go up 1-0 in the Ashes series!!!! Amazing work England, it was brilliant to watch. Hope they win when they head up here to Headingly, although it will probably rain and end up in a draw.... :(


Anyway cricket linkage here's a LO I did recently, Englands next star wicket keeper.. narr just my pops although he can't be bad if he can catch a ball with his eyes closed! lol Been wanting to scrap this for a while so glad I finally got around to it. I've been playing with the new October Afternoon Road Map papers. The one with the numbers on at the bottom is a Cherry Hill one and the herringbone one is one from the Hometown collection all October Afternoon. Rest is American Crafts Thickers stickers, Making Memories shimmer alphas (the little ones) and some vintage buttons. I made a card with some of the leftovers some Cherry Hill diecuts and more lush Thickers but it's going in the next issue of Card Trends so I'll save it for that. ;)
Have got some more card ideas to share though, will put those up later.
xx

This Cat Rocks

My go at this weeks American Crafts challenge to use a mahoosive photo on a layout. I guess it didn't have to be as mahoosive as this one but why not right?

The photo is pretty scary so I thought I'd go with a punk kind of vibe and I made a 'wall' up as the background hand cutting out lots of different American Crafts papers (Craft Fair, Teen, Character, Amplified). The photo then went on top and then I added some doodling with gel pens, black Stickles and Galaxy Markers. The title was next, I it made up of Rock Star miniMarks, Sprinkles Glitter Thickers and raw Shoebox chipboard Thickers which I sprayed with purple ink and then doodled around. To finish I added a little ribbon, some Flair and a butterfly hand cut out and covered with Distress Stickles.

xx Leo

October Afternoon Blog challenge

There's some fab inspirational sketches & cards on the October Afternoon blog this week here.

I picked out this one:

And made this card:

Used some 'Norms News' paper from the Hometown collection and 'Cookie Jar' from the Cherry Hill collection. I added the sentiment to a Cherry Hill label sticker. The embellishment is made of two stacked buttons from my stash.

xx Leo

More pretty pictures 2 inspire

I've been sticking some of these in my inspiration notebook how scrummy are they!?! I've been looking for cool melamine plates and cups for a project mum's working on (she does interior design) and I found some made by a company called rice and when I went to investimagate further found the most amazing website with loads of inspirational goodies..... This is one of the plates I found first.

Love these

How cute would one of these be on a card

I need all these bedspreads!!
Love the colour combo on these combs and the details.
These are clothes pegs but how cute would they be as a minibook closure!

xx

Oh and I did make cake the other day - couldn't decide what kind to make so made some neopoliatan style ones (chocolate+strawberry+vanillia). I'm going to make a whole big cake version another time - will be very cool when it's sliced up to reveal all the colours :D

xx

When it's grey and rainy.....

.....you need pretty things to look at

I'm sorting though the last things arriving for the next Quirky kit and even though it's such a miserable rainy day I can't help but have a big cheesy grin when I'm looking though all the goodness. I'm going to spend the afternoon baking cakes with mum later too so I might have to take more pretty piccys. :)

Sweet October Afternoon

Card made for the October Afternoon blog challenge here. Couldn't wait for an excuse to break into my new goodies!

Supplies: October Afternoon Cherry Hill, 'Tea Towel' and 'Cookie Jar' Weathervane 'Chilly Mornings', Rosie's Diner stamps, Cherry Hill cardstock label sticker. Banana Frog 'paperchains' stamps, Technique Tuesday 'swiss dots' stamp.

xx

Ad Inspired

This was great fun to make, my LO for the ad inspired challenge over on the American Crafts blog. I picked out this advert from a mag:

and this is the LO I came up with:

I loved the graffiti effect on the ad so I went with that as my background spritzing on some black ink over some kraft Bazzill - took an age to dry but I love the effect! The rest of the ad I picked up on was framing the photo in a Polaroid style frame - that's just some AC white cardstock. The little bits of confetti I cut out from the packaging of the Rock Star accents miniMarks and the title is made up of the Rock Star and IM Phrases miniMarks. Also used some American Crafts Flair embellies. The crochet flower is a Bazzill one I think then just random buttons from my stash.

I really enjoyed making this one so will defo have a play with ad inspiration again!

xx Leo

Character

I made this LO following the challenge on the American Crafts Blog to make a LO using 4 or more of the Character line of papers. I picked out Tribune, Planet, Times, Telegraph and Post. I just chopped out the Tribune, Planet, Times and Post papers to reflect the images of the stacked books in the photo and then used the back of the Telegraph paper to make a matt for the photo and Thickers which looks black in the photo but it is a fab deep inky blue colour just like carbon paper. I ordered these online and I much prefer them in real life to how they look onscreen :) The Thickers are Rockabye in white and Puffy Chit Chat in Tangerine and I made a little embellie with a yoyo and some Flair in the center.

xx Leo