OHS - The Rose

Oak House Studio has a beautiful range of stamps and inks.... for the next couple of cards I used their rose stamp..... and of course a selection of their inks.

 The background for this card is created using the rubber on the end of a pencil..... dip it into your ink and then 'stamp' it over your card...... If you stamp it 2 or 3 times then you get different shades of the ink...... I love this technique and use it time and time again....

 The background for this card was created by swiping my ink pad across the card front.
I've coloured the rose by 'painting' with the inks...... and then added some glitter for some extra sparkle...

I loved using the inks to create backgrounds.... I made quite a few backing papers too....
More about them on another post!

Today is a tidy up and put things away morning so I can squeeze in some making and crafting later on.....

Hope the sun is shining wherever you are...
Nikki x

OHS - One stamp, 3 cards

Hey everyone..... today my post is another one using the stamps and inks from Oak House Studio.....
I've used the rose stamp in 3 different designs to show just how versatile they can be....
These cards are another 3 of the samples that I created for their Hochanda shows last week.

After a very busy work week, I'm looking forward to sorting out the studio tomorrow....... and maybe, just maybe, some crafting! Now that would be fab.
I want to get a start made on the commissions that I seem to have building up at the moment....

Hope you have a fabby weekend, whatever you end up doing.
Happy crafting
Nikki x

Oak House Studio

I've been lucky enough this month to join the Oak House Studio design team...... and what a lot of fun I've had....
Wonderful stamps, great inks and spritz inks that are just every crafters dream! I love, love, love them!!!!!
Oak House Studio are on Hochanda this week..... so if you want a chance to grab some of these brilliant crafty lovelyness..... make sure you are tuned into Hochanda on Wednesday...

Great news - Oak House Studio have live shows on the new TV channel HOCHANDA 

Freeview 39

Sky 663

with new stamps, triple ink pads and pure colour inks.
October 21st
11am Roses
2pm Daisies
6pm Best Bits

Here is one of the samples I created for the shows...... I've got a lot more to share with you over the next few days.

 A few close ups for you...... the flower was created using the bumper winter leaves stamp collection..... I think that has to be one of my all time favourites...

I really think these are something that everyone needs to have in their crafty stash!

Nikki x

3d creativity

So, a lot of the time when I create I create cards or papercraft items..... this time I wanted to share with you some 3d creativity that doesn't have any paper featured on it at all!

Here are the projects I wanted to share with you,
The first project that I created for a friend...... she is mad about Tigger....

I think every room in my house will sparkle with this glitter for months! This was a lot of fun to make though, just a little time consuming as I had to wait for the glues to set and dry between every layer.
She was over the moon with it, so I guess that's the main thing.

Here is my second project to share..... great for all kids or big kids. It's really effecting and can be tailed for whatever colour you want to use.

This was great fun too - I'll be making more of these using some additional embellishments etc, great base for a 3d project.
For the moment  though, it's hanging in my studio.

I've been busy creating over the last few weeks - some wedding samples using the lastest wedding range from Do Crafts and I've been lucky enough to create some of the DT samples for Oak House Studio. They will be showing you lots of fabby inks and stamps when they appear on Hochanda next week.
I'll be sharing those samples with you over the next few weeks.....

Until then..... happy Friday - have a craft filled weekend!
Nikki x

80th celebrations

Today the card I want to share with you all is a commission card that I did a few months ago.
It had to have a gift on it, pinks and purples and flowers.....
This is what I came up with...

 Aunt Sadie loved it!
Phew, glad I got the design right.....
Sometimes it's really hard to work out what to do, especially when you don't know the person that the card is for.... so it's really rewarding when you get the feedback that the person loves what you have created.

I've been busy getting inky fingers over the weekend..... working with the fantastic inks from Oak House Studio..... I am loving their inks and stamps - great quality!!!!!
The bits I am working on are for their show on Hochanda.....
I'll share them with you as soon as I can.....

Have fun, whatever you are up to.
Happy crafting

Nikki x

A4 for Ava

The card that I am sharing with you today is one that I made for a friend a while ago.
She wanted the card for a special little lady in her life.

I think Ava felt very special when she saw the card had been made just for her!

I love adding a little bit of bunting to fun cards like this.... makes a huge difference to the finished card.

I always love creating projects for people who I know appreciate it.
I love it when I get something hand crafted....

Busy couple of days here at crafty towers..... hopefully, lots to show you very soon.

Nikki x

Chloe turned 18

First of all, sorry about the pic..... I left it far too late at night to edit.... just about asleep on my feet...
But I wanted to share todays card before I climb the stairs to slumberland....

This was a commisson card for Chloe..... guess how old she turned! lol

 Here are a few close ups (again, sorry about the light.......)

I love this ribbon - it's from Lidl and comes in lots of different colours.... It's worth keeping an eye out for and grabbing it when you can.
The beads and different strands are all on the one spool.
Fab value for money!

Back tomorrow with a sneaky peek.......
And another project....

For now.... off to bed...
Nighty night...

Nikki x

With sympathy

Sometimes these cards are just the hardest to make. But in another way, they are a real privilege to make.
This card was made for the widow of a fireman.
I hope she approved and I'd like to think that he would have too.

I love working with dandelions - or a 'wish' as a very close friend of mine calls them.
The greeting was created on my trusty laptop and then printed off.

Nikki x

Good luck zentangle

I bought a crafty mag a few weeks back and it had some zentangle papers in it - loved them!
This card uses just a tiny bit of the A4 sheets that were included.

There have been so many people who have left work this term, either through retiring or moving on to pastures new, so this paper was perfect for one of the cards that I had to make.

 I love the elegant look that you can get from sticking to black and white.
So easy to make work for male or female cards.

I've been playing with my Tonic dies too - I love all things Tonic, you just know that you are getting a great quality cute every time. They are such good value for money and can be used for so many different effects.

Nikki x

45 years..... Wow!

4 days in a row.... well this is now starting to become a habit!
Here is the card I wanted to share with you today.

I was asked to create a card for a very special anniversary - 45 years!
Wow!!!
It was an honour to do it!

 I loved creating this card, lots of sparkle, gems and buttons - what's not to love!

Congrats to that very special couple!!!

On a crafty note, I will have some very exciting news to share with you all this coming week - well I'm uber excited about it.......
I'm really looking forward to the month that it will bring.... inky fingers coming my way!

Perfect timing for the colder weather and the dark nights drawing in...... crafty time to be spent in the studio...... me in my happy place....... so watch this space.

Whatever you are up to this week, have fun, laugh lots and get creating!
Happy crafting

Nikki x

Claying around.....

Go me! 3 days posting in a row....... lol......
Today I wanted to share some of my polymer clay makes with you.
I've loved all things 'Borrower' since I was a little girl, so fairy and Borrower doors have been getting made for a long time.
But a few years ago I started making 'Angel doors' they are little doors, made in white (sometimes with a little colour too). They go in your home and are a connection to a loved one who is no longer here on the Earth but is in Heaven.
I've made a few for Angel babies, friends, family and partners. Everyone is very special to me.
Here are 2 that I made over the summer,

 Then there is the other side to playing with clay..... I love making little critters....... I've got so many ideas of things I want to make and do, just need to the extra 24 hours a day to be able to do it all.....

Clay is a fantastic medium to create with and can be used for sooooo many different styles of projects.
I've got some more Angel doors to make this week (hopefully my hand gets better soon to allow me to do some crafting).... then it will be time to start with the Christmas gifts and decorations...... need to at least make a start on them!
Have a crafty day, whatever you are getting up to.

Happy crafting
Nikki x

Graduation

I was asked to create a few graduation cards over the summer - lots of celebrations going on for lots of people!
These were two of the cards that I came up with,

 My first card is a stamped design. One of my favourite techniques of all time is stamping. Great for so many inky ideas and projects. Here I have used the stamps to create a 3d effect.
You can see it better in the close ups that follow.

 I opted for a simple design for my second card.

 I've layered the letters onto black card and then added them to the card with 3d foam pads. I loved the 3d effect that this has given.

No crafting for me at the moment...... Last week I had steroid injections in my hand..... No a lot of fun and the swelling and bruising is still very very painfull. Here's hoping that is settles soon...... I miss not being in my crafty space...

Back soon with some more crafty things to share.....
Happy crafting

Nikki x

I'm back!

I've been away from blogging for a couple of months...... not for any major reason, other than I have been snowed under at work and just needed a break.
But I'm back.....
I've been working on quite a few commissions over the summer, I'll share them with you over the next month...
Here are the cards I wanted to share with you today......

I am soooooo glad to be back in the studio...... Once I've done a stock take and sort, I'll share some pics of it with you. I'd love to see where you craft too - share me a link and I'll pop on over and take a peek...
Back tomorrow with more to share with you.

Happy crafting

Nikki x