Modern Vintage Stepper Card

I am joining in with the UKS Christmas Countdown and also contributing a layout last week and today with a Modern Vintage Stepper Card.

I love a stepper card.

Here is one I designed for my Coastal Crafters group and it so nearly went right 😁

In hindsight asking newbie crafters to attempt it might have been a tad optimistic but I was keen that they had more of a challenge than a straightforward fold and layers card.

Now I usually follow the same formula for a stepper card.

1. Get the card blank.

2. Slice it along the middle to whatever widths I fancy.

3. On the step side I valley fold smaller than the front piece. 4. Then mountain fold by manhandling it into place 😋

So for the class I spent time scribing the exact measurements and steps and making a note of it all and writing the instructions. Some still didn't quite work in the class and had to be manhandled 😊 I don't quite know why!

Anyway here is a link to a good tutorial on YouTube if you want more information on these great cards.

Here are the written instructions.

1. Use the 5.75x5.75” card clank that has been pre-cut. If you are starting from scratch at home you need to mark 2”x2” point on one side of the card and at the opposite length side you need to make a 2”x2” mark. Then cut between (this will be too difficult with scissors but if you don’t have a trimmer you could use a knife and a metal ruler, but of course be careful!).
2. We have pre-scored the first line at the font of the card at 2” point. This is to make the first mountain fold.
3. Then use the trimmer and the light grey score tool to score at the next mark at 1^5/8” and again at 2^6/8” from the original score mark.
4. Now fold the card on those score lines, the first one at the front we know is a mountain fold and then the next one is a valley fold and the next one is a mountain fold again. This should be done gently to ease into place and then you can ‘square’ the card up at the bottom folds to make sure it will stand up and once you are happy then you can go in and bone fold each crease.
5. Cut your large piece carefully into shape following the template shown in class. You can then use the off cut to mount on your ‘step’ piece of the card. Up to you if you use the same side of the pp to give you a ‘shadow’ or the B side which will give you a contrast.
6. Adhere your pieces down using wet glue, not too little that it wont stick but not too much that it distorts the pp. With wet glue it gives you a bit or ‘wriggle room’ to move the pp round, about 5-10 seconds.
7. Adhere pop dots to the rear of your pre-made topper from your embellishment kit and place where you want on the card. the bottom will probably work best and then use the die-cut leaves from your embellie kit too. Place them underneath the topper and arrange how you like it. Then glue the leaves down using wet glue. Remove the pop dots paper to reveal the glue and place over.
8. Add the snowflakes to the top of the step, either onto another small piece of one of your offcuts or straight onto the top of the step of the card.
9. Embellish with sequins if so wished and also you can use your new stickies if you like. (Beware they do take a few hours to dry so if you use them in class don’t smudge them!)

Or if you are a bit more experienced you can of course follow my basic instructions above 😀

Here are the other examples I made for the class.

Thank you for visiting 😊

Shabby Chic Christmas Layout

Hello :)

I am joining in with the UKS Christmas Countdown and have also contributed with this layout and a card next week.

I have recently started teaching/coaching crafting classes in my town as I haven't been able to find any scrapbooking crops nearer than an hour and a half away which just isn't doable for me most of the time. So I am trying to grow my own :-) It has been fab to meet new people and spend more time with new friends I met at my weight watchers class that have come to the crafting classes. So hello Coastal Crafters; Angela, Sarah, Sue, Lesley and Mel if you are reading :-)

This is the layout I made for our first scrapbooking class which was to learn about layering pretty patterned paper.

It was really nice to revisit the 'basics' and just layer those papers up on top of those gorgeous papers from Prima, the Sweet Peppermint Range.

If you want to look at the stages, all the photos are below, if not then thank you so much for visiting 😊

Coastal Crafters aka Growing my own crop

For years I have dreamed of starting my own crop, having attended online crops and then in real life they have been such a nice thing to do, spending time with like minded people.

However my nearest one is an hour and a half away and generally they are on saturdays. I work in retail so I wouldn't be able to go regularly. What I need is one locally so I need to start my own. I realised it would need to be classes as the guys will be new and won't have a stash.

Despite much encouragement and practical help from my online scrapbooking friends especially lovely Sue, I still hadn't got round to it. Until something clicked this summer when a couple of new friends I met at weight watchers were interested in scrapbooking and so I went ahead and booked the local hall.

We have had two classes so far, making christmas cards and a christmas layout and in a couple of weeks we will be tackling a christmas minibook for the ladies to record their memories of the season this year.

Then after Christmas we will be going back to scrapbooking and doing a different technique each month with hopefully by the end of next year me being able to stop teaching and be able to crop together 😊

Hi to Angela, Sarah, Sue, Lesley, Mel and thank you for starting with me 😍

I have also gone back to basics myself, watching YouTube tutorials and inspiration videos. Practicing basic techniques again. When was the last time I did distress ink blending? Years ago I imagine but I really enjoyed it of course. 

Resurrecting the blog is also something I hope this will inspire. Now if only I could win the lottery and stop that time wasting activity called employment 😄

UK Scrap Addicts Guest Design Post

Thank you so much UK Scrap Addicts for the opportunity to be a guest designer this month 😊 I love your ethos of showcasing UK Scrapbooking 💛

I loved both the mood boards that are being showcased this month but this one is my favourite as it is full of my favourite colours and sparkly stuff.

I used a sketch from Creative Scrappers to start me off (no 305) and decided to swap out the stars for flowers and see where that took me. I love sewing on my layouts so I decided to do that first for the first layer of texture, I've put some of the photos and a couple bits of video of the steps together on a video to watch here: it's my first video like this, i've learned loads and would like to get good at it. 

I used Kaisercraft Wildflowers paper collection from Merly Impressions in the UK, some Ali Edwards Craft The Story stamps, a Cathy Zielske Fit stamp and Cardstock, Nuvo Drops and general supplies from Hey Little Magpie. I also used Lucy's patterns from Attic 24 to crochet the leaves and hydrangea petals.

I also often make a companion project life page and sometimes a journaling 6x12 page to pop in between. The big hike that I did warranted a few more details for my album so I did 😊

I added in a QR code to link to some video footage as all my family love coming across those in the albums 😊

Some of the journaling, I will have more I think.

And the reverse of that page; I generally add in another photo or two and use up some embellies and fave paper.

Thanks very much for looking at my scrapbooking 😊

If you haven't already had enough, the video of my walk along the coast path is here:

Week In The Life 2017 | Sunday

After all the drama of yesterday I didn't get to sleep until midnight and was awake again by 5:30. I check in with work and it was fine. I get up and walk round the garden capturing some detail, I find it interesting each year about this time to see how far things are along in comparison to other years.

 I stay in bed with a coffee and add a couple more bits to my grocery order, watch The London Marathon build up and then snooze again before getting up and ready.

Mum and I drive to Okehampton via Tesco to pick up a last couple of bits for her holiday and a takeaway mocha for me as a treat.

We listen to BBC Radio 4's Reunion programme on the way It was about the Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster which was very good and very emotional.

The countryside looks so stunning, beautiful green patchwork fields with the odd field of bright yellow rape. Looming above us and getting nearer is Dartmoor. Devon is the one of the biggest counties in England and we are lucky enough to have these two stunning National Parks of Exmoor and Dartmoor, I live next to Exmoor so I always go there but I would love to know Dartmoor better too.

We have a lovely chat before lunch with my Aunt and Uncle, I ask Uncle Brian for advice as I want to build a raised flower bed and he is one of the handiest people I know, he gave me some good advice and ideas.

It was a lovely lunch of chicken, roast potatoes and green veg and then cheesecake. 

I help Auntie Pat out with a problem with her phone and then head back to home. 

I realise when I get 10 minutes out that I took zero photos of Dartmoor up close and more importantly zero photos of the whole visit, including their wonderful garden! So mad with myself.

So here are a few more from mine.

It only takes 45 minutes to get back to barnstaple and I pop in to my shop (as it's open) and get pizzas for movie night.

I see to the dogs when I get home and then we all settle down to a movie and then I go to bed to watch Line Of Duty (sooo good).

Sunday done ✅

Week In The Life 2017 done ✅

I am thrilled that I managed to blog all week as it is all captured now and it was great being part of the community of witl'ers. By Saturday and Sunday I had slowed right down on remembering to collect photos. But that is natural for a big project like this.