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 😄