papercraft – ms.paperlover

Scrapbook Layout – Dovecraft Lost and Found

July 3, 2018July 3, 2018 ms.paperlover

Sometimes layouts come together really fast – even though you’ve done minimal preparation or planning. This was one of those layouts. I did the initial stages: I cut the tree shape on my silhouette – chose my paper, then decided it needed a darker border, so did that, adding Distress Oxide in Frayed Burlap around the edge, as well as using the Dovecraft distress tool. I stitched around the edge of the main paper, which admittedly took some time but I was also watching something on Netflix at the same time which probably made it take a little longer…

but yes, after those initial things, and still with no real plan for the layout, everything just fell into place. I really do love it when that happens.

The process video can be watched here:

Almost everything used is from the Lost & Found collection – apart from the aforementioned Oxide, some Distress Stain in Tarnished Brass, and the phrase sticker in the top right, which is from my stash. It may possibly be an old Kaisercraft something, but I’m not 100% sure.

Note: If you think the stamping looks a little faded – it’s on purpose. I decided to go with second generation stamping for a more muted effect.

Oh, I should add: the bear and the compass around the photo cluster were embellishments I’d made previously for other projects by adding oxides to cardstock, stamping the images (which are from the collection) over the top with StazOn ink, then fussy cutting them out.

Puffy stickers and buttons from the collection were my main go-tos for this layout, but I used a fair few other bits too. One thing that was totally spur of the moment was adding the washi to strips of card stock, cutting the card to size, then adding those strips the layout. One up the right side and one under the photo cluster. Totally unplanned, but I ended up really liking it.

Then towards the end I wasn’t totally happy with that washi up the side, so added some of the twine from the collection next to it. It’s adhered at the back with washi, but I stapled it on too, just to stop the twine from going too astray!

And there we have it – more info is in the process video, plus links to the collection and other items used. Thanks so much for reading ❤

card making, how to, papercrafts, trimcraft, tutorial

Banner Cards with First Edition Let’s Celebrate: How To

May 14, 2018May 13, 2018 ms.paperlover

In this post I’m going to be showing you how to make this fun, but incredibly simple banner cut out card. I’m not good with fancy-fold cards (my brain isn’t mathematical enough!), but I do occasionally like to make cards that are just a *little bit* different.

To make this you will need:

an 8×8″ paper pad (or larger). I used First Edition’s new release, ‘Let’s Celebrate’ for mine
A sentiment stamp, and decorative stamps if desired too
Heat Embossing Equipment (ink, powder, heat tool)
Ink Pad
5×7″ white card blank (or white cardstock large enough to make your own)
Banner Die 3 x 4.5″ (7.5 x 11.5cm) – if you don’t have this then don’t worry too much!

To Start:

Die cut two banner shapes. If you don’t have the die (my set was from The Works but they don’t seem to have them available online right now), then not to worry! It’s a very easy shape to cut yourself, just use the measurements listed above.

Back each of your banners on a contrasting paper and cut around leaving a border of a few mm. If you have the appropriate sized die you can just cut that and use it to back the original shape, but I find it easier to do it this way!

Attach the banners to your 5×7″ card blank (I go for double sided tape as my adhesive, but use whatever your preference is). Make sure each banner is at the very edge of the card at the left edge and then on the top and bottom edges.

Cut around the banner shapes using scissors or a craft knife, again, whichever your preference. Be careful to only cut through one layer of card and not the back too!

Cut another contrasting paper to just under 5 x 7″ and attach to the inside of the card.

And that’s it for the card shape! You can now decorate however you wish, but I’ll show you how I did mine to give you an idea.

Stamp and emboss a sentiment on a paper scrap, about 2-2.5″ wide (about 5cm).

Cut the paper you’ve stamped into a smaller square or rectangle, back with a contrasting paper leaving a 2mm-ish border, then attach to a longer, but slightly narrower strip of paper.

Attach to card and finish with some stamping!

It is up to you whether to attach your decorative piece to just one or to both banners, if you attach it to just one then the banners can ‘open’ separately, however…

When you make a vertical card – only attach the sentiment/sentiment cluster to the bottom banner. If you attach it to the top banner then gravity will work against you and it will droop!

This card shape also works great horizontally:

How super easy is that?! You can then write your message on the inside of the banners or on the back of the card.

If you’d like to see some more projects with Let’s Celebrate, then check out the Inspiration Area of Trimcraft’s The Craft Blog.

Grace ❤

card making, flipbook, how to, papercrafts, trimcraft, tutorial

Wander-Bee Flipbook

February 8, 2018February 8, 2018 ms.paperlover

Ok, ok, I have been somewhat remiss in my blogging… whoops! The end of 2017 and the beginning of 2018 have been a little ‘aaargh!’ (in both good and bad ways). Now that things are starting to settle down I’m hoping to get back to blogging… and be better than before too.

So enough waffle, on with today’s post. I owed my lovely penpal Julie (instagram: @plannerprettiesandpaper) a snail-mail flipbook. And as I was little behind on my mail to her, I wanted to make something extra special.

The gorgeous Trimcraft collections, Dovecraft’s Bee Happy, and First Edition’s Wanderlust are not necessarily similar, but they have some elements that work together really well. So, the ‘Wander-Bee’ collection was born, and it’s first project, this flipbook:

I didn’t do a process video, or take process photos (otherwise there’d be hundreds!). But I thought I’d go through each ‘page’ of the flipbook with you to tell you how it was made.

The cover is this shaker card. All the hexagons (and all that you’ll see throughout the flipbook) I cut on my silhoutte machine. Due to how busy the shaker element is I only added light embellishments: the bee puffy sticker and gold buttons from Bee Happy, and the ‘hello’, which was from my stash. The only Wanderlust element here is the paper I used to die cut the ‘Bee Happy’. In the shaker itself is a mix of gold sequins and stars, gold glitter, coarse yellow glitter, and copper coloured micro beads.

Next was this simple ‘pocket’ page. To make this I cut one of my (many) pre cut hexagons in half (well, just over), and adhered it to the base with a thin layer of double sided tape around the edges. I embellished it with Bee Happy ribbon and a button, as well as both fussy and die cut elements from both Bee Happy and Wanderlust. You can just see the goodies I put in that pocket slightly out of shot to the top right.

This page probably took me the longest to make, as I had to figure out how to make a hexagon-shaped envelope. I tried following an origami tutorial on YouTube but it was WAY too complex. So I just made it up instead. I used brads and twine to keep it shut (it’s full of various die cut shapes and stickers), and decorated around the edge with that slim leaf washi (from my stash). I finished with the sentiment topper from Bee Happy and a Wanderlust fussy cut butterfly.

Next was another page with a simple pocket, made in the same way as last time. But this one is more Wanderlust-y. The bow is made with the bow-sewing technique (let me know if you’d like a blog post on that – I have shown it in a video but I can’t remember which one!). In this pocket I put a load of project life/journal cards.

This is one of the back pages, with added envelope flip-out. This one is a real mix of Bee Happy and Wanderlust, and possibly my favourite page. The small envelope (smallest size on the WE R Memory Keepers’ 1-2-3 Punch Board) is mounted on a 4×2.5″ piece of card, which is then attached with washi tape on both sides. The tape isn’t actually from the Wanderlust collection, believe it or not! It’s a Dovecraft tape from last year. The envelope is filled with little stickers.

The page at the very back I kept simple, with the three Bee Happy Hexagons and wood veneer piece, and a couple of Wanderlust fussy cut butterflies.

And here’s the finished product:

Thanks so much for reading. Check out Trimcraft’s The Craft Blog for more ideas and inspiration with these collections.

Grace ❤ @ms.paperlover

card making, Christmas, how to, papercrafts, tutorial

Super Simple Christmas Crafts 2: Wreath Card (Templates)

December 10, 2017December 10, 2017 ms.paperlover

Woop! Another installment of my Super Simple Christmas Crafts! This time making this attractive circle wreath card. You can watch the video tutorial for instructions here;

And here are the templates:

PDFs (for fussy cutting)

CIRCLE CARD BLANK PDF

HOLLY AND IVY LEAVES 1 PDF

HOLLY AND IVY LEAVES 2 PDF

Cut Files (for Silhouette Users):

Circle Card Blank

Holly and Ivy Leaves 1

Holly and Ivy Leaves 2

Happy Crafting!

Grace ❤ @ms.paperlover

Christmas, how to, papercrafts, trimcraft, tutorial

Super Simple Christmas Crafts 1 – Gift Box With Paper Poinsettia (with Templates)

December 1, 2017December 10, 2017 ms.paperlover

Aren’t these gift boxes cute? I love a Poinsettia, though I generally avoid having them in the house as they’re midly toxic to cats and mine has a tendency to chew on house plants.

So instead – I made some paper ones to decorate these gift boxes! I have a few people this year who are getting multiple small presents from me, rather than one big one. So I needed some lovely boxes to put all those little gifts in – though even the people who get one thing might be getting a box as well, I just love making them!

For the more traditional box on the right I used the First Edition Gift of Christmas Paper Pad, and for the one on the left I used the First Edition Merry Little Christmas.

The instructions on how to make these can be found in my corresponding video tutorial – it is a little long and rambly, sorry about that, I’m out of practice with video tutorials!

Here are the templates for the Poinsettia leaves, I used the first file for the ‘petal’ leaves, and the second for the larger leaves on the bottom.

For Silhouette Users:

Poinsettia Leaves 1

Poinsettia Leaves 2

To print and cut as a template:

Poinsettia Leaves 1 PDF

Poinsettia Leaves 2 PDF

Of course if you have some leaf dies you can use those too, my templates really are very simple shapes. It would however be a good idea to have a few different sizes of leaf for the full effect.

Right then, happy crafting everyone! Do tag me in anything you make and share – I’d love to see!

Grace ❤ @ms.paperlover

card making, how to, papercrafts, tutorial

Creative Process – Pretty Posy Birthday Card

October 2, 2017 ms.paperlover

As the title implies, I made this card using the ‘Pretty Posy’ paper pad from Trimcraft’s First Edition range.

(apologies for the price label still on there, but it damages the cover when you try and remove it!).

After choosing which papers I wanted to use, I started on sorting what elements I needed to make the card. First I fussy cut some florals and hearts from two of the papers (which you can see the pile of in the top left of the photo below).

I also tried out a new toy, this rather rudimentary circle cutter I got from The Works for a whopping £2. It isn’t great, but it’ll do for now.

You can see here the four main parts of the card: the card blank (a 6×6 one). One 6×6 paper (one of the pearlescent designs), with the centre gutted out to make a frame. Then two papers cut to about 5.5×5.5″ (the green one slightly larger) with circles cut from the middle.

…oh, and the lid that covers the circle cutter’s blade has crept it’s way into the photo too, whoops!

Then, assembly! The ‘birthday wishes’ is a cardstock sticker from a Pebbles sticker book – which I now wish I had purchased 2384023 of because I use it all the time for cards and now it’s discontinued, waaaaaah!

It’s also raised up on some foam tape. It was a bit fiddly and took a while to get the fussy cut elements in their right places, and required the combined efforts of foam tape, glue dots, pritt stick, and double sided tape to get the job done.

But that’s not the end! I always like to add something to the back and centre of my cards, even if it’s something small, just so you don’t have a beautiful front of a card and then stark white space elsewhere.

So inside I just added some washi tape:

For the back I did a little more, first I cut another paper to 6×6, and punched the corners with a fancy corner punch:

Then embossed a ‘handmade with love’ stamp on top of some cut off paper I’d used for the front of the card, stuck a doily behind that, and there we go!

I always find adding something to the back and centre of your card (other than your message, of course), makes a handmade card seem more ‘finished’.

Thanks so much for reading, and look out for some more card posts soon 🙂

Oh I forgot – I added some flat back pearls too!

Grace @ms.paperlover ❤

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