Sunday, 5 March 2017

Christmas in the pink ....

... Morning! I hope you're all enjoying your weekend. Yesterday was absolutely beautiful with bright blue skies and brilliant sunshine, sadly it was only about -1C (30F) at midday!! Today looks like it's going to be warmer, but a bit greyer! I had fun in my craft room yesterday making some more Christmas cards for my stash.

Wonderful Time - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Accessories: White Lustre Card; Kaisercraft DP - Silver Bells; Spectrum Noir Sparkle - Clear


I'm submitting this card to Merry Monday Challenge - MM#237 where they want to see shimmer and sparkle. I think this works. The layout is based on our sketch at Christmas Card Throwdown - CCT05. Once again there's no stamping on the card, I just used up some of the paper scraps from the Silver Bells pad. I covered the base with two pieces of pink paper covered with shimmery silver snowflakes. I added four stripes of co-ordinating paper - one of which has a greeting. I finished the front with a rectangular greeting panel that I edged with a silver pen. I attached it with dimensional tape. On the inside I used another piece of design paper for the mat layer and on the white panel added a greeting (slightly crooked!).

Wonderful Time inside - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's GemsWonderful Time sq - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

I won't be crafting at all for the rest of the day. Instead, we are all off to a photo shoot up in Pontiac. We go to David Birdsong's studios where we will be taking photos of the lovely Kristan Sawyer. The last time I took photos of her was back in September 2015 when she was pregnant!! Here's one of the photos I took:

Kristan - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

This was such a fun shoot. Kristan had a lovely little girl who is now almost 1½ years old going to show how fast time goes!!

That's all for now! See you soon.

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Saturday, 4 March 2017

CCT - Sketch ...

... Hello! Winter has come back to Northville. Just the right atmosphere for making Christmas cards! For the next couple of weeks over at Christmas Card Throwdown - CCT05 we have a fun sketch challenge for you. I think it's perfect for using up scraps of design paper (of which I've loads). Here's my card:

Peace, love, joy - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Accessories: White Lustre Card; Kaisercraft DP - Home for Christmas; Stampin' Up Punches - Circle 1" and 1¾", Scalloped Circle - 2⅜"


There is no stamping on this card at all! I used up lots of the little bits of design paper that I've saved. I covered the base with the pretty foliage paper and used three co-ordinating pieces to created the stripes. I made the sentiment panel by punching more scraps and adding a simple greeting. I used dimensional tape to adhere the sentiment panel. On the inside I cut a mat layer of design paper and on the white panel added a tag shaped greeting. This was so quick and easy to make. So much so, that I plan to make several more!!

Peace, love, joy inside - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's GemsPeace, love, joy sq - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

I'm submitting this card to the new challenge at Jingle Belles - JB:17:05 where the team would like to see the Holly, the Ivy and any type of Christmas foliage - done!!

Do visit Christmas Card Throwdown to see more inspirational ideas from the rest of the Design Team.

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Wednesday, 1 March 2017

TMR - Theme ....

... Hi! I'm running late with my post for our new challenge at The Male Room - TMR#55. We have a super fun theme for you to use on your masculine projects - STEAMPUNK! I've actually made a couple of cards. Here's the first:

Want to be - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Stamps: Aurora Wings Digi - Steampunk Owl; Visible Image - Cheshire Cat
Inks: Distress - Evergreen Bough, Pumice Stone; Stampin' Up! - Pistachio Pudding, Soft Sky; Versafine - Onyx Black
Dies: Memory Box - Gear Assembly
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Various Mirri and Satin card; Copics; Spectrum Noir Sparkle - Clear; Distress Mica Spray - Pewter; Glossy Accents


This card is almost one layer! I built up the depth in the background using stencils and stamps. I kept the colours quite light, but they match the colours I used in the owl. The owl is a digital image that I printed on white card, coloured with Copics and then carefully cut out with a scalpel. I added sparkle to some sections of the image and used glossy accents on the eyes. I die cut lots of gears in different colours and textures of card and layered them on the card. I finished the front with a simple sentiment. I've not done the inside yet. I'm submitting this card to Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - where Anything Goes.


My second card is for Halloween - a season that works so well with Steampunk:

Halloween - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Stamps: Stampendous - Steam Pumpkin; Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz - Crazy Talk
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Memento - Tuxedo Black
Dies: Memory Box - Gear Assembly
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Various Mirri and Satin card; Copics; Spectrum Noir Sparkle - Clear; Glossy Accents; SU Card - Tangerine Tango


I was lucky enough to win a prize at the Coffee Lovers Fall challenge and I got this fabulous stamp with it. I stamped the image twice, colouring the cogs on one and the Steam Pumpkin on the other. After adding colour I restamped in Versafine and embossed with clear powder to give clear, crisp lines. I carefully cut out the pumpkin and used dimensional gel to attach it to the background image. I covered the card with all the left over cogs from the first card. I finished off the card with a simple greeting. Once again, I've not finished the inside - yet! I'm submitting this card to Love to Craft Challenge Blog - LTCCB#8 where the theme is Anything Goes.


That's all for now - I'll be back later with photos of the inside!

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Saturday, 25 February 2017

Uniko - February & 5th Birthday Release, DT Blog Hop & Giveaway ....

... Hi, I'm back again! This is going to be a picture heavy post - but I do hope you enjoy it! Bev of Uniko is releasing 5 new sets today, so grab a cup of coffee, sit down and enjoy!

I'm starting off with a couple of examples using Block Party Birthday - this is the first of a new style of stamp from Uniko:

Happy Birthday - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Stamps: Uniko - Block Party Birthday, A Gift for You
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Stampin' Up! Card - Real Red; SU Punch - Hexagon; Zig Clear Color Brushes; Spectrum Noir Sparkle - Clear; Cear Embossing Powder


I stamped this image directly on the card and embossed it with clear powder, and I stamped it again on a piece of scrap card. I punched out three hexagons and coloured them with Zig brushes - no water colouring here, just bold, bright colour. I added sparkle to the open spaces on the main card. I adhered the three coloured hexagons with dimensional gel. I like the spotlight technique. On the inside I cut a mat of red card and on the white panel added some words and a large gift! I'm submitting this card to Seize the Birthday - STB1602 where the theme is Anything Goes.

Happy Birthday inside - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's GemsHappy Birthday sq - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

My next card uses only a section of the large stamp:

Happy Birthday 2 - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Stamps: Uniko - Block Party Birthday, Fontiments Birthday
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Memento - Tuxedo Black; SU - Hello Honey
Dies: Die-namics - Basic Stitch Lines, Wonky Stitched Ovals Stax #3
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Hello Honey; Copics; Spectrum Noir Sparkle - Clear


I got the idea of using just a portion from Lindsey.  The layout is based on the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches - FMS#276, the colours are from Colour Throwdown - CTD#431 and I used faux stitching which is the challenge at City Crafter Challenge Blog - CCCB#350. I used my MISTI to stamp the image on some scrap white card, I used Memento as I planned to use Copics to colour the image. After colouring, I put the image back in my MISTI and stamped in Versafine black and embossed the image with clear powder - this gives a really clean, crisp black outline. I selected an area in the image and cut it out with a fancy edge die. I cut a panel of yellow card for the the background and I added faux stitching to the edges. I cut out the left over balloon and adhered it to the panel. On the inside of the card I cut a mat layer of yellow card and added a greeting and some candles to the white panel.

Happy Birthday 2 inside - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's GemsHappy Birthday 2 sq - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Next up is a card for one of my friends in the UK:

Bloom - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Stamps: Uniko - Originally Organic Additions, Flower Power #5
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black
Dies: Lil Inkers - Wonky Stitched Rectangles #4
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Pear Pizzazz; Tim Hotlz Water Colour Card; Zig Clean Colour Brushes; Spectrum Noir Sparkle - Clear; Clear Embossing Powder


I used the colours from the current challenge at Your Next Stamp - YNS#58 and it's based (loosely) on the sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch! - CTS#210. This involved lots of careful stamping, so my MISTI was used a lot! I started by cutting a panel of water colour card with a die. I put that on my card and then started stamping and embossing with clear powder. Once finished, I used my Zig Clean Color brushes and a clear Spectrum Noir brush to add colour. I attached the die cut panel flat to the card and finished the front with a simple greeting and a tiny little flower in the centre. On the inside I cut a mat layer of green card and added a greeting and flower to the white panel.

Bloom inside - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's GemsBloom sq - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Next is probably the most clean and simple of my cards:

Smile - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Stamps: Uniko - Background Block Halftone, Pure Florals Gerbera, All Occasion Sentiments #6
Inks: SU - Cucumber Crush, Watermelon Wonder, Peekaboo Peach; Versafine - Onyx Black
Dies: Lil Inkers - Wonky Stitched Rectangles # 3; Uniko - Gerbera
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Peekaboo Peach; Spectrum Noir Sparkle - Clear


The colours are from CAS Colours & Sketches - CASC&S#211 - love them! I stamped the halftone image on some scrap card and die cut a shaped panel. Next I stamped the gerbera daisy outline and then used the solid image inked up once in peach and once in melon. I used the matching die to cut out the daisy. I finished the front with a simple greeting. On the inside I cut a mat layer of peach card and on the white panel stamped a narrow halftone dot border, an outline gerbera and added a greeting.

Smile inside - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's GemsSmile sq - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Now I've a very masculine card for you - it's quite clean and simple too:

Bam! - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Stamps: Uniko - Explosion Additons, Nautical Treasures, Background Builders Vines
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Memento - Tuxedo Black; SU - Bermuda Bay, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Tempting Turquoise; Vellum; Copics; Clear Embossing Powder; Spectrum Noir Sparkle - Clear

I really like the big dotty explosion stamp and I think it works as a sun! I decided to make a Father's Day card for my stash. I started by cutting a strip of blue card on which I stamped some vines - they look kind of wavy! I stamped the yatch on white card and embossed it with clear powder. I carefully coloured the sails and then used a scalpel to cut the boat out. I wanted to use the large BAM! stamp, but didn't want to obscure the sun, so I stamped it on vellum, heat embossed it and then added some blue ink to the back of the image. Once completely dry, I cut it out and adhered it to the card, adding some sparkle to the letters. I finished the front by adding some decoration to the main sail and a sentiment. On the inside I cut a mat layer of turquoise card and on the white panel stamped a greeting.

Bam! inside- photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's GemsBam! sq - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

That brings us to the last of the new stamp sets available today - Uniko Style. This is a lovely set and I think you might be surprised how I've used it here:

New Baby - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

Stamps: Uniko - Uniko Style, Sweet Baby
Inks: SU - Smoky Slate, Bashful Blue
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Bashful Blue; SU/Sizzix EF - Chevrons; Spectrum Noir Sparkle - Clear


My inspiration for this card comes from the photo at Addicted to Stamps and More! - ATSM#230. From the photo I've taken the colours - blue, white and grey, the chevrons and the clouds. Who knew that this little outline image in this set would work so well as clouds?? I started by cutting a mat layer of pale blue card - the last of my much loved SU Bashful Blue! I cut a white panel slightly smaller and used my MISTI to position the greeting. I embossed some scrap white card and stamped the outline flower/cloud, then I carefully cut them all out and adhered them to the panel. I added some sparkle around each cloud and finished with some little blue dots! On the inside is a mat of pale blue card, and on the white panel I simply added some baby toys - all sparkly - and an alphabet line!

New Baby inside - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's GemsNew Baby sq - photo by Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems

That brings me to the end of my cards showcasing the new release. And now, as is our tradition at Uniko, we invite you to join the Design Team Blog Hop. Simply hop along the links below and leave a comment as you go for your chance to win the ENTIRE release, plus a couple of extras. A winner will be picked at random from all the comments left along the hop before midnight (GMT) on Saturday 4th March.

Deborah - that's me!

Now before I go, here's a complete look at all the sets available today:


Block Party Birthday

Originally Organic Additions

Background Blocks Halftone


Explosion Additions


Uniko Style

That's all from me today - thanks so much for getting this far - see you soon!

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