Trim the tree Christmas Card - by Jowilna Nolte.

Hi there and welcome to another blog post with me Jowilna for Couture Creations!
We're heading towards the silly season fast and i thought i would share a quick and easy Christmas card for the festive season - just so you can get ahead and start getting creative.
To introduce some cooler colours into my cards i used a blue patterned paper from the Sew Jo | CO723545 paper pad to cut the scalloped border die from the Chandeliers Set | CO723247. 
On top of the border i layered some cardstock and clear words for added interest - the trim the tree element was raised using the Couture Creations foam tape.

I used the Trio of trees die to create a focal point for my card. Cut out of white smooth technique cardstock and then coloured using red dye ink. Once the ink was dry i added some gold glitter glue using my finger tips for a subtle shine.
The tree die cut was layered on top of a patterned paper from the paper pad, adding some colour behind it and grounding it on the white card background.
a quick and easy card using only a few elements effectively! i hope you are getting all geared up for the festive season and making your own cards this year! So easy when you use your Couture Creations products to create with.
Couture Creations Products I used for my project:
 

Selfies and single page layouts.

Welcome to another blog post – i can’t believe how the weeks and days are flying by as we head towards the end of the year. Whenever I see some of my niece’s “selfies” she takes they crack me up! I love seeing them in their everyday environment, and love capturing those moments for them onto scrapbook layouts.
So for this layout I used a sketch from Scrapbook Challenges to create this fun layout. I used a combination of patterned papers and dressed up my layout with border punches, glitter and burnishing paste from the Chiswick range of products. I totally love the end results.
I love this border punch – it really is a timeless and classic design – perfect for any layout or card. Use it with plain cardstock or patterned paper – whatever suits your design best.
I also used some of my favorite glitter to add a purple glitter strip across the bottom of my layout. I used my thin double sided tape for this, remove the backing from the tape and sprinkle liberally with glitter. I press it down lightly with my fingers and then shake off the excess and return it to my container.
For my title word, I used a word cut from my Silhouette machine in smooth black cardstock. I wanted to dress it up a bit to remove the harshness of the black. Enter my favourite go to product  – burnishing paste in bronze. I used a cloth to simply wipe a thin layer of paste across my word and then adhered it to my layout – quick and easy and so effective. A slight shimmery colour!
Man i love this stuff – the colours, the simplicity and the versatility. Here you can see how i used it effectively on a black Christmas tree to add
some shimmer to it – really very effective!
These are the products i used for my layout
Ultra fine glitter sb4225
Simplicity Border Punches – Dotty Border pct 778
Burnishing Paste 25ml Bronze pa2195
You can view these and all the other products on the website at www.chiswick.co.za
Let us know if you have trouble finding any of the products at your local craft store.
Until next time – happy crafting!

Scrap-a-doodles Bo Bunny traveler - double page layout.

I am a traveler at heart, so when i get to do something with a travel theme it really is my cup of tea. So this month with on the Scrap-a-doodles blog i get to play with this gorgeous travel range. Strangely enough I battle with this range, but once i forgot about all the colours and elements, and did what comes naturally i actually loved working with it! can you see it? yes that bit of vintage flair added to the layout in the form of the card on the left hand side and the muted colours and various elements.
 
 who doesn't love a good film strip? and these new film strip stickers are amazing. I dressed up my filmstrip with some added elements right on top of the strip.
 A few chipboard elements, cut out elements from the patterned paper and some gorgeous twine
 On my background i created a shimmery layer -  a technique using the Bo Bunny Pearlescents....i love this effect
 more twine wrapped around the chipboard elements for texture
here's what i used to create my layout:
I used the very versatile and permanent roller tape from Crafter's companion. it really stuck down all the papers and elements well
 the film strip is a sticker and to remove the plastic bit at the back can be tricky to remove - i used my craft knife to catch the tip and then carefully pull it back
 to reveal and show the images well - i adhered it to a white background and burnished it with my bone-folder to smooth it out well
 to create the shimmery background streaks, i added some Pearlescents to a palette knife on the back - you can also use an old credit card or gift card to apply it - all those gift cards i keep as they are really handy for these applications
 a little goes a long way - you can always add more if you need to later on
 then carefully apply the paste to the background in long even streaks and leave it to dry - it only takes a few seconds.
TIP: avoid going over the same spot more than once when it is still wet - wait for the first layer to dry completely before adding another layer.
remember that the Pearlescents are almost "c-through" in a sense
 i also added some pearly dots all over my layout for dimension - these are great to replace diamante and even the look of brads
So where will your next trip be to next?
Happy scrapping until next time!

Stenciled and stamped - a card for a special boy.

Ever find yourself just creatively stumped when it comes to making cards for men and boys? I hear it so often! So today i am sharing a quick little card i put together for a special little guy. I wanted to create a simple background using stamps and stencils and inks – something that is quick and easy, won’t cost the earth and can be done by anyone. So here’s what i put together using the Chiswick range of products…
I used white cardstock to stencil a triangular image onto my background using the Chiswick range of inks and a sponge applicator. What i like about the ink and stenciling is that it is subtle, but i can make it darker by applying more pressure and loading my sponge with more ink.

 Once i was done stenciling, I added some stamping around the edges of my card using Chiswick black dye ink and a script stamp from the Feline stamp set. I inked my stamp and then stamped off some of it onto a scrap paper before stamping onto my actual card piece, this way it us a light black and blends into my background nicely.
  I also added a border stamp in a darker black ink making it stand out against the background – nice and bold.
See the green stenciling just peek out behind the script stamping – really effective.
I matted my background center panel onto a dictionary print patterned paper and then onto Chiswick Crimson red cardstock before i adhered it all to my folded card base. The focal point and fun part of my card consists out a Chiswick sticker and some chipboard elements – nice and perfect to brighten a little boy’s day!
visit the website www.chiswick.co.za to view all the products and contact your local craft shop for products!
Happy creating until next time!

Gone fishing with Couture Creations - by Jowilna Nolte.

Hi it's Jowilna on the blog today sharing a layout i made using the versatile sew Jo paper pad.I love the colours on these papers and find them really versatile - what you may think can only be for girls hence the name SEW JO, actually work really well for the little guys too. I wanted to create a layout showcasing the paper range and picked a photo that will use orange as the accent colour - and it turned out to be an all time favorite!
 
I created the background for my layout using various widths of paper strips in the different designs from my paper pad. But it is My die-cut title that happened by chance...and so i just went with the design that clearly was meant to be!
My nephew went fishing in the Koi pond and so the Gone Fishing title was perfect for the layout. I started off by cutting the words out of white cardstock, and then did a second cut. BUT, my die moved and it created a really cool looking 90 degree corner.
so i popped out the words and created the corner that clearly wanted to be.
I trimmed down the words and manipulated them to create a double "fishing" in the corner.
I kept them white as i love the white on white subtle look of it all.
On the paper strips with the patchwork feel I cut some of the triangles out and raised them using the versatile foam tape from CC. What i absolutely love about this tape is that it is not so thick, so even thought you can lift elements for dimension, its proportional and not too bulky.
I added some orange and white twine for repetition and as an accent colour.
and more triangles lifted and raised using foam tape and added interest
some elements cut from packaging and again my accent colour repeated in my orange buttons.
I cut my title using my Silhouette out of black to make it stand out against the patterned paper background.
and some finishing touches all complimenting the beautiful Sew Jo paper range.

All these wonderful Couture Creations products are available in South Africa through our amazing distributor The Wholesaler!

All that glitters Christmas card - glittery moss effect.

With only a couple of weeks left until Christmas, now is the time to get going on those Christmas cards to send to family and friends. For me Christmas cards should be quick and easy to make with a little something extra to make it special. So for this card i used the Chiswick range of cardstock to die-cut this beautiful tree out of, as well as the backing and matting of the die-cut.
To dress up the die-cut trees, i added a little glitter to the edges to represent some green moss.
I used a glue pen to draw a thin line on the edges of the trees, and then sprinkled them liberally with my lime green glitter from my glitter stacks. Leave the glue to dry completely and then shake off the excess glitter and return it to your little container.
Some extra elements like stars, holly stickers and a sentiment adds a festive spirit to this card.
 I used the dies to cut the birds again out of red patterned paper and added 
them against the cardstock background.
Buttons and staples and stamping for more details.
 For this quick and easy card i used these Chiswick products that are 
available from your local craft store:
Textured cardstock Chocolate sb4960
Textured Cardstock Peppermint sb5240
Textured cardstock Ladybug sb5210
Ultra fine glitter sb4225
If you have any problems getting hold of the products, contact Denise (031) 569 5673 to find your closest craft store.
To view all the wonderful products I used head on over to www.chiswick.co.za

Project Life meets Silhouette Cameo - healing powder of it all!

I waited a long long time for this – the ability to cut my own things Project Life related! And I am ecstatic to report that the day finally arrived. I got to cut some special little accents to incorporate into my Project Life layout. 
 This layout is more about healing in a creative way than anything else - Project Life and creativity can do all of that!
 September has been a bad month for 27 years now…it’s a month where people die – and death like change is about the only certain thing in this life. So this Silhouette CAMEO and Project Life layout is as much a journey of healing as it is celebrating my Silhouette machine. So here it goes…
I used some ready designed files and arrows for this weeks’ project. It was just so easy to do. I did however like the freedom that I could cut the elements out of anything I could dream up and then add my own personal touch to them as well.
 
 I cut the arrows and hearts out of white American Crafts smooth cardstock, and the “&” card out of pink American Crafts smooth cardstock. To dress up my white arrows and hearts I used green and pink pigment inks pads to add some colour to them. For my Project Life cards I misted them with a quick mist of gold Mister Huey’s ink.
To dress up the large pink heart I used some gold Gliztin’ Glamour glitter glue and added a thin layer using my finger tip neatly spread out for a touch of shimmer.
Dressing up my pink cut PL card was a bit more challenging. I know that “normal” cardstocks are not fond of water and ink, but went right ahead and coloured the card anyways. I added some pigment inks to my craft sheet and misted them with water, then dipped my card into the ink and left it to dry. The effect is somewhat interesting with it’s almost aged mouldy look – but in the end I really loved it.
I can see how my PL layouts will take on a life of their own once I start designing more and more of my own cards and elements.
I hope I’ve inspired you somewhat with the Silhouette CAMEO and Project Life combination. What have you done with your CAMEO today?

Tombow or Bust - Tombow DT call.

I have always been an "adhesive" snob - there i said it! When it comes to adhering things to my layouts and cards or simply creating a DIY recycled project, you can be sure I will grab my Tombow mono multi adhesive first. My first encounter with this adhesive was in 1998 - yip, dare i even think that far back. It was when i was fortunate enough to get to know this amazing glue - and i have never looked back. In my stash you won't find all those nasty smelling adhesives that make you gasp for air, or the ones that come apart when left in the boot of your car for a few hours....
yes you know the ones.
Sharing today are a few examples of how i use my Tombow everyday as I apply for their design team - hoping and wishing i can share my wonderful Tombow journey with all!
On this layout I made my own gold and silver leafed accents. I simply used the wide tip at the bottom of my Tombo Mono Multi adhesive bottol and add a thin layer of adhesive to plain white cardstock. I let the glue dry totally until it becomes tacky, and then lay a sheet of gold leaf over it, lightly smooth it out with my fist and cut into smaller pieces to use. Quick and easy!
I am not a huge fan of dimension, but every now and then i want to use those beautiful Prima flowers. and nothing sticks them down quite like Tombow! Always and every time - permanently!
and then....i can never create all those wonderful recycled DIY projects without my Tombow.
For this recycled tin can I used my Mono Multi adhesive to adhere the die-cut paper strip, to hold the baker's twine in position, and to adhere my resin elements together.
I am yet to be disappointed by this totally awesome and versatile adhesive!
a drop of Tombow here and there around the top edge of my tin can, leave it to become tacky, and then wrap my twine around the top edge. This will ensure that the twine won't sag and hang as it looses it's tension.
here's to many more sticky situations, without the mess and fuss of course!
Have a wonderful Sunday!

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