Saying Goodbye with my ‘Ride or dies’

Hi everybody, 

Jill here, and this week, well, this week the time has come to say goodbye.  This will be my last post as a regular DT member for the awesome, incredible, off-the-scale amazing, Seven Hills Crafts, and I thought the only way to go out was with a mash-up of my all time fave, my ‘Ride or Die’, the one, the only....

Mama Elephant!

I’ve also thrown in a sneaky nod to my first ever post for Seven Hills Crafts and recreated the same background using one of my all-time favourite techniques with one of my all-time favourite mediums: die-inlay and watercolour. 

So like I say, I simply had to showcase Mama Elephant in my farewell post.  They’ve been my favourite stamping company for so long.  I simply adore their characters, bursting with personality through their sweet, whimsical illustrations, always accompanied by some meaningful sentiments in some beautiful font.  I love em!  Always have, always will.  So I thought it would be quite fun, and only fitting, to grab a few of my absolute faves, and create a sweet little scene to wish all of you, all the happiness in the world.

I started by taking a panel of watercolour card and, using Mama Elephant’s Landscape Trio, cut my background into pieces.  I then cut Mama Elephants ‘Happy Script Die’ a ton of times and built on top of each other.  I then coloured each piece of my background, and the top piece of my ‘Happy’ sentiment using Distress Inks mixed with water, and set aside to dry.

I then stamped out my gorgeous Mama Elephant friends from various sets.  The rabbit is Lunar Animals, the hedgehog and cutest mouse in the universe (now see, this is what I mean with Mama Elephant, the teeniest tiniest image can turn my heart to mush and make me NEEEED an entire set!) are from Ella and Friends, and my cool dude doggy riding his skateboard is from Little Dog Agenda.  I coloured all my friends using, of course, my all-time favourite colour medium...my ever faithful trusty Zigs, and fussy-cut leaving a wee white edge.  

I finished off my sentiment by stamping onto black card and white heat-embossing, then built up my scene adhering everything in place.  



So there you have it, a feast of faves all in one place!  I really hope you like it and of course, everything I used is linked below. 

So all that’s left is for me to say ‘Goodbye’.  I would like to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to read, comment, or simply look at my posts week after week; your time and kindness is so very much appreciated.  And of course to my Design Team members, and to the fantastic Mr & Mrs Seven Hills Crafts themselves, Tara and Rick.  I thank you with all my heart for such an incredible opportunity to play a part in such an amazing company and community, it has been an absolute honour and I have loved every second of it! 

My face will hopefully still pop up here and there from time to time, but from me to you, take care of yourselves and I wish you all, Happy Everything xxx

 

 

 

Trying Turnabouts!

Hi everybody,

Jill here, and this week I’m trying those wonderful Turnabout Stamps from Concord and 9th for the first time...

I’ve loved the look of these Turnabout sets since they were first released, but I have been trying with all my heart to be a good girl and use more of the stash I have, however, I simply could not resist this star pattern.

The stamp itself is in two parts so you can use the inner, the outer, or both.  There’s a load of Youtube videos to help you out on how to use them so definitely check them out before you get started.  

There are so many options with these stamps the possibilities are endless.  I decided to go with a night sky with white embossed stars which is possibly a wee waste of the thought process behind these stamps I guess haha, but hey-ho, I had fun!

I started by inking a piece of card up in an ombre burst of purples, I then covered my panel in stars using both pieces of my Stars Turnabout stamp.  I decided to only do two opposite turns to leave plenty of space for die-cutting stars also.  I then white heat embossed my stars.  Had I had more time to play I would’ve liked to have done a different embossing powder with each turn.  I think that would look incredible, and I’m already so excited to have a really good experiment with this set! 

I then took the Star Turnabout die and cut that on the two opposing sides to my stamping.  I then cut a bigger star from the centre of my panel using Lawn Fawn’s Puffy Stars.

My sentiment is from Mama Elephant’s Space Bears set and is stamped onto vellum then adhered behind my star aperture.

     

I then added my whole panel over top of some sparkly silver cardstock to allow the stars to twinkle through.  I added a ton of pink & blue paint splashes across my card and embellished with a scattering of sequins.

I thoroughly enjoyed having a quick play with this set, and really can’t wait to get to grips with it and start testing its potential.

As always, everything I used is down below.

See you next week.

Jillx

   

Get your rocks off & ROCK ON!

Hi everybody,

Jill here, and this week I’m getting my Rock’s off....

...by getting my Rock’s on using the incredible ‘Rock On’ from Waffle Flower!

This set is so awesome.  You can make the little winged bugs anything you want by colouring however you like.  There’s just something about them that makes me smile.  They have absolute killer rock star attitude and I am LIVING for it!  The little guy with the drum though....😂

This was such a simple card to make but when sets have as much character as this there’s really not a lot needs doing with them!

I started by creating a quick watercolour wash across a piece of cardstock as my background, adding a ton of flicks and splashes to add interest.  I then cut MFT’s Peek-a-boo Windows from a separate piece of card and adhered over top using foam tape. 

I then got to the fun part of stamping out and colouring my bugs.  I decided to make mine bee’s because bees are awesome and so are these guys!  Once coloured I fussy-cut, added a coat of Glossy Accents to their wee wings, and placed over each ‘peek-a-boo’ hole.

My sentiment is from the same Rock On set and is stamped into a frame from Lawn Fawn's Flirty Frames set.  Oh, and just for a change (wink wink), I coloured all my card with my trusty Zigs.

I really hope you like it and simple rule for life...ROCK ON!

As always everything I used is linked below.  See you next week.

Jillx

  

  

Mix & Match

Hi everybody,

Jill here, and this week I’m mixing and matching to turn two cards, into one...but still come out with two cards...confusing?  Allow me to explain...

I used Mama Elephant’s ‘Wishing You’, and  Avery Elle’s Custom Panel Elle-ments to make up my cards.

I started with two separate panels.  On one, I created a watercolour background by squishing my card against some watered down Distress inks, and the other I simply added a ton of flicks and splashes across the who panel using the same colours I had used on my other card - also introducing black to ‘ground’ the other colours.  I then took this gorgeous gigantic ‘Wishing You’ sentiment from Mama Elephant and stamped it in the same place on both panels.  I used a stamping platform to make life easier but it is totally possible to do the same thing without by using a Stampamajig or similar.  I heat set my sentiments with clear embossing powder to add definition.

Once both my panels were coloured and stamped, I lost my mind and recklessly cut-em up!  No, not really, but when doing a design like this there is certainly that moment when you pray it comes together like the mental image in your head!

I used Avery Elle’s Custom Panel Elle-ments to cut both panels into an ‘off-centre’ chevron design, cutting them at the same time (one of top of the other) to ensure the dies cut in the exact same place on each card.  Often dies don’t cut all the way through two pieces of card, but it makes enough of a guide to easily finish off with a craft knife.  I then simply pieced my cards back together, like a jigsaw, but using alternate pieces from each panel, on each card.

I finished my sentiment by adding more text, from the same ‘Wishing You’ set, and stamping directly onto each card base.

I embellished my cards with a little ribbon flag & tag, and a sweet twine bow to bring my design together.

I really hope you like it, as always everything I used is linked below.

See you next week.

Jillx

 

Paper Piecing Hugs

Hi everybody,

Jill here, and this week I’ve got some sweet & simple paper piecing...

...using Mama Elephant’s adorable In My Heart.

The In My Heart set is one of my all time favourite’s.  I think the artwork is so darling and delectable and there are some really kind and caring sentiments in there.  Oddly enough the little sprig of grass that comes in the set is one of those tiny stamps I reach for time and time again to help me build up scenes and has become invaluable to me!

 I stamped out one of the sweet little girls from the set three times onto watercolour card, and three times onto different patterned papers.  I coloured three of my wee lassies using my Zigs and cut leaving a slight white edge to imitate the look of die-cutting.  I then fussy cut the three little dresses from the patterned paper stamp outs, added a little detail with a white pen, and paper pieced over the top of my adorable girlies.

         

My backdrop is a rainbow made up of my trusty Zigs with a lot of water to help the colours blend.  My sentiment is from the same In My Heart set and is stamped and clear heat embossed to add definition and clarity.

I loved the clean and simple look of the design so decided to leave it there.

I really hope you like it, as always everything I used is linked below.

See you next week.

Jillx

      

Enjoy the small moments

Hi everybody,

Jill here, and this week, I'm enjoying the simple things in life...

...using Avery Elle's Furry Friends.

My favourite thing in this universe is my gorgeous little doggy, Indiana (Indy to his pals).  Nothing brings me more joy than watching him frolic around, tail wagging having the time of his life on a beautiful summer's evening...and nothing brings Indy more joy than his ball!  He is obsessed!  So I decided to celebrate these small moments and the joy they bring with this week's card.

I started by stamping out and colouring, in the likeness of Indy, this cute little chap, from Avery Elle's Furry Friends, and his little ball (which is also coloured to match Indy's favourite ball).  I then cut a few strips of Lawn Fawn's Grassy Border for him to be sitting amongst.  I covered my front panel in some of the smaller stamps from the Furry Friends and cut a heart aperture from that.

My sentiment is from Mama Elephant's Everyday Greetings and is stamped and heat embossed onto vellum, adhered in place with a small amount of glue strategically placed!

I edged my card and my aperture with ink to help the scene 'pop'.

It's in these simple chilled out, laid back times I find myself to be my truest, happiest self; so never forget, 'Enjoy the small moments'.

As always, everything I used is linked below.

Jillx

Magical Birthday

Hi everybody,

I'm baaaaaack  How are you all?  I've missed you that's for sure.  I've been a busy bee moving house and changing careers so needed a little time to get sorted and settle in.

I've got a little Mama Elephant magic for you to ease myself in, I do hope you like it...

I used Mama Elephant's Lovely Piggies, Scripty Bday, and Picket Fence to make my card.

As soon as I got my Scripty Bday set, and read this sentiment, I thought of this little piggy in his little top hat and how he looked like a magician, so set up the scene from there.

I started by creating my background, a loose watercolour wash using my wonderful Zigs.  I free handed the grassy verge and added some of the flowers from the Lovely Piggies set.  I stamped and cut out all my other elements and coloured, again, using my Zigs, stamping and cutting a spare little hat to use as my 'magician's hat'.  I would've dearly loved a little bunny popping out of the hat, but I couldn't find one that would fit, so opted for this cute bouquet.

I love the expression on this little piggies face, he looks so very pleased with himself, like he really has just pulled off the greatest magic trick of all time!

I stamped my sentiment from Scripty Bday straight onto my background and heat embossed to give it some extra definition.

I finished my card with a scattering of stars cut from Mama Elephant's Confetti Creative Cuts and there you have it! 

I can't tell you how pleased I am to be getting back to normal...whatever that is!  

As always, everything I used is linked below so be sure to click the links, and I shall very much look forward to cyber seeing you all next week :)

Jillx