Louise Sims Papercrafter

Last week for my project on Love to Create Challenges, (see here ) I used some wonderful papers from House of Zandra to decorate my MDF desk tidy. As I had used both gels and pan pastels on the papers, it seemed such a shame to just consign them to my "must keep and use one day" scraps box. So with that in mind, I decided to create a card and matching box ... I mixed copper metallic pan pastel with Maimeri matt gel and used this through several different stencils. A quick way to create raised, shimmery coloured areas. These papers became my backgrounds for the other elements. On several of the papers, there were floral and butterfly elements which I have cut out and layering on top of my background. I have added coloured highlights using the copper pan pastel. The leaves were coloured with a mixture of permanent green and copper pan pastel. The sentiment is an all time favourite of mine and is from a retired Studio 12 stamp set (designed by Nikky Hall). I

Here is another card I made for the recent Tonic Studios new releases for the Nuvo embossing powders and Exquisite Stamps, "Prom Girl" and "It Girl". I have used "It Girl" on my card coloured with Nuvo Creative pens ... I created the background using "It's the season" die but cut in pink, which transforms it's use from Christmas to everyday.  I next layered some blossom branches on to the frame which are from Polka Doodles Eden collection. Skin: 473, 475 and 449 Hair:461, 463, 465 and 489 Scarf: 449 Dress: 413 and 417 Handbag and shoes: 487, 489 and silver I stamped the "It Girl" image 3 times: one as my base layer (uncoloured), one image fully coloured and finally only the arms and dress coloured (and cut out). These were then layered on top of each other to give a fuller effect to her wonderful dress. As a finishing touch, I added extra layers using elements from the Eden collection, Petal Punch flow

A new product arrives at Create and Craft today and it's the wonderful Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor pencils and I have had a great time playing with them. Whilst I love my Prisma's and will not give them up, I have enjoyed colouring with the Lyras immensely. They are smooth, blend easily and the point stays sharp for what seems like eons. Another thing that really appeals to me is that the pencils are light fast which my Prisma's are not. Here is one of the sample I made for the show using Polka Doodles Serenity Earthstar digi image, of course coloured with my Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor pencils. Hair: Night Green, Prussian Blue, True Blue, Moss Green and White Skin: Gold Oche, Rose Carmine, White, Raw Umber Dress: Blue Violet, Light Carmine, Lemon Cadmium and White Wings: Blue Violet, Light Carmine and White I have added pearlescent highlights to the image using the fine white pearlescent pan pastel. Using a versamark pen, I add the clear ink where I wanted my hig

I don't often do "white on white" cards but couldn't resist for another one of my Tonic Studio samples, using the "Prom Princess" stamp embossed in silver. However when I finished my card, thought it needed a "pop" of colour so had to add the red rose flowers ... I began by making my card blank using the Celtic Circle dies and then began adding my layers. First using the new snowflake die, I placed these on opposite sides. Next I created a frame using the frame from Love/Believe topper die set. Next I stamped the "Prom Princess" image and embossed her in Nuvo embossing powder in Silver. I placed her on to a white card panel and threaded this through the frame. Next, I created my sentiment using the Clarice lower case alphabet. I added some red tape to paper strips, added the letters and then used the Nuvo silver glitter to hide the tape. I added the different words around the image ... "beauty of the winter" ...

I have had these MDF units for a while and whilst they are designed to hold TV remotes, I wanted to turn one of them in to a desk tidy, so thought they would make a great project for " Love to Create Challenge s" ... however I forgot the golden rule .... MDF swells when wet ..... aaaahhhhhhhh!!! When I was at Summer Crafting in July, I bought some wonderful House of Zandra papers (Vintage florals) and if I am truthful, put them away and forgot them. I found them when rummaging for some papers I wanted for one of my Tonic samples. I began by mixing the copper metallic pan pastel with Maimeri matt gel and used with different stencils. Lazy crafting as when dry it is already coloured! Next I over stamped using PAB Roses stamp set.  I used two different complimentary papers on my project. So happy with my tweaked papers, I began decorating all the different MDF elements ... Feeling somewhat pleased with myself that everything was going as per the plans in my head, I