So, I am working on lots of things for this month’s Design Team requirements.  I have been able to make a few cards – the Simple Stories paper and stickers are great to use, especially on those days you’re not feeling particularly inspired and just want to make something easy.  I don’t generally use stickers on my cards – I don’t like the one-dimensional look of them.  They’re so flat and look like stickers, if you know what I mean.  So for these projects I stuck them on to card and painstakingly cut them out again so I could use padded tape on the back of them and give them more “oomph” and definition.  I like the little snowman – he’s kinda cute.  The “Handmade Holidays” sticker sheet is really good value – it has loads on it and you could make a bundle of cards with it (and just a couple of sheets of co-ordinating cardstock or papers). I’m still working on some more cards from those papers so stay tuned…

I’m also using a couple of pieces from the Graphic 45 “Birdsong” range.  So pretty!   All those cherry blossoms and gorgeous vintage-y Japanese ladies.

I attempted to make an ornate picture frame with a geisha hair pin as decoration.  The frame was an ugly little plastic IKEA one I had stored away.  It came with it’s own little stand too.  I spray painted them both with a high gloss enamel (black) and they came up pretty nice. I also rubbed a little bit of red metallic buffing creme to the edges and details, just to add a bit of contrast and definition.

I agonised over the hair pin – I did have one that a friend brought me back from Japan but I didn’t want to glue that on, I wanted to make my own.  So I tried a few different things – chopsticks, skewers, nylon wire and string.  In the end I used a cut-down chopstick that I painted a rich crimson colour, added a bead to the end and wound some string (painted black) around it and added some other black and red beads for the “dangly bit”.  It didn’t turn out exactly as I wanted…but hopefully it gives people some ideas (that they can then execute better than I have!).  Anyway, it makes a change from cards and it shows a different way of using scrapbooking paper.

Now I am starting another project using the Graphic 45’s “Nutcracker Sweet” range – lots of purple and green and sugar plum fairies!  But before I attempt anything with those lovely papers, I had better clear up my mess, rediscover my table and plan what I am going to do.  Or I could just push everything to one side and work in a little tiny corner of the table like I usually do…that sounds more like me!