Gnome Sweet Gnome

I was recently sent two dies from Tattered Lace for their new Paisley Parade collection which came out on Create and Craft last week.
The first die was the text 'Home Sweet Home', which, for some reason, immediately changed to 'Gnome Sweet Gnome' in my head!
This gave me a brilliant idea for my first sample, which was a toadstool shaped card with a sign hanging above the door.

I was really pleased with the way it came together and it also meant I was able to incorporate the other die I had been sent which was the Common Foliage.  Because of the size of the wording, it meant the card had to be rather large to be in proportion, so I started by folding a cream pearlescent A3 card in half and, keeping the fold at the top, shaped it to become the stalk. I then used a dinner plate to partially draw around on a sheet of A4 red card and cut around this, rounding off the two corners to become the toadstool roof. I used the Tattered Lace mini round dies to cut several white circles in varying sizes to stick randomly on the red card.

I hand drew the door and frame and cut out from white card, which I coloured with a Firewood Promarker and run through a wood grain embossing folder, before sticking it on the front of the house, using foam pads to slightly raise the frame. I then stuck a small gold pearl on the door to make a handle.

The sign was made by cutting a piece a cream card, big enough for the wording and running this through the woodgrain embossing folder and inking the edges using Frayed Burlap Distress Ink. I cut a slightly larger piece of card to layer this on, again colouring it using the Firewood Promarker around the edges that would show, and embossing in the woodgrain folder.  I layered the two pieces together and cut the wording out of white card, trimming down the 'h's' to become a 'n' and die cutting a 'g' from another alphabet die set I had. I coloured all the wording using the same Promarker and stuck it in place on the sign, adding small yellow gems to each corner.

I stuck a piece of twine to the back of the sign and, using foam tape, stuck it in position above the door at a slight angle.  I stuck a large gold pearl on the roof, where the twine would hang and glued the twine in place so it looked like it was hanging from the pearl. 

To finish it off, I cut two of the Common Foliage, and fixed them either side of the door.  Using the Tattered Lace mini blooms dies, I cut a few in white card and coloured them in different contrasting colours and stuck them to the foliage. 

I hope you enjoy having a go at making this card, although it may be a bit big to post!

Send more Chocolate!

Being a self confessed chocoholic,  it was quite apt that one of the dies I received from Tattered Lace a couple of weeks ago was the saying 'Things are getting worse, send more Chocolate'.

To begin with, I made a stand up plaque for the kitchen.

I used one of the House Mouse Gruffies stamp sets from Joanna Sheen called 'Bearytastic Day', which I thought went with it really well.

I cut the sentiment in half and added it top and bottom of the picture. 

I then decided to make a hanging wall plaque, using the sentiment as a whole and just using Tattered Lace products. 

  

The Easter Egg dies came from their advent calendar,  which I thought was good value, and great fun too - why should it be just the kids that can enjoy the countdown to Christmas! 

I was really pleased with the way both plaques came out.  They would both be fun additions to have in the kitchen. I hope you like them too.