Wishing you the happiest of birthdays

Hi Bloggers.

First, I'd like to say a BIG thank you to everyone who emailed in to the shows on Tuesday and Wednesday, to all my new followers here on my blog and to the kind messages via text, email and twitter. This is the first post I've written since then as the others were scheduled. I really do appreciate all your support and it's so good to know that you are enjoying my creations - it makes it all worthwhile. I have lots of fun doing the shows. The prep is hard work - it really is. Actually, having to stand nearly all day from 7am till 8pm is pretty hard too! I must say that everyone at the studios is so friendly and helpful and every presenter I've worked with has been brilliant which certainly makes things run very smoothly - most of the time!

I'm scheduled to do more Spellbinders Diamond Deals shows on Thursday 31st May at 3pm, 6pm and 8pm (don't know which channel yet) and Saturday 2nd June at 4pm and 7pm (Create & Craft). Hope you can join me.

Today's card is a Black & White one and was a demo I did on Wednesday on one of the shows with Dean. I had to change a couple of the die because of sell outs.

For the background, I stamped some feathers from the Creative Expressions Vintage Lingerie Stamp Set using Black Soot Distress Ink. I dried it with my heat gun and then popped it through the Grand Calibur with the Couture Creations Constellations Embossing Folder. I put it through a second time to extend the pattern. I then went over the area with the Black Soot Distress Ink using Cut & Dry Foam to make the design pop out more.

I stamped my sentiment from the Kind Thoughts Stamp Set using Black Soot and embossed with Cosmic Shimmer Clear Embossing Powder. I cut it out using Spellbinders Labels Nine (I used Labels Nineteen on the show). I cut a Spellbinders Labels Four Small out of black card. At the emboss stage I added the Fretwork Mask from That Special Touch. The sandwich you need for this is base plate, tan mat, die with card in it with cutting edge face down in to the tan mat, mask, pink embossing plate. I cut a Fleur De Lis motif from the Fleur De Lis Accents set out of white card and inked through the die with black soot while still in the die. I then cut it in half and glued it to the back of the Labels Four die cut at both ends. In the show I used the frame from the Antique Frames and Accents Die Set.

I cut some leaves and a border from the Damask Accents die set I inked through the die on the leaves cut from the white card. Using a scoreboard, I carefully scored along all the peaks and the troughs in the border (hope you get what I mean). I did mountain and valley folds where I had scored and glued the ends together to make a rosette. I put some hi-tack tape on a small Moroccan Motif and added the rosette. I added some Cosmic Shimmer Dries Clear Glue and set aside to dry.

Once the glue was dry I stacked up some foam pads and popped them in the centre. I cut a Ribbon Buckle (I used a Persian Accent on the show), inked through the die with Black Soot and added a button with some Black & White Baker's Twine. I popped all this onto the stack of foam pads.

I assembled the card as shown adding a couple of Decorative Stick Pins and some Cosmic Shimmer White Pearl Pearlescent PVA.

Hope you like the card.

Thanks for stopping by.

Julia