Folded Surprise

The surprise starts by folding card stock into three, and reverse folding both ends giving a winged effect.

The left-hand wing has pale green damask paper from A Lady's Diary collection as the base, and layers of delicate lace and ribbon over top. Then, a delightfully whimsical image of two ladies in all their finery over the top of the lace. 

Finished with vellum overlay and framed in crystal bling with sprays of toning paper flowers.

The right-hand wing was similarly done but used a pearl/crystal frame effect. 

Inside the surprise, features the finely hand-drawn image of Paris, with the "marvellous Paris" sentiment. Topped with a stunning metal filigree embellishment and silver diamonte bling, plus doily, complete the centre panel.

The reverse of the side wings again uses the beautiful pale green damask as the base, with cream heavily embroidered edging, topped with cream ribbon and again silver diamonte bling. 

Finally, a length of gossamer ribbon adhered to the back of the card, long enough to be tied at the front to hold the card closed for presentation and the perfect surprise gift. 

Julia

Oval Elegance

Oh to have a waist so small! The stunning new A Lady's Diary collection from Meg's Garden is inspirational.

The aqua in the dress toned in beautifully with the blue shades throughout this collection, which I used as my background.

I layered matt silver cardstock and an oval lacy die cut to feature the evening dress image. 

Add to this, a silver flower, diamonte bling, aqua ribbon on opposite corners, finished with a flourish of aqua paper flowers.

The image of the three ladies in their satin and lace day dresses was the inspiration for the lilac oval card.

Cotton lace edging highlighted the oval die cut. The cardstock was stamped with a muted damask design and purple velvet ribbon formed a border on two sides. 

The oval card was then mounted on lilac backing paper and finished with wisteria coloured paper flowers.

Mary

Special Man

Once again, Meg has sourced some wonderful vintage images for her ever growing range of Vintage Journal Cards (VJC). 

Today, I am sharing a group of four cards I have made, suitable for a very special man in your life!

Inspiration for my cards came from the many evocative pictures within Meg's Vintage Journal Card collections. Each, not only giving you creative inspiration, but also memories of yesteryear. 

The bling embellishments with the VJC hot air balloon, not only looks stunning, but acts as the appearance of wind gusts, blowing the balloon along. 

You can never have "too much" bling! 

I also stamped the background in tonal colours, with travel images, and mounted up the VJC, keeping it it main focal feature.

For dimension, each card has a 3D decoration, including tassels and buttons. All in keeping with the style, vintage, and adding a textual element to the cards.

Drawing inspiration from the stack of books VJC, I designed the front of the card as if it were an open page of a book - complete with dog-eared corners and a book mark. 

Meg's collections include beautiful sentiments and quotations. For the "Captain Cook" vessel VJC - in full sail - what could be more suitable than "Life is a Journey"! 

Colouring the sentiment in sepia tones to match with the VJCs, and adding tweed ribbon finished off this card, ready for it to take its own journey to the lucky recipient.

Mary

Hello and welcome to the garden,more VJC cards today

For my first card I have embossed some cream card

as well as my matting,some paper roses and a MG Diecut

 I love this image,so I added a feather and bling,lace and ribbon

 And my last card i used a MG diecut plus some papers

from the shades of green collection,embossing,roses and bling

I hope you enjoyed your stroll through the garden

Till next time,cheers Trish

Smile

Hi Everyone,

Doesn't Meg's new collection French Roses just make you 'smile'? Full of stunning flowers - so real they are just picked from the garden - and pastel colours, there is definitely something for all card makers and crafters alike in this collection.  

Today I have another card for you, using one of the beautiful ladies from the collection's Cut & Create pages as my focal feature, and also a sentiment from the same sheet. 

One thing I love about the Cut & Create sheets is that there is always sufficient room around each image or sentiment to allow for die cutting it out - as I have done below.

Taking colour inspiration from the Cut & Create design, I used paper from French Roses and embossed using a complimenting embossing folder. Using the same nesting die cuts, from another of Meg's papers I cut a slightly larger shape to mount the beautiful lady onto.

Clustered is an assortment of both paper and fabric flowers, pearl bling and finished off with glossy droplets on the large flower.

As always, I have inked over the raised embossed area and around all my edges.

Hope you are enjoying the new collection as much as I am!

Take Care,

Julia

Calendar Card

Hi Crafters,

Today I have something a little different to share with you, using the fabulous new 3x4" Vintage Journal Cards. I have used one of the six designs per sheet, for my Calendar Card. Using an easel design card, it was the perfect size to be front and centre and tones in perfectly with so many laces and embellishments.

I had in mind "a gift for someone who has everything" when brainstorming this idea. We all need a calendar in our busy lives - but instead of a store bought calendar, I have made something special instead.

For the centre, using multiple layers of coordinating A4 watercolour paper in shades of pink and green, I distressed the edges and mounted with foam tape for extra dimension, finally topping with the Vintage Flower Journal Card.
Also cut out from the watercolour paper is the lovely flourish detail, it was the perfect size and shape for embellishing the bottom.

With all the wonderful laces and ribbons Meg has available in the store, it was easy to find coordinating and tonal finishes to the card, decorating the sides and adding complimenting flowers and bling.

As I designed this to be a card as well as a functional calendar, I still wanted a space inside to write my message to the recipient. The A4 watercolour paper came to my rescue again, being the ideal muted colour tone and easy to write on.


Make sure to take a stroll through the Garden today, and have a look at all the wonderful new designs and products to tempt every crafter!

Julia xx

Sherlock papers, album pages

Hello,
This will be my final project for Megs Garden Design team, my six months are up.
This month I have continued to work with the pack of Sherlock papers in my final design team bundle.

Page 1
From the cut and create sheet I selected elements which I felt would work well together to make a layered focal point on the page.
All the fussy cuts are edged with brown sharpie pen and colour was added using distress inks applied with a brush.
I found an old broken diamante chain in my stash.  As the diamantes are mounted in rose gold this went very well with the colour papers and would add that sparkle I wanted.

I got a little gemmed up for this page.
The results of a previous project search for art deco jewellery produced some lovely designs which I printed out with the intention of working them as I have in this project, as stunning embellishments at very little cost.

I worked in stages using glossy accents to adhere clear gems over the design

Once all the gems had been adhered, I added the sparkle with glitter, carefully applying the glossy accents over the printed design using a  fine pointed brush.

The finished result is a beautiful decorative jewelled element using the supplies you already have in your craft cupboards.

I mounted the clock face on some recycled cardboard and added glossy accent dots above each of the 12 numerals on the dial to add interest:

Finally i assembled the page from all the fussy cuts and individual elements.
I used the left over triangle from the front coverto make apocket into which the album owner can slip a photograph if they wish.
'The draughtsman', quill pen, torn ticket and half linear floral are all adhered to the background of the page:

The 'art' layered cut and create element formed the base layer, which I did not want to cover too much as it was already perfect.
I cut the centre from the mini book page and adhered my small photograph behind, added some scraps of washi tape and hessian.
Finally, I gave the page its bling.

Page 2
For the second page, and when I finish the album for a donation to my local homelessness charity for them to raffle to raise funds, I continued to work with the layering theme, using the layered papers and frame printed page as the background of a top opening pocket.
Many of the cut and create elements are adverts for photography studios emerging in the ealry 20th century.
By mounting this one on a book fold, i created a pocket behind which the album owner can tuck a photograph without loosing the lovely layered papers and envelopes I handmade inspired by other elements on the cut and create sheet which were too large for this layout.
A single bloom and some starbusts spray added the blue accent colour to the page.

Working with megs papers on this design team has been an interesting experience, through which I have been able to expand my range of skills.
thank you for looking,
debbie

GIFT BOXES

Hello & Welcome

to MEG"S GARDEN blogspot 

Annette here 

Just prior to Christmas at my LSS the lovely Glenda 

shared with us how to make these lidded boxes from cardstock

well what a frenzy of creativity that released 

you really have never seen so many different coloured boxes made

Glenda certainly sparked us all into activity.

they hold cakes of 'Twilleys Soaps' which are also decorated

today I am sharing my take 

using SPRING PASTELS range

BOX of FOUR 

 Trimmed with lace, flowers. organza ribbons, & bling

this lovely box of prettily decorated soaps would delight when given as a gift.

This double box has a lift up lid, is trimmed with lace around the sides.

pieces of Ephemera from the range complete the box top ..

SINGLES 

these two boxes were inspired by a large matchbox 

adding a metal handle to pull the drawer out 

the soaps are nestled onto tulle or muslin

take a scroll through the Garden blog to be inspired by the team of  GARDEN GIRLS

hope you liked my gift boxes ..they were fun to make

Happy Scrapping

Hugz Annette