as we farewell 2014

#couturecreationsaus

we look back on our 2014 TOP TUTORIALS 

By a landslide with over 13000 views the most viewed post for 2014 was  

Kerrie's Visiting the Colosseum  

 tutorial on how to emboss cardstock using your decorative dies.

Now we think all our Design Team are awesome and so inspiring 

 and so this list is going on our blog stats

 our 

TOP TEN 

most viewed tutorials from our 2014 Design Team

1 - Mel Connell | Adore Layout 

 

 

 

2 - Jo Piccirilli | Moments Mini Album

 

3 -Tracey Cooley | Tied Together Card

4 -Mel Connell | Love & Adore Layout

 

5 -Tracey Cooley | Christmas Stationery Cakes

 

6 -Jo Piccirilli | Interactive Box

7 - Lesa Bird | Glamour Days Card

 

 

8 - Jo Picirilli | Vintage Rose Garden Layered Cards

 

9 - Kerrie Gurney | Altered Violin

 

10 - Kerrie Gurney | Together

 

 

I am sure that you agree they are all gorgeous projects.

Please take some time this holiday season to revisit all our

 talented Design Team's Posts from 2014

From our Design Team and everyone at Couture Creations we would like to wish you all an awesome and safe New Years Eve, however you celebrate it and look forward to an amazing new year with you all.

 

Floral Mask by Lauren Tomecek

#couturecreationsaus

Whenever I feel like I'm getting stuck in a creative rut I like to create an off-the-page project to change it up and try some different techniques. This month I have decorated a paper mache mask which is now a lovely display piece in my craft room.

1/ Start by purchasing a cheap mask from your local craft store, mine was about $5. Remove the elastic. Cover the mask in torn up pieces of old book paper using PVA glue, mod podge or a watered down polymer resin. This paper is quite thin so moulds to the shape of the mask easily. Once the mask is dry trim the edges to the shape of the mask and re-punch the holes at the sides where the ribbon will go.

2/ Fussy cut a number of butterflies and flowers from various Vintage Rose Garden papers. How many you cut is up to you and will depend on the size of your mask. I applied some Crystalina Glitzin' Glamour to the wings of the butterflies and highlights of the flowers for some added sparkle.

3/ To create the 3D flowers, using the scalloped circle nesting dies cut three circles of the three smallest sized die and two of the next smallest size. Make cuts leading towards the centre (only cut about 2/3 of the way in) from every second scallop. Spritz each circle with water and scrunch up into a ball, leave to dry. Once dry, gently partially unfold the die cuts. To create the big flower I used two layers of each of the two largest sized dies and one of the next size down. The small flower uses two layers of the smallest size circles and the medium flower uses the remaining four die cuts. Each flower is held together with a brad.

4/ Apply your trims. I have used lace along the top of the mask and twine along the bottom and around the eyes. I also used a border die cut from the Vintage Rose Collection along the bottom of the mask. This is attached to the inside of the mask, start at the centre/nose and work your way out to the edges to make sure the pattern is centered. Now is a good time to add your ribbon ties at the sides too.

5/ Adhere the die-cut flowers to the outer edges of the mask using foam tape. Layer up your fussy cut flowers and leaves on the left side of the mask. You may need to cut these down into smaller sections to get the best positioning for your mask shape. Once you're happy with their placement, place a pearl in the centre of each fussy cut flower. I variered the size of the pearl depending on the size of the flower.

6/ Adhere a butterfly in each corner of the mask above the die-cut flowers. 

Couture Creations Materials List:

CO723987 Vintage Rose Garden 12" x 12" paper

CO724045 Vintage Rose Border die

CO723041 Nesting Dies, Scallop Circle

C0721998 Pearls Moonlight

C0721964 Foam Mounting Tape 12mm

 CO721986 Handheld Essentials, Craft Knife, Piercing Tool and Scoring Tool

 

Many Thanks by Tracey Cooley

#couturecreationsaus

Hi Everyone

As this year comes to a close I would like to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU.

 For me this year has been one of joy and discovery. I have been blessed with a year where my children have shone and I have been able to spend some amazing moments with them both. I have been able to spend my year doing something I love, thanks to my very supportive Husband Phillip and Couture Creations.

And of course.. Thank you for tuning into the Couture Creations Blog this year to check out all the things we have created with some amazing products by Couture Creations.

I made this card for my Daughters Cheerleading Coach but it really is for all of you as well.

MANY THANKS FOR 2014!

This card is a 6" square card using a couple of pieces of the gorgeous Couture Creations Vintage Rose 6x6 Paper Pad.  

I then cut 4 of the Couture Creations Vintage Rose Vintage Borders from Core'dinations Fern Card Stock and made them into a square using my Couture Creations (very well used) 15x15 Self Healing mat as a guide!

Then with a piece of Vintage Rose Paper I covered the center.

I added this to the front of my card  and then cut a Couture Creations Square Plaque and embossed it using the Couture Creations Universal Embossing Mat. Then stamped a message and added it to my card.

Then using the Couture Creations Vintage Rose Vintage Branch Die I cut 2 branches. To the front of my card I added some seam binding ribbon and a bow. Then I added the branches as foliage under some flowers.

So Thank so Much for coming to visit my last post for 2014!

May your 2015 be filled with all the love and happiness you could wish for.......

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Oh and Happy Anniversary to my Mum and Dad!!!

51 years Today!

 Love you both.

Couture Creations Products Used

CO723534 Secret Treasures Decorative Die, Square Plaque

CO724047 Vintage Rose Decorative Die,  Vintage Branch

CO724045 Vintage Rose Decorative Die, Vintage Border

CO724062 Vintage Rose Garden 6x6 Paper Pad 

CO724022 2 Way Glue Pen

CO721957 15x15 Self Healing Mat

CO723514  Universal Embossing Mat

 

 



Romantic Tag by Amanda Baldwin

#couturecreationsaus

Hello again Creators!

Welcome back for more Couture Creations delights!

Amanda here today, 

and I have this gorgeous, romantic tag to share with you!

Super sweet & makes for lovely gift tag too!

Here's how to re-create this beauty in only s few quick steps....

Start with the 2 largest Nesting Dies: Scallop Rectangle, Vintage Rose Garden paper & Kraft cardstock. Run through your die-cutting machine (as shown above). 

Adhere scallop rectangles, then using a small Nesting Dies: Oval, run through your machine to get the same result as featured above. 

Using soft pink cardstock, prepare the Vintage Rose Intricutz Die: Vintage Border.  

 

Attach border as shown above.

Embellish with tulle, butterfly & small rose. 

Pearls add a finishing touch both above and below the butterfly.

 

Complete with ribbon and pearl trim.

Voila! 

A really romantic, super pretty tag that is just to simple not to try at home!

Thanks for reading my post today,

for more simple and beautiful creations please visit my blog,

Happy Arty Days,

Couture Creations Products Featured:

CO723047 Nesting Dies Scallop Rectangle

CO723044 Nesting Dies Oval

CO723971 Vinatge Rose Garden Paper Pad (12 x12in)

CO724045 Vintage Rose Intricutz Dies Vintage Border

CO721998 Pearls 50pc Moonlight

Merry Christmas and Thank You

#couturecreationsaus

Thank You
to all of our
blog, facebook, instagram, pinterest and twitter followers.
 for supporting us throughout 2014.

We wish you all a safe and happy holiday season

from all the team at
Couture Creations
and our awesome
2014 Design Team

 We will be blogging all over the holiday season and come January we will have CHA sneak peeks

oh Christmas Tree by Mel Connell

#couturecreationsaus

Twas the night before Christmas.........

Hello again everyone. Firstly can I wish you all a very Merry Christmas. May it be full of family and friends, sparkle and cheer.

I wanted to do a layout with a photo of my gorgeous Christmas Tree, using my very very favourite dies from this year. ( Of course they are Christmas one, I'm not called Miss Christmas for nothing). 

I loved that the Vintage Rose Collection Paper range has some deep red prints, and with all the gorgeous green prints you are set for Christmas gorgeousness. 

I cut some Pine needles and Christmas Branch, Christmas border, holly branch flourish and the stunning 3D bow. This little bow set if fasting becoming my absolute favourite die set. 

I have gone a little sparkle crazy and heat embossed my pine branches and the holly flourish with glittery embossing powder, they just shine so beautifully. 

Layer up all your Die cut elements, add in a few paper flowers, sprinkle around some of the Couture Creations Gemstones, and hey presto. Super pretty, very Christmassy layout. 

Merry, Merry Christmas too you all. xxxx

Couture Creations Products Used:

CO723889 - Christmas Lace - Ornamental Lace Collection, Christmas Border

CO723914 - Merry Little Christmas - Intricutz Dies Collection, Pine Needles

CO723931 - Merry Little Christmas - Intricate Dies Collection, Christmas Branch

CO723916 - Merry Little Christmas - Intricate Dies Collection, Holly Branch Flourish.

CO724062 - Vintage Rose Garden Collection, 12 x 12 Paper Pad

CO721984 - Double sided tape, 12mm

CO721996 - Gemstones, Crystal

Happy by Jowilna Nolte

#couturecreationsaus

Well I hope you are having a wonderful festive season and getting some much needed creative time into recharge your batteries so to speak. For this blog post I create a Soap Box picture frame - just a fun little altered thing. Every now and again I find a box that will be perfect for something, and this something was it!

I started off by covering it in patterned paper from the Damask Delight paper pad. I also used the striped paper from the pad to create a band across the top. To decorate the front and sides I used some of the beautiful Christmas dies available for 2014.

 CO723926 – BON BON

The Bon Bon die was turned into a flat "wrapped sweet" to adorn the front of the box.
On top of the sweet I added the word "happy" cut with the Christmas banners die. Love these words!

The little holly flower is from the Bon Bon die and decorated with a small diamante - have you seen the huge range available from Couture Creations? Stunning!

The Bon Bon was cut into parts to use, and this little left over bit formed a nice clasp at the top of the box giving the impression that it can be opened.

The sides of the box was decorated with the diamonds popped out of the die and decorated with diamante in between.

Here's how i used the dies on my project
step 1 - Cut the bon bon out of patterned paper

step 2 - Keep the flower and diamond parts to use them later on

step 3 - Cut apart the die - I used two side sections and then folded it in half on the score lines. Adhere them together to form a nice sturdy sweet.

step 4 - Use the middle section and cut off the ends. Trace it onto another piece of patterned paper from the damask paper pad. Ink the edges.

step 5 - adhere the cut out part to the top of the sweet part and then add your word banner, flower, and ribbon bows around the ends.

And there you have it - how to turn your Christmas themed dies into something that you can use all year long - not just around the festive time! So get creative and start digging out those dies!
Here's wishing you a wonderful Festive season! Until next time - Peace and Love!

CO723926 – Decorations Die, BON BON

CO723910 – Merry Little Christmas Decorative Die, CHRISTMAS BANNERS

 CO723904 – Merry Little Christmas Decorative Die, BIRDS & BRANCH 

 Damask Delight Paper Pad | CO723545  

Remember to visit the blog for more inspiration and like us on Facebook!