Bunnies, bags, boxes and book page challenge

Just a selection of the many bunny Easter cards made on Wednesday using die cut shapes.

And the Easter bags and boxes - handbags were particularly popular.

For demo notes on how to make the Easter Bunny Box or Gift Basket, click here. For the handbag click here.

Michelle and I are still deliberating over which book page to choose for our Challenge this month. It is always so difficult to choose so we thought we would have a "People's Choice" vote. Send me a reply to the email notifying you of this blog update and let me know your top 3 entries by specifying the letter shown below, next to your three favourite entries - eg A, B, C. You can still vote even if you didn't enter. You may only vote once and do not vote for your own! We will tally them up and the one with the most votes will win free entry to the next workshop. In the event of a tie Michelle and I will cast the deciding vote(s). Well done to all who took part and we will announce the winner at the next workshop.

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Easter treats

Tomorrow's workshop will feature two demos as usual - one being making Easter gift baskets and boxes and the other being making Easter cards. 

The gift box and basket (below) are both made from the same basic starting point and can be adapted for other occasions. In fact the same technique with a few more tweaks can be used to make a handbag gift bag - handy for Mother's Day.

Die cut circles and ovals will be used as the basis for the Easter Cards, with a chance to try die cutting felt shapes too, for fluffy chicks either on cards or 3D stand up chicks.

Don't forget to bring your "Dec. this Journal" book page projects for judging too - for the chance of free workshop entry.

And the rest of 2014 looks like this, based on your ideas pinned to Pinterest.

• March 26th - Easter cards and gift boxes
• April 30th - Not simply stamping
• May 28th - 3D/Shaped Cards
• June 14th - Ashtead Village Day
• June 25th - Alcohol inks and markers
• July 30th - Powders and Pastels
• August 27th - Heating/melting
• September 24th - How long is a piece of string?
• October 29th - Christmas make your own stamps
• November 12th (Scout Hut) - Christmas origami wreaths and gift boxes/envelopes
• November 26th - Quick Zentangle/doodle Christmas cards

Summer Village Day competition - 3D card challenge - due in before Village Day

End of Year competition - "Dec this Journal" - due in 12th November

Saturday workshops - dates to be arranged

Straight out of the pages of a book...

We had a ripping time on Wednesday - tearing pages out of The Bronte Sisters collection, Field Guide to Birds, The Compleat Angler and the The Home Gardening Encyclopedia to name but a few - all in the name of cardmaking! There were even a few sheet music, dictionary pages and road atlas pages that found their way on to our cards. We showed no mercy! (Please note that no first editions were hurt or damaged in the making of our cards. We had bought the pre-loved books from charity shops with the specific purpose of making cards out of them!)

We used pages for both backgrounds and embellishments. Michelle got chance to demonstrate the iTop gadget for making buttons and badges. We also die cut, doodled, stamped, distressed and watercoloured using our watercolour markers. See below for our creations.

Not sure whether it is appropriate or not to be tearing up books when it is World Book Day this week (Thurs. 6th March), although you could say we are celebrating books through art!