Hi everyone! If you like paper crafting then you’re in for a treat on 4th and 5th November! We’re launching our brand new Folksy Charm collection which features the most stunning collection of folk art inspired patterns, bold colours and a sweet die set for making doll shaped cards.
I’ve just been looking through my phone for some behind the scenes photos and I can’t believe I designed this collection almost 12 months ago?! We’ve kept this under wraps of so long. . . and it’s almost time for the big reveal!
This launch features our first EVER 8x8in paper pad but for me, what makes this paper pad so different is that EVERY pattern has been hand painted. Nearly all patterned papers today are designed digitally because it’s a much quicker way to create accurate repeat patterns. However, I wanted to create a collection of folk art inspired patterns, and painting them directly onto paper and card felt more authentic. You’ll notice that the rows and sizes of flowers vary within the patterned papers – but it’s absolutely charming this way and the style suits the folk art theme so well.
Creating the designs
Here are some behind the scenes photos I took last year, showing how the patterns gradually built up. They took a long time to create but it was worth it!
I didn’t have a plan when I created each of the patterns. I had so much fun creating the backgrounds and then simply doodled the decorative patterns over the top. I thoroughly recommend creating your own patterns like this sometime, as it was so relaxing! I’m not sure if I should mention/point out the baby monitor visible in some of the photos (I was painting quite late at time sometimes) and there’s also a sneaky glass of wine that I’ve tried to crop out of the photos too. 😉 Haha.
The die sets work with our Slot & Spin collection, which means. . . you can make Slot & Spin doll cards like the card I’ve made here!:
This card uses the largest doll die but there are two other doll sizes in the set which gives you options for nesting the dolls or making smaller cards. Our Design Team are throughly enjoying crafting with this collection. If you want to see what they’ve created, then please join us on HOCHANDA on 4th & 5th November – some of their makes are really surprising!
If you’d like to have a go at making this sweet interactive card, then here’s what I’ve used:
What you will need:
Angela Poole:
Folksy Charm Dolls Die Set
Slot & Spin Vintage Frames Die Set
Folksy Charm A4 Photopolymer Stamp Set
Folksy Charm 8x8in Paper Pack
Folksy Charm A4 Stencil: Floral Charm
Folksy Charm 6in Stencil: Decorative Corners
Ocean Mist 250gsm Card Pack
Other products –
Ranger Archival Ink: Jet Black, Aquamarine and Sky Blue
Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Antique Linen and Spun Sugar
Memento Dye Ink: Paris Dusk
Wow! Embossing Pad and Opaque White super fine embossing powder
Alcohol pens, white pen, ink blending tool and pads, die-cutting machine, craft knife, metal ruler, low tack tape/washi tape for positioning dies, heat gun, anti-static pad and tacky PVA glue.
How to make your own Folksy charm zig-zag doll card:
Step 1:
I started by scoring a sheet of 250gsm Ocean Mist card and then folded it in half to make an A5 card base. Next, you need to line the straight metal guidelines of the largest doll die from the Folksy Charm set along the folded edge of the card. Secure it in place with washi tape and die-cut the card. The doll shaped dies will cut through both sides of 250gsm card in one pass through a die-cutting machine, to make doll shaped card bases.
Step 2:
There are so many patterns to choose from in the Folksy Charm card pack! Here I’ve die-cut a large doll base from a red pattern and a contrasting head scarf. I’ve used a thin application of tacky PVA glue to quickly layer up the paper pieces.
Step 3:
There’s no denying the A4 Folksy Charm stamp set is HUGE! There’s a whopping 62 photopolymer stamps crammed into this set and there are SO MANY possibilities for customising your dolls. If you’re a paper crafter like me, then this translates to hours and hours of crafting fun! I’ve stamped the circular scalloped scarf detail and decorative border stamp with an embossing pad. I then heat embossed it with white embossing powder. Don’t forget to use an anti-static pad before you stamp, as it helps to prevent the embossing powder from clinging to unstamped areas.
Step 4:
I’ve used the largest Vintage Frames aperture die that I could fit within the centre of the doll shaped card base. Alternatively, if you have the Festive Frames Slot & Spin die set, then you can use this instead – I’m really excited about making some festive spinning doll cards!
Step 5:
The Slot & Spin dies will work with a card weight from 250gsm but you can also layer one side with patterned paper. I’ve nested the dies to die-cut narrow frames which can then lock together and spin freely on a card. Once the frames are all connected, you can slot them to the aperture within the doll card base.
Step 6:
My go-to ink for stamping all of my doll faces so far is my trusty Ranger Archival Jet Black ink pad. The Folksy Charm stamp set is designed to work perfectly with the coordinating die set. The hand drawn designs stamp beautifully because they’re made from quality photopolymer. I’ve stamped the hair with Jet Black ink and the rosy cheeks with Spun Sugar Distress ink – I love the natural blusher look that the distress ink gives to the cheeks. You can colour the eyes and lips with whatever pens or pencils you have in your craft stash. I’ve used alcohol pens and a white pen to highlight the eyes.
Step 7:
So spoiler alert. . . in this step I’m using the FREE stencil you’ll receive as a gift when you purchase any of our products during the One Day Special! (as long as the stocks last that is). We liked giving our HOCHANDA customers a free stencil so much when we celebrated our 2 year anniversary back in August, that we wanted to do it again – I know that craft freebies are always welcome! I keep using the floral corner pattern to decorate the inside of my cards. I think it’s little details like this which add a professional, finishing touch to hand made cards. I’ve used a blending tool to apply a subtle Antique Linen distress ink through the stencil.
If you’re crafting along to these steps and you’d just like to make a shaped doll card, then you only need to follow the steps up to here. Now you can sit back and admire your beautiful card! 😉
Read on for how to turn your doll card into a striking and very different zig-zag card. . .
Step 8:
So this is where a zig-zag card base gets interesting. I’m using an A4 sheet of Ocean Mist card and I’ve scored one line 13cm from the left edge (as you see it here) and another at 26cm. I’ve lined the large doll die along the 26cm fold line. If you move the die up from the bottom edge of the card, you can feel where the card edge is and you can position it so that it cuts off the edge.
Step 9:
After die-cutting the doll from the edge of the card you can use a craft knife and metal ruler to trim away the excess card, as shown here.
Step 10:
I will admit that I’m a little obsessed with using this stencil. It’s called Floral Charm and it’s fantastic!! I’ve used a blending tool and a few inks for variety: Antique Linen distress ink and Sky Blue and Aquamarine archival inks. I wanted to create a subtle background pattern to add interest to the zig-zag card base but without distracting from the main doll design.
Step 11:
To decorate the inside of the zig-zag card, I’ve covered it with a pale blue patterned paper from the Folksy Charm papers and added a trimmed paper border along the bottom of the panel. I wanted to create a bold pattern on the inside of the card, so I’ve used the opposite corner of the Decorative Corners stencil and applied a dark blue Memento dye ink called Paris Dusk, using a blending tool.
Step 12:
The last step is to attach your doll shaped card to the doll shaped front of the zig-zag card. I used a thin layer of tacky PVA glue as it allows for a bit of wiggle room to line up the two pieces before the glue dries. I wanted to show you the inside of the card too, as I just love the look of the stencilled decorative corner and the pretty shadows that the spinning frames create!
If you like the look of this card and are curious what else we have up our sleeves using this collection, then make sure you join us for the launch live on HOCHANDA on 4th November at 6pm! I can’t wait! 🙂
Angela x