Showcase your crafty skills with Lindsay Mason's patriotic travel-themed cards

What you need...

• Papers: Personal Impressions, Vintage Union Jack; Tim Holtz Paper Stash, Destinations, Olde Curiosity Shoppe 'Bazaar of Wonders'; Graphic 45, Kraft Reflections
  Stamps: Personal Impressions, London Sights; Darkroom Door, Postcards Background
  Card, cream, white, red, blue
  London Charms
  Acrylic fragment
  London Wordstrip
  Ink-pads: Distress, assorted colours
  Cut n Dry foam
  Acetate
  Ribbon, cream
  Adhesives
  Glossy Accents
  Craft sheet, non-stick
  Waterbrush
  

instructions

1. Mind The Gap -
   1 Stamp London bus onto card, 10cm x 15cm, then colour using barn door ink. When dry, blend tea dye and walnut stain over the card, shading the bus to age it. Matt onto Union Jack paper, then 10cm x 15cm card.
   
   2 Adhere the penny farthing image. Trim the flag, curve around a pen and curl two corners. Adhere to the top of the card using Glossy Accents. Cut the lady from the bazaar sheet and stick to the left of the card.
   
   3 Cut two words from the wordstrip, smudge with tea dye ink and stick to the right of the cycle. Cut off the loop from the top of the underground charm, then glue to the right of the flag using Glossy Accents.

2. London Silhouette -
   1 Using a small piece of Cut n Dry foam, smudge a little barn door ink on a square card. Blend with mustard seed, then with chipped sapphire on the edges to give a sunset effect, as shown.
   
   2 In black, stamp the London scene so that it sits across the sunset effect. Paint a circle of water at the top-left and streaks of water below the scene, then dab with tissue. Paint dots for stars in the same way.
   
   3 Matt onto red, cream and blue card. Poke ribbon through the top of the Big Ben charm and back through the bottom loop, then wrap ribbon around the matted image so the charm is held at the top-right.
   
   4 Secure at the back with tape. Cover a blank, 15cm square, with Union Jack paper. Trim postcard image and cut in half. Stick both onto the card at an angle, then adhere the matted image over to complete, as shown.

3. Bon Voyage -
   1 Fold half of a card, 12.5cm square, back on itself, creasing well. Stamp postcard background onto cream card and trim, 10cm square. Blend tea dye ink over surface and walnut stain around edges.
   
   2 Stick to Union Jack paper, 12cm square, then onto a cream card, 12.5cm square. Cut three vintage photos from the Destinations stash and age with distress ink. Layer over the postcard background.
   
   3 Cut out the words 'Bon Voyage', edge with walnut stain and adhere with 3-D foam pads. With the card blank closed, apply adhesive to the lower folded flap and adhere the matted card.
   
   4 Stamp and blend ink onto cream card, 12cm square, then stick to the inside of the blank. Edge cream card, 3cm wide, with walnut stain. Adhere Union Jack paper, 2cm, and a thin strip of cream card down the centre.
   
   5 Cut a strip of acetate, 4cm wide, and stick to the back of the strip so that 1cm sticks out along one edge. Use 3-D foam to attach to the inside of the card, 1.5cm in, with the acetate facing the fold.
   
   6 Apply Glossy Accents to one side of a small rectangular acrylic fragment and press onto an image, moving in a circular fashion and then holding in place till set. Trim around edge and adhere to left of stopper strip. CB

4. Design Detail - Edging the Union Jack paper with black ink when matting will help to make the layers stand out

5. Stop and Shop - Graphic 45 papers, Sir Stampalot, 01733 324 007,
   http://www.sirstampalot.co.uk
   Personal Impressions stamps, Crafts 4 U 2 Do, 01744 611940,
   http://www.crafts4u2do.co.uk