Month: April 2018

Stripes water-coloured

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Hi there. I have had a go at the embossing and water-colouring again. I am still inspired from Laura Bassen and her Altenew class…..

This time, I took inspiration from the current challenge at The Card Concept. I used the pinks and yellows for the flowers, the stripes for the background, but I did that in blue – as you see – to tie in some of the blue you can see in the picture. I thought the pink flower was enough pink, – for me, anyway.

The background is using the Concord and 9th ‘Stripe Builder’ stamp. this is a large square stamp – hence the card being square. I have used this in the past, and it is notoriously difficult to stamp a solid image from, especially without using a stamping tool. So, knowing this, I used it on a piece of card with Ranger Perfect Medium, not really taking great care to stamp it properly, and heat embossed in clear. I then added one of the narrower wavy lines in the middle of each large stripe.

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I wanted a distressed stripey background and I think I achieved that look.

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I then took some Gansai Tambi light blue and – using the Tim Holtz mat again(!) – brushed the blue over the background. Again, I wasn’t too careful, and I knew the embossing would resist, but because the embossing wasn’t solid, I got some of the blue in the stripes too. A plan and coming together is the phrase in my mind at the moment.

The flowers are Altenew ‘Gardenias‘ from the stamp and die bundle of the same name, and inked using Altnew inks. They were glued to the background with 3D glue – again allowing positioning – and the leaves slotted underneath.

Three pink sequins, and again taking a hint and tip from the class video, I slid them slightly under the flowers. The phrase is also Altenew, and in a dramatic black to highlight how delicate and pretty the rest of the card is – I think!

I also didn’t worry about leaves hanging over, as I can make my own envelopes to fit anyway. I have made cards in the past where this happens, and it just means another day sitting and getting the envelopes together, or even boxes in some instances.

I may move away from the embossed and water-coloured backgrounds tomorrow….depending on what the classes show to me today!

Challenges I shall be entering:

The Card Concept – inspiration photo

Allsorts Challenge – spring flowers (or showers)

Time Out Challenges – Spring

Spring Daisy

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Hi there. I have been playing with new techniques today. I finally – finally – got around to watching some of the Altenew Academy classes I bought over the past, well, months, if not years.

These two cards were an attempt from inspiration from Laura Bassen and the ‘Clean, Simple, and Colorful techniques‘. That lovely woman certainly knows how to inspire – and don’t you just love her chat? I am laughing, and giggling, and learning – all in one go. Her attempt at the New York accent? Had me in stitches – though it is probably much, much better than I could do. Love it.

I decided to try the water-colour resist technique. I think that’s what it’s called….

I took the three colours from the current challenge at Color Throwdown and set to creating. I first stamped and heat embossed with clear the Altenew ‘Pattern Play – Hexagon‘ onto water-colour card. I then took Catherine Pooler’s ‘Aquatini‘, smooshed it onto my brand new Tim Holtz Glass Mat ink area (Yippee! and Yay!), wet down the water-colour card and used a water brush to dot and spread and generally mess around colouring the panel.

I added some extra depth of colour in some places, and I really liked how the ink worked in this way.

Whilst that was drying, I stamped the flowers using Altenew inks, not realising there are only two layers – the outline and one shading. I decided to go over the stamped and shaded flowers with another yellow from my Zigs, and it still kept some of the detail in the flowers, I did the same with the leaves.

I used 3D glue gel to stick them onto the card base, stamped and adhered the sentiment, added some clear dew drop thingies, and there we are.

I am sure tomorrow will be spent looking st some more of the classes I haven’t got around to, if this is where they lead me.

I will be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – yellow, aqua, green, white

Water Cooler Challenges – Occasion

Aud Sentiments challenge – birthday

Addicted to Stamps – make your mark

Time Out Challenge – Spring (option of one layer – not used)

Umbrellas and rain drops

Hello again. Here is a card which appears a little darker than my usual, but it is actually quite sparkly if you turn it a little. I’ve tried to capture the effect, but it does look better in ‘real life’.

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I used a Clearly Besotted stamp set, and heat embossed onto black card with silver detail embossing powder. I then used my Polychromos to colour the images in, using 2-3 reds and 2-3 yellows. The black rain drops are from the matching dies for the stamp set, which are cut from Stampin Up black glimmer card, and individually stuck down.

I heat embossed the sentiments from the same stamp set, and added the whole thing to a white base card.

To try and get the glimmer from the rain drops, I had to prop the card against one of my perfume bottle – only because it had a nice image on the lid. Can you tell which perfume it is?

I shall be entering the following challenges:

4 Crafty Chicks – anything goes with twist raining cats and dogs

Inkspirational – photo inspiration

Pinspirational – anything goes

Believe CASE card

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Hi everyone. I have a card – with additional variation on the theme later in the posting – for the current challenges at Simple Less Is More and CASology.

I used a layering stamp set from Just Rite for the flowers, along with a little masking, and Altenew inks. I must say that I watched a You tube video last week – can’t remember who from – and they said to let the ink dry between layers to achieve a crisper effect. I tried this – and it works! I do love when a plan comes together.

The sentiment is from Stamps By Me and heat embossed in silver detail powder. I chose this sentiment to go with the CASology challenge, but also because I like the way the word kinda fades out at the top. Even though it is bold, it also doesn’t seem to cover much of the main image.

Some Tonic Nuvo drops were added for interest, and then this piece attached to a white base card.

I have a whole stack of 300 gsm white card for base cards. I use this as it doesn’t take inks well, it doesn’t like blending inks, and it doesn’t like being coloured with anything! So, white sturdy base cards for quite a while!

Here is a version with some Clearly Besotted stamps:

I got carried away with the blue and silver combination…..

Challenges I will be entering:

Less Is More – CASE the card

CASology – Believe

3 cards

Hello there everyone. I have had a lot of opportunity to craft in the past 24 hours, and I have three cards to share with you today. I could post some tomorrow – but I have my bestie coming round for take-away, drink, and movie – so I am sure I have made the right choice in not posting tomorrow!!

This first card is inspired by the current CASology challenge

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It took me a little while to think of things. I was thinking cars, jobs, baby, weddings, then I remembered the most recent Catherine Pooler Stamp of Approval, and a paper aeroplane in there……..

I took some water-colour card and used 2 colours of Distress Oxides to blend together at the bottom, using a piece of paper to maintain a fairly straight and clean edge, then spritzed with water. My idea of the water was for it to look like clouds…..

The sentiment, dots and plane are from the same collection, and stamped in Versafine black onyx.

This second card was inspired by Time Out Challenges and 4 Crafty Chicks (flowers):

I took the colours of the flowers and vase stand. The Altenew layered plaid cover plate A and B were cut out and stuck together, and after putting onto a base card, I used some black splatters – I felt the urge for a little mess!

The yellow flowers are from Altenew ‘Amazing You‘, and I stamped the outline in a darker yellow from one of their ink sets, embossed with clear embossing powder, then water-coloured with a Zig yellow and an orange.

After die-cutting them I arranged in a huddle, using 3D glue gel – helps me to position – and added the sentiment from the same stamp set.

I then decided to add some Tonic Nuvo black drops extra to the splatters – I thought the white background card was a little plain!

This third card is inspired by the current challenge at The Library Challenge, and Just Us Girls:

I took the cover of the book and used the black, white, and red – some grey leaves for artistic license – and stamped some flowers from a Stamps By Me set I have had for a while.

I used Catherine Pooler ‘Rockin Red‘ (I must get the ink re-fill next time I order anything) and embossed with clear embossing powder. Some masking – which doesn’t scare me now, even when I don’t have the matching dies – and then thought about how to make a curvy black side.

I turned to my Avery Elle ‘Snow Caps’ dies and used one of the curves twice.

The sentiment is also from Stamps By Me, and I was looking for a bold sentiment to join the Just Us Girls challenge, and heat embossed in white – like the title of the book.

Thank you for your perseverance, and I hope to be back with you soon. :)

3 colours sketch

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Hi everyone. I have a card inspired by a sketch challenge and a colour challenge today. I turned to my stash from Stamps By Me and then thought about the colours and layout. I knew I had some long stamps I could use, so I took the Stampin Up ‘Old Olive’ and stamped the long strip twice, even though it looks like one stamp……

I then took some card in Calypso Coral and Rich Razzleberry and used one of the Stamps By Me dies to cut this leafy image several times, with double-sided sticky sheet on the back to make it easier.

As you can see, I off-set the two die cuts as I thought one of each colour looked a little plain. I then layered it onto a base card with the Calypso Coral behind it, and took a sentiment and stamped in Rich Razzleberry.

Stamps By Me has some lovely sentiment stamps, and I have several of them. A lot of them are quite large, and would be great for the centre-point of a card – maybe I’ll turn to that next. I’ll how the mojo takes me.

Challenges I shall be entering:

CAS Colours and Sketches – Calypso Coral, Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive

Freshly Made Sketches – sketch

Exquisite Ocean

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Hello again. I have a card to share with you today after having a delivery from Bumbleberry Paper craft store. It was waiting for me when I got home, so I couldn’t resist playing with it. The stamp and die set is from MFT, and called Exquisite Ocean.

I took inspiration from several challenges – the colours of pink, red, and mint from Color Throwdown, a trio of something (fishes) from the current Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge, and anything feminine from Watercooler Challenges.

The background ‘Waves’ stamp is from Hero Arts, and I used the Merman ink from Lawn Fawn. I die cut that with the wonky rectangles from MFT, as I think the wonkyness (a new word!) adds to the ocean effect.

Once I had stamped and layered the little fishes, I used the matching dies and then set to arranging them on the background. I stuck them down using 3D glue, as it gives some dimension, and also gives some wiggle time if I didn’t like how I placed them.

One thing I generally do now – I create two backgrounds. On one of them I arrange the die-cuts until I like it, then remove them one at a time, and stick them down on the second background. That way the position tends to remain the same. I have tried taking a photo for the placement, but I find this way so much easier.

These are such cute little fishies, and I stamped quite a few of them so I could make several cards, and will vary the sentiment on each of them.

The sentiment is from Hero Arts, and I die cut the ‘hello‘ from black card with a double sided sticky sheet on the back of it to make sticking it down so much easier, and then stamped the word ‘beautiful‘ directly onto the card. I know – stamped with my heart in my mouth as I did it the last of all – very brave of me! I didn’t even use my Misti as I didn’t want the fishes and weedy things to squash down!

Thanks so much

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Hello there. I have a card to share with you today incorporating a technique I haven’t used for a while – gilding flakes. I wish I had remembered I had them when I was doing the other foil sentiment!

I began by using a stencil from Imagination Crafts, and spraying Cosmic Shimmer ink spray mist ‘Chic Pumpkin‘ through it. I masked the upper part of the card to follow the current MFT sketch challenge. Whilst that was drying, I covered a piece of black card with a double sided sticky sheet, and die-cut ‘thanks’ (Stamps By Me) several times. On the remainder sticky piece, I added some Indigo Blu gilding flakes ‘Autumn Blaze‘ and then die cut the word again.

After stacking them together – made so much easier with double sided sticky sheets – I looked at placement on my card. I thought just the word ‘thanks’ was too – well – aggressive, really, so I used a Uniko sentiment for the ‘so much’.

The flowers are MFT ‘Sketchy Flowers‘ stamped then die-cut and arranged as you see. I did quite a few of them, but if I added more, then it just looked over-crowded.

Once I had the idea and techniques in my head, it actually didn’t take very long to put this card together, so now I have to go and use the rest of the flower images and make some more – such a difficult chore…….!!

I shall be entering the following challenges:

MFT sketch challenge

Pinspirational challenge – photo inspiration (pink flowers)

Addicted to Stamps and More – anything goes

Blue Floral Birthday

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Hi everyone. I was able to craft a little more yesterday, and was inspired by several challenges.

I started by stamping all three flowers and all the leaves from W Plus 9 ‘Petunia Builder’ using Altenew inks for the flowers, and Catherine Pooler inks for the leaves. I like the way the leaves turned out – using Lime Rickey and and Grass Skirt. These two colours may well be a combination I will use in the future.

Once I had used the latching dies, I then tried to come up with a layout I liked. I play doing this for quite a while usually, but it is something I enjoy – particularly when I have stamped and cut many images.

The square I placed the flowers on is embossed with a Tattered Lace embossing folder, to add some interest to the background. I started by using 3D glue for the flowers, then inserting the leaves underneath using a wet glue.

The sentiment was stamped in Versafine black onyx and adhered flat to the card.

I shall be entering into the following challenges:

Addicted To Stamps and More – photo inspiration

Always Fun Challenges – Happy Birthday

Seize the Birthday – Birthday (option of birds not used)

More Monsters

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Hell again. I have been doing a little crafting over the weekend, but nothing too major. I may be able to craft more later today, and I am sure I will let you know what I come up with.

This layout of this card was inspired by the sketch challenge from MFT, but initially I didn’t really have a clue about what theme I wanted to go with. My obvious go-to would be flowers, but I had a think about it for a few days.

Whilst I was sorting my stamp sets out into make, then alphabetical (OCD much??) – and found this ‘More Monsters’ stamp and die set. I then thought about a galaxy background – which I haven’t done many of – and decided to take an hour or so out of sorting and tidying to play.

I used Distress Oxides then Gansai Tambi splatters for the background, sticking that down beneath a plain white rectangle.

There are six monsters in the set, so I took 6 Catherine Pooler inks and stamped them all out. As these monsters are solid images, I knew these inks would be more suited for coverage.

After die-cutting them, I then played with the lay-out, stamped a greeting – there are quite a few in this stamp set – and there we are.

I obviously have 6 monsters of 6 colours, so I am currently playing with putting some more cards together along the same lines, and if I complete them today, I may add them to this posting later. Here is a close-up of the shiny splatters, using gold and white:

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