Hello there. After my last post which was mixed media – at the start of my journey – I have gone more CAS today.
I used my newly acquired Uniko stash – ordered last week – to create this card, and some Stampin Up inks.
The die cut circle was stamped using a Pinstripe stamp for a background to my floral images.
The leaf images were stamped and then cut out using my Scan-n-cut, and whilst I was there, I cut a dozen more ready for any future makes with this stamp set.
The sentiment is also from the new release from Uniko.
Hello. A new challenge has begun at The Alphabet Challenge, and this time we want to see Xtra Embellishments – more than you would normally add.
Well – I took this to a whole new level, and decided to go with a mixed media kinda look – something I have not tried for years and years:
I don’t ‘do’ mixed media, but it is something I want to try, I want to learn, and have even booked a 3 day workshop at Indigo Blu for just having a go and having a play.
I have watched quite a few YouTube videos, but the best for me – by far – are those of ‘Maremi SmallArt’. I love her style of working, her chat, her whole attitude to the mixed media genre. I can hear her now – ‘just do it‘ and ‘why not?’ – so I did………..I went and did it, why not? 🙂
I started off with a piece of card board from a Simon Says Stamp card kit and went from there. Patterned paper on the background, distresssed around the edges with Distress Ink, stenciled some glitter paste in parts of the background and then waited. That’s the hardest part for me!
Whilst waiting, I hunted through my Tim Holtz Bigz dies for some stuff to add – found keys, feathers, butterflies, honeycomb – so I cut them all out with other pieces of cardboard and my trusty Sizzix Big Shot Pro. Then waited – and thought – tried to plan………….then heard Marta – ‘just do it‘.
I used some glitter paste on some of the elements and just stuck then down, just a little planning – I knew I wanted the bright flowers on the left, and more muted on the right…………….
I think I’m hooked…………..maybe next time I’m going all out with white Gesso and colours and metal bits and frames and – and – and…….!
Phew…….I need to calm down – but I am not working for the next 12 days. Hmmm! The products I used are on the side – and it’s a huge list – I think I got them all!
Anyhoo – I hope you can come and join us for this challenge – it has certainly inspired me, and I hope will inspire you too. The challenge welcomes any handcrafted item – so it doesn’t need to be a card (thank goodness!)
Hello there. There is anew challenge starting at Cardz 4 Galz and the theme this time is ‘Shoes’. Here is my card:
This card was extremely difficult to photograph – there are so many shiny elements on it………….so I took quite a few to try and capture the different parts as good as I could make it:
I began by die-cutting the Tattered Lace ‘Platform Shoes‘ in shiny red card. These are the kind of shoes I loved to wear – very high, huge platform, and lacy. Unfortunately – age and bunions and knees and hips etc have made wearing these kinds of shoes quite uncomfortable – but I still keep them just in case!
I took a piece of Yupo paper and some alcohol inks to try and create a dramatic background, and a piece of black card which had some shine and glimmer to it, and adhered as you see.
The sentiment is from Jan’s Digi’s and comes with a set of images with a ballerina and ballet slippers – but I thought it suited this card just as well. I played with the sentiment size a little, printed it onto white copy paper, stuck it onto a piece of card, them used a Sue Wilson die set to die cut then ‘deboss’ around the sentiment.
The sentiment panel was looking a little plain, so I used the Tattered Lace ‘A Little Bit Ditsy‘ die with some red and black card for a little more interest.
That same day I made this card, I received a Stampin Up delivery which included the sequins in red and black and clear – so I used a few of those flower sequins around and about – one must know how to stop sometimes, doesn’t one? 🙂
I hope you can come and join us this time. I am sure there are some stamps and dies out there which would be suitable – I look forward to seeing your creations in our gallery. xx
I used a whole bunch of Sue Wilson die sets for this card, which involved a lot of die cutting. I changed my mind several times during the process of making it.
The base is 8 inch square, with a layer of dark green mirri card and rose gold mirri card. I ‘gutted’ the hidden parts of these pieces and die cut some of the other elements – you can’t let such card go to waste can you?
Once the two base layers were stuck down, I cut a dark green mirri circle and stuck that down with 3D foam as I knew I wanted to layer some of the elements under the edge, so this made it easier.
The trailing ivy die cuts were slotted in underneath the edge of the circle, just to soften the harsh line, and the holly branch die cuts were stuck down around the edge of the circle – but on top of it.
I added some more holly die cuts to the top corners, and some mosaic leaves to the bottom corners – I just couldn’t stop die cutting and using the elements!
The word ‘Joy‘ was die cut, and adhered with very tiny 3D foam which I cut down myself.
It was really, really, difficult to capture the vivid dark green and the rose gold to it’s full beauty but here are a few more photos:
I hope you can come and join us for this challenge, and I look forward to seeing you in our gallery. xx
Hello there. I have a card to share to day using one stamp and die set:
I wanted a very CAS card and took inspiration from several challenges. The colours were from CAS Colours and Sketches, the layout using the prompt from AAA Cards, and the stamp set using inspiration from the current theme at Die Cut Divas.
The stamp set is Altenew ‘Under The Cherry Blossom Tree, using the branch, then next stamping the flowers, then die cutting. The birds were stamped and then die cut, and added together as you see in the top corner.
I fiddled a little with which corner to add the branch, and then which branch to add the little birds to, but I am pleased with the final placings.
Hello everyone. I have a card to share today which again took a lot of thinking about, and changing my mind and generally trying lots of different layouts:
I used the Altenew ‘Birds of a Feather’ die set for the birds, the branches, and the heart. I initially tried stamping these birds in black, but I couldn’t actually line up the images, and when I did I didn’t get a good enough stamped image – despite using the Misti – so I decided to just use the outline dies for all the images.
The background is again an Altenew stamp set – Wood Pallet Background – and the sentiment is from the same stamp set.
The heart I die cut out of red glimmer card and I drew in the string with a black art liner pen.
It looks quite simple – but it took a few times of me counting to 10 – believe me!
Hello there. I have been able to take some time to craft today. The past few days I seem to have been out and about a lot.
I decided to take on the colour challenge at Color Throwdown to create this card:
You may be asking why I put these two photos together – will I’m playing with taking photos and the first is using some additional changes using my phone – contrast etc, and the second is the original……..hmmm – I think I prefer the original for this one – what do you think?
Anyhoo – I used the Altenew ‘Delicate Clusters‘ stamp and die set, remembering that the dies cut the clusters together – the flowers and the stem. Previously I had stamped the images, and then the stem wouldn’t be the same shape as the die…..
This time I die cut both clusters, to leave a template in the piece of card, then when I had die cut each cluster again for the elements to make the card, I only had to inlay the die-cuts and only had to line-up the stamp once each time for each layer. I think Jennifer McGuire and Amy R have done videos about this technique – but I couldn’t find them! Typical!
I used Altenew inks for the clusters in shades of grey, and Catherine Pooler ‘Lime Rickey’ for the stems – only one layer for the stems and leaves.
The fuschia and purple from the colour challenge were on the sentiment strip – I coloured a couple of strips with Copics, and stuck to the back of the sentiment.
I knew I wanted a fairly CAS card, but it took me ages to actually plan the stamping and the layout……
Hello there. I have a cute card to share today using a new die from Waffle Flower:
I knew I wanted to play with this die as soon as it arrived, and took the opportunity to use the current colours at Color Throwdown.
I die cut the unicorn, then added some Spectrum Noir purple sparkle as you see. Whilst that purple was drying, I turned to the background.
I used Distress Oxide ‘Mowed Lawn‘ and blended using my blending brushes, adding some Gansai Tambi green sparkle splatters – it’s all about the sparkle on this card.
I created a frame in grey card stock by using some rectangle dies and adhered this to the green layer. The sentiment is stamped using grey ink, placed as you see, and the unicorn sat on top of the sentiment strip.
I did take some warm grey Copics and tried to add some shading to the edge of the unicorn – not sure I like it, might have been better left alone – but there we are.
I glued the unicorn to the green layer, making sure the arms and the wings were free, and added some Tonic Nuvo drops in ‘mercury‘ for the eyes and nostrils, slotting the purple glittery present in the hands.
I think I’ll be playing with this die some more, using perhaps rainbow colours – of course the glittery rainbow colours, and I’m sure you’ll be seeing that here.
Hello there. There is anew challenge beginning at The Alphabet Challenge. The letter has gone all the way down to the letter ‘W’, and Meg is hosting and has chosen ‘Anything you WISH‘.
I decided to go a new Altnew Build-a-flower stamp and die set I haven’t used yet:
It is my sister-in-law’s birthday soon, and I thought I’d get prepared.
I began by stamping the flowers from this set in a selection of colours, initially planning on making several cards.
When I started putting down the pink flowers and the green leaves and foliage –I thought the card looked a little empty, and initially thought of an ink blending or stencil and paste – but decided to go with the Altenew ‘Dotted Swirls’ debossing die – just a little more detail added to the back of the flowers.
I added the additional purple and blue flower as you see, for even more colour. The pink flowers are stuck down using 3D gel so I could move them around if I needed, and could tuck the foliage and leaves underneath.
The sentiment is also from Altenew, and I think there’s a little fault in the ‘y’ of happy – but I decided it was fine to go with it, and then die cut with the Heffy Doodle ‘More Strips of Ease‘.
I hope you can come and join us for this challenge – make anything you wish. It couldn’t be simpler, could it? I look forward to seeing what you create. xx
Hello there. I am hosting the new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz, and I chose the theme of ‘Black and Blingy‘. I am sure there are some ideas rolling around in your head to be able to join us in this challenge.
Here is my card:
I knew I wanted some black foliage, and turned to a Tattered Lace die – A Little Bit Ditsy – and die cut this out of black glimmer card stock from Stampin Up.
That in itself was a challenge! Getting all those little details to come out of that card – slowly, slowly peeling it out – it took some doing. despite using my Gemini Junior, and cutting it s few times – I almost gave up!
I’m glad I persevered – and even cut two of them!
The butterfly is from Spellbinders, and I took the decision to add some pink glittery card underneath the black butterfly – I like the pop of colour.
The sentiment is from a Sue Wilson set which started out as ‘Happy Birthday to You’ – but I trimmed it down as you see.
All the card – except the base card – is glimmer card from Stampin Up – no stamping on this card at all – just die cuts.
Sticking items onto glimmer card is also a challenge – so once I had used some glue I turned again to me Tonic Nuvo drops and added some black dots strategically – to enable to some added dimension, but also to act as glue to keep those flourishes down on the card.
I hope you can come and join us – I can’t wait to see your take on the black and bling theme. xx
loopyloocards 