Month: July 2022

Cardz 4 Galz – get inky

A new challenge has started at Cardz 4 Galz. This time it is Caz who has chosen the theme, which is ‘Get Inky‘. Here is my card:

I created a Distress Inked panel – Wilted Violet – and whilst that drying, I die cut the image. This is a die set from a German Company I have made a couple of orders from – and I am sure I will be making more orders…..

I adhered the purple panel behind this tree panel, and used 3D foam to attach to a card base.

The tree die set comes with some little bird dies, and I added three of them onto the branches – such detail in the tree and birds, I didn’t think they needed anything more.

I love the way the tree branches extend into the outside panel:

I hope you can come and join us with your inky girlie creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge – animals

Moving Along With The Times – inky background

Crafting Happiness – anything goes

ABC – N for New and/or O for Old

Hello there. I am hosting the new challenge at ABC Christmas Challenge. The themes for the new challenge should be Christmas creations, and ‘N’ for New, ‘O’ for Old. Here is my card:

I chose a slimline base card with a black layer. My ‘New’ is a new embossing folder I purchased at a recent craft show. The folder creates such a deep embossing of the poinsettia, and also comes with a die to cut out one of the flowers.

I therefore created the embossed base, then embossed another, die cut the flower, and placed on top, I even fussy-cut more leaves from the second embossed panel, coloured them with green Copics, and added underneath for even more dimension.

I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas creations – following our themes – and one lucky random winner will receive these two stamp sets from two UK companies:

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Peace On Earth Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge – anything goes

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

CYHTP – anything goes with an embossing folder – option of summer not taken

Creative Fingers Challenge – anything goes

Sending You Peace…..

Hello. I have a CAS card to share today:

I always find this style of card seems to take a lot more planning than other cards. I thought about what colours to use for the ink blended panel – and then how to do it……..some broad masking tape did the trick.

I used Pinkfresh studio inks – darker orange, lighter orange, and yellow. These do blend wonderfully, and as I used some Distress Heavyweight card stock – a match made in heaven!

I have quite a bit of the older batch of heavyweight card stock from Ranger – this was a batch which had some coating issues – it does not like water – which is bizarre as this is what the card stock is meant to work very well with.

I first noticed when doing a virtual class with Jenn Shurkhus – she advised us to contact Ranger….I did, sent them some photos, and the picture of the receipt – and a new batch was sent to me – over here to the UK – what a brilliant customer service.

However – the new batch from them has the same issue – but I have decided to use that for ink blending – when I don’t want to use a lot of water – it does ink blend beautifully.

Anyhoo – back to the card – ink blended panel, and then an image from a Simon Says Stamp set ‘Dandelion Messages’ which has been sitting there wanting to be used……..I thought it was perfect for a couple of challenges:

The Flower Challenge – Flowers and CAS

CASology – Windy

Be Kind To Yourself……

Hello. I have a card to share using layering stencils from The Ton:

I used Pinkfresh Studio inks for the flowers, and was then thinking of using Distress Inks for the brown, but then remembered I had a drawer full of Stampin Up inks I hadn’t used in a while, so I used a couple of those.

The sentiment is a mix of three different ones from a Clearly Besotted stamp set to create what I was after.

I used Gina K Master layout dies to create the floral layer and the Kraft layer, attached with 3D foam, and also added some of the same kraft behind each sentiment strip to make them stand out more against the background.

I ‘found’ some cream sequins and added some of those too.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – yellow, orange, Kraft, brown

Time Out – be kind

Beyond The Blue – use two or more stencils (6 altogether in this layering set)

Crafting Happiness – anything goes

Be You…..The World Will Adjust….

Hello. I have been wanting to use this Tim Holtz sentiment stamp set since I bought it – and in particular this sentiment. I created a different card to my usual style:

I had recently purchased a paper pack and I used a couple of pages from that pack for this card. I also used Gina K Designs Master Layouts die sets, as I knew I wanted some layering with the patterned paper. I chose to use black as the layers to coordinate with the papers.

The card base is 5×7 inches. I layered the light teal, black, and the striped teal and black layer. Out os the base light teal, I also cut the thick band across the centre, and layered that onto black too.

The light teal with a black scallop was then die cut, and out of another piece of paper I cut the image of the butterfly, onto which I stamped the sentiment.

Once all glued together – the base layers with glue, the band and circle with 3D foam – I added some teal flowers from my stash – two slightly different colours of teal – and because these had gems in the centre already, I added some extra gems onto the circular sentiment piece.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Everybody Art Challenge – use two colours (teal and black)

TTCRD – anything goes

Crafting Happiness – anything goes

Avenue 613 – anything goes – option black and white not taken

Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper – anything goes with patterned paper

Take Time To Smell The Flowers

Hello. I have a card to share in which a water-coloured the main floral image – something I haven’t done for absolutely ages:

The flower is from a collaboration stamp set with Altenew and Hero Arts. I stamped the flower and the two leaves onto a piece of white water-colour card, then heat embossed in white.

I then sprayed water onto the images and used Distress Inks to colour – well – I dabbed the colour onto my glass mat, picked it up with my wet brush and kinda just let it go and flow……I ‘helped’ the flow a little to reach the ends of the petals and leaves, but generally let the water and the inks do their thing…..my idea of water-colouring!

Once dry, I fussy-cut – my least favourite crafty job – and I think the white heat embossing helped cover a few little flaws with the scissors – but it also helped to guide the scissors somewhat.

I found some matching lilac/purple card stock, and then layered the WPlus9 trellis onto the top. I did have to cut the trellis twice and layer it to make it longer, trimming off the bottom of one and the top of the other – the flower and leaves cover the join quite nicely.

I placed the flower and leaves as you see, and then the sentiment, all added to the card with 3D foam.

I added some clear cabochons, and as I had stamped the sentiment in black I also added some black gems too.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafty Catz – anything goes – option to say it with flowers

Allsorts – flora or fauna or anything goes

The Paper Players – green thumbs – plants/flowers/foliage

Colour Crazy – week 26 – anything goes with colouring (any medium)

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Celebrate

I have a card to share using a product from the Concord & 9th Summer camp:

I first used the ‘celebrate’ die onto some white card stock, the dry embossed using an Altenew embossing folder.

I then created an alcohol ink background – just using one colour of alcohol ink – and let that dry for a couple of hours. I then placed that underneath the die cut, and inserted the middle of the letters B, R, and A.

Once layered onto a card base, I added some purple sequins, and some crystal gems, stamped the sentiment and stuck that down with 3D foam.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – blue, purple, white

Seize The Birthday – birthday – summer activities option not taken

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of things with wings not taken

Season’s Greeting – HLS CAS

Hello there. A new challenge has started at Happy Little Stampers CAS Challenge – this time the theme is ‘Christmas’. Here is my card:

I chose just the one image – this amazing deer from Tim Holtz. I stamped then heat embossed using a mixed media embossing powder from Cosmic Shimmer. This gives more variation in colour and texture – which I wanted for this deer.

trying to capture the shine and variation in colour

I used an otherwise ‘normal’ embossing powder for the sentiment as the detail would be lost.

The image was layered simply onto some black and white card.

I hope you can come and join us with your CAS Christmas themed cards this month – I look forward to seeing you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Addicted To Stamps and More – Christmas

Krafty Chicks – anything goes

Sweet Stampers – stamping and animals

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

I Thank My Lucky…..

Hello. A short but sweet post to share a card for the the current challenge at Cupcake Inspirations:

I had stamped the star image yesterday, and this morning took some Copics and coloured them as you see. The sentiment was heat embossed and all layers die cut with MFT stitched rectangles.

I was going for a dramatic look with all the black and white – with pops of colour on the stars themselves.

More crafty play today, then off for a meal out with hubby tonight to celebrate our 34th wedding anniversary – 34 years! Where has all the time gone? I obviously got married very young! :)

The Alphabet Challenge – G is for Giggle

Hello once again. The Alphabet Challenge has started a new challenge, having reached the letter ‘G’, Melanie has chosen the theme of ‘Giggle’. Here is my card:

The sentiment is from an old set from Indigo Blu – a UK based company – and one which I believe suits me – from what people say…… I am quite blunt, I choose to call myself being clear, and precise – but sometimes words just come out my mouth when I only think I’ve thought them….anyone else do that?

I began by stamping the sentiment onto a piece of patterned paper, then distressed the edges, and added some ink blending to tone the white core down.

I then matted onto another piece of patterned paper – distressed and inked – at a jaunty angle, and placed those two layers onto yet another piece of patterned, distressed, and inked paper.

I also added some pearl swirls from my stash – onto which I inked again to tone down the ‘pearlness’ of them, and added another smaller sentiment – and – you guessed it – inked the edges too.

I was going a more vintage look with this card, which I think I achieved.

I hope you come and join us as I’m looking forward to having a giggle looking through our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – anything goes

TTCRD – anything goes

The Sisterhood Of Crafters – add layers

Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper Challenge – anything goes with patterned papers