Card Making

Polychromos Poinsettia

Hello everyone. Another few cards from playing at the weekend. This time I have been using my Faber-Castell Polychromos. I have never used them before, so again I went searching through the YouTube videos. There are some absolutely amazing creations out there…….and then there are my simple little creations!

I had the idea of colouring a poinsettia flower from watching Yana Smakula recently, and loved how her blue poinsettias turned out. I wanted to try blue, but then turned to other colours, just so I could practice.

The flower stamp if from Which Craft!, bought at their craft show a couple of weeks back. I bought it specifically because it had a lot of open space I could get to colouring, and experimenting.

I stamped the flower several times on black card stock, and embossed with white, copper, and silver. I wanted to see what different they made to the finished project. As you can see, I didn’t just use red. I was playing, and experimenting with blending and shading, so much so that I actually spent a good couple of hours doing these.

I used three colours of the red, yellow, and green, and blended, and layered, and blended again. I’m not sure if it is the right way to do things, but I like how they turned out. I can’t decide which is my favourite, though – what do you think? Which would your favourite be?

(By-the -way – does this hand look creepy or not?)

I shall be entering one of these cards into the following challenges:

The Merry Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Christmas Blog Challenge – Christmas Flowers

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Addicted to Stamps – Anything goes with flowers

 

 

 

Circle Pattern Play

Hello again everyone. I am posting another two cards from my marathon playing session over the weekend. These two cards are for different colour challenges, but using the same absolutely fabulous stamp set from Concord and 9th – Pattern Play Circles.

I bought this from Seven Hills Crafts – and have loved playing with it. This stamp set is so different every time you stamp it, and layer it, and all those little circles, and dots and……well, you get my drift. I don’t think you could achieve the same card twice.

The first card is using the colours for CAS Colours and Sketches – Flirty Flamingo, Night of Navy, and Lemon Lime Twist. I stamped the main circle HUGE stamp with Night of Navy, embossing with clear embossing powder – and just set to stamping all the little circles where I think they needed to be, using the three challenge colours.

The second card was using the colours from Color Throwdown – Purple, Black, White, again stamping with black, heat embossing, and putting those additional stamps virtually everywhere!

I had so much fun creating these cards, and even though there is stamping everywhere, I still think there is rather a clean look about them – do you? As you can see how different they look with the different colours, I also changed the sentiment for each of them for a little more difference.

 

 

 

 

Forgotten Birthday

20171022_133913_001Hey there. I have spent quite a few hours this weekend crafting, exploring different techniques, and generally having a productive time. All this, because I realised there’s a lot of inspiration out there at the moment, and I just couldn’t help myself. A lovely crafty weekend, therefore.

This card is inspired by three challenges, all with a Clean and Simple rule. I think I have managed it, but probably all thanks to the stamp set from Uniko. A recent purchase, last weekend, where I also met Bev and her design team. This is a gorgeous layering stamp set. 20171022_133920

I started with a large card base, as I wanted to use a lot of the images for the flower set – Beautiful Blooms III. I used my Altenew inks, and I must say I think they go well together. I also had a hunt around for a suitable sentiment, and by chance came across my Crazy Talk from Tim Holtz and Stampendous – who’d a thunk (!!) that a stamp set made for a more grungy look would fit and suit this pretty card? Just shows you……..

To further make me happy – I didn’t make one smudge, I didn’t have to add sequins or some-such to cover anything – it kinda all came together nicely.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

     clean and simple following theme

For your blog     card with flowers – clean and simple

     clean and simple, one layer

Oh My Stars!

Hello everyone. I have really struggled getting the photographs right for these cards. I tried outside, inside, different lights, but it didn’t really work very well. You’ll have to trust me that the cards are really sparkly…..

The card is for the current Simply Less Is More challenge, to make a one layer card with stars, so I thought I would go with some glitter embossing powder from Wow! The stamps are from Uniko, and I stamped the wavy star lines twice across to make them connect across the 6 inch square card, and another row underneath. I used Ranger Perfect Medium, then Wow! powder ‘grape’, heat embossing to set. I used a tone on tone look for the first card, then used the sparkly white powder for the second card, again with Uniko stamps.

The sentiments are also from the same stamp collection, and I added a trio of stars around one of the sentiments for added interest.

Again, these powders are really sparkly, but I just couldn’t get the pictures to reflect that – note to self – must try harder.

I hope you are all well, and looking forward to a good weekend with some crafty time.

Let’s Celebrate

Hello there. As I am going to work in a couple of hours, I had some time free to make this clean and simple card. The layout is from the current challenge from CAS Colours and Sketches, as well as current Inkspirational challenge for a one layer card, with the added benefit of using monochrome for the Cardz 4 Galz challenge.

To match the sketch, I did think about Christmas baubles initially, but then decided to go with balloons, as I have quite a few stamp sets with balloons included. The set I used is from Stampin Up – ‘Balloon Adventures’. I knew I wanted to emboss the balloons in gold, so I thought a black background would mean they would be highlighted the best.

I stamped each of the balloons with Ranger Perfect Medium, and heat embossed them with gold embossing powder, then added the string afterwards, again heat embossing.

The sentiment is also from that same stamp set, again heat embossed in gold. I cut the card down to 5.5 inches square – so I knew I would have an envelope to fit.

Does anyone else have a problem when using the anti-static bag on dark card stock? I always seem to have a powder residue when I have done, and have tried several ways to get rid of that – just my fingers, a special piece of cloth (I find that takes the embossing off, though) – what is the best way?

I shall be entering the above three challenges with this card.

 

Hello, Beautiful

20171015_194143

I’ve had a really great day today, from several angles. I picked my mum up this morning, and we went to Doncaster Dome for a craft show. During the course of the show – with lots of my favourite companies – I had the absolute pleasure of meeting the Uniko team. Bev the designer and owner, and Jane from the design team in particular. What a lovely team of people, and they had some amazing examples on show – I couldn’t resist buying several items.

This card took inspiration from the current challenge from CASology. The current cue card has the word ‘odd’…..now you could go anywhere with this, I am sure. I hunted through my stash for quirky and ‘odd’ statements, but couldn’t seem to find one that could be used in a CAS card.

So I decided to go with an odd number of items on the card….one flower, five leaves. I know, I know – when added together it’s an even number, but on their own – it is an odd number for each one……

The flower is from a set purchased today from Uniko – Beautiful Blooms III. Isn’t it a gorgeous flower? It is a layering flower and leaves set, but I chose not to use the leaves from this set, and went with leaves from Altenew ‘Pretty Pansies’. I did a bit of masking, to make it look like the leaves are behind the flower – a technique I am constantly trying to perfect!

I used Altenew inks, as they layer and tone very well, lilac/purple for the flower, and the greens for the leaves. The sentiment is from another Altenew set ‘Perennial Beauty’.

I also used another purchase of mine – stitched rectangles. You know I usually use the wonky rectangles, but sometimes I don’t think those give such a clean look, whereas these dies do.
I shall be entering the following challenges:

CASology – odd

Stamplorations October challenge – theme – two colours

Stamplorations CAS challenge – CAS

 

 

Dark but colourful

Hello there. It’s been a few days since my last posting, and this card was meant to enter a particular colour challenge – which finished 10 minutes ago!! The card has been sitting on my craft table for a few days, with work getting in the way – blinking heck – and thinking what I could do to lighten the black background. When I finally decided what to do, took photos, sat down to write this post – one minute until the end of the one particular challenge – too late!

Hey Ho! Obviously meant to be…….

Anyhooooo…….there are many challenges out there at the moment with fall/autumn themes, and many of them with an option of using orange. Many of the challenges are themed around Halloween, which is not such a big thing in my life – or many people I know actually – so I just used the colours.

I seem to be having an ‘orange’ moment, so they seem to be suiting me at present. I am also playing more with water-colouring, trying different techniques, and so here we are with something new for me.

I started by stamping the Altenew ‘Charmed’ flowers onto water-colour card, using Versafine black onyx, and adding clear embossing powder the heat set the outlines of the flowers. I then turned to my Zigs for this particular card, using orange and yellow, and sort of mixing the two colours, staying with orange mainly for the larger flowers, mixed and blended with a little yellow, and yellow for the smaller flowers – or leaves, I can’t really tell what they are! Is there a butterfly in there too? Well – all orange or yellow!

I then turned to the back ground. I wanted to use black, but didn’t know how to do it, so I checked some YouTube videos, and just went for it. I wet down around the flowers, then touched my black Zig to the wet card, and it kinda just went where it wanted to. At some point, it was going too light and grey for me, so I added more black, then more black…..so the card ended up quite dark.

The sentiment is from the same stamp set, black onyx again, heat embossed.

So it sat there on my desk, whilst I played with some other projects…and sat there….and sat there…. I did think of adding some white splatters, or some shiny splatters, but I didn’t want the splatters on my flowers.

Lo and behold – my white gel pen shouted to me. I am sure it just jumped out of my little desk tidy and said ‘use me..‘. (I am sure it did.) :)

So, I added a few dots around the flowers, in triangles of three dots, then couldn’t stop…I kept adding until I had covered the entire black background. I am liking the effect it gives, I don’t know if there is a name for it, but I like it.

I will be entering the following challenges:

Give a Crafter a Cookie – photo inspiration

Moving Along With The Times – Autumn/Fall colors or images

 

 

 

 

 

Playing with backgrounds

20171009_19282420171009_19141520171009_191355

Hi there. I’ve been playing with my Avery Elle ‘Brring On the Joy’ stamp and die set. I saw this on a YouTube channel, and thought how cute they looked. If you know me at all, I struggle with cute. I never know how to colour the little animals, how to arrange them – but I thought with penguins it would be simple…..a little bit of black, a little bit of white, some colour for the scarves and shoes….and there we have it.

Now, my main struggle was the background. I wanted to play with my Distress Oxides, and took the ‘Faded Jeans’ – the only oxide I have that is blue – and set to playing.

I first used normal card – too much blending, and the card started to break down. Without water, too. So – water-colour card. Actually, this is a little thinner than card, but thicker than paper.

I did one background by smooshing the ink pad onto my craft mat, added water, and then lay the water-colour card down. This was too random for me, and not enough coverage, so I took my blending tool and made it more even. That was pretty decent.

The I just took the ink pad, ran it over the water-colour card, wet it down, evened it out…a more solid background. Kinda liked that too.

The next one, I ink blended the traditional way, and even used a cloud stencil I had handy for some detail in the background…..You can tell which one that is. I just kept playing, and trying different techniques, and the only one I didn’t really like, and couldn’t do anything with – was when I didn’t use water-colour card or paper……. quite obvious, really! Oh – and I finished off with some water splattering……..got to really – rude not to!

I think I’ll be making some similar cards, as I like the sentiments, they are cute……and I liked playing with the oxide.

I shall be entering one of these cards into the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge – Christmas

The Merry Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Christmas with the Cuties – Christmas animals

 

 

Coloured Birthday

20171007_122532

Hello everyone. I hope everyone is doing well, and enjoying the day…..

This card was made in a larger format, to leave some clean space on the card. The colours are from the current challenge from CAS Colours and Sketches – Pumpkin Pie, Crumb Cake, Pear Pizzazz. I first stamped the flowers from Stamps By Me, in Crumb Cake, then again – using my Misti – stamped over the top of the colour with Ranger Perfect Medium, and embossed with clear embossing powder.

I coloured the flowers with Pumpkin Pie, and the leaves with Pear Pizzazz, before using my Lawn Fawn ‘Wonky Rectangles’ to cut the panel. I then used the Sue Wilson ‘Shadow Box Collection – Stitched Lattice Frames’ to emboss the grid pattern into that panel. I also used the three rectangles from that same die set to cut a thin frame out of Crumb Cake Card, and another layer to go underneath the white panel. That way, I had stitching on all the layers.

The bottom thinner frame is stuck directly onto the base card, with the flower panel and it’s Crumb Cake layer being raised on 3D foam pads.

The sentiment is from Stamps By Me, stamped in Versafine Black Onyx.

As it is very, very windy outside today, I photographed inside again. I probably spent as much time hunting for a suitable photo situation as I did putting the card together…..

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CAS Colours and Sketches – Pumpkin Pie, Pear Pizzazz, Crumb Cake

CASology – grid

Seize the Birthday – anything goes birthday (not using optional theme)

 

 

 

 

 

Colours, Sketch, Feminine

20171005_215529

Hello again, everyone. I have made a card with more die-cutting than stamping today. The colours were inspired by Color Throwdown and Watercooler Wednesday, and the layout by Freshly Made Sketches.

I have a fad for orange at the moment. It seems to have been in my crafting for a few months now, and I really have to try to move away from it – but then Color Throwdown used orange as part of the colour scheme this week. Yay!

I used a spellbinders die for the large circle, and the ‘beautiful’ word die from Stamps By Me, as was the ‘Birthday Wishes’ stamp. This part of it was actually quite easy. Now for the more complicated part…..

I wanted to use a rose die from Stamps By Me, which comes with the intricate rose, plus a larger border die. I didn’t want the bits to fall out of the rose, so turned to some Glad Press ‘N’ seal which my sister gave from when I went to Canada.

20171005_215529 v2Once I had cut the rose out of Kraft card, I managed to release the die cut without many pieces falling out, used the press ‘n’ seal on the front of the rose, glued the back of it all, then picked it up with the press ‘n’ seal, and placed it on the larger rose outline die, gently removing the press ‘n’ seal, leaving the rose stuck down onto the outline. I didn’t fancy piecing all those bits back in, so I am glad not many of them fell out!

I then added some Spectrum Sparkle around the rose outline, and stuck it to the circle with 3D foam pads.

Challenges I am entering with this card:

Color Throwdown – Orange, Kraft, White

Freshly Made Sketches – Sketch

Watercooler Wednesday – anything goes feminine