Card Making

Forget Me Not

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Happy weekend everyone. Some crafting time for me this weekend. I have been getting some inky fingers with some water-colouring again.

I saw this stamp last week at the Doncaster craft show, and fell in love with it straight away. It is from Honey Doo Crafts, called ‘Forget Me Not‘. I can see these flowers are sometimes yellow, after I did a little Google search, but it didn’t really matter to me. I was following the colours inspired by the current Card Concept challenge, which is mainly red and yellow.

I stamped in Versafine black onyx and heat embossed with clear. I took several similar colours from my Zigs and started to colour. I wanted the centre of the envelope to be a little lighter, and the edges darker, so it looks like it is full and dimensional.

Three colours for the flowers, to try to add some dimension also, but these are little flowers…..I kept going anyway. I didn’t colour part of the image which is around the closure of the envelop, partly because I didn’t know what colour to use, and partly because I liked the detail in there.

To add more dimension, I added some light grey around the image, and just let everything dry. Once dry, I took a Catherine Pooler postage die to cut it out, and then thought about the background. I thought it need some red around the image, but not a solid red, so I turned to Altenew and stamped the ‘Wood Pallet background‘ stamp after I had inked it up using the same red colours I had coloured the envelope in. It took a couple of stampings – using my Misti – and I really like the effect this gave.

I didn’t want to cover the image up with a sentiment, so I cut a larger base card, and stamped the greeting using a set of MFT stamps which I always seem to turn to.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

The Card Concept – photo inspiration

Watercooler Challenges – anything feminine goes

Lil Red Wagon – flowers

Aud Sentiments Challenge – anything goes with a sentiment

Lovely Piggies

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Hello there. I hope everyone is doing alright, and hoping to get some crafting done over the next few days.

This card is made to enter the current challenges at CASology. The cue word is ‘farm’.

I don’t have many farm animal stamps,  but I remember purchasing this Mama Elephant ‘Lovely Piggies‘ stamp set a little while ago. I thought it would be easier to colour than the ‘Little Agenda‘ stamps I have – very fiddly they are – and it was better. Well, the heads were, anyway!

I stamped all the images onto water-colour card stock with Versafine Black Onyx, as I didn’t know how I wanted to colour them. I then heat embossed in clear, and looked at all my colouring options.

I decided to go with my Zigs, as I hadn’t used them for a while, and the tip of the brush means I can get into the fiddly areas when I needed to.

I used a couple of pinks for the pigs, and then played with the other colours for whatever the pigs were holding or wearing. I chose this little piggy as I like the little heart he/she is carrying. I die cut the piggies, and then looked to my layout.

How I could frame the little piggy? I remembered I had bought some square frame stamps last week at the Doncaster Dome craft show. There are two square stamps from Bee Crafty ‘Backdrop Frames – style wire‘ and I chose the larger of the two, stamped in Versafine black onyx again, and sat my little piggy inside it.

The sentiment is from a Honey Doo stamp set ‘Forget Me Not‘ which I also bought last week.

So, quite a clean and simple card for you today, but it actually took me longer than my more elaborate concoctions, because of the colouring, and the decision of where to place everything.

A last little bit of exciting news…..I have been asked to guest design for the next CASology challenge, beginning Tuesday 12th June……it’s another good ‘un………I hope you will be able to join us.

:)

Flock Yeah!

Hello yet again. This week is getting to be a habit with the postings. Hubby is away for a couple of nights – yes, golfing – so here I am with time to play, and craft, and, well, whatever, really. Not that he has a problem with me doing crafting anyway……

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I received this stamp and die set recently, and of course it was sat on my desk with all my other stuff, and then I saw the colours from the current challenge at CAS Simple Colours and Sketches, and the theme of ‘animals’ from The Paper Players, and hey presto, light bulb moment.

I put the green ink on my Tim Holtz mat, added water, and yet again smooshed some water-colour card into it for an uneven green background. After letting that dry, I die cut it with a circular Spellbinders die, then embossed it with a Tattered Lace embossing folder. Without the embossing, the green looked too plain for me.

This embossing folder also comes with embossing corners, and embossing strips, so I took one of the strips and embossed as you can see. I was struggling to come up with what lines to put on the card to follow the current sketch from Freshly Made Sketches, and I like how this turned out.

I stamped the flamingos in Catherine Pooler ‘Midnight’ ink – copic, alcohol and water-colour friendly. Fabulous ink…… then used the Melon Mambo and water-coloured the images, and used Pumpkin Pie for the legs and beaks.

The sentiment is from the same stamp set.#A close-up of the card:

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I shall be entering the following challenges:

CAS Colours and Sketches – Melon Mambo, Garden Green (I used an Altenew green), Pumpkin Pie

Freshly Made Sketches – sketch

The Paper Players – animals

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – All things bright and beautiful

Starry Flowers

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Hell again. I have been water-colouring and ink smooshing and die-cutting…..phew. Great day!

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I used the Stampin Up ‘Peekaboo Peach‘ on some water-colour card. Well, I wet the card, put the ink on a large acrylic block, wet the block and just put it down on the wet card. I waited 5 minutes or so, then lifted the block up.

I was going for a more uneven look, but when I saw the ink was quite even – I liked the colour. I didn’t mess with it, just let it dry. Whilst it was drying, I stamped the flowers in Catherine Pooler ‘Peppermint Scrub‘ and heat embossed over that outline with a clear embossing powder. I didn’t want the ink to move outside each flower when I water-coloured it, and I didn’t want black for the outline – a more colourful outline was needed here.

I used the ‘Peekaboo Peach’ again for the water-colouring, adding one layer, letting it dry, then going in again for some darkness near the centre of each flower.

And whilst this was drying – I can be impatient so I need to do things – I die-cut the Altenew water-colour stripes cover die, and then set-to putting my card together. Well – I did wait a few hours so things dried well and naturally. I find that heat setting it tends to reduce the intensity of the ink. I had to find something to do….so I made tea. :)

The sentiment is from my new purchase (Seven Hills Crafts – again) and I will be playing with that stamp set in the next few days. (‘Flock yeah‘ from W Plus 9)

The layout of the card is inspired by the current Fusion Card Challenge, but I didn’t use the sketch this time, just the photo inspiration.

This card also ties in with the current challenge at As You Like it. This challenge is to say flora or fauna – and why….I do have some animal stamps, I play with them a little, but my choice is flowers – any day of the week. I find them so much more versatile, any colours can be used, in any format and layout – it just seems to work. Clean and simple, or more elaborate – flowers all the way! (and I have three cats, too)

One layer card

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Hi there. Despite going out this morning to a craft show in Doncaster – no, I didn’t really buy much! – I have had some time to craft.

I was inspired by the one layer card theme from Simply Less Is More, and the colours from Pinspirational.

I struggle with one layer cards. I like layers I can play around with, and I don’t really like masking – probably because I don’t always succeed with the masking. I still persevere, though, and watch numerous hints and tips on YouTube.

I either cut the mask too big, so there is white space between the flower and leaves, or I cut it too small, and the inks overlap – yep, despite having the matching dies as well. Who knew?

This flower is a recent purchase from Seven Hills Crafts, and I couldn’t wait to start stamping with it. I actually didn’t realise until I started, that there is actually seven layers to this flower. Seven – I repeat – seven!! The main flower image is four layers, and the layers I have stamped in blue are another three layers. Thank goodness for my Altenew inks…..!

There isn’t an outline layer for this flower, but I think it isn’t always necessary anyway, and gives a more muted look to the flower.

The green inks are – obviously – Altenew also, but the sentiment is from a Stamps By Me stamps set. I really like the sentiments that Toni puts on her stamp sets, as they are very versatile. The fonts are great, and stamp very well.

I’ll be opening up my purchases from today, and having a go with them later, so I am sure you will get to see what I purchased this morning.

The challenges I will be entering with this card:

Less Is More – one layer card, thinking of you

Pinspirational – photo inspiration

Layered Rose and Garden Silhouette

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Hello there. I have been doing some more die-cutting, finally utilising my 3D dies from Altenew. This set is the Layered Rose, and I teamed it up with a gold embossed background script stamp from Uniko.

The colours are inspired from the latest colour challenge from Color Throwdown. Here is a little close-up of it, where I tried to capture the embossing shine, and the shine from the gold card: (It’s a very murky and rainy day here at the moment)

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I shall be entering the following challenges with this card:

Color Throwdown – Navy, Burgundy, Gold

4 Crafty Chicks – anything goes

Pause, Dream Enjoy Challenges – Flowers

The next couple of cards I used my new stamp set from Altenew – the Garden Silhouette:

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This stamp set has quite a few images on it – not layering – but I am liking the patchy vase images.

I kept this card clean and simple, but used the colours and the sketch from the current challenge at CAS Colours and Sketches. I ink blended the Tangelo Twist and the Hello Honey for the background. I also heat embossed the grey vase with clear embossing powder twice, and heat embossed the flowers just the once.

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I shall be entering this second card into the following challenges:

CAS Colours and Sketches – sketch and Hello Honey, Going Grey, Tangelo Twist

Addicted to Stamps and More – Clean and simple

 

 

Green background

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Hi there. I seem to be on somewhat of a roll at the moment. I had some time after work today, and was inspired to make this card. I took the photo inspiration from Inkspirational to create my own background, using some leaf and greenery stamps from MFT. The leaves are from two stamp sets – Exquisite Ocean and Sketchy Flowers, and stamped in two of the Altenew green inks.

I wanted to create a fullness in the card, with some dimension using the different greens, and I think I managed to do that.

Once I had stamped the whole card, I die cut the centre using a Sue Wilson oval die from a Christmas set, and a slightly larger oval from the same set in an almost olive green. I didn’t try to match the green completely, but also didn’t want to have a bright green. This green card was just sitting there when I looked through my stash.

The sentiment is also from MFT – a freebie from Seven Hills Crafts a while ago, and I turn to this stamp set all the time.

I’m sorry for the photo, but it is taken inside, and trying to capture this in the evening of a grey and murky day – despite using a lamp – wasn’t easy…..

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Inkspirational – photo inspiration

Tuesday Throwdown – create your own background

Watercooler Wednesday Challenges – anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – anything goes

a couple of pictures of the stamp sets:

 

 

It’s been playtime….

Hello there. It’s been a few days since I last posted. It’s been Bank Holiday weekend here, and I took mum and dad to visit family in Bristol at the last minute. No crafting time when down there, so I have taken to my craft room today and created three very different cards, for different challenges.

This first card is for the current challenge at CAS on Sunday, and CASology:

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The theme for CAS on Sunday is CAS birthday card, and the theme for CASology is ‘squiggle’. SO, out came my new Catherine Pooler Stamp of Approval box, my Catherine Pooler inks, and this is what I created.

The second card is for the current Just Add Ink challenge:

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This was for the photo challenge, and I took the colours of teal and red/pink to create this card. I used the Altenew Doodled Lace Cover die, cut it out of white, then cut it again out of the teal, and again out of the pink. I then took my scissors and snipped parts of the coloured die cuts, and stuck them down onto the white die cut.

The background is a teal coloured Centura Pearl, and the sentiment is from an MFT stamp set.

The third card:

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was inspired from the current challenges at Just Us Girls – photo inspiration, and Aud Sentiments – summer and a sentiment. I know the stamp is called Spring Daisy – but I still think it’s summer when they are around……..

I stamped the outline of the flowers in a pink colour, and the inside in yellow, whereas the leaves I reversed it, and stamped outline in green, and the inner parts of them in the pink colour. I wanted some more difference between the flowers and the background. I also stamped one of the smaller images in the background for an added ‘something’…….erm…….you can’t really tell I stamped them upside down, can you?! (Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything)

After a long weekend, I am back at work tomorrow, maybe some later days, but I will try and find time to do some crafting.

:)

Gilded butterfly

Hi there. I haven’t posted for a few days, but I now have several days off work, with very little planned, so I should be able to find time to craft. The past few days I have been crafting, but have you had a time when you have so many ideas going round your head that you can’t actually settle on one thing? That has been me.

I started one idea for one card, then something distracted me and I went onto another card – I had four cards on the go at once…..but I didn’t know how I was going to finish any of them off.

Here is one I completed today:

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A close up of the Butterfly:

 

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I took some double sided sticky sheet and added some gilding flakes, then die cut the butterfly. The white embossing is a tonic die – I seem to be embossing dies at the moment – and put onto a gold card to tie-in with the butterfly.

Actually quite a simple card – but it seemed to take me forever to get my head around it!

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Always Fun Challenges – anything goes

4 crafty Chicks – anything goes (not using the twist of masculine birthday)

Stamplorations CAS – things with wings

Eclipse cards

Hello there. After watching the wedding yesterday, I did manage to find time to go and play in my craft room. I was inspired by the current challenge from Just Add Ink, which was to use the eclipse technique. Here is my first sample:

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I used the colours from Just Us Girls, and took my new Concord and 9th ‘Wreath Turnabout‘ stamp and set to it. I used the Catherine Pooler ‘Aquatini‘, and the Stampin Up ‘Pacific Point‘ for the blue colours, and the grey was the layers underneath the letters, as well as when I embossed the sentiment in white onto grey card.

I thought the colours kinda merged at first, but when I added the raised ‘eclipse’ part, it seemed to come together better. I also think it looks better when part of the ‘eclipse’ is on the white section, otherwise I think it’s too busy. Here is the second card I made, which kinda proves the point:

This was using the Concord and 9th  ‘Blooms fill-in‘ and the same colours, but I don’t think it stands out very much on such a busy background. I still like it – a surprise when someone actually picks it up to look at it – but my favourite is the first card I made.

I did have a look on YouTube for some hints and tips on making the eclipse cards, and actually really enjoyed all the stamping and die-cutting, and gluing…..it covered all my favourite ways of crafting. I hope you get a chance to try it. I do remember I made another eclipse card just before Christmas – Hidden Word – but now realise what this technique is called, and that this was an extremely busy card, which is probably why I didn’t make another – until now!