Brushos

Harvest Thanks

This card was firstly inspired by the current challenge at Inspiration Station. I was looking at the colours with the basket full of harvest goodies.

I took the opportunity to raid my stash of pre-prepared papers and card from ink smooshing and spraying and spritzing, using Brushos – generally from one of my play sessions.

I found the orange piece and die cut some pumpkins using a die set from The Greetery. I also found a piece of yellow card from playing with some mica sprays – the smaller pumpkins were die cut from that. The sheaves of wheat were die cut from more mellow orange and yellow pieces.

The basket is also from The Greetery – ever used – and that was just from some plain light brown/Kraft card stock – letting the other elements shine.

The background panel was created using a piece of paper I had gel printed on – I was obviously playing with some light green or lime inks and paints, and that piece was cut down to an A2 size panel, then a Spellbinders pumpkin embossing folder used on it, after which I took some bright ink and lightly blended over the top – catching the details subtly in some areas.

Now all my elements were ready, I glued the background panel onto the card base, played around with the layout, then added some 3D foam pieces to the back of the basket, inserted the sheaves of wheat, then stuck down.

The pumpkins were added with a mixture of 3D foam and glue.

The sentiment is gold foiled – again from a previous crafting and foiling session – black strip to make it stand out amongst all that colour.

I had fun creating this card – so many mediums I have previously played with, creating a stash I forget to turn to – but I was also inspired by one of my Design Team buddies who had recently produced a card using stuff in her ‘bit box’ – and so reminded me I had a stash of papers and pieces of card from all my sessions playing with inks and paints and gel plates etc… I really must remember I have them….

I shall be entering the following challenges:

We Love 2 Create – anything goes mixed media

Inspiration Station – photo inspiration

Creative Artiste Mixed Media – anything goes mixed media

Tic Tac Toe – middle row – thanks sentiment – free – Kraft card stock

Ellibelle’s Corner – Garden Party – anything in or from the garden

Just Saying Hello

Hi there. A new challenge has started at The Alphabet Challenge. We have reached the letter ‘C’, and Tee has chosen the theme of ‘Circle’. Here is my card:

The background panel is a cream piece of card, and dry embossed using an old Stampin’ Up embossing folder. This was layered flat onto a card base.

To create the colourful piece, I used Brushos and water-colour card – some sprinkling, some sprayed water – and a very colourful panel was created. Out of this panel I die cut a scalloped circle from a Gummiapan die set.

The main floral image is also from Gummiapan, and die cut from black card stock so it would stand out against the colourful circle, and layered again with a white die cut of the same image to give a little off-set look. This was adhered flat to the bright scalloped circle.

I then die cut a further scalloped circle from the same nesting circle dies, and adhered flat to the embossed panel.

The sentiment was hot foiled and die cut using the matching dies, adhered to the panel, and some ombre glitter gems from Pinkfresh Studio added.

I hope you can come and join us with your projects which feature a circle/circles. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Craft Rocket – flowers

Ellibelle’s Crafty Wednesday – anything goes

Crafts Galore – anything goes

Mix It Up – anything goes – option of paper piecing not taken

Love To Craft – anything goes

Christmas – Acetate Technique

Hello everyone. It’s the start of another ‘anything goes Christmas‘ challenge at The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge. Here is my card:

The snowflake was created using a Simon Says Stamp die (Pixie Snowflake) and die cutting that out of a previously created panel of acetate, tissue paper, Brushos, and glue……

You take a piece of acetate, add some dries clear glue or lacquer, then alcohol inks or water-colour powder – the colours of your choice – then sprinkle on some glitter. Here is a Sue Wilson video to check out if you wish.

You then add some wrinkled tissue paper and press down so the tissue paper sticks to the glue and alcohol inks. This is the messy part, so I wore some disposable gloves and some kitchen roll.

This needs to then dry over night – I usually make several pieces at one time to have some available when I want them.

Once that acetate and tissue paper had dried, I used a Simon Says Stamp die (Grand Pixie Snowflake) and die cut out of the middle of an A2 sized piece. I did have to use my chrome plate for die cutting as the acetate and the layers it has on it needs a little more help than the usual plates.

I created a white card base and added a green panel slightly smaller. The white glitter card I cut down to a square just larger than the snowflake, then die cut the snowflake out of the centre, and inlaid the acetate die cut into the glitter square.

The sentiment is a previously foiled strip.

I have the ‘off-cut’ here ready to add another sentiment when the time is right:

I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas themed creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Just Us Girls – die cuts – no flowers

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Peace On Earth – anything goes Christmas

12 Months of Christmas Link Up – Christmas – option of vintage not taken

In My Thoughts

Hello everyone. I was able to create yesterday using some Brutus Monroe products:

I followed the colour scheme from the current Color Throwdown Challenge.

The scripted background is a rub-on from Brutus Monroe. I used the whole of the sheet, and cut down this panel to layer with a Kraft piece, and then layered onto the white card base.

The skeleton leaves are also from a sheet of rub-ons. I used those on a couple of pieces of card created during a crafty and inky play time. The orange is a sheet of card using Brushos, and the yellow is a crafty sheet using mica sprays.

Onto those two pieces of card, I used the two leaf rub-ons, then fussy cut them out. Yes – you heard correctly – I actually did a little fussy-cutting……!

The sentiment is also a rub-on from the same set, and using the more orange/rust coloured card. This was just trimmed with my mini guillotine.

The sentiment was added first with 3D foam at each edge, then the two leaves tucked underneath, a mixture of 3D foam and wet glue.

The idea was quite simple, the execution of the idea was a little more complex – especially the fussy-cutting – but I do like the simplicity of the outcome.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – amber, rust, Kraft

Creative Fingers – anything goes

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Polkadoodles – anything goes

Here Is A Place To Start – anything goes – option of sentiment of thanks not taken

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Make A Splash……

Hello once again. The Alphabet Challenge has reached the letter ‘U’, and Melanie has chosen the theme of ‘Under something‘. Think of under the sea, under the weather, under an umbrella etc. Here is my card:

I decided to break out several older products for this card.

The background blue piece is a water colour panel coloured with Brushos – I wet the piece down, sprinkled on the Brushos, move it around a little, then let it dry. I wanted a more even background colour with some darker little spots, and I also wanted the water colour card texture to come through too.

The images are from Lawn Fawn, coloured with Copics, then cut using the matching die set.

The sentiment is stamped onto the background panel instead of using a separate sentiment strip, to try and keep as much of the blue background as possible.

A little rainy and splashy scene with the cute Lawn Fawn images.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations following our theme. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

2 Critter Crazies – anything goes with a critter

Creative Inspiration – anything goes

Aud Sentiments – sentiment + make your own background and/or birthday

Daisy Chain challenge – no designer paper

The Crafty Addicts – anything goes

Mix It Up – anything goes – option of more than one medium taken (ink, Copics, Brushos)

T is for Texture

Hello once again. It is my turn to host at The Alphabet Challenge. As we have reached the letter ‘T’, I chose the theme of ‘Texture’. Texture can be added however you want to add it – embossing folder, paste, stencil – create texture in any way you choose.

Here is my card:

I added texture a couple of different ways here. The first was the background blue. This is a piece of acetate, tissue paper stuck down to one side of it, crinkling it as I went along. I then added water then Brushos added to create a dark and deep blue. Once the piece was dry, I went over the top of the crinkles with Hero Arts gold wax.

I then worked on the arch frame using Simon Says Stamp dies, and then stuck the frame on top of the blue crinkled tissue paper.

The leaf dies are also from Simon Says Stamp, and themselves have some texture to them with the detail on the leaves.

More texture added with the gold sequins, before I then adhered the gold foiled sentiment.

I hope you can come and join us and share your projects incorporating ways of adding texture. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

The Crafty Addicts – anything goes

Creative Artiste Mixed Media – anything goes mixed media (foil, wax, Brushos, wet glue)

Stay Crafty With a Blog Named Hero – Shiny – using at least one Hero Arts product (Hero Wax)

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Sending Snowflake Kisses

Hello there. I have been playing with different media over the weekend, and trying some new techniques. One of those I want to share on a card:

This card took quite a bit of thinking about – and a few changes along the way.

I started by die cutting the Hero Arts snowflakes ornament die out of silver glitter card stock, cutting off the ornament topper to create a circle. I then die cut a silver circle frame using a couple of different sized circle dies, and layered on top.

The blue background to the circle, which was previously created using Brushos, again die cut with a circle die and adhered to the back of the snowflakes.

For the background panel, I tried the ink pad to embossing folder technique – on both sides – debossed and embossed, to see what happened. I tried this several times, with different blue Distress inks, and liked this debossed panel the best. I adhered that to the white card base using 3D foam, then stuck down the snowflakes circle.

I wanted a little more bling, so I added some separate snowflakes die cut in the same silver glitter card, from a Pinkfresh Studio set, snipping and placing as you see – of course – this would have been easier had I done this prior to adhering the circle – but there we are……

I added the foiled sentiment – and then decided to add more shine by adding a little silver gem to each of the little snowflakes in the circle…….who knew there were many of them in there?

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CYHTP – embossing folder – option Christmas

We Love 2 Create – anything goes mixed media

Beyond The Blue – snowflakes

Peace On Earth Christmas – anything goes Christmas

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Snow Season

Hello there. I have a CAS card to share today:

I had some of this blue ‘creation’ card left over and decided to use it for this card.

The blue card was created by putting glue onto a plain white card, placing tissue paper on top – moving it around a little to create some wrinkles – spritzing it with water, and then adding Brushos. More water, some tipping to let the colour move around – and then let it dry.

Once dry, I rubbed some gold wax over the top to create some wrinkles, and then die cut the four letters. Rub the wrinkles before die cutting, as sometimes the wrinkles can be flattened a little.

I then die cut the same letters from white card stock another two times, and layered all three together.

The sentiment is from a previous foiling session.

I’ve tried to capture the shine and colour on the letters, as well as the dimension.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Addicted to CAS – CAS – layered

Creative Artiste Mixed Media – anything goes mixed media

Winter Wonderland – Christmas and let it snow

TTCRD – anything goes


Meowy Christmas

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has started a new ‘anything goes Christmas’ challenge. Here is my card:

I first started by creating the acetate layer you see behind the cat. This is a technique demonstrated years ago by Sue Wilson – the ‘caught in crystal’ technique. I have tried it a few times and always like the result.

Onto acetate you squirt clear lacquer, spread it around, add Brushos or colour bursts. I also added some bits of glitter for a little sparkle, then add a layer of tissue paper – scrunch and spread that around so it all has contact with the colours and the lacquer – then let it dry. I left this overnight.

Meantime, I die cut the layer with curved rectangle dies, then die cut the ‘peeking cat’, adding some black gel pen to the eyes and nose.

I then heat embossed the sentiment you see.

When the acetate panel was dry, I die cut a circle to fit behind the cat, used red liner tape to adhere it, then used 3D foam to stick that down to a white card base.

I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas/festive creations. I look forward to seeing you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with a critter

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

Crafting Happiness – anything goes

Stamplorations CAS challenge – CAS anything goes (option blue and purple not taken)

Wishing You Warm Winter Fuzzies

Hello once again. I have had the opportunity to use one of the Brusho and Sparkle pen backgrounds I created last week to create this CAS card:

The main card is die cut with a Lawn Fawn backdrop die, and stuck down onto the glittery, splattery and inky background.

The Snowman is from Mama Elephant, and I used a technique taught by Jenn Shurkus in a recent virtual craft session – outline a white object with C1 Copic marker. When we did her class it was polar bears, but I see now that it also works for snowmen, and therefore not complicated, and actually adds some dimension without being too fussy……

The sentiment is from the same stamp set.

No adding of extras, keeping the card quite simple and showcasing the blue background – though it was difficult trying to get a picture of the glitteryness – and the snowman.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CASology – CAS Snowman

CAS on Sunday – CAS Best Wishes

CAS Mix Up – CAS splatters and stamping and one other from the list (die-cutting)

We Love To Create Challenge – atg mixed media (see guidelines for mixed media usage – very helpful!)

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