Distress Inks

Birthday Peony

Hello. I have a card to share using some die sets from Honey Bee Stamps:

I wanted to use the three colours for the current Color Throwdown Challenge and was stumped. I mentioned the colours to a friend of mine, and she instantly said ‘peony’…….I searched the Color My Life app for what peony items I had (quiet a few actually) and this die set just spoke to me.

I ink blended a panel of Distress White Heavystock with Spun Sugar Distress Ink – keeping it quite light, and not being too perfect – and die cut the leaf from that due set twice.

On another panel I die cut the flower layers first, then ink blended the Tattered Rose Distress Ink afterwards – I wanted to vary how strong, how blended, and how smooth I wanted the blending to be, depending on which part of the flower showed when all layered together.

I die cut three of the ‘Lovely Layers Heart Vine’ outlines and arranged them behind the rose and leaves:

Once I had the placement I wanted, I used some ‘Press’n’seal’ to pick the whole arrangement up and attach 3D foam to the back, and then stick down. The leaves were not stuck down any other way and left loose to give even more dimension.

I stamped the sentiment then used the matching die to cut it out, and arranged as you see.

I also added some enamel dots to the top right corner.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – blush, dusty rose, white

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – make your mark

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – anything goes

Krafty Chicks – occasions

Make My Monday – flowers

Hey Chick….!

I have a fun card to share today:

The colour scheme is for one of the challenges I am entering, and as soon as I saw that yellow was in that challenge, I thought of chickens. No idea why – I don’t have chickens – but I remembered this Tim Holtz layering die set so I started from there.

I die cut the chickens from several shades of yellow card stock from Heffy Doodle. The egg was from the same Tim Holtz die set, and created using Lost Shadow Distress Oxide, and ink smooshed onto Kraft Heavystock. I loved how the oxide gave a mottled and chalky effect.

Once all the layers were glued together I decided I wanted to create a scene, so I ink blended Salvaged Patina Distress Ink and used a Lawn Fawn cloud stencil, and for the grass I used a Pinkfresh Studio green ink and a Lawn Fawn grass stencil again.

I also wanted a speech bubble and suitable sentiment, so I searched the Color My Life app and it came up with the speech bubble from Lawn Fawn which is meant to be part of a reveal wheel, and the sentiment from Stampin’ Up.

I die cut that stencilled panel with a stitched rectangle and adhered flat to a white card base.

I stuck down the two chicks and the sentiment with 3D foam, and wasn’t going to add an egg (I made three altogether) but decided to put it on at the last minute. In hindsight, I think I should have left it off the card. It kinda looks like the chick is sitting on a stone……..anyhoo. Hindsight is always 20/20….I think it’s cute and fun anyway.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – celery green, yellow, aqua

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – things with wings

Crafty Catz – anything goes – option of celebration not taken

Daring Cardmakers – feathers or something feathered

Stencil Fun – stencils – option of patterns

Thinking of you

Hello there. I created this card using the colour scheme from the Color Throwdown Challenge:

I stamped the Pinkfresh Studio image, dried the ink a little, then used the matching layering stencils. I used several blue inks, a couple of brown inks, and Rusty Hinge for the rust colour.

Once coloured, I used the matching die set and adhered it with 3D foam to a background panel which was dry embossed using a Spellbinders embossing folder.

I stamped the sentiment, die cut that with a label die, then searched my stash for some gems or sequins which would match the colours.

I shall be entering the following nchallenges:

Color Throwdown – blue, brown, rust

Allsorts – anything goes – option of rain not taken

Stencil fun – anything goes with a stencil – option of CAS not taken

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of Easter not taken

Creative Fingers – anything goes

Cardz 4 Galz – use vellum

Hello once again. The new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz has gone live, and Billie A has chosen the theme of #Vellum’. Use vellum on your girlie creations. Here is my card:

A took a piece of vellum slightly smaller than an A2 card base, and put it through a Spellbinder embossing folder. I then ran that through my Xyron machine, and attached it to the white card base.

I die cut the Gina K Designs feathers from a yellow ink smooshed and splattered card panel, ran them through the Xyron machine too – and stuck them down as you see. I then took some gold and black metallic paint and splattered.

Whilst that was drying, I die cut the word ‘enjoy’ three times, and stuck the layers together. I then stamped the two extra words, and cut them at a jaunty angle.

The larger word was adhered directly onto the dry vellum panel, with the two smaller words adhered with 3D foam.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations using vellum – there are so many ways to use this product. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Die Cut Divas – anything goes with a die cut

Give A Crafter A Cookie – yellow as main colour

Love To Craft – anything goes

Mix It Up – anything goes – option distressing


Snowy Scene

A little more crafty time created this card:

This card took a little planning, some drying time – and patience…..

I started by ink blending a piece of card with Distress Inks – Prize Ribbon and Hickory Smoke. Once dry, I stamped the trees in Versafine Black Onyx – and waited for it to dry again. Then splattered with white acrylic paint – and waited yet again.

Whilst waiting for all the drying to happen, I die cut the houses from The Greetery from ‘Ice White’ card stock from Pink frog Crafts here in the UK, pieced all the layers together – not a major issue – then stuck some black card stock on the back of the houses to fill in the windows.

I then die cut a circle from the front of the card base, die cut a larger circle from the ink blended panel – deciding which part I wanted to show through the aperture, glued that to the back of the card front – adding a white panel on the back to cover the mess. Sorry – the creative process……

I then placed the houses as you see – the smallest one with glue, and the other two with 3D foam squares, added a foiled sentiment – and done….

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Allsorts – anything goes option winter blues

Color Throwdown – grey, navy, white

Paper Funday – anything goes, option starry night

Peace On Earth – anything goes Christmas

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Coffee Cup Shaker

Hello. I have a card to share using a new die set from Time For Tea Designs:

I die cut the coffee cup in a piece of card which had been sprayed with mica stain, this would act as the base which would be seen through the acetate.

I then taped the coffee cup and window die together, and die cut both 5 times to create the walls of the shaker. I didn’t use 3D foam for the edges – I think stacked die cuts look cleaner when viewed from the side.

I glued four of the die cuts to the base, added sequins into the ‘well’, added acetate to the back of the top ink smooshed layer and stuck down. I wanted a brown-ish coffee cup, but not solid brown. The lid was die cut and added.

I stamped the sentiment, cut into a strip, and glued to the top of the acetate.

There are a few dies in this set I didn’t use – a gift card holder and slots, and a coffee cup wrap piece – but I thought the wrap piece would cover up too much of the cup and shaker for this project.

I wanted a background patterned paper which was quite colourful, so the coffee shaker would stand out, and chose one which had colours which seemed to be reflected in the sequin mix.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Day Of The Month Card Club – National Espresso Day

Cut It Up Challenge – coffee – include a die cut

Creative Fingers – anything goes

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Feathery Birthday

Hello there. The November Happy Little Stampers atg Birthday Challenge is now live. Here is my card:

The background panel was created by splattering some Liquitex metallic acrylic paint in gold and black onto a white panel. When this was dry, I created the black layer and then die cut the white panel using Gina K Designs Master Layouts.

The feathers – also Gina K Designs – were die cut from some previously created ink smooshed and mica sprayed panels. After they were arranged onto the card base, I added a die cut ‘happy’ along with it’s shadow layer, stamped ‘birthday’ matted that with black, then added some gold faceted gems.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Creative Fingers – anything goes

Allsorts – any special occasion

Addicted to Stamps and More – make your mark

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Love To Craft – anything goes

Mix It Up Challenge – anything goes

Shimmery Golden Merry Christmas

The next Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge is now live. Here is my card:

The background is an ink smooshed creation – lots of different green Distress Inks – multiple layers – so much fun to create.

Once that had dried, I splattered Liquitex acrylic metallic ink in gold and white and let that dry.

The sentiment is from Hero Arts, the shadow in vellum, and the main words in Spellbinders matt gold card stock. If the shimmer on the background wasn’t enough – I also dotted some iridescent sequins around.

This is certainly a very shimmery card and so much fun to create. I feel another ‘messy’ play coming on to create more backgrounds – even though I have plenty – but I just love to play and ink smoosh instead of always feeling I have to create a card.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Krafty Chicks – occasions

Peace On Earth Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Creative Fingers – anything goes

TTCRD – anything goes

Special Delivery

Hello once again. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. This time, Dawn has chosen the theme of ‘Baby Girl’. Here is my card:

I rarely – can actually never remember the last time – I made a card with this theme. It certainly challenged me to sit down and create it.

I used a Clearly Besotted stamp set and stamped the baby, then masked the baby and stamped the balloon, then masked the balloon as well as the baby, put a mask down – that strange shape – then used stencil to create the layers of clouds using a Distress Ink.

I liked the look of that irregular shape through which you would be able to see the clouds, baby and balloon – something different.

I then coloured the baby and the balloon, stamped the banner and the sentiment, and die cut that panel with a stitched rectangle, to add to the card base.

I would love to see you join us with your ‘baby girl’ themed creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – stamp it

Lil Red Wagon – cute

TTCRD – anything goes

Inkspirational – repetition (cloud stencilling)

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Crafts Galore – anything goes

Emboss Resist Ink Blending

Hello there. Happy Little Stampers ‘anything goes birthday‘ challenge has started for the month of September. Here is my card:

I used the floral stamp from Concord & 9th Summer Camp 2021, and white heat embossed on white Distress Heavyweight card stock.

I then chose some lighter Distress Inks and blended over the top of the image for a fresh look and feel. I then splattered with water, and also added some Liquitex metallic acrylic ink splatters.

I then took a white card panel and die cut an oval, placing the floral image behind where I thought there was more interest an colour, then adhered to a card base.

The sentiment is from as ephemera pack I have as I wanted to keep the front panel quite flat.

I hope you can come and join us with your birthday makes – I look forward to seeing your birthday creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafting Happiness Challenge – card theme – flowers

Paper Minutes Challenge – in the garden

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – anything goes

Creative Fingers Challenges – anything goes

INTAAS – birthdays