Embossing paste

ABC Christmas Challenge

Happy New Year everyone. I hope you had a fabulous past few weeks. We are back at ABC Christmas Challenge at the beginning of the alphabet. We are having a little change in the amount of entries you can make to our challenge – it is now 5 entries maximum to make it fairer for the random prize winner.

Helen is hosting and we have the Christmas themes of:

A is for Anything Goes

B is for Buildings

Here are my cards:

My first card was created using some layering stencils from Spellbinders with Pinkfresh Studio Inks. This involved quite a bit of masking so I could add different colours to the same stencil layer, but I must have been in a fiddly and faffy mood because I enjoyed the process.

Once the image was ink blended, I then used the matching die to cut it out.

The background was created using white embossing paste from Altenew with a stencil from Brutus Monroe to create the white on white background. Once dry, the ink blended image was adhered with 3D foam.

I then used some gold shimmery acrylic paint to splatter across the whole card, and added some gems. The sentiment is also from Spellbinders and using their gold card stock.

For the second card with the houses, I went slimline. I die cut the house strip using glittery silver card stock and Time 4 Tea Designs slimline die. Some of the same glittery card stock was adhered to the card base, the blue layer added after die cutting with a Elizabeth Craft Designs ‘Dotted Background‘ slimline die so the glittery card stock would show through.

The blue card stock from my stash must be years old, and has some very. very fine texture of lines to it.

I hope you can come and join us and start your stash of cards ready for the end of the year.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Girls Creative Christmas – anything goes Christmas

Jingle Belle’s Rock – Christmas with something old and something new – old card stock and dies, new glittery card stock and Spellbinders stencils

Peace On Earth – anything goes Christmas

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Gift Tag Scene

Hello once again. I have a good excuse to play in my craft room due to the sever weather we are having. I created a few gift tags. I wanted to use my Altenew embossing paste, and found it was useable – I have had it for quite a while – but I needed to use it up pretty pronto. I took a whole host of tags and stencilled a lot of them with several stencils I had, and set them all aside to dry overnight.

Today I created this tag:

This manila tag I left the top part unshaded, and used the Brutus Monroe ‘Starry Night‘ stencil with the Altenew embossing paste, then used the paste to create a thick and uneven bottom to it. I wanted this bottom to look like a snowfall – all the ridges and peaks. This was left to dry overnight.

The houses were created using Spellbinders ‘Mantle Village‘ die set, card stock from Concord & 9th and Heffy Doodle. The houses have a second whole layer behind the front so I could piece back in the windows, using Spellbinders brushed gold card stock, or replacing the grey ones. I pictured some rooms with lights on, and some rooms without – that sounded good in my head, anyway!

I am more partial to gold, silver less so, and really do not like to use glitter. I don’t mind glitter card stock – but glitter in it’s loose form – no thank you. I find it too messy, and difficult to control.

The trees were die cut and assembled, and as the Altenew paste was now dry, I created my scene. The houses and trees adhered as you see with a mixture of wet glue and a little 3D foam behind to top of the upper two houses.

It was then I found out the bottom paste was not completely dry – even left overnight – I must really have put a thick layer down there – so some of the white paste found it’s way onto a tree or two – darn those mucky fingers…..I decided to carry on and finish anyway.

I added some Pinkfresh Studio glitter gems – these gems are silver and gold but I do like how they sparkle.

The finishing touch was to add a red ribbon from my stash.

It was only when creating this post did I realise a little red bit of fluff from the ribbon had found it’s way onto the bottom of the tag – that paste is a magnet, I truly think it is…..!

I had a house left over, so used it on this smaller tag – very simple – paste through he same stencil, paste on the bottom to create the hill, house and trees adhered, and some little gems to fit in-between the stencilled stars:

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Addicted To Stamps and More – Christmas

As You Like It – gold, silver, or glitter – explained above – no glitter for me thank you :)

Paper Minutes – Christmas – not a card

Inkspirational – Mood Board – inspired by the houses

Mix It Up – anything goes – option of paper piecing taken

Ellibelle’s Corner – I Spy – something for Christmas

Everybody Art – house/home

Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge – option anything to do with presents taken

12 Months Of Christmas Link Up – anything goes Christmas

Floral Framed Birthday

Hello yet again. Happy Little Stampers anything goes birthday has started a new challenge – and we’ll be taking a break for a couple of months after this. Here is my card:

The background was created using a Spellbinders stencil, paste, and then sprinkling glitter over the paste and let it dry.

I added A Pinkfresh Studio deco frame, and layered the flowers and twigs around the edge.

I added some gold gems to the flowers, the corners of the frame, and each end of the foiled sentiment.

I’ve forgotten which die and stamp set I used for the floral and leaves elements, and with the Color My Life app having some issues at the moment I couldn’t search it – and didn’t fancy trawling through my stash – when the app works again I’ll edit the post to let you know.

I hope you can come and join us for our last challenge of the year – it would be great to see you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – anything goes

Dream Valley Challenge – lots of layers

Crafters Café – use dies/punches

Mix It Up Challenge – anything goes – option to use a technique – stencil, paste, glitter

Sending Big Hugs

Hello there. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge, and Billie A has chosen the theme of ‘Use Kraft‘. Here is my card:

For this card I used a previously created background – Altenew stencil and gold shimmer embossing paste, cut just a tad smaller than the 5 x 7 inch card base.

The Lawn Fawn die was used for the sentiment, cut out of Kraft, then again cut out of black card stock, glued slightly off-set -which I think makes the sentiment stand out more. I even remembered the tiddle above the letter ‘i’ – layering and off-setting just like the main sentiment. Some silver sequins for added bling.

I’m looking forward to seeing what you create for our ‘use Kraft theme’. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Creative Fingers Challenge – anything goes

Arty Divas Challenge – anything goes

Cards Galore Encore – anything goes

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Cardz 4 Galz – add texure

Hello. The new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz is to add texture to your girlie makes. Here is my card:

The texture I chose was to add some embossing paste through a stencil. This paste is from Altenew, and I added the new Tim Holtz colour – Prize Ribbon – to the paste before scaping through the stencil.

The Altenew paste comes as a light mousse consistency, and leaves a soft, almost flexible and furry texture when dried. I made so much of the coloured paste – that I couldn’t resist creating more backgrounds and cards with what was left………….and it certainly went a long way:

I used several stencils, and cut the panels in several ways, adding some Altenew stamps in varying layouts. I left most of them without a sentiment, as I can add later if I choose – but I also like the look without a sentiment too.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Dies R Us Challenge – atg with a brand they sell

Allsorts Challenge – atg option roses

Cards Galore Challenge – atg

Crafty Creations Challenge – atg

Love To Craft Challenge – atg

Cardz 4 Galz Fall/Autumn

Hello. A new challenge is beginning at Cardz 4 Galz, and this time the theme is ‘Fall/Autumn‘ – but not Halloween……….!

Here is my card:

The background is embossing paste through a Catherine Pooler stencil, one I created previously – so I’m not sure which paste I used – but it does look golden and metallic!

For the the leaves, I used Concord & 9th ‘Thankful leaves‘ stamp and die set, and Concord & 9th card-stock.

The two leaves are using purple and orange, and for each leaf I inlaid the cut-out pieces to create reverse coloured leaves – if you see what I mean. Purple leaf with orange inlaid pieces, and orange leaf with purple inlaid pieces. These leaves came together quite easily, it was the placement of the leaves and sentiment which took me a little while to sort out…….

The sentiment banner is from a Concord & 9th ‘Everyday Bouquet‘ die set, and once die cut, I used my Misti ‘Cut-Align’ to just cut a tiny little piece off of each side – even the ends – so that it layered nicely.

I use the cut-align tool quite a bit when I have sentiments and die-cut banners for which I don’t have one slightly smaller – it is a great tool for that kind of thing.

Once I had placed the leaves and banner, I thought the card needed just a little more – just a little – so I die-cut the sprig from the ‘Everyday Bouquet’ die set and added as you see.

And there’s more – I added some clear cabochons. To me, these represent the rain which will fall in Autumn – well – that’s how my mind works sometimes…..

I hope you can come and join us with your fall /autumn themed cards – I look forward to seeing you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Shopping Our Stash – Autumn/Fall

Use Your Stuff – Autumn/Fall

Stamplorations stencil Challenge – use a stencil

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – layer it up