Glossy Accents

Shiny Holly Wreath

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has started another ‘anything goes Christmas/Festive’ challenge. Here is my card:

This holly wreath and berries is another die bought from the Charlie and Paulchen company based in Germany. I die cut the wreath in white, then again in green, and the berries in shiny red card stock.

The panel on the card base is embossed using a 3D embossing folder from Simon Says Stamp, with the white wreath adhered, then the green wreath on top and off-set.

Once I had added the red berries, I added glossy accents to the green holly leaves for extra shine.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Krafty Chicks – Christmas

CYHTP – anything goes with an embossing folder (twist of Easter not taken)

Cards Galore – anything goes

12 Months Of Christmas – anything goes Christmas (gift box option not taken)

Christmas Crafts All Year Round – Christmas with red and green and circles and/or ribbon (wreath circle)

Mice Baking and Tree Decorating

Hello there. Cardz 4 Galz has started another challenge. The theme chosen by Shell is for you to create a card with Christmas Animals. Here is my card:

I used mainly Lawn Fawn products for this slimline card. The base and three heart cut-outs are from one die set, and the hearts backed by Lawn Fawn patterned paper.

The images were stamped, coloured with Copics, then die cut, and arranged as you see. Some glossy accents added to the tree baubles and holly berries, and glitter added to the pudding and gingerbread house.

I really like how this turned out – putting all the images together to create three scenes, which actually work together to create one large scene too.

I hope you can come and join us in this challenge.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge – wings and/or tails

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Daring Cardmakers –trim the tree

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Lemon Shortbread – anything goes

Colour Crazy Challenge – anything goes colouring – week 49

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with a critter

Crafting Happiness – anything goes

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ABC Challenge – W and X

Hello there. It’s my turn to host the challenge at ABC Christmas Challenge. Having reached the letters ‘W’ and ‘X’ – the Christmas themes we want to see are ‘W for Whimsical‘ – think playful, quaint, amusing – and ‘X’ for Xerox – multiple stamping, multiple images – whatever you think fits with the theme.

Here are my cards:

Whimsical

Xerox

On the first card, I used a Clearly besotted stencil – Trimmed Trees – and inked each different tree with s different colour – masking off the one next to it on the stencil – but also overlapping each tree to create the row of what I think are quite whimsical trees.

I then used a Tim Holtz sentiment stamp, then used a Zig glue pen over all the colours and added some glitter.

For the second card, I stamped one image from the Pretty Pink Posh stamp set multiple times on a Kraft card base with ‘wheat’ ink from Concord & 9th, to create a tone-on-tone look. I then used another of the the images from the same stamp set, coloured them with Copics, die cut them out, and placed them as you see. I also added some glossy accents to the leaves and berries.

The sentiment is from a Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous stamp set, which I stamped, used a stitched rectangle to cut it out, then distressed the edges with the same ‘wheat’ ink to enable it to stand out a little more.

I hope you can come and join us for this challenge – I look forward to seeing you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Whimsical card:

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – atg Christmas

Cards Galore Challenge – atg

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – atg Christmas

Xerox Card:

Just Us Girls Challenge – Leaves

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – atg

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – any holiday occasion

Love To Craft Challenge – atg

SPREAD THE MERRY LITTLE LOVE AND GRAB A BADGE!

Shiny Holly Leaves

After another playtime in my craft room, I have a card to share:

I have no idea why the card doesn’t look white on that photo, and no idea how to correct it, but here are some other photos:

I actually went up to my craft room to get messy – ink smooshing etc – but then I changed my mind as this circular holly image was there drying from the previous day – so I decided to create a card using this first.

The image was stamped, coloured with Copics, die cut – then glossy accents added for some shine. This was then added to a small circle.

I used Heffy Doodle red card stock as the base, and added the white layer after dry embossing with a Sue Wilson embossing folder – one of my favourites and one of my oldest.

The layout of the card was to follow the current Freshly Made Sketches Challenge. I added plain white strips – something I wouldn’t have considered up until a few weeks ago……yep – another virtual craft session!

Sentiment-wise – I think I’ll put something on the inside, more of a verse sentiment, so the front stays clean.

Lantern and Poinsettia

Hello once again. The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has started a new challenge. The theme is always ‘anything goes Christmas/Festive’ – here is my card:

During the past year I have taken some online classes with Susan Tierney-Cockburn – moving out of my comfort zone and trying something new. I struggled – and still do – when creating these flowers using her Spellbinders collection of dies – but I keep trying. I am pleased with how this poinsettia turned out….

The only thing I didn’t really feel I got to grips with was the centre – I really messed that up – which is why there is Nuvo drops and some glitter there……..!

I managed to create these flowers and leaves following her YouTube videos, and have even invested in the flower forming tools – I feel they would help as I was using my ball tools when I created this and didn’t quite get the detail and lines and veins of the leaves – you will probably see another variation on this theme….

I didn’t put a candle in the lantern either – and I don’t think it’s missed – maybe another variation for the future…..

The base card was layered with squares using Sue Wilson stitched dies, and one of her embossing folders too to add the holly swirl details in the white background piece.

The lantern was die cut from Tim Holtz metal coloured card stock, then I used some of his embossing powders on it to try and create a more weathered and metallic look.

I am definitely going to create this flower again – maybe in other colours – as I actually quite enjoyed stepping out of my comfort zone.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

My Time To Craft – embossing (I used wet and dry embossing)

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Mix It Up Challenge – anything goes mixed media – option monochrome

Mixed Media Lovers Challenge – anything goes Mixed Media

12 Months of Christmas Challenge – Christmas with option of metallic

Snow Globe Scene

Hi there. A new challenge is beginning at The Alphabet Challenge. We have reached the letter ‘S’ – and we want to see your ‘snow scenes’. Here is my card:

I decided to choose a small snow scene from a Mama Elephant stamp set, and then stamped a snow globe around it.

Coloured with Copics, I then added some clear shimmer the the sky and snow – leaving the house free to see.

I die cut the globe, then added some glossy accents to the banner to give the impression of a metal plaque – hopefully…….

Two layers dry embossed with an embossing folder – I think is Sue Wilson but I’m not exactly sure – then added some extra bling with some sequins.

I hope you can come and join us for our ‘Snow Scene’ theme – I look forward to seeing what you create. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge – Christmas

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Inkspirational – SNOW

Christmas Blog Challenge – anything goes Christmas

TTCRD Challenge – anything goes

Layered Faux Stained Glass Flower

Hello there. I hope you are all well.

I have been trying out a new technique – well, I tried it once 18 months ago and liked the effect – so I thought I’d give it a go again…..forgetting how much work and waiting time has to go into this technique.

Here is my card:

This card took me a couple of days – mainly because of the waiting time, but also because I wasn’t quite sure where I was going with it…..

I knew I wanted to do the faux stained glass technique using this die from Pink Fresh Studio, but this time I cut the die out if white card stock several times, stuck two layers onto a piece of grey card, inlaid the flower and leaf cut-outs – yep – that was challenging to find the right ones for the right spaces….then coloured the petals with cool grey Copics and a couple of green Copics.

Then I added glossy accents to the flower petals only – waited until the next day for that to dry – then added a black die cut as a frame on the top.

Phew – this took a lot of fiddling, I must say……

So – the grey behind the flowers and leaves is the base layer, then a couple of frames of white, inlaid white pieces, Copic colouring, glossy accents, then a black layer……..I think you can see the different layers and the shine from the glossy accents on these last two pictures.

The sentiment was added as you see and there we have it.

I think it may well be another 18 months before I do this again……

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – grey, Kraft, Green, White

Lil Red Wagon – nature – flora or fauna

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – no stamps

Time Out Challenge – Adventurous

‘Y’ for Youngster

Hi there. A new challenge has begun at ‘The Alphabet Challenge’ and this time the letter is ‘Y’ – so we want to see your projects for ‘Youngsters‘. Here is my card:

I used a Boogaboo digital image called ‘Clyde Birthday‘, resizing and then printing out onto Make-it Colour Blending card.

I looked through my range of Copics for some colourful and varied colours and came up with what you see, using three of each colour family. Once coloured, I let him dry for a while, then added some glossy accents to the balloon…….

Yes – I know there is glossy accents all over the image – one of my cats came to ‘help’ at just the right/wrong time – and the glossy accents smeared over the dragon head – so instead of reprinting and re-colouring – I smothered the glossy accents over the whole image of Clyde…………….! And I like it!

A photo where I captured more of the glossy-ness:

As this was a colourful card for a youngster, I added some DSP behind in layers – I think they are Stampin Up – and actually the colours matched quite nicely.

Of course – as no-one has staged an intervention to stop me using Tonic Nuvo drops – I added some in the top corner, as I felt it looked a little bare.

The sentiment is from MFT, a clean and block sentiment – a style which I felt suited the card.

Before the ‘accident’ with the glossy accents, I was going to add some white gel pen lines to the image – but that obviously couldn’t happen now…..maybe next time. I found colouring this image quite a joy – and I usually find colouring a chore on larger images……

this kind of card isn’t my usual style – I don’t make cards for the children/youngsters, but I really, really enjoyed putting this card together – maybe another string to my bow?

I hope you can come and join us for this challenge, and I hope to see you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Catch the Bug Challenge – anything goes

Allsorts Challenge – anything with wings

Watercooler Challenge – occasions

Inkspirational – animals – real or magical

Digi Choosday – anything goes

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Are you having a Giraffe….?

Hello there. I’m managing to craft a little, but when you have builders in it’s a little challenging to maintain the concentration, I find. However, I had chance to play with a stamp set I bought from the Doncaster Crafting Live show at the weekend:

I bought several of the stamp sets from Pink Ink designs, and this one caught me eye first.

I used the colours for the current challenge at Color Throwdown, and stamped the giraffe in Catherine Pooler ‘Be Mine‘ pink ink, used a little masking around the ears of the giraffe for the leaves and flowers, silver embossed the sentiment then ink smooshed the same pink ink so the sentiment card piece matched the giraffe – an emboss resist effect.

The glasses I embossed with silver, fussy-cut, then applied glossy accents for some dimension and sheen.

Overall, I think the card is quite feminine, and I know some of my girl friends would love the sentiment and image………..

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – pink, grey, white, silver

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – animal magic

2 sisters on the blog – make a card for a lady

Faux stained glass hearts

Hello again. The weather here in the UK – especially for a Bank Holiday weekend – is absolutely phenomenal. Temperatures greater than 20 degrees centigrade, lovely blue skies, a little breeze – lovely. I have been hung some washing our to dry for the first time this year!

I was going out cycling again, a new hobby for me, but I think I over-did it the other day. I just kept going and going, then realised I actually had to get back when I passed the 4 mile marker………hmmm…..a tad saddle sore for the next couple of days, as I then had to cycle back to where I came from!

There are some amazing cycle trails around Chesterfield UK – and I plan on exploring a lot of them – but I think I’ll stick to the circular routes….

Anyhoo, I have a card to share for a couple of challenges, and went with the faux stained glass look again. I actually found this sooooo much easier than the first card – basically because I knew what I was doing this time.

I used the Lawn Fawn ‘Say What? Gift Tags‘ and die cut the base layer, then several more layers out of white card stock. I then die cut the little hearts and placed them inside – on some sticky tape, using my jewel picker ‘cos those hearts are TINY – then added the Glossy Accents.

After letting that dry – I know, I don’t usually ‘do’ patient – I die cut the top layer out of the shiny red Crafters Companion card stock and added that to the top.

The embossed piece is using Crafters Companion folder…after realising I don’t actually have that many heart folders, I found this one…..and adhered as you see.

The sentiment is from the Neat and Tangled ‘Jump for Joy‘ stamp set, stamped in Altenew red ink, then embossed again with clear embossing powder.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CASology – Leap

Freshly Made Sketches – sketch

loopyloocards

loopyloocards

Glossy Accents

Shiny Holly Wreath

Mice Baking and Tree Decorating

ABC Challenge – W and X

Shiny Holly Leaves

Lantern and Poinsettia

Snow Globe Scene

Layered Faux Stained Glass Flower

‘Y’ for Youngster

Are you having a Giraffe….?

Faux stained glass hearts