ink blending

Strawberry Hello

Hi there. It’s been a busy weekend, as I’ve been out to a classical Ibiza night at Chatsworth House – a fabulous night in an amazing setting, and then today I went out to a crafting event in Doncaster. I did find time to put together this card using products from Spellbinders:

I began by creating the background, which is a set of layering stencils, using Pinkfresh Studio inks, then cut that down slightly and adhered to a card base.

The strawberries were die cut and assembled, and the centre sentiment banner also die cut – with the fall-out letters of the word inlaid back into place.

A little bit of die cutting, but most of the time was spent doing the ink blending on the background.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Tic Tac Toe – top left to bottom right diagonal – fruit/vegetable + die cut + stencil

Allsorts – use stencils

Cut It Up – die cuts and create your own background

Stencil Fun – use stencils – option of patterns not taken

Jolly Holiday at 52 CCT

Hello everyone. I was lucky enough to be the winner for previous challenge at 52 CCT, and as such took them up on their offer to be Guest Design team member.

They have started a new challenge, and it’s a colour challenge – as long as you create a Christmas card using these colours (some neutrals are allowed) – you are good to go:

Here is my card:

I used a stamp, die and stencil set from Pinkfresh Studio called ‘Berry Branch‘, stamping the image in a brown ink for a softer outline, then used the layering colouring stencils, then the matching dies.

The two inks I used you can see in the picture, making the first layer a lighter touch, and the second layer a darker touch of ink blending for the two colours.

The background panel was embossed using a Spellbinders embossing folder and attached to a card base.

I stamped the sentiment – from the same suite – in a dark brown ink, then die cut that piece and added a dark brown layer behind using a smaller Pinkfresh Studio ‘Fancy Labels Frames’ die set.

I did snip the branch a little so I could paly with the layout, and attached all the elements using 3D foam.

I couldn’t decide whether to use silver or gold gems, so I thought an ombre mix of the two would work. These are also from Pinkfresh Studio and some of my most used gems.

I hope you can come join the challenge, and I look forward to seeing what Christmas cards you create using these colours. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

The Card Concept – summer by the sea or Christmas in July

Floral Frame Hello

Hello again. A summery hello card to share with you today:

For this card I used the new Pinkfresh Studio stamp, die, and stencil set called ‘Sunlit Garden‘. I stamped the image with a brown to give a softer outline, then used all of the layering stencils to colour it in, adding some darker shading to the base of some of the flowers. This was then die cut and set aside.

For the background, I ink blended a white panel very lightly with blue, than used a Spellbinders embossing folder ‘Cloud Nine’, and attached that panel to the card base.

For the inked image, I die cut another two panels and layered together for more stability and then glued down.

The sentiment was stamped in a brown ink – another Pinkfresh Studio stamp set – die cut and layered three times, then glued into the centre of the opening.

The final touch was to add some iridescent sequins:

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CYHTP – embossing folder, option of purple not taken

Crafting From The Art – anything goes

Beautiful Blossoms – florals/flowers

Crafters Café – anything goes, option of blooms taken

Tic Tac Toe – top right to bottom left diagonal – summer colours – die cut – layers

Wishing You A Beautiful Day

Hello again. I have a card created to share with you:

I wanted to use a layering stencil set from Waffle Flower. This background is the ‘Postage Collage Spring Breeze’ and has five layers to it. I chose the colours from Pinkfresh Studio inks and set to it.

Once the background was finished, I added it direct to a card base.

I then used the ‘Butterfly Focal’ die and cut it in white, then cut it in vellum, layering the two together, adding an extra body to the top so I was able to secure the vellum easily.

The sentiment is in blue foil, and from a Pinkfresh Studio product suite ‘Butterflies in a Cloche’, previously created when I had a foiling session. This was die cut with the matching dies, and a couple more layers added for stability.

I also added some irridescent gems for extra interest.

Hubby and I are out tonight with some friends to celebrate our 38th wedding anniversary – time sure does fly….

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Stencil Fun – stencils, option of butterflies taken

Addicted To Stamps & More – die cuts and/or stencils

Critter Crazy – anything goes with a critter

Happy Summer

Hello again. More play time in my craft room, this time to create a card with fruity goodness and a summer feel to it:

I used the Honey Bee Stamps die set called ‘Lovely Layers: Strawberries‘ and die cut all of the images from white card stock. I then ink blended each of the die cuts in the appropriate colour, using Pinkfresh Studio inks. The die cuts were then layered as required, then arranged as I thought they would look good together. I also added some white gel pen to the strawberry ‘pips’ to make them stand out a little more.

Then to decide on a way to ground the bunch of strawberries, and I used a Spellbinders/Susan Tierney die set ‘Gathering Basket‘ and die cut it out of light brown card stock, the ink blended some darker brown onto it.

The sentiment is using The Greetery ‘Summer Silly Straw‘ die cutting out of white card stock, then chopping off the straw bottom to leave the two words, and ink blending with green. I also die cut this a couple more times and glued together, to add more stability to the words.

Then I found that an A2 card base would not be big enough to get everything on, so I used a 5×7 inch card base.

The background needed something – I ink blended a white panel, then ran that panel through with a Spellbinders embossing folder ‘Cloud Nine‘, and attached to the card base.

The strawberries and basket were adhered with 3D foam, then the two words were attached.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafting Happiness – anything goes, option of summer taken

Cupcake Inspirations – anything goes

Make My Monday – blend 2 or 3 colours

FarmQuest Challenge – fruit garden or orchard

Birthday Unicorn

I wanted to share a card I made using an older stamp and die set from Mama Elephant:

I was searching for another Mama Elephant set, when I came across this, called ‘Cupcake Wishes‘, and decided to have a play.

I stamped the images and coloured with Copics, then used the matching dies to cut them out. The background was created using a stencil from Lawn Fawn, and colours which I though would work well with the image.

This panel was cut down slightly and adhered to the card base. The images attached with 3D foam, then the Spellbinders sentiment die cut, and also attached with 3D foam.

I have no idea why I chose the number 8 for the candle – just on a whim.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Just Us Girls – stencil week

Stencil Fun – stencil, option of butterflies not taken

Addicted to Stamps & More – die cuts and/or stencils

Yellow Birthday Roses

Hello once again. Craft time has produced the following card:

Following the current colours at Color Hues, I used Waffle Flower products.

I first die cut the collage panel out of white, then used the layering stencils for the roses. I inked the florals themselves in a lighter yellow, then used a darker yellow in smaller areas to create some dimension.

The leaves were ink blended with a light grey. The sentiment is white foiling.

This panel was adhered to a black panel, then adhered to a card base.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Hues – yellow and black – certain neutrals allowed

Make My Monday – use a stencil

Allsorts – anything goes or bees/blooms/butterflies

Addicted to Stamps & More – die cuts and/or stencils

Pink Poinsettia

I have created a Christmas card inspired by the non-traditional colours for the current challenge at 52 CCT:

For some reason, when I saw the colours required – orange, pink, turquoise – I immediately thought of a poinsettia. I’ve no idea why, but I went with it.

I searched the CML app for the key word ‘poinsettia’, and this inlay die from Simon Says Stamp jumped out at me. It is called ‘Poinsettia Cover‘ and I have had it for quite a while, maybe played with it once before.

This time, I die cut the whole plate in white, light pink, and turquoise.

I used ‘Press’n’seal’ to take each colour out of the die, which left all the pieces in place. so I could pick and choose which I wanted to take off and ink blend.

I stated with the leaves of the poinsettia, placing them onto a grip mat, and ink blending Pinkfresh Studio light pink, then a slightly darker pink onto each petal.

I then took the leaf elements and ink blended a turquoise, and put them aside to dry.

Taking a white card base, I added the turquoise frame first, then the white background panel from the white die cut, and then inlaid each of the floral ink blended elements.

I also placed back into position the small white dots, but covered each of those with ombre gems from Pinkfresh Studio.

The centre of the flowers was ink blended in orange, and placed back into position, then a clear enamel dot – from Altenew – added on top for a little more shine. This also allowed the orange to show through.

The gold foiled sentiment was added – from a previous crafty foiling session, and some more of the ombre gems.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

52 CCT – orange, pink, turquoise

Peace On Earth – anything goes Christmas

D is for Double

Hello there. The Alphabet Challenge has reached the letter ‘D’, and Melanie has chosen the theme of:

D is for Double – include 2 of the same thing

Here is my card, which has two flowers on it:

These flowers are from an Altenew die set called ‘Butterfly Ranunculus‘. I used a blue card stock to cut the petals, and added some darker blue ink blending to the middle of each layer. These were easy to put together due to the #keyhole system’ which Altenew uses. The stems were die cut, and placed to one side whilst I decided what I wanted to put on the background to show case these gorgeous flowers.

I decided to go with a cream textured card stock, placing one layer as the back panel on a card base, then die cut the stitched oval in the same card stock.

The oval was glued to the back panel, and the flowers arranged to my liking, added with 3D foam.

The silver foiled sentiment added, then some small black gems for added interest, and to bring in the black of the sentiment strip.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Allsorts – anything goes in the garden

Give A Crafter A Cookie – in the garden

Triple B – birds and/or butterflies and/or blooms

Die Cut Divas – die cuts and/or dry embossing

ABC L & M

Hello everyone. We are starting a new challenge at ABC Christmas Challenge. Our challenge is all about Christmas, and getting your stash ready for the end of the year, and we always have themes to follow for each of the letters. This time, our themes for the two letters are:

L is for Let It Snow

M is for Mice

Here are my cards:

For my first card, I used a Spellbinders hot foil plate and gold foil onto a dark blue panel. I also went around the edges of the panel after foiling with a lightly darker blue to create a halo effect.

The snowman is from a Simon Hurley/Spellbinders die set, and Concord & 9th card stock. The sentiment is also from the same die set, and backed with a piece of gold. Little black gems were added for the buttons on the snowman.

For my second card, I absolutely had to go with some Lawn Fawn mice and the stamp, die and layering colouring stencils called ‘Mice On Ice‘.

The images were stamped, then the stencils used to ink blend their colouring, then the matching dies to cut them out.

I also used one of their ‘Stitched Den‘ dies to create the opening in the white panel to represent iced lake, and backed that with a piece of light blue card stock which I ink blended slightly with a light blue ink.

The blue panel was adhered to the card base, the white layer added on top, then I played around with the placement of the mice until I was happy, adding them with 3D foam.

The sentiment was stamped and die cut then added as you see.