ink blending

Stained Glass Bird

Hello again. The Alphabet Challenge has reached the letter ‘B’, and Debbie has chosen the theme of ‘Birds’. Here is my card:

This cute little bird is a die and stencil set from Simon Says Stamp. I ink blended the bird areas, masking off some parts so there was no contamination between the areas, adding some darker shading to some of the areas. I then die cut the white stained glass portion several times, adhering all but one of them to the ink blended image.

I then went in with some glossy accents, let that dry, then added the final white layer. I then added a black gem for the eye.

The background panel was created using an embossing folder from Spellbinders, using their sage green card stock and cut down slightly so there would be a white border on the card base.

The scalloped circle was cut, and dry embossed with another embossing folder.

The floral images are from Concord & 9th, stamped then die cut, and I made sure I made a lot of them in similar colours to the bird, so I could put as many down as I wanted.

I then added the bird, and slotted the floral images all over the bottom of the circle, adding some gold gems in the centre of the flowers and some around the edge of the circle.

A foiled sentiment to complete the card.

I hope you can come and join us with your projects incorporating a bird/birds. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of weather not taken

Tic Tac Toe – stencil, die cut, critter

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with a critter

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

We Love 2 Create – anything goes mixed media (ink, foiling, glossy accents)

Creative Artiste Mixed Media – anything goes mixed media (ink, foiling, glossy accents)

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

Stencil Fun – use a stencil – option spring/flowers taken

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – stencil it

Cardz 4 Galz – Movie Madness

Hi there. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Debbie has chosen the theme of ‘Movie Madness‘. I created this card based on the recent movie starring Jason Statham – ‘The Beekeeper‘. I really enjoy his films – usually thrilling and exciting – and I definitely am not rom-com kinda girl……!

I started by die cutting the images from Brutus Monroe – another virtual event product – and assembled the bee bodies. I die cut vellum for their wings.

The balloon image was stamped, coloured with Copics, then die cut.

The background was created by using a stencil and ink blending – going with alight blue instead of the usual yellow for the honeycomb to ensure the bees and sentiment really pop.

The sentiment was also die cut and assembled and all the images attached with 3D foam.

The Design Team has come up with some amazing creations inspired by a a wide variety of movies – I hope you can come and join us. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – make your own background

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

Tic Tac Toe – stencil, die cut, critter

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with a critter

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

Stencil Fun – use a stencil – option Spring/flowers taken

Flying By To Say Hi….

Hello. I was inspired by several challenges to use the new products received as part of ‘Let’s Stamp Together’ from Scrapbook and cards today – this time the featured company was Taylored Expressions.

I first stamped the images in Gina K amalgam ink so I knew I would be save using Copics to colour. Once coloured, I used the matching die cuts.

The background was created using similar colours and using the stencil which also came with the kit – this is a stencil you can rotate to cover more of the background. I rotated it three times, and used green on one rotation, yellow on the second, and then pink for the third time.

I trimmed this down slightly smaller than an A2 card base, and adhered with 3D foam.

The sentiment was stamped and cut out, attached with 3D foam, as were the three images.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Hand Stamped sentiments – photo inspiration

Color Throwdown – pink, green, yellow

Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge – anything goes – option to include a cute critter taken

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with a critter

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

CAS Bouquet

Hello. This time I created a CAS card for several challenges using a left-over piece of the Pinkfresh Studio Washi tape from a couple of days ago when I entered the speed card challenge.

I ink blended some blue in the bottom left corner – only what was left on my blue blending brush, then adhered the bouquet with glue.

The foiled sentiment was added to overlap the bottom of the bouquet.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

SCS Cards – CAS

Tic Tac Toe – middle row – pastel colours – CAS – flowers

Allsorts – anything goes – option of CAS taken

Cherry Blossom Birthday

Hello there. I have another floral card today, created by using some layering dies from Pinkfresh Studio:

This set consists of layering stencils and dies. All the flowers and leaves are on one stencil with the different layers labeled and segmented. The die is one piece to cut the whole of the images out.

I used some pink and green inks, with grey for the branch. After die cutting the panel, I decided to do another so I had more images to play with and cover the card panel.

The background is a die cut with matt gold layered behind.

Once the flowers were arranged, I snipped any that were hanging over the edge, and added them also into some more open areas.

The sentiment was added – a previously prepared foiled strip.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Here Is A Place To Start – anything goes

Addicted To Stamps – any occasion

Cut It Up – die cuts and Happy Birthday

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Beautiful Blossoms – flowers

Quads Trees

Hello. The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has started a new challenge, the theme is always ‘anything goes Christmas‘. Here are my cards:

I wanted to try the Taylored Expressions ‘Create in Quads’ stencils, and used this Christmas tree stencil. Even though each stencil can be inked with the same colour, I decided to make it a little more interesting and created each of the quarters in different colours – swapping and changing the inks and blending brushes as needed.

The final stencil is for the snow effect, and I used some Tonic Nuvo Glacier paste on all four of the quads:

Once the paste was dry, I quartered the sheet, cut down each of the panels just slightly, and to create the matching border around each of the card base, I swiped one of the ink pads around the edges. This ensured that the edge matched at least one of the tones of the colours I had used for each quarter.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Krafty Chicks – Christmas

Creative Fingers – anything goes

Shopping Our Stash – circle card or feature circles/dots (the snow ‘circles’)

Jingle Belles Rock – Christmas with jewels, glitter, bling – anything sparkly

Creative Inspiration – anything goes

Stencil Fun – anything goes with stencils – option of spring/Easter not taken)

Excited Congrats…

Hello again. I have a card to share using some of the products from the recent Pinkfresh Studio ‘Create and Connect Event’:

This floral arrangement is from the ‘Lantern Botanicals’ stamp set, now on general release, but was provided as part of our event kit.

I stamped the floral images four times – minus the lantern at the top of the stamp – in a light ink, onto textured cream/linen card stock. The stamp was left in the Misti so I could stamp again with a darker brown ink after ink blending.

I then used the three layering stencils to colour the leaves and flowers, wondering if I had made an error using the textured card. I did stamp on the smooth side, but as you can see some of the texture came through with the ink blending. I think this gives and almost vintage feel to the images, so I carried on blending all four of them.

Once coloured, I then placed each piece back in the Misti, ensured it matched, then stamped again with a darker brown ink.

These were all then die cut, and extra layers cut and adhered together to create more stability and depth to them.

I used another A2 piece of the linen card, played with arranging the images, then glued them down – snipping the ones that hung over the edge, and adding little pieces if there were any large spaces.

The sentiment was stamped in the same dark brown ink, die cut, extra layers added, then attached to the card:

I added some iridescent gems in spaces. I like how these gems pick up the light, but also the colour of anything around them.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – peach, sage green, cream

Beautiful Blossoms – flowers

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – add a sentiment

Ellibelle’s Crafty Wednesday – anything goes

Die Cut Divas – anything goes with die cuts

Here Is A Place To Start – anything goes

Floral Birthday

Hello once again. Billie A is hosting the new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz, and she has chosen the theme of ‘use some green‘. Here is my card:

I stamped this image from Pinkfresh Studio using a lighter brown ink so it had a soft outline. Once this was dry, I then used all the layering stencils and ink blending to colour the images.

I then die cut this panel to allow for a green layer on the white card base.

Once layered, I added some iridescent gems to the centre of the flowers, and a white heat embossed sentiment.

I hope you can come and join us with your projects which include green. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Beautiful Blossoms – flowers – optional mood board

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

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

Stencil Fun – anything goes with stencils – option of Easter/Spring not taken

Hello Friend Wreath

Hello there. I have been absent for a few days as I was trying to catch up with some virtual events I had over the past few weeks. All card making and crafting of course. One of the stamp, stencil and die sets I have used for this card is from the Pinkfresh Studio Create and Connect event:

I first stamped the A2 floral image with a light grey ink using my Misti, and kept the stamp on the lid. I then ink blended using the current colours from Color Throwdown, and the three inks you see in the picture.

The layering stencils – of which there are five for this image – were all used, but I did use different colours on one layer of some of the stencils. I also tried to create some dimension on the same image with the same ink – heavy handed to one side, and lighter hand to the other.

Once ink blended, I replaced the panel back into the Misti, then stamped the image again with a darker colour a browny grey – I thought black would be too stark. Lessoned learned from the Pinkfresh event – stamping again after you ink blended……it is a heart-stopping moment, and I have made mistakes in the past – but trust the Misti, and ensure your panel is in the corner each time you stamp.

The whole panel was die cut with the matching die – which cuts all the elements out in one pass through the die cutting machine.

The background is a piece of Sage card stock from Spellbinders, dry embossed using an older embossing folder from Stampin’ Up, then glued flat to the white card base.

I then used the Fancy Circles die set – also from Pinkfresh Studio – and die cut the large circle three times, die cut the centre out with another of the circles, then layered them together for a more substantial circular base for my wreath. I could have used any nesting circles, but at this point I wasn’t sure if any of the circle would be showing until I had arranged my elements.

The circle was glued to the embossed panel, and the images arranged, adhered with glue, and the smaller pieces tucked in where I thought they were needed.

The sentiment is heat foiled and added as you see, and some green gems glued around.

I do like to attend the virtual events from several companies in the United States, and even though there are added customs charges to some of them, I find the event itself, the instructors, and the way they are organised is something I will keep doing. I have ‘rationalised’ the events I attend though………..kinda……!

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – burgundy, rose, sage

Lil Red Wagon – stencils

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – anything goes

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of squares and/or circles

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Beautiful Blossoms – flowers – optional mood board

Hello Friend….

Hello there. I seem to be on a roll using products I have previously bought, but never used. I think I’m a collector – buy things ‘just in case’. I do eventually use them, but it might take me a while…….

Here is a card using a layering stencil from Pinkfresh Studio I have had for a little while:

I took the opportunity to use this set of stencils with the current colours for the Color Throwdown Challenge.

I had a piece of Vicki Boutin Foundation Paper I had taken out of the pad ready for a Distress Spray class yesterday, but never used, so I thought I would have a go and see how this card stock works with ink blending.

I used all the layers of the stencil, but I did use different tones of each colour on the same stencil. I would never have thought of doing that until I attended some Taylored Expressions and Pinkfresh Studio virtual events. Now I wonder why on earth I would think you have to use just the one colour on each layer is beyond me – but there you go…..we live and learn.

I used Pinkfresh inks as I have several colour families, and just inked it up. I am a little heavy handed when it comes to ink blending, so I made sure to dry each layer before moving on to the next stencil – another lesson learned…..

Once the panel was created, I used an older Mama Elephant slimline die to cut it out with a scallop and stitched edge, then adhered it to a Neenah card base.

The sentiment was chosen as it wouldn’t cover too much of the design, and I didn’t even add gems or sequins – that design really does stand for itself.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

MAWTT – use a new craft item

Avenue 613 – anything goes – option new beginnings not taken

Color Throwdown – red, navy, pink

Just Us Girls – stencils

Lil Red Wagon – never before used Schtuff

Stencil Fun – stencil – option of birds/birdhouses/bird feeders taken (two little birds on the bottom of the stencil)