ink blending

O is for Ocean Animals

Hello once again. I am hosting the new challenge at The Alphabet Challenge. Having reached the letter ‘O‘, I chose the theme of:

‘O is for Ocean animals‘

Here is my card:

I first created the background panel by taking a light blue panel of card stock, then a Brutus Monroe stencil and ink blending some purple stars and dots. I then splattered white and gold shimmery acrylic paint.

This panel was then put aside to dry whilst I die cut the whale and jellyfish from Spellbinders.

Placing the whale at the top of the panel, I then played with placement of the jellyfish. These are interactive/dancing jellyfish, so I made sure to place the tentacles in such a position that they didn’t get stuck on each other when moving.

I then placed a little 3D foam circle in the middle of the tentacle layer, and stuck down the top – the umbrella of the jellyfish.

The sentiment was die cut and added as you see.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations featuring ocean animals. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with a critter

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

Crafty Calendar – anything goes

A Cut Above – anything goes with at least one die cut

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Die Cut Divas – anything goes with die cuts

Stencil fun – use a stencil – option of Halloween not taken

Just A Note

Hello. I have a card to share using some products from several recent virtual craft events:

I started by stencilling the word. The layering stencils are from Taylored Expressions, and there are four layers, with three words when it is finished. I chose to use ‘just a note’, and the other two sentiments are ‘hooray’ and ‘hey’. I will use those on future cards I am sure. I chose four Pinkfresh Studio inks – yellow, orange, a lighter and then a darker pink.

I used the matching dies to cut out the words, then also used another three layers of white card stock behind to create a thicker sentiment.

I chose a Kraft card base, and onto that I layered a couple of frames created using a Pinkfresh Studio dies set from their recent event, and die cut out of Concord & 9th ‘Briar Rose‘ card stock.

I fiddles and faffed with the layers, insetting a white panel then adding the smaller frame, and insetting a smaller Kraft panel.

Once all adhered, I added some Spellbinders gems for a finishing touch.

Our internet woes may have been solved – fingers crossed – and I can catch up on some recent virtual events and play with the new products. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – yellow, pink, orange

Fab’n’Funky – gems or pearls

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Crafty Catz – anything goes – option to use a stencil taken

Love To Craft – anything goes

Christmas Bingo (Or Not) – column ‘N’ – free, layers, gemstones, no stamping

Stencil Fun – use stencils – option of Halloween not taken

Birthday Numbers

Hello once again. The Alphabet Challenge has started a new challenge. Having reached the letter ‘N’, Dawn has chosen the theme of ‘Numbers’. Here is my card:

I chose to put my numbers on the background and use the emboss resist technique.

Onto w white panel, I used the large numbers from an LDRS stamp set received as part of the Crop and Create 2023. I arranged them on the panel, stamped with my Misti, then heat embossed.

Using a range of colourful ink pads, I gave my blending brushes a workout – and my arm.

Once colour blended, I used some smaller stamps of cupcakes and a little sentiment, as well as a tiny star, and stamped into the spaces using the same colour which is behind them – a tone on tone effect if you will.

This panel was cut down and a black layer added using Gina K Master Layouts dies, then attached to a white card base.

The sentiment is also part of the products provided by LDRS for this event, die cut a couple of times, and layered, then added to the panel.

I used the off-cut/outline of the black piece I had die cut the letters from to ensure they were straight and even.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Crafty Gals Corner – anything goes – option of adding a ribbon not taken

Krafty Chicks – stamps

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Love To Craft – anything goes

Christmas (or not) Bingo – column I – die cuts, free, stamped image

Addicted To Stamps and More – birthday

Hamster Birthday Celebrations

Hello. Now I am back from my week abroad, I may be able to concentrate and do some crafting. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Pamela is the host, and she has chosen the theme of:

‘any colouring medium’

Here is my card:

I first stamped the hamsters from a Mama Elephant stamp set, coloured them with Copics, then used the matching dies to cut them out.

The background was created using stencils from The Greetery, and that panel cut down a little and layered onto a white card base.

I added some little teal gems around and about, then the foiled sentiment.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations which utilise any colouring medium. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Fab’n’Funky – birthday or anniversary

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – create your own background

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

Critter Crazy Challenge – anything goes with a critter

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

Paper Funday – anything goes – option to create your own background

Ice Skates and a Present

Hello again. It is my turn to host the new challenge at ABC Christmas Challenge. We have reached the letters ‘S‘ and ‘T‘ and we want to see your Christmas creations with the following themes:

S is for stencils, and T is for traditional Christmas Colours

I chose to create a card for each of the themes.

The first card is using some layering stencils from Spellbinders:

These stencils were created directly onto the card base, first ink blending the bow, then adding the mask to the bow and ink blending the foliage.


I added the foiled sentiment, then some purple gems around that sentiment.

The second card is also using Spellbinders:

The background panel was embossed using an embossing folder, then some light blue ink gently swiped across it. The snowflakes picking up a slight blue tinge.

The skates and the foliage were die cut and layered together, then all elements added to the card base until I was happy with the arrangement.

The finishing touches were the gems for the centre of the poinsettias, and a foiled sentiment.

I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas creations following one or both of our themes. I look forward to seeing you in our gallery. xx

Poinsettia and Pinecones

Hello everyone. The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has started a new ‘anything goes Christmas’ challenge. Here is my card:

I chose to use a 5×7 inch card base as the die cuts are quite large. The pinecones are from The Greetery – die cut from a lighter brown card stock, then each of the little details ink blended at the base the create even more dimension.

The bell was die cut from some brushed gold cardstock using a Honey Bee Stamps die set, then layered with glue.

The foliage and poinsettia were from Spellbinders, die cut with two shades of red for the flower, some different green cardstock and brushed gold for the foliage.

I used an embossing folder for a panel on the card base, then played with the placement of all the die cut elements, adding with a mixture of glue and 3D foam.

The sentiment is a foiled strip, and I also added a faceted gem for the centre of the poinsettia.

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

You Can Do Amazing Things

Hello. More crafty play today to create this encouragement card:

I followed the colours at Color Hues Challenge – yellow and orange – and ink blended some yellow Pinkfresh Studio ink on the top half of an A2 panel, and Lawn Fawn ‘carrot’ ink on the bottom half.

Whilst this panel was drying, I die cut the Pinkfresh Studio ‘Secret Garden‘ cover plate twice in white card stock. I then took a piece of orange and a piece of yellow card stock and die cut again to get the flowers.

The inked panel was dry, and I glued the first white die cut onto that, then inlaid the flowers – orange flowers on the yellow half, and yellow flowers onto the orange half. This was a little fiddly – all those itty bitty dots – but I managed to find all the pieces.

I then glued the second white panel on top – just in case there was some glue leaking out of those itty spaces. That was also a little fiddly – to get the glue everywhere, but worth it I think.

The sentiment was stamped in brown ink – a little less harsh than black – then die cut with the smallest Pinkfresh Studio ‘Dotted Fancy Frames‘ die – which came as part of the Create and Connect event this past weekend. The second layer behind the sentiment is also a part of that die set.

I added some iridescent gems – which pick up the yellow and the orange behind them.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

Color Hues – orange and yellow

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

Cut It Up – anything goes with die cuts.

Wishing You a Brew-tea-ful Day

Hello everyone. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Helen is hosting this time, and has chosen the theme of :

‘Pretty In Pink’

Here is my card:

I wanted to use the new products from The Greetery, and thought the die cuts of the teapot and cups inked with the matching stencils would work a treat. It is not very often I create a wholly pink card, but I am pleased with the outcome.

The background card was layered with a pink panel, and onto that I layered a white panel which I had dry embossed using a Spellbinders embossing folder, then and added a gold frame. The gold frame was created using a die set from Pinkfresh Studio, received as part of their virtual event coming up this next weekend.

I then die cut all the tea pots and all the cups as I didn’t know which combination I was going to use, then ink blended through the matching stencils to create the interest on each die cut.

I also added some extra pink ink blending to the whole of the tea pot – subtle – but it is there.

I played around with the placement of each, then added either glue or 3D foam to create the little scene.

The sentiment was gold heat embossed, and die cut with the matching die set.

A final touch was to add some pink stocky thingies – the dots, star and heart which I found in my stash.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

MMM Challenge – something metallic (frame)

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies Challenge – anything goes

Die Cut Divas – die cuts and option of wet or dry embossing taken

Pinspirational Challenge – die cuts

Here Is A Place To Start – anything goes – option of diamonds/pearls/gold

Creative Fingers – anything goes

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Thank You For Your Kindness

Hello once again. I have a card to share created yesterday:

I wanted to play with a new die and stencil set from The Greetery. I really like the water-colour effect this stencil set gives.

This stencil set has 5 layers to it, and I used three green inks and two yellow inks from Pinkfresh Studio. Once stenciled, I used the matching die to cut it out.

I am currently loving using a frame on my creations, and find it hard not to do so, therefore I used a Pinkfresh Studio frame die set to create this one.

The back panel is using Concord & 9th card stock, and dry embossed using a Spellbinders embossing folder – I thought it gave an feeling of a trellis behind the image.

All were layered together as you see, and the sentiment stamped and die cut – also from Pinkfresh Studio – with three more layers of the sentiment die cut for added stability and dimension.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – yellow, brown, green

Pearly Sparkles – floral

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

Die Cut Divas – die cuts and wet or dry embossing (dry embossing)

Creative Fingers – anything goes

Crafty Gals Corner – anything goes with option of using embossing folder taken

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

We Flock Together

Hello everyone. I am the host for the new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz, and I have chosen the theme of ‘birds’. Here is my card:

I went with a tropical theme using Spellbinders products for a bright and colourful card.

The background is ink blending using a stencil, and a couple of blue inks. On top of the panel, I created a band of vellum, which I had embossed using a Spellbinders embossing folder – thankfully the vellum didn’t crack….!

The bird layers were die cut from Spellbinders and Concord & 9th card stock, layered, glued and attached the the vellum with 3D foam. The top bird slightly off the top to also be used as an anchor for the top of the vellum band.

The sentiment was simply stamped and then the strip trimmed down. This was also attached with 3D foam, and by adhering it to the bottom of the vellum it was another point that the vellum could be anchored.

Looking at this photo I can see I didn’t poke out some of the belly dots on the lime green bird – oh well – added interest… :)

I hope you can come and join us with your bird themed creations – I look forward to seeing you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Pammie’s Ink Pinkie Challenge – anything goes

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with a critter

Pinspirational – die cuts

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

Stencil Fun – stencils and option of summertime