ink blending

Ready to do some gardening…..?

Hello. I have a CAS card to share today, using an older Sizzix die set:

I searched the tags in the ‘Color My Life’ app for any of my products with ‘garden’. Quite a few came up – I use tags a lot – and this older Sizzix die set came up. I am sure many of us are preparing and planning our gardens at this time of year – what to plant and where – and as I was searching for our wheelbarrow a few days ago, this die set seemed to speak to me.

I used a selection of different coloured card stock for the pots and watering can, with a silver framed wheelbarrow. The sentiment if from Spellbinders.

I was going to attach the die cuts to the base card, but I felt it needed a little something behind it, so I ink blended some blue that was left on my blending brush, then ink blended again using a stencil for some darker areas.

Although there are layers to this card, I feel they are clean layers, and therefore give an overall clean effect.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Addicted to CAS – CAS garden

Clean and Simple on Friday – CAS Spring

Simply Less Is More – anything goes CAS

Peaceful Olive Branches and a Dove

The new challenges has started at The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge. The theme is always ‘anything goes Christmas/festive‘. Here is my card:

I stencilled the olive branches onto a white panel using some more muted colours and ‘peaceful’ colours, then cut that panel and a black panel using Gina K Master Layouts.

I stamped and gold heat embossed the sentiment, then added some gold gems and a die cut gold dove.

I hope you can come and join us with your festive makes. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Creative Fingers – anything goes

MMM Challenge – P is for…….Peace

Love To Craft – anything goes

Peace On earth Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Yummy…..!

There is a new challenge at The Alphabet Challenge. Having reached the letter ‘Y’, Billie A has chosen the theme of ‘Yummy’. Here is my card:

I ink blended the base panel using the Concord & 9th ‘Popsicle Party’ stencil set onto a white panel, then adhered that to the card base.

The biggest popsicle is from the ‘Sweet Summer’ stencil and die set, ink blended, tone-on-tone stamping for the berry details, then die cut, adding the popsicle stick behind. The large sentiment added once the ink was dry.

It would seem fitting that this post went live whilst we here in the UK are having some snow issues. We don’t have snow for very long, but it does seem to create havoc when we do get it. I took this picture whilst in front of a roaring log fire – the best way to view snow in my opinion:

I think it’s going to be a while before the hammock and swing chair are used again…….!
Excuse the window reflection – I wasn’t going to venture outside…. :)

I hope you can come and join us with your ‘yummy’ creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Crafting Happiness – lots of green

Avenue 613 – anything goes, option of CAS not taken

Here Is A Place To Start – anything goes

Stencil Fun – anything goes with a stencil, option of CAS not taken

Happy Fruity Birthday

Having just been a part of the Pinkfresh Create and Connect event this weekend, and being able to do two classes, I did watched a third class this morning and whilst the instructor was using more realistic colours, I decided to use the colours for one of the challenges I will be entering (sky blue, pink, red):

I gold heat embossed the stamp – a huge slimline stamp – then used the matching die to cut out all the elements. Before choosing which of the elements to use, I die cut the frame – also from Pinkfresh and a previous event – and die cut the inner piece but then dry embossed that inner piece with a Spellbinders embossing folder, and ink blended just a little of the light blue in the bottom corner – to try and ‘connect’ the images and the sentiment.

I inserted that piece then played with which elements to use, where to use them, how to arrange them. I chose a sentiment from this recent event, then adhered all the elements with a mixture of 3D foam and wet glue.

This stamp, die and stencil set also comes with the matching washi tape – another huge roll – and the die cuts out all the elements – playtime for another day…..

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Krafty Chicks – occasions

Here Is A Place To Start – anything goes

Beyond The Blue – use one or more stencils – (at least 6 layering stencils with this stamp set)

Cupcake Inspirations – sky blue, pink, red

CYHTP – embossing folder – (option of things with wings not taken)

X is for ‘XOXOXO’

Hello once again. The Alphabet Challenge has reached the letter ‘X’, Dawn is hosting, and we want to see your ‘XOXOXO – Hugs and Kisses’ cards. Here is my card:

Onto a Distress white heavy-stock panel I ink blended some pink Distress Oxides – I find I can blend them better than the inks – then splattered with metallic acrylic paints in gold and silver.

I took another white panel and ran through through s Spellbinders embossing folder, adhered it to a card base.

Once the ink blended and splattered panel was dry, I used a Time For Tea designs ‘Stitched Hearts’ cover die – I think you can just make out the stitched hearts around the pink edges – and also used inner rectangle to cut out the middle.

Out of that pink cut-out piece, I die cut two hearts and added them to the card as you see, and also cut out the x’s and the o’s, after putting the strip onto double-sided sticky tape, then adding them to another white strip – trying very hard to keep them aligned……

I hope you can come and join us. I’m looking forward to your take on the theme. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Inspiration Station – photo inspiration – inspired by love and hearts

Here is a place to start – anything goes – option to pick a palette not taken

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Crafty Gals Corner – add a heart

Papercraft Challenge – hearts

Snowy Scene

A little more crafty time created this card:

This card took a little planning, some drying time – and patience…..

I started by ink blending a piece of card with Distress Inks – Prize Ribbon and Hickory Smoke. Once dry, I stamped the trees in Versafine Black Onyx – and waited for it to dry again. Then splattered with white acrylic paint – and waited yet again.

Whilst waiting for all the drying to happen, I die cut the houses from The Greetery from ‘Ice White’ card stock from Pink frog Crafts here in the UK, pieced all the layers together – not a major issue – then stuck some black card stock on the back of the houses to fill in the windows.

I then die cut a circle from the front of the card base, die cut a larger circle from the ink blended panel – deciding which part I wanted to show through the aperture, glued that to the back of the card front – adding a white panel on the back to cover the mess. Sorry – the creative process……

I then placed the houses as you see – the smallest one with glue, and the other two with 3D foam squares, added a foiled sentiment – and done….

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Allsorts – anything goes option winter blues

Color Throwdown – grey, navy, white

Paper Funday – anything goes, option starry night

Peace On Earth – anything goes Christmas

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Cardz 4 Galz – Halloween or Halloween Colours

Hello once again. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge, and Pamela has chosen the theme of ‘Halloween or Halloween Colours‘. I don’t celebrate or doing anything with Halloween, so I chose the Halloween colours of purple, black and orange:

I used a technique learnt from Gina K during some virtual events over the past couple of years.

Onto a white card panel, I ink blended orange and purple Distress Oxides – a smoother blend in my opinion. I have taken to ink blending quite a lot recently – and I think the ink and the card stock are what makes the results worth doing – learning by previous mistakes!

I then stamped the silhouette image in black. Once dry, I splattered some Lawn Fawn shimmer and let that dry too.

I die cut this blended panel, a white panel, and also a black panel with some nesting circles, and stuck them all together.

On another piece of white card I dry embossed using an old – very old – Sue Wilson embossing folder, and adhered that to a card panel, adding the circles with 3D foam.

The sentiment was created with a die cut, and then the ‘birthday‘ white heat embossed onto black card.

I added some silver gems for some extra interest, and thought they would tie-in with the splatters.

I hope you can come and join us with your ‘Halloween – or Hall ween colours’. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

MMM Challenge – birthday wishes

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

AAA Birthday – birthday and favourite technique (ink blending)

Give a Crafter a Cookie – Halloween inspiration photo – using the colours

Emboss Resist Ink Blending

Hello there. Happy Little Stampers ‘anything goes birthday‘ challenge has started for the month of September. Here is my card:

I used the floral stamp from Concord & 9th Summer Camp 2021, and white heat embossed on white Distress Heavyweight card stock.

I then chose some lighter Distress Inks and blended over the top of the image for a fresh look and feel. I then splattered with water, and also added some Liquitex metallic acrylic ink splatters.

I then took a white card panel and die cut an oval, placing the floral image behind where I thought there was more interest an colour, then adhered to a card base.

The sentiment is from as ephemera pack I have as I wanted to keep the front panel quite flat.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafting Happiness Challenge – card theme – flowers

Paper Minutes Challenge – in the garden

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – anything goes

Creative Fingers Challenges – anything goes

INTAAS – birthdays

ABC Christmas Challenge – P, Q, R

Hello again. The ABC Christmas Challenge has reached P, Q, and R – the themes for those letters are P – for Pink, Q for Quarters, R for Reindeer. This time round I created a card for all three letters:

Q for Quarters

Using some ephemera and patterned paper from Tim Holtz, some matting and layering, some Distress Ink blending around the edges.

R for Reindeer

More Tim Holtz ephemera and patterned paper, some Distress Ink around the edges of the frame.

P for Pink

Not Tim Holtz for this card! Hero Arts sentiment die cut from an ink smooshed background, layered with white. A patterned paper background, some pink ink blending, and then some pink sequins.

I hope you can come join our themed Christmas challenge this time round – I look forward to seeing your creations in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

P if for Pink:

Love To Craft – anything goes

Sparkles Forum Christmas Challenge – Christmas and sentiment as main focus

Q is for Quarters:

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Mix It Up Challenge – anything goes – option CAS not taken

Moving Along With The Times – anything goes

Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper Challenge – anything goes with patterned paper

Christmas Kickstart – Christmas and never in a nativity

R is for Reindeer:

TTCRD – anything goes

Cards Galore – anything goes

Winter Wonderland Challenge – Christmas and reindeer

Let’s Have A Brew

I’d like to share a card using some new products from Time For Tea Designs here in the UK:

I die cut the scalloped slimline using Mama Elephant dies, and used the white inner to create a cloudy background and grassy base using a Simon Says Stamp stencil. The stencil comes with a flower part too – but I just ink blended the grassy part. I ink blended the clouds darker at the top, and lighter towards the grass.

I then stamped the images, coloured with Copics, and used the matching dies to cut them out – some white gel pen to add interest to the cup.

The sentiment is from the same stamp set,. but I cut it out using a speech bubble die – I think that’s Mama Elephant too but not sure.

The scallop and cloudy piece were stuck down with glue, the panda, the sugar cubes, and the speech bubble were raised with 3D foam.

I found some little sticky hearts in my stash which matched the green and blue, and also attached some small silver gems with them.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – yellow, green, aqua, Kraft

Cut It Up Challenge – summer themed – include a die cut

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

Colour Crazy Challenge – week 28 – anything goes with colouring

Here Is A Place To Start – anything goes – option of balloons and flowers not take

TTCRD – anything goes