ink blending

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

Snowflake Kisses

Hello once again. The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has finished their summer break and we start another challenge. The theme is always ‘anything goes Christmas’. Here is my card:

The blue star background was created using a new product from Uniko. An ink and flip stencil. I did have to watch YouTube videos made by the owner – Bev – to get my head around it.

I used one shade of blue Distress Oxide, and by flipping the stencil and ink blending again, you get the different tones, and the snowflake shape. I still have no idea how it works – but it does. There are a few of the ink and flip stencils on the web site, and I did buy a couple of them, so I’ll be playing with them at some point.

Once the background snowflake was done, I decided to heat emboss some snowflakes on top. I did make sure the inked panel was completely dry before doing this, of course.

I randomly stamped the snowflakes in the background – no rhyme or reason – and used a silver embossing powder.

The snowflake panel was cut with Gina K Master Layouts, a black layer added, and then adhered to the card base.

The foiled sentiment was also layered with black, and adhered flat to the panel.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Peace On Earth – anything goes Christmas

Daring Cardmakers – Christmas in July

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Creative Fingers – anything goes

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Crafty Gals Corner – anything goes – option of Christmas taken

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Christmas (or not) Bingo – the column – free/rectangle/stenciling

Framed Florals

Hello once again. I have had some time to create today:

This product quite is from Pinkfresh Studio, and includes the press plate, stamp, stencils, and a die. As I finally gave in last week to buying the Spellbinders Letterpress machine, I thought I would give it a whirl…

The press plate was inked with black ink, ad instead of using the Spellbinders card stock, I used Hammermill, and it worked perfectly fine for me.

I used the press plate twice, then took the layering stencils and coloured them with the colours from the current Color Throwdown Challenge – yellow, blue, and pink.

I used the very small blue blending brush to colour the branches darker, and also the base of all the leaves.

Once die cut, I played around with the arrangement, decided it needed a frame, so I used a Pinkfresh to create the frame, die cutting three times for dimension, and added the inner detail to the top frame.

Once placed on the card base, I then decided to use another cover plate to create some detail on the back. This plate is part of the Pinkfresh Studio virtual event happening at the moment, and I think I may well be using it more in the future – some subtle detail, but it is there nonetheless:

I snipped parts of the coloured floral image to place them inside the frame, attaching them to the back of the frame, then adding to the embossed panel and card base.

The sentiment is a previously foiled strip, and I chose black as the outline of the floral images is in black, then added some silver gems.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – yellow, pink, blue

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – beautiful blooms

Stencil Fun – stencils – option shades of blue

Here Is A Place To Start – anything goes

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

Tic Tac Toe – middle row – flowers, free, layers

Just Us Girls – use stencils

Ally’s Angels – anything goes