ink smooshing

‘Tis The Season…..

The new Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has now gone live, and the theme is always ‘anything goes Christmas/Festive‘. Here is my card:

I had quite a bit of messy fun creating this card – ink smooshing, die cutting, ink blending – and I like the outcome.

The background panel is a piece of ink smooshed card stock, with pink and blue Distress Inks, and when that was dry I used a Pinkfresh Studio background die.

I adhered that whole panel to the card base, then turned to the die cutting…….

The two critters are from Tim Holtz, and each piece die cut pout of an ink blended or smooshed panel. If I didn’t have the colour I wanted, I created one.

Before adding each layer, I did some more ink blending on them to make them different. All the brown pieces are from the same panel, but I ink blended a darker brown on them to create different shades – the antlers for instance.

The sentiment is also from Tim Holtz, stamped onto the same brown smooshed panel, cut out, then ink blending.

I adhered all of them with 3D foam.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Jingle Belles – Christmas and card stock – no patterned paper

Creative Fingers – anything goes

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with animal as main focus

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

My Time To Craft Christmas – Christmas and something beginning with ‘R’ (red, reindeer)

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Flying By To Say Hello….

I had a play with new – and some not so new – items and created this card:

The hummingbird die is part of a Spellbinders/Bibi Cameron class last weekend. We created a total of three cards with the hummingbird die set, which also comes with some large lilies. I understand these die and their add-ons will be released next month. In the meantime, I have been playing….

I changed my mind several times with this card. I first die cut the hummingbird and all the layers with some lime green and yellow card stock – to match the colours of a current challenge – but decided the image was too flat, despite the layers.

I decided to create my own yellow and lime green card by ink smooshing Twisted Citron and Squeezed Lemonade Distress Inks, and then using those two panels to die cut the bird layers. The only decision to be made was which colour for which layer – but I like how this turned out.

The background panel was created using a piece of light blue card stock, a a Sizzix 3D embossing folder. I thought the blue was too even, so I then took the Hero Arts Unicorn White pigment ink and gently – so very gently – swiped it across the piece of card. The white highlighted the most raised areas of the embossing, and I was much happier with this look.

I cut down that panel to be slightly smaller than an A2 card base, adhered it with 3D foam, and then attached the bird – also with 3D foam.

The sentiment is from the add-on sentiment stamp set from the same release.

I also added some light blue iridescent sequins – three slightly underneath the wings of the bird, and three below the sentiment.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – emboss it

Color Throwdown – pale blue, yellow, lime

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with an animal as main focus

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

Triple B challenge – birds, blooms, butterflies – any or all

Cardz 4 Galz – use vellum

Hello once again. The new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz has gone live, and Billie A has chosen the theme of #Vellum’. Use vellum on your girlie creations. Here is my card:

A took a piece of vellum slightly smaller than an A2 card base, and put it through a Spellbinder embossing folder. I then ran that through my Xyron machine, and attached it to the white card base.

I die cut the Gina K Designs feathers from a yellow ink smooshed and splattered card panel, ran them through the Xyron machine too – and stuck them down as you see. I then took some gold and black metallic paint and splattered.

Whilst that was drying, I die cut the word ‘enjoy’ three times, and stuck the layers together. I then stamped the two extra words, and cut them at a jaunty angle.

The larger word was adhered directly onto the dry vellum panel, with the two smaller words adhered with 3D foam.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations using vellum – there are so many ways to use this product. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Die Cut Divas – anything goes with a die cut

Give A Crafter A Cookie – yellow as main colour

Love To Craft – anything goes

Mix It Up – anything goes – option distressing

You’re How Old……?

Hello there. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Caz has chosen the theme of ‘Clean and Simple’. Here is my card:

I chose a Heffy Doodle image, stamped then coloured with Copics, and die cut with the matching die set.

I then die cut a circle into white panel, added a piece of previously created ink smooshed card behind the aperture, and then added the image so he was poking his head out of it.

The sentiment was stamped and cut into a strip, adding as you see.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafty Calendar – add a sentiment

AAA Birthday – anything goes birthday

Here Is A Place To Start – anything goes

Love To Craft – anything goes

Coffee Cup Shaker

Hello. I have a card to share using a new die set from Time For Tea Designs:

I die cut the coffee cup in a piece of card which had been sprayed with mica stain, this would act as the base which would be seen through the acetate.

I then taped the coffee cup and window die together, and die cut both 5 times to create the walls of the shaker. I didn’t use 3D foam for the edges – I think stacked die cuts look cleaner when viewed from the side.

I glued four of the die cuts to the base, added sequins into the ‘well’, added acetate to the back of the top ink smooshed layer and stuck down. I wanted a brown-ish coffee cup, but not solid brown. The lid was die cut and added.

I stamped the sentiment, cut into a strip, and glued to the top of the acetate.

There are a few dies in this set I didn’t use – a gift card holder and slots, and a coffee cup wrap piece – but I thought the wrap piece would cover up too much of the cup and shaker for this project.

I wanted a background patterned paper which was quite colourful, so the coffee shaker would stand out, and chose one which had colours which seemed to be reflected in the sequin mix.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Day Of The Month Card Club – National Espresso Day

Cut It Up Challenge – coffee – include a die cut

Creative Fingers – anything goes

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Just……..Hello…..

I have a CAS card to share which incorporates several of my favourite techniques – ink smooshing, die-cutting, and using embossing folders:

I dry embossed a white panel and stuck to the card base with 3D foam.

The Tim Holtz flower (Holiday Brushstrokes) was die cut from a previously created orange ink smooshed panel – the different small layers had some extra ink blending on the edges to make them a little darker – and glued together. The yellow centre is from another panel using mica sprays.

I also die cut the leaves in that die set from a brown card stock, then adhered these with a mixture of 3D foam and wet glue.

The sentiment if from Lawn Fawn, die cut three times in white, then a brown die cut on top.

I added some red enamel dots as extra accents.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

TTCRD – anything goes

Krafty Chicks – CAS

Creative Knockouts – anything goes

Color Throwdown – red, orange, brown, yellow

Mix It Up – anything goes – option to use a technique

Shimmery Golden Merry Christmas

The next Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge is now live. Here is my card:

The background is an ink smooshed creation – lots of different green Distress Inks – multiple layers – so much fun to create.

Once that had dried, I splattered Liquitex acrylic metallic ink in gold and white and let that dry.

The sentiment is from Hero Arts, the shadow in vellum, and the main words in Spellbinders matt gold card stock. If the shimmer on the background wasn’t enough – I also dotted some iridescent sequins around.

This is certainly a very shimmery card and so much fun to create. I feel another ‘messy’ play coming on to create more backgrounds – even though I have plenty – but I just love to play and ink smoosh instead of always feeling I have to create a card.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Krafty Chicks – occasions

Peace On Earth Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Creative Fingers – anything goes

TTCRD – anything goes

U Got This…..

I have a card to share today using lots of bright colours and die cuts:

The base panel is a previously created panel when ink smooshing and mixing some bright colours, then I embossed it with a Stampin Up embossing folder. I splattered this some black acrylic and set it to dry.

I then turned to die cutting all the pieces from the Tim Holtz die set – choosing bright colours – and using more previously created ink smooshed panels from my stock. I also found some black glimmer card which I had used some glimmer polish on so thought that would be ideal for the eyes.

Once all the pieces were die cut, I played with layout and decided to go with the face as you see, sticking down with a combination of 3D foam and glue.

The sentiment is also from Tim Holtz – using the letters which fell out of the metal die – a big ‘U’ instead of the full word as I felt it wouldn’t fit in and look right……

A bright and cheerful encouragement card – I have someone in mind – with a lot of fiddly work – but I like the result.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Cut It Up Challenge – big image or sentiment – include a die cut

CYHTP – embossing folder – option orange and black not taken

Time Out Challenge – cancer awareness/friendship/encouragement

Creative Fingers – anything goes

Allsorts Challenge – add a sentiment

Addicted To Stamps and More – die cuts/stencils

We Love 2 Create – anything goes mixed media

Cardz 4 Galz – Forget-Me-Not

The new challenge theme at Cardz 4 Galz has been chosen by Debbie. She wants us to create a card ‘for a cause’. Here is my card:

My mum passed away earlier this year from the effects of Alzheimer’s Dementia, and so I chose to use forget-me-nots for my card, which is the flower associated with this dreadful disease.

I used the die set from The Greetery to create this bunch of flowers. Firstly, I ink smooshed some blue and some green inks onto some Distress Mixed Media card stock – trying to get some variation in the colours – but not too dramatic.

Once die cut, I assembled the flowers – I must have had some patience to do this – but maybe it was that I was inspired by the reason I was doing it – so very fiddly – but it came together quite quickly.

The sentiment is from Pinkfresh Studio, and I realise as I type this that it is very emotional, such a short time since I lost her, and I will always be thinking of her……she is the one who got me into card making in the first place too……

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Creative Fingers Challenge – anything goes

Ally’s Angels Challenge – anything goes

TTCRD – anything goes

Mix It Up Challenge – anything goes – option ink smooshing

Love To Craft Challenge – anything goes

Sending Warm Hugs

Hello. I’m popping to show you a card made using the colours at the current Color Throwdown challenge:

I wanted to use the Honey Bee Stamps sunflower again – love that die set – and a new Sizzix die received as part of the current Maker Mania #6 that is happening this weekend.

This is my fourth Maker Mania event, and it includes, scrapbooking and layouts – not my thing – but it certainly has many card making hints and tips and techniques – some of which I’ll be exploring. Of course – the event products are fabulous – and this Sizzix die was one of them.

back to the card – I used some Cosmic Shimmer red lustre polish on a white card panel, and after it was dry – very, very quickly – I die cut just one layer of the Sizzix lattice.

I ink smooshed some yellow water-colour inks onto a couple of pieces of Distress Mixed Media Heavystock, and on another I used one of my previously created green ink smooshed panels.

The red lattice was carefully glued to the card base, the flower put together and placed as you see. As the sentiment is in black – I also placed some faceted black gems strategically around the lattice frame. As you know – once I start with gems I have to restrain myself!