Stamps By Me

Uniko Rose

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Hello everyone. I hope you have had a good few days celebrating, and taking some time for yourself. This is the first time I’ve had time to craft since before Christmas. A busy time for us all, I know.

This card is for the current CASology challenge, and Simon Says Stamp challenge. A simple layout – but it did take me a while to settle on the size and shape of the card, and where to stamp each element.

Here are some of the other examples I made:

This stamp set is one bought from when I attended the Uniko craft retreat earlier in December. The stamp set is quite large, and comes with two different size roses – outline and infill, with buds and leaves, and even sentiments.

I used Altenew inks and stamped the rose, then masked it off to stamp the leaves, so it looks like they are underneath. I did think of colouring the leaves, but I like the effect of leaving them with just the outline, as it gives a more open feel to the card.

The sentiments are from a ‘Stamps By Me’ set I have had for a while, and suited the CASology challenge cue card – ‘kindness’.

I know it’s a short and quick posting today, but at least I’ve managed to do some crafting.

I wish everyone the best for the New Year. Best wishes – Lynda :)

Cheers

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Here I am again posting to a challenge at the last minute – well – the last hour or so. The current challenge from CASology had the cue card ‘cheer’. I had in mind my ‘Stamps by Me’ set. I have a couple of sets with glasses and wine, this one is the smaller set of the two, but I did use the ‘Cheers’ sentiment from the large set.

A one layer card, stamping the bottle and glass first, then added the two sentiments, making extra sure the black ink was dry before I even considered using the embossing powder. I didn’t want that glittery powder getting everywhere.

One I had checked it was dry enough, I stamped the wine part in Ranger Perfect Medium, and heat embossed using a white/light glittery embossing powder from ‘WOW!’.

However, this didn’t really show up very much, so I turned to thinking of red sparkly wine, so – thank goodness I used my Misti and had left the stamp on the lid – I used the Perfect Medium again, on top of the glittery white, and heat embossed using a glittery red.

I tried very hard the get the sparkle on the card in the photo, so please forgive the slight shadow, but I think the glittery-ness shows up.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CASology – Cheer

Addicted to Stamps and More – CAS

STAMPlorations – CAS – not using twist

Less Is More – shine

 

 

 

Poppies

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Hello again. A short posting with a fairly simple card for you today. A couple of colours, a little stamping.

I used a stamp set from Stamps By Me, and the Altenew Crimson ink. Using my Misti, I inked the stamp then spritzed the inked stamp with water, before then stamping it. I wanted a water-colour effect, and not a solid block of colour on the flowers. I did this twice with each position.

The card is an 8 inch square card, and therefore I used the same stamp three times across the width of the card. I used the outline stamp in Stampin Up Basic Grey, but I didn’t actually like the muted effect of the grey outline, so I then went in with a black gel pen and kinda scribbled around the same outline. I added some extra lines myself, to get a more hap-hazard effect.

I used some green ink and my water brush, to create a ‘floor’ underneath the flowers, and added some green to some of the stems.

I did contemplate using a sentiment, but I actually like the card as it is. In this way, it can be used for any occasion.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crazy 4 Challenges – card including poppies

Pause Dream Enjoy – CAS

 

 

Coloured Birthday

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Hello everyone. I hope everyone is doing well, and enjoying the day…..

This card was made in a larger format, to leave some clean space on the card. The colours are from the current challenge from CAS Colours and Sketches – Pumpkin Pie, Crumb Cake, Pear Pizzazz. I first stamped the flowers from Stamps By Me, in Crumb Cake, then again – using my Misti – stamped over the top of the colour with Ranger Perfect Medium, and embossed with clear embossing powder.

I coloured the flowers with Pumpkin Pie, and the leaves with Pear Pizzazz, before using my Lawn Fawn ‘Wonky Rectangles’ to cut the panel. I then used the Sue Wilson ‘Shadow Box Collection – Stitched Lattice Frames’ to emboss the grid pattern into that panel. I also used the three rectangles from that same die set to cut a thin frame out of Crumb Cake Card, and another layer to go underneath the white panel. That way, I had stitching on all the layers.

The bottom thinner frame is stuck directly onto the base card, with the flower panel and it’s Crumb Cake layer being raised on 3D foam pads.

The sentiment is from Stamps By Me, stamped in Versafine Black Onyx.

As it is very, very windy outside today, I photographed inside again. I probably spent as much time hunting for a suitable photo situation as I did putting the card together…..

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CAS Colours and Sketches – Pumpkin Pie, Pear Pizzazz, Crumb Cake

CASology – grid

Seize the Birthday – anything goes birthday (not using optional theme)

 

 

 

 

 

Colours, Sketch, Feminine

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Hello again, everyone. I have made a card with more die-cutting than stamping today. The colours were inspired by Color Throwdown and Watercooler Wednesday, and the layout by Freshly Made Sketches.

I have a fad for orange at the moment. It seems to have been in my crafting for a few months now, and I really have to try to move away from it – but then Color Throwdown used orange as part of the colour scheme this week. Yay!

I used a spellbinders die for the large circle, and the ‘beautiful’ word die from Stamps By Me, as was the ‘Birthday Wishes’ stamp. This part of it was actually quite easy. Now for the more complicated part…..

I wanted to use a rose die from Stamps By Me, which comes with the intricate rose, plus a larger border die. I didn’t want the bits to fall out of the rose, so turned to some Glad Press ‘N’ seal which my sister gave from when I went to Canada.

20171005_215529 v2Once I had cut the rose out of Kraft card, I managed to release the die cut without many pieces falling out, used the press ‘n’ seal on the front of the rose, glued the back of it all, then picked it up with the press ‘n’ seal, and placed it on the larger rose outline die, gently removing the press ‘n’ seal, leaving the rose stuck down onto the outline. I didn’t fancy piecing all those bits back in, so I am glad not many of them fell out!

I then added some Spectrum Sparkle around the rose outline, and stuck it to the circle with 3D foam pads.

Challenges I am entering with this card:

Color Throwdown – Orange, Kraft, White

Freshly Made Sketches – Sketch

Watercooler Wednesday – anything goes feminine

 

 

3 colours water-coloured

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Hi all. I’m afraid it’s another indoor photo today, as it’s very grey, miserable, windy, and rainy outside. I am more of an Autumn and Winter person, and like watch rain and snow etc. – when I’m inside near a wood fire, of course!

The colours for this card was from the current challenge from Hand Stamped Sentiments – So Saffron, Always Artichoke, and Night of Navy. I first stamped some of my Altenew Tulips onto water-colour card, then coloured them with my water-brush. As I only have the markers for the tulip colours, I scribbled them onto an acrylic block, then took my water-brush and coloured in the flowers. After the first layer had dried, I went back in to add some shading – in the same colours – but a second layer gave some added dimension. I also use the matching dies to cut them out.

For the Night of Navy background, I took some water-colour paper this time. I sprayed the paper liberally with water, then dropped in the Night Of Navy with the water-brush – from an acrylic block again – and moved it around a little. I find the Stampin Up inks are actually very good when it comes to water-colouring, and it didn’t take long at all. (Well – I did use by heat gun a little!)

I cut the rectangle out as I didn’t want a lot of blue on the card, and stuck everything down as you see.

The sentiment is from Stamps By Me, stamped in Versafine black onyx.

I have also been playing with my Derwent Inktense pencils today, and will be using them on another project. I must have watched quite a few YouTube videos on these pencils, as well as going onto the Derwent website. What you can do with these seems to be endless, if you are an artist – which I definitely am not! I do, however, like the intensity which comes from these pencils, and that you can touch a water-brush to the nib itself to pull some colour off. I’ll be trying some layering, some shading – all new to me. What a challenge I have set myself……….I may have to search for some classes near to me…..

I will be entering the following challenges with this card:

Hand Stamped Sentiments – So Saffron, Always Artichoke, Night of Navy

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge – anything goes

CAS on Sunday – use a die cut

QKR Stampede – anything goes with twist of cutting it up

 

Simple and Autumnal

Hi everyone. Another playtime today, and I created a couple of cards for challenges which are ending today. Please forgive another ‘twofer’ but I haven’t had time to play much the past couple of days, and I really wanted to put my ideas for these cards out there.

The first card is a simple geometric design, using the Altenew ‘Simple Shapes’ stamp set, stamped in Versafine black onyx. I used my Misti as I felt I may have to stamp them a couple of times, as it is such a solid shape. Then I used Catherine Pooler ‘Rockin’ Red’, stamping a sentiment from Stamps By Me into the red shape. This card is going to be entered into the following challenges:

Dragonfly Journeys – Hip hexagons

4 Crafty Chicks – black, white and one other colour

Addicted to Stamps and More – anything goes

Moving along with the times – Geometric shapes

The second card took a little more playing!

For the autumn colours, I used some Brusho’s on a white piece of card, let that dry, and die cut the sentiment from a Stamps By Me set. I also die cut ‘H’ and ‘I’ from the Altenew ‘Bold Alphabet’ out of the same card.

The background is a stencil from Catherine Pooler, using three colours of distress oxide, purposely leaving the bottom white to show the word ‘beautiful’ off better. Once I had stuck the word and letters down onto the stencilled card, I added some Nuvo drops.

I haven’t really used Nuvo drops before, but I must say I like the way they hold a rounded shape, and how solid they feel when they have dried. I purchased quite a few from Hochanda when they had a ‘mix and match’ deal going on – I am glad I did.

This card will be entered into the following challenges:

AAA Cards – colours of Autumn

The Paper Girls Challenge – harvest/autumn colours

Make My Monday challenge – Autumn colours

Pause Dream Enjoy challenges – fall colours

 

 

Two clean and simple cards

Hello everyone. I have two clean and simple cards for today – just for whilst my Brusho backgrounds are drying after a colourful play. It is too late for me to take a photo outside – very grey and a little rainy – so inside it was.

The first card was inspired by Just Us Girls photo week and Clean and Simple Colours and Sketches.

The photo inspiration looked very green to me, and lots of leaves, especially down the left side, so I used my ‘Grass Skirt’ from Catherine Pooler, and placed the leaves as per the sketch. The leaves were from a Stamps By Me set I recently purchased – yes, another set. The sentiment is also from the same company, putting two sentiments together from two different stamp sets.

The second card was inspired from the current challenge from CASology. The cue card was:

Now I spent some time thinking about this card. I didn’t have a clue what to do, so I was sat there, checking my emails, thinking of lucky rabbit feet, fortune cookies, stroking one of my gorgeous black cats – I have two – then the bolt of lightning struck me…….lucky black cats! Yay! Problem solved……

I hunted through my stash, as I knew I had several cat stamps, including the Tim Holtz Crazy Cats, Indigo Blu, Stampendous, but also knew I had a solid cat stamp somewhere…. and found it in my trusty Altenew box ‘Dancing In The Rain’…..

So now to the sentiment. I couldn’t find any ‘good luck’ stamps initially, I hunted through loads of my stuff, then found a set from JustRite, from a wedding set, and liked the look of the font.

I stamped them both in Versafine black onyx, and decided to stop there. No embellishments, no further additions. (remember to keep it clean and simple, Lynda!!)

Hopefully, my Brusho backgrounds will be dry so I can put together some more cards for tomorrow……..

Challenges entered:

Just Us Girls – photo inspiration

CAS Colours and Sketches – sketch

CASology – cue card ‘fortune’

 

Simple Florals

Hi there, everyone. A quick posting – though a few more pictures than usual. One stamp set, several colours for today. Another stamp set from ‘Stamps By Me’ which includes the three flowers, and the three splashes of colour, matching up nicely with the centre of the flowers. The sentiments are also from that same stamp set, with a shading on the top of each letter. I didn’t notice until I had stamped them, then thought I had done something wrong – but no – that is the way they are.

As it was one layer, I used my Catherine Pooler inks, and I am getting addicted to the orange colour. I always seem to want to use this very bright and cheerful orange.

I am feeling I may be stamping these flowers onto water-colour card in the future, and playing around with shading, perhaps having a go at some pencil shading too – you never know.

I will be entering the following challenges:

Addicted to CAS – Florals

Cards In Envy – easy as 1, 2, 3

 

 

3 colours, three challenges

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Hello again, everyone. I’ve added a different way of photographing today, as it’s cold and wet outside. I thought I’d add a little wooden black cat, then realised it was too big to get it in and see the cards too, so just the one with the cat, then smaller for the cards.

The colours of these cards were inspired by Color Throwdown, the subject matter of flowers inspired by As You Like It Challenge, and the colouring medium by CAS on Sunday.

The stamp is from ‘Stamps By Me’ – I think I’ve become a stalker with these stamps sets! I love all the floral sets that Toni, the designer and owner, has created. I usually prefer animals to flowers in ‘real life’ but when I am card making, I am more of a floral person. I love stamping and colouring or die cutting flowers and arranging them.

Toni from ‘Stamps By Me’ has recently been on Create and Craft with a lovely little selection – which sold out within the first hour. (psssstttt – I was one of those buyers!!)

The three cards are using navy blue, green, and white. All coloured slightly differently, but all stamped with Versafine black onyx onto water-colour card. One coloured with pencils which aren’t water soluble, with the water-colour card giving a textured look to the colour. One coloured with my Zigs – naturally! – and one with water-colour pencils.

I actually like both the water-colour cards, not such a fan of the normal pencils – I may have to persevere and have a look at some You tube videos. However, I do like my water-colouring…… :) :)

Color Throwdown – Navy, Green, White

As You Like It Challenge – flora or fauna

CAS on Sunday – use pencils or markers