Zig clean colour markers

Ocean Pals – keep swimming

Hello once again. I have been playing with the MFT ‘Ocean Pals‘ stamp and die cutting set this weekend – in between going to the Doncaster Race Course ‘Crafting Live’ event.

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I smooshed and ink blended a few backgrounds with several blue Distress Oxides, adding several layers, air drying between layers. I then cut out a circle – cut the bottom off to match the current CAS Colours and Sketches Challenge – then die cut that circle with the MFT Horizontal Snow Drifts.

I placed those pieces back into a circle shape using 3D foam pads, but wanted some white to show between the layers, so I off-set them. The blue circle alone was too – well – blue!

I stamped the little fishies onto water-colour card, then coloured them with my Zigs. I used 2 or 3 of each colour to get some dimension in the fishies. After adding them, I took a sentiment from Hero Arts Colour Layering Gold fish, which I stamped, layered with another piece of blue, and splattered with some to stop it being so white.

As the sun is shining again, I took a photo to show the dimension I added when putting the card together.

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I shall be entering this card into the following challenges:

CAS Colours and Sketches – sketch

Just Us Girls – Water-colour background

 

 

 

Altenew Perfectly Perfect stamp set

Hello again everyone. I have been making a card to enter a colour challenge and a sketch challenge:

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I knew I wanted to use the colours from Color Throwdown and use flowers, and I knew I wanted to base the layout on the current sketch from Freshly Made Sketches – but which flower stamp set just kept me thinking and over-thinking…..I couldn’t decide.

Then – Mr Postie arrived…..with a delivery from Seven Hills Crafts…..this stamp set was inside the package……. I just had to use it straight away.

I stamped the images onto water-colour card, in a grey from Stampin Up, then stamped again with an embossing pad and heat set with clear. I then coloured with my Zigs using a couple of yellows, and a couple of greys  to tie-in with the colours from the Color Throwdown challenge.

I die-cut the rectangle out of Kraft card with my stitched wonky rectangle from MFT, stuck that onto a white card base, and glued my flowers and leaves down with 3D glue. I only put the glue in the centre of each flower, as I was playing with the sentiment and leaves to decide where I wanted them to go, so no pads near the edges gave me more lee-way. I like to put leaves and flowers on top and underneath other flowers, as I think it adds more interest and dimension.

The sentiment is from the same stamp set, white heat embossed, and glued in a jaunty angle to match the sketch. I think it’s quite ironic that the stamp set is called ‘Perfectly Perfect‘ and the sentiment is wonky. (Maybe it’s my sense of humour! :)

As mentioned, I shall be entering into:

Color Throwdown – grey, yellow, kraft, white

Freshly Made Sketches – sketch

Flamingo and sketch

Hello there. As I am working tomorrow, and England has another football game tomorrow evening, I don’t think I’ll have time to craft – you never know. Here is a card I made to enter two challenges:

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I took my Distress Oxides and ink smooshed and water-coloured a piece of water-colour card. I wanted to have colours which wouldn’t over-power the flamingo pink, nor the vibrant green of the palm trees.

I took the sketch inspiration from CAS(E) This Sketch and die cut the banner/tag using a Catherine Pooler die, took the flamingo and trees from W Plus 9 ‘Flock Yeah‘, water-coloured them with my zigs, and arranged as you see.

The sentiment is from the same stamp set.

Here is another version:

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I have mentioned before that I struggle with clean and simple cards, but I really think I’m growing in that department. I think the key is to take inspiration from other card makers and challenges – I still like to make a card that is ‘full-on’ – but am actually enjoying my clean and simple journey.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CAS(E) This Sketch – sketch

CAS On Sunday – CAS water-colour

 

Forget Me Not

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Happy weekend everyone. Some crafting time for me this weekend. I have been getting some inky fingers with some water-colouring again.

I saw this stamp last week at the Doncaster craft show, and fell in love with it straight away. It is from Honey Doo Crafts, called ‘Forget Me Not‘. I can see these flowers are sometimes yellow, after I did a little Google search, but it didn’t really matter to me. I was following the colours inspired by the current Card Concept challenge, which is mainly red and yellow.

I stamped in Versafine black onyx and heat embossed with clear. I took several similar colours from my Zigs and started to colour. I wanted the centre of the envelope to be a little lighter, and the edges darker, so it looks like it is full and dimensional.

Three colours for the flowers, to try to add some dimension also, but these are little flowers…..I kept going anyway. I didn’t colour part of the image which is around the closure of the envelop, partly because I didn’t know what colour to use, and partly because I liked the detail in there.

To add more dimension, I added some light grey around the image, and just let everything dry. Once dry, I took a Catherine Pooler postage die to cut it out, and then thought about the background. I thought it need some red around the image, but not a solid red, so I turned to Altenew and stamped the ‘Wood Pallet background‘ stamp after I had inked it up using the same red colours I had coloured the envelope in. It took a couple of stampings – using my Misti – and I really like the effect this gave.

I didn’t want to cover the image up with a sentiment, so I cut a larger base card, and stamped the greeting using a set of MFT stamps which I always seem to turn to.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

The Card Concept – photo inspiration

Watercooler Challenges – anything feminine goes

Lil Red Wagon – flowers

Aud Sentiments Challenge – anything goes with a sentiment

Lovely Piggies

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Hello there. I hope everyone is doing alright, and hoping to get some crafting done over the next few days.

This card is made to enter the current challenges at CASology. The cue word is ‘farm’.

I don’t have many farm animal stamps,  but I remember purchasing this Mama Elephant ‘Lovely Piggies‘ stamp set a little while ago. I thought it would be easier to colour than the ‘Little Agenda‘ stamps I have – very fiddly they are – and it was better. Well, the heads were, anyway!

I stamped all the images onto water-colour card stock with Versafine Black Onyx, as I didn’t know how I wanted to colour them. I then heat embossed in clear, and looked at all my colouring options.

I decided to go with my Zigs, as I hadn’t used them for a while, and the tip of the brush means I can get into the fiddly areas when I needed to.

I used a couple of pinks for the pigs, and then played with the other colours for whatever the pigs were holding or wearing. I chose this little piggy as I like the little heart he/she is carrying. I die cut the piggies, and then looked to my layout.

How I could frame the little piggy? I remembered I had bought some square frame stamps last week at the Doncaster Dome craft show. There are two square stamps from Bee Crafty ‘Backdrop Frames – style wire‘ and I chose the larger of the two, stamped in Versafine black onyx again, and sat my little piggy inside it.

The sentiment is from a Honey Doo stamp set ‘Forget Me Not‘ which I also bought last week.

So, quite a clean and simple card for you today, but it actually took me longer than my more elaborate concoctions, because of the colouring, and the decision of where to place everything.

A last little bit of exciting news…..I have been asked to guest design for the next CASology challenge, beginning Tuesday 12th June……it’s another good ‘un………I hope you will be able to join us.

:)

A Tweet Hello

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Hello everyone. I have in my craft room again, and this is third attempt at making a card. I have been trying some water-colouring for another challenge, and some die-cutting and stamping for yet another challenge – but my results were definitely less than ideal. In fact – I binned them! I was so frustrated!

I took some time out with my puddy tats, and then went back to other ideas completely – and this card just came together! Isn’t it strange how that happens?

I used my new collection of Tim Holtz Distress Oxides – fabulous deal they were – and blended on some card, then added some water droplets. The little birdies – aren’t they cute? – are from MFT ‘My Tweet Hello‘, which I stamped then coloured with my Zigs. I just coloured en bloc, no shading, as I wanted some vibrant colours so they would stand out from the little squares I put them on.

The wonky squares are from MFT, and were just the right size to add the little birdies to. I purposefully moved the squares around so they didn’t all have the pink and blue on the same side, just for that little added variety.

I may venture into my craft room again, but I’ll to gird my loins…..it may help if I clear away everything from my desk, and then start anew…….that’s a thought! I’ll let you know how I get on….

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CAS Colours and Sketches – sketch

Addicted to Stamps and More – anything goes

Clean and Simple on Sunday – CAS cute

Aud Sentiments challenge – cute and sentiment

Cat agenda

Hello everyone. I have a couple of cards to share today, as part of the Twofer Card Challenge, and Seize The Birthday.

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Both of these cards are using the Little Cat Agenda from Mama Elephant, and both are using the MFT Horizontal Collage plate – but using the cover plate squares which are cut out for one card, and the remaining frame of water-colour card for the other. So – two fer one using the cover plate die. I think the cut-out squares are meant to be discarded – but I always keep them for adding to cards.

I wanted the cards to be quite vibrant, so chose my Distress Oxides accordingly for the backgrounds, and whilst having the cats quite similar in colour, I used the zigs in vibrant colours too for the objects they are holding.

In the first picture you can see one of my new cats. We had two humongous cats, but lost one of them suddenly in January, so we bought not one – but two more cats. Well – what’s three cats compared to two cats, right?

That’s why I chose cats for the Two fer challenge…..

I quite enjoyed colouring the little blighters – but they are small, and it took me a while to figure out how to use some dimension when colouring when they are so small, but I tried…..and enjoyed the challenge….and that’s what it is all about, isn’t it?

Have a good day, and I will see you tomorrow – I still have a couple of cards to post from my Marathon session on Sunday!! That mojo returned with a vengeance!

 

Spring Daisy

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Hi there. I have been playing with new techniques today. I finally – finally – got around to watching some of the Altenew Academy classes I bought over the past, well, months, if not years.

These two cards were an attempt from inspiration from Laura Bassen and the ‘Clean, Simple, and Colorful techniques‘. That lovely woman certainly knows how to inspire – and don’t you just love her chat? I am laughing, and giggling, and learning – all in one go. Her attempt at the New York accent? Had me in stitches – though it is probably much, much better than I could do. Love it.

I decided to try the water-colour resist technique. I think that’s what it’s called….

I took the three colours from the current challenge at Color Throwdown and set to creating. I first stamped and heat embossed with clear the Altenew ‘Pattern Play – Hexagon‘ onto water-colour card. I then took Catherine Pooler’s ‘Aquatini‘, smooshed it onto my brand new Tim Holtz Glass Mat ink area (Yippee! and Yay!), wet down the water-colour card and used a water brush to dot and spread and generally mess around colouring the panel.

I added some extra depth of colour in some places, and  I really liked how the ink worked in this way.

Whilst that was drying, I stamped the flowers using Altenew inks, not realising there are only two layers – the outline and one shading. I decided to go over the stamped and shaded flowers with another yellow from my Zigs, and it still kept some of the detail in the flowers, I did the same with the leaves.

I used 3D glue gel to stick them onto the card base, stamped and adhered the sentiment, added some clear dew drop thingies, and there we are.

I am sure tomorrow will be spent looking st some more of the classes I haven’t got around to, if this is where they lead me.

I will be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – yellow, aqua, green, white

Water Cooler Challenges – Occasion

Aud Sentiments challenge – birthday

Addicted to Stamps – make your mark

Time Out Challenge – Spring (option of one layer – not used)

 

3 cards

Hello there everyone. I have had a lot of opportunity to craft in the past 24 hours, and I have three cards to share with you today. I could post some tomorrow – but I have my bestie coming round for take-away, drink, and movie – so I am sure I have made the right choice in not posting tomorrow!!

This first card is inspired by the current CASology challenge

Week 294 - Start[1]

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It took me a little while to think of things. I was thinking cars, jobs, baby, weddings, then I remembered the most recent Catherine Pooler Stamp of Approval, and a paper aeroplane in there……..
I took some water-colour card and used 2 colours of Distress Oxides to blend together at the bottom, using a piece of paper to maintain a fairly straight and clean edge, then spritzed with water. My idea of the water was for it to look like clouds…..
The sentiment, dots and plane are from the same collection, and stamped in Versafine black onyx.
This second card was inspired by Time Out Challenges and 4 Crafty Chicks (flowers):
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I took the colours of the flowers and vase stand. The Altenew layered plaid cover plate A and B were cut out and stuck together, and after putting onto a base card, I used some black splatters – I felt the urge for a little mess!
The yellow flowers are from Altenew ‘Amazing You‘, and I stamped the outline in a darker yellow from one of their ink sets, embossed with clear embossing powder, then water-coloured with a Zig yellow and an orange.
After die-cutting them I arranged in a huddle, using 3D glue gel – helps me to position – and added the sentiment from the same stamp set.
I then decided to add some Tonic Nuvo black drops extra to the splatters – I thought the white background card was a little plain!
This third card is inspired by the current challenge at The Library Challenge, and Just Us Girls:
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I took the cover of the book and used the black, white, and red – some grey leaves for artistic license – and stamped some flowers from a Stamps By Me set I have had for a while.
I used Catherine Pooler ‘Rockin Red‘ (I must get the ink re-fill next time I order anything) and embossed with clear embossing powder. Some masking – which doesn’t scare me now, even when I don’t have the matching dies – and then thought about how to make a curvy black side.
I turned to my Avery Elle ‘Snow Caps’ dies and used one of the curves twice.
The sentiment is also from Stamps By Me, and I was looking for a bold sentiment to join the Just Us Girls challenge, and heat embossed in white – like the title of the book.
Thank you for your perseverance, and I hope to be back with you soon. :)

Friends

20180218_203048Hi everyone. I have moved away from the florals for a little while….for this card, anyway. I was inspired by the current challenge fro CASology, and as I had a delivery from Clearly Besotted this week, which included these cheeky monkeys…….off I went.

I know that many people are thinking Valentines at the moment, but I tend to buck the trend and think of other ways of ‘together’. This card is an homage to my best friend, and the sentiment taken from an Altenew stamp set just fits the bill nicely.

We are crazy when we are together, yet professional and somewhat calmer during our work time. In fact we hardly see each other at work, even when we worked within the same department. Which made it all the more special when we went away for a night or two. We are going away for the Uniko retreat this coming Saturday (24th), as we had so much lovely crafting time last time, we just had to! (Even though my bestie isn’t really a crafty card maker……..she just comes with me for the craic!)

So, this card….the images stamped in Versafine black onyx and heat embossed with clear embossing powder. I actually stamped quite a few of them, as I didn’t know which of the images I wanted to use, and I didn’t know which colouring medium I would prefer.

I coloured some with my Zigs – the ones I used – and some with my Polychromos, then some with some Crafters Companion pencils. I then die cut them, arranged them on the card – fiddling several times – then added with 3D foam.

20180218_203102_001The sentiment is stamped in Versafine black onyx again, but not heat embossed. One thing I always seem to do – add the sentiment last, even when the card is complete except for the sentiment. How about if it stamped wrong?! I do like to live on the edge…..