Two Little Wrens

Hi all.  I have made an anniversary card for my hubby featuring a die of a little wren which came with Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady Magazine Box Kit No. 1.  I cut two sitting on a leafy branch and placed them over a slatted heart die from Craft Addictions being used for the first time, although I have had it for a while...tut tut! It was our 43rd on Thursday, and I can't believe that we've been married that long..maybe hubby might think differently..lol.     

I cut the heart which can be used just to cut into the card but also cut out with the added outer die..it also has a stitched frame which impresses the pattern but doesn't cut but can be added to the mix.  I also added a piece of red card behind the slats.  I then cut the birds twice, once from red and again from white and shaded the red one a little with a red alcohol marker, and the white one with pencil though this doesn't show in the photo really, and also cut the branch and some leaves from the red card..all using snippets.  I added the heart to a 6" square white card, just a little above the centre, and arranged the birds on the branch and added the leaves.  I then decided to add a couple of clusters of little white hearts each side of the central heart and finished with a red sentiment using a mixture of Versafine Satin Red and Crimson.  I used my stamp positioner and just added each colour until I was happy that it went with the red card I used.

Just as an aside.  The Craft Addictions Hearts die set (it has two duplicate heart sets) which I got soon after they started doing dies and I found that some of the metal pieces that hold the dies together were impossible to totally remove as they were in a curve at the top and bottom of the die which made them impossible to get at with the pliers I have, and I cannot used the stitched aspect of the die because the little bits of metal leave marks/holes in the paper after running it through my machine.  I just wondered if anyone else had problems and has managed to remove these with snips/pliers and could recommend some that would work.  I believe that since this first run they have rectified the problem which is good.  

Thank you for joining me here at my blog today and I'll see you again soon.

I am entering the following challenges:

CAS on Friday Challenge - No. 312 Botanical (the birds are on a leafy branch..hope this counts).

Simply Clean and Simple Challenge - July'25 Anything CAS Goes/Beachy.

Snippets Playground Challenge - No. 509 Where we use our snippets of card and paper etc.  (I have used snippets of white and red card throughout).

Cut It Up Challenge - No. 333 Critters.

Allsorts Challenge - No. 827 For A Child/Anything Goes.

NBUS Challenge No. 76 Where we use our Never Before Used Schtuff.

Color Hues Challenge - No. 113 Red and White.

Group of Seven - Generation Stamping

Hi everyone.  Another month has whizzed by and it's time for this month's technique over at the Group of Seven Cardmakers, and it's using generation stamping.  This is not a new technique but one perhaps that over time we do forget to include in our cardmaking and it can certainly be very effective.  For this card I have used a hill mask by Lavinia...one of a set, and also a stamp by Crafty Individuals called Wild Flowers and Fern Silhouette.  

I masked a panel on a piece of card 51/2" square and ink blended the hills and sky using a Lavinia mask and Peeled Paint Distress Ink at the bottom followed by Lettuce Adirondack Ink and then Crushed Olive DI, and for the sky Shaded Lilac and Tumbled Glass DI's.  I then removed the mask strips and added the flowers inking with Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink, and then stamped again onto a spare piece of paper before stamping on the card for the second generation ones, and a little lower and two the right...I used a stamp positioner which is why I used a piece of paper placed in my Misti to remove some ink.   I finished by adding the little birds using a Black Micron Pen, and stamped and heat embossed the sentiment again using the Nocturne Ink, and I then added this to the 6" square white base card.  This is quite a simple card but I think the second generation inking of the flowers does add a bit more interest.  I did debate whether to try stamping the flowers again for some third generation ones but decided not too.  I have to keep telling myself that less is more...lol.

I hope you'll give this a go, and if you do there is a Linky at the bottom of the GO7 post where you can add your cards for us all to enjoy and get inspiration from.  You will also find great inspiration from the other members of the team and there are several videos you can look at too.

Thank you for coming to visit my blog today and I'll see you again soon.  

I am entering the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge - No. 826 Seaside/Anything Goes.
We Love Stamping Challenge - June'25 Nature/Anything Goes.

Stamping Sensations Challenge - June'25 Our Furry Friends/Anything Goes.

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes.

Simply Clean and Simple Challenge - Pretty Pinks/Anything Goes.

AAA Cards Challenge - No 293 Anything CAS Goes.

I am also joining in with Darnell's I.D.E.A.S. Calendar - Week 4: A = Anything Goes.

Floral Flourish

Hi everybody.  I found a technique on line which I just had to do, sorry that I can't remember precisely where, but it involves masking to leave a white edge and then ink blending and after using an embossing folder over the whole thing dragging a contrasting ink pad across the raised areas just where the masked colour is.  I used a Lisa Horton 3D folder called Floral Flourish which I was lucky enough to win fairly recently and am using for the first time, and also Distress Inks in Peeled Paint, Mowed Lawn, Peacock Feathers and Faded Jeans, and I used Hero Arts Unicorn as the contrasting ink.

I started with a piece of white card cut to fit the 6" square embossing folder and I then masked equally around the edges and applied the ink with a brush and blended well.  I then heat set the inks and ran the piece through the EF and then I cut back the edges a bit on each side to fit nicely on a 6" square white card.  I re-masked it and added the white ink over the coloured area.  Unfortunately the white seems to have picked up the underneath colour, especially over the green and the white ink pad which is new has acquired a green tinge.  I have rubbed the pad across a piece of kitchen towel a few times and it is better, but just hope that when I next use it the ink still comes through white.  I finished it with a white die cut bird found in my bits box and a die cut sentiment cut twice from white card to give it more substance and coloured using a Sharpie silver marker.  I should perhaps have put the sentiment onto a mat to make it stand out more but c'est la vie...lol.

Thank you for coming here today and I'll see you again soon.

I am entering the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge - No. 826 Seaside/Anything Goes.

Triple B Challenge - June '25 Birds, Butterflies and Blooms (using one, two or all three).

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge - Anything Floral Goes/Optional Mood Board No. 30.

AAA Birthday Challenge - No. 74 No Stamping.
The Flower Challenge - No. 103 Add Embossing (Heat or Dry).

NBUS Challenge - No. 75 Where we use our Never Before Used Schtuff.

I am also playing along with:

Darnell's June I.D.E.A.S. Calendar - This is Week 3: 'E' = Embossing /Wet or Dry.

Twirling Tulips

Hi all.  I have card today featuring a Spellbinder's 3D Embossing Folder called Twirling Tulips which I got in a recent sale and I decided to try an inking technique which I haven't done before which entails colouring on the debossed side and then dragging a dark ink pad over the top which colours the raised areas which in this case is the background and any raised details on the tulips and leaves...this is often called the blackout technique, although there maybe a proper name for it which I don't know..lol. 

 

I used my Lyra Aqua Brush Markers in yellow and orange on the flowers and a mid tone green for the leaves.  When I had finished this I used a Versafine Majestic Blue ink pad swiped very carefully over the top to colour the background.  I usually drag it vertically and then horizontally and I think this ink pad must be drying out a bit as it took a while to achieve a deep colour.  There are some raised areas of detail on both the flowers and the leaves which get covered with the blue ink which adds depth to them, but inevitably some of the blue got onto the leaves and so they look a bit green in places, but overall I was really pleased with the results.  I suppose the look of it is rather like the Joseph's Coat technique.  You can also ink the embossed side of the folder with the ink before running it through your machine which you would probably have to do a few times to build up the depth of colour, but I think I prefer this way of doing it.

The embossing folder is quite large about 8 1/2" x 5 3/4" so I decided to cut the piece in half and us it on a DL card.  I placed it on a white mat and then adhered it to the card.  I decided to cut a bit off the width of the card just to even it up a bit, and I then added a sentiment strip to finish using the Majestic Blue Ink and heat embossed with WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge - No. 825 What Makes You Happy?/Anything Goes (getting inky and trying new techniques make me happy).

The Flower Challenge - No. 103 Add Embossing (Heat or Dry).

AAA Birthday Challenge - No. 74 No Stamping.

I made this second card using another part of the leftover blackout embossed piece cut into a circle and matted onto a slightly larger circle and then framed using a stitched inverted scalloped circle die from a set by Crafters Companion called Inverted Stitched Lace Circle...each of the three scallop dies in the set comes with a plain circle die so you can have it cut into or cut out of the card.  I have had this for a while but am only now using it.  I finished it by adding a stamped sentiment using Majestic Blue Ink and heat embossed with the WOW Clear Gloss EP.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Cut it Up Challenge - No. 331 Anything Goes.

CAS on Friday Challenge - No. 310 Embossing.

Addicted to CAS Challenge - No. 284 Floral.

Thank you for joining me here today and I'll see you again soon.

Hello, Pinky Inky

Hi everyone.  This is a card for for our son Stewart in Australia and I have to allow about three weeks to be sure that it arrives in time, which it did...haven't always been lucky though.  This is a fun octopus by Pink Ink Designs and the way I have designed the card it looks as though it's emerging into the light curious to see what's going on.  A bit fanciful but they are very curious and apparently as cephalopods go quite intelligent...lol.  I have also used a set of circles from Creative Craft Products which I am using for the first time.  I got the idea of the circle apertures and bits of the creature emerging through them from this YouTube video by Deb Hallet which you will find here.  She does come up with some great ideas and I have used this octopus instead...I do love that toad though.

I started by stamping the octopus using Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink and then heat embossed it with WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder and cut it out.  I coloured it using my Distress Inks and a waterbrush using Fossilized Amber, Carved Pumpkin, Abandoned Coral, Brushed Corduroy and Pine Needles, and used a white Posca Pen to highlight the suckers and the white of the eye.  I then moved on to the background using a piece of white card just a little smaller than the 7" x 5" card, and my Brushos in Sea Green, Ost. Blue and Turquoise and then cut out the three apertures with a set of circle dies by Creative Craft Products which I am using for the first time, using a larger one for the centre aperture and one a size smaller for the other two.  I decided on the position of the octopus and then stuck it to the background adding the circles behind over which I decided to ink blend some Chipped Sapphire and Faded Jeans DI to make it look as it if it is appearing from a darker space, and then finished by adding the sentiment using Versafine Majestic Blue Ink.

Thank you for visiting my blog today and I'll see you again soon. 

I am entering the following challenges:

We Love Stamping Challenge - June '25 Nature/Anything Goes.

Stamping Sensations Challenge - June '25 Our Furry Friends/Anything Goes.

Allsorts Challenge - No. 824 Happy 16th Birthday/Anything Goes.

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes.

The Male Room Challenge - No. 198 Under the Sea.

Cut it Up Challenge - No. 331 Anything Goes.

NBUS Challenge - No. 75 Where we use our Never Before Used Schtuff.

Darnells I.D.E.A.S. - Week 1 Ink/Colour Mediums.

Group of Seven - Batik

Hi everybody.  This month over at the Group of Seven Cardmakers it is all about creating the look of Batik on cards by using an emboss resist technique.  I used a fern from a set called Grasses by Art Journey and a couple of different leaves from a set by Chocolate Baroque called From Nature 1.  I also used the Torn Edge Oval dies from Creative Craft Products and a Crafter's Companion set of leaf dies called Thankful and Blessed - Forest Floor.

I started by ink blending some different colours onto a piece of white card cut to fit a 6" square base card using Ripe Persimmon, Salty Ocean, Mustard Seed and Blueprint Sketch Distress Inks.  I kept the coverage quite light and then covered the piece with the fern and leaves using Versamark Ink and heat set with WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder, first making sure the background inking was perfectly dry and I also dusted it with an anti static bag.  In between adding the various stamped and embossed leaves I added a bit more colour so that some are paler and those added later were a bit darker as the strength of colour beneath the embossing was heavier.  I felt that there were still too many big gaps and perhaps needed a flower stamp, and I had the Spellbinders Bold Blooms out and I decided to make a stamp from one of the smaller flowers using craft foam, and I die cut one and then cut it twice more from a bit of white card and layered them together with the craft foam on the top.  I then inked it with the Versamark and tested it out on a scrap of card and it worked well, so I used that a few times to fill the gaps.  I then inked over it all with the first three colours but the images still did not seem to stand out enough so I used the Blueprint Sketch DI over the whole thing to give it more definition and it just darkened the background sufficiently to make the images pop a bit more.  The last step was adding the creases to the card with a bone folder, and at random intervals and slanted rather than straight across the card I think looks best, and I then inked again with the Blueprint Sketch to add ink into the creases.  I did also run the bone folder over the back of the piece to flatten it out a bit which made it easier to add onto the card but didn't spoil the look of the creasing.

I finished the card by adding a Torn Edge Oval sentiment plate and inked and heat embossed the sentiment quite lightly with Versafine Majestic Blue with a bit of the Salty Ocean ink over the top to keep it a bit lighter, and clear embossed with WOW EP, and a little Salty Ocean left on the brush added around the edges, and also added three gold die cut leaves using the Crafter's Companion set and having its first outing, and then added this all onto a 6" square white card.

You can also add just one colour on the background and then stamp and emboss the images and also if you prefer you can stamp and emboss straight onto the white card and then add some colour over the top and then the images will be white, and also instead of stamps you emboss through a stencil which works well too.  If you want to see more do go and visit the GO7 blog and you will find lots of wonderful examples of ways of doing this technique and also a link to a video, and if you make something there is a Linky at the bottom of the page where you can add it for us all to see and enjoy.

Thank you for visiting my blog today and I'll see you again soon.

I am entering the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge - No. 824 Happy Birthday/Anything Goes.  How great to have reached 16 years!

NBUS Challenge - No. 74 Where we use our Never Before Used Schtuff.

Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge - No. 493 Birthdays.

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes.

A Sweet Little Tag

Hi all.  There is a new challenge in Blogland being run by Brenda, Lynn and Pinky featuring Tags and ATC's, and I wish them lots of luck with this fun new challenge.  I must say I don't make many tags and I have never made an ATC but it's good to challenge oneself so here goes.  I used a set of stamps by Chocolate Baroque called Honey Bee, and I have never used these particular two stamps before so time I did.  

I cut the tag from white card and it is 31/2" x 6" and I stamped the beehive and flowers using Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink and I added the cloudy sky using Salty Ocean Distress Ink and a cloud shape as a mask which I had in my bits box and not sure where it came from but I thought it was a good size for this tag,  and ink blended using a brush.   I kept it light as I didn't mask the top part of the stamped image.  I then added the grass using Mowed Lawn DI to the bottom half.  I coloured the image using a set of pencils by Lyra and finished the scene by adding some yellow Posca pen to the centres of the flowers and a white Posca to add some flower to the Queen Anne's Lace on the right and also on the wings of the little bees.  I decided to add a larger bee also in the Honey Bee set and again stamped it with the Nocturne Ink and then cut it out..the legs of the bee were rather fine and one or two legs lost little bits but I cut the corresponding leg down to even them up..lol.  I then found a piece of string to loop through the punched hole at the top and I decided to add the bee to the bottom of the strings as a little further fun effect.  

Thank you for visiting my blog today and I'll see you again soon.

I am entering the following challenges:

Tag-Along (and ATC's) May Challenge - Anything Goes.

We Love Stamping Challenge - May '25 Four Legged Friends/Anything Goes.

Stamping Sensations Challenge - May '25 Feminine/Anything Goes.

Simon Says Monday Challenge - Things with Wings.

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Things with Wings.

NBUS Challenge - No. 74 Where we use our Never Before Used Schtuff.