And All That Jazz

Hi all.  As a winner of a previous challenge, I was asked to be a Guest Designer over at The Male Room Challenge and the theme is Geometric.  I had some leftover snippets from the last music themed card I made featuring a sax player here, and the background music piece from which I cut a circle is being used backed by a slightly larger white circle snippet which I found in my bits box and which fits the brief. 

I was so pleased to have been asked to join in the challenge and as you can see you have plenty of time to take part.

I decided for this one to use the trumpet player from the set I bought a while ago and this is its first outing.  I cut it twice from black and then kraft for the top layer..all snippets and I layered that up and adhered the circles and put the trumpeter on top.  I thought this would look best on a 6" square white card and I decided where to add the sentiment and added that in black Versafine Clair Nocturne ink before layering it all onto the card.  I finished it by adding some notes again using a snippet of white card.  The music notes are all fixed together and I cut the whole lot twice and used the outline piece to hold each note whilst I added glue and fixed another layer of each on top and then glued them into groups of three onto the card.

Thank you again to the team for asking me to be their Guest Designer this time, and I'm sure they would love you to go and visit to see all their great inspiration and to join in the challenge too.  

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

I am entering the following challenges:

Snippets Playground Challenge - No. 542 Where we use or snippets of card and paper etc.

A Cut Above Challenge - Oct. '26 Anything Goes using Die Cuts.

Cut It Up Challenge - No. 366 More Than One Die Cut.

We Love Stamping Challenge - Oct. '26 Anything Goes/Shades of Autumn.

Allsorts Challenge - No. 859 Anything Goes/Anything Autumn.

N.B.U.S. Challenge - No. 91 Where we use our Never Before Used Schtuff.

CAS Mix Up Challenge - Blackout Embossing

Hi everyone.  Here we are with a new challenge over at CAS Mix Up, and this month it is Blackout Embossing hosted by Linda, and great to see Darnell (djkardkreations) as our Guest Designer.  This technique involves adding colour to the debossed side of an embossed piece and then dragging a dark colour of ink over the top to cover the raised areas and gives a really dramatic look to it.

For this card I used a Spellbinders Twirling Tulips 3D Embossing Folder and also a set of Clarity Frame Its square dies, one die which cuts quite a few in different designs, and I chose two about which are about 4" in consecutive sizes.

I started with the blackout technique using the Twirling Tulips EF and embossed onto white card.  I coloured the tulips using my Lyra Brush Markers in yellow and orange and a mid green for the leaves, and then used a Versafine Majestic Blue Ink Pad rubbed carefully over the top to catch the raised parts trying to keep the pad as level as possible and with light pressure.  I found turning the card around and doing it from each direction covered it more evenly.  

I already have a stash of the Frame Its in a bag ready to use and chose two of about 4" square in consecutive sizes and coloured with a bit of blue ink which was already on a brush just to add a hint of colour.  I then cut a piece of white card about 4 1/4" square and adhered the two frames to it and then chose a portion of the inked piece and cut it to fit just inside the frames with just a tiny space around it.  I finished with the sentiment stamped using the Majestic Blue Ink and heat embossed with WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder.

I hope you will visit us over at CAS Mix Up and take a look at the beautiful work from our Guest Designer Darnell and the rest of the team, and there are also a couple of videos to watch for more inspiration, and the challenge is open until the end of the month, so plenty of time to play along with us.

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

I am entering the following challenges:

Cut it Up Challenge - No. 366 More Than One Cut.

Can You Handle The Pressure Challenge - Anything Goes with Embossing Folders/Trees.

A Cut Above Challenge - Oct. '26 Anything Goes with a Die Cut.

Triple B Challenge - Oct. '26 Birds, Butterflies and Blooms (one, two or all three).

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

Circular Scene on Patterned Paper

Hi all.  This was supposed to be shown a little while ago as a follow up post for the August CAS Mix Up Challenge, but it didn't work well because I had finished the scene and was adding some birds in the sky and some stray ink landed on the top part which could not be erased as patterned paper is not forgiving so I cut the top part off just above a layer of clouds but after some thought I finished it.  Stencilling was the media for this challenge and I used parts of the Clarity Deerscape, Mountains and Hills and Clouds Mask Sets.  The wild flower stamps were from Simply Cards & Papercraft Magazine No. 284 featuring Indigoblu stamps called Wings and Things.

I started by cutting a circle of white card and then cut a circle from a piece of patterned paper from one of my magazine sets, but sorry not sure which one.   It had a fairly minimum amount of pattern and in a sort of cream/light brown shade and so I chose my colours to go with this.  I used some brown Distress Ink in I think Tea Dye Distress Ink with a small amount of Hickory Smoke DI to shade the edges for the foreground hill using the Deerscape stencil, and then one of the Mountain/Hill stencils for the next one back using Dried Marigold DI.  I then followed this with the cloud stencil using the residue brown ink with a touch of Tumbled Glass DI.  I also added the deer using the Deerscape stencil and Walnut Stain ink, but using just one of the deer featured on it. 

This is where I cut the rest off after getting some stray ink onto it which could not be erased, and after a lot of thought I decided to cut another circle of thinner card and a circle of the same patterned paper to complete the circle and I added the sentiment using Versafine Vintage Sepia Ink.  I then added foam tape to the back of it.  

I was going to keep the background plain white but I thought it needed something so I found a border embossing folder with these grasses and I embossed it being careful to make sure to place the top plate just below the top edge of the folder and luckily it worked and didn't leave a line.  I finished by colouring the embossing with a brush using the Dried Marigold DI.  I added this to the 6" square base card and then added the circle in the centre.

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

I am entering the following challenges:

We Love Stamping Challenge - Sept. '26 Trees and Leaves/Anything Goes.

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Stamp It.

AAA Birthday Challenge - No. 89 Use Patterned Paper.

Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge - No. 525 Diecuts and/or Stencils.

Stencil Fun Challenge - Sept. '26 Anything Goes/Yellow.

CAS Mix up Challenge - Watercolour Sunflower

Hi everybody.  This month the CAS Mix Up Challenge is featuring Watercolouring with the theme of Sunflower hosted by Bobby, and our Guest Designer is Barbara (My Creative Room).

I used an old set of Papermania stamps called Build a Sunflower, and I also used a stencil which came with a Simply Cards and Papercraft Magazine No. 284 with stamps and a double stencil from Indigoblu, both have never been used before.

                            

I decided to use a 5" x 7" card base and I cut a piece of white card to fit this.  I stamped the largest sunflower in the bottom right corner using Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink, going off the edge slightly and then I stamped it again onto some masking paper and cut it out.  Having masked the image I then used the mandala stencil in that corner using a brush to apply the Distress Ink Mermaid Lagoon, and then I decided to add a smaller bit of the mandala on the top left hand corner using the same ink.  I also added four of one of the tiny sunflowers stamped in the same ink around the edge of the stencilling in just that corner.

I removed the mask and then watercoloured the sunflower with Mustard Seed and Spiced Marmalade DI's on the petals and Walnut Stain DI for the centre using a waterbrush.  I finished with a bit of pencil smudged around the edge of the flower to give it more definition and added the sentiment also using the Mermaid Lagoon ink.

I hope you will come and visit us over at CAS Mix Up and take a look at the beautiful work from our Guest Designer Barbara and the rest of the team.  There are also a few videos you can watch for more inspiration and the challenge is open until the end of the month so you have plenty of time to play along with us.  I love sunflowers which are always so bright and pretty and can be seen quite late into the summer which is lovely, and if you ever see a field filled with them it is a spectacular sight.

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

I am entering the following challenges:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Stamp It.

Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge - No. 525 Die Cuts and/or Stencils.

Stencil Fun Challenge - Sept. '26 Anything Goes/Yellows.

NBUS Challenge - No. 90 Where we use our Never Before Used Schtuff.

I.D.E.A.S. Challenge - Week 5 Stencils.

CAS Christmas - Woodland Critters

Hi everyone.  I am so pleased to have been asked to be a Guest Designer over at CAS Christmas after being the winner of last month's challenge, and the theme this time is Woodland Critters.  

I have used a mix of a Card-io set of stamps called Oriental Blossoms, using just the twiggy branch and a small leaf, and then some silhouette stamps from Crafter's Companion called Festive Foliage from which I think I may have used the holly in the past, but not the berries or pine cones, so these are getting their first outing, and I think the twiggy branch and leaf have not been inked before either..both sets were bought a long time ago so great to get some use  at last.  The fox and bird came from two different magazine stamp sets from Highlight Crafts Two Red Robins Box Kit 4 which had the fox, and Creative Stamping No. 129 had the little bird, and both sets have lots of other lovely Winter/Christmas images, and neither set has been used very much so I must endeavour to use some of these for festive cards this year, and the two I used had definitely not seen ink before...tut tut!

I cut a piece of white card to fit a 6" square card base and then decided how large it needed to be in order to stay CAS and for the little fox to fit inside it.  I made small pencil marks where the perimeter of the circle would be in each direction and then started at one side and continued round to aim for the marks to keep it reasonably circular which luckily worked OK.  I did add one or two more branches where I thought they were needed, but didn't do any second or third generation stamping which if I had kept it plainer I probably would have done to fill it out more.  I then added the holly leaves at intervals with the berries over the top..perhaps the bunch of berries was a bit large but I didn't have a lot of choice and they do make a statement.  I then added the pine cones, and in two other gaps I added a couple of small leaves.  I used Distress Inks except for the red which was an Adirondack ink pad in Cranberry which I thought would be darker and therefore have enough ink coverage to push the holly and twiggy branch into the background, although close up you can still see both beneath.  The pine cones being brown stand out fine, as do the little leaves.  I was very happy with the result as I don't think I have attemped this sort of wreath before.  I meant to keep a note but I think the Distress Inks were Brushed Corduroy and Walnut Stain, and the leaves were a combination of Twisted Citron and Pine Needles over the top

The next step was to add the sky and snow slope within the wreath and I kept it simple using one of a set of stencils from Lavinia and using Tumbled Glass DI brushed very lightly.

I then found a small offcut of white card and stamped the fox coloured with my Lyra Pencils and then cut it out, and similarly with the very small bird.  I did also use my pencils to add a bit more definition to the the holly leaves and berries and the pine cones, and I added a white Posca pen highlight on each of the berries.

Finally I added the sentiment using a mix of Versafine Satin Red and Crimson Red inks.  The Satin Red was a bit too bright and the Crimson a bit dark so this just made it about right to match with the red of the berries, and after cutting the piece of card down slightly as the wreath wasn't totally central and adding this to the card base, I added the fox and little robin using Pinflair Glue Gel to give them a little dimension.

I hope you will visit CAS Christmas and see what the Design Team have made to inspire you, and hopefully join in the challenge which is open until the end of the month so lots of time to take part.

Thanks for visiting me here today and I'll see you again soon.

I am entering the following challenges:

Merry Little Christmas Challenge - No. 70 Anything Goes.

Peace on Earth Challenge - No. 118 Anything Goes Christmas.

NBUS Challenge - No. 90 Where we use our Never Before Used Schtuff.

All Creatures Great and Small

Hi everybody.  I am so pleased to have been asked to be a Guest Designer over at Allsorts for their latest challenge which is as you can see All Creatures Great and Small.  I chose to use a couple of fairly recent purchases both being used for the first time.  The hare image is from Indigoblu Magazine Box Kit 11 and for the background I used a 3D Embossing Folder from Funky Fossil called Oak Leaf Cascade.  

I started with a piece of white card cut to fit a 6" square card base and I placed the folder in such a way that it would leave some space at the bottom for the hare and foliage.  I did have the card and just the edge of the embossing folder beyond the plates but unfortunately it did leave the impression a little but in real life it hardly notices and so I left it but can see that the photo is less forgiving.  I then ran a Twisted Citron Distress Ink Pad over the raised areas of the leaves trying more or less to miss the acorns, followed by a Bundled Sage DI which brought out some of the lines and detail, and then I used a Brushed Corduroy DI on the acorns.  I then used a waterbrush and washed over the leaves to move the ink around and also added more of these colours as well as a little Pumice Stone DI.  I then added some sky around the leaves and acorns using Tumbled Glass DI.  

Then I moved onto the hare which I stamped onto a spare piece of white card using Versafine Vintage Sepia Ink and then coloured with the browns I had already used on the leaves and after added some depth with my Lyra coloured pencils.  I then cut this out minus the foliage discarding the whiskers..cutting those out was an impossibility..lol.  I then just inked up the foliage around the hare using Bundled Sage DI and stamped it in the position where the hare would be place on the background, and I then inked it a few more times to fill the entire bottom of the card.  I did add a little of the Twisted Citron DI using a watrbrush to fill it in.

I finished the card by cutting down the background slightly to allow room for the sentiment beneath which I stamped with Versafine Vintage Sepia Ink and then added the background and I gave the hare more dimenson by adding some Pinflair Glue Gel and placed it on the background.

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

I am entering this into the following challenges:

Can You Handle The Pressure Challenge - Aug. '26 Anything Goes/Bees.

We Love Stamping Challenge - Aug. '26 Anything Goes/Summer Blooms.

Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge - No. 524 Any Occasion.

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes.

As You Like It Challenge - Favourite Wild Animal (They are fun with their long ears and legs, and the males have a boxing match in the spring).

NBUS Challenge - No. 89 Where we use our Never Before Used Schtuff.
I.D.E.A.S. Challenge - Week 4 - Anything Goes.

Flourishing Hearts

Hi all.  I needed a quick anniversary card and remembered seeing somewhere a card using flourishes behind a heart aperture and I haven't used any flourishes on a card for ages.  I decided to use a set from Honey Doo bought ages ago called Flowers for Design which has a flourish which I have never used, and I also used my Torn Edge Hearts and a couple of different mica powders.

I started with a piece of white card just a little smaller than the 6" square card and I roughly found the middle and started down one of the sides by about 1/2" using Versamark ink.   I stamped the flourish and then from the other direction did the same thing so the long straight edge of the flourish joined up in the middle.  I then heat embossed using WOW Metallic Silver Embossing Powder.  I decided where to cut the heart..a little above the centre using one of my Torn Edge Hearts. 

Moving on I decided to use Brushos to colour the slightly smaller heart with, i.e.Violet and Ultramarine and spritzed to get them moving.  I then decided to add some mica powders whilst wet so that they would set, and I chose a silver and a pinky lilac and using the tip of a piercing tool I put some of each on and moved them around and then dried the heart on the low speed of my heat tool.  Wow, some great sparkle and I wiped it over with some kitchen towel to remove any that was likely to come off which wasn't much.

At first I had thought that I would add the coloured heart into the torn heart aperture but thought on reflection that I would place the heart back into the aperture to show off more of the flourish and then I added the sparkly heart over the top, and finished with a stamped and heat embossed sentiment using the same Silver EP.

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

I am entering the following challenges:

Addicted to CAS Challenge - No 315 Anniversary.

Allsorts Challenge - No. 856 Embossing (dry or heat)/Anything Goes.

Simply Clean & Simple Challenge - Aug. '26 Anything Goes/Nature.

Try it on Tuesday Challenge - Inspired by a Song (Anyone Who Had a Heart - Cilla Black).  If anyone fancies a bit of nostalgia find it here.

A Cut Above Challenge - Aug. '26 Anything Goes/Fall Flowers.