Beautiful Buildings

Hi everybody.  Here are three of the cards I made for Chocolate Baroque's August TV shows.  The first features the rather exotic eastern looking minaret called Turret House  I started by stamping the image on to white card using Versamark Ink and heat embossed it with WOW Platinum Metallic Embossing Powder.  I then left a gap and placed the image to the right but placing it lower down, then to the left varying the height and then placing a mask on one I managed to fill the gap one side, and then the other.  Luckily I managed to get away with one mask as the buildings in the gaps only went across one of the buildings.

I then coloured the images with my Distress Inks and a waterbrush using Dried Marigold, Tea Dye, Rich Mahogany, Scattered Straw, Weathered Wood and Pumice Stone, and then I added the sky with some Dried Marigold at the bottom and then Tumbled Glass, and then to darken I added some more Tumbled Glass at the top using a blending tool.  I matted it on to kraft card and added a sentiment using Versafine Vintage Sepia heat embossed with WOW Clear Gloss EP.

The second card uses the Dutch House  I stamped it twice using Versafine Onyx Black Ink and heat embossed it with WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder.  I then coloured both pieces using various Distress Inks, many of the colours used on the first card, and then fussy cut both out.  I then used my gelli plate to make a background, using more Distress Inks, and adhered them both on to the background.  I layered it on to a piece of kraft card and then stamped one of the sentiments on to the white base card using Versafine Latte Ink and again heat embossed using the WOW Clear Gloss EP.

This third card was made with three of the buildings using my gelli plate.  I started by brayering Scattered Straw and Carved Pumpkin and Abandoned Pumpkin on to the gelli plate and then using Versafine Inks in Imperial Purple, Crimson Red and Deep Lagoon using the Turret House, the Dutch House and the Italian House.  I inked the stamps up in the different colours and stamped straight on to the plate.  You have to use a very light touch and some stamped clearer than others but I think it adds to the charm.  I took the print and then I also stencilled some different shapes on top with a Dutch Doobadoo stencil using Carved Pumpkin and Abandoned Coral and also stamped one of the sentiments using second generation ink.  I finished the background by blending some Chipped Sapphire round the edges.

I decided to stamp the Italian House on to a piece of tag shaped shrink plastic using the Versafine Deep Lagoon, and added a punched hole before shrinking it.  I then added a further two layers, one coloured with Mermaid Lagoon and darkened with Chipped Sapphire, and then another white layer and stuck them together with a piece of Baker's Twine through the top of the shrink plastic tag.  I then added it at an angle to the front of the card.  I haven't used any shrink plastic for a long time and for some reason although I placed an acrylic block over the top before it cooled down it didn't quite flatten out, but I still like it and think it adds something to the finished card.

For more inspiration using these lovely stamps go and visit the Chocolate Baroque Design Team Blog where this month these building stamps are being highlighted as well as lots of other great ideas from the DT.  I would like to say how sad it was to hear that Sue Page had died.  She designed for CB over a number of years and will be greatly missed, but will be remembered for her wonderful artwork and the quite unique style of her images, a very talented lady.

Thank you for visiting and I hope you drop by again soon.