Mistletoe Magic

Hi there everybody.  A Christmas card today with the Rudolph Days Challenge in mind, and I made it a one layer card to enter the Less is More Challenge too.  Note:  unfortunately I realised after publishing that you are only allowed to enter up to five challenges including theirs so my entry is not valid.  I will be in touch with them in the morning.

I started with a Penny Black stencil which I decided to use a pencil with to transfer the outlines to my base card so I could watercolour it.  I used Crushed Olive, Peeled Paint and Evergreen Bough Distress Inks for the leaves and stems and then used some White Pearl Liquid Pearls for the berries.  I then finished by softly blending some Tumbled Glass and Shaded Lilac Distress Inks randomly over the background about three quarters of the way down the card, but unfortunately it doesn't show up very well in the photo, and added a sentiment stamped using Versamark and WOW Silver Metallic Embossing Powder.

Thank you for visiting my blog today and I hope to see you again soon.

I am also joining in with the following challenges:

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - No. 75 Anything Christmas Goes.

ABC Christmas Challenge - "N" for No Fuss and "O" for Over the Top.  Mine is 'No Fuss'.

Winter Wonderland Challenge - Hip to Be Square.

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes.

Sweet Stampin' Challenge - Christmas in July.

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Anything Goes Optional: Nature.

Twofer Card Challenge

Hi everyone.  I am just in time with my entry for the Twofer Card Challenge where we have to make two cards with different designs for two different occasions but using the same stencil, die or stamp on both.  The theme this time is butterflies, and here are my cards.

This first card was made using a Claritystamp stencil called Leaf Wreath and butterfly die from The Range.  I cut a piece of white card to just under 6" square and stencilled the wreath onto it using my blending tool and  Distress Inks in Crushed Olive and  Mowed Lawn.  I then removed the stencil and outlined the leaves using a green Lyra Aqua Brush Marker, a little bit of shake but not too bad, and decided to darken the colour to shade a bit more using one of my Spectrum Noir Pencils in a similar green.  I coloured some white card using Brushos in Scarlet, Brilliant Red and Orange before die cutting the butterfly from it.  I stamped the 'thank you' sentiment using Versafine Olympia Green and heat embossed it using WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder in the centre and added the butterfly.

I am entering the following challenge:

CAS Mix Up July Stencil Challenge - Stencil Tracing.  (I used stencilling with outline tracing, die cutting, Brusho watercolouring, stamping and heat embossing).  I am only just in time for this too, so apologies to Loll and Bonnie.   (So pleased to get a Top 3 placement for this challenge)

The second card was made using a Crafty Individuals stamp called Baroque Splatter Script Background and the same butterfly.  I cut a 4" square mat using a stitched die and then using the same size and one size smaller die I cut a frame to go over the top.  I also cut a much smaller stitched square to place the butterfly on to, all cut from snippets of white card.  I then stamped the Baroque Splatter Script on to the background white mat using Broken China Distress Ink and then heat embossed it using the WOW Clear Gloss EP.  I then layered up the background with the frame and small central square and cut the butterfly from a snippet of Brusho scrap from my box which toned in nicely.  I then added the 'Happy Birthday' Sentiment underneath again using the Broken China and Clear Gloss EP.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Sieze the Birthday Challenge - No. 195 Anything Goes (no optional topping)
Pixie's Crafty Workshop - No. 382 where we use up our snippets of card and paper etc.
Butterfly Challenge - No. 144  'A' for Aquamarine + Butterfly.

Thank you for visiting me here today and hope you will come back soon.

Birthday Roses

Hi everybody.  This is another experiment at making my own handpainted watercolour card.  I tried something different using a wet in wet technique but I don't think it worked as well as my last card and looks a little dark and muddy.  I ended up with a rather splodgy background so did go over it a bit to get better leaf shapes, and consequently it doesn't look as fresh as the last one.  A definite learning curve.

I added a sentiment using Versafine Olympia Green and heat embossed it with WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder and ink blended around the edges with Adirondack Sunshine Yellow Ink.

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

I am entering the following challenge:

The Flower Challenge - No. 46 Summer/Winter.
Uniko Challenge - No. 60 In my Garden (optional twist hot summer colours).
Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday July Challenge - Summertime.
Country View Challenges July 2020 - Do What Makes You Happy.
A Vintage Journey - Watercolour Wonders.
Allsorts Challenge - No. 581/582 Flowers All Over.

Life's Journey Birthday

Hi everybody.  Hubby celebrated his birthday recently and I won't say how many years, and I didn't put it on the card, but I will say that he has clocked up a few more than me..lol.  I saw a video recently by Gina K in which she masked to create boxes in which she placed her stamping and I liked the look of it so thought I would do something along these lines.  I decided to use a freebie set of stamps which came from a magazine a few months ago called The Great Outdoors and produced by Hunkydory.  I thought these would be good for masculine cards especially for those that like hiking and camping.  Hubby and I do enjoy walking and he is also a keen photographer so I included these things from the set.  We don't have a dog but the silhouette walker looked a bit lonely without it..lol. 

I decided to do a large 8" square card as I didn't have to post it, so made the piece of card to mat on the top about 1" smaller and found the centre point and cut the six strips for the masking about 1/2" wide using masking sheet as it sticks well without taking the surface of the card off when you remove it.  When I had placed it on the card I ink blended with Salty Ocean and Cracked Pistacio Distress Inks, keeping the Cracked Pistachio in the centre.  I then placed all the items using my Misti and stamped them using Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink.

I was so frustrated because at this point I managed to get a couple of bits of ink on to the edge of the two left hand boxes.  I tried the sand eraser which did fade it out but of course also took the ink off, so I put the masks back and reinked but the edge was not as clean as the rest so I decided to use my black micron pen and outline all the boxes. Against my better judgement I did it freehand and the result is a little rustic I think with some lines a bit thicker than others in places, but I had left it late to make the card and was not feeling like starting again.  For some reason the photo makes the boxes look quite out of shape, but in real life they don't look that bad.   I also grounded the walker and dog and the haversack, but wasn't sure about the camera so left it alone.  I then took some more Salty Ocean and a waterbrush and brushed some ink over the images to shade, and also water bleached to highlight, especially on the boots and camera.   I also ink blended a bit of the Cracked Pistachio around the edges so when glued down there is just the hint of colour.

Hubby did seem pleased and did say how different it was so a good result I think which made up for the earlier frustrations.  Thank you for taking a look today and I'll be back soon.

I am entering the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge - Week 580 I spy with my little eye something beginning with 'B' (blue, boots and birthday).
Craft Rocket Challenge - No. 72 For the Men/Boys.
Crafty Creations July Challenge - No. 411 Anything Goes.

Our Anniversary

Hi there everyone.  It was our 38th anniversary recently and this was my card for hubby.  I utilised the leftover negative heart shape, the positive of which was used on my recently shown green anniversary card, and ink blended through it onto a piece of white card using Fired Brick Distress Ink.  With the mask still in place I stamped using a recently acquired Crafty Individuals image called Baroque Splatter Script using my Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink.

I then cut this down to fit a 6" square card and added little bubble hearts using the Floral Heart set and second generation Nocturne Ink, and also a small splatter stamp from Freedom Flower using Fired Brick DI, again second generation ink.

I then finished with the sentiment using the Nocturne Ink and added a bit of the Fired Brick on the two little hearts and ink blended this around the edges too.

Before I go I would like to introduce a lovely lady called Mervi, thank you for becoming a follower, and you will find her blog here.  I'm sure she would love you to go and visit her if you don't already know her.

Thank you for joining me here today and I hope to see you again soon.







I  am entering the following challenges:

Crafty Creations July Challenge - No. 411 Anything Goes.
Crafter's Cafe Challenge - No. 246 July 1st Anything Goes. 

Painted Flowers

Hi everyone.  Here is a recent card I made for a lovely blogging friend Darnell whose birthday was a couple of days ago and which I hand painted, and now I know she has received it I can show it here.  I have seen several people lately doing their own flowers and so had a look on line to see how to make them and so mixed it up a bit and this is what I came up with.   I used some very old watercolour tubes that I have as I thought the pigment would be stronger, and after experimenting with them and also with my inks I thought that the tubes scored better.  I used my Bristol Smooth watercolour paper to work on and two or three different sized brushes, and when I had finished and cut it back slightly to fit the 6" square card I ink blended with a complementary shade of Distress Ink and added a sentiment using Versafine Imperial Purple Ink.

I was fairly pleased with the result but perhaps a bit more practice is need to get the strokes a bit smoother although it works better if you don't overwork the paint.  The person who has done this style of the all over flower look is Heather Telford and there is a link to her blog on my side bar...she is very skilled with a brush and her laying down of colour is something I aspire to.  I did enjoy this and may try doing some more along the same lines.

Thanks for visiting my blog today and I hope to see you again soon.

I am entering the following challenges:

The Flower Challenge - No 46 Summer/Winter.
Country View Challenges July 2020 - Do What Makes You Happy.
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Bright and Cheerful.
Watercooler Wednesday Challenge - No. 278 Anything Goes with a Feminine Twist.
Elliebelle's Crafty Wednesday July Challenge - Summertime.
Allsorts Challenge - No. 579 Summertime.

Scrap Anniversary

Hi all.  Here is a recent anniversary card for a family member.  I had a piece of scrap copy paper on the table which I had rolled some inks from my brayer on to and I thought it was a shame to waste so I die cut it using a Sweet Dixie die and after backing it on to a piece of white card to make it the same thickness as the card base I die cut the same sized heart aperture into the card  and backed it with another piece of card.

I placed the card itself with the heart in the aperture into the Misti, and work out where to place the Pinkfresh stamp so that some of it was over the edge.  I then removed the heart and using Versamark Ink stamped on to the card itself and then placed the heart back in the aperture and stamped the whole thing again.  I then heat embossed both the heart and the card with the WOW Silver Metallic Embossing Powder, and did the same process again with the sentiment.

I was going to leave the flowers with just the line work but I didn't think they stood out enough so I coloured them using a white gel pen, but wasn't quite happy with that and finished up by going over the whole thing again with a Sakura Silver Gelly Roll Pen which has lots of sparkle which I hope shows up better in this close up photo.  I'm still not sure about it but some you win and some....you don't win...lol.  I hope the couple I have sent it to like it OK.

Before I go I have two new followers, so thank you ladies for joining me here and I'm sure they would love you to visit them.   They are Chana who has her blog here, and Maria whose blog you will find here.

Take care everyone and thank you for your visit which is much appreciated and I hope to see you again soon. 
 

I am entering the following challenge:

Country View Challenges July 2020 - Do What Makes You Happy.