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.

Chess Art

Hi all.  I have a masculine card today using an old Aall & Create stamp No. 115 called Chess Art, and a set of DL Torn Edge Dies.

I used an offcut of white card big enough to fit on a DL card and stamped it in Black Stazon ink having tried my Versafine Clair and Archival black inks.  I'm not sure why it was so difficult to get a good clear image as I used my stamp positioner but as you can see it is a very detailed stamp, and I eventually got there.  I then coloured it using Blueprint Sketch Distress Ink and a waterbrush.  I then used some Fossilized Amber DI to watercolour the background and I cut it using a DL Torn Edge die, another new set and being used for the first time.  I got a few different sets of these over at the Craft Stash sale as I just love the look of them.  I finished the card with a sentiment stamped with Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink and heat embossed with WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder.  

I am entering the following challenges:

Color Hues Challenge - No. 109 Blue and Yellow.

Allsorts Challenge - No. 822 Inspired by a Song/Anything Goes.

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes.

AAA Birthday Challenge - No. 73 Anything Birthday Goes (congratulations on your 6th birthday).

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

I am also linking this over at Darnell's blog:

Darnell's I.D.E.A.S. - Week 4 'A' = Anything Goes.

Group of Seven - Gilding Flakes on Acetate

Hi everyone.  A new month starts over at the Group of Seven Cardmakers, and we are shining a light on using gilding flakes on acetate.  I don't think I have used acetate with gilding flakes before so something new.  This card uses the Cosmic Shimmer Autumn Leaves Gilding Flakes with a bee stamp from Art Journey called Honey Bee, and a background made using a Tim Holtz stencil called Honeycomb and some DecoArt White Modelling Paste.

I started with a piece of acetate and covered the bee stamp with Zig glue with a wide flat nib applicator which makes it easier to spread the glue over the stamp, and having made sure all the stamp looked amply covered I stamped it using my stamp positioner for more accuracy and if an extra application of glue should be needed.  I did apply the glue again and stamped once more and then very quickly laid it on some paper and covered it with plenty of gilding flakes and pressed down making sure they made good contact with the glued image and then left them like that for a few minutes before very carefully brushing away the surplus flakes with my fingers, and then I used the scoochy to burnish it.  I won't say it was a perfect outline but I had already decided to cut the bee out and I refined the edges as I cut it, especially on the legs where the flakes had spread so I did cut the outlines back a bit looking at the photo on the front of the stamp to see how it should look, and I did scratch off the flakes where I thought the eyes should be and added a bit of copper Sharpie pen over those.  Then I went on to stencil the honeycomb onto the centre area of a piece of square white card cut to fit a 6" square card base with a fairly narrow border.  I coloured the paste with some yellow and and orange Brusho powders and then used the paste in the centre trying to keep the edges a little rough, and then left it to dry.  I finished the background with a sentiment stamped with Versafine Vintage Sepia and heat embossed with WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder and I also added some foam tape down the centre of the bee to raise it up a little.

I am entering the card above in the following challenges:

We Love Stamping Challenge - April '25 Anything Goes/Favourite Stamps.

Stamping Sensations Challenge - April '25 Birds, Animals, Flowers and Nature/Anything Goes.

Darnell's I.D.E.A.S. - Week 4 'A' = Anything Goes.

For my second card I thought I would used a set of Creative Craft Products Torn Edge Stars and a Crafts Too Stars Embossing Folder which I have had for quite a long while and it is only now being used for the first time.  I used one of the stars to cut an aperture in the centre of a piece of white card cut to fit a 6" square card and then used the Stars EF over it, extending it as it is an A6 size, and this worked well.  I then cut a smaller star to fit inside the aperture using some acetate.  I did intend to use some glue through a star stencil and then add the gilding flakes, but this did not work well and I tried several times but the small stars looked extremely blobby although I used a blending tool with a good covering of glue added to the sponge which I thought was the best way to do it.  I then decided instead to cover the whole star with glue and then cover it with the flakes.  I then backed this acetate star with another star cut from black card and then put the card together.  I added a banner sentiment across it stamping with Versamark ink and heat embossed with WOW Metallic Brass Embossing Powder. 

I am entering the above card in the following challenges:

Addicted to CAS Challenge - No. 281 Star.

Allsorts Challenge - No. 822 Inspired by a Song/Anything Goes (Catch a Falling Star by Perry Como.

Can You Handle The Pressure Challenge - April '25 Anything Goes/Weather.

Rudolph Days Challenge - Anything Goes.

NBUS Challenge - No. 73 Where we use our Never Before Used Schtuff.

52 Christmas Card Throwdown Challenge - April '25 Technique: Stamping.

Peace on Earth Challenge - April '25 Anything Goes.

My last card is not made using the acetate but I will show it anyway as it is mounted onto the acetate instead.  I used up some remnants of some very old gilding flakes covering a piece of white card with some adhesive sheet and then added the gilding flakes over this and then die cut some Spellbinder Bold Bloom flowers and leaves being used for the first time, and added these to the piece of acetate.  I added a Reverse Scallop die cut frame from Crafter's Companion, also being used for the first time, and coloured it with a copper Sharpie pen, added a piece of blue card behind the acetate and a die cut sentiment which I cut from a piece of white card heat embossed with WOW Metallic Copper EP.  On reflection I think the Metallic Brass I used on the last card would have matched a bit better but it does look a lighter colour in real life.  This was mounted onto a 7" x 5" white card. 

I am entering the above card in the following challenges:

Seize the Birthday Challenge - No. 304 Anything Goes/Stencilling.

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge - No. 28 Anything Floral Goes.

Triple B Challenge - April '25 Birds, Butterflies and Blooms (using 1, 2 or all 3).

I have to say I don't think acetate and I mix terribly well..lol, and I think that the Flitter Glue from Indigoblu is the best one for using with stamps for a good clear outline and I have used this in the past and it did work well with the flakes but I don't have any at present, and they do say you can use any glue but the other glues I have did not work so well for me.  I think my last card has the look of the technique but was a bit of a cheat, but nevertheless I was pleased with it.  The other ladies over at the GO7 have produced some beautiful cards so do take a look and if you give it a go there is a Linky at the bottom of the post for you to add your cards for us all to see.

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

Flying Pelican

Hi everyone.  I have a masculine card today using the Pink Ink Pelican and I used the smaller silhouette image which I haven't used before.  I also used a Sea Green Brusho, an orange alcohol marker and a white Posca pen.  I watch a lady called Deb Hallet on YouTube and she did a card yesterday which inspired me to make my version of it as I thought it was a clever idea.  If you are interested the link to it is here.

I started with a piece of white card cut to fit a 6" square card and sprinkled the Brusho powder from the bottom right hand corner up towards the middle of the card, spritzed it with some water and then dabbed away where it pooled around the edges and left it to dry.  I then stamped the silhouette pelican using Versafine Clair Nocturne ink and took my white Posca pen and gradually covered the black image with the white making it thick enough to cover nicely.  I then went round the outline with a pencil instead of a black Micron pen just to define it as I thought the black might be a bit heavy.  I then added the orange alcohol marker over the bill and the feet.  I finished by splattering the white Posca over the sea area, and inevitably it did go a bit further than I intended but it gives the impression of spume off the water, and I also quite lightly added a little on the waves too..I decided less is more and I did cover the pelican and the very bottom corner before I did it.  I then added the sentiment using Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink and heat embossed it with WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder.   

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

I am entering the following challenges:

Colour Hues Challenge - No. 107 Orange and Teal.

We Love Stamping Challenge - April '25 Anything Goes/Favourite Stamps.

Stamping Sensations Challenge - April '25 Birds, Animals, Flowers and Nature/Anything Goes.

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

N.B.U.S. Challenge - No. 73 Where we use our Never Before Used Schtuff.

Darnell's I.D.E.A.S. - Week 1 Ink/Color Mediums.