Snowflake Bauble

Hi everyone.  I have made a Christmas card using the Sweet Poppy Stencil Snowflake Bauble, my first card using it, and also the Crafty Individuals Bluebird and Branch with Berries stamp within the bauble.  I have also used Distress Inks in tones of blue and orange to enter the Colour Hues Challenge, and the CAS Christmas Challenge has the theme of Christmas Birds.  I used Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean, Blueprint Sketch and Spiced Marmalade. 

I started by using a very light layer of Tumbled Glass all over and then used the Spiced Marmalade on the ribbon and berries and shaded with a very little Blueprint Sketch, and the Salty Ocean on the foliage and to darken around the edges of the bauble as well as just a little of the Spiced Marmalade.  Inevitably there was some mixing of the colours in a few places which has made darkened the colours a bit, but I think over all it turned out OK.  I added the bird within the bauble using Spiced Marmalade, masking that side of the bauble as the stamp was a little large to fit the bauble, but I do love this CI bird and thought it would look pretty inside the bauble.   The sentiment was stamped using Versafine Habanero ink and heat embossed it with WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder.  The colour is a little more red than orange but DIs don't work so well for stamping sentiments.  I also added some snow on the branches and in the sky around the bird using a Signo White Gel Pen, and I glossed the berries with some clear gloss.  I then added it to a 6" square white card.

I would also like to welcome two new followers ..  Lynne K who makes beautiful cards and also takes wonderful photos of the area around her home in Scotland, and then Aimeslee who is a fun lady and who also makes some terrific cards in a very varied style, so please if you haven't come across these two ladies before please do go and visit them...you won't be disappointed.  

Thank you for visiting me here today and I hope you will do so again soon. 

I am entering the following challenges:

CAS Christmas Card Challenge - Christmas Birds.  (so pleased to be chosen as the winner)
Colour Hues Challenge - No. 4 Blue and Orange.
NBUS Challenge - No. 19 Where we use our Never Before Used Schtuff.
ABC Christmas Challenge -  U & V are for?  Up in the Air and Vixen/Reindeer.  (I have a bird in my bauble so hope this counts).
Merry Little Christmas Challenge - No. 27 Anything Christmas Goes.

Meadow Hare

Hi everyone.  This is a card for my *great niece who has just become a teenager.  I was going to buy a card as at first I thought that probably the sort of cards I make are not what a teenager would like, but then I thought of this Pink Ink Meadow Hare which I was pleased to get as a sale item several months ago and which hasn't been inked yet, and thought it was time to do so.  I love hare images and this is quite cute as are all the creatures depicted by Pink Ink, so I hope she likes it.

I started with a piece of card just about the right size for this image as it is very large and wanted to get it on a 7" x 5" card, it fits with a tiny bit of the foliage missing at the bottom.  I decided to cover the card with a wash of colour with a waterbrush, and used Crushed Olive Distress Ink, just to cover the card.  I then stamped the hare using Versafine Vintage Sepia Ink and using mainly Vintage Photo mixed with Spiced Marmalade I coloured the hare again using a waterbrush, leaving some of the Crushed Olive as highlights.  I then used some Mowed Lawn, Peeled Paint and some more Crushed Olive for the foliage and a tiny bit of Walnut Stain in a couple of places.  I then used some Shaded Lilac, Dusty Concord and Wilted Violet on the butterfly and caterpillar, and also the harebell type flowers.  Naturally as the under colour is yellow the colours are not true to tone, but I like the overall look of it.  I must say I did use the same sort of colours as appears on the packing as I like the bright look of the hare, rather than just a mid brown the orange peps it up a bit and all the little dots and leaves over it are also done with the Spiced Marmalade.

I finished by adding a sentiment using Versafine Olympia Green which I heat embossed with WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder, and then used some of the Crushed Olive to blend around the edges before adding it to the card.

Thank you for dropping by today and I hope to see you again soon.

*Just to correct myself, I suddenly realised that I had missed the 'great' out of the equation..lol, a senior moment and it has only taken me two days to realise that it was wrong and after lots of people had actually said niece and I still had not picked up on it.  I will put it down to the fact that I have had some family things going on which have distracted me recently.  Thank you all for your lovely comments too which I greatly appreciate.    

I am entering the following challenges:

Uniko Challenge - No. 61 Anything Goes (optional twist: Thanks)
NBUS Challenge - No. 19 Where we use our Never Before Used Schtuff.
Watercooler Wednesday Challenge - No. 292 Anything Goes With a Feminine Twist.
613 Avenue Create October Challenge - Anything Goes (optional twist: Winged Things)
Crafter's Cafe Challenge - No. 252 Anything Goes.
AAA Birthday Challenge - No. 18 Photo Inspiration (I have chosen the yellows, greens and orange tones)

CAS Mix Up October Challenge - Guest Designer Spot

Hi there everybody.  I am so pleased and excited to be the Guest Designer over at CAS Mix Up Challenge this time and thank you to Loll, Bonnie and the team for inviting me to join them this time, and it is the turn of stencils to take the spotlight.  The challenge was set by Viv and she has chosen 'Tone on Tone'.  If you want some inspiration do pop over there and see what all the very talented team have come up with, and there are also some You Tube video suggestions for even more ideas.  

 Anyway on to my card for which I have used a new to me stencil by Funky Fossil called Abstract Flowers and three bright Distress Inks - Seedless Preserves, Picked Raspberry and Ripe Persimmon, and finished with WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder.  Techniques: stamping, ink blending, heat embossing, dry embossing and die cutting.

I started by covering a piece of white card with the three bright distressed inks using a blending tool working diagonally across it.  When this was dry I dusted the card well with my Anti Static Bag and laid my stencil over and used each of the inks in turn covering each coloured portion of the card with the stencilled image in the same colour as the card beneath, and working the ink well in for maximum coverage.   While the ink was still wet I covered the stencilling with the WOW Clear Gloss EP and heat set it.  

Finally again allowing plenty of time for everything to dry I then used a square stitched die to cut it down a bit and then I ran it through my machine to dry emboss it for more dimension.  I then added a sentiment stamped on to a piece of white card using Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink and cut around it and added some of the pink ink left on the blending tool to the edges.  I then added a piece of foam to the back of the panel and the sentiment before mounting it on to a 6" square white card.

I have really enjoyed being the Guest Designer and the tone on tone was fun to do with a stencil and I hope you will join in with the challenge which is open until the 24th October. 

I am entering the following challenges:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes.
NBUS Challenge 19 - Where we use our Never Before Used Schtuff.
Stamplorations October Stencil Challenge - Always Anything Goes.

 

Seasonal Wreath

Hi there everybody.  I am using this Sweet Manhattan stamp for the first time.  Sherie the owner has an Etsy shop and this particular stamp is here.  I was lucky enough to be sent this as a thank you for some help I gave her.  I thought it was about time I got on with my Christmas cards and decided to make  a card for the Rudolph Days Challenge as I have missed a few this year.  It is run by Mo at Scraps of Life by Scrappymo and runs from 25th to the end of each month,  and there are only two more to go this year...can you believe it! 

I started by stamping the wreath using Versafine Olympia Green Ink and I heat set it with WOW Clear Gloss EP.  I then coloured with Distress Inks and a water brush using Festive Berries, Pine Needles, Mowed Lawn and Vintage Photo.  I also added a bit of Pixie Powder in Gold mixed with the red for the baubles, but not sure that you will be able to see it here.  I finished by adding the Pine Needles to the sentiment in the centre.  I then splattered very lightly with  both the red and green before matting it on to red card and then on to my 6" square white card.

I am entering the following challenges:

Rudolph Days September Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes.
The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - No. 80 Anything Christmas Goes.
Merry Little Christmas September Challenge - No. 26 Anything Christmas Goes.

Trees for Two Seasons

Hi everybody.  I've been trying to get some Christmas cards done but haven't got very far, but I made this one with CAS Christmas in mind as they are asking for Trees, and made a second different card using the same trees so I could enter the Twofer Challenge where we have to make two different cards for two different occasions using the same stamp, stencil or die, and have made it by a whisker for both challenges.  

Here are the two cards together for the Twofer Card Challenge entry using Tree Trio by Crafty Individuals.

 

For this first card I stamped on to a snippet of white card using Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink and then added the blue sky using Stormy Sky Distress Ink smooshed for a watercolour look, and then with a waterbrush I added some well watered down Picked Raspberry DI to the horizon, not showing up too well in the photo.  I then embossed with a snowfall stencil and added some white liquid pearls over the top of the embossing, and a few more as well..I think I got a bit carried away so instead of gently falling snow it looks like a blizzard..lol.  

I then added some white acrylic paint to the foreground and stippled it a bit to give it a nice covering of snow, and also ink blended around the edges of the sky with Adirondack Stonewashed Ink before adding the sentiment again using the Nocturne Ink heat embossed with WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder.  I decided to add it on to a snippet of silver mirri card before adding it to the slimline card.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

CAS Christmas Card September Challenge - Christmas Tree (this isn't as CAS as I first intended so hope this will be acceptable.  This is a very late entry so please ignore it if it doesn't fit into the CAS category)
Pixie's Crafty Workshop - No. 387 Where we use up our snippets of card and paper etc.
The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - No. 79 Anything Christmas Goes.
ABC Christmas Challenge - 'S' for Snowy or 'T' for Tinsel.
Merry Little Christmas September Challenge - No. 26 Anything Christmas Goes.

 

This second card started with the background using some more autumn colours, and made with some Brushos - Lemon, Orange and Emerald Green, and Pixie Powders  - Gold and White Pearl which have given it a lovely shimmery finsh but it doesn't show up in the photo unfortunately.  I then die cut the square from the centre using a stitched square die and stencilled the Funky Fossil Leafy Mandala to the corners using Ripe Persimmon Distress Ink.   I added the CI trees to the stitched square, minus a little bit at the bottom, using Versamark and heat set with WOW Metallic Copper Embossing Powder and stamped the sentiment using Versafine Vintage Sepia Ink heat embossed with WOW Clear Gloss EP.  I put it all together on to a white 6" square card and inset the tree topper into the background.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Watercooler Wednesday Challenge - No. 290 All About Occasions.
The Card Concept Challenge - No. 140 Fanciful Fall.  (I have used the Mixed Media Style with stamping, stencilling, heat embossing, die cutting and watercolouring)
Stamping Sensations September Challenge - The Great Outdoors.
NBUS Challenge - No. 18 Using our Never Before Used Schtuff.  (My CI Tree Trio stamp and the Leafy Mandala stencil are both getting their first outing)

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

Shades of Purple Dragonfly

Hi all.  I have had this stamp for a while and decided to us it for this masculine card.  It is designed by Lisa Horton for Creative Expressions and called Dragonfly Background.

I thought it would lend itself to using the inks straight to stamp, so I positioned the piece of card in my Misti and stamped it with three different Distress Inks, the  lightest colour Shaded Lilac used all over, then the darkest tone Dusty Concord on the dragonfly wings and the chevrons, and lastly I added the bright mid tone Wilted Violet over the word plate.  I managed pretty well to get each colour of ink where I wanted it but there are just a few stray bits but it all blends in fine, and I was pleased with the finished look.  I then added some WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder all over and took it out of the Misti and heat set it, but decided that it would be better with a thicker covering of the gloss finish, so placed it back in and restamped with Versamark and heat set it again, and this brought the colours out and gave it more punch, especially as the style is of a distressed sort of pixelated look which muddies the design a bit. 

Anyway I hope you like it and I think this works well for a male birthday, but I guess it would work for a female birthday too, what do you think?  Thank you for visiting today and I'll see you again soon.

I am entering the following challenges:

Less is More Challenge - No. 428 Shades of Purple.  (I hope this is considered CAS enough for the challenge)
613 Avenue Create Challenge - Anything Goes (optional: use a charm on your project).
NBUS Challenge- No. 18 Where we use our Never Before Used Schtuff. 
AAA Birthday Challenge - No. 17 Animals and Critters.

 

CAS Embossed Heart Anniversary

Hi everyone.  This is a card for a family anniversary made using the embossed die technique which is the theme of the CAS Mix Up Challenge this time.  I used a Nellie Snellen Multi Frame Heart die set which I have had for years, and I don't think they make this one anymore, and the stamped flowers are from a set by Creative Expressions called Bouquet  which I got from a local outlet so think it is probably another one not produced anymore.

I have a Gemini machine and up to now have tried to emboss dies but have failed dismally, as either the sandwich was too thin or else it impressed to hard and cut through, or scrunched the card around the die, and once it bent the die a bit, luckily I did manage to straighten it, so I didn't have high hopes.  I think this die is quite thick and with the normal two clear plates and a silicone mat it did it perfectly, luckily proving me wrong..lol.  As an afterthought I decided to put it through again with added Versamark then heat embossed it with WOW Metallic Platinum Embossing Powder.   I used my Anti Static Bag and managed to line it back up pretty well, just a little bit out but good enough, and with a little tidying up of the stray powder again it worked well.

 

I then stamped the smaller flowers from this Creative Expressions set and again heat embossed with the Platinum EP and coloured the flowers with my Staedtler Water Brush Pens and a waterbrush.  Why is it when you take the photo it shows up those things you can't see with the naked eye, although I think I do need better glasses..lol, as I can see some white patches on the flowers..aaagh!  Too late as I have already sent the card.    I also stamped the sentiment and again heat embossed with the same Platinum EP.   I finished by ink blending with Ripe Persimmon Distress Ink around the edges before adding this to the 6" base card.  

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

I am also entering the following challenges:

CAS Mix Up September Card Challenge - Embossing With Dies.  (Techniques - heat embossing with the die, stamping, watercolouring, and ink blending).
Allsorts Challenge - Week 589 'I Love.... Belated Birthday Celebrations.  (I love bright colours, flowers, stamping and heat embossing).
My Time to Craft Challenge - No. 440 Embossing (Wet or Dry).