A Gothic Ruin

Hello and welcome to my blog  :)   I'm sharing a card today that I made recently for my husbands birthday.  I know that all us crafters struggle sometimes with cards for men, especially once we have already exhausted the sports, alcohol and car themes lol!  Especially if, like my hubby, the man in question isn't a sports or alcohol fan.  I've used all the car stamps I have over the years too! 
I have used stamps from Chocolate Baroque's Gothic Fragments and Words of Love sets; Distress Inks, Versafine ink, Aqua Tints; die cuts and an embossing folder from my stash. 

I started by creating the background, blending DI's all over a piece of white card.  When that was dry I took a patterned image and spritzed the stamp with water before stamping randomly over the panel to faux bleach it.  I then inked the stamp with grey DI and stamped the image again several times using 1st and 2nd generation ink.  I then stamped another image randomly in 1st and 2nd generation grey ink.

Next I stamped an arched window in grey Versafine ink, then faux bleached it to show highlights.  I then stencilled some brickwork randomly in grey ink.

I stamped a sentiment in Sepia ink onto Kraft card and cut around it to create a panel then I blended DI around the edges.  I embossed another piece of Kraft card in a brick wall folder and blended DI over it.  I wrapped some natural twine around the focal panel then attached it to the wall panel, and in turn attached them to a base card.  I then attached the sentiment panel.

To complete the project I added a couple of die cuts; a leafy swirl corner that I cut from some card I had painted for a previous project, and a section of brick wall cut from Kraft card and blended with DI.  

I really love this card, the Gothic Fragments stamps are so gorgeous!  I think that this is a great worker card, for any occassion and for either male or female cards.  Thank you for popping by today, I hope you've enjoyed this post and that you'll visit again 

soon  :)

Copper Field

Hello and welcome to my blog today  :)  I have a quick and easy card to share with you which is featured on the Chocolate Baroque DT page this month as one of the Fifteen minute cards.  I have used the Baroque Meadow stamp, a sentiment from Words of Inspiration, a piece of printed paper, copper embossing powder, Stickles, Versafine Sepia ink, gold pen.

I took a piece of patterned paper which I printed off a CD  in my stash, then  stamped and embossed the meadow flowers and a butterfly in copper.  I then die cut the piece into an oval, matted it to some black card and edged that with a gold pen.  I attached the focal panel to a linen base card then stamped the sentiment.

I added some dots of Stickles in opposite corners of the card.  I also added Stickles to the flowers and the butterfly.  This is a lovely quick card for any occasion and for male or female cards.  It is also perfect for those last minute projects - the 'oops I forgot' moments!  
  

Thank you for dropping by today - I hope you've enjoyed this post and will visit again soon  :)  And don't forget to pop over to the CBDT blog for more quick card inspiration  http://chocolatebaroque.blogspot.co.uk/

Pearl Peacock

Hi there and welcome to my blog  :)  I'm sharing a card that I made for the Chocolate Baroque DT blog Fifteen minute Card post.  All the cards featured take only fifteen minutes or less to make using CB stamps.  For this design I have used images from the Tangled Peacock set; Versamark ink, gold embossing powder, mica powders, gold pen; dies from my stash.

I began by die cutting some black, turquoise and white card to create a focal panel, mat and base card.  I stamped the Tangled Peacock onto the black card with Versamark ink, then brushed mica powders over the image.  I sprayed it with hairspray to fix the powders, then stamped and embossed a stylised  feather image in each corner.  

I edged the focal panel with gold pen, then matted and layered it onto the base card, which I also edged with gold.  I stamped and embossed a sentiment onto some more black card, edged it in gold then matted and layered it before attaching it to the card.  I added some tiny gems for the eyes of the peacock, and to the sentiment panel to complete the design.  I LOVE the CB peacock stamp sets, and I'm loving using my mica powders again!  I think that this quick and easy design makes a great card for lots of occasions.
Thanks for popping by my blog today, I hope you've enjoyed this post and will come back soon  :)    BTW - why not pop over to the CBDT blog for more quick card inspiration http://chocolatebaroque.blogspot.co.uk/ 

Here Be Fairies

Hello and welcome to my blog  :)  I have a piece of home decor to share with you today, another of my recent tv samples.  I created this fairy door for the Spring Fairies shows, and it is one of my GDT projects this month on the Chocolate Baroque DT blog.  I have used the beautiful stamps from all three sets of Spring Fairies and Fantasy Castles; a wooden fairy door; Aztec paints, Distress inks, black Versafine ink, Aquatints, alcohol pens, glitter,clear and holographic embossing powders; an embossing folder from my stash. 

I stamped  the images onto copy paper and cut them out, then arranged them into a pleasing composition.

I drew around the doorway onto white card and cut out the shape.  I stamped a castle in the centre and masked it.  I then created a background with the Aztec paints, making a shimmering fantasy sky.  When that was dry I removed the mask and painted the castle with Aquatints and DIs.  

Next I painted the fairy door and doorway with the Aztec paints to give them a beautiful pearly sheen.  I then stamped a swirly image repeatedly around the top of the doorway and on the door using holographic powder.  This powder changes colour as it is heated and as the light hits it, so it appears magical.  I think it looks like ancient runes.  
    

I stamped the fairies, a butterfly and some florals onto white card with black ink and embossed them with clear powder.  I then painted them with Aztec paints, and added glitter when they dried.  I used alcohol pens for the fairies skin.

I decided to create a wall for my fairy door to go in.  I took a piece of Kraft card and embossed it with a brick pattern.  I washed the wall with white gesso, let it dry then blended DI around the edges.  

Now to assemble the piece.  I attached the panel with the castle to the back of the doorway, then attached the wall panel.  I decoupaged all the other images onto the front of the fairy doorway.   

And so my magical fairy door artwork was complete!  I LOVED creating this, and I think it would make a lovely present for a child or adult.  You are never too old for fairies hee hee!  The Aztec paints are so shimmery and the glitter adds a magical touch to everything.  

Thank you for visiting my blog today, I hope you've enjoyed this post and that you'll pop in again soon  :)  

From Russia...With Inspiration

Hello and welcome to my blog  :)   Today's post is another of my tv samples for Chocolate Baroque's Russian themed shows.  This card features the beautiful Katya stamp, the Large Crackle stamp and one of the Silhouette Palace stencills; Distress inks, black Versafine ink, pearl paints, alcohol pens, gold embossing powder, gilding wax; dies from my stash.

I planned the composition of the design first as usual by stamping the images onto copy paper, cutting them out and arranging them.  

I created a background by blending DIs onto white card.  I then stamped the crackle image repeatedly all over the background.  I placed the stencill onto the background and applied Versamark ink through it, then embossed with gold powder.  I die cut the panel and edged it with a black marker pen.

I stamped Katya onto white card in black Versafine and embossed her with clear powder.  I stamped her again in grey Versafine and let her dry.  I cut the face away from the embossed image as I wanted to 3D the headress onto the other image.  I coloured her face with alcohol pens on the stamped image, then used pearl paints to colour her clothes and headress.  I added pearls and gems to the headress and earings.  

I embossed a piece of black card in a folder from my stash and added gilding wax.  I edged it with a gold pen and attached it to a base card.  I decoupaged the headress onto Katya, attached the crackled panel to the card then decoupaged Katya onto the card.  I stamped and embossed a sentiment onto a spare piece of the background panel, edged it in black and added some tiny gems before adding it to the card.  I added some more gems to the black embossed panel to complete the design.

This is one of my favourite samples from this DT call out, not least because I used my favourite colour red teamed with black and gold - also favourites of mine!  Plus I used my favourite stamp of this collection - so I think it's safe to say that I love this card!  It's a beautiful card that would suit lots of occasions.  
Thank you so much for stopping by today, I hope you've enjoyed this post and that you will come back again soon  :)

Castle in the Clouds

Hi there, welcome to my blog  :)  I'm sharing another of my recent tv samples today, this one is from the Chocolate Baroque Spring Fairies Collection.  I have used stamps from the collection and from the Fantasy Castles set; Aqua Tints, gold marker pen, grey Versafine, glitter.

I started by stamping a castle and some cloud images onto copy paper and cutting them out.  I moved the images around until I was happy with the composition.  

I stamped the castle in grey onto a piece of white card and masked it.  I then drew a rainbow on the card in pencil and painted it with Aqua Tints.  I painted the sky, stamped a couple of clouds and faux bleached them.  Next I removed the mask and painted the castle.

I added glitter to the rainbow and clouds on the background panel and set it aside.  I then took a piece of white card and stamped clouds repeatedly around the edges.   I cut around the clouds to create an aperture and added glitter to them.  I used a gold marker pen around the edge of the card.

I attached the focal panel to a base card, then attached the cloud frame on top.  I stamped some butterflies, painted and cut them out then attached them to the card. 

I'm so pleased with this design, it was slightly influenced by a certain retro children's programme but I think it would cheer up any adult's or child's day!  It would even make a nice retirement card, along the lines of 'chasing rainbows and living your dreams'.  

Thank you for visiting my blog today, I hope you liked this post and I look forward to seeing you again  :)

Doorway to Colour

Hi and welcome to my blog  :)  I have another of my recent tv samples to share with you today featuring the Chocolate Baroque stencils.  I have used the Russian Spires and one of the Silhouette Palace stencils;  Distress inks, Brushos, gilding wax, gold pen; a sentiment stamp from the CB Words of Inspiration set; wood grain embossing folder from my stash, grey-board embellishments. 
  

I used linen textured card for the base card and die cut an arched door on the front half.  I then cut some Kraft card in the same die and embossed it in a folder.  I blended DI over the Kraft card to emphasise the pattern, then attached it to the card.  I added gold gilding wax to a couple of grey board embellishments and attached them to the door as hinges.  

I added a brad as a handle.  I then used the Silhouette Palace stencil across the top of the card front with DI.  I stamped the sentiment along the bottom of the card and blended DI around the edges.

On another piece of card I used black DI through the Russian Spires stencil.  I coloured the image with Brushos, let it dry then covered it with the matching mask.  I used watercolour ink to create a background and added turquoise Brusho.  I used gold pen onto another piece of card to create a mat for the focal panel, and attached it.

I attached the focal panel to the inside of the base card.  The idea is that you look through an old doorway to a castle.

I'm so pleased with the result of this design.  I had the idea for it but I wasn't sure that it would work - luckily it did!  I love the way the old door opens and you can look through the doorway to the colourful castle inside.  I love using Brushos, and I think they work so well in this design.  
Thank you for popping by today, I hope that you've enjoyed this post and I'll see you again soon  :)