A Vintage Rose

As I've said before I love Vintage and Steampunk themes, and these stamps were perfect for a Steampunk/Vintage Valentines card!  The stamps used are from the Punky Hearts set by Chocolate Baroque, with one small image from the Fluttering Hearts set.  The inks used are Distress Inks; Mustard Seed, Squeezed Lemonade, Brushed Corduroy, and Vintage Photo.  I also used Versafine Vintage Sepia ink.  I started by creating the background for the main focal panel using plain white smooth card.  I blended the two yellow inks and Brushed Corduroy all over the panel.  I sprinkled the panel with water and faux bleached it.  I used a 'free gift' text stamp to stamp randomly over the panel using second generation ink.  Next I took a heart cluster image and stamped it randomly over the panel using Vintage Photo DI, second generation stamping.  I blended the ink around the edges giving an overall shabby distressed effect.  I added gold gilding wax along the very edges of the panel with my finger, then matted it onto dark red card.  I took a piece of brown coredinations card and embossed it with cogs using a machine, then I sanded it back revealing a red core on the raised cogs.  Then I added gold gilding wax to highlight the cogs, and around the edges of the panel, and matted it onto dark red card.  I used the script stamp to create a border around the edges of the base card in second generation ink then blended the ink along the very edges of the card.  I layered the two panels onto the card.  I stamped a couple of small heart buttons and rose images onto white card in sepia ink and heat embossed them in clear powder.  I used Cosmic Shimmer Glimmer sprays to paint the images and cut them out.  I die cut several cogs of various sizes out of Kraft card, and coloured them with gilding waxes.  I also die cut a Steampunk butterfly and a padlock and key out of the card,  painted the butterfly with the shimmer mists, and used gilding wax on the lock and key.  I rubbed a little gilding wax over the butterfly and added string to the key.  I shaped all the embellishments and attached them to the card with dimensional glue.  I really enjoyed making this card, using some of my favourite techniques and some lovely stamps!  This will be my first entry to the latest Chocolate Baroque challenge  http://chocolatebaroquechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/.   

Love Is Blue

I made this card as an anniversary card for my husband and I am really pleased with the result.  The design started with the backing paper which I love.  I printed it out a while ago - then it got lost amongst my crafty stash!  I found it again recently and knew it was just what I wanted for this card.  I basically designed the artwork around the paper, choosing a complimentary colour scheme.  The paper was printed from the Artylicious Essence of Nature CD Rom, and the stamps are from the Fluttering Hearts set by Chocolate Baroque.  The sentiment  is from the Celebrations Greetings set and I used a text stamp from the Mini Scripts set from CB.  The base card is plain white onto which I sprayed some Cosmic Shimmer mister in two colours of blue.  When dry I stamped the text image around the edges of the card making a border, using Black Soot Distress ink, then blended the ink along the very edges.  I also blended the ink around the edges of the backing paper, and stamped a sentiment centrally at the top and bottom of the panel.  I cut a piece of black card to size and embossed it using a folder in a machine.  I rubbed gilding wax over the raised pattern and polished it up.  I matted the printed panel onto the embossed one, then layered it onto the base card.  I stamped a butterfly heart image onto acetate and heat embossed it with black powder.  I then added glitter to the reverse of the image in colours that coordinate with the backing paper.  I stamped a small heart button image repeatedly onto smooth white card and heat embossed it in black, then painted the images with  the shimmer mists.  I cut them out and glazed them with Glossy Accents.  I sprayed another piece of card with the blue shimmer mists then stamped and heat embossed the sentiment in black onto the card.  Next I cut the sentiment out as a small panel and layered it onto black card.   I cut the glittered main image and attached it to the front of the card with dimensional glue.  I attached the glazed hearts and the sentiment in the same way.  To finish I added some small punched hearts made from the paper used to protect surfaces when I was spraying the base card.       

A Tickety-Boo Birthday

This is another card using the beautiful papers from the Vintage Christmas Collection CD Rom by Crafters Companion, this time I have used them for a lovely vintage - shabby- chic birthday card!  I intend to enter it into the Crafters Companion monthly challenge -https://www.facebook.com/CraftersCompanion.   I also used some lovely Sheena Douglass stamps; 'Ageing Beautifully' and 'I Say' sets, and some  Distress Inks - Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Scattered Straw, and Vintage Photo.  I think the  papers and the inks match and coordinate perfectly.  The base card is cream hammered card, I stamped a crackle image around the edges of the card  using Vintage Photo ink then added some ink blot and splodges randomly over the crackles.  I blended ink along the very edge of the card to complete the distressed look.  I took a bright tartan paper and cut it to size, then inked around the edges.   The central panel is a piece of smooth white card onto which I blended the yellow and orange DI's.  When dry I sprinkled drops of water over it and blotted them, creating a faux bleached effect.  I then stamped randomly over the panel with the ink blots and splodges, placing a few over the faux bleached spots, and added a couple of phrases.  I finished the panel by inking around the edges.  I matted the tartan panel onto dark card and layered it onto the base card.  I cut a strip of contrasting tartan paper and inked the edges, then wrapped it around the central panel, as a ribbon.  I then attached the panel to the card.  The flower and bow embellishments are also from the CD Rom, cut out and edged with ink, then assembled.   The sentiment panel was stamped and heat embossed onto white card, die cut and embossed, then I blended inks all over to colour it.  I faux bleached and overstamped  as before, and edged the panel with ink.  I added glitter to the centres of the flowers, and attached all the embellishments and the sentiment panel to the card.  I love this CD Rom it's so versatile and doesn't just  have to be for Christmas.  I also love making Vintage style projects and cards, and I shall enjoy exploring more designs with these papers.  

Rainy Day Card

This is a card I made a while ago for a friend in need of cheering up.  It was the first time I had used any of these stamps, they are from different designers but I knew they'd go together.  the stamps used are Water Effects from Designs by Ryn, and Through the Rain by Sheena Douglass.   I wanted to use a stormy colour scheme with a bit of warmth in it, so I used Distress Inks Dusty Concord, Broken China and Weathered Wood.  I also used a Brilliance ink - Platinum Planet.  I created the main focal panel first, taking a piece of smooth white card and blending the DI's onto it.  I stamped the raindrops image randomly over the panel in Weathered Wood, and two of the Water Effects images in black Versafine ink.  Using a paintbrush and water I faux bleached the Water Effects images, and when they were dry I applied Glossy Accents glaze.  Using Black Soot DI I edged the panel which made the other colours pop.  I then die cut two pieces of navy card as my base card.  I stamped the raindrops around the edges of one piece which will be the card front, and blended ink around the outside edges.  I used the Brilliance ink for this.  Next I stamped a sentiment onto a piece of acetate in black ink and heat embossed it with black powder.  I wrapped the acetate around the the focal panel and secured it with double sided tape.  I took some coordinating ribbon and attached it to the acetate with tape.  I then layered the panel onto the card front.  I scored the other piece of navy card about 2cm from the top and attached it to the back of the card front with tape, making a hinge.  I really like this design it's perfect as a 'cheer up' card, or a get well card,and it's good for male or female cards.

Acorns and Brushos

This is a lovely card that I created today to showcase a new stamp and my new Brushos.  It is the first time I have ever used Brushos, even though I have had them a while.  Like the gelli plate, I need more practice, but I love them already!  I am entering this piece into two challenges : http://countryviewchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ 'Use something new to you' challenge, and  http://blog.laviniastamps.com/ 'Anything goes' challenge.  The stamps I have used are all Lavinia stamps but only the Acorn  Dwelling is new.  The Brusho colours I used are lime green,terracotta, sandstone, and yellow ochre.  I started by stamping the Acorn Dwelling image onto watercolour card in sepia Versafine ink, and then did the same onto smooth card and heat embossed it with clear powder. This will act as a guide for placing the embossed image later.  I then spritzed the watercolour card with water and sprinkled the Brushos  randomly around the stamped image.  I let the paints do their thing and while they were drying I cut out and coloured the embossed image with Distress Inks.  I stamped the Creeping Vine using sepia ink onto acetate and heat embossed with gold powder.  I then cut out the image.  When the paints were dry I stamped an orchid image along the bottom of the panel, staggering the images and using secondary stamping to give depth.  I made another Brusho background in the same way as I did this one, and  I used it to die cut some leaves, pine cones, acorns and foliage sprigs.  I shaped the acorn house and die cut embellishments with a ball tool.  I attached the house to the background panel with dimensional glue over the first stamped image, then added the acetate vines along the top edge of the panel.  I matted the panel onto gold card then layered it onto burgandy card.  I arranged the embellishments along the bottom and sides of the panel to give the artwork a 'forest floor' effect, then  I attached them with dimensional glue.  I am really pleased with this lovely design.  It is also a good 'worker' card, it could be used for many occasions, male or female and different age groups. 

Thank You

Woohoo!  My blog has passed 3000 page views!  I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who has visited so far, your support means such a lot to me.  I had never blogged before setting this one up, it has been a steep learning curve - and I'm still learning!  I hope you will keep visiting, I'll keep blogging anyway!  

Enchanted Forest

I've been playing again!  This time I've been using things from my crafty stash that I have had for ages but haven't used before.  You know, those things that you just HAD to buy at the time - then put them away in your craft room and don't get round to using for a while, or a year!  One such item is my gelli plate,so when I saw this challenge it spurred me into action!  I created this project as an entry to'Country View Crafts Challenge Blog challenge,  http://countryviewchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/, this month's theme is 'Use Something New To You', and this is my first ever entry.  The stamps I used are some that were also bought a while ago but not used.  They are by Sheena Douglass from her 'Enchanted Doorway' and 'Always Floral' sets.  I used a Sheena embossing folder - 'Maple Leaf' and her stencil 'In the Forest'.  I also used a leaf stencil from Creative Expressions.  My gelli plate is a 'Creative Palette' by Stampendous.  I used acrylic paints, H2O's and inks in various colours as seen.  I started by creating the background panel with my gelli plate and a leaf stencil, applying yellow acrylic paint with a brayer.  I added some green paint by lightly rolling over the panel, the colour only catching in a few places giving a grungy distressed look to the artwork.  I then took the forest stencil and applied red paint with a stencil brush, it was easier and more effective than brayering.  I was pleased with the effect I had created, the stencil had been pushed into the paint giving the panel texture, but I felt that the white card showing through the leaves was a bit stark.  So I took a veined leaf stamp and stamped the image onto the white leaves, toning them down a bit.  Next I took a piece of acetate and stamped a leafy branch with black versafine ink  and heat embossed the image with black powder.  I turned the acetate over and painted the branch with H2O's, and when dry I added a coat of white acrylic on top of the painted image.  This made the colours of the H2O's show through the acetate more clearly.  I stamped the door and toadstool images onto smooth white card in black ink and heat embossed them as before.  I painted and cut them out, and cut out the acetate branch.  I matted the background panel onto green card, then layered it onto black card that has been embossed in a folder through a machine.  Aquamarine wax was rubbed over the embossed leaf pattern and polished before layering.  I shaped the door and toadstools with a ball tool then attached them to the panel with dimensional glue.  I attached the acetate branch with glue, putting it on the back of the painted images.  I really enjoyed creating this piece, and I LOVE my gelli plate!  I need a lot more practice, but I'll have a lot of fun doing it!  

Steampunk Flutterby Dreams

So this is my second entry to the CB challenge:  http://chocolatebaroquechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/.  I have used DIs in the same colours as in the previous post(Tropically Funky Fish), the same embossing powder, same card stock.  The stamps are from the CB Steampunk Butterfly set with the addition of one from the Eastern Grasses set.  As before I started by creating the background panel, a piece of white card onto which I blended the blue and yellow DIs.  I laid a stencil over the panel and used the same inks to create random  leaf shapes all over  the panel.  I then stamped the grasses several times along the bottom of the card.  Next I embossed the panel using a TCW cogs stencil in a machine to add texture.  I matted the panel onto black card.  I stamped the flowers and butterfly onto white card using clear Versamark ink and heat embossed the images with teal powder.  I stamped the butterfly again onto heat resistant acetate and embossed it.  The card flowers and butterfly were painted with DIs and cut out, as well as the acetate butterfly.  I added Glossy Accents to the flower heads.The base card is white and I have stamped the grasses repeatedly using a rose pink ink that I made by mixing DIs on a blending mat, adding a little water then inking up the stamp.  I layered the background panel onto the base card.  I layered the acetate butterfly onto the card butterfly using liquid pearls just on the body, having mixed a suitable colour.  I took a piece of lavender coloured card and blended the pink DI over it.  I stamped the sentiment in clear ink and heat embossed as before.  I die cut some cogs out of the same card.  I attached the flowers with dimensional glue, and the butterfly.   I added the cogs over the bottom of the flowers to represent soil.  Finally I attached the sentiment panel.  I really like this design, I have made it before in slightly different colours.  I think it's a lovely cheerful card, and a good worker card - it can be used for all sorts of occasions and with different colours for male and female and a variety of ages.  

Tropically Funky Fish Tank

Happy New Year everyone!   Here is my first crafting project of 2015 and my first entry for the Chocolate Baroque Colour Challenge 6, http://chocolatebaroquechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/.  I had the idea of creating a piece of artwork incorporating a tropical fish tank as soon as I saw these stamps before Christmas, I asked Father Christmas for them and he listened!  The stamps used are from the Steampunk Sea World and Funky Fish sets.  Distress inks used are Peacock Feathers, Mustard Seed, Squeezed Lemonade, Worn Lipstick, and Lettuce Adirondak ink.  The paints used are Viridian and Cobalt Blue acrylics, and Pearl White, Metalic Bronze, and Metalic Gold Lumiere.  I started by creating the smaller background panel using smooth white card, onto which I blended the blue and yellow DIs.  I spritzed some water onto my hand and flicked it randomly all over the panel, then blotted the drops with a tissue(faux bleaching).  I took an image of cogs (CB Steampunk Butterfly) and stamped it along the edges of the panel using the Lettuce ink, to represent gravel and sand in the bottom of the fish tank.  I faux bleached parts of the cogs to add interest and highlights.  I then stamped the cogs and seaweed group centrally in the bottom third of the panel.  I faux bleached the image to remove some of the colour  then painted it using the DIs.  I also stamped the bubble machine and some additional bubbles in the same way, and faux bleached the bubbles.  I added glitter highlights to the cogs, seaweed and bubbles.  Next I took a brayer and loaded it with blue ink; then I scrumpled a piece of copy paper, flattened it back out and rolled the inky brayer over the paper which both reduces the amount of ink and picks up the texture onto the brayer.  I then rolled the brayer once over the background panel transferring the pattern and giving the effect of rippling water.  I repeated this process over the whole panel.  When dry I added Glossy Accents glaze to the bubbles.  I stamped the bubble machine (without bubbles), some fish and shrimps and the galleon onto white card in clear Versamark ink and heat embossed with embossing powder - Midnight Teal Obsidian.  I coloured the images using a mixture of DIs and paints, then cut them out.  I then attached them using dimensional glue, a 3D effect.  I left the image of cogs and seaweed flat on the panel to give perspective as if they are at the back of the fish tank.  I applied all the other images in 3D so they appear nearer the front of the tank.  I wrapped a sheet of acetate around the panel, scoring a fold line 2cm from the edge of the panel and fixing it to the back, creating a dome at the front.  Then I matted the panel onto black card, and cut out a lid for the tank from the same card.  I rubbed gilding wax around the edges of the lid to create highlights.  The larger background panel is made from a piece of cardboard cut to make a frame  around the fish tank.  I painted it with acrylic paints and when dry I placed a stencil over the corners and spritzed with gold glimmer mist to create a pattern, then attached the fish tank.   I  die cut some cogs out of black card and added glitter highlights, then attached them to the finished artwork.  I am really happy with the way this project turned out, and it was a great way to christen my new stamps! 

Smaug's Lair

This dramatic card is one that I made for a friend's birthday recently.  We are all huge fans of Tolkein's Middle Earth tales, and I wanted to make another tribute to his work.  My inspiration is from 'The Hobbit', when Smaug the dragon is awakened from his slumber in the Lonely Mountain.  There is even a pile of gold under him!  The stamps and embossing folder used are from Sheena Douglass; Ancient Arches stamp and embossing folder, and Once there were Dragons stamp set.  Distress Inks Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade and Walnut; gold gilding wax; gold and bronze pearlescent paints; gold Rox.  I started with an 8" square white card and blended walnut DI around the edges.  I took a piece of smooth white card and stamped the ancient arches image with onyx black Versafine ink, then heat embossed it with clear powder.  I also stamped and embossed the dragon and the sentiment in the same way and set them aside for later.  I trimmed the stamped panel to size and blended distress inks onto the card, starting with the lightest colour first and graduating the colours to finish with the darkest.  Next I took a piece of dark brown card and embossed it using the Ancient Arches embossing folder in a machine.  I rubbed gold gilding wax gently over the raised image, then buffed it with a soft cloth.  I trimmed the embossed panel to size and then both panels were matted  onto contrasting card and layered onto the base card.  I painted the dragon in bronze and gold, and the flames with the same inks as before.  When dry I cut them out and shaped them with a ball tool.  I die cut the sentiment, embossed the panel then blended DI around the edges.  I then layered the sentiment panel onto the card front with dimensional glue, and attached the dragon and flames in the same way.  I am really pleased with this design. it's pretty much just as I wanted it to be.  The second design in my 'Homage To Middle Earth' series.