Mother Love

This is a card that I made for my daughter to receive on Mother's Day.  I wanted to create something bright and cheerful, and my latest CB stamps were perfect.  I used Chocolate Baroque 'Fluttering Hearts' stamp set; Distress Inks Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed, and Spiced Marmalade.  I also used a couple of dies and some alphabet stamps.  The base card is a white shaped card.  I used two of the stamps from the set to create a border around the edges of the card with DI's.  I also blended some inks around the edges to soften them.  I took a piece of white card and blended the three DI's onto it.  I then stamped the large heart all over the panel using second generation ink, turning the image for each stamping.  Next I die cut the panel and embossed it, then edged it with ink.  I die cut a piece of dark card slightly larger than the panel, embossed it, matted the panel onto it and layered it onto the card.  On another piece of white card I stamped the focal image in black Versafine ink and heat embossed it with clear powder.  I painted the image with H2O paints then cut it out. I added some dots of Liquid Pearls around the flower centres then glazed them.  I die cut some flowers and foliage out of the same card as the background panel, and edged them all with ink.  I stamped a sentiment onto the background panel with the alphabet stamps, then  attached the focal image and all the embellishments with dimensional glue.   I really like this cheerful design, I think it's a good worker card that could be used for lots of occasions.

Electrical Storm

This is my hubby's birthday card for 2015 and it was inspired by a design by Sheena Douglass, and uses her stamps.  I also used some stamps from Crafters Companions Textures range and one of their embossing folders, plus a few embellishments. It was a chance to play with my new Aqua Tints 'Beautifully Grunge' set too!  As soon as I got these stamps I wanted to create something with a 'Frankenstein' steampunk vibe, combining the Castle Ruins and High Voltage sets.  I used an 8"x 8" plain white card as the base.   I painted the edges of the card in purple, then used an embossing folder to create texture.  I added some gold gilding wax to highlight the embossed pattern and give a distressed look.  The focal panel is a piece of white stamping card cut to size.  I stamped the ruins in black Versafine, and then masked the images with drawing gum.  I painted the panel using several bright colours from the set of Aqua Tints, painting straight over the stamped images.  I stamped a corner collage image in two corners of the panel in black ink, and some Gothic style script.  I used a stencil by Sheena to create storm clouds in the sky above the ruins by faux bleaching through the stencil.  I added highlights with Lumiere pearl paint, then stamped lightening streaks in white acrylic paint.  I rubbed the drawing gum off the ruins and painted them, then highlighted them with pearl paint. The panel was then matted onto black card and layered onto the base card.  Taking another piece of white stamping card I stamped a dial image in black and heat embossed it with black powder.  I also stamped and embossed the sentiment in the same way.  I painted over the stamped images, cut out the dial with scissors and the sentiment with a label die.  I stamped two more images onto acetate in black ink and heat embossed them with black powder.  Next I turned the images over and painted them on the reverse with Lumiere pearlescent paint in copper and silver.  When dry I overpainted them with white gesso to make the colours pop.  I then cut the images out, and attached all the embellishments with dimensional glue.  I used a mini vintage lightbulb to mirror the stamped one.  I really enjoyed making this card, it turned out exactly as I envisaged the design in my head.  This design is bright, cheerful and fun!  I think it could be a good 'worker' card, suitable for lots of occasions, any age any gender.   

Art of Kraft

This is a card I have made for the April challenge at Country View Challenges  http://countryviewchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/its-our-april-challenge.html.  I actually made this at the beginning of the month, then had some technical issues so I couldn't upload any photo's for a while hence the late entry!  This design  features Kraft card using several techniques but keeping to two colours. The stamps used are  from Crafter's Companions Textures range as is the embossing folder.  I have also used a couple of stamps from Sheena Douglass's Little Bit Sketchy range, and a couple of dies.  The base card is white linen textured card.  The background panel is a piece of Kraft card cut to size and painted with a coat of white Gesso.  When dry the edges of the panel were stamped using Vintage Photo DI, the images giving a distressed look to the panel.  I blended a little   Walnut Stain ink along the very edges of the panel to add depth of colour.  Next I embossed the panel in a folder through a machine, and then sanded the pattern back lightly to expose the Kraft card.  The panel was then matted onto a piece of plain Kraft card, a strip of hessian added and layered onto the base card.  Using dies I cut several sizes of flowers, and some foliage sprays out of Kraft card.  I stamped some of the flowers with a script stamp then edged them with the same ink.  The other flowers were just edged with ink, then they were all shaped with a ball tool.  The foliage sprays were also edged with ink and shaped.  The die cut florals were then layered up to form four 3D flowers, glued in the centres and a small pearl added.  The flowers and foliage were attached to the card with dimensional glue.  Using another die I cut a label out of Kraft card and embossed it.  Keeping the die on the card I blended ink around the edges and stamped a couple of swirls across the ends.  I stamped one of Sheena Douglass's sentiments onto the label in Walnut Stain DI and attached it with dimensional glue.  I think this design makes a lovely multi-occassion  card.