Victorian Gothic

 Hello and welcome to my blog  :)  I'm sharing another DT sample with you today, this one was made while I was on the Sheena Douglass DT  for the DOTD embossing folders launch on tv.  I decided to create a card inspired by one of my favourite horror stories - Jekyll and Hyde.  I have used SD Victorian Gentleman, Floral Fiesta and Dancing Skeleton stamps; DOTD embossing folders Baroque Frame and Skulduggery; Dyna paints, Distress Inks, Aquatints, silver gilding wax, black and white marker pens.

I took a piece of black card and embossed it with the Baroque frame, then gilded it with silver wax.  I took another piece of black card and embossed it with the Skulduggery folder, then painted over it with Dyna paints.  I matted the frame panel onto the skull panel, then matted that onto black card.  I then stamped corner and border images onto a white base card with DI, blended ink around the edges, and attached the embossed panels.
   

I stamped a lightening image onto acetate and embossed it in white, then cut it out.   I stamped the Victorian Gentleman onto white card twice, masking the first image and then stamping the second slightly offset from the first, using grey ink.  I painted both men with Aquatints, one darker than the other.  I then cut out one of the embossed skulls and coloured it with white and black marker pens.  

I cut both men out, then drew a cloak on black card and cut it out.  I attached the skull and the cloak to the second man, and added a chain and clasp with silver pen.  I then attached the images to the card in 3D, and added the lightening between them.  

I absolutely loved making this card and I'm really pleased with the result.  The gentleman stamp is perfect to create the Victorian Gothic feel to this piece.  This card could be used for several occasions, including Halloween, especially anyone who likes Gothic Horror!  

Thank you for visiting my blog today, I hope you've enjoyed this post and will come back soon  :)

Regal Diary

Hi and welcome to my blog  :)  I'm sharing a bit of 'up-cycling' with you today, featuring the gorgeous Kingfisher again.  I have used CB Kingfisher Song, Baroque Meadow and  Words of Inspiration stamp sets; black Gesso paint, gold embossing powder, pearl acrylic paints, Stickles.

You may or may not know that I am a self confessed 'crazy cat lady'!  I love cats, both real and decorative ornaments.  I usually have a cat calendar for the year, and this year's came with  a free diary that I decided to up-cylcle for one of my GDT samples.  I felt awful about painting over these kitties but I needed to use  the diary.  I gave it 2 coats of black Gesso and left to dry naturally.

Once dry I stamped a large Kingfisher, Baroque Meadow and a couple of sentiments onto the front of the diary and embossed them all in gold.  I then painted the Kingfisher with pearl acrylics to make the image shine.  I didn't want my bird to look as if it was floating in mid-air so I drew a branch with an embossing pen and embossed it in gold then painted it.  

I added some Stickles  to the meadow flowers and the sentiments.

To complete this project I gave it a couple of coats of spray varnish to protect the art work.

I really love the look of this diary now, and you could alter any notebook or journal in the same way.  This would make a lovely present, and it was quick and inexpensive to create.  You could use any stamps, I up-cycled a book last year using Indian themed stamps.
Thank you for visiting my blog today, I hope you have enjoyed this post and you'll come back soon  :) 

Vintage Bridge

Hello there and welcome to my blog  :)  I have yet another of my Chocolate Baroque GDT samples to share with you today.  I have used CB Kingfisher Song, Silhouette Grasses, Sticks and Stones stamp sets; Distress Inks, blue Sparkle pen, white embossing powder.

I began with assembling the stamped and cut out images on a piece of paper and adjusting them until I was happy with the composition.  I then stamped the images onto Kraft card and embossed them in white.  I love the simplicity of white embossed images on Kraft card, and the natural, vintage feel it gives to cards.  

I arranged the silhouette grasses images across the bottom of the panel, then stamped and embossed them in white.

I used a fern leaf image to stamp and emboss repeatedly across the top of the panel.  I coloured the river with the Sparkle pen.
    

I blended DI's around the edges of the panel to give just a hint of the land and sky.  I then added a white pen around the edges, and matted the panel onto black card.  I stamped the fern around the edges of the base card in DI then attached the panel.  I stamped a sentiment onto Kraft card, embossed it in white then die cut it as a tag,  I blended DI's around the edges, added a ribbon and attached it to the card.  

I think this card is one of my favourites of all the samples I made for this launch.  As I've said before I love the bridge stamp, it's so versatile I can see myself using it a lot!  This design is another good worker card, suitable for men and women and a variety of occasions.

Thank you for popping in today, I hope you've enjoyed your visit and will come back soon  :)

Beautiful Bridge

Hi and welcome to my blog  :)  I have another CB sample to share with you today from the gorgeous Kingfisher collection.  I have used stamps from CB Kingfisher Song, Sticks and Stones, Silhouette Grasses and Words to Dazzle and Sparkle sets; Distress Inks, Aquatints, grey Versafine ink, gold embossing powder, clear Sparkle pen.

I had already stamped all the images onto copy paper and cut them out, so I arranged all the images to make sure I'm happy with the composition.  I took a piece of white card and stamped some of the images in grey ink, then masked them.  I created a watercolour wash for the sky, faux bleached some clouds with water then removed the masking fluid.  I used Distress Inks to watercolour the images and the river, then added some foreground with a piece of torn paper and DI's.  I added Sparkle pen to the river, then I stamped the silhouette grasses across the bottom of the card and embossed them in gold.

The Kingfisher was painted in the same way and clear Sparkle pen used on top.  I used a white gel pen to emphasise the markings on the bird.  I die cut some leaves from card I had painted with pearl paints and added them to the branch.   I matted the panel onto black card.  I stamped the silhouette grasses around the edges of the base card and attached the panel.  I stamped and embossed a sentiment in gold onto white card, cut it into a pennant and added DI around the edges, then attached it to the card.

I absolutely LOVE the bridge stamp, and all these stamps are perfect for scene building which is something I also love.  This design is another great worker card, suitable for birthdays, retirement, get well cards and many more.  

Thank you for vising my blog today, I hope you enjoyed this post and will pop in again  :)

King of the River

Hello and welcome to my blog  :)  I have one of my samples for the recent Chocolate Baroque tv shows on Hochanda to share today.  I created several samples to launch some lovely new CB stamps featuring Kingfishers, riverbanks and wild flowers.  For this card I have used stamps from the Kingfisher Song, Sticks and Stones, and Silhouette Grasses sets; Aquatints, Distress Inks, silver acrylic paint, Versafine ink, white gel pen.
 

I normally stamp all the images I want to use onto scrap paper to work out my composition before starting work on the card.  For this launch I had the idea to stamp all the images from all the sets onto copy paper and roughly cut them out.  I could then use them individually to work out my designs, moving them or changing them until I was happy with it.  I then photographed the composition to have a template for the card.  This worked really well for me, and it was a lot of fun too! 

I stamped all the images onto white card using grey Versafine ink.  I then painted each image with masking fluid, and when dry I created the background.  I used Aqua tints for the sky, then added some hills and banks on the other side of the river with DI's and a stencil.  

I had stamped the Flag Iris' first and then added the large boulders on top.  I stamped the boulders image again on a spare piece of card and  cut it out.  I painted with Aquatints and set aside for later.



Using a stencil I added clouds to the sky by faux bleaching them.  I stamped, coloured and cut out a branch then added die cut leaves   

I took the masking fluid off the images and coloured them with Aqua tints.

I added silver acrylic paint to teal Aquatint for the Kingfishers top feathers to make them shine.  I blended grey DI around the edges of the panel and matted it onto black card.  I stamped some foliage around the edges of a white base card, then attached the focal panel.  I then attached the boulders in 3D over the Iris'.

I stamped and die cut a sentiment onto white card, sponged DI around the edges and added a ribbon before attaching it to the card.   

I'm really pleased with this card, the stamps are beautiful and I wanted to create a lovely summer riverbank scene with them.  I think this card would cheer up anyone's birthday, but it could easily be used for other occasions and male or female cards too. 
Thanks for visiting my blog today I hope you've enjoyed this post, and I hope you will pop in again soon  :)  

Magical Mica Butterfly

Hi there and welcome to my blog  :)  Today's post is another card I have made for the CB colour challenge #31   http://chocolatebaroquechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/  and for this one I have re-discovered my Mica powders, which I haven't played with for YEARS!  I'm so pleased I did though  :)  

I have used stamps from the CB Patchwork Butterfly and Words to Dazzle and Sparkle sets; Mica powders, Black embossing powder, Versamark ink, gold marker pen.  

I took a piece of black card and stamped the solid floral image in Versamark ink.  I then brushed several colours of Mica powders over the ink, and set the whole thing with hairspray.   Images like this are often called shadow  or negative images, they have large areas of rubber and the pattern is etched in relief.  They are perfect for using with Mica powders, multi-coloured embossing and more.  





I trimmed the panel, added gold pen to the edges and matted it onto another piece of black card.  I then attached it to a white base card.  I stamped the bottom half of the image onto some more black card and brushed Mica powders on as before.  I cut the flowers out and decoupaged them onto the panel.  

I stamped a butterfly onto black card and added Mica powders, then cut it out and added it to the card with dimensional glue.

I stamped and embossed a sentiment in black onto white card, die cut it and added DI and gold pen to the edges.  I attached it to the card with dimensional glue.  To complete the look I added a couple of gems to some extra flowers.   I thoroughly enjoyed creating this card and re-discovering my Mica powders!  I think I shall have to use them more often, they give the stamped images such a beautiful colour and sheen.  This is another good worker design which will suit any occasion just by changing the sentiment or colours.  
Thank you for popping in today,  I hope you've enjoyed this post.     Please pop in again soon  :)

Summer Poppy Meadow

Hello and welcome to my blog  :)  Today I have a card to share with you that I made for the Chocolate Baroque challenge blog   http://chocolatebaroquechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/  challenge # 31.  I haven't joined in with the colour challenge for a couple of months and I was eager to jump right back in, especially with such a gorgeous colour palette!  For this project I have used stamps from CB Poppy Meadow set; Brushos, Distress Ink, gold marker pen, gold embossing powder, grey Versafine ink.

On a piece of white card I stamped a large Poppy image and masked it.  I then used the 'wet on dry' technique with the Brushos, I just love the way the colours spread!  I let the colours dry, then used DI's to stamp smaller images randomly all over the panel in 2nd generation ink.  I then blended red DI around the edges of the panel. 

I removed the masking fluid and used DI's to colour the main image.  I then stamped a small butterfly from the Patchwork Butterfly set onto white card, embossed it in gold, cut it out and painted it with DI's.  Next I stamped the corner images and embossed them in gold.

I used a gold pen around the edges of the panel and matted it onto some red card, then onto a white base card.  

I attached the butterfly with dimensional glue.  

I stamped a sentiment onto white card and embossed it in gold.  I die cut it, stencilled colour around the edges, and added gold pen before attaching it to the card with dimensional glue.  I'm very pleased with this design, red Poppies are my favourite flower and I love using them in my artwork.  This card is a great worker card, suitable for men or women and any occasion.  

Thanks for popping by my blog today, I hope you enjoyed this post and will visit again soon  :)