A comfy nook for art, craft and seeking simplicity.
This is the Mother’s Day card I made. I embossed the daffodil on vellum and coloured and blended with layers of polychromos for the flower and Pan Pastels for the background.
I don’t have time to write a full post tonight but I’ll try and finish it asap so please reread it if you want to know more! Here are a couple of close ups.
I’m entering the Creative Loops challenge- flowers
The February challenge for Creative Loops is hearts– perfect for a Valantine’s Day card. I decided to attempt the caught in crystal technique for the first time and although I was happy with the results there is room for improvement on my next try!
I used my Indigo Blu poppy heart stamp and Blazing Poppies stamp with Versamark Watermark Ink
on Heat Resistant Acetate
I then mixed two shades of Daler Rowney acrylic reds
Once dried I added Pledge Klear Multi-surface wax
I crumpled up my tissue paper and splodged it on to the Pledge paint mix making sure it was saturated. I left it to dry overnight.
I attached it to the metallic blue mat using Screw Brads
I would like to enter the following challenges
Creative Loops challenge– Hearts, love etc.
Creative Playground Challenge– Show us your heart
Pattie’s Creations Challenge– Love is in the air
Cuttlebig mania– I {heart} you
Stampin’ Royalty Challenge– Sparkle and shine
I have put this together in about an hour- when I saw the sketch at the crafting when we can sketch challenge I just had to go for it! I grabbed some left over digital papers I had printed together with a matching freebie I had out from a previous card.Of course grabbing things on my desk this month has to involve pink!
The rose papers were made digitally and the damask paper was a freebie. My mat was pearlescent card with blended pink distress ink and then stamped with a damask stamp and flocked.
The image is a Lili of the valley die cut but I recoloured the dots on the dress, shoes, bag, flower and background with pro and flexmarkers to match the card colours.
The ribbon was from stash and was coloured with Promarker to match the image- pink ribbon for the stamping boutique challenge. I added 3 pearls to the top corner, coloured with the same Promarker, and 3 flowers from Wild Orchid Craft to the bottom corner for a little embellishment.
I made the inside to match.
I would like to enter the following challenges
Wild Orchid Challenge– anything goes
Crafting when we can sketch
Thanks so much to Crafting when we can- I won!!
I’m finally getting round to blogging some of my makes from the last few months. Making cards for several of my classes plud making these gifts for my form took me a lot of time and it was pretty intense but it was really lovely to give them personalised things as they are great pupils and I’ve loved teaching and tutoring them. So these are for their Summer Holidays!
I got hold of a couple of photos of the form (I’ve blurred all the information for privacy reasons!).
I created the background for the photo using Craft Artist. I cut acetate to sit in front of the picture as the frames did not have any glass.
I took some plain wood frames and painted them with black or red pearlescent paint. I used a circles stamp with silver ink and then heat embossed with silver.
I found these cute rulers on sale in January so I glued them to the front of the frames for the lads.
The red pearlescent ink actually has a pink sheen at a certain angle!
For the frames for girls I made paper flowers using punches and added red buttons.
I would like to enter these for the following challenges
Delicious doodles challenge- Summer Holiday theme
Joanna Sheen Challenge- going round in circles
Paper Pretties- embossing
I was really happy to get the free Lili of the Valley pictures in a magazine. I thougnt this image was perfect for Spring colours and I used some ideas from their great ideas to inspire.
As ever I coloured with Promarkers and I used glossy accents on the balloons and nose.
The punches I used were all Martha Stewart.
The ribbon was another magazine freebie. The LOTV sentiment was decorated round the edges with a flexmarker to look like petals. The embossing was done freehand.
I made up the card design made up from a couple I had seen and using acette for the window.
The flower gems were also freebies and all the flowers were Wild Orchid Crafts.
I decorated the back with another LOTV image from the magazine coloured with Pro and flexmarkers. I added a panel with my message.
I would like to enter the following challenges
I love challenge inspiration photos- these have beautiful pink flowers and I decided to use pink flowers for a splash of colour in my cards.
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| Sweet n sassy challenge- see link at end of post |
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| Just inspiration challenge- see link at end of post |
So this is my card- unfortunately the colouring doesn’t show so well in my photos as I used pearlescent paper- there is much more depth to the monochrome colouring 😉 The celebrate sentiment was embossed on pink glittery paper and the corners punched with a Martha Stewart punch..
I used the Wee Suzi digi stamp and used Craft artist to design and colour the papers. I distressed the paper edges. I inked the card edges with black pearlescent ink.
I coloured the image with Promarkers.
I made this card for a classics teacher. I wanted a masculine vintage look to match my classics theme. I used distress ink on the card edges and paper edges. The latin text, map and Roman coins paper were coloured using a photo editing package to give a sepia tone.
The map was a line drawing of Scotland in Roman times. Having recoloured it digitally I mounted it on Tim Holtz paper and added crackle glaze.
I used Martha Stewart punches on Tim Holtz paper to make the medallion and the backing for the coins paper. I used the Wishing You Happiness sentiment from LOTV stamped in brown ink on cream card that I had distressed with ink. I used a coin charm covered in versamark emboss and silver embossing powder to make it look like an ancient coin! I used garden twine instead of ribbon to make it more masculine.
I used distress inks on the inside of the card with the Tim Holtz paper with the corners punched. I added my message on the computer. I took a photo of the colliseum and used a photo editor to make a mosaic effect.
A close up of the mosaic effect photo.
I also made a box to put it in.
I would like to enter the following challenges
The Crafty Pad- something for the boys
Craft spot- lets hear it for the boys
Cards for men- boys and their toys (in this case the Roman artifacts are toys to the man in question!)
Digistamps 4 joy- One for the boys
Crazy challenge- vintage
Creative stamp friends- old fashioned or antique
Crafty bloggers network- distressing
Shellys images blog- text challenge
If you follow my blog you will know I’m having a storecupboard January- using up stash and trying out moneysaving ideas as I go. I’m also playing with my new Cougar!
My money saving tip of the day is using cheap baby wipes to clean your craft mat if you’ve been using glimmer sprays/ distress inks etc. When they dry out you can use them as a textured background. I sprayed this baby wipe with home-made glimmer sprays (I made these with a few drops of pearlescent ink in water in a mini mister) to give an impression of sky and grass.
The beautiful cutting file was one that had been made by Linda using a pattern found at this web site. Linda has a great web site with free stuff as well as some great files to buy. Her site is here. I used my Cougar to cut a copy in black card and one on lilac pearlescent paper (both scraps!) I then layered them as if there was a shadow.
My stamp was fairy on tiptoes from Lili of the valley. I coloured with Promarkers, mounted on a scray of lilac pearlescent card and lightly embossed the edge by hand. I also added 3 pearl gems.
My sentiment is also LOTV mounted on a circle punched from scrap card and decorated with pearls.
I also used pearls on a couple of the swirls.
I would like to enter the following challenges
2 sisters challenge- things with wings
Crafting for all seasons- fairies
Flutter by wednesdays- open
Card Caravan challenge- sparkle
I brake for challenges- simple
Crafty sentiments- love and romance (plan to do this for hubby as he starts a new project)
Truly scrumptious challenge- shabby pastels and paint
Aud sentiments challenge- any sentiment but must use scraps
Just inspirational challenges- Inspiration picture
I’ve been playing with my new cutter- a Cougar. It is my first cutter and is amazing. The service from Dawn at Thyme Graphics is amazing as is the support and help from people on the forum.
My brother got engaged and I figure that this card will be for a new section of their lives. I kept the colours simple and then used my Cougar to get lots of texture. I’m on a new stash ban for January so I had to make do with stash I had!! However. since the Cougar is new this is my first card with complicated cutting and embossing….lots of new!!
I inked the edges of the card with Versamark dazzle to give a subtle shimmer. The background layer is a scalloped lattice cut on the Cougar. The next layer is mirror card embossed with swirls on the cougar.
I threaded silver cord through the top of a lattice and added a heart attached to a short chain and clasp.
I stamped a Forever Friends bear with a heart in silver and coloured with Promarkers. The scalloped square layers were all cut on the Cougar- pearlescent paper for stamp, silver paper and silver mesh (left over from wedding!!). I used blue staples to attach the mesh- I didn’t want the card to be too girly! The bottom layer was placed on foam pads.
The sentiment also needed to be one I already had! I attached it with foam pads.
The inside of the card has a pearlescent paper lattice layered on silver paper. I then added a scalloped rectangle cut on the Cougar (getting lots of use!!)
Finally I used my MS corner punch on pearlescent card to write our message on.
This has taken a lot of time and effort so I’m entering as many challenges as I can!!
Totally gorjuss- happy
Penny Black at Allsorts- love and hearts
The Squirrel and the Fox- something new
Sweet stampin’- new beginnings
Allsorts challenge- new beginnings
Addicted to stamps- something new
Sir stampalot challenge- monochromatic
Catch the bug- inspiration picture
Another Christmas card. I’ve succumbed to attempting a card with a holly theme!!
I’ve inked the edges of the card and holly/ baubles paper with distress inks (red and some green towards centre. The sentiment was a magazine freebie.
I coloured the digi with Promarkers. I added glossy accents on the nose and boots. The fluffy hat bits were stickled and then I added Polar flowersoft. The background isn’t showing too well here but I used embossing ink and clear embossing powder mixed with turquoise Perfect Pearls and then heated.
I would like to enter the following challenges
Paper sundaes- use a digi
Christmas card challenges- holly/ wreaths
Here come the boys- male cards, red, white and green colour combo
