Colourful Spring Projects

Hello everyone, I hope that you are keeping well. I have some projects to share with you today, showcasing stamps that were featured during this month's TV shows on Create and Craft.

My first project was created using the lovely Breath of Spring stamp set. I brayered some Fossilized Amber Distress Ink onto a round gelli plate, and then stamped the pretty leafy scroll image repeatedly onto the gelli plate, using Ripe Persimmon Distress Ink. I used the gelli plate like a big stamp, and pressed it onto a piece of smooth stamping card.

I stamped the main image from the Breath of Spring stamp set onto a spare piece of smooth stamping card. I also stamped the little butterfly that appears on the swirl a couple of times. I coloured these images with pencils and cut them out. I attached them to the gelli plate background, and added the word 'Spring' from the stamp set. Finally, I mounted the background onto some black card.

My second project is a variation of an old project. I stamped the Hanging Flowers image onto a piece of book paper, using a greenVersafine Clair ink. I coloured the image with pencils, and added some shading around the edge with Distress Ink. I made a larger background using Twisted Citron Distress Ink, and stamped the leafy portion of the Hanging Flowers image around the edge in the green Versafine Clair ink to create a border. I also added a dotty stamp from the Floral Clock stamp set, using second generation stamping. I added some ribbon and kraft card mounts to both layers to complete the card.

My next two projects featured a pretty little stamp from the Floral Clock stamp set. I found a watery background in my stash box, which I had originally created using Distress Inks. I stamped the flowers across the background using grey Versafine Clair Ink, adding a butterfly and a sentiment. I then chose a grassy stamp from the Spring Foliage stamp set, and using a green Distress Oxide ink, I stamped the image in second generation stamping. This gave a feeling of a field of flowers in the background, and meant that I did not need to mask off my foreground flowers, great if you want to create quick cards.

I coloured the images with Zig Clean Colour Markers, blending the colours into each other, and using a brush and some water if I needed to even the colour out at any point. Going back with one of the paler colours helps with the blending process anyway. I added a piece of black card behind the background before I mounted the panel onto a white card blank for a great clean and simple card.

I took the idea a little further and decided to create a little wrap around card using exactly the same design. I made the strip slightly longer, and then attached it to a little 4" x 4" black card. This would make a great little notelet for so many different occasions. I love making these small cards, as I think they are so useful; anything from gift tags, to Get Well cards, a pick me up card, or just to say hello card. 

My next project is a variation on an older project, and I have changed the way that I made this slightly. My older project was created by painting over scrapbook paper and creating a masterboard. This time, I used a roller and added Distress Ink to smooth stamping paper. I then created the layers in exactly the same way as before. I added stencilling and stamping, taking images from the Floral Clock and Parsley Clock stamp set. I drew around a chipboard tag and cut out the shape on the background, then attached it to the tag. I sanded the edge to reveal the white edge.

I used a spare piece of smooth stamping paper and stamped three butterflies from these stamp sets, and coloured them with pencils. I cut them out, but before I adhered them to the background, I stamped just the antennae directly onto the background where I wanted to place the butterflies. I then placed my coloured butterflies over the top.

My next four projects are all older projects, but I am sharing them with you again. The first is a die cut circle stamped with images from the Parsley Clock stamp set. I have coloured the images with pencils, and added Distress Ink to the background. I matted the die cut onto a piece of textured card.

 My next project was created on a piece of tea dyed Drawing Cartridge for a vintage feel. I added lots of stamped splatters, and coloured the image from the Floral Clock stamp set with pencils.

I used green card for the main image for a change in this next project. I stuck to a simple palette of yellow, orange and green to colour the image from the Parsley Clock stamp set, and my Brusho background mirrors that colour palette.

 

Finally, I used a Brusho background for this last project, creating a Bokeh effect with a butterfly stencil. I stamped the mushrooms from The Shroom Clock stamp set onto some patterned papers, and added white highlights with a gel pen. I added more stamping to the bottom of the background, which I coloured with pencils.

 I will be back next month to share some more projects with you. Thanks so much for stopping by. Take care, xx

Spring Time Pastels

Hello everyone, I have a couple of projects to share with you today. My projects are from last month's TV shows on Hochanda, featuring a selection of Chocolate Baroque's Spring themed stamps. Just the thing to banish those rainy day blues.

For my first project, I created a background using Pan Pastels on a piece of smooth white card. I used  shades of yellow and orange and added a hint of Plum Pan Pastel around the edges. Using Versamark Ink, I stamped the butterfly flourish image randomly over the background, and dusted Pan Pastels over the top to complete the background.

I die cut a rectangular panel and stamped the two butterflies from the butterfly flourish image onto the panel before masking them. (To stamp just the butterfly from the image, I used masking tape to cover the areas of the stamp that I did not need, inked up the stamp, and removed the masking tape before I stamped the image). I then stamped the lovely large flower image from the Breath of Spring stamp set, and also masked this image.

I kept the die in place on my die cut panel so that I would have a white border around the panel once I had added any background colour. I added Pan Pastels, using a selection of yellow and orange colours to create an ombre background, starting with the lightest colour at the top, graduating down to the darkest colour at the bottom. I removed the masks, and coloured the images with pencils, before adhering both panels to a large white card blank.

To create my second project, I covered a large Tando Tag with a piece of watercolour paper that I had coloured myself with Distress Ink, using Spun Sugar and Shabby Shutters Distress Ink. I stamped some foliage over the background to give a feeling of depth using the same pale green ink, using an image from the Spring Foliage stamp set. I edged the tag with Victorian Velvet Distress Ink, and stamped the pretty bird image from the Spring Bird Crocus stamp set onto the tag. I added a sentiment from the Glorious Spring stamp set. I coloured the images with pencils, as before. To get my ribbon to match perfectly, I took some pale cream seam binding ribbon, and ran it through some Victorian Velvet Distress Ink and water that I had placed onto my craft mat. I simply dried the ribbon with my heat gun, and ironed it on a low setting. I already had some green organza ribbon that was a good match, but otherwise, I would have created some green ribbon in the same way.

Thanks for stopping by, xx

Colourful Babushkas

Hello everyone, I have a couple more cards to share using this month's Babushka stamp set. I absoloutely love the versatility of this quirky stamp set, and the many possibilities that the stamps offer.

For my first card, I created a wrinkle free Distress background, using Salty Ocean Distress Ink on smooth watercolour paper.  I stamped the three dolls onto some white card using white embossing powder and I also stamped the face areas again onto some spare card using black ink. I coloured the images using Distress Markers and a water brush. I cut the dolls out, and decoupaged the faces onto the white embossed dolls.

I die cut some hexagons, and stamped the flower head from the Breath of Spring stamp set on to the hexagons, again using white embossing powder. I coloured the hexagons using various tones of blue Distress Ink, to match the Babushka dolls.  I ironed off the white embossing from the hexagons using copy paper. I drew faux stitching to the edges of the shapes using a fine-tipped marker. I also added faux stitching around the edge of the background. Finally, I added a sentiment from the Amazing Birthday clear stamp set.

My second card became a Mother's Day card for my Mum. She loves Russian dolls, and always wanted to collect them. When we were growing up, I always remember her hankering after them, but never being able to afford them. So, I thought that it would be lovely to incorporate some of the images into a card for her.

I stamped a window fragment from the Texture Fragments stamp set onto my background, and added gold embossing powder. Before using the heat gun, I stamped the large fragment from the Dusky Damask stamp set using Elderberry Memento Ink into two of the corners of the background, and added clear embossing powder. I then heat set the images.

I covered the background with a blend of pink and purple Distress Inks, before adding a stencil, and repeated the process, to deepen the colours. I stamped the Babushka images onto a spare piece of card, using gold embossing powder, and coloured them using the corresponding colours in Distress Markers, picking the colours up using a water brush. Finally, I added a sentiment from the For Mum clear stamp set.

I will be back later in the month with some more ideas using these lovely stamps,  Thanks for stopping by, xx

Batik Florals

Hello everyone, it's my turn to post a tutorial on the Chocolate Baroque Challenge Blog this week. I have made a card with a batik style background, and thought that I would share it here with you as well.

I stamped and embossed my background using a floral fragment stamp and Versamark ink with clear embossing powder. I then coloured the background using Distress Inks: Salty Ocean, Picked Raspberry and Cracked Pistachio, adding a bit of Memento Grape Jelly ink around the edges. Once I had added my colour, I ironed the baclground, covering it with scrap paper first! This left the background lovely and smooth, and showed off the lovely floral pattern.

I stamped the fantasy flower onto a smaller rectangle, and coloured it with watercolour pencils, before shading around the edges with Distress Inks. I added a couple of butterflies and a sentiment. A pretty organza bow was all that was needed to finish the card. These challenge colours are right up my street, so pretty.

I hope that you will pop over to the challenge blog to take a look at the other DT inspiration on offer. Don't forget, there is a monthly prize on offer if you enter the challenge using current CB stamps.

Thanks for stopping by, xx

Butterfly Fairy

Hi Folks, goodness this year is going fast! With the start of March, my mind turns to Spring,the garden seems to be showing signs of wanting to get going again with new plant shoots showing their heads, and the birds are preparing themselves in our loft to hatch their eggs again. The good weather seems to lift the spirits, and promises a farewell to the Winter months.

The new Spring Fairy stamps were just the ticket to create a Spring scene that seemed to echo those feelings. I promise that no butterflies or fairies were harmed in the making of this project! I created a background using paper masks and Memento inks in soft greens and lilacs. I added some foliage from the Spring is in the Air/Spring Foliage Multibuy stamp set, again using Memento inks. I painted the flower heads with bleach, before colouring them with pencils. I stamped along the bottom edge using the top of the bird and foliage stamp from the new stamp set, it makes a great edging stamp.

I stamped the fairy, and the large butterfly from Patchwork Butterfly and coloured them with pencils. I stamped the antennae of the butterfly onto the background. I cut off the fairy wings, and the butterfly body  before adding them to the background.

 

I have added my card to the following challenges: 

Spring is Coming 

Fantasy Stampers Challenge Blog Spring Colours

Hiding in my Craft Room Spring Colours

This month the DT have again excelled themselves with some great samples, so do be sure to pop over to the Design Team Blog Thanks for stopping by,  xx

A little bit shabby, a little bit Baroque

Hi Folks, I have a sample to show you using one of the new clear heart stamps available from Chocolate Baroque This one is called Poppy Heart. I decided not to go for the obvious bright reds in this sample, but opted for a more subtle shabby pink palette. I created a background using some ornamental leaf shapes taken from the Breath of Spring stamp plate, and the now retired Filigree Fusion stamp plate.

I have decoupaged the heart image, and added a sentiment from the Harlequin Rose stamp set.

The Design Team have been very busy creating some fabulous samples over on the Design Team Blog and it would be great if you could pop over and take a look. I have some samples to post over there myself in the coming days.

Thanks for stopping by, xx

Breath of Spring

Hi folks, I've posted a project over on the Chocolate Baroque Design Team blog today, using the new Artistic Expressions stamps. This set is a personal favourite of mine. It is just so useful.

I had this project in mind as soon as I saw the stamps, but saved it as my last project to make. I started out with a piece of Kraft card, and covered it with book pages from an old French book, using Mod Podge matt. I didn't glue an oval area in the middle though. When the glue was dry, I tore the area that wasn't stuck down away, leaving rough edges. I then coloured the pages with Antique Linen Distress Ink, and Lulu Lavender, and Sweet Plum Memento inkpads.

I used a Crafter's Workshop template, and dry brushed some cream acrylic paint through the holes, and then dry brushed some more paint around the edges of the whole piece. I stamped and embossed the word and large swirl, using Plum Archival ink and clear embossing powder.

I stamped the flower from the 'Breath of Spring' stamp plate into the centre of the piece, and coloured it with Polychromos pencils. I then used Scattered Straw Distress Ink, to colour the edges of the area of Kraft card left showing. I stamped two bees onto white card, coloured them in, and stuck them to Clearly for Art, after cutting them out. This meant that I could mould them into the shape that I wanted.

I hope that you have been popping over to the Design Team blog this week to see what my team mates have been up to, as they have made some stunning projects. Thanks for stopping by, xx