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

What's Black and White and Red all over?

Hi folks, do you remember that old joke from when you were little? A sunburnt penguin, we all used to chorus. It's also what my next sample for Chocolate Baroque looks like as well. I wanted to create a black and white theme, with splashes of red for the poppies. I used a large background stamp from the Dusky Damask themeplate, and stamped it in two opposing corners of a piece of white card. I edged the card with some red Distress Ink. I stamped and embossed the poppy image onto a slim oval of white card, and painted it with Distress Stains.

I made a flower from crinoline, and sprayed this with Distress re-inker and water, scrunching the petals, and heat setting them with a heat gun. I added a large black button in the centre. Some black satin ribbon completes the card.

These new stamps are such a treat to work with. The Design Team have made some fabulous samples. Keep popping over to the blog to see what they have made. Thanks for stopping by, xx

My favourite flowers!

Hi folks, any regular readers of my blog will know that I love Poppies, of any shape and colour from the little field poppies to the big blowsy peony poppies and the show off oriental poppies, I love them all. There are some new stamps that have just been realeased over at Chocolate Baroque called Pretty Poppies and Dusky Damask. They are absolutely beautiful, and are right up my street. There are poppies, (of course!), and some absolutely lovely sentiments. There are some big background stamps, and some useful little floral stamps to create your owm backgrounds as well.

My first card shows the poppies at their showiest, and I love this stamp. I have created a background using a technique that my lovely crafting friend Elaine taught me. I have used leaves from a plant called the 'Plume Poppy' to make my own background. For the slim panel I have pressed poppy leaves between two sheets of watercolour and run them through my Big Shot.I have then simply inked the edges. I have then stamped the image, coloured it with Polychromos pencils, and decoupaged the butterfly.

I love the sentiment on this card, and it will be so useful for those friends that mean a lot. I apologise in advance if everyone gets the same one!!!!

Anyway, why don't you pop over to the Design Team Blog during the next few days to see what my team mates have made with these stamps? They have made some fabulous projects. Thanks for stopping by, xx