Colours of Nature

Hello everyone, I hope that you are keeping well. I have a couple of projects to share with you today featuring stamps that were showcased on last month's TV shows on The Craft Store.

 

My first card features stamps from the Mini Scripts stamp set. I created a grid using very fine masking tape, and coloured each segment using Distress Ink in natural colours. I stamped some of the script stamps randomly in the segments using black ink.I chose to leave a few segments plain, as I felt it would be too dark if I stamped in every segment. I carefully peeled the tape away to reveal the tiled effect. I added a large sentiment from Birthday Words stamped onto a die cut which I had also coloured with Distress Ink.

TIP: The masking tape was a little bit too tacky, and I would ensure that I had placed it on something first before using it, so that it had lost a little bit of its stickiness. You can see where a couple of pieces of the design have been pulled if you look carefully. However, I want you to learn from my experiences, which is why I am pointing this out 😉

My second project is a remake of another project, using the Song Thrush stamp and a lovely leaf from Brocade Backgrounds. I coloured some Drawing Cartridge with some tea, and left it to dry. I stamped the main image, and then used a larger piece to stamp the leafy image randomly to create a background. I coloured all of the image with Inktense pencils, and blended them with a waterbrush.

I matted both pieces with dark brown card before adhering them to the base card. I hope that you have enjoyed seeing my projects this month. I will be back next month with more projects to share with you. Thanks for stopping by, xx
 

Zingy Challenge

Hello everyone, there is a brand new challenge starting this week over on the Chocolate Baroque Challenge Blog. This month, the colours are very hot and spicy, really warm colours, just right to banish the chills that we are all feeling with the cold weather at the moment!

I am providing a project as part of the Design Team inspiration this week in the form of a Valentine's card. My project served a dual purpose, as it was also given to my lovely Hubby at the weekend.

I created the background to the card by stamping and embossing the heart fragment from the Punky Hearts stamp set using Versamark and clear embossing powder onto some smooth watercolour paper. I blended Squeezed Lemonade, Ripe Persimmon and Picked Raspberry Distress Inks across the background, and then added a touch of Fired Brick around the edges. I then placed the background between some sheets of cheap copy paper, and using an iron on a medium heat, I melted the embossing powder again, and removed it from the background. I randomly stamped a small script from the Mini Scripts stamp set, using Plum Archival Ink.

I diecut an oval, and leaving the die in place, I inked the oval using Squeezed Lemonade and Ripe Persimmon Distress Ink. After removing the die cut, you are left with a white border where the die cut has been. I stamped a sentiment from the Sweet Nothings clear stamp set, using Rhubard Stalk Memento Ink.

I placed the background and sentiment onto a plain white card blank.

Hop over to the Challenge Blog to see the inspiration offered by my other Team Mates, and to see how you can win a voucher to spend on Chocolate Baroque stamps. We would love to see you there. Thanks for stopping by, xx

An Irish Blessing

Hello everyone, I have been enjoying working with the beautiful Butterfly Dress cling mounted stamp so much this month, that I have another card using this stamp to show you today. I decided to incorporate a bit of an Irish theme into my card, so used a palette of mainly greens to create my card.

I started my background, by adding Memento Pear Tart ink to a piece of scrapbook paper through a Prima Mask using a stencil brush, and then added some script using a stamp from the Mini Scripts stamp set. I used Memento Bamboo Leaves to ink the stamp. I stamped the main image onto a die cut oval of scrapbook paper, and again onto a spare piece of the paper. I coloured the images with Polychromos pencils. I decoupaged the butterflies from the spare image onto the main image. I added some of the flowers, along with some shamrock style Crealie die cuts to a sentiment taken from the Patchwork Butterfly stamp set.

Thanks for stopping by, xx

Hinged ATC

I've been playing with the new stamps recently released over at Chocolate Baroque and have a piece on the Design Team blog today. Here's a brief recap of what I made, but the full details are posted on the DT blog.

I covered two ATC sized pieces of wood with gesso, and then painted them with Eco Green acrylic paint. I love this paint, as it has a lovely creamy consistency. I chose a lovely aqua and teal shade, which compliment each other perfectly. I then stamped some of the more detailed images onto tissue paper, and stuck those on with Claudine Hellmuth's Matte Medium, so that the tissue paper edges disappeared. I then decoupaged the less detailed bits over the top. I coloured my images with Polychromos pencils, and added some small brass charms, which accented the yellow tones on the images.

 The quality of the wood is not that great, as you will see from the next picture, but it adds to the charm of the piece I think.

I used some chunky cogs for feet, and on top of the ATCs, then added some brass hinges to join the two pieces together.

I really enjoyed making this little project, I'll have another one to show you in a few days' time. Thanks for stopping by, xx