Stamping Contrasts

Hi folks, well it's not such a sunny Sunday here today, but it's a welcome change, as the garden really needs a bit of rain. Yesterday was very humid, but it's a bit more pleasant today.

I have two cards to show you today, both using Tim Holtz's 'Papillon' Stamp set, which I loved as soon as I saw it. I love butterflies anyway, but the background stamp is just fabulous. At my card class last week, I wanted to get the girls to use white embossing in their cards, so we based our cards on this technique. We chose three colours, and blended our backgrounds, after embossing the background stamp. We also coloured the butterflies with the same colours, and decoupaged the butterflies. We used some Kraft card, and chose a stamp from the set as our background stamp, this time using a Versafine ink in a matching colour, (I used Majestic Purple), and then I matted everything onto red Bazzil card.

I haven't added added a sentiment, as this card could then be used for any purpose, a great store cupboard card!

My second card has a lovely shabby, vintage feel, which is exactly what I wanted. I firstly created my background, using a Linda Brown technique  using Paper Artsy paint, which you apply to white card sparingly, and dry with your heat gun. I then used Antique Linen and Spun Sugar Distress Stains, and blended them with a baby wipe over the top. When these were dry, I stamped the big Papillon background stamp down my card, using archival ink.
I then embossed and refined my metal shapes in Pearl metal, and painted them using Vintage Lace Fresco Finish paint. I rubbed over a little bit of black paint dabber, and wiped off the excess to age them slightly. I cut the wings from sticky back canvas, coloured them with Antique Linen Distress Ink, and stamped a Crafty Individuals script stamp over the top. I coloured the Ideology ribbon and flower trims with Spun Sugar and Antique Linen Distress Stains, before spritzing them with water.
I then assembled my card, adding a computer generated sentiment, and a heart charm. I had seen this sentiment on another blogger's card ages ago, I've looked so that I could give credit to her, but can't find the link. So my apologies for that.

This card is going to a very special person, and I hope she has a lovely Birthday!
Thanks for stopping by today, I hope you have a lovely weekend, whatever you are doing, Judith xx

WOYWW 86

Hi folks, it's Wednesday again, and that means it's time for another look at what's going on around Blogland on everyone's desks, and crafting spaces. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then hop over to Julia's place to find out.

On my desk this week, as per usual, is the project for the Bah Humbug Blog challenge. The week just goes too quickly for me, and I am always trying to finish it on a Wednesday in time for the Thursday deadline. This week, the challenge is Crackers. I am making a card and matching cracker. I'm almost finished, but could do with some rubbish cracker jokes please. I like the design that I came up with for the cracker, and think that I will make my own for Christmas. I made some poinsettias with sticky backed canvas on Grungepaper, using a Nestability die, and sprayed them with Adirondack colour wash ala Tim Holtz, they are very pretty. I've made the cracker from Kraft paper, with a lovely scrolly stamp from Elusive Images, as the background stamp, and I'm going to use big red bows at each end.

I posted my Masterboard makes as promised in my previous post, using the Masterboard that was on my desk last week.

Yesterday, I finally put my two Printer's trays on the wall, which I am very happy about.

I have been waiting for ages to put these up. One is very soft and romantic in its theme, and the other is metallic and is very strong in its colour theme. I bought both from LB Crafts, the top one was made in a class with Linda Brown, and they both started life as dark brown trays.

I have shown you my filing cabinet drawers of wooden stamps in the past; I have five. I have decided that they are not earning their keep, and I am going to put most of them on Ebay to sell. I do have a few that I will keep, but a lot have not seen the light of day for a couple of years. I haven't sold items on Ebay before, so am looking for advice really. Would I be better putting them into group lots, with minimum prices? Should I sort them into categories, for example Penny Black, Hero Arts, or what do you think? Let me know your thoughts, or how you have sold your items in the past. Right, I'm off foer a nosey around other peoples' spaces now, happy Wednesday! Judith xx