One Stamp Two Ways

Hello everyone, I hope that you are keeping well. I have a couple of projects to share with you today showcasing some of the retired stamps that we brought to the TV shows on Create and Craft last month.

I always love to show the versatility of a stamp and this lovely leafy stamp from Brocade Backgrounds, an all time favourite of mine, is no exception, I have used it a lot over the years. You can find plenty of fabulous stamps in the current range of Chocolate Baroque stamps that would work equally as well for these techniques.

For my first card, I used a piece of grey card, and stamped the leaf using black ink all over the background. I used Koh-I-Noor colouring pencils to colour the images, and added a touch of green ink around the edge of the card. I added a sentiment from Amazing Mackintosh Words and a piece of green velvet ribbon to finish.

For my second card, I stamped the leafy image with Versamark and clear embossing powder over a piece of Drawing Cartridge before colouring the background with Distress Ink. I covered the background with paper and ironed off the embossing powder, creating a faux batik finish. I then stamped the second image over the top using a dark blue Versfine Clair ink. I added a sentiment from another of the retiring sets.

I have thoroughly enjoyed revisiting some of these old favourites, but there are so many more exciting things to come! Thanks so much for stopping by, take care, xx

Making Your Scrap Papers Work For You

Hello everyone, I hope that you are keeping well. I have a couple of projects to share with you showcasing some of the retired stamps that we brought to the TV shows on Create and Craft last month. The TV shows were so busy, and if you were watching, you would have seen that we had to change our demos, sometimes in the middle of what we were doing, it certainly made us think on our feet! 

I wanted to share two of the projects that I talked about during the shows, although one you did not see in its completed version, I made a different version on the show due to sellouts of the stamps that I had planned to use.

Often we have bits of card and paper in our scrap boxes that do not seem to go together, a piece of card left over from a crafting session that is blue and purple, and a piece of brown card. Whatever would make them work in a project together? 

I like to mix and match my scraps together, and can easily put these pieces with each other by using toning inks. I used the piece of tea dyed card as the large background, stamping a small worker stamp randomly all over using various shades of blue and purple, then edging the card with a blue ink. I then stamped a large flower three times onto the blue/purple card using purple Versafine Clair ink and clear embossing powder. I cut the flowers out and adhered them to the background, adding a piece of scrap corrugated card underneath the third one to raise it up slightly. I can add a sentiment at a later date when I know what the card will be used for.

My second project was created by taking a piece of greyboard and painting it with white paint. I added torn strips of book paper and then painted the whole piece with acrylic paint. I chose a pretty green paint, and some touches of plum around the edges. The green paint allowed the book pages to still be seen, as it was not completely opaque. I added some stencilling with Plum Archival Ink, and stamped a pretty leafy sprig from one of the retiring stamp sets, Take It or Leaf It.

I chose some patterned papers to stamp and emboss birds from Sing Your Song, Live Out Loud, and Fly Away With Me. I added a bit of colour using Distress Inks and a blending brush to make the papers fit my colour scheme. I also had some left over card from another project, which had originally been blue and green. It did not match my colour scheme, but I had some of the plum paint from this project on my craft mat, so I spritzed it with water, and splattered it over the card, to tone the card in with this project.

A very simple way to get the card to match. I then stamped the sentiment onto a die cut piece of the card, and sponged some of the Plum Archival Ink around the edges. Finally, I attached the birds to the leafy branches, and attached the sentiment to the panel.

Thanks so much for stopping by, I will be back later in the month with more projects to share.

Take care, xx

Retired Birds

Hello everyone, I hope that you are keeping well. I have some projects to share with you featuring some of the fabulous retired stamps that we brought to last month's TV shows on Create and Craft. These stamps are no longer available on the website, but if you were lucky enough to purchase these stamps in our whirlwind shows, or from the website itself, then hopefully you will be inspired this month with the projects from the Design Team.

 My first two projects we created in much the same way, I placed two colours of Distress Oxide onto a large square acrylic block and spritzed this with water. I pressed the block onto a piece of textured card to colour the background. Once the card was dry, I added images from Dawn Chorus, Wise Owl and Let Your Heart Sing.

On the first card I added a sentiment from Amazing Mackintosh Words:

To complete the second card, I used a fineliner pen to lengthen the stalks and add more berries and flowers. Do not be afraid to embellish your images and create a picture. Silhouettes are a great way to do this, as all you need is a black pen. The sentiment is from Sing Your Song.

Finally here is an older card that I made some time ago which is in keeping with the general theme of my two previous cards. I made a Distress ink background for both layers, used brown ink for the stamping. I added some white charcoal to create a dreamy feel to the top layer. The image is from Let Your Heart Sing and the sentiment is from Fly Away With Me.

Thanks so much for stopping by, I will be back later in the month with more projects to share with you.

Take care, xx

Blue And Green

Hello everyone, I hope that you are keeping well. I have a couple of projects to share with you today, showcasing stamps that we brought to you on last month's TV shows on Create and Craft.

My first card uses a variety of stamp sets, but the hero of the card is the lovely dragonfly collage from the Fragile Wings stamp set. I decided to stamp this image on a coloured background, a deep teal colour, for a change. We often use black, kraft, grey, etc., but I wanted to reflect the wonderful dragonfly colours in the card background. I used Versafine Clair Nocturne to stamp the image, and Koh-I-Noor pencils to colour the image. I used white pencil first to create a base to add the rest of the colours, and to give a real sense of light to the image.

I created a background using green and blue Distress Ink, and then added stamps from Just Useful and Ace Card, using blue, green and black ink. I matted both layers using black card.

To create my second card, I coloured some Drawing Cartridge using tea, a favourite technique of mine. It's a really quick way of adding colour to a background and creates a vintage feel to a project. I stamped the playing card from Ace Card randomly over the background, and added a touch of turquoise around the edges using a watercolour pen, brush and water. I stamped the large image onto another piece of the rawing Cartridge and coloured the image in the same way using turquoise, green and brown watercolour pens. I edged the layers with the same dark brown ink that I had stamped all of the images with.

I chose to use a piece of scrap corrugated packaging as a mount; I dry brushed the edges with paint to match my colour scheme. Always keep that packaging, you never know when it will come in handy!

I had great fun creating these cards. I hope that they have inspired you. Thanks for stopping by, take care, xx

Creating a Journal Page and Some Added Extras!

Hello everyone, I hope that you are keeping well. I have a project or two to share with you today showcasing stamps from last month's TV shows on Create and Craft. 

My first project is a two page journal spread, created in a large journal, almost A4 size. It is an American size, so not exactly the same measurement. I like to experiment in a journal, as I can often get ideas for cards and other projects when I am messing about creating journal pages. If I do not like what I create, I can just turn the page, and start again, there is no judgement, my journal is just a place to try out ideas.

I started both sides of the journal spread by inking up the large blank stamp from Slim Word Strip 1 with Distress Oxide, and spritzing it lightly with water. I pressed the stamp down the edge of each page. I chose a lovely moss green. I also stamped the stamp again onto a piece of scrap Drawing Cartridge for later.

Once the edges were dry, I stamped a couple of the word strips over the coloured edges using Versafine Clair Nocturne. I chose random stamps from Making More Marks, and Not More Flowers! using a combination of black orange and green ink to create a background over the pages. I stamped the lovely dandelion clock into the centre of the large circle on both pages, and added some of the olive gree ink within the circle to highlight the flower.

I also added some colour to the flower using Zig Clean Colour watercolour pens, a brush and some water. Finally, I masked up the strip word stamps, and inked up two of the large words on the stamps, before stamping them onto a piece of the spare Drawing Cartridge that I had coloured previously. I cut them out and scrunched these for a bit of added texture before adhering them to the page. 

I did not add any background colour to the page, the stamps themselves were enough I felt, but you could add more colour if you wish, I like the white space, it gives the stamps room to breathe.

Also available on the show were some fabulous embellishments. The first were some really useful acrylic rings, that could be coloured and stamped over. I created a card using the pretty echinacea style flower, which I stamped onto a Distress Ink background. I coloured this with watercolour pens as before, for a soft finish. I added a sentiment from the same stamp set, and then I coloured both pieces of acrylic with alcohol ink. Once they were dry, I stamped the large ring with script from Ace Card, and the little circle with a bee from Honey Bee. These embellishments are just so useful for highlighting a key area of your project, but light enough not to add to your postage costs.

Finally, we had a new sheet of shapes from Tando in three different shapes and two different sizes. These word pebbles are very versatile and can be painted, coloured, textured to create all sorts of effects. I have three samples here to show you just how effective they can be. The first example has had Drawing Cartridge added over the top, and I have added a word from one of the strip stamps, plus the little bee from the Honey Bee stamp set once again.   

The second has another word from one of the strip stamps and the Large Crackle Background over a simple painted background. 

Finally, I added coloured texture paste to  the last pebble and stamped the word strip directly into the paste. Once the paste was dry, I added some black paint, which I rubbed away after a moment or two.

I hope that you have enjoyed my projects, and will be inspired to try some of these ideas out for yourselves. Thanks for stopping by, take care, xx

In The Frame

Hello everyone, I hope that you are all keeping well. I have some projects to share with you today showcasing stamps that were featured on last month's TV shows on Create and Craft. Each of the projects were created in a very similar way, just using a different focal stamp and colours.

I started my first two projects by creating a wrinkle free distress background - adding Distress Inks to my craft mat and spritzing them with water, before placing a piece of Drawing Cartridge over the top to pick up the colour. I dried the background, and patted the Drawing Cartridge onto the craft mat again, to get a second layer of color and dried the background again.

I selected one of the long word strips from the Slim Word Strip 1 stamp set, and stamped it around the edge of the background to create a frame. I started partway in on the first side, and that allowed me to follow around each side in the same way until I had finished. 

I chose the Dandelion Clock image from Not More Flowers! which I stamped twice and embossed with clear embossing powder. I coloured the image with Zig Clean Colour watercolour pens, and then edged the background with Distress Ink. I ran a black inkpad around both layers of card before I attached them to the card blank. This saves using black card as a matting layer.

I chose a subtle yellow/green background for my second card, and the pretty large daisy or gerbera image. I used the same strip stamp, but simply varied the section that I chose to stamp.

The last background was completed by blending Distress Ink over the background with blending brushes and then spritzing the background with water. The effect is a bit softer, but definitely takes longer! I used the pretty echinacea style flower, colouring it to match the background.

I really enjoyed creating these cards, and hope that I have inspired you to try something similar. Thank you for stopping by, take care, xx

Floral CAS Cards

Hello everyone, I hope that you are keeping well. I have some clean and simple cards to share with you today for my final post this month. I demonstrated these designs on Create and Craft last month, and I hope that you managed to catch the TV shows.

My first two cards are similar in design; I used a round gelli plate to create a background, inking up the plate with Distress Ink, and for the first design, I stamped the Open Weave stamp onto the gelli plate before I stamped the gelli plate straight onto my card blank. I then stamped one of the large flowers and a leaf three times from the Sunny Sunflowers stamp set onto the card using Veesafine ink. I used a fineliner pen to draw some little stems for the leaves. I could have used Masking Tissue to mask the flower, then stamp the leaves, but these cards are all about making life simple. I coloured the image with Polycolour pencils and added a sentiment from the Amazing Mackintosh Words stamp set.

For the second card, I again inked up the gelli plate with Distress Oxide Ink this time, and then stamped the Floral Weave stamp onto the gelli plate before stamping the gelli plate straight onto the card blank. I stamped a couple of sunflowers onto the background and coloured them with pencils. I added some black dots with a fineliner pen and some glitter glue in the centre of each flower for a bit of sparkle.

For my final card, I stamped Studded Lattice onto an 8" x 8" card blank using Distress Oxide ink. I added a couple of sunflowers and some leaves in opposite corners. Using a fineliner pen, I drew some lines and curls to link the flowers and leaves together. Do not be aftraid to draw things freehand yourself to add to the stamps. I could see elements within the stamps that I could use to embellish the images and extend the design, you can try this youself. Practise on a piece of paper until you feel confident, and then just go for it! Be brave and do not hesitate, that would be my best advice.

I hope that you will try some of my suggestions, thanks for stopping by, xx

Two Projects, Two Ways

Hello everyone, I hope that you are keeping well. I have some projects to share with you today featuring stamps that we brought to you on last month's TV shows on Create and Craft. Both sets of projects feature the ideas in two different ways, showing how you can vary the project depending on what sort of look you would like to create.

My first project is a little plaque using the Canary Bird Rose stamp and some of the Black and White papers available on the website. I chose to use a blank piece of the papers to create my own patterned piece of paper and stamped the main image using black Archival ink. I added a sentiment from the stamp set, plus elements from Gerbera and Friends using grey Archival ink. I coloured the flower with pencils before adhering the paper to a painted panel using matte medium. 

Once the glue was dry, I sanded the edges, and added a bit of ink with a blending brush around the edges.

 

An alternative version was created by stamping the same flower image onto a patterned piece of the papers, and simply colouring it with pencils. I added the sentiment with black ink this time. I attached the paper to a panel as before and once the glue was dry I sanded the edges. I dry brushed some paint around the edges and added some stencilling for added interest.

I wanted to create a couple of masculine cards using the Sunny Sunflowers stamp set, and picked a selection of the leaves. They are really lovely designs and make a beautiful card by themselves, without the addition of the flowers. For my first card, I picked a selection of green inks, some VersafineClair, some Archival, and some Distress Oxide, whatever colours seemed to go together well. I stamped the images in first, second and third generation, and finally added a sentiment from the Words to Dazzle and Sparkle stamp set, using black ink. I stamped everything straight onto the card blank for a really quick card, and you could easily make a whole batch of these in an afternoon.

My variation was stamped onto a piece of kraft paper using Autumnal coloured inks, and I chose to stamp and emboss the sentiment to make it stand out a bit more.

I hope that you have enjoyed my projects as much as I enjoyed creating them. Thanks for stopping by, xx

Life is Wonderful- a Quick Watercolour Card

Hello everyone, I hope that you are keeping well. I have a very cheery project to share with you today, a demo that I created for last month's TV shows on Create and Craft, featuring the large image and a sentiment from the Life is Wonderful stamp set. 

I scribbled onto an acrylic block with a couple of Zig Clean Colour markers and spritzed the area with water, before pressing a piece of Drawing Cartridge onto the block. This created a very quick watercolour background. I let the Drawing Cartridge dry naturally and then stamped the images with Versafine Ink. I scribbled more of the Zig markers onto an acrylic block, this time picking them up with a paintbrush dipped into water, and painted the images. I used just three colours, sometimes blending them, to achieve lighter and darker versions of the base colours, so that I could add shading.

I chose a patterned paper from one of Lesley's Designer paper packs which toned in perfectly to create a mat for the image, and added layers of black card to mat the design and patterned paper.

I had great fun creating this card, and hope that my design will give you some inspiration to create something yourself.

Thanks for stopping by, xx

Playing with Elements

Hello everyone, I hope that you are keeping well. I have a couple of projects to share with you today showcasing the stamps that we featured on last month's TV shows on Create and Craft.

My first project was a particular favourite demo on the TV shows. I love the colours, purple and turquoise, and the images are really beautiful too. I created a Distress Ink background and stamped several images from The Phenominal Butterfly Elements and I also used the circles from Floral Paraphernalia Elements stamp set with toning ink over the top using Versafine Nocturne ink. I die cut a circle of Drawing Cartridge and blended some Distress Oxide over the top, then spritzed the ink with water. Once the background was dry, I inked up The Phenominal Butterfly Slim Strip stamp and pressed the circle onto a section of the stamp. I coloured the dragonfly and butterfly with Artway shimmer paints for maximum impact.

For my next project, I drew a circle in pencil onto a piece of smooth white stamping card. I added flowers from the Floral Paraphernalia Elements stamp set, and covered them with Masking Tissue. I added leaves, and covered them with Masking Tissue as well. Finally, I stamped the script rings in the gaps that were left. My circle is a bit random, and I could have worked it out to be a little bit more refined, but I wanted it to look quite natural.

I removed the Masking Tissue and coloured all of the images with Koh I- Noor pencils, adding deeper colours for shading, and grey pencil around the edges for touches of shadow. I added some script on the background from the Out of the Trees Elements stamp set.

A little bit of inking with green ink around the edges takes away the whiteness of the background.

I wanted to show how you could use up some of your tiny offcuts of patterned paper and make a much simpler version of this wreath. In my picture below, I stamped various elements to create the ring, and added the leaves and flowers cut from patterned paper.

I hope that I have given you lots of ideas for these very versatile stamps. Thanks so much for stopping by, take care, xx

Patterned Papers

Hello everyone, I hope that you are keeping well. I have a few projects to share with you today showcasing stamps from last month's TV shows from Create and Craft.

My first project is an 8" x 8" journal page, using one of the beautiful patterned papers that were available on the show. I stamped the large Floral Paraphernalia Slim Strip rubber stamp down one side using black Archival Ink. I added images from Floral Paraphernalia Elements over the background using Archival Ink and Memento Ink in first and second generation stamping. I coloured the main image with Koh-I-Noor pencils, and added a bit of a splatter from the Numerology stamp set.

For my next set of cards, I wanted to create a clean and simple look in three different ways. I die cut three circles from the papers, and inked up the same strip stamp. I pressed the circles onto various areas of the stamp, reinking it each time. For the first card, I used the large and small circle from the corresponding Elements stamp set and made a background on a 6" x 6" card blank, using red, blue and yellow Memento inkpads.

For the second card, I used the splatter stamp from the Numerolgy stamp set as before, and also a mathematical image from Floral Paraphernalia Elements, both of which I stamped using black ink.

For my final card, I simply mounted the circle onto a piece of linen effect black card, and added a little button as an embellishment. All of the images were coloured with pencil.

These die cut circles are a great way of using up your small offcuts of papers that you might have left over from another project. I love getting the most use out my patterned papers and try not to throw any pieces away.

I thoroughly enjoyed creating all of these projects, and hope that I have given you a few ideas. Thanks so much for stopping by, xx

 

Quick Birthday Card

Hello everyone, I hope that you are keeping well. I have a card to share with you today that I made for a recent family Birthday. The recipient has now received the card, so I know that I am safe to share it.

The card was for a significant Birthday, but I did not wish to add any numbers, etc, so I chose to keep the front of the card free from any wording. 

I used a background that I already had in my stash made from Distress Oxides made in a previous crafting session. I stamped the pretty images from Darkroom Door using Versafine Clair Nocturne and coloured them with Luminance pencils.

Thanks for stopping by, xx