Twofer Card Challenge Holiday Greenery

Hi there.  I have an entry for the Twofer Challenge No. 22 this month and am so pleased as the last two or three months I have just run out of time to get cards in but have managed it this time.  There is a twist to the challenge with it being nearly Christmas and as this is the last challenge until the new year Darnell has changed the rules and we can enter two different cards using the theme of Holiday Greenery but for the same occasion if we so wish, and mine are both Christmas cards.  I am woefully behind with mine so any chance to make them is a bonus.  The stamp set I used is by Impression Obsession and called Winter Trees.

I started by stamping the image using Versafine Clair Nocturne ink and then heat embossed it using WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder.  I used Salty Ocean Distress Ink and also some Adirondack Sunshine Yellow for the setting sun, applied using my blending tool, and then I used some Pumice Stone on the snow for shadows.  I finished by heat embossing the sentiment using the same black ink, and added a white dry embossed stencil background using a Dutch Doobadoo tree stencil called Birch Trees and also matted the image on to black card to make it pop before adding it to a 7" x 5" white card. 

The second card uses just the line of trees, but I did ink parts of it again to lengthen the tree line.  I started by inking through a mini stencil from Creative Expressions called Stags using Vintage Sepia DI and then heat embossed them with WOW Clear Gloss EP.  I then stamped three of the trees at the right hand side using my Misti and Peeled Paint DI and then added the rest going over the embossed deer, and then added a few more of the most distant trees again to go well beyond the second deer.  I did stamp the bottom edge of the trees again each time with Forest Moss DI to darken and give some shadows.  I then sprayed some water on to the sky and added the blue using more Salty Ocean and Sunshine Yellow at the horizon but this time painting it with a waterbrush, but not sure that it looks like sun low in the sky on this one but it adds some interest I think.

I added some shading under the deer and to either side to look like tracks in the snow using Pumice Stone DI with a little of the blue added in.  I did take a fine black Micron pen and drew a face in on each of the deer, but as it has been glossily embossed it has marked it but very faintly so you get the faintest look of features.  I will be adding a Christmas sentiment on this one at a later date.

Thank you for stopping by today and I hope to see you again soon.

Sea Turtle

Hi there.  Another birthday, a lady this time, and I thought I would christen my Pink Ink Turtle.  This card is also for the CAS Stencil November Challenge the theme of which is Stencil Monoprint, and I've actually managed to enter three out of the four challenges this month which is much better than I have managed over the last few months, and this is the last one before the new year too.  I also used a That Special Touch mask which is a mandala shape and called Mandella.

I started with the stencil monoprint background.  I used Cracked Pistachio and Salty Ocean Distress Inks dotted over the stencil and then spritzed with water before pressing it down on the white card, although to be honest the colours have merged and don't look like two colours.  I always have a piece of kitchen towel handy to mop up any excess water.  I wasn't quite happy with the coverage so I inked and spritzed it again and managed to match it up.

I then stamped the turtle over the background using Versafine Vintage Sepia ink using my Misti as it is a big stamp.  I inked it several times to get good coverage and the I heat embossed it with WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder.  I then watercoloured it using Vintage Photo, Peeled Paint, Crushed Olive and Spiced Marmalade DI's applying the colour with my waterbrush.  I did first water bleach the blue out as much as possible.

I finished by cutting the topper down just a little and then added the sentiment using the Versafine Vintage Sepia ink and again heat embossed with the Clear Gloss EP before adding it to the 6" square white card.

Some brighter colours might have been better for this feminine version, but it does have the sort of colours that a turtle would normally have but perhaps it is a little darker than I wanted it to be.  Thank you for dropping by today and I hope to see you again soon.

I am also entering the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps and More - No. 367 Make Your Mark.
Country View November Challenge - Hand Stamped.

Chess Art

Hi everyone.  I love this chess image from Aall and Create and I decided to use it to make a card for the CAS Watercolour November Challenge, and especially as this is the last one until the new year.  I also used a Dutch Doobadoo stencil called Blocks.  The challenge this time is monochromatic and white and black stamping/embossing are also allowed.

I started with some Salty Ocean Distress Ink and laid it down, spritzed with water and dragged the card through it to fairly well cover it.  I then dry embossed the stencil by running it through my die cutting machine.  There are lots of tips on line of the best ways to get a good emboss, and I have chosen one from You Tube for you to look at if  you wish.  It is about 10 minutes long made by MFT which was the most recent one I could find, but you'll get the idea after the first few minutes if you don't want to watch the whole thing, just to say that a lot of the videos suggest using shims, but I found that the result was fine with a rubber/silicone mat.  I then placed the stencil over the raised pattern and blended some Blueprint Sketch over the top to pick up the raised pattern.  In the photo the dimension doesn't show but I think it just adds to the overall look rather than just putting the ink straight on to the card.

I then inked up the chess stamp with Versafine Clair Nocturne ink, my current favourite black ink, and stamped it in my Misti because I knew that I might need to stamp it more than once to get a good impression over the raised pattern.  Luckily it worked well.

I finished by cutting this with a square stitched die and added the sentiment also using my black ink, again stamping using the Misti.  I then heat embossed with the Clear Gloss EP.

Thank you for coming to look at the blog today and I'll see you again soon.

I am also entering the following challenges:

The Male Room Challenge No. 124 Hobbies. (Thrilled to be chosen the winner of this challenge)
Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge - No 367 Make Your Mark.
Country View November Challenge - Hand Stamped.

*I was so pleased to be picked as one of the Outstanding Designs over at CAS Watercolour.

Eclectic Stems

Hi there everyone.  I had a card to make for a lovely friend whose birthday it is so I thought I would get out my Aall and Create Set again which has  several different flowers and some sentiments which is called Eclectic Stems (No. 199). 

I used the large flower which reminds me of a quirky poppy and stamped it twice on to a piece of white card using Versafine Clair Nocturne ink and then heat embossed with WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder.  I then fussy cut both flowers out and coloured with my Distress Inks using Candied Apple, Ripe Persimmon and Black Soot using a waterbrush.

I then made the background.  I had a piece of card which I had been using some inks on when making some backgrounds but wasn't in love with this particular one, so I turned it over and decided to use the back which had the meerest hint in places of orange which I thought would go with what I was planning.  I then used an embossing folder called Cable Knit by XCut, but I have had it so long I don't think you can get it any more.  I then inked this with some Salty Ocean DI and then added some Wilted Violet and Dusty Concord to break it up a bit and darkened the edges too which makes it pop a bit when added to the card.

I finished by making a sentiment tag from a piece of black card and white heat embossed the sentiment with WOW Opaque Bright White EP, and to this I added a piece of blue baker's twine tied into a bow.

I want to thank you for visiting me and I hope to see you again soon.

Lest We Forget

Hi there.  It is Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, which for those that may not know, is the day in 1918 when the 1st World War ended, and it became the day to remember those who have given their lives in all wars.  Remembrance Sunday, which was yesterday is the official day when they lay wreaths round the Cenotaph in London.

I was hoping to make another card but I'm afraid it didn't happen, so I am showing this one which uses a poppy image by Sheena Douglass called Perfect Poppies which I have shown on here before, but I love it and it does have the perfect sentiment 'Remember'.

CAS Mix Up November Challenge

Hi everybody.  I was determined to get my card in for the CAS Mix Up Challenge this time, especially as it is the last one until the new year.  I needed an anniversary card so combined this with the challenge which this time has asked for the Oxidised Metal technique, plus stamping, plus another technique of your choice.  I actually did dry embossing, heat embossing and die cutting.

I started by die cutting a heart from silver mirri using my die set from Sweet Dixie which I bought at The Range I think, not recently, but I think they are still available.  I then decided to use a 3D embossing folder to give the heart some more interest, so I used a Sheena Douglass one called Trailing Time, also bought a while ago.  I then got out my alcohol inks in Indigo, Watermelon and Stream and dripped these on to the heart adding a little blender to move and soften the colours.  I also sprinkled some WOW Metallic Brass Embossing Powder and then some WOW Clear Gloss EP and heat set it.  In real life it has a lovely shimmer and shine but unfortunately it doesn't show that well here.

I finished by dry embossing some hearts for the background layer also using a magazine freebie which I got several years ago, and also used one of the sentiments from the same set stamped using Versafine Deep Lagoon Ink, which actually complements the Stream colour on the heart, but again it doesn't show much here.  I then used a heart shaped little stamp I found in my stash to cut the heart around the sentiment and added all this to the square white card.  I used some Pinflair Glue Gel to raise the heart up a little to give it dimension.

I hope I will be forgiven for not using the specific technique suggested on the challenge, but I do not have any re-inkers so I thought the alcohol inks were a good substitute.

The challenge is open until the 24th of the month, so still lots of time to get an entry in.  Thank you for visiting my blog today and I hope to see you here again soon.

*I was so pleased to be chosen as one of the Outstanding Designs at CAS Mix Up.

Sneaky Peek of November TV Samples

Hi there.  Just a quick post with a sneaky peek of my samples for the upcoming Chocolate Baroque shows on Hochanda...actually tomorrow at 11am and 3pm, featuring wonderful new stamps and some great demos by Lesley and Judith.

I hope you get a chance to watch, if not you can catch up using their Rewind facility.

Hearts, Flowers and a Butterfly Too

Hi everyone.  I'm back with the last of the samples I made for Chocolate Baroque's shows on Hochanda.  The first card features the beautiful butterfly from the Happy Flower's Day set of stamps.

I started with a Brusho background.  This time instead of sprinkling the powder on to the card and then spritzing, I sprinkled the powders on to my glass mat and spritzed then placed the white card over to pick up the colour.  I then dried and added more of the different colours to get the desired effect.  I used Brilliant Red, Orange and Leaf Green.  I then used the stamp from this set which has a definition of a butterfly, and I stamped this twice in the centre using Versafine Olympia Green, second generation stamping to keep it in the background.  I then stamped all around the edges using the Celebration Bouquet set, just using the top part of the stamp, again using the Olympia Green ink.

I then stamped  the butterfly on to another piece of white card, again with the green ink and heat embossed using WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder.  I coloured it using some more of the Brushos on my glass mat and mixed with a little water and applied with my waterbrush.  I used the same Red and Orange plus Emerald Green and Turquoise.  I then mixed some Gold Mica powder with some water and added it to the eyes and round the edges and also to the body and inner section of the wings.  I thought it made it nice and shimmery.  Before attaching the butterfly to the background I stamped just the body and antennae on to it and heat embossed with the Clear Gloss EP, and then when I cut the butterfly out I cut off the antennae because it is so difficult to cut these out, and then bent the wings up and glued it in place.

Finally I stamped one of the sentiments from the set on to black card using WOW Opaque Bright White EP and cut this into a banner shape.  The sentiment I chose was all in a line and I wanted it to take up less room so I stamped it in two halves masking each half when using the Versamark.  I also placed a pencil mark on to the acrylic block so I could see precisely where the break in the two halves was which made it easier to get it lined up properly.

My next card features the hearts.  I started by stamping the Artist Trading Heart on thick white card and heat embossed it with WOW Black Embossing Powder.  I did several layers and thought I would impress one of the images from the Geometric Trading Hearts set on to it.  After adding about four layers I quicky stamped with Versamark, just the geometric design itself, and then added WOW Silver Metallic EP and heat embossed it.

I then made the background using Scarlet and Purple Brushos, and I heat embossed the lattice design from the same set using WOW Clear Matt EP, and then I blended some Wilted Violet and Barn Door Distress Inks over the top using a blending tool.

I finished the card by stamping two of the arrows from the set with Black Archival Ink heat embossed with the Clear Gloss EP and then fussy cut them out and added them to the bottom of the card, leaving a space for one of the sentiments from the Artist Trading Heart set.  I then added the sentiment within the two arrows and I used the Clear Gloss EP.  I then added the heart to the card using Pinflair Glue Gel to give it a bit of dimension.

For this final card I used the lattice heart from the Geometric Trading Hearts set stamped on to glossy card.   I started by making the background using Salty Ocean and Worn Lipstick Distress Oxide Inks.  I laid each colour down on to my glass mat separately and spritzed and picked up the ink on the card, then dried and repeated with the other colour.  I then added the lattice heart to the background using Versamark and heat embossed it with WOW Metallic Silver Embossing Powder.  I then added one of the sentiments from the Artist Trading Heart set and stamped it using Versafine Deep Lagoon Ink and heat embossed it with WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder.  I then die cut it with a square scallop die and mounted it on to a piece of pink glitter card and added it to a white base card.

Thank you for coming to visit me today and I'll see you again soon.