Better Late than Never - Father's Day Feline

Hi guys

As promised, here's the other card that I made month's ago and forgot about, until just finding the photo in the depths of my laptop!

This was the Father's Day card I made for my boyfriend's dad back in the summer.  He loves cats so this image from a fab Katzelkraft set was purrfect! *groan :D

I started by stamping this cute kitty on white cardstock then adding some simple colour pencil detailing to this already sketchy image.  Above the image I stamped the sentiment inside another image of speech bubble.  These were then die cut with a stitched rectangle die.  On a kraft card base I stamped some paw prints in varying sizes in VersaMark ink to create a tone on tone effect.  The panel was then popped up on fun foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Katzelkraft - Les Chats Russes; Clearly Besotted - Message Me, You Said It; Dovecraft - Paw Prints
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black; VersaMark
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Stitched Rectangle Stax
• Kraft cardstock: Neenah - Desert Storm
• Coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos

Challenge entries:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #261 - Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

The Male Room - Challenge #70 - Anything Goes (not using optional theme this time)

Phew! Ok, I'm now up to date, there are no more photos of unshared cards.  Thanks so much for stopping by today.  I'll be back tomorrow with my card for the next Muse Challenge and then later in the evening, details of the October CAS Challenge at Happy Little Stampers.

I hope to see you again soon.

Clearly Besotted May Release - Just The Two of Us & To You With Love (Guest Designer!)

Hi there

I'm back today to share some more teasers of the fabulous Clearly Besotted May Release.  All the sets in this month's release will be available to buy from the Clearly Besotted store on 5 May at 10pm BST.  Over at Stephanie's blog you will find links to the Design Team and other guest designers who are also sharing more teasers.

Today I'm sharing cards made with two more sets, Just the Two of Us and To You With Love.


Just the Two of Us
This set has adorable images of parent and baby animals, with co-ordinating sentiments, ideal for Mother's Day and Father's Day.

I opted for the cute little panda pairing for this card which I stamped and masked.  I also masked before ink blending the grass, then swapped the mask around to blend the sky.  With these masks still in place I stamped the bamboo from CB It's a Celebration set (limited edition - now discontinued) and used second generation stamping to stamp again alongside.  I finished by stamping the sentiment and adhering to the card base on 3D foam, and some Glossy Accents was added to the pandas' eyes.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - Just the Two of Us and It's a Celebration (discontinued)
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Versa Color - Green Tea; Distress Ink - Tumbled Glass and Mowed Lawn
• Accents: Glossy Accents

Challenge entries:

Retro Sketches - Challenge #213 

Penny Black and More - May Challenge - Anything Goes with Stamping

Cute Card Thursday - Challenge #423 - No Patterned Papers

Crafty Creations - Challenge #314 - Black and White and a Pop of Colour

Dream Valley - Challenge #130 - All Creatures Great and Small

To You With Love

This mini set has a gorgeous floral image and sentiments.

I wanted to have a go at the Distress Ink Lifting / Watercolour Bleaching technique with this gorgeous stamp.  And I chose an usual colour of Distress Ink which I've never used before, Iced Spruce.  I really liked this when I first made it, but now I'm not so sure.  I would love to know your opinion as I'm still very much on the fence with this one!

I started by stamping the image and sentiment in VersaMark ink and heat embossing in white.  I then blended the Distress Ink up from the bottom corner gradually fading it out diagonally.  The next part is where the magic happens.  Armed with water, a small paint brush and a paper towel I painted water onto the petals, left for a few seconds and then blotted with the paper towel.  The colour then lifts away revealing a paler shade.  I believe this only works with Distress Inks.  To add a little interest I finished by adding some splatters of a mix of mica powder and water, to add some shimmer, seen much more clearly in the next photo.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted - To You With Love
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Ink - Iced Spruce
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Opaque Bright White
• Mica Powder: Honey Doo Crafts - White Opal

Challenge entry:

Fantasy Stampers - Challenge #61 - Monochrome

Thanks so much for popping by.  I'll be back with more CBS release teasers tomorrow morning.

For You, Dad

Hi guys

It's Father's Day today here in the UK.  I sadly lost my dear Dad in 2005 after a short battle with cancer so I always find special days like this pretty tough, especially as he was taken from us at only 57 years of age :(  He was such a lovely man so the happy memories always make it a little easier.


But, although my Dad is no longer here I did make a card for Matt's dad for Father's Day.  Here it is...

On a panel of kraft cardstock I stamped the little gardening image and coloured this with FlexMarkers.  I then stamped the sentiment, the Dad part then die cut with its co-ordinating die and popped up on 3D foam.  I matted the panel onto some striped patterned paper and then adhered flat to the kraft card base.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Little Claire - one of their Dinkies stamps (unknown name); Clearly Besotted - My Hero (with co-ordinating die) and Happy Everything
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black; Versa Color - Bark
• Patterned Paper: Lawn Fawn - Let's Polka
• Cardstock: Neenah - Desert Storm

Challenge entries:

Creative Inspirations - Challenge #318 - Male Creations

Loves Rubberstamps - Challenge #156 - Masculine Theme

Crafty Cardmakers - Challenge #141 - For a Man or Boy

Crazy 4 Challenges - Challenge #290 - Masculine Card

I'll be back again in a while with another card I made last night.

Happy Father's Day to all the lovely dads out there :)