Gemma's fabulous tutorial

 I am really enjoying making cards again at the moment so I have this fun 8x8 butterfly card to share with you all today. Please comment below let us know what you think, are you enjoying the tutorials?

There is plenty of time to join in this months challenge, I am looking forward to seeing all the entries, instructions for this card can be found below.

Steps 

 1- Cut a piece of cardstock to fit the card blank

2- Take the larger butterfly from the stamp set and using Archival ink stamps randomly over the left side of the cardstock

3- Spread three colours of Distress ink onto a mat spray with water, when spraying with water wet the inks enough that they form beads of ink but not enough to form puddles.

4- Press the cardstock into the ink and dry with a heat tool, repeat until happy with the background effect created.

5- Using the script stamp from the same set and Distress Ink, stamp along the right side edge of the cardstock. 

6- Stamp the same butterfly randomly over the cardstock with glue and sprinkle with glitter, make sure to wash the stamp straight away and make sure all the glue is removed. As the glue dries a lot of the glitter will fall off, but it normally leaves just enough for a nice sparkle.

7- Die cut three scalloped circles that fit on top of each other, using the three inks from the background cover each circle, one which each colour of ink.

8- Stamp the largest circle with the same script stamp used on the background, use the small butterfly stamp on the middle circle and a sentiment and large butterfly on the smallest.

9- Attach ribbon to the bottom of the cardstock and attach it to the card blank.

10- Glue the largest and the middle circle to the card and then the smallest using foam tape, add a few gems to finish.

xx Gemma xx

Belle Papillon stamp set

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Love 2 Create - Nikky Hall using a digi image to create a journal page

We are very lucky today and have the very talented Nikky Hall (from Polkadoodles) sharing one her of her projects with us on Love 2 Create using a digi image called Oddella Twig to create a journal page ...

Over to you Nikky ...


I coloured this Oddella image up a few weeks back and when I looked at it the following day I suddenly had an overwhelming urge to make her into a journal page which I have not done for absolutely eons...and I mean eternity eons! So I didnt lose the mojo for her I rushed upstairs as soon as I got in from work and decided I was only allowing the time it took for the pizza to cook and no more - I'm trying to set myself time goals so I just go with the flow and didn't procrastinate too much as it's killing my melon, man ... this was the coloured image before and after ...

 I just got all my fave colours out and random stamps which just happened to be the nearest to hand which were all my textures from Premium Art Brands and threw it all on. I did actually spritz and seal between layers but because I was rushing they did get very muddied and I used a lot of yellow ochre pan pastel, (which I don't normally do). Not what I was aiming for at all but this was pizza journaling after all ...!

I just ripped the image off the paper and glued it down with photo glue then applied all the Pan Pastel colours around it, using a Versamark inkpad to overstamp - love using Versamark ink as they just stick to the Pan Pastels like glue and make it so vibrant...

A bit of doodling to finish off using a black Graph'It marker which will go over virtually anything and the must have Graph'It White Shake marker and voila ...

WOWsers, I'm sure you will all agree that that is one fabulous journal page and unless you were told, wouldn't believe that it was a digi image and not a stamped one.

We'd love it if you became a follower of our challenge blog, not just to join in with the challenges ... which would be way cool by the way ... but to check out all the fabulous projects shared.

Happy crafting everyone and don't forget to pop over next week as the winners, plus top 3 will be announced for last months challenge. REMEMBER you still have time to enter this months challenge and all the details can be found HERE.

Before we go, what have you been making recently? Why not pop over to our Facebook page and share your projects with us - https://www.facebook.com/groups/love2create - we look forward to seeing you.

Welcome our GDT Jacki Daniels ...

Again here at Love 2 Create we are very priviledged to have another guest designer sharing their talent with us and this week it is the wonderful Jacki Daniles. You can check out her blog HERE.

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Jacki Daniels I live in Oldbury West Midlands UK, I’m 49 and
I have been card making for about 10 years now I started after I had an accident at work that made me unable to work and very noise sensitive. I needed a hobby and started off cross stitching which I loved but the finished product could take months to complete and I’m a very impatient person lol. So I brought a magazine about card making and was hooked, I love colouring - my favourite medium is pencils - I‘ve never taken any classes everything I have learned has been from youtube or blogs. I love mixed media work and have dabbled a little and made a few pieces I’m still learning and it’s something I want to do more of.

Here is the fabulous project Jacki has created for Love 2 Create ...

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As my week is coming up to Christmas I decided to make a Christmas canvas.

 

I started with a blank 8x10” canvas and coated with gesso then added a sheet of Christmas paper - from one of the many collections over at Polkadoodles. I tore the edges of the paper so it would blend better when painted and there would be any harsh lines. 

 

Then I  added so texture using some star and snowflake stencils I added some dotty texture as well. Then I added some circles by cutting lengths off the centre piece from some tin foil (you know the cardboard middle bit) I dipped that into the texture paste (homemade) and added it here and there to the canvas.

 

 

I then went all over with a thin coat of gesso to tone everything down I then started to add ink and paint to the canvas (distress stain and oxide inks and starlight acrylic paints). When I was happy(ish) with the inking I decided to move onto my tree (knowing I could go back in and add more colour if I wanted to once it was all in place) So taking sheets from different Christmas collections I printed them off then cout them into sections so I could roll them into straw like tubes.

 

 

This was the basic shape for my tree I just had to adjust the sizes of the straws to get smaller as they went up to the top. Once they were done I needed a base so I hand cut a pot shape from white card then using brown distress and oxide inks I went to town colouring it, once happy I shaped it and glued it to my canvas then added the straws to make the tree.

 

I wasn’t sure what to put at the top of the tree I did think about a star and something but then decided on a bronzey coloured bow and also thought I’d add one the pot as well. I then went back in with my inks and paint to add some dimension to the tree and I also added some die cut snowflakes that I covered with frontage, I also added some to the canvas. I finished off with a sentiment from one of the papers I just cut out and embossed with clear powder then added splats of paint and ink.

 

So there you have my Christmas canvas I hope you like it as much as I enjoyed making it and I’ll see you soon.

 

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WOWswers what a fabulous project and description and again many thanks to Jacki for joining in with us.

Have a fabulous Christmas everyone and our current challenge is still open until the 31st December, so if you have the time, please do play along with us.

from us all at

Love 2 Create

A Fab Tutorial by Terry

Happy Sunday everyone and boy oh boy do we have a treat for you today ... a stunning tutorial from Terry who uses a digi image to create a mixed media project. Terry's full tutorial is below.

Our monthly "anything mixed media/creative goes" challenge is still running and we'd love it if you could play along. The link to the challenge is HERE.

Now over to Terry ......

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It is my turn, Terry to put a tutorial together for your inspiration and I just loved doing this for you all.

I colored the ULA Image from Polkadoodles, with my copic markers.....I love coloring and this amazing cute girl was a lot of fun to color.

What I did was I cut a piece of paper that I wanted for my background, took different coloured Distress Ink and splashed some water on top to let it flow over the paper. The best way to do that is to hold the paper between 2 fingers and then spray the water. You can rotate the paper so that water goes over it. That way you get a mix of colors on your background.

After the background paper is dry, I have added some color. Also, the brown color along the edges of the paper and a bit of green.

Then of course I wanted to be sure that the background colors would fit with Ula....and I thought she did fit in perfectly.

I thought the background was a bit bland, so I used a stencil to fill the background. The Grit Paste gives the flower a 3D-effect and takes in the color from the Distress inks.

When the Paste was dry I got my waterpen, the fabulous stampset from Polkadoodles, calles Bonfleur and stamped 2 butterflies from the stampset. I colored the butterflies with the Distress Oxide and cut them out of the paper. The background was colored with the Oxides too. This time I used the Distress Inks but you can easliy work with the PanPastels too. They work great on the background and also to color your Digi stamps and Stamps.

Working with the Paste gives the flowers a real 3D effect. Still thought the background was a bit bland so I stamped a few tiny flowers on the paper. I colored the tiny ones with distress too and I was happy with the result. 

A bit upclose so you can see what I mean with the flowers having a 3D effect with the Paste. 

Oke so my background is finished with the fab colors and the stencilled flowers. Now all I need is the colored image from Ula, so I decided to get some doublesided tape on it and placed the image on my background paper.

So what do ya all think, I am pretty happy about it, and if you tell me Mixed Mediums don't mix with digi images, you'r totally wrong eh? All it needed was a few words...I thought Sending Lots of Love would be just perfect....and to finish I have placed the colored butterflies on the flower and on top of the card and my card is finished. 

So there ya go, my project that I wanted to share with you for your inspiration is finished. I sure hope you are going to get your thinking cap on and get those fabulous digi stamps from Nikky, from Polkadoodles...I am sure you are going to love these cuties.....

Thank you all for stopping by and hope I gave you some ideas on what you can make with Mixed Mediums and Digistamps mixed with stamps.

Have Fun.

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A huge thanks Terry and next week, our inspirational post is from another ubber talent crafter, Zeljka Jurkovic-Grizic.

Don't forget you still have time to enter our November monthly challenge and you can find all the details HERE.

Last week to enter challenge 1 and some Top Tips!

QUICK REMINDER ...

You have one more week to enter the current 'Anything Goes' challenge and 

you can find all the challenge details HERE

Many, many thanks to all the wonderful entries so far.

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Hi Lou here and my "top tip" today is to think outside the box with regards to your printing. We are all familiar with printing on printable acetate, vellums and a range of papers/cards but did you know that you can also print on other every day items ... yep, you can.

As you know Polkadoodles have a wonderful range of collections and for my next project I want to use the Belle Papillion collection ...

... but alas Nikky doesn't produce napkins to match! No worries because I can create the same look by printing on to kitchen towel and toilet roll! Below is a quick tutorial as to how you can work my "top tip" ...

KITCHEN TOWEL
For my project, I want to use an embossed kitchen towel, (but other types will do). Begin by placing double sided tape along the top of your cheap printer paper and stick the kitchen towel in place.

Make a mark with pencil where the kitchen towel ends, and just above the mark, place another line of double sided tape. Carefully smooth the kitchen towel over the tape.

Finally, turn your paper over and either cut away excess kitchen towel or alternatively place another strip of double sided tape, securing over hang. Repeat on both sides and you are ready to print.

Below is the printed design I have chosen and all I need to do is carefully lift the kitchen towel up or alternatively cut. Voila, I have my napkin with the design I want.

If I was a really frugal crafter - especially as this is a 2ply kitchen towel - I could have left the 2nd layer in place and reprinted ...

TOILET PAPER
Now this medium is trickier to print on as it has a little more give to it. To help your printer and to make sure it grabs the paper first - and not the toilet paper - place your double sided tape about 2 cm down from the top.

Next, place your toilet paper horizontally and don't worry if it goes over the edges. As before, make a pencil mark and add your double sided tape above this mark. Carefully smooth your toilet paper in to place.

Continue down the paper until you have covered the copier paper as much as you want.

Turn your paper over and place double sided tape down the vertical edges of the copier paper, trapping the edges of the toilet roll in place.

Finally, send your chosen design to print.

As with the kitchen towel, if you carefully pull the top layer away, you can reprint another ...

Over to you to give this a try. It goes to show that digi images or papers do not always need to be printed on to paper or card! So be brave and give printing on different surfaces/papers a go. Once you start, your mind goes in to over drive ...! Please share with the team here at Love to Create the different materials/media you have printed on, so we can have a go too.

Now I have two different printed media to use on my project and they can be secured in place with PVA glue, Mod Podge etc. Next week I will show you what I have created with them.

Lou
x x x