Embossing & Sponging

Hello Crafty Friends,

Hope you are having a great day. I meant to post this yesterday, but Stampin'Up! released the new Occasions catalogue for Demonstrators to view (one of the perks of being a demo is viewing catalogues and products prior to general release) And well, to say it's amazing is an understatement!

I spent the day planning my wish list - I would buy the whole thing if I won lotto tonight, but this didn't happen (kicks couch) so it's back to wrangling the wish list and trying to squeeze more into my budget. 

Anywho, I do have a couple of cards I wanted to share.

They are basic cards with Thick Whisper White Card bases, sponged, cut into two panels. One panel is embossed with the Hexagons Embossing Folder, the other panel is heat embossed with white embossing powder.

This card below is sponged using Real Red, Melon Mambo, Berry Burst and Rich Razzleberry. The pineapple image is from the Pop of Paradise stamp set, the palm frond and sentiment is from Fabulous Flamingo stamp set, all heat embossed using white embossing powder.

This card has been sponged using Tranquil Tide, Bermuda Bay and Marina Mist inks. The snowflakes and sentiment are from the Colourful Seasons stamp set, embossed with white embossing powder.

The panels were applied to the card base using tombow.  I post a lot of my cards, for those not accompanying gifts, I try to minimise layers and embellishments. These cards are perfect, not too thick and nothing to get caught up on at the postal sorting depot. 

Okay, it's back to studying the catalogue. Until next time, stay awesome 

 

 

Colourful Seasons and Sponging

Hello Crafty Friends,

 

Hope your day is going well. It's a tad windy and rainy outside today, which makes it the perfect day to spend in my crafty space.

 

I decided before I make anything new, I would first sort out the storage I use to house all the cards I have made. I have a few tins from the previous sale-a-bration promotion which I have labelled for sorting. One for Klassy Chick birthdays (that's my upline's team), one for family and friends, one for items to blog and the other two are for cards already blogged.

 

I discovered three cards that had fallen on their side in one of the tins. Think I intended on adding more stamped images to these but never got around to it. The seagulls from the High Tide stamp set would look great on the two upright cards in the picture below.

I am a huge fan of sponging. I find it therapeutic, making circles with my sponges and applicator tools so the ink blends smoothly. I have used the Colourful Seasons bundle for these cards and a little free hand drawing - nothing fancy, just a black ink pen. 

 

 

Card One

On Shimmery White card, I sponged a mottled background similar to the colours Perth sees during our sunsets as a storm is approaching. Powder Pink, Flirty Flamingo and Perfect Plum. I dragged the Powder Pink over the horizon line, into the water, for the sun's/clouds reflection.  I then die cut a small circle from a post it note and using the negative for a mask, I sponged White Craft Ink for the sun.

 

Using Soft Sky and Tempting Turquoise inks, I sponged up to the horizon line, avoiding the pink water reflection. With a black ink pen, I drew in the Islands, the trees, the hut and then a little into the water for the island reflection. The sentiment from Colourful Season's was stamped in black Momento ink.

 

Card Two

Again, using Shimmery White Card, I masked a horizon and sun. I then sponged underneath the horizon line with Tempting Turquoise, and above the line and around the sun with Daffodil Delight.

 

Using Black Momento ink to stamp the grass image from Fabulous Flamingo stamp set, and the sentiment from Colourful Seasons. 

 

I die cut the branch in black card and the blossums in gold foil card using the Colourful Seasons Thinlits. I then simply layered the card front onto a Daffodil Delight card base.

 

 

 

Card Three

This card uses the same masking as card two. I have used Tempting Turquoise, Daffodil Delight and Melon Mambo inks for the sponging. The heat embossed chair and sentiment, both from the Colourful Seasons stamp set, were inked in Melon Mambo and heat embossed using clear powder.

 

I sponged a little crumb cake under the chair for a tad of shadowing, although the photo doesn't show it very clearly.  The card front was then mounted to a Melon Mambo card base.

 

Some quick sponged cards, with little mess! I normally have ink all over my scratch pad, not too mention my fingers! I can now add these cards to the BLOGGED tin, which then gets sorted into, either one of the other tins for birthdays or a donation tin I have for the various organisations I gift them too.

 

Until next time, stay awesome

 

 

Eclectic and Post Script

Hello Crafty Friends,

Hope you are having an enjoyable day. Mine has been a fantastic one, as it is whenever you get a new box of Stampin 'Up! goodies.

 

Today's card is a mish mash of bits and pieces left over the crafting counter after making several cards. I like to use the extra bits or am such a tidy freak if I don't use them I will chuck them in order to have a tidy work space. 

The Floral images were cut using the Eclectic Layers Thinlits in Sweet SugarPlum and Fresh Fig card. The leaves were cut from a Perfect Days Memories and More card. 

The card front is Whisper White stamped with the Post Script background stamp. Using a circle mask cut from printer paper, the mask was placed over the card front and stamped in Crumb Cake ink.

The sentiment from Hello Friend stamp set was inked in Crumb Cake. 

I have also used the Embossing leaf Die to make leaf impressions - under the die cut leaves. This was then adhered to a Sahara Sand card base. A little heart in Sweet SugarPlum was placed next to the sentiment to finish the card off.

 

Until next time, stay crafty

 

Crafting Forever

Hello Crafty Friends,

One of the first stamp sets that hit my list after convention in April, was Crafting Forever. I loved all the crafty images and especially the two fabulously crafty sentiments.

 

After sponging a Whisper White card front with Daffodil Delight, Powder Pink, and Soft Sky inks, I ran it through the Big Shot with the Softly Falling Embossing Folder.

The paint brush image was stamped with Archival Black onto Shimmery White Card and coloured using Stampin'Up! Water Colour Pencils.

The sentiment was stamped in Melon Mambo ink and heat set using clear embossing powder. The vellum strip was then adhered to the card front using a zig zag stitch. The water coloured image was adhered over the top with Tombow.

While I had "Betsy" out and threaded up - Betsy is my basic sewing machine, I stitched up a few more card fronts. I will share those over the next few blog posts.

 

Until next time, stay crafty

 

Embossing Paste and Decorative Masks - stencils

Hello Crafty Friends,

I know, second post today, apologies for that, I am playing the catch up game, having been extremely busy with work. Plus, I have been meaning to share for weeks now.....

 

Two words - Embossing Paste!!! So much fun. I had a little play with both heat embossing and embossing Paste to create some unique textured backgrounds.

Using one of the decorative masks to apply embossing Paste off the corner of the Powder Pink card front, I then applied silver heat embossing using a splatter image stamp and Versamark. 

The background Die from May Flowers Thinlits was cut in Powder Pink and laid over the centre edge of the embossing Paste. 

The Floral image from Remarkable You was inked in Archival Black and coloured using Powder Pink ink with an aqua painter. 

The card front was then cut down and backed with silver foil card. A strip of Shimmery Silver was tucked underneath the sentiment along with a silver Doily. 

The sentiment "Thinking of You" is from the Colourful Seasons stamp set, inked with Black Momento onto Powder Pink card 

I may have gone a little crazy with my embossing paste. To say I love the stuff is an understatement! Thinking I may need to order another container very soon. Its so much fun, makes me feel like an artist with all my tools, and colouring the paste with my inks is just the bee's knees. Best I go make some cards with all the card fronts I have applied embossing paste to thus far.

 

Until next time, stay crafty

Hello Friend and Decorative Mask

Hello Crafty Friends,

I have some more fantastic news to share with my crafty readers today, but first a card! 

The Hello Friend stamp set is part of the new heat embossing kit, which is among a few kits available in the Annual Catalogue. 

This stamp set has the beautiful hello sentiment which I have used on this card. I love the font. It also has a partial background stamp. This stamp has an almost trellis look with faded out edges, and it looks great heat embossed and coloured with watercolour splashes.

For this card I have done exactly that. On Shimmery white card, the trellis stamp was white heat embossed. Then using an aqua painter I splashed Daffodil Delight, Flirty Flamingo and Peakaboo Peach inks.

The large detailed floral Thinlit from May Flowers was used to cut the Peakaboo Peach die cut. Two flowers from Remarkable You stamp set were stamped in Archival Black ink and coloured using an aqua painter in Melon Mambo and Daffodil Delight. Sorry that was short and sweet but I was so eager to type the next paragraph lol

 

My news.....I have been asked to be a guest designer during August and September for Just Add Ink! I cannot express how delighted I am to be given this amazing opportunity. The Design Team are absolutely amazing, so many talented creators, and so many demos whose work I have admired for sometime. I get the warm fuzzies looking at JAI DT List. So, its extremely exciting to work alongside some of my Stampin'Up! idols, but also immensely nerve wracking.  And even more amazing, I am one of five guest designers, I will be joined by the crazy talented - Lou Kitzelman, Jo Stubbings, Rachael Lewsley and Denita Wright-Smee! OMG right!!

 

Until next time, stay awesome 

Sheet Music - Pocketful of Sunshine

 

Good Day Crafty Friends,

I love background stamps, I find they make easy and quick cards. Today's card uses the Sheet Music background stamp.

 

On Whisper White card I stamped the background stamp in Versamark and applied white embossing powder then heat to set. 

 

Using sponges I applied, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Flirty Flamingo, Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, Pacific Point and Tempting Turquoise. I then cut the card front approx 4cm up from the bottom and trimmed out enough space for the sentiment. 

The sentiment from Pocketful of Sunshine was stamped in Black Momento ink onto the Whisper White card front, with the coloured panels attached either side with dimensionals  

The card on the left is from yesterdays blog post. Click here to view yesterday's blog post.

I cant wait to use this background stamp with my Christmas Cards this year. Until next time, stay awesome,

Eclectic Framelits

Good Day Crafty Friends,

 

Hope your day has been a great one. Its blowing a gale here in my neighbourhood, so its been a productive day writing blog posts for all the cards I have created recently. Todays card was made a few weeks ago and is now in the post on its way to a lovely friend.

The card base was treated with sponges inked in Tempting Turquoise and Lemon Lime Twist, splattered with water using a paintbrush and then embossed with the Softly Falling Embossing Folder.

The card front and vellum were adhered to the cardbase with a zig zag stitch using the trusty sewing machine.

 

I have used the Square Stitched Shapes Framelits to cut the two backgrounds for the die cuts. Again, Lemon Lime Twist and Tempting Turquoise inks were used with sponges to blend the ink onto Shimmery White card.

 

The Eclectic Layers Thinlits were used to cut the floral die images from Tempting Turquoise card and backed with whisper white. The panels were adhered using tombow.

 

Until next time

 

Joy of Sets #002 - Music Sheet Background

Hello Crafty Friends,

 

Its challenge time over at Joy of Sets Blog Challenge. This fortnight's challenge requires participants to use a current or retired Stampin'Up! stamp set with the letter S in the stamp's title. eg Colourful Seasons, Swan Lake etc.

Today's card uses one of the new background stamps - Music Sheet. I wanted to create a soft, feminine card for a music loving lady.

 

The Music Sheet Background stamp was inked using Black Momento and stamped onto Whisper White card stock. This was then placed onto a layer of Powder Pink and then a layer of Whisper White before being attached to a Thick Whisper White Card base.

The Floral image from Birthday Blooms was heat embossed in silver on Shimmery White card stock, and coloured using and aqua painter with Powder Pink, Smoky Slate and Soft Sky inks. The fussy cut image was adhered to the card front with dimensionals. 

The sentiment "Best Wishes" from  the Blooms & Wishes stamp set, was white heat embossed on black card stock and then mounted to some Powder Pink and adhered with Tombow.

While I had the stamp out I made another card. The rainbow background and sentiment from Pocketful of Sunshine had me singing. I will share the details in tomorrow's post. 

 

Come join us and play along by clicking on the picture link below

   

Cant wait to see what stamp set everyone chooses for the S letter challenge! 

 

Until next time, stay crafty

 

 

 

 

https://joyofsetschallenge.blogspot.com.au/2017/07/jos002-letter-s.html

Just Add Ink Challenge #368

Good Day Crafty Friends,

Hope yours has been an enjoyable one.  It's a gorgeous winter day here in my part of Western Australia. The sun is shining, the washing is drying and being the last day of the school holidays, I have the day off to tinker away in my crafty space.

One of the cards I made this morning may seem a little premature for this time of year - it's a Christmas card, and a non traditional one at that.

This weeks challenge over at Just Add Ink is to use a Birthday stamp set for Christmas.  Click on the link below to see the Design Team inspiring creations, or to join in and play along. 

I felt like stamping today, so using the Gift and Party Hat images from the Birthday Delivery stamp set, I stamped in a circular pattern using Archival Black ink, first with the wrapped gift then filling in the free space with the party hat.

The images had a little colour added using Lemon Lime Twist and Island Indigo inks. I have used Island Indigo card to make the square card base and backed the stamped circular image with Lemon Lime Twist.

 

The sentiment from a retired set called Merry Everything was inked in Archival Black and cut using the Layering Circles Framelits, with the Island Indigo layer behind cut in the next sized scalloped circle Framelit. The die cut sentiment was adhered using dimensionals.

A little Black and White Bakers Twine was wrapped around the card base, before adhering the card front to the base with dimensionals.

Yay for having started my Christmas Cards, albeit all of one! It will encourage me to make more so it is not sitting behind a tab that says "Family Christmas Cards" all by its lonesome.

Until next time, stay crafty

Happy Birthday Thinlit

Hello Crafty Friends,

Hope you have had a great day. I have spent the morning crafting and blogging, so mine has been a productive one.  Today's card was the last card I made today, had no plan or sketch in my mind - just colours.
 

I have a pile of Powder Pink card stock so decided to use some for the card base. I also embossed a strip with the Sweetheart Embossing Folder. 

The card front uses the Post Script background stamp, inked in Powder Pink on Whisper White card. 

 

The Circles were cut using the Layering Circles Thinlits. The black and white circles are Perfect Days Memories and More cards. Another circle was cut from Sahara Sand and used to back the Happy Birthday Thinlit which was cut from Powder Pink card.

 

 

A layer of Black & White Bakers Twine was wrapped over the embossed strip and the die cut shapes and Thinlits were adhered over the top using tombow.

Hope you get time in your crafty space today, until next time

Tranquil Tulips

Hello Crafty Friends

Hope you are having an enjoyable day. I decided to show one of my new stamp sets some love by inking it up and creating several cards. Tranquil Tulips is a two step photopolymer hostess stamp set, that has a few different floral and leaf images enabling you to be able to create a variety of bouquets, which is exactly what I did today - Bouquets.

 

One of my favourite creations from todays session was the above card.  Aside from a heap of stamping and fussy cutting, the card itself is any easy one to create.

 

For the Tulips, I used the smaller of the two tulips images and stamped using Sweet Sugar Plum for the base and Fresh Fig for the top layer. Stamping in a rough bouquet shape onto Whisper White card, then extra Tulips were stamped onto scraps and fussy cut so that I could fill in the empty spots on my roughly stamped bouquet. I was too lazy to mask today so this is my easy way out option, plus I like being able to raise some flowers with dimensionals to create interest.

 

Bermuda Bay ink was used for the smaller floral images and Lemon Lime Twist for the foliage.  

To a thick Whisper White card base, a layer of Powder Pink was added that had been embossed with the new Sweetheart Embossing Folder. A lace Doily was placed under the bouquet and a small amount of Powder Pink ribbon was tucked under the sentiment. I made a few different versions of this card, in a variety of colour combinations, but have to say, this cards combo of Powder Pink, Lemon Lime Twist, Bermuda Bay, Sweet Sugar Plum and Fresh Fig was a winner for me, so much so, I am going to try it out on some future card creations.

 

Until next time, stay awesome

Falling Flowers

Hello Crafty Friends,

Today's card combines two of my favourites - Falling Flowers and Background stamps. I have used the Woodgrain background stamp with a mask to ensure my card front had a lot of white space.

The images from Falling flowers stamp set were heat embossed in white powder and coloured using sponge daubers.

Using printer paper cut to the size of a card front, I made a mask by using the largest Die from Layering Circles Framelits. The Woodgrain background stamp was inked in Crumb Cake and stamped over the mask to reveal the circular Woodgrain image.

A large card from the Perfect Days Memories and More card pack was attached to the card base with Tombow before adhering the Whisper White stamped card front.

Until next time, stay crafty

 

Good Vibes Stamp Set

Good Day Crafty Friends

I adore the two large image stamps from the Good Vibes stamp set. They are extremely easy to colour using Stampin'Up! Water colour pencils 

 

 

The card front is a Perfect Days Memories & More large sized card and is attached to a Sweet SugarPlum card base. The large Good Vibes stamp was inked in Archival Black and coloured using an Aqua Painter & Water Colour Pencils. To finish it off a few die cut leaves, in Lemon Lime Twist and Pool Party were tucked behind the stamped panel and a few rhinestone jewels to a few flowers.

 

This card uses the same card base and stamp set - SweetSugar Plum and Good Vibes.  The large image stamp was inked in Archival Black on Shimmery White card and coloured using Water Colour Pencils. 

The water coloured panel was then attached to layer of Pool Party card. The background Die from the Eclectic Layers Thinlits was cut on Sweet SugarPlum and backed with Pool Party card before adhering all panels to the card base

 

I have shared this card in a previous post - Pool Party Card Base, Memories and More Card Pack for the card front. Hey You image stamped in Archival Black onto Shimmery White card and coloured using Water Colour Pencils.

 

Until next time, stay crafty x

Hello Friend Stamp Set

Hello Crafters

Today I want to share a card that uses the new stamp set called Hello Friend. This stamp set is part of the new Hello Friend Heat Embossing Project Kit.

 

It has a gorgeous wreath and small floral images along with a neat trellis type background stamp and four sentiments. I particularly love the hello sentiment stamp. The font is simply beautiful. 

I have a thing for wreaths with loads of colourful flowers, but also love green and white in a garden so I combined the two.

On a Sahara Sand card front, I have stamped the wreath image in Lemon Lime Twist. Next, I white heat embossed the smaller floral images and stamped the Hello sentiment on Whisper White and fussy cut. I added a few randomly placed rhinestones and loops of Bakers Twine before adhering the sentiment with dimensionals This was then attached to a Thick Whisper White card base.

 

I think I will get a lot of use from this stamp set. The sentiments are great and cant wait to try a Christmas themed wreath with that lovely stamp.

 

Until next time, stay crafty x

Retiform Technique

Hello Crafty Friends

A quick blog post today to share a card that uses the Retiform or Grid Technique to create a beachy themed card. Its an easy technique which involves masking, sponging and stamping.

There are many tutorials available out there for this technique so I wont bore you with the how to. I have used a few different stamp sets - High Tide and Pop of Paradise for the images and Hello Friend for the sentiment.

 

The sponging was done using Marina Mist and the images in Dapper Denim inks on Whisper White card. The card front was then mounted to a Dapper Denim card base.

 

Hope you give this fun technique a go. Until next time x

Just Add Ink #367

Hello Crafty Friends

Today's card was super quick and easy to make thanks to the Perfect Days Memories & More card pack. This pack has been so amazingly versatile, I have made a lot of cards, some gift tags, and have used them to decorate projects by cutting shapes and using just like DSP.

My card's colour combination has been inspired by this weeks Just Add Ink Challenge #367. The only colour I really didn't apply in either ink or card was crumb cake, however the bakers twine and small wooden asterisk embellishment are both close to Crumb Cake.

If you would like to join us and play along, please click on the picture below and the link will take to the Just Add Ink blog, where you can add your creation and browse the inspiration provided by the Design Team.

 

Starting with a Lemon Lime Twist card base,  to this I attached a layer of Smoky Slate that has been embossed with the new Sweetheart embossing folder. Two layers of Bakers Twine were wrapped around the card base before applying the layers listed in the next step.

 

I have used three small cards from the Perfect Days Card Pack. One cut using the layering circle framelits, and a plain journaling card with grid lines was placed behind the Lemon Lime Twist speech bubble card. The  Hello sentiment from the Hello Friends stamp set was inked in Momento Black and stamped directly onto the Memories & More card.

I tried the "friend" stamp underneath the hello but preferred it without and decided to add a small wooden embellishment to the right hand side instead.

There are two of every card in these Memories and More packs so I was able to whip up two of these in a matter of minutes. Thinking I may have to order one of the other packs.....but which one?

Until next time, stay crafty x