Technique - Drawing on Stamped Images

Hello Crafty Friends,

I hope you have had a wonderful day. Mine has been a productive one - ticking items off to do lists is so rewarding, especially when they are things you have been purposely delaying. With the linen cupboard and pantry sorted I can now get into something I love - creating!!

Today's post is a collation of creations I recently shared on Instagram. All these cards use a technique that I totally enjoy as I am a doodler, especially when I am on the telephone. This technique is great for monochrome patterned DSP and also for some stamped images.

Simply take a Black Ink Pen and add details to stamped images. For these cards I have chosen the leaf and flower bud images from Cake Soiree and the small floral image from Petal Palette.

Small strokes of the pen have been added to mimic leaf veins and flower stamens. To compliment the Black Ink strokes, ensure you add other Black elements in small touches - I have used foliage stamps from Jar of Love and Cake Soiree stamp sets.

The images really pop when adding a lot of white space. I added some texture for this one with the Pinewood Planks Embossing Folder.

Something a bit simpler. Changing the colour combinations of the stamped images gives you so many different looks.

Again using texture, this time created using the Basket Weave Embossing Folder

Hope you are inspired to try this technique on stamps you own - and by that I mean the stamped images!!! Please don't draw on your actual stamps lol 

Until next time, stay crafty

Jar Of Love & Cake Soiree

Good Day Crafty Friends,

Hope you are having a fabulous day.  I have a few cards to share with you today, but first I wanted to chat about a few changes I am making.

I have taken a lesson from the extremely busy Demonstrators in the blogging world - Batch Everything! Meaning, to save time, its more effective to complete tasks in batches. I have put this into practice and am discovering the benefits.

I make so many cards and paper craft projects that I don't have the time to write a blog post for every single item I create.  I do share these on other social media platforms such as Instagram and on my Facebook Business Page, as they just require posting a photograph which can easily be done from my phone.

What I have decided to do is collate all these creations and share them on a weekly basis through a single blog post, so that way, those that follow me solely through my blog are not missing out.

I have cut down a few of the cards from the Sale a Bration Tutti Frutti card and envelope pack and used them in the following cards:

Jar Of Love

Cake Soiree Stamp Set & Eclectic Layers Thinlits.

Cake Soiree & Artisan Textures stamp sets.

This Pocket Card uses Petal Palette Stamp Set and Memories & More Card Pack

I love Pocket Cards. They are quick and easy to construct using an Envelope Punch Board.  Plus, I love that there are two surfaces to decorate. The insert has the added bonus of space for writing a lengthy message or it can be made to house a gift card. Aside from fancy folds, these are one of my favourite style of cards.

Hope to catch you all again soon, until next time, stay awesome

Colour INKspiration Challenge #32

Good Day Crafty Friends,

Hope you are having a fabulous day. Welcome to the Colour INKspiration Challenge Blog Hop. You are visiting Jackie Aitken, in Western Australia. If you are following the Hop, you may have arrived here from my lovely and super talented friend, Nicole Wilson. Wasn't her creation just stunning! Be sure to follow the Hop all the way through, the Design Team have created some absolute beauties to inspire your creativity.

 

This weeks, colour combo is simply YUM! Night of Navy, White, Gold and Pink Pirouette. Actually, anything with Pink Pirouette, in my mind, is always YUMMY.

 

I love all these colours individually. Normally colours I like by themselves do not make fabulous combinations. However, don’t you think this one is a stunner! 

 

My card today uses a few new products from the new Annual Catalogue which are not available until 1st of June - The Subtle Embossing Folder, Darling Label Punch, Pearlized Doilies, the ever so sweet Share What You Love Artisan Pearls and the gorgeous Polka Dot Tulle Ribbon.

 

The new Subtle Embossing Folder is just that, very subtle. I really like it. Perfect for CAS cards that need that teeny bit of texture without being overbearing. It has an almost linen appearance, and looks lovely teamed with wooden elements such as the Wood Textures DSP.

 

The Pearlized Doillies have two different finishes on each side - one is pearlized, the other white. I have used the white side as it looked better with the ribbon.

  

I fiddle with my card layouts until I am happy.  When using a central focal point such as a cluster of elements, try adjusting the position for totally different looks eg lower right, centre, top right.

 

I often work backwards lol Let Me Explain - I start with the card front elements first and work my way back in layers. Often the card base and bottom matt layers are the last thing decided upon.

 

When working with lots of fiddly die cuts,  I use a piece of Press n Seal and place it over the top of my layout. I then flip it over, adhere glue to the backs of the die cuts, flip it back over and press in place, the die cuts stick to your card and the Press n Seal just peels away.

INKspired to join the challenge? It's so easy. Firstly, get some INKspiration by hopping around to see what all of the Colour INKspiration Crew have to show you. Then you have 12 days from today to make and upload your creation to the Facebook Colour INKspiration Group. You don't have to have a blog to participate but if you do you can link back to your post. Make sure you use all of the challenge colours. You can also use neutrals such as white, black, Sahara Sand, Crumb Cake and Metallics. Not a member of the Facebook group yet? Just click here and ask to join Colour INKspiration, add the group to your favourites and share it with your crafty friends so they can join in the fun too. We can't wait to see what you create with these gorgeous colours.

 Next up in the Blog Hop is my beautiful and creative friend, Lou Kitzelman in tropical Nambour, Queensland. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today, until next time

 

 

 

Joy of Sets #006 - Letter T

Hello Crafty Friends,

Hope your day is going well. Its challenge time again over at Joy of Sets, and this week we are using the Letter T as our inspiration.

I decided to use the Tranquil Tulips hostess stamp set. I adore Tulips and this set was one of the first to hit my wish list when I saw it at convention in April.

I started with a whisper white background and sponged some crumb cake ink through the Brick Wall stencil from the Pattern Party Decorative Masks set. The Tulips were stamped in Powder Pink, the other floral image from the Tranquil Tulip set was stamped in Bermuda Bay and then fussy cut.

 

The small flower from Jar of Love was stamped in Sweet Sugar Plum, die cut and adhered with mini dimensionals. Small dimantes were added to the centres. I also used two small flowers from the falling flowers stamp set. These were heat embossed in white powder and sponged in Powder Pink and Bermuda Bay.

A few strips of Old Olive card stock were cut for the foliage and added to the vellum jar.  Using the Jar of Love bundle, the jar was stamped in black Momento ink and then die cut. An additional vellum jar was cut and coloured from behind using a sponge and Bermuda Bay ink.

 

A Doily has been folded and added to the card front before adhering the Vellum Jar and Floral Arrangement. Pink bakers twine was wrapped around the jar's opening. The sentiment from Floral Phrases was stamped in Old Olive ink, curled slightly, then attached with dimensionals and some retired glimmer paper was tucked underneath.

 

Why not join us and play along with this weeks challenge. Find a stamp set that has the letter T in its title and create a card. Don't forget to share it with us at Joy of Sets Challenge Blog

 

Until next time, stay crafty

 

 

Joy of Sets #005 - Letter J

Hello Crafty Friends

Its challenge time over at Joy of Sets. For this fortnights challenge we are using the Letter J. Pull out a stamp set , current or retired, with the letter J in its Title and play along with us.

I chose to make a Piano themed card using the Jar of Love stamp set, minus the Jar. I love the flowers in the Jar of Love bundle, they are my go to for any small floral images that don't require colouring or fussy cutting.  Do you have musician friends? If so these cards are perfect. They are relatively easy to make and also a great way to showcase the new Music Script background stamp.

The Piano card uses the Floral images from Jar of Love and Tranquil Tulips. I wanted a pink toned Floral arrangement laying across the top of Piano. I also wanted my lid to open leaving the keys on what is the inside of the card.

This type of card is made using one full sheet of A4 card. I scored the long side at 10.5cm and the short side at 14.85cm. Then cut away one square or essentially what is one card front from a sheet of A4.

Next I folded it into place and cut a curved edged to the card front. This should open sideways to reveal the music sheet underneath. Then u lift the music sheet (tent fold) to reveal the card inner and keyboard.

 

The sentiments from Colourful Seasons were heat embossed in White on the front and stamped in Black Momento on the inside. The keys have been made using the Window Words punch (now retired)
 

The Guitar is very basic and easy to make.  Using Layering Circles to make the cuts in the card front and the border around the outside. 

I have stamped the Music Sheet Background Stamp onto whisper white and adhered behind the cutout with tombow. The strings are metallic gold thread. The bottom bar was made using the retired window words punch. The sentiment from Pocketful of Sunshine was heat embossed in white on black card and adhered with dimensionals.

 

The Joy of Sets Design Team have created some inspirational cards, using retired and current stamp sets, why not pull out a stamp set with the letter J in its title and come play along with us.

Until next time, stay crafty & awesome

Layering Die Cuts

Hello crafty friends,

Todays card uses the new Eclectic Layers Thinlits and a few thinlits from other bundles, with the awesomely fun Embossing Paste and Decorative Masks. I am onto my second pot of embossing paste it is seriously so much fun and love the texture it provides.

I mixed a little Pool Party Ink with some embossing paste and using one of the four decorative masks applied a small amount diagonally across the whisper white card front.

Floral and leaf die cuts were made using the Eclectic Layers thinlits, Jar of Love and Falling Flowers. I used three different blue toned card stock - Dapper Denim, Pool Party and Tempting Turquoise.

The Thanks sentiment from Jar of Love was inked in Dapper Denim and stamped onto the Whisper White card front. The card front was adhered to a layer of Pool Party and Dapper Denim before adhering to the card base.

 

Until next time, stay awesome

 

A Stencil from Jar of Love

Hello Crafty Friends,

Hope your day is going great. Only one more sleep before my pre-order goodies from the new Stampin' Up! Catalogue arrive. They are sitting in the courier depot just an hour away (sigh) The new catalogue will be available to view September 1st, so keep an eye out on my sidebar, I will add it as soon as I can. So many Christmas goodies!!!

Today, I made my own stencil using some scrap card and a small Die from Jar of Love. I then used my cardboard stencil and layered in some Sweet Sugar Plum with a sponge dauber onto Whisper White card.

 

Using a few different Framelits/Thinlits in my collection I cut the branch, large heart and sentiment banner and then fussy cut the Floral images.

I used Jar of Love and Happy Birthday Gorgeous for Floral images and  Teeny tiny sentiments for the greeting. Some Sweet Sugar Plum ink was applied in an ombré effect, to the Sunshine Wishes Heart Die cut.

I added a little bow made from neutral Bakers Twine and heat embossed the sentiment in white powder into Sahara Sand card.  A few pearls and it's done! 

Until tomorrow...its blog Challenge day! Stay crafty

 

Jar of Love Birthday Team Swap

Good Day Crafty Friends

Our team had its monthly team get together a few weekends ago, and we all had to case a card, colour scheme, layout etc from the new Annual Catalogue.

As easy as that sounds for most, I have difficulty casing cards as I usually don't like all the elements. I can easily be turned off a cards layout and design elements simply due to choice of colours/combos. 

After flicking a few pages in I found the perfect colour combo I wanted to use on my swap card. There were others but until my new shipment of card stock arrives my choices were limited when cutting for ten full cards.

I had seen the Jar of Love and Heart from the Sunshine Wishes bundles used together by fellow SU demonstrator Ilina Crouse so I decided to use this concept and a colour scheme from the catalogue.

Using a Sweet Sugar Plum card base I added a layer of Soft Sky and Lemon Lime Twist card stock with tombow. The Whisper White card front was embossed using the Hexagon Dynamics EF.  I clear heat embossed the heart die cut using Versamark and the  Sunshine Wishes Thinlits. 

The flowers and leaves were stamped in Lemon Lime Twist and Sweet Sugar Plum, then die cut using Jar of Love Bundle. I also cut a strip of Sweet Sugar Plum card stock using the Heart border die from Jar of Love to tuck behind the sentiment. The little flower die cut from Softy Sky is made using the Paisley & Poises Framelits, I thought it needed the touch of blue to coordinate with the sentiment card stock. The Happy Birthday greeting is from the Happy Birthday Gorgeous stamp set.

 

The card on the right was picked by Tracey Wilson. I adore the colours and the simple background stamp. I loved Tracey's card so much I changed my wish list and ordered the Falling Flowers Bundle!

Until next time, stay crafty x

Jar of Blooms - JAI#364

Hello Crafty Friends

I have had a wonderful week off, during which time we celebrated our youngest fur baby and Hubby's birthdays. We were blessed with the most amazing weather for this time of year in Perth and enjoyed every minute soaking up the winter sun.

 

I was excited to get back into my crafty space today. This is not hubby's card, but a card I made for the Just Add Ink Challenge #364 Click the link or picture below to play along with the challenge or to check out the other entries.

 

Wow wee this was an all round hard one for me as I kept wanting to use the new supplies that I had just ordered - but these goodies, including my new embossing paste, wouldn't be here until next week. 

So I just made do with the things I already have in my ever growing craft stash.

 

I started with a Smoky Slate card front. To this I Stitched some vellum that had been embossed with the brick wall Embossing Folder and underneath that layer I slipped a small piece of Whisper White that had been stamped in Smokey Slate ink with the hardwood background stamp.

The Jar was cut from Silver Foil cardstock using the Jar of Love Framelits. Using a scrunched up piece of paper I tapped it into Versamark and then randomly onto the Jar and heat embossed in gold. 

 

The flowers from Happy Birthday Gorgeous and leaves from Remarkable You stamp sets, were white heat embossed on Whisper White card stock. Then using sponge daubers with Daffodil Delight & Lemon Lime Twist inks to colour.

The little Lemon Lime Twist strip of card stock was heat embossed in gold using the Bless Your Heart sentiment from Jar of Love. Finally to add a teeny weeny bit of copper I threw in the copper ribbon bow.

Before I depart to the mess that was my tidy craft room before entering this morning, I wanted to share my news

 

Wahooooo! Last weeks entry won!! I was so blown away, I did a happy dance all around the house lol

Till next time, stay crafty  x