Magical Day

Hi guys

Popping in today to share a birthday card I recently made for my bestie.

I've always loved this little stamp set so was thrilled when I managed to get my hands on it, and the companion dies, when the lovely Michelle of The Card Grotto was having a destash sale :)

Here's the little scene I made...

On the card base I used Distress Inks to blend the background grass and the clouds using a stencil.  I then cut the frame using two stitched rectangle dies, stamped the sentiment and popped the frame up on 3D foam strips.  I stamped lots of images from the stamp set, coloured with ProMarkers and die cut with their co-ordinating dies.  All that was left to do was build up the scene, keeping some images flat and some popped up on 3D foam.  The stars from the wand were stamped in grey ink and I finished by adding some sparkle to the stars and the fairy wings with a sparkle pen.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Ink - Tumbled Glass, Mowed Lawn; Versafine - Onyx Black; Memento - Tuxedo Black; Versa Color - Sky Gray
• Stencil: MFT - Cloud
• Stamps: Lawn Fawn - Fairy Friends (and companion dies)
• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Accent: Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen - Clear

Challenge entries:

Seize the Birthday - Challenge #159 - Anything Goes

Stamping Sensations - February Challenge - All Things Bright and Beautiful

Thanks so much for visiting.

Smooches

Hi there

Just a quick post to share another of my Valentine's Day makes.

Super simple, here it is...

I made a heart mask by die cutting from a scrap of cardstock and blended directly onto the card base with Distress Oxide inks.  I stamped and die cut the kitty with it's co-ordinating die and coloured with ProMarkers before popping him up on 3D foam.  The sentiment from the same set was stamped below.  To add a little interest I finished with a trio of score lines in opposite corners.

Materials used:

• Ink: Distress Oxide - Abandoned Coral, Picked Raspberry; Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Stamps: Paper Smooches - Chubby Chums
• Coloured with ProMarkers

Challenge entries:

CASology - Week #332 - Furbaby

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #329 - Clean and Simple

Thanks as always for visiting :)

Adorable Elephant Valentine

Hi guys

Today I'm sharing a Valentine's Day card I was commissioned to make.

Super cute and simple...

I stamped the elephant and balloon and then watercoloured using my Zig markers.  This was originally stamped on my card base but I made an accidental splodge on the edge of it so cut it down with a stitched rectangle die.  The sentiment was computer generated as these are the exact words that were wanted, and I die cut this down with a smaller die from the same set.

About a year ago I picked up some cardstock which is embossed with vertical lines, so I used this for the card base and absolutely love it.  I can't believe I've not used it until now!  It's fairly smooth on the reverse side but I still added a paper insert inside the card for a better finish.

Materials used:

• Stamps: MFT - Adorable Elephants
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers
• Dies: Create a Smile - Cool Cuts Double Stitched Rectangles
• Embossed cardstock from stash (unknown brand)

Challenge entries:

Just Add Ink - Challenge #444 - Colour Challenge (my red zig marker faded to pink when adding water, plus grey)

Crafty Cardmakers - Challenge #227 - Love, Love, Love

Always Fun Challenges - Challenge #97 - Love/Valentines

STAMPlorations - February Theme and Sketch Challenge - Stamps and Hearts

Creative with Stamps - Challenge #35 - Love

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you've had a lovely weekend.

Rustic Kraft and Lace Wedding Invitations

Hi there

Today I'm sharing some wedding invitations I was commissioned to make, which is why I was fairly quiet with posts throughout January as I was working on these behind the scenes.

Now, I can't take the credit for the design of these invitations as the Bride-to-be forwarded me a photo she found online of roughly what she wanted.  Unfortunately, I don't know the origin of the photo, and of course if I did I would give credit to the creator.

That being said, I did need to spend a fair amount of time working out the dimensions of the folder and the individual card inserts, and then fitting the text to fit each of the printed cards.

Here they are...

Each invitation comprised an ivory backing card, a folded kraft pocket with lace wrap, an Invitation card in ivory, an RSVP card in kraft and an 'If You Wish' card in ivory which was a poem written by the couple.  Each of the cards were slightly different depths so they didn't overlap within the folder.

I finished them off with a printed 'You Are Invited' die cut tag secured and tied with some jute twine.

There were invitations for the day and the evening, the only difference being the wording on the invitation card and the RSVP.  Other than that they were identical. (Wording obscured for confidentiality purposes)

The lace ribbon held the kraft folder closed and this in turn was adhered to the ivory backing card, so the individual card inserts fitted snugly inside.  Each invitation was supplied with an ivory envelope.

These were a bit of a challenge for me, and not what I normally make as a lot of printing was involved and no stamping.  My little inkjet printer worked just as hard as me, and I was really pleased with the finished result, and the happy couple were thrilled with them :)

Materials used:

• Cardstock and lace purchased online but unknown brand
• Jute twine from stash
• Die: Clearly Besotted - Tiny Tags Die Collection

Challenge entry:

Inkspirational - Challenge #180 - Text

Thanks so much for visiting.

Less is More Challenge #389

Good morning

After a few busy posts this week I'm back this morning with my regular introduction to the new Less is More challenge. 

Of course it's still our birthday month...

and we're continuing with our regular sequence of challenge themes, which brings us to the one for the next fortnight which is the 'dreaded by many' One Layer Challenge!  Here's the cue card...

Please remember to check out our guidelines, here, if you're unsure of our One Layer rules.

And joining us as our generous birthday month sponsor is...

And for the duration of this challenge CAS-ual Fridays are offering our participants 15% discount with the code FEBLESSISMORE.

CAS-ual Fridays have a fantastic selection of stamps, many of which are sentiments so they're perfect for this challenge, and I've used the awesome WTF 2 set for my DT card...

For this one layer card I stamped the two parts of the sentiment on the card base in black ink and left the stamps positioned in my MISTI to come back to later.  I stamped the 'WTF' again on a post-it note and carefully cut the letters out to create masks, I wanted to keep the lettering white with the colour in the background.  I placed the floral circle stencil over the top and blended through it with three shades of Distress Oxide inks.  I then removed the stencil and the masks then placed the card back into my MISTI and re-stamped the sentiments to sharpen and brighten up the images.  To finish, I added some shimmer to the white space within the letters with a sparkle pen.

Materials used:

• Stamps: CAS-ual Fridays - WTF 2
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Distress Oxide - Picked Raspberry, Shaded Lilac, Peacock Feathers
• Stencil: Funky Fossil - Round in Flowers
• Accents: Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen - Clear

Challenge entries:

Inkspirational - Challenge #180 - Word Prompt: Text

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Typography

Apologies for only having one sample card for you again this week, I was so busy with my Honey Doo samples and sharing that I completely ran out of time.  However, please do pop over to the main Less is More Challenge post as my teamies are sharing their wonderful makes, and they may have more to share over on their individual blogs.

And, we also have even more talent once again for this challenge in the form of some of our 'gone but not forgotten' former LIM teamies, who have joined us as awesome Guesties!  If you have time, please do pop over and say hi.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you can join us.

Guest Designer for Honey Doo Crafts - Selection Three

Hi there

I'm back this morning to share my final batch of samples as Guest Designer using the latest product release from Honey Doo Crafts, ahead of their shows on Hochanda later today (scroll to the end for the show times and channels).

Amanda designs such beautiful floral stamps, so grab a brew and scroll down to see what I did with them.

For my first two cards I've used the new Spring Time Blooms set, in very different ways.  Here's the first...

I began by stamping lots of the leaves and one of the flowers on vellum and heat embossing in white, then I die cut with the co-ordinating dies.  Before adhering into a wreath shape I lightly drew a circle with pencil on the card base and blended ink through the Mesh stencil.  I erased the pencil line then adhered the leaves with glue dots, overlapping each one.  I then stamped a further flower on white cardstock, blended with Distress Oxide inks and adhered the vellum flower on top to soften the colour.  The layered flower was then also adhered using glue dots.  I stamped a sentiment within the centre of the wreath and added some Nuvo drops to finish.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Spring Time Blooms (and co-ordinating dies), Hopeful and Happy Quotes
• Stencil: Honey Doo Crafts - Mesh
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Oxide - Abandoned Coral, Squeezed Lemonade; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Altenew - Pure White
• Vellum from stash
• Accents: Nuvo Jewel Drops - Rosewater

Challenge entries:

Happy Little Stampers - February Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

The Flower Challenge - Challenge #29 - Use Your Latest Stamps or Dies

I can't take credit for the design of this next card as I was inspired by a card I saw on Instagram, by Kards By Kristen, who in turn was inspired by a card she'd seen over on the Altenew page.  I loved the tone on tone grey with the metallic embossing so made this next, more CAS version, using the Spring Time Blooms stamps for a completely different look...

I stamped the flowers and leaves, masking in places, using VersaMark on a mid grey cardstock and then heat embossed in silver.  I then added detailing just to the flowers with some grey ProMarkers.  I trimmed the panel down and adhered it to a black card base.  To finish I stamped the sentiment, also heat embossed in silver and die cut it using a stitched rectangle.  This was then matted onto a panel of black and popped up on 3D foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Spring Time Blooms, Happy Times
• Ink: VersaMark
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Metallic Silver
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Wonky Stitched Rectangles

For the next two cards I used the new Butterflies and Flowers Large Corner stamp and co-ordinating die, this is such an elegant design...

Have you ever had an idea in your head and then once you get going you wish you'd never started?!  Well, that happened here but I'm glad I persevered.  I wanted to do some inset stamping, within the negative space of the die cut, but I greatly mis-judged all the itty bitty in-betweeny bits there were with this die! Yikes!!!

I started with a single white cardstock panel the same size as the card base.  I die cut the design and then laid the panel over the card base.  Using my MISTI (hallelujah for that gadget!) I lined up the stamp in the aperture and then inked it up and stamped the image directly onto the card base.  I then coloured the petals with some co-ordinating coloured pencils.

Then came the fiddly bit...to replace all the negative die cut bits!  The plan was to pop the panel up on 3D foam but this just wasn't possible with so many inset parts.  So, I stamped the sentiment on the panel then adhered it flat to the base.  I then temporarily replaced the positive part of the die cut, glued all the tiddlers in between and then removed the positive part.  It's not as dramatic as I envisioned but it worked...phew!

To finish, I added some smooth silver gemstones to the flower centres.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Butterflies and Flowers Large Corner (and co-ordinating die); Just in Case
• Ink: Altenew - Lagoon, Emerald
• Coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos
• Smooth gemstones from stash

I once again used the Butterflies and Flowers Large Corner stamp and die here, but the positive die cut this time...

I stamped the image in VersaMark and heat embossed using a pearl powder, why do I do this knowing full well it will be a nightmare to photograph?!  I die cut it with the co-ordinating die and then added some watercolour to the petals using my Zig markers.  On the card base I masked off the bottom and the left borders and faded out some ink blending with Distress Inks.  The sentiment was stamped in grey before popping the die cut up on 3D foam squares.  Below is a much better image, capturing the pearly embossing...

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Butterfly and Flowers Large Corner (and co-ordinating die), Hopeful and Happy Quotes
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Ink - Picked Raspberry, Spun Sugar; Versa Color - Sky Gray; Zig Clean Colour Real Brush Markers
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - White Pearl

And finally, this last card uses another great floral set called Buds and Blooms...

On a panel of purple cardstock I spread some embossing paste through the Mesh stencil and left this to dry.  On some white cardstock I stamped the flowers and leaves and heat embossed in white.  I then used emboss resist to colour them by blending with Distress Oxide inks.  These were then fussy cut out.  The purple panel was adhered flat and the images were arranged and adhered using glue dots.  I finished by stamping the sentiment onto a die cut flag and tucked this behind the flowers.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Buds and Blooms, Just in Case
• Stencil: Honey Doo Crafts - Mesh
• Embossing Paste: Dreamweaver
• Embossing Powder: Altenew - Pure White
• Ink: VersaMark; Distress Oxide - Peacock Feathers, Shaded Lilac, Wilted Violet
• Die: MFT Die-namics - Fishtail Flag Stax

Don't forget, Honey Doo Crafts will be live on Hochanda today (Freeview 85 / Sky 673) at 12pm and 4pm, so tune in if you can to see these great new products in more detail.

Thanks so much for visiting, I hope you've enjoyed my samples.  And I want to send a massive thank you to Amanda and the Honey Doo team for asking me to join them again as Guest Designer :)

Guest Designer for Honey Doo Crafts - Selection Two

Good morning

As I mentioned in my post yesterday, I'm excited to be joining Honey Doo Crafts for the second time as a Guest Designer, showcasing their fabulous new stamps and dies for the upcoming shows on Hochanda.

Today I'm sharing more of my samples, using some of the new products.


First up is a die set called Feathered Flourishes.  I'm really pleased with how this first card turned out.  I chose to use a faux laser cut technique I first saw in a Jennifer McGuire video a few years ago, and have used a couple of times...

I began by masking my card base and creating an ink blended and water splattered background using Distress Oxide Inks.  Next I die cut a frame using some stitched rectangle dies.  To create the faux laser cut effect all you need to do is adhere various die cuts and adhere them to the edge of your aperture or frame and trim off the excess.  This is a fairly easy technique, the only fiddly part is ensuring you add enough 3D foam pieces to the reverse of your die cuts so that they have enough support and don't sag when added to your card front.  The photo below shows this more clearly.

I finished by stamping a small sentiment panel and backing this with a vellum panel, which was then also popped up on 3D foam to support it.

Materials used:

• Dies: Honey Doo Crafts - Feathered Flourishes; Create a Smile - Double Stitched Rectangles
• Ink: Distress Oxide - Wilted Violet, Mermaid Lagoon; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Stamp: Honey Doo Crafts - Just in Case
• Vellum from stash

Challenge entry:

Happy Little Stampers - February Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Next up I've used the Feathered Flourishes dies once again, with the new Daisy stamp set...

I started by creating the daisies.  I stamped them in VersaMark on pale yellow vellum and heat embossed in white.  These were then fussy cut and the petals curled slightly using the rod of a paint brush.  I then die cut some of the flourishes from green textured cardstock.  On a panel of white cardstock I added some graduated score lines for some background interest and then arranged and adhered the flourishes and daisies, adding some enamel dots for the flower centres.

To finish I stamped the sentiment between two score lines and the popped the panel onto the card base using fun foam.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Daisy, Just in Case
• Dies: Honey Doo Crafts - Feathered Flourishes
• Ink: VersaMark; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Altenew - Pure White
• Vellum from stash
• Accents: Doodlebug Sprinkles - Bumblebee Assortment

Challenge entry:

The Flower Challenge - Challenge #29 - Use Your Latest Stamps or Dies

Next up I've used the Daisy set again, but this time just the leaves...

I die cut a stitched panel and then, using my MISTI for alignment, stamped a row of the same leaves in rainbow order.  I simply stamped the sentiment above in black and adhered the panel to the card base on fun foam.  To finish, I added some co-ordinating enamel dots.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Daisy, Cheers
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Versa Color - Canary, Fresh Green, Cyan, Violet, Magenta
• Die: Create a Smile - Double Stitched Rectangles
• Accents: Doodlebug Sprinkles

The next stamp set is called Budding Flourishes and I kept this one really simple...

After die cutting the rectangular panel I then used a piece of cardstock die cut with an oval die as a template to blend the sunset background.  I shifted the oval down very slightly, only 1-2mm, to ensure the stamped image met the edge of the oval mask, this was simply stamped in black ink, as was the sentiment alongside.  The panel was then popped up for dimension.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Budding Flourishes, Hopeful & Happy Quotes
• Dies: Create a Smile - Double Stitched Rectangle; Lil Inker Designs - Stitched Ovals (used to create mask)
• Ink: Distress Oxide - Squeezed Lemonade, Spiced Marmalade, Abandoned Coral; Versafine - Onyx Black

And finally, this card uses the gorgeous new Floral Sketch stamp and the watercolour lifting technique...

I stamped the image in black pigment ink and heat embossed it using clear embossing powder.  I then masked the two sides of the panel vertically and blended Distress Inks down the centre.  I then 'painted' the image with water, section by section, waited a few seconds and blotted away the colour with a paper towel.  So the sections within the image appear lighter than the background.  I stamped the sentiment at the bottom right before adhering the panel on fun foam.

I then added some Nuvo drops in co-ordinating shades around the design, although with hindsight I think I preferred it without the drops.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Honey Doo Crafts - Floral Sketch, Just in Case
• Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black; Distress Oxide - Shaded Lilac, Cracked Pistachio
• Embossing Powder: Wow! - Clear Gloss
• Accents: Nuvo Drops

Don't forget to tune in to Hochanda tomorrow if you can (Freeview 85 / Sky 673) at 12pm and 4pm to see these great new products in more detail.

Thanks so much for popping by.  I'll be back tomorrow with my final batch of samples ahead of Thursday's shows.