Happy December (by Judith)

Hello everyone, I hope you are keeping well. Many of you have been experiencing the cold weather lately, and it really feels like Winter has set in, doesn't it? I have just come back from a trip to Mexico, where it was lovely and warm, and the sunshine was very uplifting. I wanted to share a feeling of that sunshine with you with the colours that I have used in some of my projects today. I cannot promise to make you feel any warmer, but perhaps the cheery colours will brighten your day.

My first project was created by blending some Distress Ink onto a piece of Drawing Cartridge. I chose shades of blue and yellow throughout the whole project for continuity. I added some stencilling and stamped segments of the Small Graph Paper stamp using the stamp in my hand, not on an acrylic block, so that I could curve the stamp, to get smaller sections on the background. I also stamped the butterfly definition from the Happy Flower's Day stamp set on the background.

I stamped the large butterfly from the same stamp set first onto the background twice, and then again onto a piece of spare smooth white card. I coloured the images on the spare card using pencils, cut them out, and attached them to the background.

For my second project, I chose a piece of patterned paper and stamped the magnolia from Happy Flower's Day twice, masking the image as I went along. I added the flower definition and the main sentiment in the background. I coloured the image with pencils. I attached the panel to a chipboard panel using matte medium. When the adhesive was dry, I sanded the edges to give a white edge. 

My third project was created by placing Distress Oxides onto a craft mat and spritzing them with water. I placed the Drawing Cartridge onto the mat and picked up the colour. I used a whiteboard heart to do the same with the remaining colour on the craft mat, giving a paler version.

I stamped the flower definition over the background, and the fritillary flower and sentiment onto the heart. I picked up a bit of the Distress Oxide colour from the craft mat and painted the flower with a water brush.

For my final project, I chose to use grey card for a completely different look. I stamped the floral sprig from A Heart Full of Love around the edge of the background, and then added the floral heart in the middle. I coloured the images with pencils. I used white pencil first on the flowers, and added the other colours afterwards, this really helps on darker coloured card.

It's actually my Birthday today, and I would like to wish you all the best of days today. I will be back later in the month with more projects to share with you, take care, and thanks for stopping by,

Judith xx

Masking Ideas by Natalie

Sketchy, textured or broken image stamps all look fantastic when combined with masking techniques. There are a number of masking products you can use to achieve this but I tend to stick to paper based products when working with inks. There are two approaches: positive and negative we shall call them.

Positive Masking

This is where most beginners start with paper masks. You can stamp your image onto masking paper, tissue or tape and then cut it out to create your mask. You should trim slightly inside the image to prevent a halo when apply another image or ink to your design. The resulting mask then masks the original image so you can ink outside of the image for background techniques, glows or shadows. It is also how we can build scenes using multiple stamps. 

Using From Nature 1, stamp and cut out the mask of your chosen leaf image. Depending on your material, you may want to allow the paper to dry before cutting out to save inky fingers.

Stamp your image onto your card blank using any stamping ink and even embossing powder if you wish. Heat set the ink and apply your mask. Using a blending brush, sponge or dauber apply ink over the top - Distress Oxides were used in the sample below. Stamp any textural images you want to add using any inks; you could even stencil over the top.

Peel off your mask and allow to dry. Stamp and mount a sentiment to complete the card.

Negative masking

This is where we mask the background instead; this makes colouring your images a much quicker process. This time trim slightly outside the image to prevent an inner halo using a craft knife or scalpel using a cutting mat beneath your masking material.

This process enables us to then apply colour to our stamped images quickly. Stamp your image onto your card, in the above sample this was inside a card blank. Apply the mask to your card carefully, working from the aperture outwards. Apply dye based inks over your image; this prevents your original stamped image looking faded.

In the sample above, I then used a light box to sketch the outline of the stamping trimmed the card about 1 inch shorter to the front and around the image. I then applied some rub on stitching designs as well as a sentiment border from the stamp set. Then use the same inks you coloured with to add leaf designs to your envelope.

Autumn Leaves (Tracy Thompson)

 I'm here with my third post for this month, using From Nature and Numerology from Octobers shows.

For the background on this I used four different coloured inks blended together.  I then used the splatter from Numerology to stamp over the inking.  The leaves were inked with sprays before being  fussy cut and adhered to look like falling leaves.  then all that was left to do was add a sentiment.  I stamped the word Autumn and a mini bulldog clip to the top.

Another inky background done in a couple of colours,  I then stamped leaves to one side of the card and the numerology stamp down the opposite side, then some smaller leaves floating down the centre.  I layered up a couple of sentiments from the same set and added to the card.

Happy crafting

Tracy x

tagtastic (by Veronica)

 I have gone back to the From nature 1  stamp set, this time using tags.

I used the tagtastic  stamp on a spare piece of inked card to create the tag, then stamped the larger maple leaf down the centre in green. The fussycut leaves were left over from a wreath card , and were stamped onto a piece of card coloured with brusho powders, and the sentiment was also stamped onto a bit of leftover bit of card and cut up;  the 'ribbon'  was a scrap of fancy knitting yarn.

My second tag was stamped onto a distress oxide background again, but this time trimmed to fit onto a DL card blank cut from kraft card. The leafy spray stamp was inked with a multicolour inkpad  and stamped twice into the tag shape. The third stamping was with a terracotta ink pad. The sentiments were stamped in black ink, and I added shading round the tag shape with a charcoal pencil

Pretty Grunge! by Sandra

 

Hello I'm sharing some cards from the October show on The Craft Store.

These feature Floral Grunge, a stamp that is great for different colouring techniques.

For my first card I stamped the flower onto Kraft paper and embossed in white powder. I coloured the flower using the Shimmer paints that Lesley had recently. This colour is an iridescent purple/blue....gorgeous! I added a sentiment from Pretty Poppies.

For my next card I stamped onto smooth cardstock with Memento ink and used my alcohol markers to colour. I added a layer of leafy paper to a 8x8 card, put a narrow band of card across the centre with a  sentiment from Pretty Poppies and then added my flower, raised on foam pads.

Thanks for looking

Sandra x

http://isthatthetime.blogspot.com/

Grungy Numbers (by Judith)

Hello everyone, I have two projects to share with you today, showcasing the stamps that we brought to you in last month's TV shows.

To create my first project, I made a quick background by inking up the gelli plate with Distress Ink, and pulled a print using smooth white card. I stamped Floral Grunge in the middle of the card using black ink, and added some leaves from the From Nature 1 stamp set around the flower head and up the 'stalk'. I added the numbers from Numerolgy to the background, and also the splatter, using colours that would match the colours I chose for the flower.

I stamped the flower head again onto a piece of separate card and coloured it with pencils, before cutting it out. I also coloured the leaves that I had stamped onto the background with pencils, to give them extra definition. I attached the coloured flower head to the background.

My second card is a much brighter affair than my first card, and shows how the Numerology stamp set can be used to create a card. I created a Distress Ink background, using shades of green, blue and yellow. I then added the various stamps from the set, and a couple of leaves from the From Nature 1 stamp set, stamped in second generation stamping in the background. I like the subtle effect that the leaves give underneath the numerals. I stamped them with the same black ink for a monochchrome effect.

I hope that you are enjoying the inspiration from the Design Team this month, thanks so much for stopping by,

Judith xx

Numerology part 2 by Zoe

Good morning Lovelies and welcome back.

Here are some more of my samples from last months fab shows on The Craft Store.

So of course I made an envelope lol, nice and easy but colourful and fun, it’s definitely the first one you’d want to open as it drops through the letterbox.

Using the Numerology as the background, I’d first stamped the flower and masked it before using the background stamp, then stamped the butterfly on scrap card and cut out to create some dimension.

Some people find Male or teenagers cards tricky but with these stamps you can’t go wrong, I kept it simple, using cool colours and a simple little banner for the sentiment. I used Linen texture card, I love the effect from it.

Thanks again for popping in.

Have a wonderful day xx Zoe xx