Owl in Copper by Penny

Good morning peeps, I hope you are all warm and well.  I'm back with my last post for this month and it features the lovely Wise Owl and Fly Away With Me  stamp sets; Copper Soft Form paste, copper embossing powder, Versamark ink, gold gilding wax and a copper marker pen.

On a piece of black card I stamped and embossed several different sized feathers, in a random pattern all over.  I then edged the panel with copper pen.

To create the embellishments I spread Soft Form paste over the owl and feather stamps, left them to dry then peeled them off the stamps.  I added a little gold gilding wax to accentuate the patterns.  I took a piece of spare black card then stamped and embossed the quote in copper.  I then tore around the quote and added gold gilding wax to the rough edges.   

I matted the background panel onto a white base card and attached the embellishments to it.  This is a lovely card to create, and using copper with the black not only looks good but it makes a nice change from gold and silver.


Thank you for dropping in today, I hope you've enjoyed this last post of this month from me.

Until next month then,



                             xx  Penny  xx

Using Scrap Paper as a Focal Point (by Judith)

Hello everyone, I am back with my final projects using the lovely bird stamps featured in last month's TV shows on Hochanda. I have created two cards using scrap pieces of paper as the main feature, to show that sometimes what might be considered as something to throw away, can be made into a great feature for your cards and other projects.

For my first card, I made a background using Distress Oxides in three different colours, and then stamped some foliage from the Nature Swirls stamp set to create a scene using coordinating dye based inks. I stamped and embossed some of the images from Sing Your Song and Live Out Loud, using Versamark and some two tone embossing powders onto scraps of Lesley's My Floral Soul papers. I cut the images out, and added then to the scene. These papers are so lovely, I want to use up every last inch of them!

For my second project, I decided to use the large owl from the Wise Owl stamp set as my focal image.

I had been making some gelli print backgrounds, and had a scrap piece of paper that I had cleaned the brayer with. The multi coloured greens looked lovely, and the paper was too good to waste. I stamped the owl using Versamark, and added two different shades of embossing powder before heat embossing. I then stamped some of the swirls from Let Your Heart Sing and Dawn Chorus, using black ink, and added some flowers from Orchard Design A Tree. I also added the sentiment from the Live Out Loud stamp set.

For the background, I used a gelli print created with green ink and bubble wrap, and stamped some of the feathers from Wise Owl and Dawn Chorus with Versamark, and swirled some mica powder over the top. I added matting layers of black card to complete the project.

Thanks for stopping by, Judith xx

Coining it in With the Birdies (by Zoe)

Good morning Lovelies, I'm back with my final post for this month featuring these wonderful bird themed stamp sets. I've created something a little different for me this time! AT Coins (Artist Trading Coins), they are becoming very popular and are quick and easy, not to mention "fun" to make.

I have loads of backgrounds in my stash that I've creared with my Gel Press, these ones in particular I created using Alcohol inks and chalk paints, such a vibrant and different effect I think? Anyway I simply heat embossed my birds, added some faux stitching and little stars using gel pens and a little Gilding wax around the edges, and Voila.

Another Gel Press background, heat embossed image and whiteboard circles which I matched up the colours using Distress Oxides.

Watercolour card and inks on the Gel Press for this background, I highlighted the sun with a sparkle brush pen.

Finally my last two are also Gel Press prints using pastel chalk paints and bubble wrap.

Thank you so much for your coments. See ya next month!
Have a wonderful day xx Zoe xx

Lots of white.......by Miranda

Hi there,

Today my 3rd guest designers post and this time I used a lot of white.....or better to say....I did not fill a lot of the white paper........and that is hard for me LOL.......

But I always like the effect and I wonder why I don't make that kind of cards more often. 

I have used several sheets: Pretty Poppies, Fresh Blooms and Bold Blooms, Lace Fragments and the sentiment from the Floral Notes.

I have stamped the poppies using white ink onto smooth black cardstock and colored them with color pencils. I have embossed the elements of the Fresh and Bold blooms with black and colored them with water based markers. 

Some white acrylic marker accents as usual and than decoupaged them. I always colour the edges of the decoupaged elements with a marker so you can't see the white of the paper.

The lovely lace border and text is stamped using black Versaclair.

I had a tiny colored piece left over so I made an xtra small card........using another beautiful lace border( from the Lace fragments) and the words are from the ' Words of Gratitude' sheet. The small flower is from the ' Dusky Damask' sheet. Only adding some pearls and this card was finished.......

Hope you did like my ' white space' cards and thanks for your visit and comments!

If you have any questions, feel free to ask,

I will have another post coming in the first week of February, so

see you then!

Doves of Peace by Brenda

Good morning, Brenda here with my last post of January sharing some more Bird inspired creations.

My first has some reverse stamping using the graceful Dove from Fly away with me. I used an Oxide ink background and my starting point was to stamp the image onto acetate (ensuring the Dove is facing into the centre) using Versafine black and then carefully lay a piece of cardstock over the top and gently rub over the image to ensure the ink all transferred. Next take a careful look at the image to see where you need to stamp the reverse image and I always use grey as the reverse stamping will always be a little lighter. I'm sure many of you are old hands at this but anyone new to this I'm always happy to help, just mail me. Finally a sentiment from Sing your song

I've used Let your heart sing again for this one stamped into a masked oval which I inked with Distress Inks and a masked sun and stamped with the oval mask still in place using Versafine black. After removing the mask I stamped the Happy Birthday sentiment.

The background for this one is part of a master board which I find really useful having pre prepared and which I batch make in quieter moments. I added some background interest using the flourishes Fly away with me and Wise owl and stamped one of the birds from Dawn Chorus and a computer generated sentiment.

Thank you for your visit today.

Let your Heart sing ( By Marga)

Hello everyone, Marga here again with another card

This time I used Distress Oxide Ink and Green Archival Ink to make this card. The image is so lovely that you don't need anything more.

Stamp I used : Sing Your Song

Hugs Marga

Just a Note (by Doreen)

Hello everyone, today sees the last post of this month from our Guest Team Design member Doreen. She has created a Spring time project for your inspiration.

Doreen writes:

At the weekend I noticed quite a few daffodils dotted around and about, which made me think of my Stepfather who loved Spring firstly with the snowdrops.....then the daffodils and of course followed by the beautiful bluebells. It just made me feel as if it is all a bit premature this year, probably something to do with the mild weather we have been experiencing, although the weather man says it's all about to change to a far chillier week ahead.

Products used in this project:

Stamp set: Snowdrop Script 
Luxury Smooth Ivory Paper
Versafine Onyx Black inkpad
Inktense or watercolour pencils.... Koh-I-Noor are another favoured choice of mine.
Pearlised card from stash

With this post I have simply stamped, roughly coloured with Inktense pencils although any watercolour medium would work equally as well.

Activate the pencils with either water or a clear sparkle pen, I have chosen water for a simple effect.

When dry, mount onto a pearlised card then position to suit your preference.

Thank you for looking and leaving your comments,

love Doreen

makes scents....(by Veronica)

For my last post this month I have another card, this time using the main image from rose perfumery and the sentiment from floral perfumery.
The main image was stamped onto white card and coloured with watercolour pencils, mounted onto a white card blank with a matt of dull gold card. The sentiment was stamped in versamark onto a spare piece of card and gold embossed before cutting out using a small heartshaped die and then roughly embossing the edges.

New Nautical Stamps from Kim Moody

Hello everyone, today we are sharing a compilation of projects showcasing the fabulous range of stamps from Kim Moody that launched earlier this month on Hochanda. Kim's stamps, which are manufactured by Chocolate Baroque, are a delightful, quirky representation of life on, and by the sea. They follow his previously brilliant house range of stamps that were launched at the end of last year. There are four A6 sets in the range, featuring a large hero image, accompanied by some great little worker stamps to help you complete some scenes, and these can be mixed and matched amongst the sets. The Design Team had a lot of fun working with the stamps, and we hope that you will enjoy this post, and get lots of inspiration from our projects.

Our first projects are from Kim himself, he coloured A Dip in the Sea using pencils, to create a soft effect, adding lots of the smaller images to build up a beach scene.

The next three images have all been painted with Koh-I-Noor paints, and the watercolour effect is just fabulous. The addition of the smaller images brings each scene to life. Love the seagull coming to land on the Jolly Roger.

The Harbour Master is packed full of details; love the washing hanging out to dry!

Finally Looking out to See! Kim has created an extended path leading to the cafe or the beach, you decide. The seagull looks like he wants to go for a cuppa or a bacon roll, maybe? You can have a lot of fun adding details as you wish, and using your own colour choices with these fabulous stamps.

Brenda created a brilliant selection of samples for the show, her first project was a card using A Dip in the Sea. She created a dark background with lots of sparkle, and used white embossing for the image. She added some Chocolate Baroque foliage stamps and a favourite quote from a book.

To create her next project, she brayered Distress Inks over a background, and die cut a clock. She stamped the beach huts with Versafine Onyx Black onto patterned papers and cut them out and placed to represent the hours of the clock.

Her next few projects are made using a range of alternative surfaces, showing how great these stamps are for home decor projects. She painted white acrylic paint onto a wood panel, stamped the images and coloured them with water based markers. She sponged in the sun rays with Distress Inks using a torn edge of paper and a punched circle.

She coloured a lolly stick base with Distress Inks, masking a sun, then stamped the ship, masked the wall and stamped again to extend at both ends and coloured the image with water based markers. She stamped the other images and added the sentiment.

She used an MDF monolith onto which she applied gesso, then added Distress Ink. She stamped with Versafine Onyx Black and coloured with water based markers.

A few cards now, she stamped the ship, masked and extended the wall, stamped the other images to create a scene, and coloured with Distress Inks and pan pastels.

She stamped with Versafine Onyx Black, and masked in the middle to add another 'level'. She coloured the image with watercolour.

The background for this card was created with gesso and a fine crackle glaze. Brenda stamped the image with a blue Versafine ink. She added some extra pen lines and stencilling.

The background was brayered and stencilled, she then stamped the image with Versafine Onyx Black Ink, and added a touch of colour with water based markers.

I used one of Lesley's My Floral Soul papers to stamp the Harbour Master image, using a dark blue Versafine ink. I coloured the image using pencils, coordinating the colours with the paper itself. I added a large 'porthole' cut from metallic card, and added some screw brads to complete the effect. A sentiment was stamped onto a piece of scrap card left from another project.

I stamped the main image from A Dip In The Sea onto kraft card using brown Archival Ink. I coloured the image using pencils, deliberately keeping the image muted. I stamped the smaller images onto three circles from the White Board Hearts and Circles pack. I added a bit of colour around the edges and coloured them in the same colours as before, before adding a thick glaze, and distressing the edges with brown ink.

I chose another piece of Lesley's paper as a background, and then stamped the lighthouse from Looking out to See! onto a piece of Drawing Cartridge. I extended the scene using a permanent black marker, and like Kim, chose to add the signs to complete the foreground. I masked the lighthouse and the signs before painting the background with Koh-I-Noor paints, stamping the clouds with Distress Inks. I edged the panel with black ink before attaching it to the patterned paper, and added a sentiment to finish.

Rachel's cards are all coloured using watercolour pencils, she has created a set of beautiful projects. This beach scene is so cheery, and reminiscent of Summer Holidays.

Her final card has a vibrant background, she stamped the image over the top, and again she has coloured the image with watercolour pencils.

We have some fabulous envelope art from Zoe up next, these are really clean and simple to look at, but how special it would be to receive one of these in the post. They are coloured using Inktense pencils.

Another project using Inktense pencils, this time, a tag:

Zoe's final project incorporates one of Lesley's papers, and she has combined two of Kim's sets together to create a scene.

Finally, we have had some help from one of our friends Pete Simpson, with samples for this show. Pete very kindly created a batch of gorgeous projects, and clearly enjoyed working with Kim's stamps! He has used a range of colouring mediums on the stamps; pencils, pastels and watercolour. All of the sentiments are from Chocolate Baroque.The first batch of cards are all clean and simple in their style, showing the main images can be stamped with a bit of added colour, and maybe using the extra images as an embellishment here or there, or to create a patterned border.

The next batch of cards show a range of backgrounds created with acrylic paints, Distress Oxides, pigment inks, and spritzers. He has created some really atmospheric backgrounds, great for stormy seas, and our mixed weather conditions!

His final two cards have a real wow factor, using white embossing against a bold background.

We hope that you have enjoyed the selection of cards and other projects that we have shared with you today. You can find the stamps we have used in the Kim Moody section of the website. Thanks for stopping by,