A Day Out

Hello everyone, I'm sharing some of the cards I made for the March show on Hochanda.

These are some beautiful stamps, all with a landscape theme. I want to show how versatile the stamps are by sharing two examples of each stamp set. 

My first cards use the Landscape Collage stamp set. 

For this card I used pink Distress Inks for the background.  I then spritzed with some water and blotted with paper towel to give some interest. I stamped the image in black onto the background. I stamped again in black onto some white card, coloured the flowers, the background and the moon. I cut away the frame and the cut the remaining image into "tiles" which I placed onto the pink card at different heights with foam pads. I added a sentiment from Life is so Much Better. 

This is the same stamp, but coloured with shades of blues and purple Distress Markers.

The background is Distress inks. This time I lifted the ink by spraying a stamp from Abstract Fragments with water, stamped and then blotted the card dry. This leaves a lovely reverse image. I also added stamping in the corners from Butterfly Daisy Collage.

My next cards use the Arched Landscape stamp set.

I started with a 8x8 card base, I added slightly smaller mats in black, purple and white.  On the white mat I die cut the corner and added some stamping from Make Your Mark.

I then used a 6x4 piece of photo paper. Unfortunately, this technique does not work on all photo papers so it is trial and error! On my craft sheet I pressed my lightest Distress Oxide pad down a couple of times and then spayed with water. I then dipped the photo paper into the ink and gently dried it. (I say gently as the paper is thin and could easily scorch.)  I repeated this with a few colours starting with the lightest to darkest, using less ink each time. When the final layer was dry I used some damp paper towel and wiped off the chalky "oxide" leaving the vibrant colours behind. I then stamped with VersaMark and embossed in white. I added a black mat to complete my card.

This card uses the same stamp, but a totally different look by using alcohol markers. I used Memento Ink to stamp the image. I finished by making a white frame and layers.

My last two today use the Garden Lace Scene stamps

First I made a tag, stamping in Archival ink and coloured with watercolour pens. I then gave it a coating of shimmer spray and some pretty ribbons.

For my last card I stamped the image 4 times onto white card in Memento ink. I have  cut  away parts of the image to decoupage the layers. I coloured in each of the areas that would be showing with alcohol markers. I then layered the pieces with foam pads.

 I love how I can use any colouring medium with these stamps and get great results.

Thanks for looking

Sandra x

Butterfly scene cards (by Anne)

Good morning. For my texture project today I have made 2 variations of a butterfly scene card.

I have used ink spritzing and stamping with texture stamps to create interesting backgrounds. I have used the large gem slice stamp and heat embossing with sparkling pink powder to add a colourful textured foreground for my scene. The butterflies were also stamped and embossed, then coloured and cut out.

Both scenes were created in the same way but I took one of them a step further by mounting on a larger card with a textured embossing powder border (using heat resistant tape to adhere the powder before heating), die cut foliage and floral gems, finishing with another of the lovely stamped butterflies. Of course I just had to add PVA pearls and glitter in there too.

We have all had so much fun creating with this month’s theme of texture.


Materials:

• Just Butterflies, Nature Fragments, Abstract Fragments and Tall Trees stamp sets
• 12 X 15cm and 15 X 17cm white card blanks
• 11 X 14cm watercolour card
• Ink spritzers (lime green with mica and bright pink)
• Watercolour pens for colouring and background stamping (green, teal, blue, pink and purple)
• Glitter pens (blue and green)
• Heat embossing powders (cerise with glitter, and textured mix of fine and chunky pink, black and white)
• Inkpad for stamping trees (dark green)
• Glitter glue (aqua holographic)
• Alcohol markers for edging card and colouring die cuts (green and pink)
• Floral shaped faux gems (pink and blue)
• PVA pearls (purple)
• Heat resistant double sided tape (Wonder Tape - for heat embossed border)
• Foliage Dies

Glorious Sunshine (by Corine)

I can't believe we have reached the third and final post for Corine, has time got wings? She has delighted us over that last couple of weeks with her beautiful projects and todays is no exception with her bright and sunny sunflowers.

Hello!

Today it is my 3th and last time to post a card a guest designer. I hope you enjoyed my samples. On this card I used a sunflower of the sheet Sunny Sunflowers, one of my favorite sheets.

I used stamps from the sheets:
Sunny Sunflowers
Abstract Fragments

I started with a template, modeling paste and embossing powder. After drying and heating I used brusho and water te create a coloured background. At least I stamped with Distress ink and used a template to create circles.

The flower is embossed with Silver Pearl embossing powder and the leaves with Metallic Platinum. I used ZIG-markers for colouring the flower and leaves.

Kind regards and till next time,

Corine van Kuilenburg

Thank you for three terrific weeks of inspiration Corine, we look forward to seeing you next time. 

The regular Design Team girls are still beavering away creating gorgeous samples to inspire you so please keep dropping in for more helpings of crafty goodness.

Icy Colours (by Judith)

Hello everyone, I have a project to share today using another of this month's individual lady stamps, Winter Dawn.

I am not a Winter person, I do not like the cold, preferring to stay indoors wrapped up warm, but I love this Wintery image, and had a lot of fun creating a card to go with Sue's super design.

I stamped the image onto smooth watercolour card, and masked it before colouring the background using the acrylic block technique. I then stamped over the top of the background using a stamp from the Abstract Fragment stamp set. I added some partial stamping using a stamp from the Decorative Edges stamp set by stamping with Versamark and white embossing powder.

I removed the mask and coloured the image using Polychromos pencils. I added some flat-backed gems and some ribbon, before attaching the background to a white card blank.

Thanks for stopping by, Judith xx

Spot the Birdie Journal page (by Shilpa)

It is the second week of Shilpa's guest designing and this week she is treating us to the most luscious art journal page, so sit back and relax for a little while to enjoy this.

Hello Everyone, Shilpa here, 

I would like to share with you a mixed media journal page today for which I've used Abstract Fragments and Spring Bird Tulip stamp sets.

To create the background I have used crackle texture paste, acrylic colors and stencils. To bring on the color on the full surface I've used Heidi Swapp color shine sprays in greens.

This beautiful bird stamp image is stamped with jet black archival ink and colored with watercolors.

Here are few more close up views

Thanks so much for stopping by, I'll come back here next with another mixed media project.

Shilpa

Love the freshness of this colour and the textured background is fabulous. Another big thank you to Shilpa for her contribution this week, looking forward to seeing her next design.

Hope you are enjoying the diversity of our blog and that you will join us again soon for more inspirational projects.

Oranges and Lemons (by Judith)

Hello everyone, I have a cheery project to share with you today, one that will hopefully banish the Winter blues, and bring thoughts of warmer days. I have created a card using the new individual Another Brick in the Walled Garden stamp, and created a garden scene.

I drew a square frame onto a piece of kraft card, roughly the size of the walled shutter stamp, and then stamped the orange tree from the Fantasy Woodland stamp set on either side, with the leaves from each tree creeping over the edge of the frame slightly. I created a mask for each tree, and then stamped the small brick texture stamp from the Abstract Fragments stamp set over the background. I then trimmed away inside the frame, cutting around the tree leaves where necessary.

I stamped the walled shutter image onto a spare piece of kraft card, and coloured the images with pencils. I added the foliage to the tree on the main image by colouring the stamp with a water based marker. I added some shading around the edge of the frame with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. I adhered the frame to a piece of dark olive card, and trimmed inside the frame, leaving a narrow border of olive green card showing. I then stuck the main image inside the frame. Finally, I added some Glossy Accents to the lemons on the tree.

Keep popping back to see more inspiration from my Design Team mates across the month, Judith xx

Guest Post - Vintage style by Shilpa Nagaonkar

It seems all too quick that we have come to the last of our Guest posts from Shilpa and this week she is delighting us with a gorgeous mixed media project.

Hello everyone, hope you are having great week!

I've my third GD post today to share with you. It is a grungy vintage style mixed media piece which I've created with Chocolate Baroque Key to My Dreams stamp set and Deco Art Media Products.

Here is the procedure I followed:

I started with stamping the Keyhole stamp with Mermaid Lagoon distress ink, sprinkled clear embossing powder on it and heat set it with heat tool, it is a beautiful stamp.

For the brown background I applied Deco Art Quinacridone Gold on chipboard, dried it completely and stamped texture on it with one of the texture stamps from the Abstract Fragments stamp set. For the crackle effect at the edges I applied Decoart clear glaze.

To make the patina background, I adhered cogs die cuts to the surface and applied gesso on it. Next several layers were with Decoart Cobalt Teal Hue, Titan Buff and Quinacridone Gold fluid acrylics. I let it dry completely and stamped on it with another texture stamp from Abstract Fragments using Jet Black Archival ink.

I layered all pieces with foam adhesive and my project was ready.

Thanks so much for stopping by today, I have enjoyed showing my designs and look forward to seeing you again soon.

We would like to extend a huge thank you to Shilpa for her beautiful and creative work during the last three weeks, her interpretation of some of the older Chocolate Baroque stamps has been inspirational. We will be seeing more of her stunning creations again next year and hope that you have enjoyed seeing her designs as much as we have.

And remember there are more great ideas to come from our Design Team, so please join us again soon.