Falling Leaves (posted by Judith)

Hello everyone, my projects today show how well the various stamp sets from Chocolate Baroque mix together. I have chosen to use stamps from the Nature Table stamp set alongside the Autumn Edges stamp set on my first card.

I began by stamping the mushroom border and a mushroom cluster from the Nature Table stamp set along the bottom of the card. I used a permanent black pen to add a few lines to join them together. I masked the images before stamping the mushrooms on a tree twice on the left hand side of the page. I drew a continuation of the tree to the top of the page, and again masked all of these images.

I coloured the background with Brushos, using a combination of yellow and orange, with a hint of violet, until I was happy with the overall colour. I dried the background with my heat gun, and then added foliage stamping along the edges and behind the mushrooms, using various shades of archival inks. I used bleach to remove the colour from some of the foliage, and then proceeded to colour all of the images with watercolour pencils. I also coloured the foreground with watercolour pencils.

I stamped lots of small leaves onto scraps of paper, and stuck these onto the card, some on the ground, and some tumbling down randomly, as if they were falling from the trees overhead.

 

I wanted to show how a much simpler card could be made using the same mushroom stamp, taking much less time, but producing a really pretty card nonetheless. I made a mask with an oval aperture in the centre, which I placed onto a piece of smooth watercolour paper. I then stamped the mushroom border onto the paper, and coloured it using Distress Inks and a waterbrush. I used a loose style, not trying to be too precise. I dried the image and then covered it with the mask that I had used from my first card. I added a small circle mask to represent a moon, and then coloured the sky, using a combination of three Distress Inks in orange, blue and plum. I removed the circle mask and added a little bit of grey to soften the starkness of the moon, before swiping some yellow across the moon and a bit of the sky to either side.

I removed the mushroom mask, and coloured the tops of the mushrooms with a bit of yellow as well, to represent the light from the moon. I then coloured in the ground with a bit of lilac. I added a streak of yellow for the moonlight, deciding where it would shine.

I stamped the sentiment taken from the Bewitched Moonlight stamp set, and a fairy from the Summer Fairy stamp collection using Versafine Onyx Black Ink.

A much quicker card, but still achieving a great look. I hope that I have given you some inspiration with these versatile stamps. Thanks for stopping by, Judith xx

Cat and Mouse (posted by Judith)

Hi Folks, I have another clean and simple Halloween card for you today, using the new Autumn Fairy stamp sheet. I made this card in the same way as my earler CAS sample, masking off the top and bottom of the card with Post it Notes. I punched a circle from masking tape to create a moon shape and placed this on the background. Using Distress Inks, I coloured the background using a sideways motion, blending the colours to create an night sky. I added lots of yellow and grey around the moon.

I stamped the large mushrooms from one of the fairy stamps, by masking off the part of the stamp that I didn't want to use before I inked up the stamp. I then added the fairy cat on top of the largest mushroom. I used the fairy mouse from the Bewitched Moonlight stamp sheet and drew connecting lines between the two sets of grasses with a permanent black pen, adding a couple of extra strands of grass. I have added white highlights on this card as in my previous sample, which is called the 'bandana technique'. Some bats and a sentiment finish the card.

The Design Team have made some beautiful samples using the new fairy stamps. Please keep checking back for more inspiration over the coming days. Thanks for stopping by, Judith xx

Spooky Halloween Sky (by Shirley)

Hello everyone,

I have another Halloween Design using the wonderful new set - Bewitched Moonlight.     I experimented with using Acrylic paints in the background.

I started with red, orange & cream Acrylic Paints on my craft mat.  I spritzed with water and dragged my sheet through.  When dry, I stamped the fence with the tree image & sentiment from Bewitched Moonlight and the spider web looking fragment from Lace Fragments with black Stazon Ink.   I also embossed the fragment with Wow-Glamour Green powder (which has glitter and is much more vibrant in 'real').  I coloured the image a little with Inktense Pencils.

I hope you come back often as my teammates have lots of beautiful designs to share this month.

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous day,
Shirley

Blue Halloween (posted by Judith)

Hi Folks, I have a monochrome sample for you today, using the Bewitched Moonlight stamp sheet.

I created a wrinkle free background using Salty Ocean and Antique Linen Distress Inks on my craft sheet spritzed with water, which I swiped my card through and dried with a heat gun. I then picked up some of the remaining speckles of ink, and dried my card again.On the smaller piece of card, I stamped the witches hat randomly over the background for added interest.

I used a large oval and stamped one of the little scenes from the stamp plate and added the witch. I coloured the image with Inktense pencils, using just blue tones and a hint of lemon for the moon. I added some shading around the edge with Distress Inks. I used a smaller oval for the inside of the card and a sentiment from the Witching Time stamp sheet.

Keep checking back for more samples from my Team mates soon. Thanks for stopping by, Judith xx

Bewitched Moonlight (by Shirley)

Hello everyone and welcome to September.    Time sure flies by when we are having fun!

I love Autumn and Halloween is a fun part of it.  I love to see how some people go all out and decorate their homes to celebrate.  I like to have pumpkins out with our tall grasses to add a touch of Autumn to our front patio.

I've been working with the new Bewitched Moonlight set which is great to create spooky scenes for Halloween cards, tags and more.       

 

For the above card, I started with watercolour paper and sprayed Purple & Orange Dylusions Inks.  I spritzed water over top and was careful not to blend the colours as these two will turn into muddy brown together.  I blotted with a paper towel roll. 

When dry, I stamped the images from Bewitched Moonlight with black Stazon Ink.   I also stamped the Flourish Tree from Fantasy Woodland to the left of the mushroom and around the top edges.    Using a black Micron Pigment pen I drew a little on the bottom of the tree and added a few little mushrooms to blend the images together.    

Using a piece of cardstock with a circle cut out and placed over the witch, I carefully spritzed a little water, then blotted the ink off to create the moon.    Dylusions inks are water soluble, so it's easy to remove the ink.   I added holograph glitter to highlight the moon.

I have another design using the same stamp set:

I started again with a piece of watercolour paper and sprayed Midnight, Teal and White Linen Dylusions Inks.  I spritzed a little water over top, let the colours blend and blotted with a paper towel roll.   When dry, I used two stencils TCW Cell Theory (at the bottom)  and TCW Star Fall (at the top) with Distress Inks to create a little more pattern on the background.  Next I embossed the images with black powder.  I created a moon again using cardstock with a circle cut out and distress inks.

I hope you have enjoyed these 'spooky' designs.    Please come back often to see what my talented teammates are posting.     Glenda is giving away some new stamp sets !  -  all you need to do for a chance to win is leave a comment here.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day,

Shirley

CAS for Halloween (posted by Judith)

Hi Folks, I have a sample for you today using the Bewitched Moonlight stamp sheet. My sample was created by masking off the top and bottom of the card with a Post it note, using a ruler, to get a nice straight edge.

To begin, I stamped a small castle from the Howling Moon stamp sheet onto the background, and used a small piece of Post it note to mask off the moon. I then coloured the background with Distress Inks by blending them in a sideways motion, to create a streaky sky. I ensured that I used some yellow around the moon. I added some pieces of branch along the bottom, the witch and a sentiment. I then peeled away the Post it notes, and added a lace stamp from the Lace Fragments stamp sheet at the top and bottom of the background.

To finish, I added white highlights to represent the moonlight. This technique is called the bandana technique, and on a more complicated pattern, would look like a bandana scarf.

Please keep checking back for lots of inspiration from my Team mates over the coming days. Thanks for stopping by, Judith xx

Bewitching new stamps - with a tempting giveaway!

We have just brought out some new stamps including some larger Christmas sentiments and some Halloween stamps.  I'm also doing a giveaway this month - details below.

The Bold Christmas Words are proving to be SO useful - they're big enough to be the focal point for a card which is great if you need to produce a batch of cards in a hurry (which I inevitably will, despite the best of intentions to have a stack of cards made in plenty of time!).

 

 

 

 

 

All of the words are available as individual stamps, or you can save money and buy them as a full set.

Here's a super quick card featuring the Big Bold Holly background and one of the new greetings.

This is a super simple card - the holly background is stamped in Versafine Olympia Green and layered onto red card.  The sentiment was stamped onto a die cut with a mix of Versafine Crimson Red and Satin Red.  I swirled the same reds around the edges too with a stencil brush.  A little ribbon and three crystals finish it off - super quick, job done.

For all you Halloween fans, we have two new rubber sets too.

These are both A5 sets and are both our featured Stamps of the Month, on special offer until the end of September.  Again, you can save money when you buy them both together as a multi-buy.

This Halloween card features a background I made with an acrylic block and Splash inks - a technique I covered in Monday Mojo issue 17.  I stamped the tree and bats and embossed with black embossing powder, then drew a horizon line and painted beneath it with black Golden Fluid Acrylic.  I stamped the toadstools and raven along the bottom with orange ink, then sanded the black paint lightly to make it more matte. 

I stamped the sentiment with Brilliance Moonlight white and embossed with white powder.  The witch is an old Martha Stewart punch which actually has a cauldron on, but I cut it into a broomstick shape instead.  There's also a punched railing along the bottom, but the camera struggled to pick up the black on black there so you'll have to take my word for it.

I've got a few of the words and a set each of the Halloween stamps to give away this month, so please leave me a comment here or on Facebook if you'd like to be entered into the draw.  Let me know if you are a fan of Halloween or not, as I'd hate to send out an unwelcome prize to anyone.

I think the girls have been particularly inventive with these Halloween stamps, showing that they can be used for other occasions too.  The Christmas stamps have been rushed out (as so many of you have told us you need them NOW) so most of the DT girls haven't had a chance to work with them yet.  But stay tuned for some glorious artwork heading your way soon.