Imagination Meets Reality (by Anne)

Good morning. This one is another of my recent samples for the Steampunk shows. I used Soft Form Relief Paste to create the 3D embellishment, the lovely lace with cogs stamp to create the border and stamped onto a pretty floral paper from Crafty Individuals. I thought that the sentiment ‘imagination meets reality’ was fitting.

I mounted everything onto a ‘recycled’ 8 X 8 inch card which was a previous sample that had gone badly wrong. Rather than throw it away I just covered up what was originally there. No-one would ever know – ooops I just told you – tee hee hee.

Materials:

• Steampunkery and Punky Expressions stamp sets
• Useful Leaves mask/stencil
• 8 X 8 inch card blank, cartridge paper, black card for mounting, Crafty Individuals 6 X 6 Background Paper (Springtime)
• Water based inks (teal, lime)
• Inkpads: Versamark, Versafine (Onyx Black), StazOn (Jet Black), Distress Ink (Vintage Photo)
• Embossing powder (pearl)
• Soft Form Relief Paste (Copper)
• Fine tipped pen (black)
• Alcohol marker (black)
• PVA peals (black)
• Shaving foam and shallow tray

How it was done:

1. The background paper on my ‘recycled’ card was created using the shaving foam technique. This is a fun method for making pretty marble effect papers. Shaving foam is spread onto a shallow tray and inks dropped onto the surface. Paper is then lowered onto the surface to pick up the ink. Versamark was then sponged through the leaf stencil and heat embossed with pearl powder. Distress Ink was then blended over the top, the embossed areas repelling the colour. A ribbon band was drawn on with pen. This was then mounted onto and 8 X 8 card. Faux stitching was added around the edges using a piercing tool and drawing with a fine tipped black pen. PVA pearls were then added to the corners.
2. The lacy border and sentiment were stamped with Versafine onto the decorative floral paper, then mounted onto black card to frame. I had a spare scrap of this paper from another project so cut out the daisy and shaped it to add dimension and decoupaged it up onto the background.
3. The beetle stamp was coated with StazOn Ink, then a thin layer of Relief Paste and left to dry overnight before peeling away. It was then trimmed to neaten up and glued to the card.

A couple of cards (posted by Claire)

Good morning, Claire here with a couple of cards that would fit the bill for male cards, something I always struggle with! The first card was made using stamps from Steampunk Travel.

I began by stamping the words and the two images with versamark on black card and embossed with white embossing powder. Next I used the soft white coal from the Ko-I-Noor White Coals set to create the clouds, just scribbling with the coals and then blending with my finger. I used one of the harder coals to add some whispy clouds and to add faux stitching around the edge. I also added a little colour to to images with the coals.

For this next card I stamped the focal image, from Eccentric Edwardian with black versafine ink, masked it and stamped the script background. I layered it up on red and then black card and added a little twine bow tie and some lace and ric-rac trim.

To make the background I took lots of stamps from the same set and just stamped and masked until I'd filled the card. Again I layered on red and black card. The sentiment is from Punky Expressions I inked up the stamp with bright red ink and then carefully inked with black ink, trying to miss out the word punky so that would be highlighted with red.

Thanks for visiting today

Claire xx

Cycling Steampunk Style (by Judith)

Hello everyone, I have a couple of cycling themed cards to share with you today, using the stamps featured on last month's Steampunk shows on Hochanda.

To create my first card, I stamped the penny farthing image from the Steampunkery stamp set, and then masked the image using masking tissue. I created a series of hills using Distress Ink, and added some trees from the Tall Trees stamp set, using dark green Versafine Ink. I added a bit of pencil shading to 'ground' the smaller trees. I used blue Distress Ink to create the sky, masking off a circle for the sun. I stamped the sentiment from the Punky Expressions stamp set, and added some birds from the Landscape Edges stamp set.

I removed the mask and coloured the penny farthing with pencils. Finally, I matted the background onto a large black card blank.

For my second card, I wanted to create a collaged feel, using lots of stamping to build up backgrounds. I started by using a patterned Crafty Individuals tag, and added some images from the Eccentric Edwardian stamp set in muted colours. I also added the gentleman on the bike as the focal image, using darker ink.

I made a larger background in toning colours on a piece of kraft card, picking the same images that I had used on the tag to create the background. I picked a grey card to mat the background, as it was a colour running through the tag. I added a cheery tan ribbon to the tag, and stamped a sentiment from the Punky Expressions stamp set onto a small piece of scrap card.

I hope that you have enjoyed my Steampunk inspiration this month, and that you will try some of the ideas for yourselves. Thanks for stopping by, Judith xx

Time Flies by Brenda

Hello again, I am back with some more of my Steampunk shares from last months Hochanda shows.

The starting point for the card at the top was an embossed background with lots of gilding waxes added. The Scarab Beetle (and as we have horses there are a good few of these, also known as Dung Beetles, if one cares to search !!)from the Steampunkery set has been stamped several times using Vesamark Toffee, lightly coloured, gilding waxes added then placed over the base piece. Several of the sentiments from the new Punky Words have seen stamped and cut out to intersperse between the Beetles.

Like so many of us crafters I reach for my Oxide inks time and again, it's hard to remember life before them although they are relatively new, on this one I used Spiced Marmalade, Fossilised Amber and Twisted Citron. Using Versafine Toffee and masking off parts of the images I stamped clocks from Steampunkery and Steampunk Travel around the edges of the piece and using the same ink the three large images from the same stamp sets. The sentiment is from Birthday Words and a piece of ribbon and buckle tied across the top.

The background of this piece has been painted with Actylic paints and the DI Tea Dye and a stencil used to add some circles. Various elements from Key to my Dreams and Punky Words have been stamped with Versafine Blue on both the background and focal panel and some seam binding and a tassel to embellish.

As always my thanks for your visit today.

Steampunk Travel (by Julie)

Hello, hope you are well. Today I have a couple of Steampunk inspired cards for you which I have created using the rather fabulous Steampunk Travel

For my first card you will need a Kraft card blank. I decided to have a go at a very simple wood grain effect for the background. I started by drawing vertical lines with a ruler and dark brown pencil at approximately 2 cm intervals and then filled in the gaps with white chalk. I set the chalk with a pastel fixative spray and once dry I went around the edge of the card with Walnut Distress ink.

On separate card I stamped out the traveller's hat and sentiment, coloured with pencils and then cut out and attached to the front of the card.

My second card is super simple. I just stamped the winged boot around the card blank before colouring with Polychromus pencils. I went over the background with Distress inks and then spritzed with water, before dabbing off the excess with a kitchen towel and then stamped the sentiment which comes from the rather wonderful Punky Expressions.

Thank you for stopping by and please call back soon for more daily, Design Team inspiration.

Julie xx

Airship Pirate Steampunk Card (by Anne)

Good morning. Today I am sharing one of my recent samples created for the Steampunk shows recently on Hochanda. I used a few of my dies to create this nautical themed card. I hope that you like it x.

Materials:

• Steampunkery and Punky Expressions stamp sets
• 8 X 8 inch white card blank; white, blue and brown kraft card; recycled acetate from packaging
• Versamark and Distress Ink (Vintage Photo)#
• WOW embossing powders (white plus mix of Copper and Gold Rich)
• Koh-I-Noor Charcoals (White)
• Glitter and glaze pens (red)
• Dies to cut a circle frame (approx. 16cm diameter), steampunk cogs and nautical themed embellishments

How it was made:

1. I trimmed the blue card to fit the card front and leave a small white border. The sentiment and airship were stamped with Versamark and heat embossed with the white powder.
2. The circle porthole frame was cut from Kraft card. A piece of acetate was cut to fit behind.
3. The cogs and wheel were cut from Kraft card and coloured with gold embossing powder or red glaze pen. The gulls were cut from white card.
4. The scene was built up and coloured using the white charcoals. A little red glitter pen was added to the boat and a small die cut gull stuck down. The frame was glued over the top using 3D shaker foam. Note: you could add some sprinkles or glitter for added fun.
5. The scroll was created from a rectangle, rolling the ends around a paint brush to curl. A little Distress Ink was added to the edges to age. The die cut embellishments were used to decorate.

Punky Expressions CAS Style (by Judith)

Hello everyone, I am back to share some more projects featured on last month's Steampunk shows on Hochanda. For these three projects, I wanted to focus on the new word plate, Punky Expressions, and the different ways that the stamps could be used.

I created a gelli plate background on a large white card blank, by brayering Distress Ink in shades of blue and brown across the round gelli plate. I used an image from the Steampunk Travel stamp set, stamping straight onto the plate, to take colour away, and not cleaning the stamp in between stamping, so it added colour in various areas as well. I pressed the plate onto the card to ensure that I printed the background exactly where I wanted it to go. I added a few more of the little airships onto the background, using Distress Ink.

I stamped the large gentleman from the Eccentric Edwardian stamp plate using black ink. I added the Eureka! sentiment around the edges, starting at the top and bottom, moving left and right, then simply filling in the gaps.

For my second card, I created another gelli plate background, using blue and green ink, and pressing a dotty tool onto the plate to create a textured pattern. I added some images from the Silhouette Grasses stamp set, using various coloured inks, a little butterfly from the Baroque Meadow stamp plate, and finally, combined two of the stamps from the Punky Expressions stamp set. These new words and phrases are so versatile, and will be very useful for lots of occasions.

Finally, a really quick card, using more of the grasses as before in a different colour option, straight onto a card blank. The butterflies as before, and a variation on the stamp sentiment. This was such a quick card to make using first and second generation stamping to build up depth to the flower field.

I hope that my cards have given you some ideas for these fabulous stamps. I will be back later in the month with a few more ideas to share with you. Thanks for stopping by,

Fly away by Brenda

A very good morning Peeps, I hope you are ready for another collection of Steampunk samples from Lesley's recent shows on Hochanda.

Now I will be the first to admit that I really struggled this this theme, it's not something I have ever tackled before, but of course that's the challenge to extend ourselves outside our comfort zone which for me is floral feminine and fantasy.

For the card at the top I create a background with Oxide Inks Picked Raspberry and Peacock Feathers, a stencil and regular DI's. Using black Archival ink I stamped the large flying machine from Steampunkery, two small hot air balloons from the same set set and verse from Steampunk Travel and the same DI's to add some colour to the balloons plus a few scattered sequins.

For this one I used an embossing folder and gilding waxes to create the background, then stamped a sentiment from the new Punky Expressions set on a strip of DP, stamped the Penny Farthing from Steampunkery using Versamark and detail copper embossing powder, cut out and placed on the sentiment strip along with some raffia.

Another Oxide ink background overstamped with one of the images from Key to my Dreams, I used second and third generation stamping using DI's to create a subtle effect. Next I stamped three keys from the same stamp set with versamark and detail copper embossing powder, cut them all out and fixed with a chain embellishment I found in my stash to the small winged clock in the Steampunkery set. The sentiment is also from Key to my Dreams.

My final share uses stamps from Steampunk Travel, Steampunk Travel and Punky Words, all stamped with Versafine Blue onto squares of cardstock shaded with DI's and matted onto coordinating cardstock. This style is a great way to use up snippets of card so always worth keeping those offcuts.

Hope you all have a good day and my thanks for popping in today.

Steam Punk Eccentricities (by Julie)

Hi there, I hope you managed to catch one of Lesley's recent Steam Punk shows on Hochanda. If you did you may have seen these cards on the show. 

I have to confess to loving all things Steam Punk. I love the surreal feel Steam Punk gives as well as the stamps being very useful to make male cards, which lets face it we all tend to struggle with.

My first card is created with the Eccentric Edwardian. I love these stamps and would buy the set just for the very useful script stamps.

The background to my card is coloured with Antique Linen, Old Paper and Walnut Stain Distress inks and then over-stamped with the male images using Sepia Versafine. The large script design to the top left of the card was stamped and then embossed with a copper embossing powder and I inked up the smaller script stamp with Sepia Versafine to fill the gaps. The cyclist was stamped onto separate card and coloured with Distress inks as before. I cut around the wheel slightly and then placed my metal, circular die underneath the wheel to cut out the rest of the design before mounting onto the centre of the card with foam pads. The sentiment is from Punky Expressions.

My second project is a gift box and frame card. I have cut both the box and frame on my electric cutting machine, however templates for similar boxes and frames can be found in an internet search.

The gift box is coloured with Squeezed Lemonade Distress ink and then over-stamped with the Air Ship and Boat from Steampunkery. I darkened the edges with Hickory Smoke Distress ink and dry brushed white Gesso over the top to create the clouds. Once the image was dry I glued the box into place.

For the frame I coloured the background with Squeezed Lemonade Distress ink and then overs-stamped with images from Steampunk Travel. I then sponged on Hickory Smoke Distress ink and then dabbed the excess off with a wet wipe.

The central panel of the frame is coloured with Brusho inks and once dry I sponged on Hickory Smoke Distress ink. 

The winged clock is from Steampunkery as before. Here I pressed the stamp into white clay and cut out using a craft knife. I then baked it according to the instructions before colouring with alcohol inks and gold gilding wax. 

Once everything was dry I glued the frame into place and added wire and beads to the back of the clock before gluing into place with 3d glue gel.

Many thanks for looking and please call back soon to see daily inspiration from the Design Team.

Julie xx

Pretty Steampunk (by Judith)

Hello everyone, I hope you caught Lesley's fabulous Steampunk shows last week on Hochanda, featuring an eclectic mixture of Steampunk images. I love working with this genre of stamps, because you can use the images in so many different ways; very grungy, adding lots of texture, or more feminine in style, altogether prettier, using brighter colours.

I have created a floral card, which could be for a friend's Birthday, or just to show that you care, using a sentiment from the brand new Punky Expressions stamp set which will be available on the website in the next few days.

I started to create my card by blending several colours of Distress Ink onto a piece of smooth Cartridge paper. I spritzed the background with water, to create a mottled effect, blotting the background here and there with a piece of tissue. I stamped the large script stamp from the Eccentric Edwardian stamp set over the background, using blue ink. On a spare piece of card, I stamped the small clock three times, and cut it out. I added a bit of yellow ink to age the images slightly.

I die cut some flowers from some Crafty Individuals paper, and scrunched them to give them a bit of texture and movement. To complete the flowers, I stamped three stems using an image from the Diamante Delights stamp set onto the background, and some leaves from the Bold Blooms stamp set onto some scrapbook paper, which I cut out. I added the clock faces to the centre of the paper flowers, and used some 3D foam behind the central flower.

You may have caught sight of one of my old samples on the show created using images from some of our Steampunk stamp sets, featuring the fabulous beetle from the Steampunkery stamp set as a focal point. I have again used paper flowers to create this design, but added cogs in the centre, dropping beads into the middle of each one, and stamping onto the leaves this time.

I will be back later in the month with more ideas to share with you, do keep checking in to see more fabulous ideas from my Design Team mates. Thanks for stopping by,