A Bit of Diversity (posted by Judith)

Hi Folks, my post today shows just how versatile the Harlequin Fragments/Tangled Fragments multibuy set can be. I have created some very different looking cards using these great new stamps.

My first card was created using the watery background stamp, which I stamped onto a strip of white card, using black ink several times. I then created three pieces of decorated stampbord, using three layers of embossing powder and stamping into them while the last layer was still molten. I brushed a little bit of gold pearl powder into the crevices to pick up the detail of the stamp.

I matted the background onto a piece of toning card, and stuck this onto a larger piece of black card. I added a sentiment taken from the Artistic Affirmations stamp set.

 

My second card was created using a piece of smooth watercolour paper, which I sprayed with diluted Distress Ink. I then stamped the dotty stamp and the stone effect stamp, using the same colour Distress Ink over the background. I embossed the single stone spine in the centre using a silver embossing powder. I added some ferns around the edges, taken from the Wild Meadow stamp set using green and purple inks.

I stamped and embossed a flower from the Tangled Garden stamp set, plus the leaf fragment using silver embossing powder, which I then painted with water based acrylic inks. I decoupaged the flower, added the larger leaves to the stem, and used the smaller leaves for a grass effect. Finally, I added a sentiment from the Amazing Birthday clear stamp set to the background.

 

My final card was again created using a piece of smooth watercolour paper for the background. This time, I sprayed it with Dylusions spray to create a base for the rest of the background, rolling off some of the intense colour with a paper towel.  I stamped the large bubble background, and the dotty harlequin stamp using a turquoise archival ink.

I embossed the butterfly from the Steampunk Buterfly stamp set and some flowers from the Punky Flowers stamp set, using copper embossing powder. I coloured them with water based acrylic inks. I added a stamped swirl from the Artistic Expressions stamp plate to resemble leafy tendrils behind the flowers. The sentiment was taken from the Amazing Birthday clear stamp set.

I hope that I have given you a couple more ideas for these stamps, and that you will try them out for yourselves. Keep checking back for more inspiration from my team mates every day this month. Thanks for stopping by, Judith xx

Punky Tangles

What I like about the stamps in the fragment series is that they work really well alone or with many other Chocolate Baroque designs. So my contribution to this month's DT blog uses both of our new stamp sets, Harlequin Fragment and Tangled Fragments, combined with Punky Flowers.

1. The background is created on a piece of smooth white cardstock measuring approx 8.5" x 3.75" (21cm x 9.2cm), using the acrylic block technique* with Distress Inks  in Picked Raspberry, Spiced Marmalade, Peeled Paint and Peacock Feathers. Set aside to dry thoroughly.
2. Using the solid circles image from Harlequin Fragments 'ink' up the stamp with either white acrylic paint, or gesso, and then stamp repeatedly (and randomly) over the inked background. You don't necessarily need to add more paint between stamping, that way you get more of a faded look, but this is down to personal taste. Again allow to dry thoroughly.
3. Using the same combination of Distress inks create another acrylic block background, this time on white paper;160gsm is good for this as it has a bit of body and dries well. Make sure you create a decent sized green/blue area ( this will be used to make the flower stalk).
4. Once dry use Memento Tuxedo Black to stamp the largest flower image and one of the smaller ones from Punky flowers onto the coloured paper background and cut out. Cut between the petals of the small flower and shape to give the effect of movement and depth.
5. Again, using Tuxedo Black, stamp the stalk-like image from Tangled Fragments onto the green/blue area of your coloured paper. Decide which part you want to use for a stalk and cut out.
6. Attach the stalk loosely to the card only applying adhesive here and there. Randomly turn up a few of the 'leaves'. Attach the flowers using 3D foam pads.
7. Finally stamp the word 'Beauty', from Artistic Expressions, as illustrated.

* The acrylic block technique was used by Glenda in her Monday Mojo Magic series which is currently being re-run with new artwork for 2014. If you want to sign up for the remainder of the series please click here

I hope this has given you the inspiration to try this technique and don't forget to keep coming back to the blog to see lots more creative designs from my fellow teamies.

Guest Post - Steampunkery Fun by Debs Smith

Our guest blogger this week is Debs Smith and she is probably our most far flung contributor! Debs has been playing with  some of our steampunk themed stamps and designed this wonderful card.

Hello everyone, 

My name is Debs Smith and at the moment I live in Shanghai!! First let me thank Glenda for inviting me to do this post I feel so honoured. And secondly thanks to all of you for reading this post. I knew as soon as Glenda asked me to do this post which sets of stamps I was going to use. So here we are -  it's taken a while!

The stamps sets I have used are Punky Flowers and Steampunkery.  These sets are great for both male and femail cards, the designs are really edgy and a little bit different from other steampunk set!, I must admit I had a couple of cards made before I got to this design, they just seemed a bit ordinary!!

This one in the end was really simple just using two stamps, one of the flowers from Punky Flowers and the Beetle from Steampunkery. Firstly I stamped the beetle into roughly the centre of the card as I wanted it to look like it had found the clock in the flowers and was flying away with it. Then I stamped the biggest flower image on the left side of the card with Jet Black Archival, and then created a mask of that flower by stamping it onto a post it note (making sure that the sticky bit had the heads of the flowers once it was cut out). 

I placed the mask over the top of the first flower and stamped the second flower and then placed the mask over the second flower and stamped the third flower until the card was filled.  It doesn't matter where you stamp your first image as long as once you have stamped it you cover it whilst you do the second. If, for example, you wanted to stamp the first flower in the middle leave the mask on the first image until you have stamped both the second and third image otherwise you will have stamped over one of the images. 

Then I painted the flowers with Distress Paint using Shaded Lilac, Spun Sugar, Broken China and Dusty Concord. After shaking the bottles I just dabbed a bit of paint onto my non-stick craft mat and then with a damp brush (I used a water brush but an ordinary brush will work just as well) I picked up the paint from the mat and painted the flowers.   

With the Beetle I wanted a bit of a metallic sheen to him so I mixed a little Shaded Lilac with Dusty Concord and some Brushed Pewter (again on the craft mat), painted the beetle and then once he was dry just added a little more Brushed Pewter to give him some highlights to make him sparkle.  Then I painted the clock with Brushed Pewter.

To create the background first I punched a 1” circle out of post it notes and stuck it in the top right hand corner of the card.  Then I took a piece of scrap paper and tore a strip off  to give it a nice rough edge.  Next I placed the piece of paper on the card and with Broken China distress ink I started to shade the background.  TIP: The piece of paper just gets moved  down each time you have finished the section above it, which gives you a nice sky effect (or it can create nice mountains and hills.) 

Once I had filled the background with the cloudy sky I removed the post-it note circle and voila there was my sun (or moon). The Time Flies stamp from the Steampunkery set was stamped onto a piece of card painted with Brushed Pewter and matted onto piece of card coloured with Shaded Lilac.

If you like would like to see more of my work it can be found on my blog (along with other cards using Chocolate Baroque stamps) Notations of a Crafter or I am on Pinterest as ShanghaiDebs.

Please join us in sending our thanks to Debs (all the way back to Shanghai) for this fun design by leaving a comment below.

Colourful Steampunk Birds (by Shirley)

Hello everyone, I hope you are doing well during this busy Season.

I have a couple more designs today using stamps from the new Steampunk Birds set, the first one features the super cool Rooster, I love him !

The background started with Seedless Preserves Distress Ink using the Acrylic Block technique.   Next I stamped the cog fragment from Steampunk Butterfly with Dusty Concord DI.   I stamped the grasses from Floral Edges with Seedless Preserves DI.   The Rooster was embossed with copper powder on separate card stock, coloured with Inktense pencils, cut out and attached.    The sentiment is from Birthday Words.

I used the quirky bouncing birds and birdhouse from Steampunk Birds to create the design below.

 

I started by stamping cogs from Punky Flowers with white Colorbox Pigment ink.    I blended green and blue pigment inks over top and then rubbed ink off the cogs for the ghost effect.   Next I blended a little Broken China Distress Ink with TCW Gears stencil at the top for the 'clouds'   The birdhouse, bouncing birds and sentiment from Steampunk Birds were stamped with Cocoa Memento Dye ink and coloured with Prisma pencils.    

Also, just in case you missed Glenda's exciting post yesterday, here is the link to her Open Design Team call.

Thanks for stopping by, 

Seasons Greetings!

Shirley

Steampunk Tropical Garden (by Shirley)

Hello everyone, I hope you are having a great weekend.

As soon as I saw the 'punky' Parrot from Steampunk Birds  I wanted to create a tropical garden for him to hang out in:)     It's been colder than normal here in Ontario, Canada so it would be great to feel warm tropical sunshine.   

I started by stamping cog plants from Punky Flowers on the background with white Colorbox Pigment ink.   I blended a few colours of green pigment ink over top and then rubbed off ink over the images (ghost stamping), but they are hidden into the 'garden'.   Next I stenciled with Distress Inks and TCW Gears (at the top) and TCW Ferns in the centre.

I embossed the Parrot from Steampunk Birds and the flowers from Punky Flowers with copper on watercolour paper, coloured with Tombow markers and cut them out to attach.    I added die cut leaves and a small metal cog.    Imagine is from Artistic Expressions.

I hope you can come back often as we have lots to show you this month.
Thanks for visiting and have a great day,
Shirley

It's a Hoot (posted by Judith)

Hi Folks, I have a sample to show you today featuring the new Steampunk Birds unmounted stamp set. I have used a small frame which I have painted with blue and brown paint, and then covered it with Tim Holtz tissue wrap. I added a coat of matte medium to protect the tissue wrap and left this to dry. I added more paint over the areas that I wanted to highlight, like the buildings and the butterflies.

I stamped and embossed the owl using copper embossing powder, and also stamped some flowers from the Punky Flowers stamp set. I coloured these using Distress Markers. I die cut a branch from brown card, and assembled my project, adding some brass cogs, and a spinner. Finally, I added a sentiment from the new stamp set.

Thanks for stopping by, Judith xx

Feeling Blue (posted by Judith)

Hi Folks, I have a monochrome offering for you today, using the Peacock Parade stamp set. I have added a die cut branch and blossoms, and decoupaged the body, so that the bird appears to be sitting on the branch. I have added a flower from the Punky Flowers stamp sheet, and completed the background by partially stamping a texture stamp from the Texture Fragments stamp set in turquoise and teal. I have added white highlights with pencil to tone in with the white blossoms, and added some flat-backed pearls and gems for a bit of sparkle.

I have spritzed the background with a pearly spray, but the weather has been so dull lately, that my photographs just can't reflect the shimmer on this card. Keep checking back for more inspiration from my Design Team mates over the coming days. Thanks for stopping by, Judith xx

'Punky' Deco Flowers (by Shirley)

Hello everyone, I hope you are having a great week.

I have two cards today that feature a flower from the new Punky Flowers.  This set has so many fun Steampunk flowers but also includes a couple of Deco designs which I love.

The background on the above card was once again created with Dylusions inks.   I over-stamped with a texture stamp from Texture Fragments  with Peacock Feathers Distress Ink.  I stamped the images with Black Stazon Ink.  The Deco Corner is from the Steampunk Butterfly & the Sentiment is from Birthday Words.

After stamping the images I removed some of the Dylusions Inks with water (add water with a brush & blot with paper towel).   I painted the images with Tom Bow Markers and highlighted with black & white pens  I also added liquid pearls.

The card below is smaller and a rescue from the recycle bin.    I used molding paste with TCW Mini Pomegranate stencil.   I found the stencil design overpowering and threw it out into the recycle waste bin.   Later I had second thoughts so I picked it back out, cropped it, painted over with acrylic paints and decided to create another card with it.

I stamped the image with Stazon and highlighted with a larger tip black pen which makes it stand out and again highlighted with a white pen as well.

Thanks for your visit & have a great day,
Shirley

A lightbulb moment (posted by Claire)

Good morning folks, Claire here with another sample featuring  a stamp from the gorgeous Punky Flowers. 

I've made a background using distress inks and stamped the cogs from Punky romance with water and blotted with kitchen towel. I've stamped the image and painted with twinkling H2Os, I created the glow around the lightbulbs by adding lots of water to the paint and letting it spread around the image. Once the paint was dry, I added distress ink in black soot and chipped sapphire around the image. The light bulbs have been glazed with glossy accents but it doesn't show up too well in the photo. To finish off i've added a red bow and a couple of transistors from the box of goodies I found in the shed.

Thanks for popping by today

Claire xx

Punky Lightbulb Flowers (by Shirley)

Hello everyone, I hope you are doing well.

I have another design using the gorgeous & fun Punky Flowers set.   This lightbulb flower design is just simply fun !    

I used a piece of designer paper from my stash, added a little Distress Ink and distressed the edges for the background.  I stamped the cog fragment from the Steampunk Butterfly set with Walnut Distress Ink.  I coloured the light bulb flowers with Prisma Pencils and sprayed a little Sunshine Glimmermist around them.  I added a little shadow that does not show in the photo.     I reversed the colours to add to the quirky design.   The mini cogs are by Ranger.   I added some copper wire as the 'ribbon'.

Thanks for stopping by & have a great day !
Shirley   

Punky Pink Flowers by Debbie

Happy Monday Morning. Here's another card using a background I made with Distress Inks and a little Silver Glimmer Mist. The card is a small square with the front folded in half and I cut the background to fit the size then mounted onto black. The Punky Flowers are a firm favourite of mine. I stamped the single flowers with dusty concord distress ink and the tall flowers with black Versafine. I added a little more colour with my Graph'it Fuchsia pen and the white is Inkssentials. Thanks for visiting, Debbie

Steampunk Script Flowers (posted by Judith)

Hi Folks, I have another steampunk project to show you today, using the Punky Flowers stamp set. I have used a round canvas to which I added some texture through a stencil and then painted with acrylic paint. I stuck some pages from a cheap Thesaurus to some grungepaper, and coloured these with Pan Pastels. I then stamped some of the flower images from the stamp set onto the grungepaper and cut them out. I dipped the flowers into my Melt Pot to get a clear coating over them. I also stamped several leaves from the Sunny Sunflowers stamp set onto the grungepaper and cut these out as well.

To complete the canvas background, I stamped parts of a script stamp from the Eccentric Edwardian stamp plate using a brown ink pad, and brushed some metallic cream over the raised areas. As I assembled the canvas, I added some die cut silver cogs, some stamped cog trees, and some metal coils.

Thanks for stopping by, Judith xx

Punky Punky Flowers (by Clare)

Here's a bright and cheery card to welcome you all here!

The set of stamps I used from Chocolate Baroque is called Punky Flowers.  Just click on the name to go to that webpage on the CB site.  This set of "Steampunk" stamps goes well with all the other sets!  One can't have too many flowers, of any type!  I used the colors in the striped background paper for the flowers, and overlayed a piece of very thin yellow floral mulberry paper.  (you can almost see it!)  I stitched thread through the two little black buttons, and glued them on.  There is 1/8" wide teal ribbon tied around the bottom and has four loops in the bow.  I took craft wire in four colors, and used my round pliers to curl each end of the 6" long piece, then folded them in half, and adhered the fold under the sentiment panel.

 

Steampunk Birdhouse (posted by Claire)

Good morning folks, Claire here with a bit of recycling using the gorgeous new Punky Flowers stamps, combined with the Steampunk Butterfly

I picked up the bird house from the pound shop, it was bright green and had some chipboard flowers on it so I eased them off and gave it a coat of white gesso, followed by a coat of cream acrylic paint. I painted the roof and around the base black and then added some gold highlights.

I stamped the cog trees from Punky Flowers on tissue paper using  Stazon ink (red, black and gold), cut them out and created a cog forest by attaching the 'trees' using matte medium.

I stamped the flowers on red and black card, embossed with gold and cut them out, layering them up on the bird house. I did the same with the butterfly and added some red seam binding ribbon,a button and a little twine bow to finish off.

Have a good day and thanks so much for popping by

Claire xx

Imagine (by Shirley)

Hello everyone, I hope you are doing well.    

I have a design today using the newest release-  the gorgeous Punky Flowers set.

I visualised the cog trees as a Delphinium type plant and wanted to create a field of cog plants along with a cog sun in a fantasy design.   I created the background with Distress Inks, sponge blender, ripped card stock & a mask created with a circle shape cutter.   I used the TCW Mini Gears stencil to create the image in the sun.   The main cog plants were embossed with a metallic embossing powder and the rest stamped with Distress Inks.  I added some little brads at the top.   Imagine is from the Artistic Expression set.

Thanks for your visit and have a great day!
Shirley

Zentangle Fairy (posted by Judith)

Hi Folks, this project is a little different for me to post on here, as it incorporates some of my own drawing mixed in with the Punky Flowers stamp set. I am very fond of Zentangle Inspired Art, and the designs of Norma Burnell, which this design is inspired by. I have used a variety of Zentangle motifs along with the lovely flower stamps to create the fairy, and coloured parts of the design with pencil. The butterflies came from the Butterfly Poppy Collage stamp set, an old favourite of mine.

More details regarding my design can be found on my own blog
Keep checking back for more designs from my Team mates over the coming days. Thanks for stopping by, Judith xx 

Highlighted Punky Flowers by Debbie

This is my first sample for the DT and it is one of the cards that develops as you go along. I started with a selection of distress inks and blended to make the background. I cut the card to size then stamped the different size flowers onto one piece with blue ink to make the background. For the front of the card I used the same background and stamped the two stem flowers with memento. I added highlights of colour with the Graph'it Home & Garden pens and the white is an Inkssentials pen. I must say I love my Graph'its, the colours are so rich. Thank you for stopping by Debbie

Punky Butterflies (posted by Judith)

Hi Folks, I have a zesty project to show you today, using the Punky Flowers stamp set. I have used Dylusions sprays to create my background, then stamped the large flowers using Distress Inks. I have coloured my central image using pencils. I created the butterflies using the same petals as those on the main image, and joined them together with metal corners. I then used some wire which I coiled to make their antennae. Finally, I added a sentiment from the Butterfly Dreams stamp set.

Thanks for stopping by, Judith xx

Pretty Flowers (by Clare)

Hello, All!  Have you seen the newest flower stamps from Chocolate Baroque?

The set is called Punky Flowers, and goes well with any other "Steampunk" set in the CB line!  Awesome!  I love black and fuschia together - one of the most striking color combos I've seen! 

 

 I think this flower stamp from the Punky Flowers set is going to be a favorite of mine!  It doesn't feel so much like "steampunk", but I really like it's structure, and will go well with the new Indian Elephants set released last month! 

 

 The sentiment "I'M GRATEFUL" is from the Words of Gratitude set.

 

Be sure to check out the other talented ladies work on the design team! 

Punky Snowdrops (posted by Claire)

Good morning, Claire here with my first sample using the gorgeous new 'Punky Flower's'  Stamps

As soon as I saw this little 'desk lamp' flower I thought of snowdrops and set to with my distress inks to create the background. The image has been stamped and embossed and painted with Twinkling H20s and I've stamped the beautiful steampunk lacy border from 'Steampunkery' and embossed with a sparkly white EP.

I've kept the card fairly simple, embossing around the edge and matting on some green card. I created the card blank with a Martha Stewart punch and to finish off added some white ribbon and a pretty button. 

I've really enjoyed using these stamps, they are so fun and quirky

Thanks for visiting today,

Claire xx