I've been making this card for my Mum's friend who is 80 very soon. She is lovely and
I know she likes flowers and gardening so I hope she likes this.
I've used up some snippets of white card to stamp and emboss the flowers in bronze, my new favourite colour for embossing.
Then I smooshed an acrylic block onto a big and juicy ink pad and used a brush and water to paint the flowers. By using more or less water and blending the colours you can vary the shades of ink. I love these jewel colours.
I wanted a circle for the middle so I inked some paper and cut it out. Then I decided that needed a frame. I didn't have quite the right shade so I cut that out and painted it too.
I asked my daughter if it was too purple and she said 'Can you have too much purple?'
I even remembered to decorate the inside. I'm usually in too much of a rush and forget.
I hopped over to the Butterfly Challenge as I remembered that the challenge was to use embossing and butterflies. Whoops, way too late. We've moved on to N for Numbers. Well I do have a number on here so I'll enter anyway. I hope that is not a cheat, I promise to try harder next time. I always look at this challenge but rarely get round to making a card.
Pixie's Snippets Playground is celebrating Week 200 so I'll skip over and show them my card. I think there is cake.
A huge thank you to Di who keeps the Playground open for us and must spend many hours keeping it in order. We appreciate you!
I've managed to make a card for this challenge well before the deadline. I was supposed to be helping fit a sink but really wasn't much help so was able to scuttle off and do inking in between times.
Last post I mentioned how I'd forgotten how much I like inking. This time I realised how much mess I make. There were finger prints everywhere! I thought I'd got much more careful but it obviously depends what I'm doing.
The challenge at 52 CCT is:
I do like this technique and used to use it a lot. I got out some shiny paper and this is what I made:
My plan was for the panel to be dark blue but as you see it turned out in shades of purple with a little pink and blue. I cut out the circles in the panels and stamped using the same snowflakes on the basecard. The when looking for a ribbon I found this purple snowflake ribbon left over from last year and it was perfect. A knot and a couple of scored lines on the right and it was done. Apart from a lot of fiddling about trying to get the panel stuck in the right place over the stamping, anyway.
I'm not a huge fan of non-traditional colour Christmas cards but I do think this is pretty. As I said it wasn't supposed to be this colour!
I've seen that it is Rudolf Day in Blogland, a challenge which i have never entered before. The challenge starts on the 25th and is to make a Christmas card,so here I go for the first time.
I'd forgotten how much I like inking. I've been distracted into other areas but I've seen a few cards recently with lovely inky backgrounds.
This card is made with one stamp, part of a set free with Creative Stamping magazine.
I made one card and then realised that the tops of the trees had not reached the frame so it looks like a wintry, dead tree swamp. It is a shame as this is the best background and, as it always the way, they all turned out differently. It looks quite ethereal and I like the placement of the trees.
So I had another go and placed the stamps and the frame more carefully.
And then another go.
I've stamped and embossed the trees in Frosted Pearl embossing powder and then inked with brushes, using a mask for the moon and snow. Sometimes I spritzed with water too. Too much water is bad, though. It makes the ink seep under the masks.
I cut an aperture in the card blank and placed the inky picture behind. I've glued inserts to the reverse of the front so covering the messyness inside.
So there I have a few cards made surprisingly quickly and I've only used one of the free stamps or two if you count the words. Maybe not as jolly as most of my Christmas cards but pretty.
I'd like to enter:
52(Christmas) Card Throwdown- The Wild Woods. I had meant to add creatures but didn't want to in the end.
Merry Monday - Frame it.
Pixie's Snippets Playground. I have used some snippets of white. Which is always good as I have more of those than anything. And now I've tried inking again, I'll be doing some more.
A quickie post while I should be getting ready to go to work.
I've had this idea in my mind for a while and finally got round to making it.
I've used Inky Doodles stamps. I stamped various combinations and punched out the squares so they were all the same size.
I roughed the edges of the squares using scissors to replicate frayed fabric. I kind of wish I hadn't now and think I'll try again with less grunge.I used the ric rac stamp again around the edge of a piece of pink paper for the background.
I used only teal and grape mememto ink.
Stamp sets: Country checks, print backgrounds 2, Caroline's doodles. The button is also a stamp from Warm winter wishes.
I've used lots of snippets so a visit to Pixie's Snippets Playground is in order.
Tell me what you think - distressing or no?
Think I can still get to work on time and managed to do my hair while the photo was loading. (Probably could have got to work and back in that time!)
Someone helpfully pointed out how many weeks it was until Christmas. I realised that, to avoid a panic, I should wind up the pace of production a bit.
The challenge this week at Less is more is to use
SOMETHING SHINY
So that does lend itself to a Christmas card.
I cut out these bells from a drinks can. I was very careful as I have already broken a bottle and a glass candle holder this week and nipped my finger in the handle of pair of scissors. Anyway no blood was shed. The aluminium is very thin but it pays to be careful.
The bells are really flowers but I don't think anyone will notice if you don't tell. It is a Tattered Lace mini die. Bluebells, I suppose.
My first thought was to hang them from a wreath but in the end made a garland instead.
I stamped the fir using a tiny stamp and cut the bows out and added them on top. That way, I was able to even out the two sides of stamping.
The bows are embossed with clear embossing powder which gives a bit more shine.
Stamps used are Woodware tiny fir branch and sentiment.
Card-io base branch and swirl.
Inky Doodles - bow. (I feel I should add this very sudden, sad news that Sarah has passed away. I'm sure many of you will be as sad as I am. http://www.inkydoodles.co.uk/)
I hope you like it.
I found myself needing a congrats card for a new baby this week. I'm not sure why I wasn't ready for this one as I've known it was coming for a while!
One of my sons' friends and his partner have just had a baby boy so he was off to visit and I offered to make a card.
It was all done at speed late in the evening but given all that it turned out very well.
I've used Inky Doodle stamps from Primitive Angel and Caroline's Doodles.
I started with the bunting and then stamped the letters on to it using a Dovecraft set of small wooden peg stamps. The sheep body was cut from a previously stamped piece of card so that saved some time.
I wanted a bow or some ribbon or thread and finally hit on the idea of winding the silver thread around and hanging the bunting from it. It isn't really hanging from it but it looks as though it might be!
As an extra frame I stamped a ric rac border and then mounted it all on an embossed dotty background using foam pads.
Finally, I speed cut the sunflowers for a splash of colour as it needed a little something else but I really wanted to be going to bed.
I've used lots of snippets of white card so I'll be hopping over to Pixie's Snippets Playground with this one. It is always so inspiring but I rarely follow through any of the ideas I see there. I'll have a look now and see what I can do. I've had the opportunity for a lazy day and am trying to avoid the more boring jobs in favour of a few fun things. I need to paint some woodwork on a shed...
I've had very little time for crafting recently and, if I'm honest, not much inspiration either. So I'm pleased that I managed to carve out a little time today to make this card:
I made it for 52CCT where the theme is a Card for a Man. I always find this tricky. I much prefer flowers and swirls and bows. I decided to go for something simple and elegant but with a little glam as it is, after all, a Christmas card.
I found a snippet of textured, dark green paper (not black as it looks here) and embossed the Woodware baubles on it ion silver. I drew on the strings and coloured them with a silver gel pen. I did use a ruler as a guide as I've tried this before and found that my baubles were hanging at a strange angle.
I decided to try some dry embossing with a board which I have not done for ages. I think it gives a smart, elegant look.
I added a snippet of silver ribbon with just a knot instead of a bow. I haven't any idea if a a man would like this but I like it. I'll ask if one passes.
So having used a couple of snipppets, I can skip over to the snippets playground and have a go on the swings. I haven't managed to get there for a few weeks. And in true Di style, I have enough green paper left so I'm making another card the same!
Now I'm off to tidy my room as I've left card, trimmer and stuff all over my bed and then a gin and tonic as a Thursday night treat.
x
