Happy Birthday Sister

Evening all. It's time for a brand new challenge over at ATSM where our theme is -

MAKE YOUR MARK

I'm getting a little fed up with these hot days and nights, I can quite see why things are a much slower pace in the hotter regions of  the world, you don't have the energy for much else!

Anyway I've managed to  keep my craft room cool by keeping the curtains closed all day and settled down for a bit of watercolour resist colouring over the weekend. On my last craft class I bought the MFT Bundles of Blossoms background stamp. It looked gorgeous but a little daunting to begin with, but I persevered and stamped it with Versamark onto MM paper then embossed with white EP The detail was a little tricky to see but I started to play then decided to use part of it for this week's inspiration card.

Here is my card using part of the finished panel.

The berry colours I used were inspired by the picture at Sunday Stamps, I used my Zig pens here as the flowers are quite detailed and I wanted a crisp final finish. The white embossing resists the w/c so although you can be quite loose with the colour within each petal, getting a really soft effect, the end result isn't messy.

When my panel was dry I trimmed off a strip then placed it flat on a white base card, adding the two top panels of matching white and raspberry pink card on pads.

The greeting, from a free set in Creative Stamping, was stamped and embossed with gold on a strip of the same white card and placed over the recessed panel and glued flat.

Please check out the rest of the team here and why not join us.

Joining in over at -

   

      

                                                                                  edited to add 23/6 (thanks for reminder Loll)

and because I used the MFT Bundles of Blossoms stamp and the embossed resist technique I will also join in here

Remarkable Resist

You're a star

Morning all, hasn't it been a hot few days? We Brits are never happy, the weather is either too hot or too cold, too wet or too dry. Still it will be good to see the back of all this hot, sticky weather and revert to a 'normal' English summer! 

Anyway down to business, here is a card for the brand new challenge at Cardz4Guyz,

STARS

I struggled to concentrate with all the heat but eventually with the help of a couple of challenges, came up with this.

Quite a simple design using a background stamp from the STAMPlorations Mixed Media set on a die cut rectangle and some assorted die cut stars, coloured with Copics, some embossed, some doodled over with a white gel pen for added interest. The sentiment is an old mag freebie and the background was popped up on pads. Simples

For more star inspiration check out the rest of the DT here, then why not join us.

Joining in over at -
    

Altenew, I Adore You

Morning all.

It's been a busy few days on this blog, nearly all my DT's have a new challenge starting and DT cards to be made but that's the way the cookie crumbles when you take on the responsibility of a DT spot. Next week is much quieter, thank goodness!

Anyway the last of my DT cards is for the new challenge over at the Alphabet Challenge Blog. We are up to the letter -

G for GIVE THANKS

Here is my card

I've used my Altenew I Adore You set and the soft dusky pink of their latest challenge. 

To begin, I stamped and embossed the greeting in white EP before stamping these fab blooms in a pale blue Memento ink. Pale blue I hear you shout, well yes but more of that in a mo.

Using masks cut from Post its I created this spray of blooms then,  masking all of them, I inked over the die cut panel with Picked Raspberry, Milled Lavender and Victorian Velvet DI to create this ombre effect. Once satisfied with the coverage, I removed the masks and using a black glitter pen I drew around the pale outline. I'd seen this technique over on the wonderful Jennifer McGuire's You Tube page and thought I would have a go. It worked really well and allowed me to correct any missed areas of inking! The pale outline allows you to see where to draw but doesn't intrude into the overall image.

So for more thanks inspiration check out the rest of the team here.

I'd like to join in over at:-

   

Chose just the sketch, can't really claim these flowers as tulips!

Thanks for everything

Goodnight, no seriously welcome, it's just getting close to bedtime here in the UK as I write to announce the start of a brand new challenge starting at HLS Anything Goes with dies. 

Snuggling under the quilt will be a pleasure tonight as along with the last few days it has been anything but summery here in this part of the UK. We even lit the log burner the other night but the rain has certainly been welcome in the garden. However, even there, the veg look fed up and battered by the wind and rain.

Anyway poor weather = more crafty time without guilt!

 Back to the reason for this post.

Here is my inspiration for you, the photo being taken before the weather deteriorated!

I usually make a load of thank you cards for my daughter to give to her TA's at the end of term but as she doesn't like flowers I sometimes struggle for inspiration. However I saw a card here using die cut branches which appealed, it would also do for a bloke which are even more difficult to make for!

I cut a few leaf branches using an old Sizzix/ SU Sizzlet die and scraps of smooshed watercolour paper in my bits box, in summer blues and greens. The whole design reminds me of looking up through tree branches into the blue summer sky (I wish!). After gluing the die cuts down on a white base card and trimming, I used another scrap to cut the blue thanks and a scrap of white for the die cut outline. To give extra dimension I mounted the blue thanks on a die cut fun foam thanks before adding the white outline. Both the thanks dies here are from Create a Smile. To complete I stamped the 'for everything' from the HLS Simply Said set, onto a scrap of white and glued it under the thanks.

That's about it from me but please check out the rest of the girls over at HLS for more die cut inspiration.

I'd like to join in over at:-

   

 Masculine                                                         

                                             

Uptown Girls Celebrate

Morning all.

It's exam time of year here in the UK and everywhere students will be leaving after completing their courses. So at Cardz4Galz our latest challenge we are giving you the opportunity to make some girly cards for a -

GRADUATION

I had a look in my stash and didn't really have anything that fit the bill, especially for a girl. So I had a bit of a head scratch and came up with this.

I took my Up Town Girls Victoria and Juliette stamp from Stamping Bella  and added a cap or two and some certificates!

Here's how I did it.

First I fished out my MISTI and attached the stamp where I needed it, then inked it carefully with Memento Tuxedo Black, trying not to ink the tops of the heads and around the hands. A further wipe with a wet wipe removed any stray ink from those areas. After stamping I drew in the caps and the rolled certificates or diplomas, adding a few ribbons as well.

Colouring the image with Copics using the pinky blue of the succulents in the picture at Curtain Call, I then carefully cut them out and put them to one side.

On a panel of white card I stencilled the sky through a stencil made from a MFT die with Tumbled Glass DI and added a black die cut skyline to match the sketch at Sunday Stamps.

The greeting , a mixture of  HLS Simply said and another whose packet is long gone, was stamped in black. The finished panel was glued flat and so were the fussy cut girls.

For more feminine graduation inspiration check out the rest of the team here.

I'd like to join in over at:-

      

                                                      Anything Goes