Little Blue Boy

Morning all.

Hope the heat here in the UK isn't getting to you too much. 

Now I know why we don't go away on holiday to sunny climes, too much sun and heat stops you from doing things. I've never been able to go away and just sit on a beach or by the pool, I have to be doing things and at the moment that isn't happening!

Anyway at least I can retreat to my craft room to play. The latest challenge over at Cardz4Guyz starts today with this theme.

BLUE and BROWN

Here is my inspiration.

A blue boy on a brown base card! 

I decided to go all monochromatic with the image and just introduce the brown for my mount. I could of course have done the exact opposite, blue mount and brown image or indeed a mix of the two!

My LOTV little boy blue was coloured with Copics, Simples.

For more inspiration check out the rest of the Guyz DT here, then why not join in, we'd love it if you did.

I'm joining in over at:-

   

This is my 1000th post!

Good evening folks.

As I was typing this post I realised that this would be my 1000th post, I just couldn't believe it, where has all the time gone?

Anyway the reason for the 1000th post is the new challenge at HLS CAS, so here is my inspiration for this months theme,

For this masculine card, I stamped the lion's head from HLS Born to be Wild stamp set in Memento Potter's Clay, then quickly embossed it with a WOW Semi dull EP on a dark cream textured base card. From some more of the same card, I die cut a frame using Spellbinders Petite Scalloped ovals and plain ovals sets. Cutting another from beige fun foam and I glued it under the cream one to lift it off the base. 

Using the same ink and EP I stamped the Happy Birthday below the lion's head and on a scrap stamped the top half of another sentiment from the set, which I then cut out using a banner die.

So that's that.

Please check out the rest of the team here and then why not join in

Joining in over at:-

The Lion King

CAS(E) this Sketch meets Altenew

Good morning all.

The sun is beating down already so the curtains are closed to try to keep the house a little cooler, mind you the tiled floors and 18 inch thick walls help too!

The grass is cut in the field so hay making is on the way after last years paltry offering, it was the first year we hadn't made any, the grass was cut thrown out then baled and wrapped before the rain ruined it completely. 

Yesterday was just as hot and sunny as will the rest of the week and possibly next too, so I hid in the cool and had a play at midday! Here's the result.

A simple olc with a vellum banner greeting. My normal photo spot had too many harsh shadows for taking a pic so it was off outside to get one instead.

I used the layout at CAS(e) this Sketch and the colours at Altenew. The colours for the large Painted flowers was Memento, Elderberry, Sweet Plum and Lulu Lavender with the first outing for my Altenew cubes of Olive and Bamboo stamped onto a linen effect base card. The tiny blooms were coloured with Zig markers. I Stamped the sentiment onto a scrap of vellum from the bits box, then embossed with white EP before cutting with a die from MFT's Blueprints 27.

OK, that's about it for today, see you back soon.

Joining in over at:-

  

   

Uniko mini stencil launch

Morning all.

Hope you've had a good week and are ready for the weekend.

We are super excited here at Uniko to have a mini release of 3 brand new stencils.

Here are a few ideas I came up with whist playing with them!

This one uses the Bright Butterflies stencil and I started off by embossing with it in my BigShot, using ordinary white card and a tan mat. By embossing it I was able to see where to add my Flutter glue for the silver highlights and it gives a subtle texture to the rest of the panel! 

After adding the glue with a fine brush I waited for it to get sticky then added the silver gilding flakes. Rubbing away the excess, I added colour to the rest of the embossed butterflies using my Zig watercolour brushes. The sentiment from Uniko's Simply Said Blocks was stamped on black and embossed with silver EP. To put it all together, I first cut a panel from the embossed panel then to give a little extra shadow added a panel of black before adding to a white A6 base card.

My second card also uses the butterfly stencil.

This time I started by adding DOx in Peacock Feathers and Salty Ocean to a panel of white card and adding a few spritzes of water to create my background. When dry I went back in with the stencil and using a finger dauber and more DOx in Salty Ocean I inked in some of the smaller butterflies, moving the stencil around to give the effect I wanted.I stamped the sentiment from the Pure Florals -Daffodil set and embossed it with white EP and then die cut a large butterfly from the panel. I was going to just pop it up on some fun foam but decided to add some Blueprint sketch to the edges and some more Salty Ocean DOx and as the gilding flakes were still on the desk, added some to the edges of the wings after I'd inked it. My completed panel was mounted on textured silver card and then onto a 5 x 7 white base card. I have sent this to my daughter as it is her birthday today. She loves turquoise and butterflies!

Uniko Stencil Bright Butterflies £4.50

Copyright Uniko Ltd 2018

www.uniko.co.uk

My next card uses the fab Mehndi Mandela stencil.

When I first saw this I just had to use some of my gold embossing paste and what better background than this fab purple. When the embossing paste was dry I added a simple sentiment panel stamped with part of the Just Because set embossed with gold EP.

Uniko Stencil Mehndi Mandala £4.50

Copyright Uniko Ltd 2018

www.uniko.co.uk

The third stencil is Scattered Polka Hexagons, perfect for giving backgrounds a little bit of interest, as in this example.

 The background panel was made by inking white card with Candied Apple, Picked Raspberry and Worn Lipstick DOx. Then, with the stencil attached to the inked panel with some masking tape, I went over with a brand new baby wipe, pressing down through the hexagons. This removes some of the ink to create this soft background, the harder you press the more ink you remove.

I'd seen Jennifer McGuire use a partial die cut technique  on YouTube, but as my Uniko teammate Sarah P found out it isn't as easy as she makes it seem! However, after a bit of faffing around I think I ended up with an acceptable result. The rose die is from The Works and was partially cut from a panel of white card twice, leaving the strip in the middle which I stamped with the sentiment from Pure Florals -Cosmos. I die cut 4 more of the roses from scrap white card, stacked them together and glued them to the under side of the partial die cut panel. This was easier than repeating the difficult process of partial die cutting and a strip of foam tape supports the center strip.

This last card uses a technique I used here. It's quite a simple technique but effective I think.

To start I took a panel of bright pink card then attached the stencil with masking tape, then inked through with Brilliance white ink. After this layer was dry I replaced the stencil but moved it slightly to the SE of the panel and added Seedless Preserve DI. Where the ink hits the white it tones down the intensity so it appears that you have added a third colour!

My sentiment was made by layering 3 different embossing powders over a layered die cut word.

Using off cuts of the pink card I cut 3 words, stacking them together with glue. Then I inked the top with Versafine and added silver EP, then I inked again but this time added WOW Strawberry EP and finally I added Holographic EP. The effect wasn't as pink as I thought it would be but I still liked the overall effect. The birthday wishes, from the Birthday Sentiments set was stamped and embossed in white on black and a few gems complete. My trimmed panel was added to a plain white base card.

Uniko Stencil Scattered Polka Hexagons £4.50

Copyright Uniko Ltd 2018

www.uniko.co.uk

So that's about it from me, however, as with any new release at Uniko there's a blog hop to celebrate and show you beautiful inspiration using the new products. We also have a wonderful, talented and all round lovely crafter joining us as our Guest Designer.... Ruth from Crafting While The Baby Naps. 

With all Uniko Blog Hops we have a GIVEAWAY too! Simply comment along the hop for your chance to win one of the three stencil designs being released and as there are 3 new designs, Bev will randomly pick 3 lucky winners!!

So what are you waiting for, get hopping!

Bev

                      Julie - that'll be me
Linda

Sarah G

Wiebke 

GD Ruth

I'm joining in over at:-

Stamping, embossing, stencil and die cuts

   

                                                                                               reds are WARM colours

   
                   Favourite type of embossing - Horses for courses but dry embossing gives texture and allowed me to see where to add colour and gilding flakes

A little birdie told me, it's your birthday!

Morning peeps.

Gosh the days are whizzing by and tomorrow is the longest day so it's all downhill from there towards Christmas, sorry but it had to be said ;)!

Anyway it's time for a new challenge at ATSM and here is my card for your inspiration.

Our theme this week is -

So any project that involves mark making, colouring, stamping or perhaps stencilling.

I've made this for a previous neighbour who is an Owls fan, no I didn't get the capital letter in there wrong, she is a footy fan and supports Sheffield Wednesday FC. For many years, since I moved away, I've made here an Owls themed birthday and Christmas cards in Wednesday's colours of blue and white. Yellow happens to be their away colour so I think I can get away with that too. So when I saw the theme at The Paper Players and the pic at The Card Concept, I thought I would get in early, lest I forget!

The stamps were magazine freebies, from different sets but I think work well together. The inside says It's your Birthday, Many Happy Returns.

The background of softly blended DI  Blueprint Sketch and Salty Ocean was laid down before the fussy cut owl was attached with foam pads. I coloured him using Copic markers.

OK, that's about it from me, please check out the rest of the team here and Make Your Mark with us this week.

Joining in over at:-