CUTploration, a reminder

Welcome to a post to remind you that there is still time to join us over at STAMPlorations, CUTplorations challenge.

For this reminder card I went with a more graphic take on the inspiration photo.

I have been experimenting with Yupo paper and Copic Various Inks. This was my first foray into alcohol inks ( my second was published yesterday!) but I had to use Copic Various Inks as I don't own anything else. The colours aren't quite as vivid as other reinkers.

Using a small panel of Yupo paper, I added ink from R35, B12, Y21 and a spritz of rubbing alcohol. To get the striped effect, I dragged some kitchen towel across the puddles of ink. You have to be quick as although the paper does not absorb the ink it soon evaporates and dries.

Using the one of the Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting Dies, I cut my panel, mounting it on a white base card, then from scraps of card cut four panels using the Stitched Winter Landscape die in white, black and two shades of grey. The die has a cute little house on the skyline but I didn't want that part, so I carefully snipped it off the four landscapes. I used the black one to give a shadow behind the white foreground trees and then arranged the other two behind the white to give a sense of perspective. When I had got a scene I was happy with I trimmed them down to slightly larger than my panel and attached them to the bottom of it. The sentiment is from the Lotus Love set stamped in black.

For more fab inspiration, check out the rest of the team here where you will also find all the Ts and Cs! 

Don't forget you can use my discount code if you want to order anything from the STAMPlorations shop.

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                                   Various Ink and Yupo paper

Two Hearts

Morning all.

It's another grey day here, nothing much to cheer away the January blues. Still at least it's not icy or snowy!

I've been planning this card all week, every time I tried to make a background something went wrong, first the w/c paper soaked up too much water and then when I used another piece it was the wrong colour. So I changed tack and use a totally new technique that popped up on my Pinterest feed, using Alcohol ink, Yupo paper and cling film.

My good friend Loll got me interested in Yupo paper and I indulged just before Christmas but didn't have the opportunity to use it then. So although I don't have any alcohol inks, I do have Copics and refills and they are alcohol based, so decided to have a play. Not wishing to waste my expensive paper, I cut one into 1/2 then one in 1/2 again to give me a small panel which I coloured with a couple of dark Copics, BV09 and V09. I then added some V12 Various Ink along with some blending solution and quickly laid over some scrunched up cling film and left over night.

I was quite pleased with the end result, adding a couple of cut down scribbled hearts cut from sparkly silver card and a brand new sentiment from CASual Fridays in silver to complete.

I shall join in over at:-



My choice- die cuts

Love

Thanks

Hi and welcome to a quick post to share a card made for a neighbour's 60th party invite.

My husband decided I should make a card rather than ring up as the initial invite was lucky to find us. The address they used was a little bizarre but thanks, I think to the postie's local knowledge, it arrived amongst a load of Christmas cards. He said that I could include the proper one if we sent a card and surely I had one anyway!

Well I had but none were suitable so using inspiration from CASe this Sketch and CAS mix-up I made this. (Forgot to add a stamp so no good entering at CAS Mix Up!)

To start I created an inky panel from starch, brusho and cling wrap then placed it over a panel of white card, then die cut the thanks. The initial idea was to use a black die cut to replace the one cut out but in the end I went with silver. Then, I decided to fit a thin slither of the same silver at the junction of the two colours and placed an further silver thanks over. I could have done away with all the inlay piecing together but I did prefer the end result! A few punched stars in the same silver card and a die cut one from the inky panel complete.

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                                         edited to add 7/1

Thanks Linda

Good evening and welcome to the start of the first challenge of the year over at ATSM.
It might be a little early for some but this week our theme is -

HOLIDAY

I know we've just got into the New Year but it could be an opportunity to share a card that you made but haven't shared, just like I did here.

I made this at the HLS retreat last November. Fellow attendee and ATSM designer Carol S, wanted to know how to use the PB watercolour effect stamps and Linda another attendee had this PB Poinsettia with her, so I had a play with some DIs, my Zigs and MISTI. I did another one too but didn't get around to finishing it off. The sentiment is from a HLS Christmas set.

Just a simple OL stamped and coloured card.

For more holiday inspired projects visit the rest of the team here.

I'm joining in over at:-

   
                                                          Winter / Christmas

A change is as good as a rest

Evening folks. As the title of this post suggests there have been a few changes for me over the holidays. I'm here to share my first card for a new DT. 

When Kylie started her Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with dies, I jumped at the chance but after 18 months, decided that I needed a change but didn't want to leave the HLS fold. So for the next 6 months I'm on the CAS team! Thanks Kylie for your continued support. So here is my first HLS CAS card.

As you can see the theme this month is friendship, so after a root through my stash I decided on this simple spray of flowers from Altenew's Extra Special set, along with the sentiment.

Bearing the above in mind, I used my MFT stacked stitched circle dies to create an embossed detail, overlayed the stamped and fussy cut spray and tucked the gold embossed sentiment strip under one of the buds. Simples. 

The winner for this challenge will receive a $20 coupon to spend at the shop! Check out all the details HERE.

You don't need to use HLS stamps or dies in your project but if you do and are our random winner the prize is doubled.

For more CAS inspiration check out the rest of the team here.

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Winter Sunset

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Well I hope you haven't got too much of a hangover following last nights festivities. We had a quiet one, OH stayed up to keep the dog company because of the local hotel's firework display and let me catch up on some Zzzzs. We have our daughter and Grandsons with us as well this New Year as their hot water heater blew a fuse on Friday so no hot water, with holidays etc, no repair until Tuesday or Wednesday and when you've got a 10 week old that's a pain. So a dash down the M6 delivered them here while Dad stayed at home as he had to work. 

It's back into the the DT commitments with a bang though with a brand new challenge over at STAMPlorations with our CUTplorations challenge. Here is my card 

based on this fab piccie.

When I saw this inspiration photo I just had to get my watercolours out and have a play.
On a piece of watercolour paper, I washed in some pink, purples, blues and a little yellow to create the sky and some of the same colours into the foreground snow.
When dry, I took a piece of copy paper torn across and laid down over mt scene where the trees would meet the snow then took the smallest of the stamps from the Feathery set and using Stormy Sky DI and some water stamped some shaped to represent the distant trees. Leaving my paper mask in place, I used the same stamp to create the foreground, this time using  Black Onyx ink.
A few freehand flicks with a black fineliner and that part was complete.
The phrase die Warm Winter Wishes was then used to cut the panel and it was replaced by a black foam one that I had previously cut. Don't loose the small pieces because you need to replace them back. A strip of double sided tape on the reverse of the panel works well to secure the inserts.
I wasn't sure whether I would use the original die cut or not but in the end I decided to use a contrast die cut from plain white card.

Job done.
For more inspiration check out the rest of the team here and join us. For all Ts and Cs check out the main STAMPlorations page.

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#88 Anything Goes


No twist for me

Faves of 2017

I meant to do this yesterday but life got in the way, hey oh.

My daughter has had no hot water since Friday so she and the boys are camping out at Nannee's!

What to pick is always problem as I love all my makes in different ways but as I love colouring I went with this monochrome LOTV Sailing By one first.

Colouring on Kraft is always a problem but a little bit of white pencil crayon helps. The rest was done in Copics.

My next was this which I was happy with because it uses a three stage stamp from Altenew.

I was still finding my way with the colour choices for the layered stamps and was very happy with the outcome here. A gold sentiment adds a little extra.

I do love a bold bloom and this gerbera from Uniko is still a fave.

I combined it with another Uniko background stamp for this card, the gorgeous image needed nothing more.

I do love a good die cut card. This uses an MFT set with the addition of some ancient eyelets and some string to create a hoodie inspired card.

 My final card uses a bargain buy die from The Works and embossed flowers courtesy of Altenew.

I used my Zig pens for the watercolour effect, they are just so handy.

So that's my review of the year. Check out my fave Christmas makes here and I'll be back shortly with a brand new challenge over at STAMPlorations.

From me and this cheeky chappy!