Party like a Pirate

Morning all.

It's time for a brand new challenge over at Cardz4Guyz. This time we would like to see your projects on the theme of:-

BY THE WATER

Lots of places to go withy that theme I think, rivers, sea, lakes and all the things you can do on or by them! For my card I was struck by the likeness of the latest MFT Sketch Challenge, which looked very much like rolling waves, so I looked out my Party Like a Pirate set and got going.

On a panel of white card, I inked in some clouds using my MFT cloud stencil and some Salty Ocean DI, which I carried down past the horizon. I used some vellum to create the sea, which I inked with the same Salty Ocean and then tore to get the effect of crests and cut some kraft for the beach. 

The fussy cut images were stamped and coloured with Copic markers before arranging in a little scene. A little white gel pen was added to the vellum and a sentiment die cut banner added to complete.

So where will you go with this theme? We'd love to see your take in our gallery. Check out the rest of the Cardz4Guyz team here for more inspiration.

We've had a good few days of dry sunny afternoons and the bulbs are looking fab as they raise their heads above the grass in the wild flower area and the blossom is looking its best, especially against the blue skies.

We planted this hedgerow between some v old oak and ash trees. The original hawthorn hedge was overgrown and neglected, like much of the hedgerows, so we added a variety of native species to reinvigorate it. We did too good a job it seems, as now the whips are getting too tall and threatening the overhead power lines! So. the OH has been thinning out silver birch and alder, leaving the smaller shrubs behind. 

Our latest residents are enjoying the dry, sunny weather too.

I'm joining in over at:-

Uniko New Release Blog Hop and Giveaway

 Good morning folks. Its time for a little blog hop featuring the latest release from Uniko. So grab yourself a cuppa and get hopping!

First off the block is a Twofer featuring Floral Vines.

This first card uses the bleaching technique and heat embossing.

I made a frame with the Floral Vines stamping it onto a panel of smooth white card with Versamark, then heat embossing with white EP. I then added DOx in Picked Raspberry and Seedless Preserve over the top, keeping the center paler and the edges darker, buffing of the excess from the embossing when dry. Using a fine brush I used water to remove the colour where I wanted and blotted with a dry paper towel to lift the colour. If it doesn't work first time, just go back in again until you get the result you want.

To complete, I added a white, heat embossed sentiment from the same set.

The second card featuring Floral Vines, uses fussy cutting and Copic colouring.

On a panel of linen effect card, I stamped the Floral Vines in green, removing the ink from the solid line at the bottom. On a separate piece of scrap white card, I stamped it again in black.

Using more Copic markers, I coloured the leaves and added more dots of colour both freehand and with the small stamp from the Floral Vines set.

My sentiment, again from the same set was stamped in matching green on an ancient Spellbinders die cut ribbon tag. Some matching pink grosgrain ribbon was threaded through the tag and the fussy cut blooms added so that they hung over the edge of the tag, the whole lot was then popped up on pads over the outline on the card.

This third card uses the Framed - Floral Vines stamp, which I stamped onto a white base card, masking off the top right corner.

I extended the frame and leaf with a black fine liner, coloured the leaves and flowers with Copic markers and added the large sentiment from Birthday Wishes. A simple OLC!

My final card uses the fab large gerbera stencil and Background Blocks Solid Wonky Stripes.

On a panel of white card I inked through the stencil with Picked Raspberry DI and Black Soot for the center. Once I removed the stencil I went back in to give the petals some definition with a matching Zig watercolour marker brush. The stencil is so large that it is easy to add extra details like this. To create the detail in the center, I added some Hickory Smoke DI to the stencil details.

On a scrap of white card, I stamped Background Blocks Solid Wonky Stripes in black to create the end panel. To finish I added a sentiment from Pure Florals Peony of white heat embossed on black.

So what do you think of the new release? There's lots more inspiration on the Uniko blog from the rest of the BAs as well as all the details about the hop.

So for a chance to win the whole release leave a comment here and then check out the rest of the team and leave some love there as well!

 Bev

Hannelie

Izzy

Jane 

Julie - that's me

Rahmat

For all the details and to get back on track if you get lost along the way, check out the Uniko blog here.

Happy hopping!

I'd like to join in over at:-

 

Uniko -March Challenge

Good morning folks, it's time for a new challenge over at Uniko.  

Here's my card based on this month's theme.

The day I made this card the sky was blue and the daffodils at the top of the drive by the road, were just showing a bit of colour, heralding the start of spring. So using Spring Botanicals - Daffodil, I created this little group in homage, by stamping, masking and heat embossing with white EP. I then went in and coloured the blooms with a mix of Mustard Seed and Wild Honey DIs, adding shadows with a blue grey Zig watercolour pen. Over the top of the yellow on the leaves, I added a wash of Salty Ocean to create the green stems. 

The sky is a mix of Salty Ocean and Blueprint Sketch, which I blended in with water past the yellow blooms. I mixed Mustard Seed with Salty Ocean that was left on my palette and washed that in between the stems, adding extra yellow for texture. I then masked all the blooms and over stamped with one of the Nature's Treasures (retired) foliage stamp with Salty Ocean and added a few flicks with the Zig pen. When dry I went in with the Zig pen and defined the shadows a bit more.

My white heat embossed sentiment from the same set completes. The finished panel was trimmed and then added to an A6 top fold card.

So where will you go, we'd love to see your interpretations in the gallery. There's more inspiration from the team over at Uniko, if you need it.

Color Hues #14

Afternoon peeps.

What did I say about March moving on a pace? Well it's already halfway so it's time for a brand new colour challenge over at Color Hues, here's my interpretation.

I had so many ideas for a card but decided to give this Creative Endeavours Signature Terrace stamp it's first inking. This is the second of their scene stamps I've used, Fisherman's Wharf was used here awhile back. 

I stamped a couple of the images onto black card with Versamark then used some white detail EP and heat set. The tall houses suggested a tall, slim card, so I trimmed one panel down and fussy cut the roof line. I repeated the process with the second but cut more away, adding a few extras from the cut away pieces to increase the height.

I found some black glitter card in my stash so decided to use this for the sky and added it to a piece of scrap copy paper that I had cut to size, layering the houses on top, the top layer I added some fun foam behind for extra dimension. To reflect the frosty sky, I added Wink of Stella to the rooves, sadly this doesn't show up in the pic! I left the sentiment off the front as I couldn't find the exact one I wanted. It could be a Christmas card or anything else I want really.

So that's all from for the moment but please check out the rest of the Color Hues team here for more black and white inspiration.

Joining in at:-

Embossing Wet or Dry

Monochromatic

STAMPlorations challenges, a reminder

 Have you joined in the latest Theme and Photo challenge over at STAMPlorations? There's still time and the teams have got together to give you some more inspiration here, to encourage you to join in, including my card below!

I used the theme of numbers for my anniversary card.

I used the fab large cake from Dee's Better Together and more of the digits from the Numbers Plate Die.

After stamping the cake on some white card in Altenew's Industrial Diamond, I used Copics to colour and then fussy cut it out. I prefer to fussy cut as it allows me to add the white 'iced' cake to the coloured background without loosing the intensity of the white. Fussy cutting even small images is worth the effort, I don't really like the white border you get from matching dies, when available, and it doesn't cost as much either! I do like to use die cut letters and numbers though!

On my slightly shimmery cream card base, I stamped the image again and then glued the fussy cut cake on top. I did this because I wanted to retain the fine spray above the large bloom but not have to fussy cut it! A bit of a cheat I know, but the overall effect is worth it.

Using a 1 and 5 cut from white card and the plate die, I repeated the cut with two more black numerals, which I then layered up and adhered to the largest tier. The sentiment from the same set was stamped in black and embossed with clear EP to complete.

For more inspiration from the team and for all Ts and Cs checkout the STAMPlorations blog here, then why not join us?

Joining in over at:-

Use a stamped image

Favourite way to cut your image