Birthday flowers

A birthday card with some happy, sunshiney colours today to compensate for the dreary weather!

I seem to have a thing about teeny tiny bits of bling - I've been using the tiny gems intended for acrylic nail art for quite a while now and have just added the pearl variety to my stash. The tiny ones in the row above the sentiment are only about 1.5mm across!

This flower lends itself so well to the technique of embossing the outline and then flooding ink into the petals that I'm in danger of never doing anything else with it!

Stamps:
Petite Posies (Technique Tuesday)
Sentiment from Birthday Centers (CHF, retired)

Paper:
Cryogen white
Bazzill bling (Petty Cash)

Ink:
Versamark by Tsukineko
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Spiced Marmalade pad and reinker, Mustard Seed reinker)

Other:
Detail white embossing powder by Stampendous
Micro pearls (acrylic nail art supplies)
Tim Holtz Alterations Retro circles embossing folder
Corner Chomper by We R Memory Keepers
Scor-It
Foam tape

Thanks for stopping by!

Unmasked!

Tando Creative have just introduced a new product - masks. As soon as I handled one of them I thought "Ooooh, I bet this is thick enough to make an embossed impression" and I was right! Of course they work beautifully for their intended purpose as masks but I do love finding ways to put my stash to work for multiple purposes so I was pleased with the way this worked out.

I laid some white core card on top of the Random Circles mask and ran it through the Big Shot with an embossing mat. (So for the "sandwich" that was mask laid on the first clear plate, card on top face up, embossing mat and second clear plate on top of that.)

A light sanding to expose the white core and the addition of some stamped circles, brads and a wide chocolate brown mat and I had a quick masculine birthday card.

Supplies:
Random Circles mask by Tando Creative (Tando stockists listed here)
Ornamental Beauty stamp set (CHF, retired)
Sentiment from a HOTP set
Adirondack ink by Ranger (Espresso)
DCWV white core card
Cryogen white card
Bitter chocolate card
Fiskars squeeze punch (large circle)
Small circle punch
Large brads

Thanks for stopping by!

Beaten metal

Somewhere in a box, I still have a copper spoon for a tea caddy that was one of the first things I made in metalwork classes at school - I've always loved the beaten metal look you get from that repeated tapping with a hammer to shape the piece.

I haven't been back to metalwork class though - just playing with chipboard again! Apologies for the fact it's a Christmas project but I've had this idea in my head since first seeing the book plates at Tando Creative and the only way to get it out of my head was to make it!

I covered the book plate with Rub n Buff and then gave it a good clobbering with the fatter end of my embossing stylus to leave little indentations all over it.

I stamped the sentiment on an oval of cardstock trimmed to fit the back of the plate and then added a thin layer of glitter for a bit of festive shimmer.

The stamped Santa is cut out and attached to one side of the frame and the other is finished with pearls (the larger central one covering the hole that would usually be used to attach the book plate to something).

Supplies:
Chipboard book plate (Tando Creative)
Holly Jolly Christmas and Season's Greetings stamp sets (Technique Tuesday)
Adirondack ink by Ranger (Espresso)
Versafine ink by Tsukinkeo (Satin Red)
Copic markers
Deko Ice glitter by Efco (Crystal)
Pearls (including tiny ones for acrylic nail art)
Cryogen White cardstock
Rub n Buff by Amaco (Gold Leaf)
Florist's wire

This is the last of the technique pieces that Carol and I have been doing over the last couple of months - do pop along to the Tando blog to check out Carol's piece too if you have the chance.

Thanks for stopping by!

Time for chippie

It's Wednesday so it must be time for chipboard again and I've done a time-themed piece today. Do pop over to the Tando blog if you have chance and check out what Carol has been up to as well! We decided to focus on melty stuff this week and I opted for UTEE. My initial plan was to melt a load in a wee pan in the oven (I don't have a Melt Pot) but in the end, I was seduced by the ease of the triple embossing technique so went with the heat gun instead! The thickness of the Tando board makes this a breeze as it just doesn't warp with the amount of heat you end up subjecting it to and provides a nice sturdy finish for the piece. I'm afraid the glass pebbles and metallic finishes made this nigh on impossible to photograph but I hope you get the idea! My twinchie for the top of the hanging has three layers of silver UTEE on it and I pressed a stamp that had been dusted with Perfect Pearls into it while still hot to make an impression on one side of the shape. I hope the detail shot shows up the texture and the colour variation from the Perfect Pearls. The random oozy blobs were done with a hot glue gun and once the glue had set I added some Rub n Buff for a sort of molten metal look. Finally, I added a glass pebble (the sort sold to put in vases) with a stamped clock face stuck underneath it with Glossy Accents. The inchie had the same treatment with three layers of UTEE and I used the clock face stamp again while it was hot. There's a little black acrylic paint to pick out the texture and some more hot glue blobs and Rub n Buff. Another glass pebble with a stamped word behind it finishes the bottom of the piece. I made a little wire "hammock" for it - it's just florist's wire used for all the connections here. Supplies: Twinche and Inchie (Tando Creative - stockists can be found here) Inchie Style and Tiled Scallops backgrounder stamps (both Cornish Heritage Farms, retired) Silver UTEE Perfect Pearls by Ranger (Copper) Hot glue gun Rub n Buff by Amaco (Silver Leaf) Black acrylic paint Crop-a-Dile by We R Memory Keepers Florist's wire Glass pebbles Thanks for stopping by, hope time is being kind to you!

Paint job

It's Wednesday so that means it's Tando day for me and Carol. Do pop over to the Tando blog if you have time - Carol's piece is gorgeous!

We're concentrating on paints today. I used mine to create texture by painting a heavy layer of gesso onto my journaling block and stamping into it with a background stamp. It's best to spritz the stamp with water first and be sure to wash it straight away after stamping, the gesso will stick! You get the texture of the brush marks left in the "open" parts of the stamp which works well with this sort of background design.

Once the gesso had dried I added a layer of crimson acrylic paint and when that was almost dry, dabbed gently with a baby wipe to take off some of the paint and highlight the texture.

I've added stamped images, punched stars and some gold Rub n Buff around the edges to finish.

Stamps:
Le Cirque 3 (Graphic 45)

Paper:
Chipboard journalling block by Tando Creative (Tando stockists can be found here)
Cryogen white
Le Cirque (Graphic 45 - a piece sent by Effie when I bought the stamp set from her - thanks Effie!)

Ink:
Adirondack by Ranger (Espresso)
Vintage Photo Distress ink by Ranger

Other:
Gesso
Crimson acrylic paint
Rub n Buff by Amaco (Gold Leaf)
Prismacolor pencils
Squeeze punch by Fiskars (small star)
Spica glitter pen (gold)
Glossy Accents

Thanks for stopping by!

Birdy birthday

It was my dad's birthday recently - hope you had a lovely day, Dad!

I used the challenge in the Crafty Secrets member company forum at SplitcoastStampers as a kickstart to make him a card - we were challenged to do some watercolouring this week.

I chose to use Distress inks as watercolours on my image panel. The deep brown background layer is Cryogen White cardstock that has been spritzed with multiple layers of walnut ink - it gives a lovely mottled, almost leathery look.

I'm much happier with the actual card than with the photo of it, I just couldn't get the richness and delicacy of colour to show well no matter what I tried!

Stamps:
Bird Notes (Clear Art Stamps by Crafty Secrets)
Swirl from Mini Memories (Clear Art Stamps by Crafty Secrets)
Sentiment from Kinkade Birthday Expressions (CHF, retired)

Paper:
Cryogen white
Hot press watercolour paper

Ink:
Stazon by Tsukineo (Timber Brown)
Distress ink by Ranger (Antique Linen, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain, Peeled Paint - as watercolours, Tumbled Glass)

Other:
Walnut ink (crystals dissolved in water in a mister bottle)
Natural raffia
Fancy brad (Making Memories)
Tags trio dies by Spellbinder
Sewing machine and thread

Thanks for stopping by!

If he ruled the world...

We've just done another postcard swap on UKStampers. Our theme this time was "spring" and our cards had to include some stamping and be posted as genuine postcards, no envelope or other protection.

I stamped my bird and coloured him with Copics and then gave him a gold heat embossed crown since he has designs on ruling the world, apparently!

The leaves were done by sponging ink over skeleton leaves and then pressing an inked leaf over a few of them as well. The lyrics are handwritten and finished with a few stamped notes.

Stamps:
Bird Notes and Altered Art (arrow and notes) - both Crafty Secrets

Paper: Smooth white

Ink:
Adirondack by Ranger (Espresso and Lettuce)
Versamark by Tsukineko

Other:
Copic markers
Detail gold embossing powder
Zig drawing pen
Skeleton leaves

We're having another swap for May - theme is "beauty" this time around. Why not pop over to the UKStampers forum and join in if you fancy a bit of happy mail in with the bills and junk?

Thanks for stopping by, have a lovely weekend!

Butterfly dreams

It's Wednesday again - how did that happen?! That means that Carol and I have been playing with Tando chippie again and this week we've been slathering on the gunky stuff! Do pop over to the Tando blog if you have time and see what Carol has made too!

My gothic arch was covered in Terra and then heated to make it bubble as it dried. I added a pewter metallic acrylic paint over the top and tapped a couple of colours of Perfect Pearls onto the wet paint before spritzing with water to make sure it was fixed. I hope you can see the texture - it has a great organic quality about it!

I made "micro mosaics" on three inchies by covering lightly with Ferro and then laying a piece of plastic canvas over the top and squidging (technical term) more Ferro on top. When you lift off the plastic canvas, you get tiny raised squares left behind. Once it was dry, I added a little Perfect Pearls to some areas. I stuck them in place and then trimmed the outer two at an angle to match the sides of the arch.

My butterfly is stamped on vellum and coloured from the back and I've done a metal tape over Dymo label tag attached to a bow with a big pin. The point of the pin is safely embedded in the thick chippie! I coloured white seam binding with a couple of Copics and spritzed with Glimmer Mist so that it all toned with the base of the project.

A couple of skeleton leaves and some beaded wire along with a square brad finish off the top.

Supplies:
Gothic arch and inchies (Tando Creative - Tando stockists listed here)
Altered Art stamp set (Crafty Secrets)
Brilliance ink by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)
Copic markers
Terra by Viva Decor (Greek)
Ferro by Viva Decor (Graphite)
Perfect Pearls by Ranger (Patina Blue, Patina Green)
Pewter acrylic paint
Glimmer Mist (Antique Brass)
Seam binding
Pin
Dymo label maker
Aluminium tape
Florist's wire
Crop a Dile by We R Memory Keepers
Skeleton leaves
Beads
Square brad

Thanks for stopping by!