Glorious gardens

I've just managed to sneak in under the wire for this month's postcard swap on UKStampers where Jilly set the theme flowers/gardens.

We have a couple of patches of glorious poppies in our front garden which inspired my choice of stamp. They're just past their best now but we've had a couple of days where the sun has shone through the petals and really set them ablaze.

Things got a bit out of hand with my first attempt but I'd spent time colouring the poppy and liked the way it came out so I cut it out and used it, even though my original intention was to do my usual one layer job.

I found a masterboard sheet of A4 (using resist techniques) while looking for something else so I decided to use that as a base and go mixed media style. I added the stamped poppy, some rub ons, a bit of stencilling and some charcoal pencil.

I made the masterboard long enough ago that my list of supplies might involve a bit of guesswork this time but here it is in case anyone's interested in any of the elements.

Stamps:
Poppycock by Indigo Blu
Numbers border by Kaisercraft

Paper: Smooth white 

Ink:
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Barn Door, Mowed Lawn)
Versamark
Brilliance By Tsukineko (Graphite Black)

Other:
Copic markers
White Posca pen 
Fineline marker
Charcoal pencil
Sequin Waste stencil by Tando Creative
White embossing powder
Gesso
Microglaze by Judikins
Dylusions (Fresh Lime, Vibrant Turquoise)
Rubons by Tim Holtz (Apothecary and Words) 
Brick stencil by Dutch Doobadoo


Thanks for stopping by - if you're in the UK, please remember to be especially kind to each other (actually, that applies wherever you are - kindness costs nothing - but it seems particularly important that the UK should remember it at the moment).

Masculine Mechanical

Father's Day seems to be the same date on both sides of the Atlantic (unlike Mother's Day) so I'm guessing quite a few of us were making masculine cards last week!

 I was reminded by Sabrina's sample for the "Make It Masculine" challenge over on Splitcoast Stampers on Thursday that I haven't played with foil tape in an age so that's what I did for my dad's card.

I stuck die cut lettering and dry wall tape to a rectangular base and covered in a patchwork of foil tape pieces. I burnished it all with a paper stump to stretch the tape over the textured bits and added more surface texture with a ball point pen (for "rivets"), a stylus and a pin for fine scratches in one area. The whole lot then got a coat of black acrylic paint that was wiped back when almost dry. I added a tiny hint of colour with some Teal gilding wax on the lettering.

Perhaps because of all the texture on the foil panel, the cogs looked a bit "flat" stamped on the card base so I used a fine line marker and did some crosshatch shading on the cogs themselves and used a charcoal pencil and lots of smudging to shade around them.

Stamp: Mechanics by Indigo Blu
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black
Other:
Font One dies by Spellbinder
Dry wall tape
Foil tape
Black acrylic paint
Fineline marker
Charcoal pencil
Creative Expressions gilding wax (Teal)

Thanks for stopping by!

Simple butterfly

I think a card for airmailing needs to be light and flat (unless you want to get into sending it as a parcel!) so this is a one layer card. The recipient teaches maths so I went for a numbers border to tie in with that, stamped with grey ink over a masked butterfly.

As I wanted to use Copic colouring I added a sheet of paper stuck inside the front the card to disguise any bleed-through but still keep the one-layer aesthetic.

A charcoal pencil shadow adds a bit of depth to help the image pop off the surface and there's a wee bit of shimmer on the butterfly's spots courtesy of a Wink of Stella pen.

Stamps:
Antique Engravings and Say It All by Hero Arts
Numbers Border by Kaisercraft

Paper: Smooth white

Ink:
Brilliance Graphite Black by Tsukineko
Soft Granite by Hero Arts

Other:
Corner Chomper
Wink of Stella clear pen
Charcoal pencil

Thanks for stopping by!