That's torn it

It's DCM day and this week Dawn is asking us to "tear it up" - add something ripped or torn to your project.

I still have pages from an ephemera pack I bought ages ago from a local outfit that put them together from books that were beyond rescue. I tore a strip from a page featuring a children's story and used it to anchor the stamped image. I used a charcoal pencil to smudge underneath it to give it a bit more heft.

It's ages since I used bubble wrap to stamp with - I thought it would suit the style here and used the same ink to add a touch of colour to the balloon.

Stamps: 
Joy by Carabelle Studio 
Essential Messages by Hero Arts 

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Tumbled Glass)

Paper: 
Bristol Board 
Torn book page

Other:
Charcoal pencil 
Corner Chomper 

Size: 7 x 5"

Thanks for stopping by!

Geometrics

Leo is setting the challenge this week at Daring Cardmakers and she's asking us to make geometric patterns on our cards. Any kind of shapes used repeatedly to make a pattern is fine here, Leo's only stipulation is that it shouldn't simply be a piece of patterned paper, you should make the pattern yourself (stamps, die cuts, stitching etc).


I decided to make my pattern with die cut circles, double sided tape sheet and glitter. In the end I chose a reinforcer die from a tag set so I ended up with rings rather than solid circles.

I stuck the die cuts to a square covered with tape, keeping my fingers off the sticky as much as possible (keeping the release paper handy and using it as a shield is a good idea). Then I burnished fine glitter over the piece to complete the pattern and stuck it to a black mat.

A stamped butterfly and a simple sentiment finish off a fairly bold, graphic look.

Stamps: 
Antique Engravings and Essential Messages by Hero Arts

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)

Other:
Microfine glitter
Tag die set (Tim Holtz/Sizzix)
Double sided tape sheet
Copic markers
Corner Chomper

Size: 14cm (5.5") square

Take a look at the blog to see what the team has been up to with triangles, squares etc - it would be lovely to see you there with your own geometrics, too!

Thanks for stopping by!

Bricks and mortar

I needed a new home card with a masculine vibe - this is the eventual result. It really shouldn't have taken as long as it did but for some reason it was a bit of an uphill struggle. I was kind of content with the result but hubby really likes it and as he asked me to make it in the first place that's the main thing!

I decided against adding a sentiment, I think it's nice to have a card that speaks for itself with imagery sometimes and I hope the brick embossing and the key add up to the right message!

Stamps:
Key Elements (an old Cornish Heritage Farms set)

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Vintage Photo)

Other:
Dry Stone Wall embossing folder by Crafter's Companion
Back to Nature dies by Sizzix

Thanks for stopping by!

Mirror, mirror

Sharon is setting this week's dare over at Daring Cardmakers and she's asking us to include a reflective element in our cards this week.

I started with some watercolour paper and stamped the seahorse then used a mask cut from a Post It to cover him up and stamped the streaks in three Distress inks. I spread the ink just a little with a damp paint brush and then added three stamped splashes.

There's just a tiny touch of Copic shading added to the seahorse before finishing with a stamped sentiment and the very shiny dots. They're the "waste" portion from various dies that include a hole which are domed with an embossing stylus on a piece of fun foam. The mirror card really is very reflective - you can see the window frame if you look carefully!

Stamps:
Under the Sea by Darkroom Door
Brush Strokes and Say It All by Hero Arts

Paper:
Watercolour
Silver mirror card

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Pearlscent Chocolate)
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Salty Ocean, Peacock Feathers, Broken China)

Other:
Copic marker (Eggshell)
Tag and bauble dies
Embossing stylus 
Corner Chomper 

Thanks for stopping by, hope you have a lovely weekend!

February elements

It's the first dare of the month at daring Cardmakers and Svenja has provided our "elemental" photo this time. As usual the dare is to take at least three elements from the picture to use in your card.

I chose the cogs, the diamond shape and the loose coil of wire as my elements and made a clean and simple, masculine-looking card.

I have no idea what happened with the Enamel Accents - it went on looking like enamel dots, nice smooth domes. I left the card aside to dry overnight and discovered all the dots had a central dimple the next morning! It's done it very neatly so I decided it could just be considered "supposed to be like that"!

For the diamond frame, I used a knife and ruler to cut around the aperture left after die cutting one of the solid shapes.

I used a red Spica glitter pen to go over the stamped sentiment which probably just about shows on the detail shot.

Stamps:
Cogs background by Indigo Blu
Essential Messages by Hero Arts

Paper: Bristol Board

Ink:
Shadow ink by Hero Arts (Soft Granite)
Memento Luxe by Tsukineko (Love Letter)

Other:
Geometric shape dies by Hero Arts
Enamel Accents by Ranger (white)
Spica glitter pen by Copic (red)
Silver metallic thread
Corner Chomper

Thanks for stopping by!

I want more...

It's dare day over at DCM and Miri is asking us what we'd like more of this year.

I count myself extremely fortunate to have what I have and struggled a bit with this challenge - all the things that popped into my head were pretty esoteric. In the end I decided to run with that and go for something more symbolic than concrete.


A while ago I was looking for a decent olive stamp. I remembered that on that hunt I saw a digital image that combines olive and oak. Since an olive branch symbolises peace and oak is traditionally associated with wisdom and strength I thought it would be a good representation of things we could use more of in the world right now.

I used Copic markers (cool and warm greys plus black) to colour the image then surrounded it with some charcoal pencil. I almost left it just like that but ultimately decided this die cut word was simple enough not to detract from the overall feel.

Supplies:
Olive and oak digital image (Power Poppy)
Copic markers (Warm Grey 1 and 3, Cool Grey 1, 3 and 5, Special Black)
Serenity word die set (Sizzix, retired)
Charcoal pencil
Corner chomper

Thanks for stopping by!

Let it snow!

The Craft Barn is running a challenge through the year with each challenge taking a different song as the starting point. I thought it would be fun to try to play along and make a postcard each time.

The first challenge is "Let it snow" and you must include the song title and the name of an artist who made it famous.

I ended up including three artists - Frank Sinatra, Rod Stewart and the one I think of immediately on hearing the song which is Dean Martin. I wrote their names up the "strings" holding some of the snowflakes, first in silver gel pen and then with a fineliner so they look a bit different, depending on the angle of the light.

There's Stickles over the silver snowflakes which has made them look fainter on the photo but they're nice and sparkly in real life! The word SNOW is silver gilding flake on lettering die cut from double sided tape.

Stamps:
Grunge Flakes (Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous)
Alphabet stamps

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Peacock Feathers, Salty Ocean)
Versamark
Delicata by Tsukineko (Silver)

Other:
Bright white detail embossing powder by Wow
SilverGel pen
Stickles (Frosted Lace)
Mega Flake by Indigo Blu (Sheffield Steel)
Font One dies by Spellbinder
Double sided tape sheet
Black fineliner

There's still time to play along if you fancy it, all the details of the challenge are here. Thanks for stopping by!

A stitch in time

It's dare day over at Daring Cardmakers and Nat is asking us to "stitch it!" - use stitching as a prominent feature in your design.

This is absolutely not what I intended to make when I sat down at the craft table and I'm not sure how prominent the stitching really is but it's what happened so I'm going with the flow!

I'm still without my sewing machine which is on loan to a friend so I decided to do something I could hand stitch. Each of the stars has a slightly wonky line of stitching through it and the sequins are stitched on as well (just a knotted thread on the small ones but through the centre and out to the edges on the larger ones).

The stars were punched from a scrap of watercolour paper that had orange and purple re-inkers on it that has been lying around for ages.

I find the best strategy for hand stitching on card is to pierce holes first rather than trying to do it with the needle as you go.

Stamps:
Bubble background by Indigo Blu
Big Day Today by Waltzingmouse stamps (retired)

Ink:
Memento Luxe by Tsukineko (Bahama Blue)
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Spiced Marmalade)

Other:
Clean Color markers (Cobalt Blue and Light Blue)
Spica glitter pen (Turquoise)
Star punches
Sequins
Corner Chomper
White and silver threads

Autumn anniversary

This was made for my mum and dad's wedding anniversary. I did the leafy stamping and painting without any particular plan in mind. When I came to trim it to make a card I decided it looked elegant as a tall, slim design with lots of white space so I went with that - it's a DL card.

This stamp is very detailed and the watercolour paper is a bit textured - my newly-acquired MISTI came into its own since I could just re-ink and stamp again to make sure I got a good impression despite the bumpy surface.

I think this image is good for an autumn anniversary without being too in-your-face about things - two acorns carries a suggestion of two people who can grow together.

Stamps:
Oak branch (Beeswax Stamps)
Sentiment from Putting on the Ritz (Waltzingmouse Stamps, retired) 

Paper:
Watercolour

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Pearlescent Chocolate)
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (various autumn tones, I lost track!)

Other:
Watercolour pencils
MISTI

Thanks for stopping by!

Gilded die cut resist

It's dare day over at Daring Cardmakers and Kathy has asked us to do something new as we're just into a new year.

I've had this idea I've been meaning to try out for a while so the dare gave me a little prod. Gilding flake acts as a resist for water or dye-based media and I thought that rather than stamping with glue and gilding, it would be fun to try die cutting double sided adhesive and gilding that before using wet media over it.

As well as trying a new technique, I haven't used this die before so that's an extra new element, too! Being tape rather than card stock meant I could curve the die cuts as I stuck them down so the two shapes look a bit different.

The gilding flake I used is gold but as it's extremely reflective the richness of colour changes with the angle and the light.

The Brushos were still out on my desk from last week so I used one of those over my gilded leaves. I sprinkled a second time when it was almost dry to intensify the colour near the edge and a bit along the leaf shapes. I stamped background leaves with Distress ink (which the gilding also resists in the areas there's overlap).

When the piece was dry, I added a couple of gilded spots and some tiny gems along with a sentiment to finish it off.

Supplies:
Back to Nature Thinlits dies by Sizzix
Double sided tape sheet
Mega Flake by Indigo Blu (Chariot of Fire)
Turquoise Brusho
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Salty Ocean)
Brilliance ink by Tsukineko (Pearlescent Chocolate)
Doddle Parts clear stamp set by Dylusions
Essential Messages stamp set by Hero Arts
Nail art gems

Thanks for stopping by - hope you get the chance to try out something new, do join us at DCM if you do!