Fearless and powerful

I’d been meaning to play along with the current challenge at Lost Coast Designs which is asking us to feature a human face. A couple of projects got started but ended up in the circular file. Then Gail, who facilitated me getting him as part of my recent prize when my name came out of the hat on a Lost Coast challenge, suggested using Frankie. It was an idea I’d already considered but got no further with, but something about her suggestion made this idea emerge and refuse to go away. 

I guess some might argue that Frankenstein’s monster is not human (I’m sure Mary Shelley would approve of the philosophical debate arising from that) but I think it’s easily countered in this case by arguing that it’s Boris Karloff playing Frankenstein’s monster in any case. Of course the English Literature graduate in me balks slightly at the fact the stamp is called “Frankenstein” but others might use the word “pedant”!

Let’s Squash It is currently asking us to emboss something other than paper or card and I decided to combine challenges by putting Frankie on a backdrop made from a thick aluminium tray (the sort you might get to serve food at a big party - remember those? Your local pound shop probably has the trays if you’re in the UK). I dabbed a thin coat of black acrylic paint on there and wiped back over the high spots to bring out the design. As the novel has unease at industrialisation as an underlying theme, I thought this folder would be appropriate. 

The quote is actually from the novel, done with a Dymo label maker. 

ETA - I've corrected an earlier "oops"  where I stuck the words down in the wrong order, changing the meaning entirely. Why don't you see these things until you're looking at a photo of the finished project?! Apologies to Shelley and to the monster (and to you if you saw an image with an incorrect quote!). I'm afraid that means there's now sun glare off one corner but I'm happier to live with that!

Stamps:
Frankenstein (Carmen’s Veranda)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko  (Graphite Black)

Other:
Aluminium tray
Uber embossing folder (Couture Creations)
Black acrylic paint
Copic markers
White paint pen by Posca
Pinflair glue gel
Dymo label maker

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Ten green bottles

Ruth is setting the challenge for us at Daring Cardmakers this week and she'd like to see bottles - any sort, any quantity!

I decided to go not only for 10 green bottles but the wall as well! The bottles (eight of them) are all in a row on one stamp but I decided it would be fun to have them a bit more random so I cut them out individually.

The current challenge at Let's Squash It wants us to emboss something other than paper or card to include on our cards so my wall is made of the metal from a tomato paste tube, I painted it with gesso and then wiped back to leave white "mortar" and slightly glamorous bricks! Gel glue is pretty much essential here as the 3D embossing folder leaves such a deeply textured impression you need something that will stick securely despite all the cragginess.

Stamps:
Hot Picks 1109 (Paper Artsy)
Letter It range Birthday (Ranger)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Adirondack dye ink by Ranger (Pitch Black)
Versafine by Tsukineko (Onyx Black)

Other:
Tomato paste tube
Brickwork 3D embossing folder (Tim Holtz/Sizzix)
Gesso
Copic markers
Pinflair glue gel
Black fineliner

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Very superstitious

Hello, my turn to set the challenge over at Daring Cardmakers this week and as it’s Friday the 13th I thought we’d take inspiration from superstitions this time. No need to try to represent the superstition itself (although you could if that's the way the muse takes you!), just pick an element to use on your card (see the blog for more details!).

Spoiled for choice I considered shoes (don't put new shoes on the table), a monkey with a banana (don't take bananas on board a boat) and various others before settling on a very old superstition - apparently women in Ancient Britain often carried an acorn in a pocket in the belief it would keep them looking young. A lot cheaper than all the anti-aging products around these days! 

I chose to make a clean and simple scrapling and to throw the acorns into the spotlight a bit more, I stamped a second image on a scrap of cardstock, cut out just the acorns and used a bit of gel glue for some lift.  

As I chose an older stamp I’m playing along at Retro Rubber too as there’s an anything goes theme for the current challenge. 

My teamies have been knocking on wood, encountering black cats, umbrellas and horseshoes - check out the blog for more superstitious inspiration!

Stamps:
Fall Harvest (Cornish Heritage Farms, no longer with us - set dated 2009)
Say It All (Hero Arts, retired)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Versafine by Tsukineko (Vintage Sepia)
Adirondack dye ink by Ranger (Espresso)

Other:
Copic markers 
Coloured pencils
Pinflair glue gel
Corner Chomper

Thanks for stopping by, I hope life is being kind to you.

 

 

 

Link in the chain - July

It's reveal day at Card Chain Challenge. My card went to Janis in Idaho this time.

From the options on offer I chose the themes of summer and snacks (although I do wonder whether three scoops counts as a meal!).

Bright, citrusy colours seemed to go with a summer vibe and I couldn't find a suitable stamp with the word "summer" so I ended up using die cut lettering for that bit. There's Spica glitter pen on various elements for a bit of subtle sparkle. The cone is cut out and popped up with some gel glue.

Stamps:
Layering Ice Cream (Hero Arts)
Birthday (Lettering range by Ranger)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Pearlescent Chocolate)
Tim Holtz Distress and Oxides by Ranger (Twisted Citron, Spice Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Tea Dye)
Adirondack dye ink by Ranger (Sunshine Yellow, Sunset Orange, Latte)

Other:
Typewriter font dies (Tim Holtz/Sizzix)
Brown fineline pen
Spica pen (Gold and Turquoise)
Pinflair glue gel
Corner Chomper

Thanks for stopping by!

Tag team

Dawn has set our challenge at Daring Cardmakers this week. She’d like to see some pretty gift tags, perhaps using up some paper scraps if you have them. 

As a patterned paper denier (I usually experience brain freeze if I try to use it) I went for a different sort of scrap - my tag is made from the thick card on the back of a board-backed envelope - and prettied it up with a stamp.

In travels around the interweb recently I saw some things that reminded me I haven’t used my letter punches for ages (the sort you hit with a hammer to emboss into metal etc) which prompted this tag. I layered so the circle with the lettering doesn’t have the back showing (it can get bumpy!). I added just a touch of brown and white pencil colouring and a few dots of gold gel pen in the very centres of the flowers and gave the edges some depth by brushing with Distress ink.

Stamps:
Soothing Sympathy (Power Poppy, retired I believe)

Paper:
Board-backed envelope

Ink:
Versafine by Tsukineko (Vintage Sepia)
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Vintage Photo)

Other:
Metal letter punches
Circle dies
Coloured pencils 
Gold gel pen
Ribbon
Crochet thread

Thanks for stopping by!

Squash, shimmer and shine!

I'm not sure where this month has gone but I am managing to play before the deadline for the current challenge at Let's Squash It - any embossing folder plus shimmer and/or shine.

I ended up having a bit of my "patterned paper syndrome" here - I made my embossed piece and then  dithered for ages suffering brain freeze on what to do with it! In the end I decided whimiscal foliage might suit a whimsical image and picked up Pointy Hat Gnome.

I got my shimmer by applying Rub n Buff over my embossed piece using the universal craft tool (my index finger). I did then use a silver gel pen on some of the finer lines to make sure they were properly highlighted. I also coloured a few of the low sections with a Copic marker just a shade or two darker than the cardstock.

Stamps:
Pointy Hat Gnome (Lost Coast Designs)
Essential Messages (Hero Arts, retired)

Paper:
DCWV textured
Bristol board
Dark chocolate brown

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)

Other:
Grand Fubu embossing folder (Couture Creations)
Rub n Buff by Amaco (Silver Leaf)
Copic markers
Silver gel pen
Circle frame cut from mirri card with Fine Frames dies (Altenew)
Ultra white embossing powder (Wow!)
Tracing wheel

Thanks for stopping by!

Splish splosh

Svenja has issued our challenge at Daring Cardmakers this week - she's sending us splish sploshing around to cool off!

I made a sploshy background and added a fish for good measure on the watery front! The background is just Distress ink smooshed onto a piece of acetate, spritzed with water and dabbled onto the card base. I layered up the colours going from light to dark.

The fish is stuck down with the exception of the two little fins on his underside, I left those free for a tiny bit of dimension.

Stamps:
Under the Sea (Darkroom Door)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)
Ti Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean, Blueprint Sketch)

Other:
Copic markers
White Enamel Accents by Ranger
Corner Chomper

Thanks for stopping by - hope the weather is manageable for you wherever you are.

Sunglasses weather

Miri's chosen the challenge at Daring Cardmakers this week and it’s a perfect one for the weather we’re having at the moment - feature (sun) glasses on your card!

I’m still revisiting old stamps - this little fella made his debut in 2010! He’s Copic coloured, cut out and popped up over the stencilled background. I gave him a grounding shadow, coated the die cut sentiment in some Enamel Accents for a glossy, dimensional look, rounded one corner and called it done (other than dropping it face down and having to fix the Enamel Accents, that is!). 

Stamps:
Cool Dudes I (Cornish Heritage Farms, no longer with us)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)
Jenni Bowlin by Ranger (Lemon Drops)

Other:
Copic markers
Strobes stencil (Visible Image)
Phrases dies (Spellbinder)
White enamel accents (Ranger)
Corner Chomper

Thanks for stopping by!

Gnome for Christmas

There are plenty of Christmas in July challenges around at the moment - as I was lucky enough to win some stamps from Lost Coast in a recent challenge I thought I should try to play along with theirs using part of my prize! Although I haven’t played at Less is More in several years, I still check out the challenge every time so I’m going to link up there too!

I chose Pointy Hat Gnome as one of my prize stamps so I thought I should ink him up sooner rather than later and dress him in festive colours so he could play along. He's decided to go into the lucrative business of Christmas tree sales this year and is looking forward to the smell of fresh pine resin as people saw through the skinny trunk of thier chosen tree!

This is just simple stamping and masking, colouring with a few Copics and some little wiggles of dimensional pearl paint around the base of the sign and below his feet to suggest some snow - light and flat for easy postage!

ETA: just realised I left a strip of tape over the lower portion of the post after inking so if you’re seeing a slightly weird line down his mitten, imagine it gone now! I hand drew that bit of the sign as the original didn’t have a long enough stem so I couldn’t cut a mask from the stamped image for that bit. Funny how a it takes a photo to show up an imperfection sometimes!

Stamps:
Pointy Hat Gnome (Lost Coast Designs)
Bear Hugs and Vintage Winter Signage (both Cornish Heritage Farms, no longer with us)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukinko (Graphite Black, Pearlescent Chocolate)
Tim Holtz Distress Oxide by Ranger (Cracked Pistachio)

Other:
Copic markers
Pearl pen by Viva Decor (Ice White)
Corner Chomper

 

Link in the chain - June

Time for the June reveal at Card Chain Challenge - mine has gone to LaVon in Illinois this time. 

From the choices on offer this month, I chose the sketch, the colours and the theme of things that fly to put together a clean and simple design. I didn’t quite stick to my one layer principle for CCC cards as I did stamp the ballon separately, cut it out and pop it up on a bit of gel glue. The sentiment got similar treatment. The cloudy sky is created with ink applied with a blending brush over a torn edge. 

Stamps:
Past Times and Essential Messages (Hero Arts)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)
Adirondack dye ink by Ranger (Stonewashed)

Other:
Copic markers
Stitched rectangle dies A6 size (Paper Rose)
Sequins
Pinflair glue gel

There are still a few days to sign up for the next chain if you fancy it