Keep moving...

I managed to get some work done a bit faster than expected today so that meant I was able to get this idea out of my head and onto paper just before the end of the current challenge at Lost Coast Designs where the theme is Steampunk/Vintage.

I thought I was going to have to sit this one out but while trying to get to sleep last night I remembered this emobssing folder and thought it would probably do a lot of the work for me - I made this in about 40 minutes which is incredibly fast for me! Remembering I had an Einstein quote in my stash of stamps meant I didn't faff around trying to make a quote with die cuts or alphabet stamps etc, too!

Einstein was stamped on Kraft card and I thought it would be fun to give him his famous shock of white hair with fairly rough and ready strokes of a white paint pen. He's cut out and stuck on with a bit of gel glue for some lift. The background is the same Kraft card, embossed and then inked with brushes and some gold ink swiped directly from the pad over the high spots.

Stamps:
Einstein (Carmen's Veranda)
Bicycle Life (Cornish Heritage Farms, no longer with us)

Paper:
Recycled Kraft board envelope (well known online retailer!)
Bristol board

Ink:
Versafine by Tsukineko (Onyx Black)
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Vintage Photo) and Oxide (Evergreen Bough)
Adirondack dye ink by Ranger (Espresso)
Delicata by Tsukineko (Golden Glitz)

Other:
Uber embossing folder (Couture Creations)
White paint pen by Posca
Stitched rectangle dies, A6 size (Paper Rose)
Pinflair gel glue

Word Play

It's my turn to set the challenge at Daring Cardmakers this week. We're playing with the letters FEB as we wave goodbye to the month - use something beginning with each of those letters on your card.

I've combined with the current challenge at Let's Squash It which wants us to use green and an insect with our embossing folders. I think that bit's self-explanatory and I was lucky enough to win this lovely folder a couple of challenges back so I thought it would be appropriate to use it here. My FEB elements are Frame (and Flowers), Embossing folder (and Enamel Accents) and Bee.

I brayered a couple of green inks onto my folder before embossing and added Enamel Accents and fine glitter on the flower heads before stamping the bee, colouring with a white paint pen then restamping and adding a touch of colour with Copics. 

I've left it with no sentiment as an all-purpose kind of card.

Stamps:
Queen Bee (Crafty Secrets, no longer with us)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukinko (Graphite Black)
Distress Oxide (Cracked Pistachio, Evergreen Bough)

Other:
Stitched Frame dies (Paper Rose)
Ball Flower embossing folder (Hobby Solution)
White pain pen (Posca)
Copic markers
White Enamel Accents (Ranger)
Glamour Dust glitter by Deco Art (Crystal)
MISTI

Two hearts

As we’re fast approaching Valentine’s Day, Dawn couldn’t resist giving us a Valentine theme at Daring Cardmakers this week. 

I’ve combined with the current challenge at Lost Coast Designs who are in the pink. I’m not usually good with pink so I’ve tried to keep things clean and simple to help me get over the “prettiness” problem that’s the root of my issues!

Retro Rubber has the theme of love for the current challenge and as I’ve had the Hero Arts heart stamp set since 2014 I’m linking up there, too.

I smooshed a bit of Kitsch Flamingo onto the card base using a piece of acetate then stamped the first heart with Picked Raspberry, masked it and stamped the second heart with the Flamingo ink. As the smooshed ink is diluted with a spritz of water, the stamping has enough extra intensity to show up (I did use the MISTI so I could stamp a couple of times to make sure though).

Stamps:
Untitled Hearts (Hero Arts, retired — I’ve had mine since 2014)
Key Expressions (Cornish Heritage Farms, no longer with us)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Versafine by Tsukinkeo (Onyx Black)
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Kitsch Flamingo, Picked Raspberry)

Other:
Corner Chomper 

Thanks for stopping by!

    

Link in the chain - January

It's reveal day over at Card Chain Challenge for the first chain of 2022.

Mine went to Pia in Norway this time. From the options on offer I chose the theme of "new" by making a card to toast the new year and used the sketch too. I stuck to my preference of one layer cards for CCC, using masking and adding a bit of drop shadow with markers.

Stamps:
Champagne Celebration (Crafter’s Companion)
Time To Stamp (Cornish Heritage Farms, no longer with us)

Paper:
Bristol board

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

Other:
Gansai Tambi watercolours (Starry colours pallette)
Copic markers
Cressida stencil (Memory Box)
Typewriter font alphabet dies (Tim Holtz/Sizzix)

Thanks for stopping by! Sign up for the February chain is open for a few more days if you fancy joining in: here

Fish in the frame

It's Nat's turn to set our challenge over at Daring Cardmakers this week and she'd like us to put something or someone in the frame.

My crafty mojo seems to have taken a holiday and even my trick of combining with another challenge didn't really seem to drag it back. I combined with the current challenge at Let's Squash It which has an under water theme. I'm not all that happy with this but thought I'd share it anyway. Maybe it's the lack of white space bothering me. What do you think?

I don't have an embossing folder with a watery theme. I did consider using a woodgrain folder turned sideways and done in blues but in the end plumped for something that would echo the fish scale patterning on the stamped images. There's some shimmer on there courtesy of Perfect Pearls but of course that doesn't really show up on a still photo. The fish are shimmery too (Wink of Stella).

I scored the corners of the die cut frame to get the diagonals, stamped wood texture on there and accentuated the mitres with a few Copic pen strokes.

Stamps:
Under the Sea (Darkroom Door)
Weathered wood (Cornish Heritage Frams, no longer with us)

Paper:
Mixed media
Bristol board

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)

Other:
Copic markers
Wink of Stella pen (clear)
Stitched frame square dies (Paper Rose)
Scales embossing folder (Marianne Designs)
Leaves dies (Sizzix)
Water colour paints
Perfect Pearls by Ranger (Turquoise)

Thanks for sopping by!

Think of a number

Over at Daring Cardmakers this week, Kathy is asking us to think of a number - it could be a big number for a birthday or anniversary, a background of numbers, even a number shaped card.

I opted to combine with the current challenge at Lost Coast Designs which is sending us to the Man Cave and made a one layer masculine card - suitable for one of those pesky in-betweeners!

I stamped and masked the T-shirt and then stamped numbers randomly to make a background. A sentiment and star on the shirt and a tiny bit of Copic colouring, some ink brused around the edges of the card and call it done. I don't know about you but I find most of the men (and boys) I send cards to tend to like them plain!

Stamps:
Nothing to Wear (Visible Image)
A&P Numbers (Ma Vinci's Reliquary, no longer with us)
Essential Messages (Hero Arts, retired)

Paper:
Bristol board

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

Other:
Copic markers
Corner Chomper

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Flying high

Daring Cardmakers is sending us Up, Up and Away this week - Enfys wants us to feature balloons on our cards.

I opted for a hot air balloon rather than the party sort and made a clean and simple birthday card. I stamped the image over the stencilled background and then stamped again on a scrap of card, coloured in the round part of the balloon, cut out and stuck on with a bit of gel glue. I could have just cut out the whole image but I wanted the background to peek through the strings!

Choosing a hot air balloon lets me play along at Lost Coast Designs who want us to fly high for their current challenge - use rubber stamps to feature something that flies.

Stamps:
Old Times (Hero Arts)
Essential Messages (Hero Arts)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Speckled Egg)

Other:
Fibres stencil (Visible Image)
Copic markers
Sequins
Gel glue (Pinflair)
Corner Chomper

Thanks for stopping by!

The last link of 2021!

It’s time for the reveal of the last Card Chain Challenge of 2021 — Gail and Jo followed the pattern they set last year by giving us a tic-tac-toe board to play with for December but a five by five one this time (so no way was I even thinking about trying for a full house!)  

My card went to the lovely Jo and I played with the right-most vertical line of the board — white, merry, Santa, circle, red. I figured Santa’s hat would be enough of an indication that “Santa woz ’ere”. I somehow got it into my head that I was supposed to have silver as an element as well but that was actually on a completely different line. Never mind, it made the circles nice and festive!

The hat is stamped, coloured and cut out, sentiment and circles are die cut and there’s a doodled frame to finish it all off. 

Stamps:
Ho Ho Ho (Visible Image)
Noel (Waltzingmouse Stamps, no longer with us)

Paper:
Bristol board
Silver mirror card

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)

Other:
Copic markers
Silver gel pen
Circle Nestabilities
Fine frames die, circle (Altenew)
Washi tape
Gel glue (Pinflair)
Corner Chomper 

Raise a toast

It's the last day of the year and I'm just managing to squeak in with an entry for December's challenge at Let's Squash It!

Gail and Jo gave us free rein this time - any folder, any technique. I went back to May's challenge to find a way to create white space alongside the embossed texture. I did it this time by laying my top plate part way up the folder so I didn't get the full impression. Then I turned the paper and did the same the other end, leaving a clear strip across for stamping the sentiment.I used a score board to create more defined edges for the embossed areas.

This folder is intended as snow but it's always made me think of champagne bubbles so I used some ivory pearlescent paper and teamed it up with champagne flutes to make a card that could toast the New Year.

Stamps:
Champagne Celebration (Crafters Companion)
Birthday (Letter It by Ranger) 

Paper:
Stardream
Bristol board

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)

Other:
Softly Falling embosing folder (Stampin' Up!)
Scor ItCopic markers
Copic Spica glitter pen (gold)
Corner Chomper

Thanks for stopping by - whether you're raising a glass of champagne tonight or celebrating some other way, cheers! Let's hope 2022 is a bit kinder to us all.

Through the trees

The challenge at Daring Cardmakers this week has a focus on trees - one tree, a whole forest, Christmassy or not - up to you!

It's white-out conditions in the birch forest - it's lucky that gnomes have a good sense of direction! This one is standing in a sparkly snowdrift (not sure how well that shows up on the photo) and peeping round a tree trunk to say a seasonal hello.

The card front is embossed and I used a craft knife to cut slits either side of one of the trunks so that I could slot in the little fussy cut gnome behind the trunk.

Lost Coast Designs have a gnome theme for their currect challenge so I'm linking up there too, all the challenge details are here.

Stamps:
Pointy Hat Gnome (Lost Coast Designs)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)

Other:
Woodland embossing folder (Stampin' Up)
Copic markers
Pearl pen by Viva Decor (Ice White)
Glamour Dust by Deco Art (Crystal)
Hello die (Waltzingmouse Stamps, no longer with us)

Thanks for stopping by!