Daring reindeer

Bubbly Funk is sponsoring the Daring Cardmakers this week and I'm sharing my card on the BF blog, hope to see you there! (There's a prize package from Bubbly Funk on offer too - even more reason to join us in stenciling something!)

Supplies:
Message Wreath stencil by Hero Arts
Memento Luxe ink - Pear Tart
Canvas textured paper (inkjet printing stuff - try your local pound shop!) 
Kraft card blank
Tim Holtz/Sizzix Reindeer Flight die
Tim Holtz/Ranger Distress Glitter - Antique Linen
DecoArt Glamour Dust - Crystal
Pebeo Metal Touch paint - gold
Acrylic nail art pearls

Anything but a card...

...that's what Dawn has asked us to do for this week's DCM dare.

One of these days I will think ahead to what might photograph well before I start in on a project. In the meantime, may I present a brooch with a very shiny surface that really hasn't photographed well at all?!

I started with a die cut oval of water colour paper and drew a line across it with black hot glue. While the glue was still molten, I dragged it out with a pokey tool and sprinkled copper embossing powder onto it then heated again so that the powder melted. It can tend to separate a bit but I like the slightly tarnished look you end up with if that happens.

Once the glue had hardened, I gave the whole thing a good spritz with water and added drops of Distress reinkers and then a wee bit of Perfect Pearl mixed to a glaze with water in a few places. Once dry, the whole lot got stuck to a sturdier piece of card for stability and finished with Lisa Pavelka Magic Glos (a UV cure resin) for an enamel-like finish.

Supplies:
Watercolour paper
Sizzix Framelits Ovals 
Tim Holtz Distress reinkers by Ranger (Peacock Feathers and Salty Ocean)
Perfect Pearls by Ranger (Blue Raspberry and Forever Blue)
Black hot melt glue (and glue gun)
Copper Embossing powder
Lisa Pavelka Magic Glos 


Why not join in with DCM this week if you have gifts or decorations to make for Christmas? There are lots of fab ideas on the blog if you fancy a play but you're not quite sure what you'd like to make.

Cuddly Creatures

It's Nat's turn to set the dare on DCM this week and she's given us the theme of cuddly creatures. I've gone clean and simple with these super-cute kangaroos - I reckon being carried around in a pouch must be like a permanent cuddle!

 The image is just a shade small to stand alone on a regular A6 sized card but I reckon giving it a swirly focal point sorted that out. I sponged over the mask with two shades of ink which gives a nice effect, I think. Kanga has her feet stuck to the card blank and her ears supported with some dimensional glue so she leans forward a bit - poised for her next hop, perhaps?!

The "hello" sentiment is dark brown in real life so it's not quite as heavy looking but the camera refused to treat it as anything other than black in today's odd lighting conditions! It has clear Wink of Stella on there for a little glitz.

Stamps: Kanga and Joey by High Hopes

Paper: Cryogen White and Chocolate Brown

Ink:
Versamagic (Key Lime and Turquoise Gem)
Adirondack dye ink by Ranger (Espresso) 

Other:
Rubber Bands by Crafters Workshop
Hello die by Waltzingmouse Stamps
Copic markers
Wink of Stella clear pen
Pin Flair Glue Gel
Corner Chomper

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs for DCM

I'm delighted to be joining the Daring Card Makers as Guest Designer this month. There are so many challenges around now but DCM was at the start of it all in 2006 and is still going strong. I don't play as often as I used to but I still drop in every Friday morning to see what the new challenge will be.

The lovely Gez is setting this week's challenge and being the first week of the month it's an "elemental" one. The challenge is to incorporate at least three elements from the picture into your project.

I had a bit of a nightmare because my original idea (which involved coffee stirrers!) didn't work out but I clung to it rather doggedly and made a couple pf projects fit only for the bin. When I finally gave in to my natural impulse to use at least one stamp, I got something I'm happier with.

I managed four things from the picture: black chalkboard-type back wall, red heart shape, bright snippets of colour from the paint pots on the shelf and the blond wood flooring (although I'm not sure that the stamped woodgrain really shows up on the picture - the light for taking photographs was my second nightmare!).

Stamps:
Woodgrain by Darkroom Door
Sentiment from Say It Loud by Waltzingmouse Stamps

Paper:
Black
Cryogen White
Various DCWV white core

Ink:
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger - Antique Linen
Brilliance by Tsukineko - Graphite Black 

Other:
My Heart dies by Waltzingmouse Stamps
Corner Chomper

Thanks for stopping by!

Autumn anniversary

My mum and dad celebrated their wedding anniversary last week. This clean and simple, one layer design seemed appropriate for an autumn anniversary - red and golden yellow colour palette and a harvest image (which, since it's two stalks, also seemed a good symbol for two people in a marriage).

This design is easy to achieve with a bit of low tack tape to mask off the strip - just sponge on some inks, remove the tape and stamp the image.

Stamps:
Thankful Silhouettes by Stamper Anonymous/Tim Holtz
Sentiment from Putting on the Ritz by Waltzingmouse Stamps

Paper: smooth white

Ink:
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Barn Door, Fired Brick)
Brilliance Graphite Black by Tsukineko

Other: Corner Chomper

Thanks for stopping by!

Birthday bird

I needed a birthday card for my nephew this week so combined some slightly quirky stencilled stars with the very quirky party puffin!

More chat about the card in this post on the Bubbly Funk blog.

Stamps: 
Party Puffin by Crafty Individuals
Say it Loud by Waltzingmouse Stamps

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko - Graphite Black
Tim Holtz Distress by Ranger - Tumbled Glass and Broken China

Other:
Starry Starry Night Stencil by Dylusions/Ranger
Chit Chat Stencil by Claudine Hellmuth/Ranger
Typeset die - Tim Holtz/Sizzix
Copic markers
Wink of Stella clear glitter pen
Charcoal pencil
Black fineline marker

Thanks for stopping by!

Metal makeover

More stenciling today but a bit of a different direction with a makeover for a throw-away item. Do pop over to the Bubbly Funk blog for a look if you have the time - we'd love to see you!

Talking 'bout love

I've had another clean and simple play with stencils over on the Bubbly Funk blog today - break out the charcoal pencils!

Autumn birthday

My (big) brother's birthday was earlier this week - I get to claim he's four years older than me for the next couple of months!

I went sort of vintage collage for this, having sat down with very little idea of what to do! Men are never that easy to make cards for, are they? Men with little by way of "theme" hobbies are particularly difficult! I probably should have used some woodgrain somewhere now I think of it (he's always been good with wood and even has a lathe for turning although he's not used it for ages).

I did add his age since it's a "round number" birthday but tried not to make it too much of a dominant feature.

I sponged various orange/red/rust/yellow shades of ink onto some mixed media paper to die cut the leaves - the thickness and texture of the paper means that it shows the embossed veining nicely.

Stamps:
19th Century French Script, Past Times, Essential Messages (all Hero Arts)
A&P Numbers (Ma Vinci's Reliquary, retired)

Paper:
Hanemuhl Bamboo Mixed Media paper
White and bitter chocolate card

Ink:
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain, Barn Door, Rusty Hinge, Fired Brick, Mustard Seed)
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Pearlescent Chocolate)

Other:
Leaves dies by Impression Obsession
Film Strip ribbon (Tim Holtz)
Industrious Stickers - Borders (Tim Holtz)
Copic marker

Thanks for stopping by!

Subtle stencil WOW

A white on white (WOW) card from me today over on the Bubbly Funk blog - it would be lovely to see you there if you have chance to drop in!