#282 LIM use a stencil

The challenge at Less is More this week is to use a stencil. It may not be immediately apparent that I have done that on my card, so let me explain!

I had a brusho background that I stencilled onto with some silver paste through a handwriting stencil and then using a spellbinder tree die I cut out the elements.

Then I used a background stamp from SU French foliage and a SU sentiment with a little hand drawn grass to ground the tree.

June Rudolph Day

I've had another go at trying to use up some Anna Griffin Christmas embelishments and papers. For the first card I've teamed it with an Apple Blossom die cut in silver with an AG background paper and the second one a Memory Box die cut from some AG paper.

Still some to use so you haven't seen the last of these! But for now I am going over to Scrappy Mo's to enter this month's Rudolph day challenge.

Creative Expressions Saturday - Serviette Art

This piece began life as part of this simple serviette. To see how I transformed it see the powerpoint below.

Thanks for looking and please click HERE to see what the other members of the Creative Expressions Design Team have been creating!   

Masculine at Clarity stamp challenge

I got some Yupo paper a while ago now and had a little play and the results have been sat on my desk. I originally thought of stamping the glasses and cutting out pieces of the background to put in the frames, but instead decided to stamp the glasses directly onto the background and cut around them. Yet again I couldn't waste the left over background so I shaped this and mounted onto black card to form a frame and added some more of the stamps from the glasses set.

I'm entering this into the Clarity Stamp challenge for Masculine.

Retro snippets

I was having a little play with a Spellbinders impressabilities  which I hadn't yet used. I actually used it twice with different coloured inks, I then thought of the Sizzix retro set which I also hadn't used. Pleased that they go together very nicely. I was extra pleased with the little bit of centura pearl shot with silver for the screen  - pity it doesn't photo too well!

I've left off a sentiment but think it would be good for someone in their 50s as a birthday card, or someone born in the 50s.

As I used snippets for the whole card I'm popping into the snippets playground with this card.

#281 LIM - faux bleach

I got my distress inks, TH water sprayer and Visible image stamps out for this challenge. I put the ink on the card and then spritzed droplets and using kitchen roll took some of the ink away. I then cut circles out of the card before mounting onto my base card.

I did a second version where I bleached out the centre of the flower and the words and painted them back in another colour with TH inks. I then couldn't throw away the waste, so I used it to frame the image.

I'm entering the Less is More challenge which this week is for faux bleach.

Sun, sand and sea at Ooh la la Creations Challenge blog

Our new challenge begins today over on the Ooh la la Creations challenge blog which this time is chosen by Pauline..

I think when Pauline picked this theme of  Sun, sand and sea she was expecting the weather to match! What a wash out June has been so far, lets hope it gets better.

For my DT card I used the Paula Oakley Collection cdrom and the Over Arundel images with cloud backing paper from the Steam Train section.

I cut the bottom part of the image out and embossed over it with clear powder and a little glitter and mounted over the main image, then cut an oval die to frame it.

Thanks for looking and we hope to see your Sun, sand and sea inspired work over on the challenge blog, it may be the only sun we see!

mid month reminder for Penny Black & More

For my mid month reminder of our challenge at Penny Black & More I've made this DT card using the PB 30-342 Love Art set. I first made a background using aqua tints and the PB Patina stencil. I then cut the background with a spellbinder label set, cutting also a little strip of the background to put down the side.

I took the smallest die cut of the background and stamped onto it the poppy head three times. I then used Derwent Inktense pencils to colour the flower heads, using a silver pen to define the veins.

Finally I added the sentiment "love" cut using a PB word die.

I do hope you can join us for this challenge, we are already loving all the beautiful flower creations, if you entered already you can do so again with a max of three entries.

Just remember no digis please or you won't be eligible for one of the many fantastic prizes on offer.

Creative Expressions Saturday - Bookmarks

Hello - for this weeks DT project I've made three bookmarks using the bookmark blanks from Creative Expressions.

I painted each of the tags with white gesso and allowed to dry. I then used stamps and inks and gilding wax to decorate each of the tags. As a finishing touch before adding the ribbon I used the tag circle from the tag die set to go around pre cut hole on the bookmarks.

Items I used are:-

CE Daisy daisy background stamp
Just rite loving sentiments stamp set
CE Daisy everyday sentiments stamp set
Cosmic shimmer spray inks
Cosmic shimmer iridescent watercolour paints

Thanks for looking and please click HERE to see what the other members of the Creative Expressions Design Team have been creating!   

No images or photos @ CD Sunday

When I saw the challenge at CD Sunday was No images or photos I knew immediately that I was going to use the Say it with Words cd rom from Ooh la la Creations.

Although the cdrom comes with images without words it doesn't have the words on their own. So I used my graphics programme to take the words from one of the images you can see on the cd cover above. I then printed the complementary background paper.

I used spectrum aqua tints to colour the sentiment I had printed and tried to make a heart with the tint. I then took a snippet and dragged it through the aquatint I had left, then cut out from it with the Sue Wilson heart die. I also cut another heart from another complementary paper from the cdrom and then used the "waste" from each cut to partly fill the heart and place on the card.

Finally I used a red fine liner to go around the sentiment and heart and added a little Wink of Stella to the word "Love".

As well as entering into the CD Sunday challenge I am off to the Snippets playground as I used snippets to print onto and also the waste from the die cuts.

LIM #280 Splatters and one layer card

It's time for one layer card week at Less is More challenge together with "splatters".

Funny the one time I can actually make a mess on a CAS card on purpose LOL!

I got out my fav stamp for splatters by Visible Image and then used other elements from Clarity stamp artists set and sentiment. I've added a little spectrum noir glitter to the ink bottle and quill.

It's really miserable weather here today and to make matters worse one of the buttons on my landline broke after only 6 months and little use. I took it back only to be told they couldn't replace it as it wasn't in stock, but I could get a different one for £30 extra! Got my money back, came home and found it online for cheaper than I paid originally - result!

Creative Expressions Saturday - MDF with stamps

My project for Creative Expessions this week is using an MDF tag with stamps and a diecut used a little differently than you are used to seeing it!

All the materials and how I did it are on the powerpoint below.

Thanks for looking and please click HERE to see what the other members of the Creative Expressions Design Team have been creating!   

Published in Craft Stamper magazine!

Sooo excited to say that I have a card in this month's Craft Stamper Magazine.

Each month they ask for readers submission on a theme/colour scheme. This one, many months ago, was for:-  images of houses, windows or doors, die cuts and distressing.

I'm off to the Snippets playground to show everyone as I used a snippet of watercolour card and also my die cuts were from the snippets box. The barn door red nearly stumped me, but this snippet that I had seemed to pass.

I used Clarity stamp wee houses, Crafters companion aquatints a memory box window die and Penny Black "love" die cut.

Here's the photo I took of it before it went off. Usually they get sent back but they have asked if they can keep the cards to use at exhibitions - so you might get to see it in real life!

Canvas workshop

A few weeks ago I went to my regular Clarity workshop - but this time Debbie was going to be demonstrating how to do a mixed media canvas.

I was a little nervous as I have never done anything quite as detailed as this before. I needn't have worried as Debbie had given us all a little bag with everything we would need to make our creation and her tuition ensured that I was able to make this beautiful piece pictured above. I learnt so much from her that day.

It is a lot more glittery in real life but I've not been able to catch that.

I haven't been able to share the canvas before now as there were other workshops that Debbie was going to do this at and we didn't want to spoil it for them. I have been so excited to show what I achieved and you will see going forward this has now inspired my other work - look out for the influence!

Big thanks to Debbie for what was a wonderful day and also for making all of us one of these little plaques which has pride of place in my living room.

LIM #279 Purple

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I used a stamp by Creative Expressions to make this card and the sentiment is from SU. The stamp is a single flower multi part stamp, but I masked the first stamping and then used a couple more times, using the leaf to frame the flowers.

I used distress inks to stamp the image and then added some of the TH distress crayons. It's the first time I used the crayons, I only have one set as I wasn't sure if they would be for me. But, I absolutely love them so need to get the others now! You lay the colour down and then add water with a brush and they flow beautifully.

I'm entering this card into the current Less is More challenge for "purple". Purple is my fav colour and the hydrangea is one of my fav flowers so win win for me!

One for the boys at Ooh la la Creations Challenge blog

Our challenge this time on Ooh La La Creations challenge blog has been chosen by Jenny and is "One for the Boys".

I've used the Paula Oakley collection cdrom for my card. Using a backing paper and the simple decoupage to create a card.

You may have seen this card as one of the samples when I made my TV debut on Hochanda last week with Ooh La La cdroms. Here is a little screen shot of the first show I did with Mat.

I had a great time on the show and thanks to OLL for giving me the opportunity to demo for them on TV.

Flower Power at Penny Black & More challenge

Our challenge at Penny Black & More this month is "Flower Power" so a great excuse for me to use my current favourite PB set Art Love with a sentiment from Sprinkles and Smiles for my DT card.

I used aqua tints through a PB mask to create  a background and then stamped the flower randomly onto the background using a square die to cut four squares and mounted them up onto two base squares cut with a Tattered lace pierced dots die.I then stamped the sentiment onto an off cut and mounted onto a small piece of card to place in the centre.

As always there are absolutely fantastic prizes on the blog up for grabs from our sponsors Penny Black, Sizzix, Stamp Addicts and Crafty Ribbons. I do hope you can join us and also look at the fab inspiration from the rest of the team.

Creative Expressions Saturday - using floral stamps

Hello and welcome to my Creative Expressions Saturday DT post.

For this card I've used the following CE products

• Daisy everyday sentiments stamp set
• Daisy dreams stamp
• Daisy burst embossing folder
• Iridescent watercolour paints
• Cosmic shimmer ivory embossing powder
• Phill Martin Butterflies and dragonflies paper pad
• Foundation cardstock
• Noble pierced square dies

I stamped onto the cardstock and embossed with ivory embossing powder and then coloured the images with the iridescent watercolour paints. They give a beautiful shimmer in real life. 

Please click HERE to see what the other members of the Creative Expressions Design Team have been creating!   

Lets go Lilac at CD Sunday

The theme for the challenge at CD Sunday is "Lets go Lilac". I decided to use the Ooh la la cdrom Shoes in Bloom 1 for my entry with the Wisteria shoe which is a lovely shade of lilac. I used one of the pre printed waterfall cards that is on the cdrom mounting it on to some glitter card. Of course by nature a waterfall runs down - but I thought I would try it sideways just for a change!

Remember you can see me on TV tomorrow! When I will be demonstrating Ooh la la cdroms at 11am and 3pm on Hochanda.