Graphic circles

Happy Monday and welcome to our little corner of the blogosphere :)

My card today is made using Amazing; the stamp from the March 2019 card kit by Simon Says Stamp.  This is a lovely kit and is one I can also envision making masculine cards from!  This is definitely something I struggle with.

I started with a white card base and stamped several of the images from the set, using Hero Arts inks. For this card I used a mix of blue, yellow, green, teal and grey.

Once I was happy with the background I added a sentiment from the set.  I stamped this using Versafine Onyx Black ink and heat embossed with clear embossing powder.

I trimmed the panel to 4 x 5.25 inches and added it to a yellow base.  I then found a matching yellow envelope to complete the card.

I love the look of this and I'm sure I'll make a few more with this set as it is very versatile.

TTFN Jude xx

Floral focus

Hello again.

Today's card uses another background made with the August kit from Simon Says Stamp.

This time I clear embossed the roses background stamp on kraft card and added it at an angle on to a piece of bronze metallic card.  I then cut this piece down to fit my card base.

To this panel I added another of the flowers from the SSS set which I coloured with Spectrum Noir pencils.  I fussy cut this out and added it on foam squares.

I white heat embossed my sentiment on to another piece of bronze card and added this with foam too.

The final step was some Nuvo drops in Auburn Pearl.

Hope you like it.  TTFN Jude xx

Tulips

Thanks for joining me today.

This week I will be sharing two cards made with the August kit from Simon Says Stamp.

This kit has a fabulous background stamp which I was just itching to stamp, so I made several clear embossed backgrounds.

This one is clear on black card stock.

I stamped the jar of tulips from the set and coloured it with Zig Real Colour markers.  I love the vibrant colours in this set.

The banner was cut with an MFT die and the sentiment is from Avery Elle.    I used card to match the colour of the jar and also added a strip under the edge of the background to tie everything together.

I really like the simplicity of this card.  It is totally made by the background and I can see me using it quite a lot.

See you soon.  TTFN Jude xx

Otterly great Father’s Day

Good morning all, I do hope you are having a good start to the week. Today's card is one I made for Alan for Father's Day from our Grandson's. They were staying with us this weekend, so it was lovely for them to be with him for Father's day.

I used images from Issue 57 of Creative Stamping Magazine, teamed with sentiment stamps from Avery Elle and Altenew.

I stamped the otter, and sentiments first using Versamark and Versafine Onyx Black ink. Then heat embossed them with Simon Says Stamp, fine detail clear embossing powder.

Then I stamped the otter again on to a sticky note pad, and cut it out by hand to create a mask. I covered my first otter up with the mask and stamped the grassy beds behind him.

I used Zig Clean Colour Real Brush pens, along with a water brush to colour the otter, and then decided to leave the rest of the card plain. I was going to watercolour a background, but I liked the monochromatic look, so left it alone.

Then I just cut the panel down slightly and put it on to a light tan card blank.

Hope you like it, take care and I'll see you soon.

xxx

Put on your dancing shoes

Good morning all, I hope you have had a good week, and are looking forward to the weekend. I am really hoping for some time in the craft room this weekend, but we'll see how that goes lol. 

Right, today's card is one I made for my grandsons step-sister, Orla turns 9 today and loves anything to do with dance and singing. So happy birthday Orla xxxx

I used images from a recent copy of Creative Stamping magazine, and stamped them onto Kraft card using Altenew Crisp Dye Inks, from the Cherry Blossom set. I repeatedly stamped the background panel with the dancers, and then added Versamark ink all over the panel and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder to give it some shine.

The main image and the sentiments, were stamped and then heat embossed and cut out with MFT Zig Zag Stitched Rectangle dies.

I layered them on to an A2 card blank using some red/pink glitter card, and then added some drops of Liquid Pearls in Petal Pink to finish it off.

Hope you like it, take care and I'll see you next week.

xxx

Shadow stamped card

Hello again.  I know you are likely to get fed up of Christmas cards but as I have so many to make I have little else to share lol!

I took a white note card and masked off an area, then inked with two shades of blue distress ink to create a night sky.  I stamped the town and sleigh images from a magazine freebie set, then added a small amount of white for a hazy moon.

Although this was intended to be a one layer card I managed to smudge my ink again and had to find a way to rescue it.  I took a piece of dark card and stamped with Versamark and clear embossed the snowflakes.  I then cut this to fit either side of the image and added foam tape for some dimension.  I think it worked ok.

To finish I used a stamp from the set and white embossed it on black card before adding to the bottom panel.

It's not the card I initially set out to make but I like how it ended up.  What do you think?

TTFN Jude xx

Painted Poppies

Good morning, I hope you are having a good week, I'm taking Jude to get her stitches out today, so hopefully she will be back to full strength soon.

Today's card is one I made for my mum's friend for her birthday yesterday. I used the Altenew Painted Poppy stamp and die set.

I stamped the flowers using Altenew Crisp Dye Inks in Crimson, Velvet and Dark Chocolate, with Memento Tuxedo Black ink for the outlines. 

The leaves and stems were stamped with Memento Dew Drop inks in Pistachio, Olive Grove and Cottage Ivy.

I stamped one of the poppies directly on to the front panel, and cut the others out with the matching dies.

Then I used one of our oldest and still favourite wooden stamps for the sentiment. I stamped it with black ink and then heat embossed with clear embossing powder on to a strip of white vellum.

Then I mounted it on black card and added a few clear dew drops to finish it off. 

Hope you like it, take care and I'll see you soon.

xxx

First anniversary #2

Happy Thursday everyone! :-)

As promised I'm back with another anniversary card to share.

To create this panel I stamped and clear embossed the Happy from MFT's Happy Everything set.  

For the background I blended three Memento colours together - Angel Pink, Lulu Lavender and Teal Zeal.  

I then sprayed a mist of water over and blotted it dry to create the droplets effect.

The Anniversary die cut is a new set from Clearly Besotted.

I matted the panel with the same grey used for the sentiment and added a few rose gold star sequins to finish.

I really like these soft backgrounds made with inks or watercolours.  I fear they are my latest obsession and will appear many more times over the next few months ;)

TTFN Jude xx

Just a note.......

In spite of the name of this blog, you never see any of the catastrophes (nor cakes - Jen?!) So today I thought I'd share a card that didn't quite turn out as I wanted.  It's not really a catastrophe but it's as close as you're likely to get from us.

The clear embossing in the background is too patchy, the stamped sentiment isn't dark enough and the flower should have been stamped on a pale pink card, not white.

You can just about make out the sentiment here, but it's too close a shade to the card I used.  If you look very closely you can see the peony stamped with a watermark pad and then clear embossed.  I'm not sure what I did wrong but it really hasn't worked very well.

The peony was stamped with Distress markers and I forget how subtle they can be.  Still it is quite a contrast when on the white card.

So there it is.  Not the best card I've ever made but I'm sure it won't be the worst either lol :)

TTFN Jude xx

Tag

Happy Sunday folks!  Hope you are having a fabulous and crafty weekend.

I've been playing with Distress inks, markers, stains  and glitter (!) this week.  I've tried a couple of techniques I saw on Tim Holtz blog and had a go.  They didn't turn out how I envisioned but I made this tag anyway.  What do you think?

The background is made by adding several inks and stains to a craft sheet, spraying with water and then dragging the tag  through the colours. (I used Ripe Persimmon, Peacock Feathers and Frayed Burlap)  Over the top I inked through a floral stencil with Dried Marigold, then clear embossed over the top!

Once the background was completely dry (I left mine a couple of days!) I stamped a background image of flowers and grasses.  I also coloured a few hearts with glossy accents and distress glitter straight on the card.  I used the same technique on the bird, which was cut from Tim's birdcage die set.

The letters are cut with an Xcut alphabet die I bought at the new Range store on Friday.  I like this size.

The tag is not what I had in my mind but it let me experiment with different techniques.  I won't use them all again on the same piece, but it was a good learning experience.

TTFN Jude xx

Merry & Bright

Morning crafty friends.  It has been a funny break from work and a lot has happened but today I am back in the office - boo!

To compensate Jen and I took a crafty shopping trip yesterday to Blyth Craft Studio where we purchased a few necessities (ahem).  Our main reason for the trip was to find the Spellbinders Heirloom Ornaments die from Christmas 2011.

We had a good excuse reason for buying this set as Jen received free stamps on one of her magazine subscriptions that were made to match the dies.  Well it would have been rude note to complete the set lol.

When we eventually got some time in the craft room last night I decided to open up the packets and create a simple Christmas card.

I took a square card blank and embossed it with a snowflake embossing folder.  Some of the raised areas were highlighted with a Versamark pen and had silver embossing powder added.  Unfortunately the design doesn't show up too well on my photo.

I stamped the bauble with light blue pigment ink and embossed with clear powder.  This gives the bauble design a lovely sheen.  I cut it out using the corresponding die and added it to the centre of the card on foam pads for dimension.  A ribbon bow at the top and a few ice blue pearls complete the look.

What do you think?  TTFN Jude xx

Owl be seeing you...

Good morning friends, could you guess that today's card may feature an owl??? lol. After making the Kraft and Black card with the scooter last week, I thought I would use the same design again, but with a different topper. And can you believe that today is our 350th post???? I know, it's true what they say that time really does speed up as you get older, lol, or is that just me and the dizziness ha ha ha. I did get to the docs on Monday and I have a case of Labyrinthitis, so I have some tablets to take for nine days and see how it goes. But it does mean no driving! (Arrrgh) and no work ;o) oh well, a little more craft time never hurt anyone did it?

 

Anyway on to today's card, I'm really liking Kraft card at the minute so it could feature in quite a few of my cards ;o))

 

I started by stamping the owl stamp using an Indigo Pigment Ink, then I heat embossed it with clear embossing powder.

 

I cut it out by hand and inked it with Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink.

 

I used the Adorning Squares to create the frame and centre piece again and layered these on to some dark blue card.

 

I raised the outside of the frame on foam pads and then sat the owl in the middle.

 

This time I used a ready made sentiment to finish it off.

 

I would really like to get a few male cards on standby as we never seem to have any when we need one, and this design is so simple to do and can easily be done with lots of different toppers ;o))

 

Hope you are having a good week.

 

Take care, see you soon.

 

xxx