Visible Image Christmas Cards

Today I've played with a Visible Image stamp set - "Peace, Love and Hope" to create a couple of Christmas cards.

For the top card, I used Distress Ink through the Visible Image "Time Tunnel" stencil.  The sentiment and reindeers are stamped in Versafine "Vintage Sepia" ink.

Week 46 - 52 Week Mini Art Card / Tag Challenge 2018

The prompt for Week 46 is "Cover a tag".

For my tag, I started off with a background created with several shades of Distress Oxides.  I used two shades of Versafine Ink - Black Onyx and Smokey Grey ink to stamp many Lavinia Stamp images.

The Lavinia Stamps I've used are the following:  Single Skeleton Tree, Fairy Foragers, Fairy Wishes, Fern Heads, Birds, Fairy Barnacle, Large Owl, Lunar Buds, Sacred Spells, Wallace Family and Badger 2.

Finally, I added some shimmer using a Sakura Jelly Roll pen and coloured the moon with a white Signo Pen.

As this tag fits the brief, I have decided to enter it into the Lavinia Stamps monthly challenge https://woobox.com/546nbo/gallery/wmf0lCKibNM

Hero Arts Pine Cone Christmas Card

There are some stamps in my stamp stash that I have had for years and rarely tire of.  This Pine Cone stamp - F31690 by Hero Arts is one of those.

Although I've had it for ages, I have not used it very often.  I fell in love with the image, but wasn't really sure how I could use it to get the different colours.  Scroll on more years than I care to remember and I now know how to achieve the look I was after!

The stamp is wood mounted, to achieve the look I was after, I removed it from the wooden block so that I could use it in my Misti.  I used Distress Ink Pens to colour and then stamp the actual image.  I then coated the stamp in Versamark and stamped the clear coat on top of the coloured image, sprinkled with clear embossing powder and then heated till set.

I used a moist brush and water colour pencils to colour the background of the cone and the actual pale blue background.  I then stamped the sentiment, which is part of a Papertrey Ink set. Finally using a fan shaped paint brush and white Gesso, I tapped some dots onto the surface to replicate snowflakes.  I also added a few frosty shimmer areas to the cone using a Sakura Gelly Roll pen.

Lavinia Stamps Moonlight Dance Card

This evening I have been playing with Lavinia Stamps, creating a card for their monthly challenge.  The prompt for the November challenge is "While you were sleeping".

I've used various shades of Distress Inks for the background.  I've used the following Lavinia Stamps:  Fairy Chain, Forest So Green and Single Skeleton Tree, all stamped in Versafine Ink.  

As a finishing touch, I added a few sequins, Perfect Pearls and a little shimmer using a Sakura Jelly Roll pen.

Week 45 - 52 Week Mini Art Card / Tag Challenge 2018

It's that time again, the Week 45 prompt is "Mixed Media".

This was my second attempt at a tag for this prompt.  The first went very badly, ending up in the bin.  I think it's mainly due to me feeling pretty rubbish at the moment.

So for this tag, I started off with running some card through a chevron embossing folder, then inked it in a sludgy green and a red ink.  

I stamped a script pattern on a small brown tag, and with the other gave it a thin coating of Gesso.  Once dry, I inked the edges and cut added some die cuts and sticky pearls.

I found a small piece of cardboard, so I stripped the surface off to expose the ribbed surface.  I gave that a thin coat of Gesso, when dry I added some red ink to the raised areas.  

After sticking everything down, I added some extra embellishments:  sequins, punched hearts, a heart pin and a button.

I persevered and made this tag.  I started by sticking four lolly sticks together, then giving a thin coat of Gesso.  I then used Distress Inks through the Visible Image "Time Tunnel" stencil.

I coated a wooden star in Gesso, when dry I used two shades of Distress Inks.  Using the Visible Image "Peace Love & Hope" stamp set, I stamped the "Hope" word and the circle with the distressed edge onto the star.

I added little sequins to the white area of the spiral.  Die cut a black circle which I added to the middle of the star and two hearts in different sizes.

Finally, I used the three stitched circle stamps from the Visible Image "You Are Not Alone" Stamp set, stamped in a Distress Oxide ink onto black card cut into a tag shape. I then mounted the wooden lolly design onto the black card.

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If you would like to know more about the 52 week challenge, please click on this link.

There is also a closed Facebook Group for this challenge.  It's a small friendly group of like minded people who take part in this very relaxed challenge by sharing their makes and chatting about craft related things.  You are more than welcome to join us.  Sam x

Design Team Make for "My Time To Craft Challenge Blog" #383 (Sketch) - Anniversary Card

It's time for another Design Team make for the "My Time To Craft" challenge blog with a prompt of working with this sketch.

For my card, I decided to go with an anniversary theme.  I pulled out patterned papers from the same collection, deciding on some from a 6x6" stack called "Wanderlust" which I purchased from "The Range" some time ago.

Using a stamp and die set from Papertrey Ink called "Wonderful Words Love", I die cut the word "love" and then stamped the sentiment of "is all you need" in a Versafine Clair ink in the shade of "Blue Belle".  I then used a Stampin' Up set called "Banners Framelits" to cut the tag/banner shape and then mounted it on a larger similar shape.

Using various matching patterned paper, I cut the shapes and positioned the pieces according to the sketch.

If you have a minute to spare, please do pop over to the "My Time To Craft Challenge Blog" and take a look at the other creations by the design team and maybe enter the challenge yourself.

Have a good day.  Sam x

Teacher Gift - Design Team Make for Love To Craft Challenge Blog - Challenge #28

This is my Design Team make for the #28 of the "Love To Craft Challenge Blog" - 1st November 2018. 

Please pop over to the challenge blog and take a look at all the other fab makes by my fellow Design Team members and maybe you could take part too.  it's an "Anything Goes" challenge so you can enter any crafts you make.

My friend was telling me about her children wanting to give their teachers a gift and how expensive it can be, which got me thinking what I would give in that situation, coming up with this little pad and pen set.

I started by buying a cheap pack of short pens and post-it notes, I think the pack of pens were about 70p from Home Bargains.  I already had the Post-it pad in my stash.  I measured the pens then marked and scored card at the appropriate places.  I used a corner rounder to tidy the corners of the flap. Here's a photo of my measurements:

Once scored and cut to size, I then cut a strip of the card and loosely wrapped it around the pen and then glued the two ends together.

I then positioned it on the card base and added double sided sticky tape to secure it into position.  

I glued the Post-it note alongside the pen.  I then stuck on a + and - sticky backed magnet snap for the closure.  I used ones I had in my stash by BasicGrey.

It then decorated the front. I started by stamping the sentiment.  I used a stamp by Rubbadubbado, the sentiment was stamped in Versafine "Black Onyx", which I die cut using Spellbinders "Victorian Tags".  I then stuck it to the central lower section of the front.  Using an Xcut punch, I cut snowflakes and glued them to the surface.

To make the main image, I used a Spellbinder's die set called "Four Seasons Silhouettes".  Using the winter die, I cut the image.  I then mounted it onto grey card and cut to size.  Using foam pads, I glued the image to the top flap section of the front cover.  Finally, I added some tiny self adhesive gems to the middle of the snowflakes.