Waffle Flower "Essential Sentiments" Congratulations Brusho Card

This morning I made a congratulations card.  My Hubby is taking his flying exam at this very minute, so I have my fingers crossed that he calls me with positive news later and I wanted to give him a little card to acknowledge his achievement.

I have used one of the Brusho backgrounds I made earlier in the week, I've added a touch more colour around the edges using "Tumbled Glass" and "Shaded Lilac" Distress Oxide ink.

Using one of the Lavinia Stamps "Mini Star stamps" and Memento"London Fog" ink, I stamped the grey stars randomly.

I used Versafine Clair "Blue Belle" ink to stamp the Waffle Flower sentiment, which is part of their "Essential Sentiments" stamp set, I then die cut the sentiment and adhered to the card.

Finally, I used a Sakura gel pen to add a bit of silver sparkle to the middle of the stars and adding small dots across the card.

Julie Hickey "Happy Profile Die Set" Anniverysary Card #2

Here are two more makes, where I have used up some of the off-cuts of patterned papers from previous projects.  I've used the same layout for both cards, just in different papers and inks.

Again, I've used the Julie Hickey "Happy Profile Die Set" for the main sentiment.  The stamped "Anniversary" sentiment is from a Hobby Art set called "General Greetings" stamped in Memento "Rhubarb Stalk" red ink and Versafine Clair "Rain Forest" green ink.

 

Funky Fossil Fa La La "Noel" Christmas Card

Today, I sat at my desk and got distracted.  The plan was that I would make my Day 27 topper for the colouring challenge, but somehow I found myself using stamps to make a Christmas card and no colouring at all.

I started with the Funky Fossil "Fa La La" clear stamp set, selecting the word "Noel" stamped in Versafine Clair Medieval Blue ink,  I then used the same ink to stamp the decorative corners which are part of another Funky Fossil clear stamp set called "Scandi Home".  

I added some snowflakes, also part of the "Fa, La La" set, stamped in Memento "London Fog" grey ink.

Funky Fossil Designs January 2020 New Stamp Set Preview - Quirky Owls

It's an exciting week at Funky Fossil Designs as on the 25th January, they will be launching five brand new clear stamp sets.

I have used one of the new clear stamp sets to create this card, that could be used for a Valentine's or Anniversary card.

I stamped the two owls using Versafine Clair "Acorn" brown ink.  I then drew the tree branch and coloured it with an assortment of Distress Oxide Inks (Brushed Corduroy, Gathered Twigs, Ground Espresso and Mowed Lawn).

I also coloured the owls with Distress Oxide Inks (Antique Linen, Tattered Rose, Victorian Velvet, Tea Dye, Rusty Hinge and Vintage Photo).

I stamped the sentiment using Versafine Clair "Acorn" brown ink and stamped the hearts using a Memento Ink called "Rhubarb Stalk".

Lavinia Stamps December 2019 Monthly Challenge - Snow At Christmas

On the first of every month, Lavinia Stamps announce their new monthly challenge theme.  For December 2019 the theme is "Snow At Christmas".

If you enter the challenge, (you can enter up to five times), and your name is randomly drawn after the 25th of the month, then you win £40 of vouchers to spend on lovely Lavinia goodies.

For my Design Team sample card, I started by stamping the "Small Fairy Fir Tree" and "Small Fairy Fir Tree 2" in Distress Oxide Inks, in the shades of Iced Spruce and Weathered Wood.

Using the torn edge of a piece of copy paper, I created the landscape using Versafine "Smokey Gray" and Distress Oxide "Tumbled Glass" inks.  I masked off the spotlight/moon area and edged it with the Versafine "Smokey Gray" ink too.

I stamped "Oona" the fairy in Versafine Clair "Twilight" dark blue ink.  Using the same ink, I stamped the "Spirit of Christmas" sentiment, broken up into two separate lines.

For the snowball by the hand of "Oona" the fairy, I stamped one of the "Bubbles" in Versafine "Smokey Gray" coloured ink.  Using the same ink, I stamped two of the "Fairy Orbs", to create the impression of a snowman.

I drew on the face and scarf of the snowman, colouring the scarf in a bright red shade of ink.  

For the arms of the snowman, I used part of the "Fern Branch" stamped in Versafine Clair "Twilight" ink.

Around the fairy, I added some stars using a pound stamp, stamped in Memento "London Fog" grey ink.

Finally, I grounded the trees, snowman and fairy using pencil shading.  I added a touch of sparkle by using a silver sparkle Signo pen.

Shades Of Green Shoal Of Fish Tag (Funky Fossil)

This evening I had a play with a new stencil called Shoal Of Fish by Funky Fossil making this tag.

I created the background using Distress Oxides in shades called Tumbled Glass, Twisted Citron and Broken China.

Once dry, I secured the Funky Fossil "Shoal Of Fish" stencil over the tag using low-tack masking tage and used another Distress Oxide ink called "Faded Jeans" through the stencil.

I used the Hobby Arts Ltd sentiment from their "By The Sea CS038D" set, stamped in Versafine Clair Medieval Blue shade of ink.

I had a small bubble stamp that came free with a magazine which I stamped in a Memento Ink called "London Fog".

Finally I inked the edges using the Versafine Ink I had stamped the sentiment in, then added silver glitter high-lights to the edges of the tag and to some of the bubbles to give it a more water/shimmer look using a Signo Pen

Week 23 - 52 Week Mini Art Card / Tag Challenge 2019

The prompt for Week 23 is "Stencil"

For my tag, I started off with a manilla coloured tag and sprayed half of it with Distress Oxide Spray in the colour of "Vintage Photo".

Once the ink was dry, I used a Distress Ink in the shade of "Fired Brick" through a Funky Fossil stencil called "Leaf Mandala".  I then used the same ink through an Andy Skinner stencil called "Tornado".  I moved the stencil then applied a different colour called "Walnut Stain".

Using a Versafine Clair ink in the "Pine Cone" shade I stamped the Visible Image word "Dreamer" from their "Own It" set.

Using a Memento Ink in the shade of "Rhubarb Stalk", I stamped the Visible Image butterflies from their "Wings of Change" set on a piece of manilla card.  I cut around the shapes, added some metallic gold dots and then adhered to the tag.  Finally, I inked the edges of the tag in the "Fired Brick" shade of Distress Ink.

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Click here for more information about the challenge.

There is a Facebook Group for this challenge, where you are welcome to join in, posting images of your makes in the weekly prompt albums.  The more the merrier.  Sam x

Lavinia Stamps June 2019 Monthly Challenge (Sample #2)

It's the first of the month, so there is a new challenge prompt.  You have a chance of winning £40 of vouchers to spend on Lavinia goodies if you enter the random draw. The June 2019 challenge theme is:  "A Sprinkle Of Fairy Dust".  You can find the full details of the challenge here.

For this challenge Design Team sample, I decided to make a tag.  I started with a base of Distress Oxide inks, initially brayered on to the tag and then spritzed and splattered with water droplets to get a more uneven appearance.

I started stamping the "Skeleton Tree" in the background in Versafine "Stormy Gray" shade of ink.  I then stamped the "Glow Flowers" in Versafine Clair "Monarch" shade of ink.  I then stamped the "Meadow Grass" in Versafine Clair "Fantasia" ink.  In Versafine Clair "Nocturne" ink I stamped the "Wild Flower", "Small Pixie" and Rory from the "Rory and Darcy" twin pack.  I then stamped "Mini Stars" in Memento "London Fog" shade of ink.

I added dots of Liquid Pearls in the shade of "Mermaid" to the "Glow Flowers".  I used a Sakura Gelly Roll Pen (in soft gold shimmer shade) to colour in the "Wild Flowers".  I udes a silver glitter Signo Pen to add sparkle to the star fairy dust and also to to the tops of the "Glow Flowers.

Forget Me Not "Devil On The Rocks" Stamped Card

A couple of weeks ago I attended a retreat, run by "The Forget Me Not Kraft Kabin" and received a goodie bag.  In the bag was a clear stamp of a silhouette of a devil on the rocks.  

Today, I decided to use the stamp.  I fortunately had some Lavinia stamps that would work well with the theme.

I started with an off-cut of a page Shenandoah, Natural Wonders by Clarity patterned paper.

I stamped the Devil and the Lavinia Tree Branch and one of the crows, from the three set of crows in Versafine Clair "Nocturne" ink.

Using a red Memento ink called "Rhubarb Stalk", I dragged it across the surface of the patterned paper (top to bottom).  I did the same with a black Colorbox Catseye ink in the shade of "Night".

Using a torn piece of card, I created the landscape, by dragging black ink on a blender to create the background landscape.

Lavinia Stamps Design Team Samples for Hochanda 23rd April 2019 (set 4 - 1)

Lavinia Stamps will be appearing on Hochanda TV on Tuesday 23rd April 2019 at 11am and 3pm.  This is a Design Team sample I have created for the show.

I started off with a background of Distress Oxides in a whole host of shades.

I stamped the sentiment "Believe In Magic" and the "Fairy Chain" in Versafine Clair "Nocturne" ink.  I then stamped the three types of  "Dandelions" in different shades of Versafine Clair Ink:  Nocturne, Shady Lane and Green Oasis.

I used various two designs of pound stamps around the edge, the "Mini Leaf" stamped in Versafine Clair "Chianti" and the "Mini Berry" stamped in Versafine Clair "Verdant".  I then stamped the "Mini Star Group" in Memento "Grey Flannel" ink.

Finally to add interest, I used a Signo Pen in a silver glitter shade and a Metallic Gold pen to add high lights around the card.

Design Team Make - Love To Craft Challenge Blog #33 (April 2019)

I have made this as part of the Design Team for the "Love To Craft Challenge Blog" #33 (April 2019), which is an "anything goes" challenge.  Please do pop over and take a look at the fabulous makes by my fellow Design Team colleagues.

I started this picture by creating the background with Distress Oxides in the following shades:  Antique Linen, Tumbled Glass, Spun Sugar and Salty Ocean.

I stamped the Lavinia Stamps verse called "Sacred Spells" in Versafine "Stormy Grey" ink and the the "Foxgloves" in Colorbox and Memento inks. I stamped "Field Grass" in Distress Ink in the "Crushed Olive" shade.

I then turned my attention to the fairy, which is a Lavinia Stamp called "Rue".  I needed to stamp a mirror image of her, I chose to use Versafine Clair "Purple Delight" shade of ink, so I did that first, by stamping onto the back of a large rubber backed stamp and then pressing my created background down onto the stamped image.  I was then able to align the same fairy stamp and create a look as if the fairies are having a tug of war.  

I then made the landscape that the fairies are standing on by using a landscape mask of torn paper and Distress Ink in a "Crushed Olive" colour.

I then used some Lavinia "Pound Stamps" for the leaves at the top and sides of the picture, for the stars around the fairies and also the flowers and snail at the base of the foxgloves.  Finally, I added some touches of silver and gold glitter using a Signo pen to areas of the fairies and also to the middle of the stars.

New Home Card (Papertrey Ink)

I have new neighbours next door but one, so I made a little welcome to your new home card.

I've made several very similar cards over the years using the same Papertrey Ink dies from their "Love Lives Here" set of stamps and dies.  I used patterned paper from a 6x6" stack called "Pretty Posy" and the sentiment is from another Papertrey Ink stamp set called "Winter Hills", stamped in Memento "Rhubarb Stalk" shade of ink.

Design Team Make 28th December 2018 (Something New) - My Time To Craft Challenge #387

It's time for another prompt from the "My Time To Craft Challenge Blog", this time the prompt is "Something New".

I went rummaging in my paper off-cuts box to make this card.  It's nice to make something out of nothing.  I used a Papertrey Ink die from the "Love Lives Here" set for the house shape.  I die cut a couple of nesting circles, stuck them together and added the little house shape and added a contrasting heart for the centre of the house.

The sentiment is from a Hobby Art set called "General Greetings", stamped in a Memento ink, in a "Rhubarb Stalk" shade.  I then mounted the card onto a piece of matching patterned paper (which was from the Pretty Posy stack I'd purchased from The Range, some time ago.

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

We made it to the last week of the tag challenge for 2018.  Congratulate yourself if you've taken part, even if life has got in the way and you've had to put your tags on the back burner for a few weeks - you are wonderful!

The Week 52, final prompt for 2018 is "Metallic".

For my tag, I started with a sheet of striped foil paper from a 6x6 stack called "The Gift of Christmas".  Using a flourish/scroll stamp by Creative Expressions called "Leafy Swirl - UMS011" I made multiple stamps across the surface of the tag using a Versafine "Black Onyx" ink.

I stamped the "Merry Christmas" sentiment (the stamp was free with a magazine) using a Memento ink called "Rhubarb Stalk" and then die cut into an oval.  I then mounted it on another oval in black cardstock.

To finish the tag, I added some light gold Nuvo sequins and then tied black ribbon to the tag.

Let It Snow Christmas Card (Craft Box UK)

Today I have played with some of the goodies from the November Craft Box Signature collection. I used a sheet of patterned paper from the box and stamped horizontal lines across the page.  I then inked the edges in three shades of ink.  

I decided the area I wanted to work with and die cut a circle of that area. I then covered the circle with Glossy Accents and left to dry.

I then mounted a co-ordinating card on the underside of the square paper.  Once the circle area was dry, I added foam pads to the underside and stuck it back in the place it had originally been cut from.  The highlighted the area.

Finally, I added drops of liquid pearls in shades of silver and white.  Stuck some blue sticky gems across the page and then added the "Let It Snow" Snip Art that came in the Craft Box.

Stay Strong Card (Visible Image)

My friend is going through an absolutely awful time at the moment. An image for a card, just doesn't seem appropriate.  So while rummaging through my stamps, I came across this sentiment by Visible Image called "Stay Strong", which kind of says it all.

I made the coloured background by using six Distress Oxide colours spritzed, blotted and then dried.  I ran an antistatic bag across the surface and then stamped the sentiment in Versamark clear ink, then coated in Wow Embossing Powder in a "Metallic Silver" then heat embossed the sentiment.  Once dry, I gave a blast of hairspray across the surface, to set the chalky background.  

I finally added a few little stars using a small Lavinia Stamp, stamped in Memento Ink.

Week 39 - 52 Week Mini Art Card / Tag Challenge 2018

The prompt for week 39 is "Trees".

For my tag, I used a background of Brusho.  I used a Memento ink in a "Grape Jelly" shade through a Visible Image stencil called "Strobes".  

I used Versafine Black Onyx ink on three stamps from the Visible Image "Into The Woods" set for the trees and the owl.

Finally, with a black pen, I added some dashed lines to the strobes.

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If you would like to know more about the challenge, click on the tab at the top of the page where you will find all the information you need, including prompts for previous weeks.

There is an active Facebook Group for this challenge, where you can add your tags/art cards to weekly albums and chat to others taking part in the challenge.  Please do pop along and say hello.  The more the merrier.  Sam x

I Love IndigoBlu - Challenge "Vintage" Card

I received an invite to take part in the "I Love IndigBlu" challenge on a theme of "Vintage".  When I actually looked at my IndigoBlu stash, I found I actually only have 5 IndigoBlu products, so perhaps that needs addressing.

For this card, I used a piece of 12x12 double sided patterned paper.  I added the dotty side to a tag and then dragged blue and pink inks lightly over the surface.  Using the IndigoBlu "English Flourish" stamp I added the flourish image in a dark red ink.  I used the same ink for the edges of the tag too.  I added a red paper ribbon and a section of lace to the base of the tag.

I then added a piece of patterned paper to the blank card and inked the edges and added some foxing marks to give an aged look.

For the topper, I used the IndigoBlu "Flutterby" stamp in the same red ink, I added extra colouring by using a gold and a lilac metallic pen.  I then cut it out.

Finally I mounted the butterfly onto a topper base using the same patterned paper.  I used a double height of foam pads to make the wings appear lifted.

Here's a photo of the two stamp sets used in this challenge: 

70th Birthday Card

My crafting friend will be 70 this month, so I needed to make her a card that was a bit different.

I started by applying Distress Oxides (in shades of Tumbled Glass and Cracked Pistashio) to a card.  I then sprited and dried it.

I then used a die to create the cut out detail at the base of the card (sorry, I don't recall where the die came from).  I needed to die cut it in two directions to get the area I required.

I then used a Stampin' up set called "Dragonfly Dreams" for the sentiment and the dragonfly, stamped in Versarine Clair (Monarch shade) Ink.

Using a small Lavinia pound stamp, I stamped the stars using a Momento "London Fog" shade of ink.

I then die cut the "70" and adhered the centre of the "0".  I also die cut the dragonfly wings using the Stampin' Up "Detailed Dragonfly Thinlits".  I used a glue to stick the central section of the wings.  I applied sticky backed silver gems to replicate the eyes.  I also applied some to the underside of the wings, so that they do not sit flat on the card, in the hope that it replicates movement.

Finally, I stuck further gems to the middle of the large stars and stuck the green/blue top to the purple card.

Seahorse Seascape Card using Lavinia Stamps

I saw an article in a magazine recently about rotating a stencil, so thought I would give it a go. I used Distress Inks in two shades of blue through the stencil in one direction, I then lifted and rotated it and put green Distress Inks through the stencil, which gave a two tone cross-hatch design which lent itself to a watery background.

I used the Lavinia Stamps "Seahorse" and "Seaweed 2" stamped in Versafine Ink then coloured with Brusho.  In a grey Memento "London Fog" shade of ink, I stamped the bubbles (the stamp came free with magazine).  Finally, using Liquid Pearls in a silver shade, I added dots to highlight areas on the seahorse.