Wednesday Stamper - Think Pink!

This week's challenge from the Wednesday Stamper is 'Think Pink'.


This card is one from my stash that I made earlier that could qualify for this challenge along with the card below which is a case of classic impression meets colour!

The rest of my morning has been filled with sorting my car out. The car has just gone through this years MOT and passed but there were a couple of recommendations and I have just had the work carried out. Then swiftly down to the Post Office to purchase a new tax disc. OUCH!!!! My pocket is burning! I think I need a rest now to get over the shock.

Faux Wood

I love this technique - you can use it for more masculine themes and also pretty feminine cards. The top one I made today using a Flower Bouquet stamp from the Tanda Stamp beautiful Flower Set. The faux wood technique is so easy and reasonably quick to do. All you need is some light coloured card stock, white or magnolia ink and an ink in a colour that matches your card stock. It looks particularly good with images of horses and gardening implements.


Above is a card I made using the new Tanda Stamp Cowboy Set 2. I have also used a little pic of my hubby to make it interesting. Ssh! He doesn't know I have popped him on my blog in this format!!

Below is a card I made a while ago. I have included this one to show how different the cards can look depending on the images and embellishments you add to it.

Unfortunately I have to go to work now otherwise I could be playing all day. Thank you
you for stopping by. I hope the rest of your day will be more enjoyable than mine.

Stamping on Patterned Paper

No I hear you cry! Is she mad!! Yes probably and if you can bring yourself to deface your gorgeous papers you can get some interesting results. This card was made for a challenge - it is good fun to try and tie the papers you use in with the theme of the stamps. The K & Co button paper did the trick in this card.

Below is another I made - this time as a Fat Book page. Fat books are one of the latest crazes. Little 4" x 4" pages that are swapped. They are made much on the same lines as ATC's but to a larger scale. There is yet another craze in its infancy called 'Inchies' - I have only dabbled with these as the canvas you are working on is only 1" x 1". That sure is a challenge for me!! I thought ATC's were small enough!!

I needed to make this really quickly so I copied (cringe cringe!) a card that I did a while ago. I hate doing this but it fitted the bill perfectly. I have stamped the pansies onto a lilac marbled paper in the background and chalked the images. I have also decoupaged a couple of the pansies. The scent bottles behind have been stamped and chalked on the same paper. This was originally a Rubber Stamping challenge where the stamp arrives in the post - you use it and send it on. The scent bottle stamp is the one in question. I stamped repeatedly in various colours and inks and am still using them now!!

Prisma Pencils and Gamsol

I kept my pencils out and had a bit of a play today. This first card I also made for a card template challenge. Two birds with one stone again!! Very appropriate as the image used is a Peacock. The background stamp of peacock feathers is a Pedlars Pack stamp. The peacock and the small image in the metal rimmed tag are from the Tanda Stamp India Set. Both the background and the Peacock have been coloured with Prisma Pencils and Gamsol.




Then we have a second card using a the Pedlars Pack Fern background stamp. This one is pencil over ink. I have used a light green dye ink and brayered the whole image then I have added colour using the Prisma Pencils again.






Finally the card underneath is a card I did a while a go and has remianed one of my favourites. The stamp is from the Bravura Stamp range and I have once again coloured the image with prisma pencils over the top of a brayered ink background.




There are lots of sites giving free instructions on how to use Prisma and Gamsol - if you google you will be surprised what you can come up with.

Now I will have to have a think about what to play with tomorrow!

Rich and Romantic!

Have done very little today on my day off. Yesterday I had a wonderful day seeing two of my Grandchildren in the morning. Shannon who is 4 years old is just a delight to have a conversation with, dropping all manor of things that she probably shouldn't!! Connor is two years old and at the moment is not very well. He seems to have picked up yet another cold, poor little might.

I did manage to have a play today with two dress stamps from Joanna Sheen's 'Gone With The Wind' Evening Dress Collection. For the first card I wanted to achieve a card that would make you think of rich heavy or velvety material. To get to where I wanted to go with it I made a background piece using liquid applique and alcohol inks. Once this is heated up it puffs up and bubbles and gives a soft material like appearance. The effect is hard to capture with a scanner but I think you can see the overall effect. The dress image is coloured with Prisma pencils and Gamsol and I have just bought a new photo corner die so I popped some of those onto the card.

For the second image I wanted to finish with a soft, floaty romantic feel to it. For this I used a Fossil Stone technique on the background pieces and stamped over it using hand written background stamp by rubbadubbadoo. Once again the dress images is coloured with Prisma and Gamsol.



Now that I have these pencils out I think I will play with them some more!

Heavy Metal!

The Daring Cardmakers dare for today was to make a card with a metallic theme. Great theme Saffa, it always gives way to so many ideas. I played with this slightly tongue in cheek effort using an image of a 'Biker Group'. The background is made using Amazing Glaze and Gunmetal metallic acrylic paint. To give texture I put a background stamp in the still hot amazing gaze before I painted it. Some of the paint has then been removed with a cloth to let the black embossed card shine through in places. I wanted to give the illusion of metal and rubber! The bottle top has been flattened and embossed using silver embossing powder and a little chain has been added in the corner for an added embellishment.




I have also added a card I made a while ago using an autumn leaf theme. Very simple to make but quite effective. Here I have used a dark brown Bazzil card and lightly pressed my versamark all over it so that some areas are not inked. Added the gold embossing powder and embossed. The stamp is selectively inked using a couple of marvy ink pads. For embellishments I have a gold charm and a gold leaf brad. Stamp from Rubbadubbadoo.






Finally the card below is another use of the Amazing Glaze along with gold embossing powder with this daisy tile card. The same Rubbadubbadoo stamp is used on the actual card in a custom made rainbow ink pad.
The interesting background paper has been created using the same inks dropped into a shallow tray of shaving foam, swirled, then the card is placed into the shaving foam.

Mona Madness!!

The Wednesday Stamper Challenge this week is entitled Mona Madness. The challenge - to alter the Mona Lisa. Well I really enjoyed myself making this. I will have to apologise in advance for my strange sense of humour and hope that I don't offend anyone.

My card is entitled 'Tart with a Heart' -I didn't have a Mona Lisa Stamp so I cut a picture up and made her into an entirely different character. All the stamping is in the background and I have used stamps from Paperartsy, Tanda Stamps, Stampin Up, Rubbadubbadoo and Joanna Sheen. I have used various colour dye inks and gesso onto glossy cardstock after stamping with Stazon.

A just for fun activity that has lightened my mood today!

Daring Cardmakers Extra Dare

I haven't had much time this morning but I did manage to do the extra dare that the Daring Cardmakers set this week. The ingredients for the card were:

7 Brads or eyelets

6 flowers

5 letters

I used 7 brads - three on the flower centres and four on the corners of the topper. For the floweres I used a technique stamping on any media images or photos. Scour your magazines and catalogues, even free leaflets that pop through the door can sometimes have interesting pics and colours on them. Use maps, music sheets or real photographs. I have torn a page out of a magazine and stamped the Rubbadubbadoo flower stamp all over the page - cutting out the most interesting ones. If you want them strengthened mount them onto card and cut around the shape again. Some interesteing images can be achieved! The five letters I have used are the word 'SMILE' - one of my favourites!!

If you have plenty of time to create today I envy you! Enjoy!

Twinkling H20 Backgrounds

Twinkling H20's are great for background techniques. These paints give a wonderful shimmer and shine to the surface. For the above card I have also used them to colour the image. Stamp used is from Oasis. Twinkling H20's colours used are Sunflower, True Blue, Ocean Wave and Rich Cobalt. Some fo the stars and the dark blue background paper have been embossed with Super Sparkle Embossing powder.

Making this card has really chilled me out this morning. I didn't get a very good night's sleep so I need something to put things right and messing about with paints usually does the trick!

Below is a card I made previously using the same background technique. I have posted to show varied a look you can get using this method. You can also stamp directly onto your finished background piece if you wish.
This card was made using Rubbadubbadoo stamps and Twinkling H20's in English lavender and Chiffon Pink. The images were stamped using a Marvy ink pads.

Pamper Cards!

I have a good friend who has various qualifications in Aromatherapy, Indian Head Massage etc. etc. From time to time she request some cards with a little pocket inside to hold vouchers for her customers to purchase. She likes a very feminine theme for these pamper cards.

This is a fun version of one of the cards I make for her using a Stampin Up set entitled 'Bubble Queen'. The shower curtain is a piece of pleated paper matching the background paper. The image is watercoloured and has some icicle stickles on the bubbles. Obviously best made with a matching presentation box as it is a little bulky for an envelope. It was hard to get a good image as I could not use the scanner and my camera and photography skills leave a lot to be desired!!


This is another that I made for her, using a dress stamp from a Stampin Up set called 'Haute Couture' and the hat and shoes are Judikins stamps. I use this dress stamp a great deal, it looks fab stamped in a row with funky fibre boas coming over the shoulders. The next time I make one along those lines I will have to pop it up. The dress here is stamped onto the same paper as the background with a contrasting black frill


No special techniques were used to make these cards, just scrummy papers and very simple stamping. A couple of you have contacted me saying you have not stamped as yet some fearing it is maybe a little difficult and expensive - it is only as difficult and as expensive as you want to make it and will open up a whole new dimension to card making. I cannot draw to save my life, so my stamps are my key to creativity. I don't think I will ever have enough of them!! Well we all have to collect something don't we?

Tanda Stamps - Retro Women

I have been having a play with these little beauties again. They really are good value for money, there are nine different images in this set and seven in set two! I keep picking them up and drooling over the images, then later I will get a picture of how I want one of them to look and off I go.

For this card I used a Mosaic technique I found instructions for recently. Your paper goes a long way - you start off with three different colour pieces, cut them up like shards of glass and piece them back together like a jigsaw onto a contrasting coloured card, mixing the colours up. Obviously you can do this three times and they all look slightly different! I stamped the beautifully clad woman onto glossy card using a dark blue dye ink and decided to embellish with some silver cord and a silver button.

The second card is made using just scraps of paper but giving a Mosaic finish. I chose some retro type papers for this one although the technique calls for bold background stamps and stamp in the same colour to achieve this technique properly. Never mind some times a bit of a tweak works well. I made two layers in different sizes mounted onto contrasting card with the final images simply stamped in saddle brown Stazon and embellished with little turquoise gems in each corner.



Now a quick lunch and off to work again! Are you getting a clear picture of my life - work, crafting and housework seem to be the order of the day! Ever feel like a hamster on a wheel? Enjoy your Sunday whatever you are up to!!

Wednesday Stamper - Timepeice

Once again I found time to wander around some craft blogs last night. I could spend hours doing this, looking at everyone's wonderful creations. I had myself a very pleasant and inspirational hour before I retired.

I came across the Wednesday Stamper and this weeks stamping challenge was 'Timepiece'. Normally whenever I think of time I want to do a very masculine theme for it, so I decided to do something different this time. Tea Time was made using a stamping up set entitled 'Teacup and Pansies', the lace background was from Aspects of Design and the watch timepiece was one of the free stamps from Simply Stamping Magazine reduced in size using shrink plastic.

I have added my contribution to the challenge but not without some misgivings as the standard on here is much higher than I am currently at!! Maybe it will challenge me and push me out of my comfort zone, which is what I need from time to time.

I have been 'blogging' now for a whole week! I am thoroughly enjoying myself and am more inspired than I have ever been!!

Daring Cardmakers - Through the Window

Daring Cardmakers

I have a reprieve - no work today after all. Anyway after some washing, hoovering, dusting, ironing and cooking I had a quick browse through some craft blogs. In particular I looked up the Daring Cardmakers Blog - the dare this week is to make a card with an aperture. After a quick play I came up with this. Not 100% happy with this one but I am including it anyway. Stamps used are Stampin Up for the fine lace and Tanda Stamps for the Retro lady and the gold embossed rose. Images stamped using Bravo Burgundy dye ink by Stampin Up.

Birthday ATC

I have managed to combine two tasks in one go today. I set the weekly challenge on one of the craft forums to be 'Winged Things' . I also needed to make a Birthday ATC for a friend. The centre background piece is made using Encaustic waxes. Something I have a play with from time to time - but not something I excell at. I love Encaustic art mainly because the colour is so vibrant. The fact that results are achieved quickly is also a bonus. The large butterfly is a PSX stamp, mounted with 3D foam pads and the small butterfly/dragonfly images are unknown unmounted stamps.

I have some other ideas for the ATC Challenge but at least I can kick things off with this one!!

I can leave for work now knowing that I have ticked two tasks off my list - not bad when time is so limited.

But wait a minute ..........

Woohoo!! I have just had a call from work telling me I can have the day off if I wished, due to lack of work. I just about bit the manager's hand off! Oh what a result.

The Look of Fabric

I have been playing around with a technique recently that give the effect of fabric. This is a card I made using this technique. I used a Stampin Up set of stamps called 'Cottage Rose'. The fabric effect is quite hard to show on a scan but I think you can just make out the fabric weave in places. I have some more efforts in my craft room - I just need to make them up into finished cards.

This is a dulpicated card. The original was made for a 'one on one' swap. A friend of mine saw the card, like it a lot and recently asked me to make it for her. This is something I don't like to do - I find I can't bring myself to make two cards exactly the same - my insides start screaming when I have to do this. Anyway I completed the card for her this morning but with a couple of little tweaks to calm and settle my misgivings.

This is another example - unfortunately the scan isn't brilliant. The background stamp is a Stampin Up stamp and the peacock is an unknown unmounted that I found in my stamp box.

Once again I have to exit my craft room early! I have a mother of all headaches and must try to shift it before I go to work. Luckily my Son is home and has offered to cook lunch - he's a real treasure!

Homesick!!

I have been sitting here making my Sister's birthday card this morning. My thoughts have strayed while crafting to memories of her and my childhood and now I am feeling decidedly homesick! I chose to make her a name frame card this year. I have stamped the lettters using an Aspects of Design Gothic Alphabet stamp set, cutting the letters out from their gothic background. The flowers are from the Stampin Up Spring set with diamonte hearts in the centre.

I will probably continue to feel homesick for a few days - that seems to be the norm when I start! For various reasons I am unable to get back down to Devon until the Summer. When I do, I will combine a little holiday and beach time with a lot of family visiting. Pure bliss!! Something to look forward to at least.

Her second card (from my two large grown up boys!!) will be one that I made to a card template challenge. This was set for members to have fun with on the Crafts by Carolyn Forum. This card is pictured below and once again I have used the Stampin Up 'Looks Like Spring Set' along with a small oddment of paper, a length of matching ribbon and some contrasting Making Memories Snaps.

Unfortunately for me that has to be my crafting fix for today. I have to get myself in gear and go to work again. No rest for the wicked!!

Circle Journals

I recently signed up to join in with a relatively small Circle Journal group, so five of us teamed up and chose our CJ subjects.

We then proceeded to create the books with the originator completing the front and back covers, an introduction and rule page, a sign in page at the back of the book plus the first double page layout. We popped enough blank pages in the book for the remaining four members to complete a double layout each and a place for each of them to sign in.

I have just gone back and completed pages in the latest to arrive through the letterbox with a title of 'Shabby Chic'.

I had a great deal of fun doing these pages - the colour theme of the book is pink and brown and I love putting these two colours together. I have used mainly 'Stampin Up' stamps for both pages.

Of course it was a good excuse to get messy with inks which is always just my cup of tea!

I have already contributed to one CJ with the title of My Pet or Favourite Animal. A good excuse to include Chloe my faithful Springer Spaniel.

My CJ tile is Nature's Wonders and the two I have yet to contribute to are 'Girl Talk' and 'My Friends'

I was a bit worried when I first signed up to do this but must admit to thoroughly enjoying the experience.

If any of you are thinking about joining a Circle Journal I would encourage you go sign up now!

Warhol Style!

I packed up and went to bed at about 1.00 pm last night. Tried desperately to go to sleep!! No chance of that with so many things going around in my head. One of the ideas was Warhol style cards using the Retro Women Rubber Stamp sheet from Tanda Stamps.

I had a lot on today so I arose early to have a play with one of the images. This card is the first to emerge. A bright easy card if you like that sort of thing! I have a couple of other uncompleted cards on my craft desk in this style - will go back to them when I have the time!

There are so many things I want to be doing today but unfortunately work is getting in the way. A long dreary shift awaits and I won't arrive home until almost midnight. Never mind maybe inspiration will strike as I plod around the workplace - it has been known that I have been inspired by the packaging of items on more than one occasion!

Feathers Galore!

Well the offending fence panel was weighted down and secured last night so that Hubby could repair it this morning. That was the one and only time I ventured outside, the rest of the day I played!

I played with an American Indian stamp set sent to me by Tanda Stamps. These stamps have been the source of a lot of fun, adding a lot of texture with touchy feely embellishments.

For the Indian Chief card I added lots of feathers and rummaged around in my stash until I found my Tapis tools so that I could fringe the Navajo Rug background piece.




The Totem Pole Card was made using a Masking Tape Technique for the background piece, giving the card a faux leather look, I hope. The totem pole was first painted and then covered with Amazing Glaze. An embellishment of string stitches was added for even more texture.


I started to get really messy with this card, paint and ink on my fingers with smears down my face. A very clear indication that I am beginning to enjoy myself.

The messier the room is and the dirtier I am - the more successful crafting session I have had!!


Finally below I have a card of Sunset Braves. The background for this was a very simple one of ink brayered onto glossy card stock. The Indian brave repeatedly stamped across the bottom and some background stamps I have used to create a scene of sorts.



In between crafting I managed to do a few bits and pieces around the house, watch a little TV and finally remembered to eat and drink!!

Here we Go ......

Here we go then. I have been thinking of blogging for some time now. The only thing that put me off was making an entry everyday. I now realise that this is not compulsory so have decided to go ahead and have a go!

Today I have been playing with a new Rubber Stamp Sheet entitled Retro Women 2 from Tanda Stamps.

This one was made using the a masking tape background. I am fond of this technique as it is quick and easy and can match your image perfectly using the same ink pads.

Below is another card made using one of the images from that set. The trouble is I am inspired by all these wonderful images and have just not got enough time to play with all of them.

The wind is blowing like a mad man here today and I was sitting here feeling smug that I didn't have to go outside at all when there was a resounding crack. On investigation one of my fence panels has broken and is flailing around in the wind. Looks like I will have to venture outside after all!!