Scenic Card Photo Tutorial

Hello there,

I've had several requests for me to make a photo tutorial for a scenic card, so here it is and this is the card that I've made.

I've tried to break it down into small steps, photographed at each stage so that you can have a go yourselves if you'd like to.  I've chosen to use pink and blue today, but you could use other colours for your sky as the technique would be exactly the same. The easiest would be just to use blue ink but make it darker for the water.  It's always good to experiment with different colours depending on what type of scene you wish to make

Here are the stamps and the tools that I've used.  The stamps are by Crafty Individuals (www.craftyindividuals.co.uk) CI-361 and CI-496.  As you can see from the photo, I don't use expensive tools and I made my own blending tool using a piece from an old chess set.  I find the Ink Dusters really easy to use for my backgrounds as they're great for blending but you could also use a blending tool if you don't have the Dusters.  The Dusters are by Inkylicious.

Start by dusting some blue ink at the top and bottom of the card.  You can make the scene as big as you like but I've used a piece of white card to make a 6 x 6 card.

Next, brush over the center with the pink.  You don't need to be too precise, just blend it in gently with the blue. Sorry about the colour on this photo.

Take some copy paper and mask off where the water will be.  I tend to do this roughly a third of the card.  As you can see through the paper, you can work out where you want it to go.

Here's how it looks.  I should have taken it a bit lower but no worries.

I then spritz some water onto my Ink Duster and drag it across the water to create some movement.  It you don't have the dusters, then you could use a paint brush, or skip this bit altogether, it wouldn't make much different to the finished result.

Take some of the blue ink on to a paint brush and drag it from side to side across the water.  If you don't have a flat brush like mine, then any fine brush will do.

I then do the same again using just water on my brush and I dab it straight away with a paper towel to lift out some of the colour.  This give the water some movement, so keep going over the last two steps until you are happy with the result.  

Time to get stamping now.  I set mine as I go along with some clear embossing powder as this avoids the ink smudging and gives a deeper black impression.  Not necessary to do this but if you don't, then you would need to be very careful as smudged ink doesn't look great!

I decided to add a bit of interest in the sky at this point but you could always skip this bit if you don't want a sun/moon in your scene.  I have a plastic stencil to do this bit but you can always punch out a circle or draw around a 10p piece and then cut it out.  As I said earlier, I adapt things the best I can without spending a fortune as you really don't need to.  

It's starting to come together nicely now:)

 I used the small tree to create the branches.  You can add your branches where you choose but I like to balance mine, so I've added more in the opposite corner to where I've stamped my focal image in the foreground.  Next, I've going to add a mountain in the background, so I used my copy paper again to mask off the water.

I tore off a mall piece of paper and placed it roughly where I wanted my mountains to be. I then used some low-tack masking tape to keep it in place.  You could do it without but it wouldn't be easy.

As I wanted the mountains to be dark, I used my VersaFine Claire ink and a make up sponge (A blending tool as I call it:) These can be bought really cheaply from the well know shop that charges the same for everything.  I don't have them for all of my colours, just for black and yellow.

Job done.  I finished by going around the edge of my card with a blue blending tool and then again around the bottom with the black.  Doing this frames the image and draws the eye into the picture.  

As my edge was already dark, I mounded my scene straight onto a 6x6 card and that's another one for my stash!

I do hope that you've enjoyed this tutorial.  I've made it as easy as I can for you and I hope the photos help.  I really hope that this post might inspire you and I'd love to see what you make.    Don't forget to use different colours of ink....sunsets, sunrise, moonlight.  The water can be blue and it also looks good in grey.  If it's not perfect, don't worry, it's only a bit of card!  Enjoy xx

Mid-Month inspiration - February 2020

Hell there,

It's time for some mid-month inspiration at 'Stamping Sensations' and here's my card:

This fairy stamp was one of the first stamps that I ever bought and it's still on it's original  wooden block.  I'm sorry that I can tell you who made it as there's no manufacturers mark on it, only that it was made in California.  The background stamp is by Inkylicious and I heat embossed it in white before colouring over it using a blending tool and Distress Oxides. The fairy was coloured using water colours and I added a little glitter to the wings once it was finished.

That's all from me for now, so I'll wish you a happy and peaceful day x

Let's Travel Somewhere Nice Today

Hello there,

The weather is absolutely horrendous here and so I'm taking advantage of that and spending some time in my craft room.  I know that I've been a bad blogger recently but my time has been quite precious and so when I've had some spare time,  I've used it to have a play with my crafty stash rather than sitting at my computer but I'm taking a little time this morning to catch up with my crafty friends and also to share with you a few of my samples that I made for the recent Crafty Individuals shows on Hochanda :

I really enjoyed the latest range of stamps by Crafty Individuals and the Eiffel Tower and Hot Air Balloons were my favourites.  The theme was 'Travel' and all of the stamps are great for cards and journaling.  I made quite a few this time around, so I'm hoping to share more of them with you soon.

Enjoy your day, whatever you may be doing and I wish peace and happiness until I'm with you again  x

Add A Heart

Hello there,

I'm here to share with you a card that I've made this week which is different to my usual style as there is no ink or stamping on it at all!  I do this from time to time and as it's Valentine's Day next week, I thought this card would be just right.  I've used a heart shaped die to cut out the aperture and then used an old printed paper that I had in the background.  The sentiment is another die cut from a die that I bought from 'The Works.'  They quite often have some very reasonably priced dies that take my fancy from time to time and this was one of them.  Here's my card:

I'd like to add this card into this week's challenge over at Allsorts.  Their theme this week is 'Add A Heart' and has been chosen by my lovely crafty friend Kath.

Wishing you all a very happy weekend x 

Crafty Individuals on Hochanda

Hello there,

Just a quick one from me today to remind you all that Crafty individuals with be on Hochanda tomorrow (Tuesday 4th of February) at 10am and 2pm GMT.  If you can't manage to watch the shows, then you can always find them on Hochanda's Catch Up page for about a month after the shows have aired.

Here's a sneaky peak at just a few of the samples that I've made this time around.  The new stamps are fabulous and if you are tempted and have the patience to wait a while, then Jean Hardy usually adds them to the Crafty Individuals web site about a week after the shows for a short time at a reduced price.

Make It Feminine at Stamping Sensations

Hello there you crafty lot!

It's the first Sunday of the month, which can only mean one thing....yes, it's time for a new challenge over at 'Stamping Sensations' and our theme this month is 'Make It Feminine.'   Here's my card to inspire you:

I started by colouring my background by using Distress Oxides and I used a little Glycerine to help with the blending and the spreading of the ink.  The main flower stamp that I've used is the 'BEAUtaincals' Large Lily by Bee Crafty and the butterflies are from their Art Stamps ' Birds and Butterflies.'  I stamped the Lily using VersaFine Clair and then I used some bleach to lift out the background colour.  I hope you'll agree with me that this fits into the feminine category.  The sentiment is by Visible Image.

We are very generously sponsored this month by the fabulous 

Bev and Sam from  'Bee Crafty' 

who will be giving one lucky winner a £25 voucher to spend in their online store

AND ALSO BY:

Julia from 'JMC Designs'

Who is offering a collection choice of Digital Images.

Here's my card made with one of Julia's Digital Images:
'Penelope Colada'

I've coloured and water coloured this using some pens that I recently bought at half price from Hobby Craft (I love a bargain!)  My background was made using a Gelli Plate, acrylic paint and some Bubble Wrap.  This is totally different from what I usually make but I found the colouring rather therapeutic :)

Just before I go, I'd just like to remind you all that Jean from Crafty Individuals will be on Hochanda on Tuesday the 4th of February with some fabulous new stamps and papers.  Who knows, you might even see some of my samples while you're watching! The shows are on at 10am and 2pm.

That's all from me for now, so I'll wish you a happy and peaceful day x