Rudolph Days - October 21

Hello there,

It's the 25th of the month again, so time for another 'Rudolph Days' challenge over at Scrappy Mo's.

Here's the card that I've made:

The stamp  and backing paper that I've used today are both by Crafty Individuals.  This is a lovely stamp as it can be made to look very different.  Here's a card that I made as a sample earlier on in the year and as you can see, it doesn't look like a Christmas card at all.

That's all from me for today, so take care and be happy xx

 

Time For Some Floral Stamps

Hello again,

The last release of Crafty Individual stamps featured two designs by lovely Dora from our DT.  She's a very talented lady and here's a couple of cards that I've made using her designs:

On my first card, I've used the image from the second card to create my background and I think it's worked really well.  I stamped the image up several times so decoupage it and give it some dimension.  For my second card, I stamped the image onto Kraft card and then coloured it with Derwent Inktense pencils.  When it was finished, I sprayed it with some 'Spray and Shine' to add some depth to the colour.  I think you'll agree that Dora's done a wonderful job xx

Another Peaceful Scene

Hello there,

I'm here again with another of my scenic cards.  This one features the cottage from CI-460.  A beautiful stamp that's just perfect for a 'New Home' card' or as I've used it here to create a scene.  This scene reminds me of a leisurely Sunday morning stroll with a loved one..... just perfect! 

Wishing you all a very happy and peaceful week xx

Landscape Photo Tutorial

Here is the latest card that I've made using the brand new stamps and stencils by Crafty Individuals.  If you would like to see how this card was made and perhaps try something similar yourself, then I've added a photo tutorial below to show you how.  Here's my finished card:

1). Using a blending brush or blending tool, lay down some background colour.  I roughly placed the yellow where I want my sun to be.

2). Place one of the round CI stencils where you want the sun to be, then brush over it again with your blending brush or tool, this will increase the depth of the colour on your scene

3). Place a sheet of copy paper where you want the water to be.  I usually make mine the bottom third of the card.  Brush over from side to side, but try to use a little less pressure where the reflection from the sun would be

4). If using a brush, then spritz it with water and drag it across the water.  This will give the water a sense of movement.  Make sure that you mask with your copy paper first to avoid it smudging the rest of your scene

5).  I wasn't happy with the colour of my water at this stage, so I decided to make it darker by adding some dark blue ink.  If you do the same, then don't forget to blend some of the same colour at the top of the sence too

6). Place your copy paper at the top edge of the water and use the CI stencil to create some mountains in the background.  Take care to keep everything still at this point and build up the colour gradually

7). I used the same technique here as on step 6 to give the scene a little more balance.  You can always add more or less mountains in the background depending on the size of card that you're using

8). Time now to use the hanging branch from CI-583.  This is such a useful stamp and will be one that you'll use time and time again

9). As you can see here, I've stamped the branch one way, then turned it around to give a completely different look at the left hand side

10). It's really important that your ink is completely dry, so I stamped the branches using VersaFine, then heat embossed it with a clear embossing powder.  Once it's dry, then you need to blend around the edges which will then start to frame the scene.  I did mine first with purple, then with the dark blue

11).  Now it's time to start adding some botanical stamps into the foreground.  Think carefully at this point about the balance and framing.  You can see on this picture how I start with the taller stamps at either side of my scene

12). I used stamps from CI-584 and CI-585 to do this.  I also stamped a few in purple to add a little contrast

13). Once again, ensure that your stamps are completely dry before blending again with the dark blue ink.  Next, I used a Posca pen to highlight the botanical stamps

14). I used the CI landscape stencil to add the birds to my scene.  It's absolutely fine just to use a blending tool to do this but as I wanted mine to be a little darker, I went over them with a fine liner. The sentiment that I've used is from CI-583.   When this was done, I then mounted my scene onto some black card.

15).  As I had used lots of purple in my scene, I decided to mount the card again onto so purple card before finally adding it to my white base card.  My finished card is 8 x 8.  

All of the stamps and stencils that I've used for this tutorial are available from Crafty Individuals at:  www.craftyindividuals.co.uk

 

CAS Sympathy

Hi there,

Just a quick post from me to share a card that I'd like to enter into this month's CAS Mix Up challenge.  I spent a very interesting afternoon yesterday making leaf prints.  I didn't have a great deal of success but I very much enjoyed getting messy playing with my Gel Plate.  I'd tried stamping with the leaves and that didn't go too well until my crafty friend Lynne suggested trying Oxides to get a better coverage.  Anyway, after a few more attempts, I finally got a print that I was happy with.  In the end, I used Adirondack Oregano, Oxide Cracked Pistachio and Oxide Peacock Feathers.   Here's my card and apologies that it's not the best photo:

Here are a few of the prints that I made, mainly using the Gel Plate.  I think I'll try and find a way of using some of these in my art journal.  The pink one at the bottom is a fabulous print that I did using acrylic paint but it's too big for a CAS card, other than if I were to cut into it but that would be a shame I think.  My finger tips are still blue today :) :):)

That's all for today but I'll be back shortly with another photo tutorial x 

I'd like to add my card into the following challenge:

CAS Mix Up Card Challenge - Botanical Prints

I Love My Brushos

Hello there,

How's things with you? Good I hope.  

I'd like to start by saying a big thank you to all the people who have been kind enough to take the time and leave such lovely comments on my last few posts, I really do appreciate it.  Blog land just gets quieter and quieter, so thank you for sticking with me  x

I'm here today with another of my most recent samples:

As the title says 'I Love My Brushos' and I really do.  I honestly can't get enough of them!  I think it's the fact that you never know how a background it going to turn out.  I decided to use the single botanical stamps on this card to create a boquet of them.  Once everything was completely dry, I used a glue pen and added some glitter.  I think you can just about see it on the photo.  I used a crackle stamp around the edge but I had too much space left at the left hand side, so I added a black die cut and a few sequins.  They seemed apprpriate as I'd already used the glitter, so lots of sparkle on this one xx

I'd like to add this card into the following challenges:

Happy Little Stampers - Watercolour Challenge

A Bit More Time To Craft - Anything Goes

Gorgeous Botanicals

Hello there,

I'm back again today to share a couple more of my CI samples with you.  I absolutely loved using these new stamps and I could have gone on making this batch of samples forever!  They are such beatuiful stamps that can be used for so many different occasions.  Here's todays cards:

Jean released another beautiful set of papers on the last show and both of these cards feature one of the new designs.  I think my first card shows how well the stamps and papers work together.  I quite often make sets of cards for friends and family and this combination would be perfect for that and would look lovely boxed up.

More samples to come and I hope you're enjoing seeing them as much as I enjoyed making them x 

Autumn Mushrooms

Hello there,

I hope that you're all enjoying the weekend.  The weather hasn't been too bad, although it's definitely getting colder and my jumpers are making their way to the front of the wardrobe!  I hadn't intended doing a post today but I watched a FB live by Isa C Art & Craft a couple of days ago and I felt inspired to take out my stamps and inks and have a go.  Isa was demoing some new mushroom stamps that she's designed for Katzlecrafts, so I decided to use some mushrooms by Chocolate Baroque from their Autumn Poppy set  Here's what I've made:

I used a selection of Distress and Impress inks that I pressed into my craft mat.  I spritzed with water and then pressed my card into in colours until I was happy with the background.  This is meant to be a messy process, so I wasn't looking for a perfect finish, just a good coverage of the three different colours.  Once the background was dry, I stamped various mushrooms and coloured some black to place them further into the background.  I then used a word stencil and picked out the letters to spell autumn.  I some VersaMark on them, then heat embossed them in gold.  Next, I stamped the mushrooms again onto white snippets of card before using my inks again to paint them.  I felt that the colours were lacking a bit, so I added a touch of red, which I think made the difference that it needed.  I decoupaged the mushrooms to give them depth and dimension.

That's all from me for today but I'll be back soon with more of my samples from last Friday's CI shows, so until then, stay safe and happy crafting xx

I'd like to add this card into the following challenges:

Pixie's Snippets Playground Challenge - #413

Country View Challenges - Autumn Colours and/or Halloween

Try It On Tuesday - Autumn Blessings

Sparkles Monthly Challenge Blog - Autumn Colours

A Bit More Time To Craft - Anything Goes

Crafty Individuals are on TV Today

Hello there my lovelies,

I can't believe how quickly the months are rolling by and the Lovely Jean Hardy from Crafty Individuals will be on 'The Craft Store TV'  again today at 10am and 2 pm, so I'm here with you today to share the first of my samples from this time around.  Now I have to say that these beautiful stamps are right up my street as they say as they are perfect for scene making.  Here's the first of my cards:

The Kingfisher and the trees across the centre are older stamps but the botanical stamps and the hanging tree branches are from the new sets.  As we are now well and truely into autumn, I thought that I would make this card using autumnal colours. I've stamped some of the botanical stamps with VersaFine Clair and then heat embossed some using a vanilla embossing powder as I think that white would have been too harsh.  I also decided to mat and layer the card onto cream card for the same reason.  Everything tones in quite well, so I'm happy with it.  I hope that you can watch the shows but if not, then they'll be availabe on catch up for a few weeks after.

Take care of yourselves and I'll be back soon with more samples xx

I'd like to add this card into the follwing challenges:

Country View Challenges - Autumn Colours and/or Halloween

Make My Monday - Embossing /Either (Heat Embossing On My Card)

A Bit More Time To Craft - Anything Goes

Sparkles Monthly Challenge - Autumn Colours