Christmas Card Making Countdown

Hello Folks!  Well everyone seems to be well into the Christmas Card Countdown now, including me!  I have separate lists for what I need to do and I am trying to get some done from each of them every day for the next 10 days, so I hope that I will have time to Blog about them. (Or rather remember to Blog!!)

So this little card is from a second batch that I have managed to get finished.
 
I was asked to add to an order at the last minute (before posting to my customer) a card for a little child and I immediately thought of this Teddy Bear card.  The image is from the Forever Friend's Christmas Character selection.
I printed and then cut out the image building it up with double sided foam pads.  I put this to the side.

I then chose to cut out squares to mat and layer the background.  I decided that I would colour the background on the first layer with Archival Plum ink using an ink duster.  I then went around the corners with Archival Coffee and also put in a bit of shading under the Teddy to give it a grounding.

I also took my embossing tool around the edge to give it more definition.  I then cut out a larger square from a Christmas Paper Pad from my stash.  I shaded in the corners of this with the Archival Plum ink.
I then matted these up and attached the Teddy Beat with Double Sided tape.  I like to use strong tape when I am doing layers or adding decoupage ( sometimes when building up a card one can get carried away so you have to choose a suitable strong fixative)

Recycle time again!

Hi Folks!  Well am I behind in my Christmas card list or what!  It doesn't help when one has a stinking cold...sniffles, sore throat...coughing and a watery eye (simpathy welcome)  I even took the precaution of getting my flu jab...so much for that.  I started on some parchment cards over the weekend but had to stop as I couldn't focus.  So I have amused myself with making some more embellishments with my Bigshot.  I am also doing a bit of recycling.

This Christmas tree Die was a freebie in a craft magazine. It is quite delicate once cut, but if you use metal or as in this case a Foil Lid it makes it quite sturdy.  Sturdy enough to have a small stencil too.





These foil lids can be used with quite a variety of dies as the following photos show

I had these cleaned and sitting on my kitchen work surface ready to go into my recycle bin when I thought that I would give them a try.  As they have a textured inside to them they are ideal for using Alcohol Inks to add colour to.  (I did this but forgot to upload the photos of the results...but the inks worked great...blaming my cold for forgetting)

I have decided to not leave my house this week at all (as I am not up to it really) and just concentrate on my christmas card list and hopefully get more blogging done too.

Bye for now folks!  Happy crafting xx

Effects With Ink Dusters

Hi, today I will show you some results that can be achieved using Ink Dusters.  I like to use them a lot.  I find them easy to handle (and they make me feel as though I am painting).  I first saw them being used on Create and Craft TV and then last year at the Christmas fair at the SSEC in Glasgow I saw them being demonstrated. I was quite impressed that they can be used on any medium, from copy paper to wood. Very impressed with the sample cards.  The rule is to let the brush get comfortable in your hand (they are double ended) dab onto your ink (any kind can be used - bonus!) then dab a bit onto scrap paper before applying to your medium (card, paper etc.).

pic 1

Apply ink lightly, re-apply to the depth of colour you want. You can use small or long strokes or even use in a circular motion. To give a darker look to a particular area pinch the bristles a bit (once you have inked +dabbed) then apply, or of course use a darker ink. When doing landscapes, tape your work to a piece of copy paper using low tack tape.  Turn your work  to portrait then start using your ink dusters to apply ink, it is easier to apply ink this way if you are using long strokes. Then if you want to apply the ink in a circular motion turn your work to landscape. (remember to turn your work not yourself when applying ink to corners or edges).  In pic 1, I have cut out these shapes using spellbinders dies.  I kept the dies on the card while going over them with the ink dusters.  I used SUPER SMOOTH CARD.

pic2

In pic 2, I stamped my images first then I covered the kissing couple (from Clarity Stamp) with a heart mask before shading with my ink duster.  I shaded the corners first and then starting on the heart mask I came off it with my brush, turning my work while doing so.
I used an ATC card and also mini Cherry Blossom from Clarity Stamp.

pic3

                                                                                                In pic 3, I stamped out my image, Boy Fishing and Small Landscape, put in a moon mask, then I shaded in the sky starting at the corners and working in. As you work in the ink gets lighter and this helps blend it all.  I repeated the process for the foreground.  I had used THEUVA CARD for this project. You can see that I have taken the ink all the way to the edges and this has given it more definition.

pic 4

In pic 4, I have used the ink duster to shade the background using a Stencil that I had made and also to shade in the main image. The background is just plain old COPY PAPER
All the stamps used were Clarity Stamps.

You can also use over heat embossed images without causing any damage.  And when you are finished you can leave the brushes to dry (the ink won't transfer) or you can give them a rinse out in water..

Now I must get on with my Christmas cards...getting behind a bit.   Crafty hugs to all! x

Blog Update:£50 Clarity Goody Bag up for grabs!

Hi Folks!  Just a quick update to let you all know about the latest news from Barbara Gray  (the wonderful lady who is Clarity Stamps).  She herself has only recently got into Blogging and has decided to have a giveaway.  (well two actually)  

Now as everyone who has ever read my Blog will have noticed, I am a partial to a bit of Clarity Stamp.  I think the company produces the best quality of all the stamps out there.  You tell me what stamp you can take an Iron too and still be able to stamp with it after...go on try it!  But not only does this lady produce the best stamps they have stencils and masks and of course not to mention all the techniques that she and her Design Team have up their sleeves.

To win the Goody Bags on offer just read and follow the next paragrapghs

Down on the righthand side of my Blog page you will notice a new Button sporting a lovely picture of the lady herself.  If after reading what I have copied and pasted from Barbara's Blog, you want to join in, go to the button and it will take you there.

COMMENT CANDY

How does a Clarity Goody Bag worth about £50 sound? All you need to do is go to my blog any day and leave a nice comment about Clarity, or about the post of the day. I will pick a winner at the end of the 30th November. The more comments you leave each day, the more chance you have of winning! 

BUTTON FAIRIES

But, here's another Giveaway for Co-bloggers who can sport buttons:

If you copy and paste the Clarity Giveaway Button to your own blog, and then leave a nice comment on my blog, saying you have accomplished this mission, then you will go into another draw - an even bigger draw! When the number of followers reaches 700, I will randomly pick a Button Fairy and then personally pack another Clarity Goody Bag to the value of £100. Now that has to be worth figuring it out! I'm told all you have to do is copy the html code underneath my button and paste it into your Blog layout, in the sidebar. The Giveaway Button will then appear on your blog, and you are a serious contender for the prize! 

Anybody can click on the button and it will link straight back to this Candy Blog, and then that person can join in, too! 

Winter Card Challenge

Hi again Folks!  It seems to have been a busy month for a lot of crafters here in the UK. What with marathon TV appearances, Craft Shows, Craft Classes, competitions and plain old making cards for Christmas! I managed to get to the craft show at the SECC in glasgow last week and had a great day.  I got to meet two of my favourite Crafting Ladies, Barbara Gray (the lady behind and in front of Clarity Stamps who just does everything arty and crafty) and Maria Simms ( Designer, demonstrator, teacher)  They both took time out to talk to me and I got a lovely hug from Maria (she also set me a challenge...more of that in a later blog) and my friend took a picture of me with Barbara (my is she tall...I am only a tiny little thing - well in height I am lol).  So a big thank you to both of them for taking time out (hope your neck is better Barbara)

I started on my Christmas Card orders a few weeks ago (can't post pictures yet) and I still have a few to go before I can even get on with cards for family and friends ( hope I don't run out of steam or ideas).  The following card has not been allocated to anybody yet so I can post about that.  (Please note that I have just finished this card and my glue behind the sentiment hasn't even dried yet, hence you can still see it...I was loosing daylight)  I am going to enter this into the Clarity stamp Challenge 8 Winter.

I have used 4 Clarity Stamps for this card.  Log Cabin, Winter Tree and Mantle (from lesson 21 stamp set),
Small Deer scape and Happy Christmas sentiment.

I began by making a mask from a post-it note for the Log Cabin. Then using Ranger Distress Ink - Faded Jeans and 2nd gen ink I stamped onto Theuva Card from Clarity Stamps.  I placed the mask over the Cabin. My next step was to pick my tree from the set and stamp over the mask so that my first set of trees would be behind the Cabin. I then stamped the Mantles for the trees. Next I stamped the trees that would be in the foreground. I inked the edge of the Deer scape Stamp with Ranger Distress Ink - Chipped Sapphire and placed that onto my winter scene. Then using a torn bit of copy paper and makeup sponge I put in some shading for the snow with the Faded Jeans ink.

Anniversary Card

Hi folks!  For this card I used  a Clarity Stamp that I am quite fond of (I still have to find out her name) and a Clarity Stamp Leafy Swirl stamp.

Using Archival Coffee ink I stamped up the central image, made a mask and covered the lady.  I then stamped the Swirly leaf around the edge.  I used a piece of torn copy paper to give the impression of the lady sitting in the foreground.

I removed the mask and using a makeup sponge put in a bit more shading.  I used Blush Pro Marker for the flesh.

I then cut out a shape (fancy tag from spellbinders) and using a Happy Anniversary stamp form my stash I stamped the tag using the Archival Coffee ink and gave that a bit of shading around the edge.

I mounted the picture using my perfect layers ruler on a dark brown (nearly black) card which I then mounted onto white card.  I mounted the tag using foam tape and then I made an envelope and embellished it using 2nd generation ink (Coffee Archival) and the leafy swirl stamp.

The insert was made using super smooth paper and stamping the Clarity Stamp verse Loved you Yesterday... (its also on the front of the card that I entered in to the clarity stamp challenge shown HERE)

p.s.  I forgot to say that I used Clarity Paper to do the actual stamping on....silly me!

Stamping, Stencilling and Embossing

Hi Folks!  Been a little busy since my last post.  I have been making cards along with doing a little more art work in my friend Linda's house.

The first photo shows the Stamped and Stencilled corner.

As you can see my friend has a thing for butterflies, so I raided my craft stash and came up with this.

I have used a Clarity Stamp Butterfly and Cherry Blossom stamps, Kan Ban Rose Flourish stamp, 3 other Butterflies that I have picked up over the past year from a Car Boot Sale (don't know the makes).

I used part of a Rose stencil from a collection of Brass stencils that I have and I also used a large and small leaf flourish that I made using the Dies I featured in my post Thursday 18th July - More Embellishments in Metal.

I used Plum Archival Ink, Pearlescent Crimson Memento Ink and Twilight Brilliance Ink. 

Very easy to do especially the stencilling using a foam pad.

The second photo shows the Stickers that I made to be placed on a door.

These were made from another Car Boot Sale purchase.  They are patchwork and ideally suited for a little girls room.  They measure about 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches.

     

Vintage piece number 3

Hi once again Folks!  Last piece in this little trilogy for my friend and once again using Clarity Stamps.  You can tell they are my favourite of all the stamps out there in the crafting world!

In this last little piece I used the Large Amethyst stamp and Plum Adirondack ink.  I then coloured the image with Promarkers but this time I used them with my Ultra Fine Nibs. 

Using these nibs on stretched canvas gives you the effect of very tiny strokes which gives the impression that you have painted in oils or acrylics which in turn gives your picture a lot more texture.

The colours I used were: Plum and Leaf Green for the
flowers, Maroon for the dress, Gold for the cushion, Spice for the back of the seat and Henna for the arms of the seat.

I used Maroon for her hair touching it here and there with my Blender to give highlights and Blush for the flesh.

I stamped and then cut out a mask to cover the central image and used Pearlescent Crimson - Brilliance ink with my Ink Duster to cover the background.

I stamped Large Ivy in each corner using Pearlescent Crimson - Brilliance ink. Then using a combination of Ink duster and Foam Pad and Plum Adirondack ink I shaded in the corners and edges of the work.

So now that these little pieces are done I can get on with some larger pieces for my friend ( I have a whole wall to cover for her....I think I am going to be busy for a little while).

Hope you are all well and Happy crafting everyone!

Vintage Piece Number two

Hi Folks!  That's me finished with the first lot of artwork for my friends new home.  I have made her three little pieces for her bedroom.  I have already blogged about one of them (Vintage Challenge) and here is the picture of piece two.
The central image is a larger version of 'La Petit Musique' from Clarity Stamp.  I do not know what this one is called as it was an EBAY job lot purchase.  (this version has the added attraction of the birds, plant and moon/sun in the background, I just love it) 
The corner stamp is the Large Art Nouveau Corner from Clarity Stamp. 

I stamped the image onto stretched canvas using Plum Adirondack ink.  Using my promarkers I coloured the image thus:  Blush for the flesh (of course), Maroon for the hair, Plum for the dress and for the Art Nouveau corner.  I used Coral for the foliage and Canary for the birds. I coloured the moon in Rose Pink.  I used my Blender pen around the outside of the moon to give it a bit of a halo effect.

I then covered the image with a mask that I had made and using my ink duster and Plum Adirondack ink shaded the background, putting a bit more at the corners.

I removed the mask and decided to put more colour to the stocking that the lady is wearing to give it a bit more definition and a little bit of shading under her chin and that was that piece finished.

Piece three coming soon. Hugs to all !

Vintage Challenge update!

Hi Folks!  Just a little update, blowing my own trumpet here!  My entry for the Vintage Challenge with Clarity Stamp Challenge Blog for September has been chosen by the lovely Design Team Ladies to be in the TOP 5 Favourites (Thank you VERY VERY  much Ladies)  this is the 2nd time for me and I am obviously really happy about it.  (you can tell by the big grin on my face) (Oh and I got a new Blinkie for my Blog for this).
Congratulations to the Winner #35 Angela Simpson, and congrats to the other ladies who were picked to be in the TOP 5....#9 Linda Barton , #18 Hermina Speksnijder, #37 Julie Wheatman, and #45 Julie Rose  who all made lovely cards.

Good Luck to all in the next challenge WINTER.

Happy Crafting xxx