Crafty Treasures

Hi there crafty friends, I had so much fun making a few cards for this weeks Splitcoast Stampers – Technique Challenge (TLC520) Embossing Folder Stamping. I utilized three wonderful embossing folder designs, the first EF by Stampin’ Up! – Manhattan Flower, the second EF is Darice – Birds In Branches and the third EF is by Couture Creations – The Marriot Collection.

I did not plan three, I just got playing and had a ball, but got to busy to finish them up and mount them until today and this was the end result.

All My Love

Firstly… with this card, it has not been embossed through an embossing machine, it is flat with no raised areas. I inked up the folder with black ink, lightly spritzed but decided to lay a piece of acetate onto the folder for something a little different, wondering what sort of result I might end up with? I was dubious, but kept on playing! The inked pooled more blotchy or blob like and I was liking it at this stage, so I laid my cardstock on the embossing folder and lightly ran my hand over and waited a little for all that goodness to absorb then turned it over… Nice Murial!

I then coloured up the roses with an old set of Sakura watercolours, I forgot I even had this small set! It was easier than it probably looks, all I did was wash the roses with soft pink and then added darker shade of the same colour to the petals.

I still had some residual ink on the embossing folder so I lightly spritzed again and repeated the same steps above with the embossing folder, carefully realigning the card stock back onto the folder, which added the softer grey and more lovely blotches.

Main Embossing Folder: Stampin’ Up!  – Manhattan Flower
Stamps: Kaisercraft – Clear Stamps/Texture – Morocco and Sweet Pea, Wording – All My/Small Stick Stamp Set (Unknown)
Ink/Colour: Sakura – Watercolours, Black – Dye Ink Pad, Marvy – Le Plume Markers
Cardstock: Basic White, Basic Black
Accessories: Small Heart Punch
Embellishments: Ribbon, Sequins

Birds On A Branch

My second card also has not been embossed through an embossing machine, it is flat with no raised areas. Using the Darice – Birds In Branches embossing folder and three different dye based inks, I inked one after another and realigning the same as my first card. With Marvy – Le Plume Markers and a water brush, I coloured the birds, tree limbs and leaves. I cut additional wing detail and stamped them both with the Marocco clear stamp and adhered them with foam adhesive. To shade the underside of the branches and leaves I used Sakura watercolours. I finished it off with a lovely HOTP sentiment, highlighted with a coat of diamond glaze on the middle word “wonderful”.

Main Embossing Folder: Darice – Birds In Branches
Stamps: Hot Off The Press – Acrylic Stamps/Greetings & Labels, Kaisercraft – Clear Stamp/Vintage Fence and Texture – Morocco (For Bird Wings)
Ink/Colour: 3 Various – Dye Ink Pads, Marvy – Le Plume Markers, Sakura – Watercolours
Cardstock: Basic white, Stampin’ Up! – Wild Wasabi
Accessories: Cuttlebug – Embossing Folder/Swiss Dots, Stampin’ Up! – Adorning Accents/Edglits Dies (125595)
Embellishments: Judikins – Diamond Glaze

 By The Glow Of Moonlight

For this final card I used 2 shades of blue ink and applied separately using the same steps as my first card. I finally succumbed to embossing this one in the embossing machine and swiped the black ink pad over the surface and painted it with acrylic paints adding details like the Tyre swing, moon, clouds, fence, birds, a few flowers, grass and a foreground tree… of course! For the the background I distressed a piece of white cardstock with acrylic paints to suit the finished image.

Actually while working with this one, both trees on the left hand side of the lighthouse, I had accidentally coloured them both as one tree, across to the lighthouse, until I found there was another smaller tree tucked in there, all fixed!

Main Embossing Folder: Couture Creations – The Marriot Collection/A2-C0723670
Ink/Colour: Black  – Dye Ink Pad, Acrylic Paints, Adirondack – Acrylic Paint Dauber/Snow Cap
Cardstock: Basic White, Basic Black, Word Strip: Webster’s – Petite Papers/Collection Triple Pack/6″x 6″ Pad
Accessories: Sissix – Texture Fades/Embossing Folders/Courtyard and Trellis Set

Hi everyone, I’m back with a couple of quick cards I made recently. Today’s projects I utilized the same Couture Creations – Vintage Dressmaker embossing folder design for both these cards and designed two different styles for Splitcoast Stampers Colour Challenge (CC515)”A Really Crumby Espresso”, Hosted by Karen B Barber. This challenge was to use these three Stampin’ Up colours or use the closest colours you have.

*For Double desserts make 2 cards and use 2 punches on each one.

I originally aimed to get one card made up and I got it finished reasonably quick and thought OK… for fun, I’ll go for double desserts and started making a my 2nd card, but as luck would have it, it just got too busy over the last three days, but I have managed to complete with any snippets of time free the 2nd card for this weeks Splitcoast Stampers – Colour Challenge, so without further delay, here are both my cards.

KEY ELEMENTS

I intentionally left this one sentiment free, until I am ready to use it.

Stamps/Images: Lucy’s Stamps – (WM) Aging Block/710LM
Card/Paper: SU – Crumb Cake, Early Espresso CS, Red CS
Inks/Colour: Distress Inks, White Gel Pen, Prisma Colour Pencils
Punches: Leone M- Large/Triple Key Punch, Carl – Flower Punch
Accessories: Couture Creations – World Fair Embossing Folders/Vintage Dressmaker, Fiskars – Hand Punch/heart (for necklace)
Embellishments: Brad, Chipboard Leaves

SEWING ROOM

This one I cut out and trimmed the wings off and adhered with 3D foam tape for different look.

Stamps/Images: MFT  – (UM) Background/Wood Plank, P.S.X  – (WM) Antique Sewing Machine K1463), Lucy’s Stamps – (WM) Aging Block/710LM, Hot Off The Press – Acrylic Stamps/Greetings And Labels/Heart, Rubber Stampede – Stick Stamp Set of 15/Checker design, Small Alphabet Stick Stamps (Unknown)
Card/Paper: SU – Crumb Cake, Early Espresso CS, Red CS
Inks/Colour: Distress Inks, White Gel Pen, Prisma Colour Pencils
Punches: SU – Extra Large Oval/119859, Carl – Small square Punch/1cm x 1cm
Accessories: SU – Textured Impressions/Embossing Folder/Designer Frames

Hi there Crafty friends, big post for you today. I have two easel cards and another beaded suncatcher I made recently (prior to Christmas!) for a family member that I mentioned previously I would share with you. Hope you all had a fabulous Christmas and New Year with family or friends. Christmas day here was spent relaxing with family, we had a lovely BBQ this year instead of a traditional roast.

I took a break from webbing while hubby was on 3 weeks of Holli’s. We had our new fridge delivered and then connected up for the water and ice feature on Christmas eve and also had a sink mixer installed, but we ended up with a minor flood in the cupboards below because one of the seals was faulty and it ended up the mixer was faulty too. Our plumber came back a few days after Christmas day to fit another one.. this one is as good as gold silver!

Finally had a 80 foot pine tree removed (in the property at the back of our block) that was on a severe lean towards our house… eek! In high winds, I have spent many nights with one eye open.. worrying about this tree coming down and taking out the back end of our house. It looks strange seeing a big void were it used to be.

We have had sudden gusty winds lately coming down from the hills, and recently the top section of Hubby’s tower (the antennas) came crashing down with one of those gusts. Unfortunately hubby spent most of his Christmas break fixing the antennas and cables.

Finally for today’s projects, the main image was stamped (for both cards) and heat embossed with a B Line UM rubber stamp called Dressing Table, it’s one of my favourites. I coloured them both with Copic markers. You can see that there are slight differences with the background and the die cut decoration at the top.

Here is both easel cards propped open. The main panel on the right hand side was embossed with Cuttlebug – Embossing Folder/Victoria. There are also slight differences between these two as well using different die designs and embossing folders to decorate them.

Here’s both easel cards fully open, both stamped with matching ink colours to suit both designs. The inner wording was PC generated.

Here is another suncatcher I made up with purple beads to go with the purple easel card for a birthday gift. I did not have a wide variety in purple coloured beads, but glad I managed to get it finished with what I had.

Here is another funny pic I took a while ago while gardening with hubby recently! The pic speaks for itself! They are fairly robust and re-shooting already.

Blue Easel Card

Image: B Line Designs – UM Rubber Stamp/Dressing Table, Rubber Stampede – Fluer De Lis (stick stamp/Set of 15), Porta Craft – Clear stamps/18 x 14cm Flourish Dragonfly, Stampa Rosa – (WM rubber stamp B11-1750)
Paper/Card: Black Cardstock, White Cardstock
Colour: Copic Markers, Black Ink, Blue Ink, Black Embossing Powder
Accessories: Spellbinders – Borderabilities/Card Creator Dies/A2 Scalloped Borders 2, Cuttlebug – Embossing Folder/Victoria, Martha Stewart – Border Punch/Floral Lace, Spellbinders – Shapeabilities/Ribbon Tags Trio dies
Embellishments: Blue Glitter, Kaisercraft/Pearls

Purple Easel Card

Image: B Line Designs – UM Rubber Stamp/Dressing Table, Porta Craft – Clear stamps/18 x 14cm Flourish Dragonfly
Paper/Card: Black Cardstock, White Cardstock
Colour: Copic Markers, Black Ink, Purple Ink, Black Embossing Powder
Accessories: Spellbinders – Borderabilities/Card Creator Dies/A2 Scalloped Borders 2 & Edgeabilities – Classic Inserts Three,  Darice – Embossing Folder/Wire Fence, Prima – Stencil/Lattice, Hot Off The Press – Paper Artist Cutting Dies/6 Layered labels & 2 swirls
Embellishments: Purple Glitter, Kaisercraft/Diamante

Hi Crafty friends, for today’s projects I will be showing a few cards I had fun making a while ago utilizing the Sizzix Thinlits – Frame, Iron Gate Die. These photo’s really don’t do these cards justice, the holographic sparkle and also the glitter is just gorgeous. I thought I would group these cards together seen as they were all using the same die design.

Iron Gate… Rainbow

This is one of my favourites, if you don’t like bright and colourful… look away now or grab your sunnies, because this one screams colour, and a rainbow of colours at that. I used some adhesive rainbow sticker sheet I have had laying in my sticker draw for eons!

Most people would probably think this card is very involved to make, but it is a relatively easy card, it’s just coloring, blending (the blending would be the hardest part) and 2 die cuts and that’s it… but doesn’t this card really pack a punch of colour! I do have a few more ideas on the my desk, but I have not quite finished them yet, I will share them with you when they are finished!

The background was coloured with copic markers and blended to coordinate with the colours of the sticker sheet. The back panel was also coloured and blended with copic markers and dry embossed with the dots embossing folder.

Did you know the Copic Colourless Blender Ink will take the colour off the coloured holographic sticker sheet? Using pointed cotton tip, I drew some dots with the copic colourless blender ink all the way around the central part of the Iron Gate design. I also used some crystal glitter on the Happy Birthday wording.

Card/Paper: Basic White Cardstock, Rainbow Sticker Sheet
Ink/Color: Copic Markers, Copic Colorless Blender Ink
Accessories: Sizzix Thinlits Die – Frame/Iron Gate, Cottage Cutz – Die/Happy (ccx-001) and Birthday (ccx-003),  Sizzix – Textured Impressions/Embossing Folders/Dots and Flowers
Embellishments: Glitter
Misc: Cotton Tip

Iron Gate… Nose To Nose

It felt like not long ago we needed lots warmth, but I could do with some of that snow right now, I can handle dry heat but it’s the humidity I don’t like!

I coloured up a Mo Manning digital image – Nose to Nose with copic markers, aren’t they so sweet. I had this image previously coloured and kept aside in a folder. I like to grab the folder now and then, when I feel inclined and have time to just sit and colour. I keep a folder for uncoloured images and another for coloured images.

I like the triple textured look of this main panel with the La Carta textured cardstock, the embossed crackle and the Iron Gate to top it off!

I had some JAC paper stored away, so I die cut a piece of JAC paper with the Sizzix die and adhered it to the embossed & textured cardstock, peeled the top layer of the JAC paper and applied some glitter, I still was not happy with the end result so I coloured straight over the JAC paper and glitter with two different copic markers shades. I thought the glitter may have shifted a bit as I worked over the top of it, but it did not budge (I was fairly light handed) and it colours up fine. Oops forgot to mention that I die cut the middle with a oval die.

I have heard many crafty stampers choose there designer papers first and then coordinate their copic colours and image to suit their chosen papers, I guess I’m a back to front Gal… I chose the image first from my folder and chose the cardstock and other coordinating colours to match the image. It really doesn’t matter which way you do it, which ever works for you, the only difference with starting with the papers first is you can closely match the markers or colours to the designer paper or cardstock you wish to use, followed with the image, should all relatively match. Or you could just go with the latest fashions and go colour clash!

Images/Stamps: Mo Manning – Digital Image/Nose To Nose, Hot Off The Press – Acrylic Stamps/Greetings and Labels
Card/Paper: Basic White and Mauve Cardstock, La Carta – 12 x 12 Bubble Cardstock/Night Sky, JAC Paper (double sided Adhesive)
Ink/Color: Copic Markers
Accessories: Sizzix Thinlits Die – Frame/Iron Gate, Darice – Embossing Folder/Crackle, Xcut – Nesting Dies/Oval
Embellishments: Diamante, Glitter, Snowflake Punch (sml)
Misc: Faux Snow, Judikins – Diamond Glaze

Iron Gate… Ombre Easel

This was probably more involved than the other three, don’t try this one at home! Only joking, this one I basically used the scrap pieces the were leftover after cutting the frame – Iron Gate die for another project with white cardstock.

The scrap pieces were dry embossed with the Jamara embossing folder and air brushed with 3-4 shades of copic markers. After adhering the airbrushed pieces to a black panel, I adhered some black glitter to the black exposed parts of the design. I had some butterflies already cut from the Butterfly Frenzy die, so I coloured them up to match my card. I cut another piece of just the central part of the Iron Gate die with a piece of black cardstock and then die cut that same piece with the happy birthday dies and then dry embossed this the mesh embossing folder.

I also die cut the happy birthday dies with a separate piece of white cardstock and coloured them both with copic markers and inlaid them into the embossed black panel (I adhered a piece of scrap paper on the back for the wording). I used some 3D foam adhesive to mount this panel in the middle on top of the previous center design.

The easel stop I embossed with Elegant Lines embossing folder and die cut with Spelbinders – Edgeabilities/(Insert A). I found some stunning holographic edged ribbon in my stash so I weaved it through, made a bow and embellished the bow with a pearl diamante and coloured it with a  matching copic marker shade.

Card/Paper: Basic Black Cardstock, Satin White Cardstock
Ink/Color: Copic Markers (Airbrushed)
Accessories: Sizzix Thinlits Die – Frame/Iron Gate, /Embossing Folder, Cottage Cutz – Die/Happy (ccx-001) and Birthday (ccx-003), Sizzix – Tim Holtz/Alterations/Decorative Strip Die/Butterfly Frenzy, Xcut – Do Crafts/Embossing Folder/Quilting, Cuttlebug – Embossing Folders/Jamara and Mesh, Spellbinders – Edgeabilities/Classic Decorative Inserts Two (Insert A), Stampin’ Up! – Textured Impressions/Embossing Folder/Elegant Lines
Embellishments: Diamante & Pearl Diamante, Black Glitter, Holographic Edged Ribbon
Misc: 3D Foam Adhesive, Judikins – Diamond Glaze

Iron Gate… Sleeping In Crocus

They look so comfy all snuggled up asleep… make room for me guys, I need it after writing all of this… I buzz the unopened bloom at the back! I cut an aperture in the card front with a Spellbinders – Labels Seventeen die and then dry embossed the same panel with the Sizzix – Iron Gate die for this adorable House Mouse image – Sleeping In Crocus.

The image was coloured with watercolors and copic markers and the clouds were sponged with some white acrylic paint. I added some chunky glitter to parts of the design with diamond glaze. The image itself is partly 3D’d with a 2nd image stamped and coloured the same as the first image, shaped gently and adhered with silicon. The aperture frame was adhered to the base frame with 3D foam adhesive. On the right hand side, I snipped a couple small notches.

Images/Stamps: House Mouse – WM Rubber Stamp/Sleeping In Crocus
Card/Paper: Basic Colours
Ink/Color: Water Colors, Copic Markers, White Acrylic Paint
Accessories: Sizzix Thinlits Die – Frame/Iron Gate, Spellbinders – Nestabilities/Labels Seventeen
Embellishments: Chunky Glitter in mauve and green
Misc: Judikins – Diamond Glaze, Silicon

 In The Garden with Cats!

While there are flowers flowering and birds singing, I just couldn’t resist sharing a few photo’s I took from our garden and also tell about a very surprising find.. these two ceramic cats which are in need some colour aren’t they! I nearly fell over backwards when I found these amongst some bits and bobs in the spare room, and I thought I had finally finished them all… no such luck! The cat on the right is holding her mouse doll while enjoying a double scooped ice cream…. yummy!, and the cat on the left is holding a lovely posy of flowers. Here are all the other ceramic cats I painted, just in case you missed them.