Sunday 17 March 2024

Craft Roulette #206

 I managed to see the Craft Roulette show live yesterday ... 


Great parameters this week!  So much so I made two cards!   

Here's the one I made yesterday and submitted to the challenge

I started by making my background.   I was inspired by a video from Natasha Foote  - making a background with just one ink.... mine was a very old Hero Arts ink called Cup o' Joe.  I've had it for around 10 years.., and it still going well.   I smooshed it onto my craft mat and spritzed with water and dipped my Fabriano 160gms paper.  Dried and dipped again.  Then using a couple of lids to stamp circles and used a Catherine Pooler stamp set - Birds of a Feather to added some script and the Love postage stamp. Vintage colours ✓   I added a lace border using a Hero Arts wooden stamp called Lace Flower Cluster embossed with Ranger Vintage Pearl powder. - Lace on the Base ✓  It wasn't showing up so well... I added some extra ink blending to make it stand out.  Gave the background a bit of an ombre look.  I die cut a leaf cluster from the Fabriano paper with a Pinkfresh Curvy Leaves die.  I added a little bit of ink blending to the leaves.  That is my plant element.✓  My sentiment is from a Lawn Fawn stamp and die set - Magic Messages.   Again cut with the Fabriano paper and ink blended.  
Finally added a some little Hero Arts gems hearts to the centre flowers of my lace - Heart element ✓

And today - I made this one...


I've been seeing lots of cards using a birdcage and flowers... so that was my inspiration.  My patterned paper gave me a vintage vibe.  It was an A4 size so I cut it down into a 4" x 5.25" panel.  ✓  Used the same lace stamp and embossed it with the Vintage Pearl powder, ✓I have a very old Tim Holtz/Sizzix Bigz Die of a birdcage and bird.  I used some of the Fabriano paper ( it's a lovely light cream colour) to cut the die.  Added some gold gems along the bottom of the birdcage and a little bow from a bit of burlap.  My little grey heart from Altenew is added just under the bow ✓  And finally my plant element is the flowers and leaves.✓  The big green leaves are the Pinkfresh Curvy Leaves and the flowers are from the Spellbinders Be Bold Blooms.   I had them cut from some water colour paper and used Jasart Voyager Metallic paints to colour them.   I added a pre-printed sentiment from Creative Expressions - Everyday Wordies.

It was such a fun card to make.  I did some earlier in the day and the hubby and I meet up with our son and Grace at our local pub - The British Isles Inn just up the hill from us.  The boys had their glass of Guiness - to celebrate St Patrick's Day!  The pub was quite full of people dressed in green.  And there was a bank singing Irish songs.  Grace loved the music.   Florence didn't come with them as she is - unwell... ear infection and chest infection - poor wee mite.

Happy St Patrick Day 

Saturday 16 March 2024

Easter cards for the Grandies

 It's time for me to share my sample for Sweet Stampin' Challenge.... Our theme is Easter.

I have two similar cards to share.... I made the same design in different colours.... blue for Archie & Finn and red for Grace & Florence.  


The main image is a Penny Black cling stamp called Hello Dear.  I stamped in onto some Fabriano Mixed Media paper and then painted with Distress inks.   I used a lot of different colours - and used a Catherine Pooler green ink for the grass.  The sentiment for the boy's card was from a very old Hero Arts 2" x 3" set and the girl's card is from a Verve stamp set.   

I'm entering this into the Penny Black Saturday Challenge

 

Monday 11 March 2024

Success from a failure.

On Saturday, I watched a great session from the Card Makers Success Summit by Tiffany Solorio -  Tiffany uses Distress Sprays in all sorts colourful sprays and layers.  I only have two Distress Sprays in Brushed Pewter and Tarnished Brass.  I tried my Lindy's Gang Mica sprays but they are all very muted colours.  I added a splotch of Adirondack Color Wash in Purple Twilight.  But my panel of mixed media paper was very pale and blah looking with a few blob of purple.  So what to do?

Die cut with Spellbinders Be Bold Blooms!

Here's the card I made with all the bits I die cut and glued together


I used some of the dark purple blobs to cut the bigger flowers and the other more softer colours for the leaves and buds. I used some pinky lilac card from Scrapbook.com  Purple card pack for my background panel.  I die cut it with one of the Altenew Mix and Match Frames and embossed it with a Cuttlebug folder.  I slightly sanded it for an even more textured look.  I then added my bouquet down one side, and added a circle die and layer die cut from Gina K Master Layout #3 and used a Gina K sentiment.   So a success from a failure!


Sunday 10 March 2024

Fractured card technique - Hello sweet friend

 Well the best laid plans of mice and men!..  My yesterday did not go as I planned... happily though!

I did watch a couple of the sessions from Card Makers Success Summit.... one in particular from Tiffany Solorio using Distress Sprays.   I only have two distress sprays - brushed pewter and tarnished brass .  Tiffany used all sorts of pretty colours and did heaps of layers.  I pull out my Lindy's Stamp Gang sprays - but they are all very muted colours - added a splotch of an Adirondack Color Wash in Purple Twilight - but my panel of mixed media paper was very pale and blah looking.   Watch out for another post with what I did with it!     Any who I had great plans to try out some more cards from some of the sessions..... 

But... my son texted to say he and the girls were on their way over to visit.... so my Saturday afternoon was spend playing in the craft room with Grace and on the floor with Florence...

I did get a message from Suna - to whom I sent a card in my NZ swap group.   It was my turn to chose a challenge - and Fractured Cards was what I chose.   Here is the card I made and sent to her.  

I started with some papers from DCWV= Ba;; & Bloom paper.  I picked it up recently on sale.  Just love the touches of foil on it.   I used some white card for my centre square.  I then used cream card and gold peelcraft lines for the fracture lines.   I used some of the flowers from Spellbinders Geo Floral Frame die set - cut with some pink card from Scrapbook.com Sprinkles paper pack,   I die cut the leaves from some 160gm Fabricano paper and used a varied of Altenew green inks to blend over them. Fussy cut the butterfly from some of the same paper pack.  The sentiment is from Altenew Engraved Flowers stamp set.  And a few metallic gems finished the card.   Suna has let me know she got it and loved it.  

And here's why not much got done yesterday 


Grace - playing with some Hero Arts Rub-ons



Florence exploring Nanny and Pop's house.


Friday 8 March 2024

Friday fun - Two cards - two challenges.

 HI there.   I managed to make two cards today, in my breaks from work and after work.  Perks of working from home -early starting and finishing!   

My first card came about as on my Facebook post of one of my lily cards, I mentioned that I was going to do pink lilies and one of my commentor asked if I had done it.   So I decided to make a card for The Flower Challenge with pink lilies.   Their challenge is to use a square card. 

I cut the square die from Gina K Master Layout 3 and embossed it.  Used Altenew Pink Pearl and Coral Berry for the flowers and Frayed Leaf and Forest Glades for the leaves.  I used a Prismacolor pencil to add the colour for the stamen and to add extra texture lines on the flowers and leaves.   Finished with a little Easter Wishes sentiment from a Verve stamp set.  

My second card is for the Christmas Kickstart Challenge.- Get your Grinch on. Use Green 
I have been hoarding some Penny Black Masterpieces Made Simple printed card panels.  I got two sets of the Aglow ones - there are 4 panels in each pack.  They are so beautiful.   


I glued the panel to some dark green card from Scrapbook.com - Sprinkles pad and then die cut the Waffle Flower Postage die.  I then layered some green card under before adding to my white card base.   The sentiment is from Waffle Flower's Star Snowflake set.   Just love the simple CAS look. 


I'm going to be crafting my heart out tomorrow. Hubby is doing his refresher First Aid course all day.  My plan is to just play and have fun.  And do my Design team cards for when I'm on holiday in April. Just to make sure I'm ahead.  

Wednesday 6 March 2024

Shades of Teal

 Hi there.   I got new dies and inks last week and on Sunday I played.   My last Krafters Cart purchases were Spellbinders Be Bold Blooms and Altenew Fresh Die inks - Sweet Dreams - so thought I could combine the two.


I have been seeing my bloggy friend Lin use this die set a bit and finally bit the bullet and got it.  I cut it twice from some white card stock and using the Sweet Dreams inks (Dew Drops, Aqualicious, Teal Cave & Galactic Stream) and Fresh Dye inks  Eucalyptus and Forest Green with the yellow Crisp Dye ink - Citrus Burst, to blend over the die cuts. I chose to make my focal panel with Spellbinder's Hemstitch Rectangles.  I added a sentiment from Altenew's Silk Art stamp set.  Finished with a few iridescent gems from Pink Fresh Studio.  

As this the first time using the dies I am entering this into the challenge at Darnell's NBUS


I am also entering this into Color Hues #82- Turquoise and Green (thanks Donna for the heads up)





Saturday 2 March 2024

Craft Roulette #204

 second post for today.... see my first one HERE

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I haven't had time to take part in the Craft Roulette challenge for a few weeks - but today I watched the replay this afternoon.  As soon as I saw the parameters I knew what stamp I wanted to use.  


I recently got some of the Spellbinders House-Mouse Designs and I had them sitting on my desk.   There was one super cute mouse with some flowers so that became my main image - and meet the Ears element. 

Thinking of you sentiment, Fairy Tale colours - soft blues, greens, pinks and purple (Princess colours!), Mouse has cute little ears and I stamped a scripty background.

I started by stamping the Spellbinders House-Mouse - Bouquet for You in Versafine Onyx Black ink onto some mix media card by Fabriano.  I then took some Speckled Egg Distress Oxide inks and lightly sponged around the mouse.  I then added the script stamp from a NZ company called Rubbadubbadoo.  I used Altenew's Gray Denim ink for stamp with.  Just needed something light. I then got out my Distress inks - Tea Dye, Worn Lipstick, Wilted Violet, Sage Green, Mowed Lawn and added little blots of colour onto my painting palette and used a brush to paint the image.  All these colours are inspired by Fairy Tale Princess.  My Thinking of You was from a LDRS Creative Anytime Stack - stamped in black and clear embossed before cutting out with the matching die set.   Bonus is I now have a lot more sentiments done.  Really pleased how it all came together nicely.

Thanks for visiting today.  Hope your weekend is crafty.

Woodblock Wednesday - February 2024

 Hi.  Time to pull out my woodblock stamps for Amy's Woodblock Wednesday challenge for February.  


My card uses a Penny Black stamp - called day-dreams (circa 2009)  and I've paired it with a little sentiment stamp from a NZ company called Montarga. 


This is a combination of new and old products.   Last week I got an order from Scrapbook.com.  It included Penny Black Background Basics Stencils and an Altenew ink set... Sea Shore so I taped my stencil onto some watercolour card and then ink blended the Dew Drops, Aqualicious, Teal Cave and Galactic Stream inks.  Splashed with some water and once it was dried, stamped the Penny Black stamp and the Montarga stamp in Altenew Obsidian ink.  I used some Prismacolor Pencils to add the colours to the PB stamp.  A few iridescent confetti from Nuvo Drops finished the card.  I just realised I used the same stamp last month!   Totally forgot that!  

Entering this one into the Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Anything Goes.