Ta Dah - my big announcement - well big for me :-)

Hello to all who call by my blog - I am thrilled to think that folk call by to read my ramblings.  Thank you.

I have been hanging out to share this news, but have been very good and kept it to myself and DH.

Way back, I started following a blog called Digital Two for Tuesday which has digi images to share... being on superannuation does not give one a lot of spare cash for stamps etc, and being basically thrifty, I enjoy this site.  

In January of this year Cora sent out an invite for guest designers - so I cautiously put my name forward, and was accepted!!  Eeek, what have I done was my first reaction!!  Cora mentioned that she tries to send images that would take her guests 'out of their comfort zone'  - always one for a challenge I was not too concerned - until the images arrived 10 days ago!!

I had two images to use - both involving children - and I rarely use images of people - partially as I do not like colouring 'flesh', and I have limited colours to use in any medium, and certainly not flesh colours!!!  

So I did what I had to, and put the panic aside and let my mind mull things over for a day or two... and inspiration came - thankfully.   

I started with this image, after messing around on the computer to print it the size I wanted - which took this computer novice longer than it did to make the card!!

Chalks were used to colour the image, and I added a blender pen to the chalks on the boy to make him the focal point.  I also printed out the image twice and cut out just the boy and popped the coloured image up on foam dots to add emphasis.

The striped paper is greener than it appears - the camera did not do it justice.

All the edges were sponged - the brown is Tim Holtz Distress ink - tea dye, the green Memento Bamboo leaves.

The quote is one I had on the computer and I could not resist using it here. I finished the card off with the green ribbon and a star clip - one from a packet I was given as a thank you for 'cat sitting' :-).

The second card I had the concept for very early in the week - thankfully it came together as I envisaged it.

I used the same colours on the boys clothing as they were obviously from the same source - again I used chalks to colour the image, using a blender pen on the children to add emphasis.  The lace to form the curtains was from my stash and went on surprisingly easily - thankfully - again thanks to the ubiquitous double sided sellotape.


Next came the frame and then the black mat - something I have learned to use from my friend Linda.  Love the way the black mat gives definition and seems to 'lift' the colours.  I deliberately left the mat long, and added the lace from my stash - it has a lovely gold  thread running through it!


I sponged the craft base card with the Tea Dye ink, and mounted it up - still I was not really happy, then I remembered the black half pearls that I had bought to 'challenge' myself - so popped some on the lace and the top left corner and I was done!


I spent ages trying to get the best photographs - not so much with focus etc but it was the colours that were giving me grief.  I then sent them off with much trepidation.  The email that Cora sent in reply was very reassuring to this novice!  


I trust you have enjoyed my journey with me through this experience.  Thanks for calling by and I do appreciate any comments left.

Lighthouses

Hello to all my cyber visitors - it's nice to have you call by.


I  recently won a stamp set over at Our Daily Bread Designs and decided that it was time to ink it up.  


I deliberately chose this Lighthouse set as I do not have many masculine images. Although I had fun with these two cards,  I  learnt that it is not as easy to work with one large image as it is to work with smaller images!


This is the more simple of the cards - I stamped the image with Memento Tuxedo black, and added a little colour with sponging, and the gold 'beams' with an SU coloured pencil.


The sentiment was an 'el cheapo' that I picked up locally, and I embossed it with silver.  Both this, and the main image, were mounted on a reflective silver paper, and then onto the navy base card.  The  lines on the edges are a line of sticky backed, shaped silver reflective paper.  Ideal for adding pizazz to a masculine card without it looking 'tacky'.

The second card I used a metallic base card to stamp and silver emboss the image on, then got stuck!!


I fiddled around with various mediums before I settled on the punched foil background - I used some shredded blue 'stuff' under that again, which you can see in the bottom left corner of the photograph - why do accents like that so rarely show in photos??


The sentiment was another sticking point until I spied the silver cord on my desk.  After stamping and silver embossing the image (from Hero Arts), I punched and inserted the black eyelets and then threaded the silver through them.  


I knotted it partway across, and believe it or not, it started as a reef knot, but twisted as I worked on securing the cord and does not now look like any self- respecting knot!!


This is quite a dramatic looking card IRL and I am quite happy with it.  


I am looking forward to sharing something special with you on Wednesday (NZ time) - I have been hanging out to announce this, but have been very good and not told anyone about it other than my DH!!


Thanks for calling by - I do treasure your comments when you  leave one :-)


God bless and take care.

Teddy Bear and Lace

Greetings to all of you who call by - I do enjoy your visits.


I started this card one afternoon, and left it part way through as I was at a loss as to how to continue. The following day I saw the Card Pattern Sketch #51 , and although I did not immediately think of this card, the idea took root....

                                                                  .... and germinated!!


The Teddy Bear is by Kiwi Stamping I stamped him in Adirondack Espresso ink, and sponged with Adirondack caramel with a wee bit of an unknown red and blue dabbed on with a brush - I cut the coloured image out with a nestiabilities rectangle, and mounted it on a reflective gold paper I had cut with scalloped rectangle, and that was when the blah hit.


The next afternoon I pulled out the gold stars, (a RAK from Linda, aka Lovely Linda, in Australia),  turned the card to the elongated position and then thought that as the card is for a wee girl it needed some lace.... after a fossick through my lace bits and pieces I found this piece - it had been there so long it needed a quick wash - ooops!!


I then assembled the card, adding the sentiment in gold embossing, but was not really satisfied so put it aside again while I did some other work.


Inspiration then hit (again) and I opened up the sewing machine sitting beside me on the bench and ran two rows of stitching around it, and I was really happy with the result!!  It actually looks much better IRL, the photo really does not do it justice :-(.


Thanks for calling by - I do treasure your comments :-)

Birthday Poppies

Just a quick post tonight - I will edit it tomorrow and put some detail in, but I wanted to get this up for the Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge #40 before it closes.  I may have more time than I think I have, but here goes anyway :-)

I did not start out with the sketch in mind, but realised after I thought I had finished it,  that I could add a wee bit more and have the challenge nailed....


Here I am to finish the posting - after a good nights sleep.


I started out by giving myself a challenge to use a mid-gray base card - then I saw the teal coloured paper on my desk from a card I had made previously (would you believe that I try to tidy up after each card?).  The two colours went together nicely, so I ran the paper through my new cuttlebug folder, Oriental Screen - oops big trouble.  


Cheap paper, detailed folder and the surface of the paper cracked and showed the white core - where to now as I am too miserly, or should that be thrifty, to waste the paper.  


I had used the Whisper Sugarloaf Green with this paper in the other card, so out it came and I inked up my brayer and brayered over the surface.  That was better, but not quite good enough, so I applied the ink pad directly to the surface - success!! and the design now was beautifully highlighted.


I then found a piece of vellum that had a torn edge which inspired me to stamp, emboss and paint the poppies from Stampin' Up's Oh So Lovely set.  I have used this technique before and like the result.  To fasten the vellum to the card I used three flower brads along the ribbon, making sure I caught the ribbon ends under the outer two brads.


I then wanted to add the sentiment, but did not want to add to the layout, so simply stamped and embossed it over the stems - not a bad result from an experiment!!


I thought the card was finished , but then saw the Midnight Madness sketch challenge and I could not resist adding to it, so I cut a rectangle using a nestability die, embossed it and sponged the edge with the sugarloaf green ink (Not sure where the green comes in as the photo is very true to colour!) while it was still in the die I also stamped the poppies, making sure that the image on the left was placed so I could slide it under the image on the vellum.


Painted the poppies using my twinkling H2O's, mounted it on black card and decided to leave the edge at the bottom broader.  Slipped this under the original image and adhered it, then added the bling and it went from an o.k. card to one I am very proud of!


Thank youu for calling by - I do enjoy you visiting and love your comments - I am a bit of a junkie, and when I get comments I get a real buzz!

CAS - Flowers and Scripture

Greetings to my cyber-friends - I do enjoy you calling by.  Today I have a clean and crisp card that I have really enjoyed making to share.

This project changed courses/morphed several times during construction - the initial thought was to use an old sketch from Splitcoast Stampers that I saw in my photo album, but it just did not happen.  Not that I mind.


I wanted a crisp colour scheme and found it with this green and lemon combination. I started with another shade of green but thought the better of it very early on!  


I stamped and embossed the text using a stamp from Our Daily Bread Designs Scripture Collection 2 set and mounted it on a diagonally cut piece of green cardstock.  


The flower is from the Hero Arts Set Fashion Flowers, being the Sunflower Style stamp.  I bought this set years ago and use it quite regularly.  The flower was stamped, embossed and then painted with twinkling H2O's.  The stem is a piece of green gingham ribbon folded to form the leaves and held together with the ubiquitous double sided tape.

These were then mounted on the lemon card which I had run through the cuttlebug with the swiss dots embossing folder. 


Unfortunately the folder did not reach to the bottom of the card, so I turned it round and added the bottom edge of the card to the folder to try and cover the whole card - it worked, but not that well, and I ended up with a blank section, so placed the red ribbon to hide that!


The final touch was to add the pearls.


I was very pleased with the overall effect of this card, and decided not to add a salutation to it - so I embossed it and added it to the insert instead.


i have also realised that this can be entered in the SSCC#25 as it has two ribbons, two colours of cardstock, two colours on the flower..... not quite two of the same stamp image, but definitely two stamps have been used... do you think they will accept it?


Thank  you so much for calling by and for any comments that you may leave - I really appreciate your thoughtfulness when you comment.

Vintage Valentines

Hello to all of my cyber-visitors :-)


Yes -  I have made two valentine cards this week, it makes a very welcome change from baby cards.  


Talking of babies, DD has a 4-D scan today and we have a couple of beautiful photos of our Grand-daughter at 28 weeks gestation.  Oh the marvels of modern technology!!

This first card is the better of the two, I think - mainly because I prefer clean and simple cards.


This image, and the one on the second card, have both been downloaded from Clearly Vintage, where Cora has been sharing vintage Valentines images for the past few days.  For me to venture into vintage images is a real 'out of the box'  experience!!


I printed three copies of the image and cut them with three sizes of nestabilities, embossed them while they were still in the die, and then sponged the edges with distress ink.  I then mounted them, to give some dimension between the layers I used multiple layers of double sided sellotape.  A bit fiddly but worth the effort - they look far better IRL than in the photo, which has faded the colours somewhat.  


This was then mounted on a cream card stock which I sponged with the same distress ink.  I was then at a loss as to how to finish the card - I had already selected the maroon background  and the white base had the edge sponged with Rouge chalk ink.  As the recipient is a male, I wanted a strong accent, but was at a loss as to what to use - I was fossicking in my ribbon draw when way at the back I found the reel, unopened, of the glorious gold and red from way back when I first started cardmaking.... It was rapidly opened and used!!  To great effect!!  I am so pleased with the end result.

This next card was the first one I made using the vintage image, and my cutting was a bit 'off' - oops!!  The background is a medium blue, but would have drowned the image, so I muted it by using a layer of white mulberry paper, which has gold threads through it.  I deliberately wet and tore the edges to soften it.


The ribbon is layered also - a white organza with gold edge and on top of that a red organza.  The straight layer was simple to place, but the bow was very tricky to make, but I got there!!


Again the 'stack' of the vintage image(s) was sponged on the edges, with a darker ink this time, and then I mounted it on foam tape...  I am still not really sure if I like quite so much dimension!!  


Overall I am happy with this card, and again I feel the photograph does not do it true justice.


I have realized that this can be entered in Stampin' Royalty Challenge #6 as both cards are valentine themed!!


Thanks for calling by and taking an interest in my work - I truly appreciate all your comments and am greatly encouraged by them.

More Babies

It's been a long break between postings here - it's good to be back, and thank you all for calling by.

What is it about this year - there seems to be babies galore expected - including a couple of grand babies for us :-) - so I thought I would get a head start on some more cards....


I also decided to enter the digital age and use a digi-stamp from Digital Two for Tuesday, of a mother and babe - I coloured the image with chalks and then mounted it in different modes - as you can  see.  I kept the backgrounds simple to emphasise the image as it is so peaceful.  The greeting was computer generated also and then cut using Nestabilities labels.


The other card seemed to be a law unto itself and to have a (rebellious) life of it's own - the main image was stamped at least four times before I was happy with it! I am still not completely happy with the base-card and the ink that I sponged it with, but it has to stay!!  The textured layer was done using a cuttlebug  'd'vine swirls' embossing folder.  The purple flowers came from a gift of bits I was given, and I finished them off with a little bling which made all the difference, but I must say I was pleased to finish this card!.  


Thanks for calling by - I treasure all the comments you leave.