Flower print ...

Today's post is all about printmaking and water colours.  I've been attending a printmaking course for some time and one of my favourite techniques is drypoint etching (scratching images onto a substrate, inking it up and then printing the image using a printing press).  I decided to take one of the images and see if I could water colour it ... I could and this is the end result:

This is the print without colour - just a black and white image ...

... here it is water coloured!

Enjoy!

Too much white? ...

Good evening!

A quick post to share a card inspired by this week's challenge at "Less is More" it is a Sketch this week (see below) and this is my entry:

I think there is just too much white!  The chrysanthemum was heat embossed in white before colouring with distress inks.  I also heat embossed the chrysanthemum onto the cards base - you can just about see it in the photograph.  The angled panel is set on foam to add dimension and the die cut leaf has been hand embossed to add some texture. The flower is from the Uniko Pure Florals Chrysanthemum set.

Edit:
I've sat looking at my card and there was something I just did not like about it - there was too much white. I like white space but I think this has a tad to much so I gave my card a haircut and it is now square and I feel much happier!

I'm entering the following challenges:
"Less is More" #278


Addicted to CAS #89


Enjoy!

Birthday balloons ...

Popping back with a quick post ...

Party balloons, stamped, die cut and partly inlaid.

I used:

Clearly Besotted Make a Wish Stamp set and matching dies

Simon Says Stamp - Handwritten Borders

Distress Inks - Festive Berries, Spiced Marmalade, Ripe Persimmon and Squeezed Lemonade.

The card was inspired by this week's challenge at "Less is More" - the theme is "something that pops or bangs" - as balloons annoyingly go pop I thought I would enter this.

Enjoy!

Two cards, one stamp set ...

I've been trying out my newest stamp set this morning. I'd planned on only making one card but stamped and heat embossed spares - I always need spares for when I make the inevitable mistake!!  Today must have been a good day as no mistakes were made so I had enough images for two cards!!

The first:

I stamped and heat embossed the flowers with gold before lightly water colouring with distress inks.  Then die cut the images and adhered them with foam squares to add dimension.

I'm going to enter these challenges:

TIME OUT Challenge #57 - this week the challenge is to be inspired by words - "May all your weeds be wild flowers" - in may case both of my cards are wild flowers!

AAA Card Challenge #65 - it's AAA Cards 2nd Birthday!! Congratulations - my card is not designed for a two year old but for the designers of the challenge!!

My second card uses the same elements as the first but has a different orientation.

I used:

Stampin Up - Flowering Fields

Simon Says Stamp - Handwritten borders

Distress Inks - Picked Raspberry and Shaded Lilac

WOW Gold Embossing Powder

Versamark Ink

Lawn Cuts Stitched Rectangles

I'm entering the following challenges:

Penny Black and More - May challenge "Anything Goes"

Stamping Sensations - May challenge "Anything Goes"

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday London Days ...

Popping in with a quick post this evening to help celebrate the birthday of Sandie from London Days.  Sandie not only creates wonderful cards but is very kind and thoughtful ... it is a delight to be able to join in with her birthday celebrations.  I've created this card for her:

I've continued with my latest obsession - the chrysanthemum stamp set from Uniko.  So far I've created a pastel coloured one, a vibrant yellow/orange and tonight's just had to be shades of purple!  The design team over at TIME OUT have arranged a special extra challenge to celebrate with Sandie - CAS with the optional twist of purple.

I used:

UNIKO Pure Florals: Chrysanthemum

UNIKO All Occasion Sentiments #6

Distress Inks - Picked Raspberry and Shaded Lilac

Stampendous White Embossing Powder

Enjoy!

Hidden numbers ...

Back again ...

This time I'm back to florals and the beautiful Uniko Chrysanthemum.

I began with die cutting the flower before stamping and watercolour.  I then die cut the number from the middle of the chrysanthemum - I also die the numbers a further four times so that I could stick and stack them.  I then adhered the flower back into the panel and added the raised numbers.  It is a layout I've used before but not with the inlaid die.

I used:

UNIKO Pure Florals Chrysanthemum Stamps and matching dies

Distress Inks - Squeezed Lemonade, Ripe Persimmon and Spiced Marmalade.

Versafine Onyx Black

Dienamics Hign Rise number dies.

I'm entering the following challenges:

AAA Cards #64

Happy Little Stampers

Enjoy!

Birthday fishes ...

Good afternoon from a beautiful day in Oxfordshire ... blue skies and sunshine!

I've put together a quick card (well not that quick) for this week's challenge at "Less is More" it is One Layer week and the theme is "At Sea".  I've gone for under the sea ...

I stamped, heat embossed and then water coloured the fishes before masking off a circle and then ink blended the background.  I then used a circle die to emboss the circle, added some bubbles from the fish and then stamped a rather corny sentiment!!

I used:

Altenew Ori Kami stamp set.

Distress Inks - Squeezed Lemonade, Ripe Persimmon and Spiced Marmalade

Lawn Fawn - Milo's ABC

Versafine Onyx Black Ink

Enjoy!

Soft and Gentle ...

I'm still trying to master beautiful pastel shades ... today's attempt:

I used:

UNIKO Pure Florals: Chrysanthemum

Simon Says Stamp Happy

Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers

I'm entering the following challenges:

"Less is More" #275 Colour Challenge - Pastels

Penny Black May Challenge Anything Goes

Enjoy!

Something for the wall ...

... instead of the mantelpiece!!

If you are a regular visitor to my blog you will know that I have been playing with printing on a gel plate - great fun and a good excuse to get messy!  Once I start I just don't know when to stop so I need to find ways of using the prints.  So this is my latest creation:

I built up layers of colour using acrylic paints and a wide variety of stencils and masks - some that I made and others that I bought.  I used textured card to create the prints on and then punched all the circles before adhering them to a piece of mountboard with dimensional foam pads.  And that, as they say, is that!

I'm going to enter the Mixed Media Challenge at STAMPlorations.

http://stamplorations.blogspot.com/2016/05/stencil-sunday-may-1.html

Enjoy!

Single rose ...

A step away from the usual today ... still CAS but soft and gentle pastels - not my usual choice of colours!

Two cards using the same stamp set, colour palette and layout. First up is soft pink ...

The rose really is a pastel pink/lilac!

This shows the colour slightly better!!

The rose was stamped and heat embossed with white before I water coloured using inks.  I then fussy cut it before adhering onto the card with foam adhesive on top of some controlled splatters!  The sentiment and splatters were embossed with silver embossing powder.

The second card:

This card was created in the same way as the above pink one except this time I fussy cut the leaves from around the rose - these were adhered flat to the card base and then the flower was adhered using foam pads to add dimension.  At least the lilac shows up slightly better!!

I used:
Distress Inks - Spun Sugar and Shaded Lilac
Stampin Up - Pistachio Pudding Ink
Wink of Stella
STAMPlorations - About a Rose Stamp set
UNIKO - All Occasion Sentiments

I'm entering the following challenges:

"Less is More" # 275 Colour Challenge - Use Pastel Shades

STAMPlorations Never-ending Anything Goes Challenge

Addicted to Stamps #192 Make Your Mark

Enjoy!

Guest Designer STAMPlorations ...

I have been lucky, once again, to be offered a Guest Designer spot ... this time by Shery at STAMPlorations ... as always I am honoured and as always a little bit apprehensive about doing it!

This month's CAS Challenge is:

This is the card I created and I hope it inspires you to join in!

I began by stamping the flowers down the edge of the card before water colouring with distress inks.  I tried to be 'arty' and not colour the flowers in full I hoped that by leaving some white space it might add more texture and an element of realism.  I added a strip of the distress ink down the fold to add some balance to the design. I used a simple sentiment stamp before popping up the top panel using some fun foam.  As a final flourish I added a few pink splatters!

I used:

STAMPlorations Floral Bliss Stamp set

Distress Ink - Picked Raspberry

I hope that I have inspired you to have a go and enter the challenge.

Enjoy!

Woven Heart ...

Another card created with designer paper ... I don't use design paper very often as I'm never quite sure what to do with it but this afternoon I had an idea and here it is:

I took a selection of paper and cut it into quarter of an inch strips which I then wove back together to make a square. I die cut a heart from the panel and also die from the card front and then inlaid the designer paper heart.  Topped the panel with a die cut sentiment and considered the card done!

I'm going to enter the following challenges:

"Less is More" #274 Lucky Dip week with the challenge to use Designer Paper.

Happy Little Stampers

Enjoy!

Floral hearts ...

My second post for the evening ... this time inspired by the CASEplorations challenge at STAMPlorations.  This month the challenge is to CASE a card by Shery Russ (see the picture below) I love Shery's style and her stamp designs too!

This is my attempt:

I went with the single layer card, floral stamps and a thoughtful sentiment.  I created a mask with a heart die and then stamped through it with a floral stamp.

This is Shery's card:

I'm also entering the following challenges:

Penny Black May Challenge Anything Goes

Addicted to Stamps and More #191 Anything Goes

STAMPlorations Never-ending Anything Goes

I used:

Distress Inks - Squeezed Lemonade, Spiced Marmalade and Ripe Persimmon

STAMPlorations - Floral Bliss; Subway Art Builders DARE

Versafine Onyx Black

Sizzix Hearts #2

Enjoy!

Happy ...

After a wet and windy afternoon the sky has cleared and the sun is out - a very pleasant evening - at least wet afternoons mean time to craft!!

I've made two cards of the same design using Designer Paper - I can not remember the last time I created a card using designer paper.  Since becoming obsessed with gelli plate printing I've enjoyed created my own bespoke papers.  The inspiration for using designer paper comes from this week's challenge at "Less is More" - it is Lucky Dip week and the challenge is to 'Use Designer Paper in a CAS Style".  This is my effort:

I die cut the letters four times from plain card the stuck them together before adding the designer paper as the top layer.  Stamped the second part of the sentiment and that is that!

I used:

Lawn Fawn Milos ABC

Dienamics High Rise Alphabet Dies

I'm entering the following challenges:

"Less is More" #274 Lucky Dip Week

TIMEOUT #55

Celebrations with optional twist of Die/Fussy Cuting

Enjoy!