Alcohol Ink and foiling ...

I've been wandering around the internet this week (it is half term so no work for a week!) and watching some really inspiring crafting videos on You Tube ... I was looking for inspiration!!  I seem to be stuck and lacking that little something to create a design that stands out.

One of the videos was about creating backgrounds with alcohol ink and then adding foiling to the almost dry ink - the video was by Kelly Latevola.   So I tried it ... and loved it!!  This card is made with just a small piece from one of the backgrounds:

This is the panel before I cut it up ... the gold foiling is difficult to capture in a photograph

The sentiment is heat embossed onto some vellum and attached to the print with some liquid glue behind the letters. I added some fun foam to the back of the panel before adhering it to the card base.  The sentiment is from the UNIKO Spring Botanicals: Daffodil stamp set.

I'm going to enter the Anything Goes challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More



Enjoy!

One Layer Lily ...

Good evening ... another card to share this time a simple one layer card with some heat embossing and a touch of subtle water colouring:

I used:
Inkylicious - Calla Lily Stamp set
Distress Inks - Dried Marigold, Squeezed Lemonade, Twisted Citron and Crushed Olive
Versafine Onyx Black Ink
WOW Clear embossing powder
UNIKO - Simply Said stamps.

I'm entering the following challenges:

"Less is More" #372


Penny Black and More May Challenge - Anything Goes

Enjoy!

AAA Cards ... 4th Birthday Bash ...

This is the start of any amazing challenge we are celebrating at AAA Cards!!  It's the challenges 4th Birthday - we have some fabulous sponsors joining in with the celebration by providing lots of amazing prizes.  To win all you need to do is join in with the fun and get creative - full details on how to participate are at the end of this post.

As always the first way to join in is to create a clean and simple card and link up to the challenge:

... and it will be no surprise that the theme is 'Happy Birthday'.  Need inspiring? How about this:

I used:

STAMPlorations - Bloomtangled ATC #1

Distress Inks - Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Candied Apple, Twisted Citron, Mermaid Lagoon, Blueprint Sketch, Picked Raspberry and Wilted Violet.

WOW Platinum Embossing Powder

UNIKO Simply Said

If this isn't enough inspiration then visit the blog and take a peak at the amazing projects from the rest of the team.

Remember I said we had lots of sponsors, well check this out:

... and here's how to join in:

Are you going to join in with the treasure hunt ... if you are then this list will help you:

Åsa
Bharati

Ceal
Cheryl
Elaine - you are here!
Jane

Ksenija
Lucie
Maaike
Melissa

Tracie

I hope you will join in with the bash ... the more you play the greater the chance that you will win!!

Enjoy!

Saturday fun ...

Good evening ... I've had a lazy day crafting and creating ... some success and some best not talked about!!

First up I created a card using the sketch from CAS Colours and Sketches and the photo inspiration from TIME OUT Challenges:

This card began with a print I created using stamps, acrylic paint and my gelli printing plate ... this is the print:

I selected a small area and die cut a rectangle, I also die cut a piece of vellum the same size and stamped and heat embossed the sentiment.

The details of the two challenges are:

CAS Colour and Sketches #273


TIME OUT Challenge #110 Photo Inspiration



Enjoy!

STAMPlorations ... Things with Wings Reminder

I'm back to remind you about this month's STAMPlorations Blog Hop and Linky Parties ... have you joined in yet? Not to worry you still have time so hop on over to the blog and check it out.

I've really enjoyed making tags instead of cards recently as there are only so many cards that I need in my stash!  

The tag is die cut from a gelli print and machine stitched onto a piece of card.  I added washi tape and a strip of hessian to add more interest.  The birds were die cut four times and then adhered into a stack all to add dimension.  The sentiment was stamped and some lace added and the job was done!

I used:

STAMPlorations - For the Birds Stamp set

CUTplorations - For the Birds dies, Manilla Tags Nesting Dies

I love the "For the Birds" stamp set and the matching dies so much that I thought I would give you a bonus - just for visiting my blog!  This time I used the above supplies to create a card - clean and simple!

I hope you are inspired to join in ... remember there are prizes to be won!

Elaine

Doily delight ...

Good evening!  I hope you've had a good weekend ...

I've managed to squeeze in some crafting time ... not altogether successful ... too much procrastination!  I did manage to create this card for the Calling All Sistahs Challenge:

I die cut the doily twice once in black once in teal, I then pieced the teal pieces into the black doily.  I used to circle dies to remove the centre and to create a frame.  The centre of the doily is foam backed to add some dimension.  I covered the whole image with clear wink of stella to add a little sparkle - you can just about see it in the photographs.

Calling All Sistahs is a great challenge ... the idea is to create a card that will brighten someones day as well as providing encouragement.  

Enjoy!

Dandelions ...

I was on a bit of a roll yesterday and this card is just one of four I managed to create ... possibly my most successful crafting day in weeks!  I ran out of time to create a post to share the card ... so here I am a day later.

Another simple card created using a gelli print for the focal image.  I die cut the image from the gelli print and from 3 other pieces of white card all of which I adhered into a stack to create more dimension.  I had real trouble deciding what colour to use for the sentiment ... as you can see in the end yellow was the winner!!

I used:
Sue Wilson: Dandelion Posies
UNIKO: Simply Said Blocks
Memento Ink - Dandelion

As mentioned at the start I am entering this card into the TIME OUT challenge:

Enjoy!

Butterflies ...

Back again for my second post of the day ... this time to share two cards for one challenge ... Twofer Card Challenge #5 ... as the name implies this challenge is all about creating two cards for different events and different designs using the same die or stamps.

If you follow my blog you will know of my obsession with gelli plate printing ... both of my cards use a gelli print and two coordinating butterfly dies.

Apologies for the fly in the top right corner ... it is not part of the design!!

For this card I die cut the solid butterfly out of the card and then inlaid a butterfly cut from a gelli print into the opening.  Finally I die cut the coordinating intricate butterfly and attached it by the body leaving the wings free to add dimension.

The fly was camera shy by the time I took this photograph!

For this card I cut a section out of the card before die-cutting three solid butterflies.  I used three butterflies cut from a gelli print to attach the two pieces back together to form the front of the card - kind of floating inlaid die cuts.   I added three intricate butterflies cut from vellum attached by the body leaving the wings free.  This was a fiddly card to create ... I'm not sure I will be repeating it!

I used:
STAMPlorations - CUTplorations Flutter Zen 1
Simon Says Stamp - Handwritten Borders
UNIKO - Simply Said

Challenge details:

Enjoy!

Framed Carnation ...

I can not believe where the time is going to ... it is already Sunday evening and almost time for work ... again!!!  I've had a mixed weekend ... washing, cleaning, cooking and ironing but I'm delighted to have squeezed in some 'me time' being creative (at least trying to be!).

First up this evening is a card for the current challenge at "Less is More" - it is a colour challenge ... yellow,grey and blue.  

I stamped the image with pumice stone distress ink and then heat embossed it with clear embossing powder.  I like the effect you get when embossing an image it creates a cleaner line for water colouring.  I water coloured the image added some foam tape and popped it onto the base before adding a small sentiment.

I used:
STAMPlorations - Framed Carnation
UNIKO - Simply Said
Distress Ink Pumice Stone
Winsor and Newton Water Colours.

The challenge details:



Enjoy!

AAA Cards ... Inspired by Nature

Time for a new challenge at AAA Cards and this week we turn to nature for our inspiration.

I think nature is my go to theme in most of my designs as I have hundreds (well maybe not hundreds!!) of flowers and butterfly stamps!  This time we are sponsored by Happy Little Stampers.

Another simple design ... stamp three butterflies onto a gelli print then fussy cut them out.  Stitch the images to the centre of a piece of card, draw in their antenna (it saves trying to fussy cut the thin lines!). I finished by adding some pierced detail to the corners for extra interest. 

I used:

UNIKO English Country Garden: Butterflies

Papermania Urban Stamps Butterflies

Versafine Onyx Black

I do hope that you will join in ... just remember to keep your design clean and simple (CAS).

Enjoy!

STAMPlorations ... Things with Wings

A new month and time for a new challenge at STAMPlorations ... this month we have a Blog Hop and Linky Parties across all the challenges and it's all about "Things with Wings" as always there are prizes to be won so it really is worth getting out the supplies and joining in.

As part of the CUTplorations team I've used dies for my project ...

I cut two tags one from plain white card and the second one from a gelli print.  I then die cut the diamonds out of the white card and adhered the two tags together to add colour and interest.  The dragonfly was cut from a scrap of the gelli print as well as some vellum.  I adhered the dragon fly on top of some thread and a circle of vellum ... I only put adhesive on the body so the wings unattached and provided dimension.  I added the sentiment, a scribble border and some lace.

I used:

CUTplorations - Dragonfly Layering Dies, Manilla Tags Nesting Dies.

STAMPlorations - Trendy Butterflies

It is going to be another busy month at STAMPlorations with all of the design teams working hard to inspire you to create "Things with Wings" ... it really is worth popping over to the blog to check out the amazing designs.  I hope you are inspired to join in ... you never know you might just win!

Enjoy!

Three hearts ...

Another early start ... and another card to share!

It is ages since I managed to create two cards for the "Less is More" challenge ... and this card really came about through a failure ... failure to create a clean stencilled image ... too much paint leaking under the stencil!  It did leave me with a randomly coloured piece of card which I used for the heart die cuts so all was not lost!!

I used:
Clearly Besotted Pretty Petals Plus for the sentimen.
Die-namics Blueprint 29
Sizzix Nesting Hearts
Versafine Onyx Black Ink

The challenge details:
"Less is More" #370



Enjoy!

Purple and Gold ...

At last we have had a whole day of blue sky and sunshine, long may it continue ... it brings out the smiles!   This morning I was up and on the go quite early (well, early for a weekend!) washing done and out on the line, dinner planned and still time to create before meeting my friend for lunch and a chat!!

This is the first card I finished:

I promise you that the colour is purple ...

I've been struggling with many things recently and designing cards has not been easy ... mainly indecision about what to do!  This morning I decided that if I began with one of my all time favourite stamps maybe, just maybe inspiration would pay a visit ... I think it did ... this is the first of three cards I created.

I used:
UNIKO -  Pure Florals: Gerbera and Simply Said Stamp sets
Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers - Violet and Light Violet
WOW Metallic Gold Rich Pale Embossing Powder
Versamark Ink
Die-namics Stitched Square Dies

I'm entering the following challenge:

Inkspirational Challenge


Enjoy!