Four Point Blooms

 Hello Crafty Friends,

Today I would like to share a card made with Lisa Horton Crafts Four Point Blooms stamps and dies.

 

 

• I began by stamping several of the blooms in different sizes on a sheet from Lisa's Capri paper pad, using a Versafine Onyx Black stamp pad.  Before the ink had time to dry I quickly added some clear sparkle embossing powder and heated to melt the powder.
  

 

 

• I cut these out and layered to form the flowers.  They all looked  too similar for the card I had in mind, so I decided to stamp a couple of the largest size blooms using a green archival ink pad on a sheet of green spotty paper from the Dots and Spots Pastel Paper pad.

 

 

• I then took a sheet of A4 300gsm white card from my stash and scored in the centre, so that I could create and A5 finished card.

• With the score line in place, I masked off a panel and using a blending brush applied two shades of blue to create an ombre effect.  To make the panel more defined I drew a wiggly line using a 0.8 black pigment liner pen.

• I then folded the card on the score line and arranged the flowers into a pattern across the shaded panel.  The first image of the card doesn't really show up the sparkle very well, so here I have zoomed in and hope you can see the effect of the embossing powder. 

 

• To finish the card I stamped a sentiment from the Bold Words stamp set and added gems to the centre of the flowers.

I enjoyed playing around with the layout of this card as my original plan was to put the blooms in a circle with the sentiment in the centre.  Perhaps that is a card for another day!

Thank you for joining me today.  As always, your company and comments are very much appreciated.

Bye for now

x Anne

Mindful Moments

Hello Crafty Friends,

Many of you will know that my favourite thing about crafting is stamping and colouring.

With this card I spent hours carefully colouring my page using alcohol marker pens.  I think this paper pad is brilliantly named Mindful Moments - because that is exactly what it gave to me.  I plugged in an audiobook and was away with fairies colouring and lost in the fictional world of the story for hours (and hours!)

If you also want to relax and escape in your own little bubble, here is what I did:

• I started with a page from Lisa Horton's Mandala Paper Pad - Volume 1 and cut it down to a 7" square.

• I chose 3 shades of blue alcohol marker pens and began by colouring the background with the lightest shade.  

• Then I moved on to use the darker shades and filled in the mandala swirls.

• Cut this into 4 squares 3.5" x 3.5"
• Adhere on to squares of black card cut to 3.75" x 3.75"
• Arrange these on an 8" x 8" white card base and adhere
• On a scrap of white card stamp a sentiment from Lisa's Bold Words stamp set
• Colour the open area in the word with one of the pens used in the background
• Mat this on a piece of black card slightly larger than your sentiment piece
• Adhere sentiment to the centre of the card and add gems to the centre of some of the swirls

I know this isn't a quick card - but then, it isn't meant to be.  Immerse yourself in the colouring.  Listen to some music, an audiobook or if you are lucky enough to have a quiet zone, simply enjoy the silence - whatever floats your boat.  But most of all, enjoy the moment!

Thank you for joining me today.  As always, your company and comments are very much appreciated.

x Anne

Caught in Amber

Hello Crafty Friends,

I usually try to keep my blog strictly to crafty matters but today I will make an exception and express an opinion that normally I would keep to myself.

Following a recent presentation on macro photography, I was shown some outstanding close-up and very detailed images of butterflies apparently visiting flowers and other plants in the garden.  However, all was not quite as it seemed.  I understand that the method of achieving these photographic gems was to capture the butterflies and keep them in a cool environment.  When they were suitably chilly and dopey and the conditions were right for the photographer, these delicate little creatures were arranged on the plants where they would remain until they were warm enough to fly away. This would give the photographer a contrived photo opportunity.  Some might say that this is fair game.  Personally I think it is cruel and interfering unnecessarily with nature, all in the name of art.  I know there are far more outrageous practices to worry about in the natural world but this is one that happened to cross my radar and made me feel incredibly sad for these short-lived creatures.

So, back to the craft world and my sample today.  Although my subject appears to be 'caught in amber' no butterflies were harmed in making this card.  Much more humane don't you think?

Products Used: 

Leafy Swirl Stamp Set 

• White card base 6” x 6”
• Stencil Card cut to 5.25” x 5.25” & 4” x 4” (ACC-CA-30095-77)
• Taupe colour ink pad
• Black Memento ink pad
• Artistry Ink Blending Set (INK-AT-50367-XX)
• Alcohol Marker pens
• Ultra-thick clear embossing powder and heat gun
• Small foil pie dish and wooden clothes peg or similar 

Method

• Stamp a border around the 5.25” square card with Leafy Swirl stamp and with taupe ink blend lightly 
• Stamp butterfly on 4” square card using Memento, colour with alcohol markers and blend taupe around border.
• Tip a tablespoon of clear ultra thick embossing powder into foil tray, hold with peg and heat from below until molten
• While still molten hot pour over butterfly (on a heat proof surface) to create a ‘caught in amber’ effect.  Leave to cool completely
• Mat and layer on to base card

Thank you for visiting me today, your company and comments are very much appreciated.

x Anne

Words of Wisdom

Hello Crafty Friends

In a reflective mood on this Sunday morning,  I would like to share this simple card made using the Serenity Prayer  stamp set with words that guide me.

Hopefully with a little more bounce, I will be back with more makes soon.

Thank you for your company and comments which are very much appreciated.

x Anne

All At Sea

Hello Crafty Friends,

When it comes to buying more stuff for my stash, I am an absolute pushover for anything nautical or if it features a seascape.  It doesn't matter whether it is a new stamp set, paper pad or stencil, if it has the sea included somewhere in the design, then it is in my shopping basket before you can say "shiver my timbers!"

If I'm working on something purely for my own amusement, it could be a page in my art journal, a card or even an MDF project the marine theme materialises before I know it!

Having said all that, it is by way of an explanation for this sneaky little number.

The image stamp I have used is from Claritystamp Ltd and it is called Sailor Round

To create the card:  

• Watercolour wash a background using blue sparkle pen
• Stamp the image in Versafine Onyx Black and heat emboss with clear powder
• Colour image with mica based watercolour paints
• Stamp words using Claritystamp Letterbox stamps on scrap card
• Fussy cut the words and mount on project with foam pads
• Mat and layer on to dark blue card and then on to white card base

I hope you have enjoyed this little distraction from the worry that surrounds us all at the present time.

Thank you for joining me today.  Your company and comments are very much appreciated.

Stay safe

x Anne

Just For Fun

Hello Crafty Friends,

I have been rummaging through my neglected stash of Woodware stamps and came across these.  I am pretty sure this stamps have now been retired but I do believe they were originally designed by the lovely Françoise Read.

So without further ado, how about these to make you smile!

Flip open and inside:

Flip open once more:

And Finally:

Happy Easter everyone. Stay safe.
x Anne

Black and White

Hello Crafty Friends,

Life is very difficult for all of us at the moment, so I will not dwell on the current situation but simply say that I hope you are safe, well and enjoying your crafting.

Today I would like to share a card sample I made using the Claritystamp Woodland Badgers stencil.  I have only used part of the stencil and I can see now that perhaps it wasn't such a good idea, as it drops off on the left side and has made the border a bit skew-whiff. I do like a bit of symmetry and l am now getting quite twitchy about not noticing it when I made the card.

The process for this one is very simple.  I used a palette knife to spread grunge paste through part of the stencil on a black card base and then added a couple more layers on to a white card blank.  To complete the card I have stamped the words from the Clarity New Design Club back issue 129 on to an odd strip of Clarity Designer paper that I had in my bits box.

Thank you for dropping by.  Your company and comments are very much appreciated.

Bye for now
x Anne

Over The Moon

Hi Crafty Friends,

A completely non-crafty post from me today as I am just scooting by to share this photo with you.  

We live in the Bedfordshire countryside overlooking Dunstable Downs and last night as the moon appeared over the downs, for a very short spell before the clouds rolled in, we had the most spectacular view of the moon.

As a keen photographer, hubby rushed out into the garden and took this picture.  Of course, I am biased but don't you think this is a most fabulous shot?  If you can, zoom in, it is worth it!

To quote Patrick Ness:

"There's always beauty, if you know where to look.”

I'll be back again soon with something crafty but in the meanwhile, thank you for dropping by.

Anne  x

 

 

Celebrating Tina Cox Designs

Hi Crafty Friends,


Today I would like to share a different style of card.

Items used to make this card:

1. Tina's Layering Stamps Circles
2. Tina's Layering Stamps Squares 
3. Shaped easel card die
4. Claritystamp Stencil Card
5. Claritystamp Nested Circles Picot Cut Dies
6. Die cutting machine
7. Memento black ink pad
8. Alcohol marker pens
9. Glossy Accents
10. Foam pads

How to:

1. Use Clarity stencil card to create a shaving foam technique coloured background and cut to fit easel card
2. Stamp a decorative panel using Tina’s Layering stamp collection
3. Die cut a circle approx. 2.25”, stamp one of Tina’s floral circles
4. Stamp butterflies and more flowers from Tina’s collection on scraps of stencil card and fussy cut
5. Colour all the elements with alcohol marker pens and add Glossy Accents to main circle image
6. Adhere butterflies and circle panel to upper part of easel card
7. Add fussy cut flowers to decorative panel and fix with foam pads to lower part of easel card to create ‘step’

If you like Tina's designs, for the rest of today there is a 33% discount on them over on the Claritystamp Website.  

Hope to be back again next week with another of my samples

Bye for now
Anne
x 

Doodleology

Hello Again,

Joy of  joys, after a really long spell of gloomy, wet and windy weather, today there was sunshine in my little corner of the countryside. Overnight there had been a fairly hard frost and the fields were white and sparkled in the winter sun.  Simple things, but they make me very happy.

  
On the crafting side of life, today I would like to share a project using Claritystamp stamp set Doodleology Square Mixed Impressions and the matching stencil.

Once again I have used dye based inks for this project.  I began by brushing a pale colour through the stencil - it is quite an intricate stencil, so I needed to hold each section in place as I worked, in order to retain crisp lines. Then I stamped the image in black archival ink on another piece of card.  There are small infill stamps in this set which I have used to colour the white areas to co-ordinate with the background piece.  Keeping it clean and simple I have mat and layered with white card onto a white base card.

If you have time I would love to hear what you think (please be nice!) by leaving me a comment.

Happy Crafting
Anne x

It's All About Texture

Hi Crafty Friends

A very belated Happy New Year to you all!  

The weather is so grey here today that it is lights on in the house all day to try to dispel some of the winter gloom.  However, the house is cosy and full of the lovely spicy aroma of a good old fashioned bread pudding!  I had an abundance of good quality seeded bread lurking in the bread bin and I didn't want it to go to waste.  Two hours later and using a nice quick recipe, I now have a fragrant home and a very happy hubby - he does love a bit of stodge.

Enough of the domestic waffle, how about a bit of crafting to brighten the day.

Here is a sample I made using the Woven Fabric stamp set from Claritystamp.  These stamps are so versatile that I have only scratched the surface in playing with them.  On this project I have simply brayered dye based ink from a rainbow ink pad on to the stamp and then plonked it onto my card.  The addition of the Fly Away stamp in Archival black ink and a bit of mat and layering.  Job done! 

Hope you like it.

Thank you for visiting me today, especially after such a long time has elapsed since my last post.

I really must try harder!


Bye for now
Anne
x