Stamplorations Inspiration

Did you join the ARTplorations Stencils blog hop and flash linky party?  Stencils are a bit addictive - once you start using them, it's hard to stop!  I like it when I manage to get two cards out of one stencil session.

I made this card by sponging Distress Inks through the Confetti Circles stencil, and before cleaning off the stencil, I added more ink onto the stencil, spritzed it and printed it onto another card to get this design, which you saw on Tuesday.

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for more inspiration from the team, and if you feel inspired to CASE any of the cards you see, link them up at the CASEplorations playground.  If you use STAMPlorations stamps, link it up to the Anything Goes challenge too.

ARTplorations Stencils Blog Hop - Day 5

It's the final day of the ARTplorations Stencils blog hop.  Have you linked up your stencil card to the hop?  Could win prizes....

I inked my card with Distress Inks, stamped images and text from the Mixed Media Grunge set then applied modelling paste through the Honeycomb Delight Reversed stencil.

Pop on over to the blog - I hope we've managed to inspire you this week to create with your stencils and join the linky party!

ARTplorations Stencils Blog Hop - Day 4

It's Day 4 of the ARTplorations Stencils blog hop.  Today and tomorrow we're having something a little different: a Flash Stencil Project Linky Party!

Create a project using stencil/s and link it up here for more chances to win prizes!

ARTplorations Stencils Blog Hop - Day 3

It's Day 3 of our ARTplorations Stencils blog hop and today I've gone for the Shutters stencil.  I placed my stencil over a piece of card twice the size the you see here, and stencilled Spun Sugar and Pickled Raspberry over the stencil, turned it by 180 degrees and stencilled Salty Ocean into the gaps.  The overlap gives some nice purply shades.

I cut the piece in half to fit my card, so I have another piece which is a near mirror image of this panel to use on another card - bonus!  I mounted this panel onto purple card, then onto the blue base card, stamped the sentiment (Sentiment Builders: Happy) and added three nail heads.

SIX (6) winners (2 winners per day) will receive their choice of ARTplorations stencil. Winners will be randomly drawn from all comments left on the designers' blogs.

THREE (3) winners will each receive a $10 gift certificate. Winners will be randomly drawn from comments left on the STAMPlorations blog.

+ Extra prizes for those who participate in the Flash Stencil Project Linky Party and link up by May 31.

Click here to see what the rest of the team made, and get commenting for chances to win!

ARTplorations Stencils Blog Hop Day 2

Welcome to Day 2 of the ARTplorations blog hop!  Today I've used the Confetti Circles stencil.  I was applying Distress Inks through the stencil to make another card (which you'll be seeing soon), and decided I couldn't waste all that ink left on the stencil, so I spritzed it then laid it onto a new card to get this print.  And it just so happened that I had this cake image already stamped, coloured and cut out in co-ordinating colours - yay!

SIX (6) winners (2 winners per day) will receive their choice of ARTplorations stencil. Winners will be randomly drawn from all comments left on the designers' blogs.

THREE (3) winners will each receive a $10 gift certificate. Winners will be randomly drawn from comments left on the STAMPlorations blog.

+ Extra prizes for those who participate in the Flash Stencil Project Linky Party and link up by May 31.

Check out the rest of the inspiration here, and get hopping!

ARTplorations Stencils Blog Hop - Day 1

We're having a blog hop!  This week at STAMPlorations it's all about ARTplorations stencils, and we've got loads of inspiration for you.  I've used the Happy Flowers stencil.  I masked off everything apart from the one flower and a bud and applied Gold Pearl Texture Paste on black card.  The sentiment is a black diecut on a white diecut (thanks Maria!)

It wouldn't be a blog hop without prizes:

SIX (6) winners (2 winners per day) will receive their choice of ARTplorations stencil. Winners will be randomly drawn from all comments left on the designers' blogs.

THREE (3) winners will each receive a $10 gift certificate. Winners will be randomly drawn from comments left on the STAMPlorations blog.

+ Extra prizes for those who participate in the Flash Stencil Project Linky Party and link up by May 31.

Check out what the rest of the team have made here, and get hopping!

So Happy For Watercolours

Got a happy little watercolour card for you today.  I stamped The Bee's Knees BabyBump image then watercoloured it in the style of the Danielle Donaldson course I did a few weeks ago.  The background is actually patterned paper from Crafty Individuals and I thought it was perfect for this card.  The sentiment is also from the BabyBump set.

Fancy CASEing this card, or any of the cards from today's STAMPlorations inspiration post?  Add it to the CASEplorations playground and you could be in with a chance of winning a gift certificate or ARTplorations stencils.  And if you use STAMPlorations stamps, hook it up to the Anything Goes Challenge for more chances to win :)

Pop back in an hour for the start of the ARTplorations Blog Hop - my post will be here.

Amazing Birthday

Back in January I made a masterboard of splodged Distress Inks, chopped it into pieces and made this card and this tag.  Here's another piece of the masterboard with a variety of images stamped over in black.  I also took my pen to some of the images - added petals around the circle stamp and spikes around the square stamp.  When Shery sends me my STAMPlorations goodies, they're packaged in tissue paper which is stuck down with washi tape.  I peel it all off.  And re-use it :)  I've added 3 pieces to this panel.

The sentiment is made up from the following sets:

Have - Sentiment Builders: Christmas & New Year
An - Sugar Rush
Amazing - Hashtag Authentic
Birthday - Sentiment Builders: Happy

The images are made up from the following sets:
Vignette: Retro Mod Shapes
Holiday Artsy

If you want to CASE this card or any of the DT cards, why not add it to the CASEplorations gallery and be in with a chance of winning a prize?  If you've used STAMPlorations stamps, add it to the Anything Goes gallery as well for more chances to win.

Seize The Birthday - Anything Goes

It's time to Seize The Birthday again, and this week there's no topping, so anything goes as long as it's a birthday project.

I made the background for this card by brayering acrylic inks in various shades onto a piece of card, then stamping over it when dry, and adding a stamped and fussy cut vintage car.  The stamped sentiment didn't really show up, so I used a white pen to give it a shadow and help it pop.

Talking of pop, pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog for more inspiration, and play along!

STAMPlorations Spotlight

As you're reading this, DH and I will be on the shores of Lake Garda in Italy to celebrate our Ruby Wedding anniversary at the weekend.  My sister asked if there was anything we would like for a present - I suggested medals, two of 'em.

Meanwhile, I'm over on the STAMPlorations blog for my Spotlight feature with these two cards, which were made with only a circle stamp (and the sentiment stamps).  Pop on over to the blog to find out which set it belongs to.

Christmas In May

I'm busy trying to get ahead of myself, scheduling posts for when I'm away soon.  Add into that mix some decorating, some splashing of the cash at the stamp show last week, and it's no surprise to learn that I've been buying Christmas stuff in May.

Well, actually, it was a surprise to me.  When the postman knocked on the door with this parcel, I'd completely forgotten that I'd placed this order, and couldn't remember what it contained until I opened it.  How bad is that??  How good is that!!!  Like Christmas :)

It contained (amongst other things!) the Tim Holtz Layered Snowflake die and this Texture Fade embossing folder, so I just had to use it before I put it away for Christmas.  I inked the inside of the folder with Weathered Wood and Tumbled Glass, added my card and ran it through the Cuttlebug and got this gorgeous icy snowflake.

I'm entering this into the One Layer Christmas Card Challenge Anything Goes:

I could be back with another card for this challenge yet - there's a new Christmas stamp waiting to be added to my stash....

The Mixed Media Card Challenge - Reminder

Are you playing along with The Mixed Media Card Challenge?  This month our theme is Wings.  Butterflies, birds, dragonflies, aeroplanes, however you want to interpret it.  Our optional element is foil.

I created an encaustic wax background for my card.  If you've not heard of encaustic wax painting (with an iron!) before, there's a short video tutorial below (<3 mins) which I posted last year.  Today's card was made in exactly the same way, although I added some glass micro beads at the bottom, and Wink of Stella in the foreground to make it look like a lake.  You can see it better IRL.  The butterfly and dragonfly were stamped onto a scrap of card from a previous project which had been coloured with alcohol inks and then stamped over with text.  I fussy cut the wingy thingies and added them to my card.

So come and join us with your interpretation of Wings!

Now and Then

I got all excited when I saw the current challenge at The Card Concept, because I had some NBUS papers that were pretty much exactly the same design as the inspiration photo:

So out came the paper stash and I made this card.  Back then, I would use buy a lot of patterned paper, but having bought it, couldn't summon up any inspiration.  This card?  Bleh.  S'alright, I suppose, but not really doing it for me, doesn't make me happy.

BTW, have I shown you my ribbon stash?  I was surprised not to find any polka dot pink and white grosgrain in there...  The holes go all the way round, and each one is filled :)

But I digress.  Back to the cards.

Now, this card makes me very happy!  One layer, lots of stamping, lots of splattering, clean design, so this is the one I'm entering into The Card Concept.

And also in the One Layer Simplicity Challenge - Blossom.

Prisoner in the Dock, explain to the jury why, having confessed to hoarding patterned paper and hardly ever using it, you buy online, premeditated, more patterned paper.  And why you persisted with this foolishness by purchasing a 36 pack of 12x12 papers at the Port Sunlight show on Saturday.

Well, m'lud, the online purchase was 20% off with free p&p, and it was soooo pretty....  And the 36 pack of 12x12 was Tim Holtz papers, a bargain at half price :)

Guilty as charged.

Catching Dinner

Been playing with one of the images from The Bee's Knees Small Birds.  I originally stamped it in Antique Linen, then painted it with Distress Inks, and added detail with Distress Markers, then added splatters, but I didn't like the finished effect; the image was too flat, even though it had plenty of detail.

So out came the spritzer and I gave it a light spritzing around the wings and the edges of the body, protecting the beak, fish and splatters.  And I was happier with it.  Trimmed the panel, added stitching, added a sentiment from Noteworthy and a grunge chevron from Mixed Media Grunge, and it's good to go.

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for more inspiration from the team.

... and breathe ...

Tee-hee.  She looks really relaxed, doesn't she?  The calm before the storm.  Breathe in, breathe out; life is about to change for ever ;)

We've got some inspiration for you over at STAMPlorations today.  I've used the main image from The Bee's Knees BabyBump and the sentiments from Noteworthy.

  

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for more fabulous inspiration!

Craft Stamper Take It Make It - Reminder

Are you playing along with the Craft Stamper Take It, Make It challenge?  This month it's easy peasy - take a stamp.  As long as you include physical stamping on your project, it's eligible.  But do read the guidelines so that you're in with the best chance of winning either of our two prizes. And make sure you only have the one project in your post.

This is the random prize for one lucky person:

Vintage embossing powders and this gorgeous lace scroll stamp.

The winner chosen by the design team will have their project published in Craft Stamper magazine (so hang on to your entry, you'll have to post it in), a guest design spot in a future challenge, and a winner's profile post on the blog.

I've used the same image stamp as last week, but with a different technique to get a different effect. Gotta get the most out of my stamps ;)  So come and join us here!

Seize The Birthday - Use The Negative

It's playtime again at Seize The Birthday.  For this challenge, we want you to use the negative.

I've used the rose die from Penny Black.  I cut the image on watercolour paper and left the image in place while I painted the rose, leaves and stem with Distress Inks.  Once dry, I removed the diecut image and was left with this lovely negative.  I mounted it on to burgundy (honestly!) card and added a sentiment.

And the bonus is, I've got a beautifully painted diecut rose to use on another project!

Come and join us - if you don't want to use the negative, you can still play along with any birthday themed project.

Flowers and Stripes

I'm playing along at Time Out where it's a Home Sweet Home theme, and this is the inspiration photo:

I got two panels of card and on one panel I swooshed Festive Berries, Ripe Persimmon and Pickled Raspberry Distress Inks.  On the other panel I stamped the leaves and some flowers in Memento Inks, and the large flowers with Versafine Onyx Black, and painted them with diluted Distress Inks.  For the life of me, I can't bring myself to colour-fill neatly when I'm painting with Distress Inks or watercolours - I just have to slosh!

I sliced the panels up, arranged them how I wanted them then held them together with washi tape while I put them through the Xyron machine (anybody else still got one?), then adhered them to my card base.  Added a green sentiment panel and a fussy cut flower to finish.

I'm over at STAMPlorations tonight with a tutorial on this card:

Pop on over and take a look!

Bird On A Wire

Well, I can only blame Jenny for this.  She makes some gorgeous cards with this bird die, so I had to get my own.  She's such an enabler ;)

For my coral panel I covered a piece of mixed media paper with gesso then added Distress Paints (Mustard Seed, Festive Berries) tried ghosting with the leaf stencil and it didn't work, so I sponged Pickled Raspberry over it.  I diecut the bird from a Gelli print from my stash ad added a self-adhesive gem for the eye, added some waxed cotton for it to sit on, and made a border from strips of washi tape.  I'm entering it into the following challenges:

Mixed Media World - Use Bright Colours

Simon Says Monday Challenge - Don't Abandon The Coral

Stamps and Stencils - Anything Goes