Sunday 31 December 2017

FS569 - Celebrate!


Congratulations to this week's Splitcoaststampers' Featured Stamper, Nan Cee's. I chose this card as my inspiration:


I focused on Nan Cee's:
-floral theme
-bold bright colours with strong black outlines

I changed:
-added white space
-added a sentiment
-colouring technique.

I used some of the alcohol ink panel I made last week (video here) for the petals and used a similar technique with blues and greens to make the leaves. I inlaid the Yupo into the black outlines. The flower is popped up from the panel and the sentiment is also inlaid.

I used:

Thursday 28 December 2017

AJVD - Flurry of Thanks


Good morning! I'm on the A Jillian Vance Design blog this morning with a quick-to-make set of thank you notes.

Sunday 24 December 2017

FS568 - Happy Birthday


Congratulations to this week's Featured Stamper, Heidi (aka howdyheidi)! I chose this beautifully CAS Christmas card as my inspiration:


I focused on Heidi's:
-layout
-use of a technique for main image

I changed:
-the actual technique/medium used
-added a layer
-moved the sentiment off of the focal image

I created my icing with Alcohol Inks and Yupo paper. I am still getting the hang of these things and still do not have Blending Solution or metallic mixatives, but I have been watching some videos and this time added Copic Blending Solution to the inks and moved them with my heat gun. I made a full 5x7 sheet and was able to choose a pretty part to cut my cupcake icing from, and I still have lots left for other projects.

For the cupcake base, I simply die cut it and then blended a couple of brown distress inks on the sides to create the look of dimension.





I used:


Friday 22 December 2017

Muse 247 - Merry


Here's my card for this week's Muse Card Club, where Kim has given us this festive inspiration:


I focused on Kim's:
-deer focal point
-colour scheme (Red, white, green and black)

I used my MISTI to stamp the plaid background with Peppermint Scrub ink. I then used a Zig Art & Graphic Twin Tip marker and one of the MISTI corner pieces to add green to the red plaid.

I cut out a Small Doily and coloured and inlaid the little leaves and berries back in - this is so much easier now that I use the Marvy Jewel Picker to pick up and place those tiny pieces! I inlaid the doily into the plaid background panel to reduce layers and bulk.

I stamped the deer from Winter Woodland in BlackJack ink, die cut it and popped it up with foam tape. I used my MISTI to stamp the sentiment.

I used:

Thursday 21 December 2017

Catherine Pooler Designs Moving Sale!



Yay! Catherine Pooler Designs is moving and Catherine would rather ship goodies to you than move them, so there's a sale!  Head right over for best selection!

ETA: Because this stamp is basically a square, I just eye-balled it to line it up (and if you look closely you'll see that it's not perfect! LOL!). But you could draw lines in pencil or use a MISTI to help with placement.

I used:

Wednesday 20 December 2017

United We Flourish - Essentials by Ellen/Concord &9th


Good morning! I'm so delighted to be part of the release of Sweet Sprinkles, the lastest United We Flourish collaboration set from Essentials by Ellen. This sweet stamp and die set is by Concord & 9th and it's filled with scrumptious goodies including a cupcake, ice cream cone, sprinkles and some matching sentiments!

I started by drawing some parallell, diagonal lines in pencil on my main panel. I used these lines for placement to repeatedly die cut the 'yum' to create a textured background.

I stamped the cupcake base with some Altenew ink and then created a faux-watercolour tie-dye effect on my frosting using more Altenew inks in pastel colours, my MISTI, and my Nuvo mister.






I used:



Tuesday 19 December 2017

CTS251 - Merry Christmas


I'm on the A Jillian Vance Design blog today with this last-minute Christmas card. I'm also linking up to the current CAS(E) This Sketch challenge:


Pop over to A Jillian Vance Design for a video!

Sunday 17 December 2017

FS567, CTS251 - It's Christmas Time


Congratulations to this week's Splitcoaststampers' Featured Stamper, Julene23! I chose this card as my inspiration:

I focused on Julene's:
-embossed snow
-figure with red hat
-touches of aqua
-rectangle focal area

I changed:
-embossing technique (dry embossing to heat embossing)
-layout
-gray cardbase
-added a sentiment
I'm also linking up to this week's CAS(E) This Sketch:


I started by stamping my snowflakes with Versamark and embossed with white ep. I masked a rectangle (with a rounded bottom edge to be a 'snowdrift') and lightly blended Peacock Feathers Distress ink. I stamped and coloured the snowman before using the matching die to cut him out. I finished with the sentiment (am I the only one who wants to continue it with "There's no need to be afraid").

I used:


Friday 15 December 2017

Muse 246 - Joy, Love, Peace



A quick and graphic card for this week's Muse challenge where Tracey gave us this one-layer beauty as inspiration:


I focused on Tracey's:
-colours
-3-word sentiment
-holly

I reversed the colours and used inlaid die cuts and some enamel dots.




I used:

Thursday 14 December 2017

AJVD/Coffee-Lovers' Blog Hop


I'm on the A Jillian Vance Design blog today with this simple but fun Christmas-coffee card.

Also linking up to the Winter Coffee Lovers' Blog Hop.
winter hop square with dates

Wednesday 13 December 2017

Catherine Pooler Plaid Background


Just a quick note to say that the Catherine Pooler Plaid Background is now back in stock!

SPDMIU38 - Merry Christmas




Good morning! Today I'm playing along with SugarPea Designs' current Mix it Up Challenge, where it's Anything Goes! So choose your favourite SPD goodies and link up a card! There's a PRIZE!

Play-to-Win-Graphic---50


I had some fun with the two curved pine branches from Pinecone Greetings and built a Christmas tree! Because the branches are so long, I needed to mask a straight line down the centre, and build one side of the tree at a time. I used two shades of green ink for interest and tried to make sure that the branch wasn't always in the exact same position. Then I moved the mask and stamped the other side. 

To create the trunk, I straightened one of the 'stems' from the set and stamped it in brown. My tree was taller than the stem stamp, so I did have a 'join' area. No problem - perfect place for my sentiment strip!

I used classic, rustic colours with a bit of sparkle.






Pinecone-Greetings

Flurry-of-Warm-Wishes

Store-Gift-Tag-Die

Stitched-Flags

Store-SugarCuts-Zig-Zag-Stitched-Rectangles


Sunday 10 December 2017

Advent Calendar Extravaganza with Taheerah Atchia

Good morning! It's an exciting day here - I've been invited to be part of Taheerah's Advent Calendar Extravaganza!



Advent Calendar Extravaganza is -the- festive event of the season! This ‘hop with a twist’ was dreamed up by Taheerah Atchia and features surprise destinations each day! Joining in the fun with Taheerah are ONE HUNDRED special guests - each serving up some fantastic Christmas inspiration! Just like an Advent Calendar, you’ll never know where you’re going to be visiting next until you ‘open the door’!

And that’s not all! With 25 *amazing* sponsors taking part as guests as well, your crafty wish list is bound to get a boost with a chance to win a prize EVERY SINGLE DAY!!

Join in the fun every day at taheerah-atchia.com to see what special surprises await behind the door!


Here's my project. I decided to create a Nativity scene with a twist - it's Christmas morning (with a sunrise) rather than the traditional night sky.

The sun was made using one of my first alcohol ink experiments. I am missing the 'official' blending solution and any metallic mixatives, so I used my Delicata Gold re-inker (from AGES ago!)  and some rubbing alcohol and made a 'polished stone' background - it has beautiful golden, sunshiney shimmer! I borrowed an idea from Jessica, to use a camera lens cleaner to 'blow' the ink around on the Yupo paper.

I used stamps and dies from SugarPea Designs (also available at today's sponsor, Seven Hills Crafts!)




It’s not a party without a prize - and with prizes every day there are several chances to win! Today’s prize is generously supplied by Seven Hills Crafts so you’ll definitely want to win! Simply leave a comment on this post - then head back to taheerah-atchia.com and leave a comment there too! You must leave a comment on Taheerah’s blog as well as mine in order to be eligible to win! Don’t forget to grab the other surprise destinations from Taheerah’s blog and head over to them to leave comments there as well to improve your odds even more! You have until 23:59 EST on 31st December 2017 to enter.

Don’t forget Advent Calendar Extravaganza runs from 1st-25th December inclusive so make sure you visit taheerah-atchia.com every day for fabulous inspiration and amazing prizes every single time! Merry Christmas!


sugarcut-nativityscape

SPD-Starburst-Cover-Plate

come-let-us-adore-him


Saturday 9 December 2017

FS566 - Alcohol Ink Merry Christmas



Congratulations to this week's Splitcoaststampers' Featured Stamper, Becky!

I chose this card as my inspiration:



I focused on Becky's:
-rainbow background
-black script sentiment
-crystal embellishment

I changed:
-background technique
-orientation and layout
-no ribbon

I tried a wet-on-wet technique with Alcohol Inks and rubbing alcohol. It's similar to wet on wet with watercolour. I covered my Yupo paper with rubbing alcohol before dropping the inks on it. Then I tilted the paper back and forth to get the inks to move and blend. As it dries, it continues to move and soften a bit, and gives these dreamy blends. I made 3 different panels (in the video below).

I inlaid the snowflake and sentiment using my craft pick and jewel picker. These two tools are so useful for picking up the tiny pieces and putting them where they belong!



I used: