Simply Stampin' Challenge - Sketch 8

Well this weeks sketch was a winner for me! I have been itching to do a vintage / distressed style card and this sketch was the perfect opportunity. Deciding on a step style card to create more dimension, I also made the ribbon flower to add some needed texture. I hope you like it...

And a close up of the rose for you:

Take a look at the rest of the design team's makes by clicking HERE!

Recipe:

Stamp sets: Just Believe, Fast and Fabulous

Card stock: Rich Razzleberry, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Whisper White.

Inks: Rich Razzleberry, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Perfect Plum

Punches: Large Circle, Boho Blossoms

Ribbon: Rich Razzleberry

Other: Sponge Daubers, Basic Rhinestones, Rhinestone Brads.

Happy Crafting! Bx

Ghosting

I want to introduce you to a fantastic technique called ghosting, which is a resist technique using a fantastic product - the Versamark pad.

It is a very simple method:

1. Firstly stamp the image onto plain card (I used whisper white) using the versamark.
2. To produce a crisp image allow the versamark to dry completely, or to create a softer blurred image then wait only a few seconds before proceed to step 3.
3. Use dye based inks (such as the Stampin' Up! Classic Stamping Pads) and blend the colours from the edges into the centre with circular movements. To make this easier I used sponge daubers, but you could use your fingers or other blending tool. As you spread the inks over the versamark image, it will appear in a much paler colour - a ghost image. 
4. Trim your panel down, and use in your project!

There are other techniques that create resist effects, and I will cover those at a later date. For now, here is the recipe for the above card:

Stamp sets: Just Believe, Sanded.

Card Stock: Whisper White, So Saffron

Inks: Versamark, Wild Wasabi, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Marina Mist, So Saffron.

Punches: Scallop Trim Border

Ribbon: Certainly Celery (taffeta)

Other: Marina Mist - designer series patterned paper.

Happy Crafting! x

Promotion!

I am so excited - I have been promoted! I now have the title of Bronze 3, meaning that my hard work is starting to pay off, and that I must be doing something right!

I am off to have a celebratory craft session :)
(No surprises there...)

Bx

Simply Stampin' Challenge - Punch it up!

Well the time has flown by this week, and as I am writing this (on Friday) I am in the middle of preparing for a workshop, so forgive me for keeping it brief! I confess I wasn't that taken with this weeks theme, however once I remembered 'shadow punching' I had many more ideas. Shadow punching is also known by several other names, but the basics of it are that instead of using the punched out shapes, you use the waste card to create raised apertures through which you can stamp images instead.

So without further ado, here is my card for this week:

Not some of my best photography perhaps, as it is difficult to make out how much the black card is raised up from the white card blank, but as I mentioned before it has been a manic week!

Recipe:

Stamp Sets: Basic Phrases, Punch Potpourri

Inks: Black StazOn, Daffodil Delight, Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive.

Card Stock: Basic Black, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White

Ribbon: Rich Razzleberry

Punches: Large Heart, Word Window, Modern Label (XL)

Other: Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, double stacked Stampin' Dimensionals.

Perfect Petals...

It has been a busy and exciting week, as I am finally learning to drive! This should really help me to be more available for you to book classes and workshops during the day, and further away. I just have time to show you this latest card, which measures just 3 1/2" x 3 1/2"...

I have made the flower by layering up die cut petal shapes, and then made a feature of the centre by using different sized basic pearls. To do this use one of the largest basic pearls, and use tweezers to put 10 of the smallest pearls around it - they should fit almost perfectly!

A bit of a close up for you.

Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Fast and Fabulous
Card Stock: Pink Pirouette, Whisper White, Early Espresso, Certainly Celery.
Inks: Certainly Celery, Pink Pirouette.
Ribbon: Early Espresso
Punches: Notched corner (non SU)
Other: Basic Pearls, Cuttlebug (non SU), tattered florals die (non SU - but the SU die 'fun flowers' would work as well)

That's all for now, must go and make dinner for my family!
Happy Crafting

Simply Stampin Challenge - Colour Combination.

Big apologies - I forgot to schedule this post so it is a bit late! I liked this week's challenge of a colour combination using the following:

• Pacific Point
• Early Espresso
• Whisper White
• Pretty in Pink

It also gave me a chance to get out my 2-step bird punch which hasn't been used in a while. I hope you like it, and you can view the rest of the design team's creations by clicking HERE. It really is worth a look!

Also if you enter one of our challenges (#20-23) then you could WIN a stamp set! Take a look at www.simplystampinchallenge.blogspot.com to find out more...

Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Punch Potpourri, So Swirly, Silhouette Sentiments.
Card stock: Pretty in Pink, Pacific Point, Early Espresso, Whisper White.
Inks; Prettty in Pink, Pacific Point, Early Espresso.
Ribbon: Pretty in Pink, Early Espresso
Punches: 2-step bird, Boho Blossoms, Scallop Trim, Word Window, Modern Label.
Other: Basic Rhinestones, Designer Series Pattern Paper (Pretty in Pink).

Strength and Hope

Hello all, I hope you are all well? Today I thought I would share some cards that I made for a workshop, as my ladies very much enjoyed making their own ones, and most importantly for every strength and hope stamp set sold, SU will give a donation to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Together we can stamp out cancer!

The set has the most beautiful intricate butterfly, but also has a script font text, a 'H - hope' logo, and an ornate swirl stamp. The flowers are made using a circle punch and a technique I call water scrunching. It probably has a more well know name, but I am not aware of it! Here is a close up of the flower, which I think looks quite like a chrysanthemum, and you can also see some of the lovely detail on the butterfly:

I achieved the different shades of butterfly using only a single colour of ink, and a technique called repeat stamping (or repetition). Very simply, you ink up your stamp with a colour, and DO NOT re-ink your stamp before stamping the next image - easy!

Recipe (for the pink and blue card):

Stamp sets: Strength and Hope

Card stock: Very vanilla, Bashful blue, Regal rose

Inks: Regal Rose

Ribbon: Pretty in Pink taffeta

Punches: Scallop Trim Border, 1-3/8" Circle

Suggestions; You could easily take this design further by adding some bling or pearls, and by cutting out multiple butterflies and layering them up.

I have entered these cards into 2 different challenges because I really like these cards, but also because Breast cancer is something that impacts a lot of lives - anything we can do to raise awareness (and funds!) is a good thing.

The 2 challenge blogs are;

http://flutterbywednesdays.blogspot.com/2011/08/flutter-by-wednesday-166.html

http://simplycreatechallenges.blogspot.com/2011/07/49-challenge-favorite-animal.html

I hope you like my work, Happy Crafting Bx

Simply Stampin' Challenge - Sketch 7

Well hello again! This week over at Simply Stampin' it is a sketch challenge, and quite a toughie with the greeting / journalling strip extending right across the page. I have tried out a new technique with the photograph this time, called slicing, just to add some interest - what do you think? As the photo is fairly limited in it's colours, I also highlighted the dog to draw the eye to her, by punching out a circle, and mounting it onto a slightly larger piece of card, covered with dazzling diamonds glitter.

I have to confess to being a bit naughty with this sketch as I used a lot of snowflake motifs that were not SU, however this is because I don't own the serene snowflakes stamp set which would have been perfect!

Recipe:
Stamps; small snowflake (non SU)
Card stock: Basic Black, Bashful Blue, Marina Mist, Whisper White
Inks: Bashful Blue, Basic Black, White pen.
Ribbon: Baja Breeze
Other: Dazzling diamonds glitter, blue staples (non SU), snowflake stencils (non SU) boho blossoms punch, circle punch.

Free Gift with Qualifying Purchase!