Saturday 26 May 2012

May sketch challenge


Shopping List
Stampendous SSC1113 Garden Beauty
Stampendous CRR138 Calligraphy Sampler
Versafine Olympia Green & Spanish Moss
Sakura Bruynzeel coloured pencils
Woodware 1" beech leaf punch
Glossy Accents
A button & garden raffia
All available from:-www.woodware.co.uk

Time for this month's sketch challenge & I've kept it simple this time with this beautiful garden set from Stampendous. Those of you who are regular visitors to Japonica will have seen the stunning designs that Jan has done using this set so I just couldn't resist the chance to have a play with it myself. I have teamed it with the very versatile Calligraphy Sampler cling stamp also from Stampendous. I have used Sakura coloured pencils to softly colour the main image & the Calligraphy stamp provides a very complimentary backing  panel. I have stamped the butterflies from the" Garden" set down the right hand edge of the DL card blank using the Versafine inkpads. To finish my design I have punched some beech leaves & given them a really glossy look using Glossy Accents, a button & some raffia. 

Here is the sketch don't forget to play along this month, you could be the winner of a £12 Woodware voucher.  


Monday 14 May 2012

Something for the Kids


Shopping List
Peel offs Animal Antics 92112 black
           Big Birthday 93537 black
Sakura stardust pens
Sakura coloured pencils
Flower brads
Spring green gingham ribbon
Large corner rounder punch
Green, turquoise & yellow card
All available from:-
I've had fun this week  making this children's birthday card. I've had it in mind to make a waterfall card for  some time now & this children's theme was just asking to be done. I have used a cute animal peel off designed by Francoise Read coupled with the Big Birthday greeting both in black.
1. I have started by placing my chosen animals onto a piece of white card & colouring with Sakura coloured pencils. Cut out the animals & stick onto a 5.5cm square of green card.
2.Cut a strip of turquoise card 6cms wide & approx 26cms long. From the bottom this is then scored & folded at 2.5cms intervals to form the folds for the waterfall effect. 
3.Stick each animal piece at the top only onto the folds of the turquoise strip. Cut a bar to go horizontally across a A5 card blank around 2/3 from the top & fasten at the edges only with brads. You will notice that I have rounded the top & bottom right hand corners of the card blank using the Woodware large corner rounder.
4. Attach the lower edge of the animal strip to the front & centre of this bar & tuck the other half (the back) of this strip to the back of the bar. Attach a small piece of ribbon with a brad to the bottom of the animal strip to pull.
5. I have added the flowers from the Animal peel off randomly to the card blank & coloured with Stardust pens.
6. Cut a strip of green card & give it a grass effect for the bottom border. Place the birthday peel off onto a piece of turquoise card & mount onto the "grass". 

Here is a closer look at the individual animal pieces.






Tuesday 8 May 2012

Red, White & Blue with Stampendous


Shopping List
Stampendous Cling London CRW075
FRCL 026 Francoise Alphabet
Stampendous Aged Gold embossing powder
Tombow pens
Versafine Onyx Black inkpad
Clear embossing powder
Star peel offs
Glossy accents
Red,white & blue linen card
All available from:- www.woodware.co.uk
We have a chance to celebrate this special year for our country in our  theme this week & what better way than with this brand  new stamp from Stampendous. I have stamped the image with Versafine Onyx Black & embossed with clear powder. Tombow pens have been used to add colour.I have taken a A5 white card blank & cut around1.5" from the right hand edge. I have then randomly embossed around the edges using the Aged Gold powder. The London 2012 message has been stamped with the Francoise Alphabet for the letters onto one of the Tags stamps which comes with the bonus set that accompanies it. I have then layered the main image onto red & blue card & added some tiny star peel offs for a truly patriotic feel. I have given the main features of the stamped set i.e the bus, letters & flag a really glossy 3D look by applying Glossy Accents.



Wednesday 2 May 2012

Buttons & Bows

Shopping List
JGS265 Happy Birthday Doodle
FRCL Patch Alphabet
Crafty Edger + Ribbon border
Sakura Stardust pens
Versafine Onyx Black
Sapphire, lemon & red polka dot organza ribbon
Woodware buttons- brights
Red 5x7 card blank
blue, red & lemon card
yellow paper
All available from:-

I have used one of Jane Gill's new single stamps for the theme this week & really had fun with it. Start by printing the Birthday Doodles stamp twice onto lemon card. Colour  both prints with Sakura Stardust pens. I have then cut out the letters from one print & decoupaged them onto the other print. Go mad then & decorate with ribbon bows & buttons! The printed buttons that you will see come from the Patch Alphabet set from Francoise Read. Cut free hand around the printed piece & layer onto blue & red card. Print the button collection onto yellow paper & give it the Crafty Edger treatment using the ribbon border cassette. I have threaded the border using a medley of ribbons, tying bows at regular spaces. Mount the whole piece onto the red card blank. A fun & colourful card & just one design from the limitless versatility of this stamp!