Working with Background Effects

Shopping list

Stampendous  CRR162 Cling Botanical Blooms

Colorbox Queue Rose Petals

Detail Copper embossing powder

Versafine Vintage Sepia

Versamark inkpad

Brilliance inkpads:-

Pearlescent Beige,Platinum Pearl &

Galaxy gold

8" x 8" card blank

Paper Doilies

3cm ivory organza ribbon

New "Jane" peel off "Just to Say"

Mark Richards gold Metals

Gold mirror & brown card

All available from:-

www.woodware.co.uk

Your local Exmouth stockist is:-

Japonica

22 The Parade

Exmouth

EX8 1RW

01395 271739

This week we're creating fab backgrounds to enhance our card designs. As you'll see from my design this week I've used just one stamp for the focal point of the card as well as to create the background. Start by taking a piece of ivory card & fill it with direct to paper technique. I've sponged all over with the beautiful pinks from the Colorbox Queue Rose Petals. It will look messy at this stage but as soon as you start to stamp over it the "wow" factor will emerge. I've stamped all over with  Botanical blooms & Vintage Sepia  joining it up as much as possible but it doesn't matter too much if the pattern overlaps. You'll end up with a real "Laura Ashley" look & this piece I've layered onto dark brown card & covered the entire front of the card blank.

Next emboss the image once using the copper powder & again sponge over this with the inks. The embossing will resist the inks & you can gently wipe over to remove the ink from the embossing & to buff up the copper. I then highlighted the flowers & leaves with the inks from the Brilliance pads just to make them pop out.  Now all that's left is to layer the focal piece (add the ribbon & doilies) before attaching to the card & finish with the message & Metals.

Here's a look at the background.

Colours of the Earth

Shopping List

Stampendous stamps:-

CRP184 Grapes

CRR138 Calligraphy Sampler

CRM Birthday Wish

Watercolour pencils & paper

Brilliance inkpads:-

Cosmic Copper, Pearlescent Rust & Olive,Coffee Bean

Vesafine Onyx Black & Vintage Sepia

Stazon Black

Cream Shrink plastic

Pewter brads

Caramel brown A5 card blank

Brown card

Piece of hessian

All available from:-

www.woodware.co.uk

Your local Exmouth stockist is:-

Japonica

22 The Parade

Exmouth

EX8 1RW

01395 271739

OK I'm just going to come right out & say it! I'm so pleased with this card I did a happy dance while punching the air muttering "Yes! Yes! Yes!" when it was finished! Now come on ladies we all know how that feels now & again don't we? Think it's got to have Mr. Frosty's name on it as his birthday card for next month. Considering his delight in all things Spanish it should fit the bill nicely don't you think? 

OK now all my waxing is over you may (or not but I'm going to tell you anyway!) want to know how my work of art was achieved!! I started by taking 2 pieces of watercolour paper & randomly scribbling on them with shades of brown, orange, red & yellow watercolour pencils. I then activated the colour with a generous wash of water & left to dry. On one piece I stamped "Grapes" several times with Onyx Black to be able to decoupage parts. On the second piece I stamp "Calligraphy Sampler" with Vintage Sepia at the right hand side of the piece.The whole piece was then layered onto a piece of dark brown card & attached to the inside of the card blank (add your brads before you do this). I cut a piece approx 2" from the front right side of the card blank so that the "Calligraphy" is now visible.

I water coloured the grapes using ink from the pads- just splodge some onto a plate or tile & paint with a water brush. I've decoupaged the grapes & some leaves to embellish. Don't forget to sculpt the grapes with a Character Shaper to give some roundness before attaching with 3D foam tape. Now just layer onto a piece of hessian add the birthday greeting (which has been printed onto a piece of cream shrink plastic with black Stazon & then shrunk using a heat gun) & finish with Pewter brads. Perfect!

For the Men in Our Lives

Shopping List

Stampendous stamps:-

CRR138 Cling Calligraphy Sampler

CRW087 Navigateur

CRW068 By the Sea

Crafty Edger + Japanese Fan cassette

Colorbox Queues Pumpkin Patch & Sand Dunes

Versafine Vintage Sepia

Pewter Stud brads

Teal Basil 12 x 12 paper

Detail gold embossing powder

A5 cream hammer card blank

All available from:-

www.woodware.co.uk

Your local Exmouth stockist is:-

Japonica

22 The Parade

Exmouth

EX8 1RW

01395 271739

This week we're concentrating on the men in our lives & lets face it ladies they're an awkward bunch at the best of times!! We love them to bits though!! I've gone all nautical this week with Mr. Frostie in mind. He's always loved all things to do with the sea as I can well affirm having spent hours being shaken to bits in a power boat, but I digress. 

I've surpassed myself this time & used not one but three stamps but they all go together so well. "Navigateur" is from the new season from Stampendous while Calligraphy Sampler (you'll have seen me use many times before) & By the Sea are a little older. Basically I've sponged, stamped,torn & layered for that vintage look. The border from the Crafty Edger is just right for the wavy look & I've embossed just the compass from "Navagateur" with gold & attached to the print just to make it zing out. Now just finish off with some pewter brads before attaching the panel to the card blank which has been sponged around the edges with teal ink.

May Sketch Challenge

Shopping List

Stampendous Cling CRP151 Mermaid

Artquest Micacolor palettes Interference & Stargazer

Versafine Onyx Black + Detail Clear embossing powder

Frantage Pearl Mica flakes, Shaved Ice &

Champagne Glass Glitter

Peacock Liquid Pearls

Mark Richards Elements (clear)

Green s/a pearls

7mm organza ribbon Olive & Baby Blue 

Lime green & aqua mirror card

6 x 6 ivory linen card blank

All available from:-

www.woodware.co.uk

Your local Exmouth stockist is:-

Japonica

22 The Parade

Exmouth

EX8 1RW

01395 271739

It's that time again for this month's sketch challenge- boy doesn't it come around quickly!! Quite a simple sketch this month so the world's your lobster (as Del Boy used to say- bless him!) or in my case your mermaid! Isn't she cute?

I've stamped with black & embossed clear as this helps to encapsulate the mica paints & give you a definite outline. The colours & effects that you can get with these paints are just perfect for this misty magical underwater design. Just layer onto mirror card add some twisted ribbon for "seaweed" & go mad with the mica flakes, shaved ice & glitter in the corners of the card blank. I've added some flourishes of Liquid Pearl dots & clear elements in the corners of the design.

Here's the sketch

Oops! Just realised I've cheated! Sorry Dorothy!
Spot the deliberate mistake! 

Graduation Day

Shopping List

Stampendous clear set "Changito Shamrock"
Cling Calligraphy Sampler
Magenta 12 x12 paper Gourds
Sakura coloured pencils
Versafine Vintage Sepia
Peel off letters
Mark Richards Copper Nailheads
All Available from:-
www.woodware.co.uk
Your local Exmouth stockist is:-
Japonica
22 The Parade
Exmouth
EX8 1RW
01395 271739

We're celebrating a graduation this week with our old friend Changito. The eagle eyed among you will notice that I have "removed" the shamrock from his hand & replaced it with his degree in monkeying around! I've used a 5" x 7" card blank & covered it with the "Gourds" double sided paper. Changito has been stamped coloured & layered  onto a background layer created with the Calligraphy stamp. To finish add the peel off greeting & some Copper Nailheads.