Monday 27 May 2013

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:-
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.

Tuesday 21 May 2013

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:-
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!




Wednesday 15 May 2013

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:-
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.

Thursday 9 May 2013

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:-
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! 

Friday 3 May 2013

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.