Seahorses

Hi crafter's

I have made this card for the Crafty Individuals challenge sea, sun and beach. I love this little seahorse stamp so decided this is what the whole design would be about. This card is very easy to do. I have used a 6'x6' white base card which I splatted some mica inks randomly in the centre. Then whilst still wet blew through a straw to make trails. This is supposed to represent seaweed so I used blue, sea green and yellow inks. I then stamped the seahorse in black Versafine, then coloured in with Sakura stardust pens. The bubbles stamp was just one I had in my stash. To add interest to the background I blended some denim adirondack ink in the centre and used a small lid to stamp the circles. I stamped the word sea shells then inked up the shell stamp in peacock feathers and denim, cut them out and blended the ink around the edge with a water brush. I glued one under the words and the other over hanging the edge, cutting off the excess.

That's all for this card, hope you like it.

Happy crafting

Sally

Mr and Mrs

Hi crafter's

This is my entry to the Clarity Stamp challenge. I've used a colour combination of soft blues and greens with some pearly embossing powder. The stamps I used are from the birdcage set, the arty heart and the letterbox set. First I stamped the heart in memento London Grey, masked it then stamped the second heart slightly lower. Next I stamped the birds in place with black ink and lastly the words. I coloured the birds in with pencils and added a little colour to the hearts. I went round everything with tea green promarker and added some shadow between the hearts. Then I cut this out with a grande Labels four and blended ink around the edge. I also cut the next size up out of white card, this was then inked up around the edge with Versamark and embossed with silver pearl powder. To create the background I used the Delicate mask and inked through with Broken China and Bundled Sage keeping the colours quite pale. I run a pale blue promarker around the edge. Stamp two hearts on white card and emboss with the powder. Cut out the top part of the heart. To finish the card I glued the background onto a white base card. then stuck the pieces of embossed heart in the corners. The topper was glued to the embossed label then attached to the card.

Hope you like it, thanks for looking.

Happy crafting

Sally

lilac fairy

Hi crafter's

Back again! This card was made using just Lavinia stamps and will be entered into the blog challenge. To start I stamped the fairy on the toadstool with Versamark in black then embossed with clear powder. I then die cut a circle using a post-it note, this will be the moon. The challenge is about the colour lilac so I used dusty concord distress ink and purple twilight adirondack ink, I also used a little bit of blue to create a bit of contrast and make the purple stand out. I put the mask where I wanted the moon to be then using ink dusters and the inks built up the colour around the edge. I used just the lilacs around the fairy. I loaded up the brush then starting from the fairy I swept the colour out, but not too far, leave a very light area around the fairy. Then take off the mask and do a few brush strokes to make lines of ink to look like clouds. I stamped around the edge with assorted foliage stamps using all the inks and repeat stamping to create light and shade. Also stamp around the base of the toadstool to anchor it. I used pencils to colour the toadstool and also to darken the purple around it. To colour the wings I used picket fence distress marker, this will cover any ink left from doing the background. Using black ink I added the butterflies, then the stars in purple.Lastly I run a purple promarker around the edges and added some glitter glue round the fairy.

That's all this time, happy crafting.

Sally

Father's day

Hi crafter's

The two cards above were made for my husband for father's day. I don't know about you, but when I make more than one card for the same person I like them to be totally different. For the first card I wanted to go quite clean and modern. I used a variety of stamps.The background was a harlequin stamp from Crafty Individuals. This was very simply stamped onto white card in spiced marmalade distress inks in first and second generation stamping. The colour is more intense in the middle and faded at the edges. The car is an Indigoblu stamp, this was inked up with Versafine in black then stamped over the darker orange. The line, crown and sentiment are Clarity stamps. The lines above the car are from Paper Smooches and this stamp was inked up once then stamped three times, therefore making them lighter. I then used a promarker in black around the edges. The next layer was coloured with the spiced marmalade ink and edged with the promarker. To finish everything was mat and layered on to a white base card.

My second card was made using some scene building stamps from Inkylicious called Seascape memories and Windswept. I started by laying down some colour for the sand, I used sandal and latte adirondacks. In the stamp set there are stamps to create the dunes, so I used these and the lightest colour. I tore a piece of copier paper in a slightly crooked line and covered the top half of the card. Then using my ink dusters I started to build up the colour of the sand creating light and shade. The next thing to do was stamp the lighthouse, I masked the sand  then stamped it in latte. It looks like it's behind a sand dune. To do the sky I first punched a mask for the moon and masked the sand. Then using ink dusters and distress inks in tumbled glass, denim and peacock feathers the colour is brushed on sweeping from side to side. I varied the colours so the sky doesn't look one shade. After taking the mask off I brushed a little colour over the moon to soften. Going back to the sand and creating the fence. The stamps to do this are in the stamp set so is really easy to achieve. I used a darker ink for the fence, Versafine in sepia. There are different grasses and these I stamped down the bottom in latte, also stamping the windswept stamp first in latte then over stamping in sepia. When doing shading I sometimes use colouring pencils, especially if  I want fine detail. This is how I shaded in the bottom of the fence and the lighthouse. Lastly stamp the sentiment and the birds. The people are very easy to do. I saw this trick on a painting programme by Frank Clarke, he is a watercolour painter, many years ago. All you do is draw a carrot shape and colour it in then put a little ball on top, that's it! easy! I added the word Dad at the bottom and rounded the corners. To finish this was mounted on to a white base  card and faux brads attached.

That's all for now, thanks for looking.

Happy crafting

Sally

Julianna

Hi crafter's

Something different this time. I started out  with no plan of what I was going to do. I like using watercolour paper ( this one is made from wood pulp and recycled t-shirts) and inktense pencils, so this was my starting point. I also like doing college, bringing together all sorts of stamps in different styles. So I began by stamping Julianna by Inkylicious in the bottom left hand corner. The leaves, flower and bird are a range of oriental stamps by Artemio. Lastly I stamped the bird cage which is free with the New Clarity Design Club. These are all my main images. I used my inktense pencils and a damp paint brush to colour the leaves, flower and bird. The bird cage was just shaded in slightly with a brown pencil. Julianna's face was coloured in with just a hint of colour on her lips, eye and cheek.

I now focused on the background. For this I used lots of little stamps, Crafty Individuals are great for this. The inks I used were adirondack shell pink and Versafine vintage sepia. It was just a case of filling in the spaces between the main images although  I did stamp over a few of them. The words were added last. Around the edge of Julianna  I highlighted this with inktense pencils and blended with water. I ink dusted around the edges with vintage photo distress ink to finish. This was then mounted on to black card. I chose a light pink card for my next layer which I stamped with a flourish stamp by Kaisercraft, then embossed with a pink glittery powder. The main image was then mounted onto the pink card then onto black card to frame. The very last layer started as a cream piece of card which was stamped with a script stamp in vintage photo and seedless preserves, I used second and third generation stamping so it wasn't too bright. In the corner I used a Crafty Individuals stamp in seedless preserves, also stamping a flourish which was embossed with copper embossing powder. I love the splatter stamps you can get, so that was used too!

Lastly on to the frame which came from a pound shop. It was just plain wood before I coloured it with acrylic paint in blackberry. When dry I brushed white paint here and there with a dry brush. I added  a ladybird charm which I had in my stash to the frame.

That's it for now, thanks for looking

Happy crafting

Sally

All in the background

Hi crafter's

This is a card I designed for the Indigoblu challenge, it's all about the background. I really like creating masterboards. These are papers you design with stamps, inks, paints or anything really using any techniques you like. I normally do an A4 piece of paper. The point is to cut it up and use it on different projects right down to the last scraps. The background was done like this. I started by stamping the butterfly from Wild Meadow and the free  Crafter Stamper butterfly stamp randomly on the card, making sure I stamped off the edge. Then I stamped a sentiment from Grand Tour, all this was done using Archival black. I coloured the butterflies in with distress markers, at this point it all looks very bright but thats ok. To colour the background I used adirondack inks in red tones but didn't go too dark. I now wanted to tone down all the stamping so I used picket fence distress stain. I swept the stain from one side to the other, some of the colour on the butterflies moved a little so I didn't over work it. Now I wanted to add interest by splatting the white distress stain, do this quite firmly, and inked up a bottle lid with cranberry adirondack stamping randomly. I now chose which part of the background I wanted to use and cut to size.Texture was needed next so using a dots mask I painted  rock candy crackle paint through it, this  leaves you  with raised circles. Leave this to dry. Because rock candy is clear I rubbed some Viva Inka-gold on top this also brought out the crackles. To finish  I dabbed Flitter glue around the edges and stuck some mega flakes down for some bling. The topper is simply two oval die cuts about the same size but different shapes. I stamped the sentiment from Wild Meadow with Flitter glue and used mega flakes, also stamping the dandilion in a light yellow. The large butterfly was stamped on a scrap piece of card and colourd in with pencils then cut out. I made a rosette flower using a scrap of card I found in my stash. This is made with a strip of card which was scored every 1/2 centimetre (used my Hougie board for this) then folded up like a concertina. Stick the ends together, now you need to flatten it which can be a little bit fiddley. Stick the rosette down onto a small circle of card. The button in the middle was a gunmetal colour so I rubbed Inka-gold over it to make it match. The card was assembled as seen on the picture with an added die cut flourish and some Pearly Stuff by Woodware.
That's all this time, hope you like the card.

Happy crafting

Sally



Laugh

Hi crafter's

This card is going to be entered into the As you like it challenge and the subject is your favourite stamp. I have chosen Laugh by Paperbag Studios. I love the look of this stamp, it's as if  a moment of complete happiness has been captured and makes me smile whenever I use it. The other stamps I used ( and there are a few) are Vintage alphabet by Sam Poole, the star burst by Banana Frog, leaves by Stampendous, words by Stamping all day and the other stamps not sure any more. The inks used are adirondacks in peacock feathers and seedless preserves, I do like these colours together. 

The first thing I did was to stamp the girl in the left hand corner in seedless preserves and stamp the leaves in the top left hand corner. Down the right side I stamped the lace border with versamark and embossed with raspberry violet blaze cosmic shimmer embossing powder. All the other images are stamped randomly to create a collage background. Blend the inks all around the edge. The words I stamped onto white card and coloured with the ink, then cut out. Lastly I stamped the L from the alphabet set and glued the words in place. A few dots of glitter finished the card off.

Hope you like the finished card, any comments would be welcome. That's all for now.

Happy crafting

Sally