Flight of fancy

Hi crafter's

This card is going to be my entry to the Clarity challenge. I made this card for my father-in-laws birthday. I started with some Clarity card stamped with the balloon embossed with copper bronze lustre powder. The background was made by stencilling part of the swirly stencil with stonewashed ink. In the space left in the middle I made the clouds still using the stonewashed ink. Then highlighted the clouds with wild honey ink. Next I inked up the small balloon and stamped on the right side. To create the foreground I used one of the grasses stamps and one of the stamps from the english garden elements. These were stamped in denim ink.  Using a blue fine liner pen I drew in some birds. To finish mount onto a base white card. A quick card this time, hope you like it.

Thanks for looking

Sally

All in the words

Hi crafter's

I've been a bit lazy with my blog just recently, but I have done my entry for the Clarity stamp challenge which is all about the words. I started by stamping the woven silk lady then masking her off. I then placed the aperture stencil over the top. The inside space was then very simply coloured in with inks and masks to create the scene. The colours I used are stonewashed, denim, lettuce and peeled paint. I used the leafy trailer stamp to give the impression of plants growing on the hills. Once I was satisfied with the background I put the inner mask in place and smudged ink outwards to leave a very soft outline. It did leave a white line which highlights very nicely. Next I inked up the foliage stamp from the garden elements in weathered wood, then stamped in the left hand corner in second generation ink. Now ink up the garden plants stamp in weathered wood and stamp at the bottom in first generation ink. I coloured the lady in with promarkers then over the top with Spectrum Noir pencils to intensify the depth. To finish ink up the words in black ink and stamp to one side as shown. Lastly I run a grey promarker around the edge to frame, then mounted on to a white base card. That's all for this time, thanks for looking.

Happy crafting

Sally

Monochrome

Hi crafter's

I haven't been able to blog for a while our computer has gone wrong, but as my daughter is home from uni I've borrowed her laptop. I thought I would quickly do my entry for the clarity stamp challenge. It's all about monochrome and as I like the colour blue water immediately came to mind. I saw this wave on the Chocolate Baroque website, it was a tag by the very talented Glenda. I have tried to create this many times with varying degrees of success. This time I think it works. I used two colours of ink, denim and stonewashed. Put some ink on to a craft mat and mix with a little water. Take a piece of white card and starting on the bottom sweep the ink along and upwards, repeat until it looks like a big wave. Now use the stonewashed ink in the centre of the wave. Because I have used Adirondack inks don't over work it. Ink up the shell stamp from the design club with denim, using second and third generation ink stamp along the bottom and a little up the side. Ink up the word water in denim and stamp as shown. Cut a moon mask from a post-it note and use the hole that's left. Using a sponge and denim ink colour the moon but leave a little white showing. To create the foam I used some white acrylic paint applied with a dry paint brush using a stippling motion, the curve can really be accentuated this way. To finish blend the denim ink around the edge. Sweep a little ink across the moon and draw some birds with a blue fine liner pen. Mount on to a 6" square white base card. That's all this time hope you like it.

Thanks for looking

Sally

g

Flower power

Hi crafter's

It's time for the Clarity stamp challenge and it's all about flowers. I bought the fuchsia stamps in the latest members sale. I also bought a wooden jewellery box and furniture from Crafty Individuals. The two together will be perfect for this project. To prepare the box I painted it all over inside and out with white gesso. When dry I painted it with a cream colour acrylic paint for the base colour. I used a pearl acrylic in pink next just sweeping in from the outside edges not covering the whole area. When all the painting has been done ink up the small fuchsia in black Archival  and stamp on to the lid twice. Draw a stem with a black liner pen to join up the flowers. Stamp the fuchsia bud in place then join up with the pen as before.To colour in I used Twinkling H2O's in various shades of pink finishing with a wine colour. Add green for the leaves and stems. Ink up the music stamp in Rueberry Adirondack, stamp randomly over the box lid in second generation ink. Take the hearts and leaves stencil and lay a heart in the middle of the lid. Ink up a piece of sponge with rueberry and dab inside the heart then around the outside, it doesn't matter if you catch some of the leaves.Still with the ink and sponge add some deeper colour to the corners and the edges. Do this around the sides too. The verse I used is Count your garden. I stamped a line of the verse on each side in black Archival. The inside is lined with thin card which has been stamped with the fuchsia stamps and stenciled to make a master board. This is then cut to fit the sides and lid, the bottom is lined with pink felt. The handle and feet were rubbed with golden light gilding wax. Glue the feet and handle on, I used a hot glue gun for extra strength. I'm really pleased how this turned out so glad I bought two of these little boxes, maybe an oriental one next. That's all for now, hope you like it.

Thanks for looking

Sally

love and romance

Hi crafter's

It's been a while since my last post but I have finally got round to making my entry to the Clarity stamp challenge. It's all about love and romance, so I decided to use the lovebirds. The first thing I did was to stamp the universal framer in black then the birds in the middle. I made the pole they are sitting on a little longer with a fine liner pen. Across one corner I drew a line with my pen then went back over it to make a wiggly line. Ink up the leaf from the Birdcage set and stamp them near to the line, draw lines to attach them. Ink up the musical score stamp in grey ink then dab with some kitchen towel and stamp randomly over the card. To colour in the birds and leaves I used promarkers then added shading with prismacolor pencils. Colour the frame in green and orange to compliment the birds. Using adirondack inks citrus and peach bellini colour the background blending the two colours together. Ink up the words cherish and love in black and stamp as shown. To give a bit of texture I used an embossing folder just over the edges then rubbed gold gilding wax over the raised design. Run a black marker pen around the edges. The background paper was made with the gelli plate from a previous afternoon of experimenting. Everything I make goes into a box to be used later. The colours fitted nicely with the topper. I run the black marker around the edges as before. My base card was a piece of kraft card for a change.

That's all for this time, thanks for looking.

Happy crafting

Sally

Valentine

Hi crafter's

I am going to enter this card into the Craft Stamper challenge, you have to use the ombre technique somewhere. I have used the Romantica stamp set by Chocolate Baroque for this card. I started with a piece of white card and stamped the bottle on the table stamp with black ink in the centre. Cover with a mask then colour it with Adirondack sandal ink. I inked up the verse with Versamark ink and stamped around the edge then embossed with clear powder. To get the ombre look I used Adirondack inks, sandal, hazelnut and distressed vintage photo. I started by adding more sandal then went on to hazelnut starting at the top working my way down. Keep adding colour until it's dark enough. Now use the vintage photo to darken the very top. Buff over the words to remove the ink from the embossing, they stand out much better now. Take the mask off and colour the central image in red ink with a sponge, adding more intense colour around the table and bottle etc. Layer on to first red card then kraft card. The base card is cream coloured. Stamp the sentiment on to white card and colour red then layer as before. Attach as shown. Quite a simple card but I do like the colours, might give this to my husband for valentines day.

Thanks for looking

Sally

Beatrice and the Gelli plate

Hi crafter's

Two posts in one day, I've been busy playing and not blogging! I have had my Gelli plate for a while but haven't really used my papers to any purpose. So this for once is a finished card. I have used craft acrylics and not artist acrylics for the background. I used Royal Langnickel Crafter's choice and Americana. To start I stamped Beatrice in black Archival ink in the centre of some 7" x 7" white card, now cover this with a post-it note. Now brayer some neutral coloured paint over the Gelli plate and lay the flourish stencil down making sure it makes good contact, then lift off. Place the card on to the Gelli plate, I normally use the brayer rather than my hand to take a print. Next brayer some light blue paint and repeat with the flourish stencil turning it 90 degrees before taking the next print. Brayer some purple just in one corner then dab over with some large bubble wrap moving the colour further towards the middle, this will blend the edge a little. Lay the card down again and take another print. To colour the centre image I used Adirondack ink and a make-up sponge, I was looking for a soft blended feel and was not too worried about the lines. To add shading I used Prismacolor pencils. To finish stamp the verse No matter... in black ink then cut it in to strips, run a black ink pad around the edges. Arrange the words down the left hand side and when happy with the arrangement stick down. Cut the piece to size and mount on to the base card mine is a 6" x 6". That's all this time hope you like it.

Thanks for stopping by

Sally