Musical thanks
Posted: February 26, 2012 Filed under: Irises, Music Background, Penny Black 15 Comments
As I have said before on this blog we often have need of musically themed cards in this house. This one is made using the Penny Black music background stamp which I love because it is big and the music can cover a whole card base if necessary. For this card I just stamped it in grey on a panel and then used marker to ink the iris stamp. Before stamping it I spritzed it with water so the image would “bleed” a little then finished the panel off with some sponging and a sentiment.
Several people have asked what I use for sponging; I cut circular sponges into quarters which you can see in my sponging tutorial post here.
Thanks for dropping in today; I hope you have a great week.
Supplies:
Stamps: Music background, Irises (Penny Black), Kind Thanks (SU)
Inks: Perfect Plum, Elegant Eggplant, Garden Green, Going Gray (SU)
Cardstock: MFP 100lb white, Perfect Plum, Elegant Eggplant
Before the snow disappears
Posted: February 21, 2012 Filed under: CAS, Stamped Landscapes 17 Comments
I’m not sure why this card didn’t get posted around Christmas time but as we still have snow I think it is ok to post it now. It was very straight forward to make as you can probably see. I masked the top and the bottom with post-it notes and then spattered masking fluid randomly. I used a brayer to apply marina mist ink and then stamped the same little tree stamp several times.
That’s all there was to it.
Thank you everyone for your comments yesterday about my new design team position with Penny Black stamps. I am very excited to be part of the team and really appreciate your encouragement and enthusiasm to see what I will be creating. Thank you to all the new followers I have too.
Supplies:
Stamps:Small tree stamp from Embassy Arts, All Year Cheer (SU)
Inks: Marina Mist(SU), Versafine Onyx black
Cardstock: MFP White
Having another Penny Black Day!
Posted: February 20, 2012 Filed under: Berry red snow white, CAS, Penny Black, Splendor 29 Comments
Believe or not I am being featured again on the Penny Black blog today. The exciting news is that I am now a member of the Penny Black design team. I will be posting over at the PB blog regularly and you will see more PB creations here on my blog too. I am thrilled and a little nervous about joining such a talented team of designers.
Both these cards were masked first and in the case of the top one I masked within the big square so I could sponge one season colour scheme at a time. I then added water droplets and the text before stamping the tree.
In the moonscape card I punched a circle from a post it note for my moon and placed a hill mask before sponging the sky. I used two more hill masks for snow drifts and then stamped the image in black. To create the shadow I inked the fence and stamped it on a piece of clear plastic which I could then position and press onto the snow for a mirror image.
Supplies:
Stamps: Berry red, snow white (Penny Black), Splendor (PB), Letter Background (PB)
Inks: (1st card) Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Summer Sun, Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red, Marina Mist, Early Espresso
(2nd card)Marina Mist, Going Gray,Versafine Onyx Black
Cardstock: MFP 100lb white
Hand drawn floral
Posted: February 18, 2012 Filed under: Hand drawn 11 Comments
I made this for my mother’s birthday last month. The fact that I have a postal disorder which prevents me from ever mailing anything promptly partly explains why it has taken me so long to post this card. I also wanted to be sure that she had it in her hand before she saw it here on the blog.
I posted some similar cards recently where I painted a word with masking fluid and doodled all around the masking. To create this card I did the same with the masking fluid but drew all the flowers and foliage with watercolour pencils and fine liner and then added a little sponging at the end.
I hope your weekend is bright and sunny; it was here today.
Supplies:
Markers & Pencils: Black Prismacolor Fine line markers, Faber Castell watercolour pencils
Inks: bashful blue, pretty in pink, certainly celery
Cardstock: MFP Watercolour cardstock
Also: Winsor & Newton masking fluid
OLW 77 Birds
Posted: February 7, 2012 Filed under: Penny Black, Winter Sky 32 Comments
This week Jennifer Styles is hosting the OLW challenge and has asked us to use birds. It is quite a while since I participated in One Layer Wednesday but thanks to this lovely winter sky stamp complete with birds I can just squeeze a card in before a new challenge starts tomorrow. I took some photos while making this card so I’ll try to get the tutorial up soon. Thanks for all the encouragement you gave me after I posted the Berry branch tutorial on the weekend. I am happy to be able to share the technique and would love to hear how you went.
Today’s card doesn’t include any embossing just the masking and sponging to create the effect of dusk or dawn.
Supplies:
Stamps: Winter Sky (Penny Black), Tag lines(Flourishes)
Inks: Marina Mist, Pretty in Pink, Versafine Onyx Black
Cardstock: MFP 100lb white
Winter Berry Branch tutorial
Posted: February 4, 2012 Filed under: Berry Branch, Penny Black, Tutorial 45 Comments
Thank you so much everyone who has arrived here via the Penny Black blog and also my faithful readers who drop in here regularly to see what I have been doing. The comments I have received in the last day have been such a treat to read. Thank you also to all my subscribers; I am so pleased you have been inspired to sign up.
What better way to thank you all than a tutorial? Many of you asked questions about the Winter Berry Branch card I posted last week so here is the tutorial which will hopefully provide the answers.
Mask the around the area where you are creating your scene. This is one of the trickiest steps, sometimes I trust my eye, sometimes the ruler; both have been known to fail me.
Flick masking fluid randomly over the cardbase. I put my card in a box, almost close the box and blindly flick the paintbrush with masking fluid on it around over the card. This way the masking fluid is contained in the box. An old toothbrush does a good job too but I didn’t have a spare and didn’t think anyone in my family would appreciate masking fluid toothpaste! While you wait for the masking fluid to dry, wash the brush because the masking fluid can ruin it if you don’t.
Stamp the branch first in versamark using a stamp positioning tool. Re-ink with versamark and then add whatever colours you want on your branch using markers; I used real red and early espresso. While you are inking your stamp with markers you must not move your stamp positioning tool.
When your branched is inked in versamark and colour move your stamp positioning tool ever-so-slightly down (as in no more than a millimeter!) and stamp the branch again. What you have created is two branch images extremely close together which you will heat emboss in clear.
In the close up below you can see the two impressions from the stamp. Ideally you want the coloured print to overlap with the versamark print. The versamark is the snow sitting on the branch. The yellow dots are the masking fluid. Because they are raised they will resist the stamp a bit but it doesn’t matter as it will look like a clump of snow.
After embossing in clear embossing powder it is time to start sponging. I tend to build up the colour slowly when sponging so the variations in intensity will be gradual. If you are not happy with your sponging it could be that you stopped too soon.
When you are happy with your sponging you can gently rub off the masking fluid. It should come off easily but make sure you keep your fingers clean otherwise you can smudge colour into the freshly revealed white spots. Remove the masks when all the masking fluid is gone to see your snow laden branch.
Supplies:
Stamps: Berry Branch (Penny Black), Teeny Tiny Wishes(SU)
Inks: Versamark, Marina Mist, Bashful Blue, Real Red, Early Espresso
Cardstock: MFP 100lb white
Also: Clear e.p., Winsor & Newton masking fluid
Having a Penny Black day
Posted: February 3, 2012 Filed under: Penny Black 14 CommentsI just wanted to let you know I am the Penny Black guest designer today. So check out their blog to see what I have been doing lately.
Scene from my window
Posted: January 29, 2012 Filed under: Branch Out, CAS, Lovely as a Tree, Stamped Landscapes 44 Comments
The Less is More challenge this week is a sketch challenge. It just happens to be a sketch of a layout I use fairly often so I was once again keen to play along. We have had ice, snow, rain, snow, freezing rain, snow…etc this week which, while treacherous for walking around, is very pretty to look at. When I got up yesterday the sun was not quite up but there was a line of yellow on the horizon and the rest of the world was snow laden and bluey grey.
This card is my attempt to recreate the scene. I must say the scene was way more beautiful but it was fun to have a go. I masked the sides first and then stamped a row of trees in the background, the trees from Lovely as a Tree in the middle ground and the tree from Branch Out in the foreground. I embossed the black trees and then drew the snow on the branches with a versamarker before embossing a second time. I added the colour by sponging and masking.
Thank you for all your lovely comments about the Berry Branch set of cards I made. I know there were several questions about how I made the winter card. I will try and do a tutorial soon or failing that at least give you some instructions – stay tuned!
Supplies:
Stamps: Thank You Kindly, Branch out, Lovely as a Tree (SU)
Inks: Versafine Onyx Black, Not Quite Navy,Going Gray, Summer Sun
Cardstock: MFP Snow Storm Smooth Heavy
Also: white e.p.
Berry Branch – Autumn & Winter
Posted: January 24, 2012 Filed under: Berry Branch, CAS, Rollers 19 CommentsHere are the other two cards from my little four seasons Berry Branch set. Winter is definitely my favourite and is the only one where I embossed.
Thank you for the kind comments about the first two; I am happy to have inspired a few people to try the same thing with one stamp.
Supplies:
Stamps: Berry Branch (Penny Black), Teeny Tiny Wishes, Very Vintage roller(SU)
Inks: Chocolate Chip, Real Rust, Riding Hood Red
Cardstock: Flourishes classic ivory
Supplies:
Stamps: Berry Branch (Penny Black), Short and Sweet(SU)
Inks: Versamark, Marina Mist, Bashful Blue, Real Red, Basic Black
Cardstock: Flourishes classic white
Also: Clear e.p., Winsor & Newton masking fluid
Berry Branch – Spring & Summer
Posted: January 22, 2012 Filed under: Berry Branch, Penny Black 12 CommentsI have been busy on another project lately which I will share in the future but today I have a little set of cards I finished a while ago. I made them for a friend’s birthday; there are four – one for each season- all made with the same stamp. Here are the spring and summer cards. Winter and autumn to follow another day.
Supplies:
Stamps: Berry Branch (Penny Black),Teeny Tiny Wishes(SU)
Inks: Regal Rose, Bashful Blue, Always Artichoke
Cardstock: Flourishes classic white
To create both cards I inked the stamp with the lighter colour and added darker highlights with marker. I also masked and sponged but you know that; it is what I do!
Supplies:
Stamps: Berry Branch (Penny Black),Hugs & Wishes(SU)
Inks: Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Bashful Blue, Always Artichoke
Cardstock: Flourishes classic white
Heather Telford 