Author: Catherine

One of my crafting raggy doll sisters has recently moved home so I made this card for her. I was inspired by another Jennifer McGuire YouTube video technique using distress oxides.

I must admit for a while I’ve mainly been using my Stampin Up inks and so neglected my Oxides and distress inks … this might well have got me to fall in love with them again… they do have some fabulous properties that make them fun to play with!

So I started with some mixed media cardstock and blended a heavy amount of the oxides on in the Picked Raspberry and Frayed Burlap. Then I chose my stamps (Visible Image) and inked them in Twisyed Citron and gave a spritz of water before then stamping them. This creates a kind of bloom to the image but still sits some of the pigment on the top.

I then did more stamping with the word stamps and added some drops and splatters of water to give the nice finish to the oxides.

Then I decided on the focal image. I wanted to use the Lawn Fawn sending hugs sentiment but wanted a nice bold flower … but needed something to give it contrast. So I chose to die cut a ring using the stitched framelits out of white. Then used my Pierced Blooms flowers and leaves (I have a big pile of these I die cut from scraps ages ago) and created my flower focal image.

In the centre of the flower I added this little resin flower with a gem (I’ve recently rediscovered a lot of old stash like these flowers and am trying to remember to use them!).

I then raised the panel on foam to give it some dimension.

The envelope I added and image where i added the ink using blending tool so it is multi coloured.

So happy with this cute card. Happy New home Jackie.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Hello… and here starts the 2nd half of the year… can you believe it? I can’t quite get my head around it!

So as it is the 1st of the month it is time for another Craftyhazelnuts patterned paper challenge blog design team contribution and once again I am working with old Making Cards magazine stash and these fun confetti themed papers and sentiment panels.

Aren’t they fun papers?

Because the sentiment panels do most of the work and the large one covers most of the front of a 5×7 I had some trouble working out how to decorate them so they were a bit special and not just paper layers.

I ended up using the cute Lawn Fawn robots to add embellishment … after all I haven’t played with these in a long time!

This one I added the bow tie to the head so maybe a more feminine robot … and the cute present and cupcake.

The second one more of a masculine robot with the balloons!

On the second one I also added embossing to the red panel and thought this pattern worked well with the confetti feel.

I embellished both with card candi from the stash which I thought complimented the colours!

Inside the cards I added coordinating panels…

And the envelopes I added strips of the paper.

All done and I must admit I am happy with how these came out… cheery and fun!

Entering these cards into the Anything Goes/ masculine challenge at http://paperfundaychallenges.blogspot.com/?m=1

Happy crafting!

Catherine

A few days ago I shared some cards I made using the Jennifer Maguire ink lift technique I had seen on her YouTube video. Well I had a little panel leftover that was a second pull of ink.

This one was far paler and I wasn’t sure if I would use it but it was pretty so didn’t want to throw it away … so here it is in use and I wanted to play and just grabbed bits and pieces that were on my desk.

I mounted the panel onto Polished Pink and then decided to grab a Memories and More card that was pink based to use as a background. I didn’t want the focal image to show … but fortunately the mounted strip covered it up but I decided I wanted it to look less clean… so I added some blending and some ink splatters … I also added some splattered gesso for the white.

Next to choose a focal point. Well I decided to die cut a leaf shape from the Splendid Stems set and then stamp in Night of Navy and die cut the larger leaf image too from the coordinating Splendid Thoughts stamps. I also added some So Saffron colour by using the background leaf stamp over lapping a couple of times…. this creates an interesting texture to the added colour.

I decided to turn this into a birthday card (I’m starting to build up a stash for the next year of 17th birthdays for the princess’ friends) and so heat embossed the birthday from Biggest Wish and Happy from Cottage Rose onto the polished pink and Pretty Peacock scraps I had on the desk.

After fussy cutting the birthday and then matting and layering the Happy it was time to assemble… with dimension and foam in-between the layers!

I ended up curving the birthday sentiment a little as the middle dimension is bigger than the sides … but I think it looks cute.

I finished with some pretty bling gems!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Another of my ‘found treasures’ posts… this time two more of the Dylusions backgrounds made many years ago on a class with Dyan at Art from the Heart. I teamed this with some gelliprint watercolour ink background ATCs I then made, again several years ago, but never finished. I decided these two would work OK as Christmas cards and added a new to me die cut of a deer onto them along with a sentiment.

It took very little work at this point but because the background is so rich and then the gelliprint also has plenty of interest and then the die cut has texture and intricacy it all works well together.

I must admit the Dylusions backgrounds were so lovely to make but I have no time to do anything so messy these days. But it is tempting me to have a play again sometime soon.

Entering these into the Anything Christmas challenge at The Holly and the Ivy

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Another new stamp… a large (approx 4″) snowflake background type stamp from Stampin Up … bizarrely chose to have its first inking in pink!

I stamped it off the edge of the panel of Polished Pink cardstock in Melon Mambo … and it really is so pretty and detailed. I then decided to add the sequin trim, a paper twine bow and the black sentiment label which almost covered it up … but you can still see some of it!

I also added some splatters of the black wink of Stella for this modern and fun Christmas card.

Really like how this looks and might make a few more like this but in different colours… although the snowflake is so pretty I want to also see more of it so may switch up the sentiment to be smaller.

Loved finding a use for the sequin trim that I’ve had for years and rarely can I think of a good way of using it … I also used a few of the sequins that came off the end as little embellishments.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Yesterday I decided to make a card with just some bit’s left on my desk … so some stamped elements from Splendid Thoughts, some leftover cardstock in Polished Pink and Fresh Freesia and the Fern embossing folder … and this is what I came up with …

Really simple and the only thing I had to get out of the stash as extra was the little flower gem that I must have had for many years in the stash and it seemed like the perfect moment to add it to my project!

I did stamp the background of the card blank with the little Petal type stamp to give it some interest. With hindsight I wish that I had also added some ink blending to give it more depth… but hey, hindsight is a wonderful thing!

I am really liking the Fern embossing… such a lovely new addition to my craft stash, and those Splendid Thoughts stamps are great. Love how you can use just parts of the sentiments too as they aren’t too closely set to mean you can’t fussy cut them , or snip them apart!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Grabbed some more of the Memories and More cards and decided to make a card using lots of them… so bright and cheery!

Added in a few foliage die cut stamps and then some gems. Simple and so cute!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

I was watching YouTube videos and stumbled across this one from Jennifer McGuire. It inspired me to have a play with my Stampin Write markers and use the foliage stamps from Christmas Season set to create some fun rainbow coloured cards. 🌈

This first one is the first piece where the colour is laid down, the images stamped on with Versamark and embossed and then the water applied with a clean sheet of paper over the top before running it through the Big shot.

This is the more intense colourful piece and the images are dark where the colour is trapped beneath the embossing.

To this card I added the images stamped and die cut in all the different rainbow colours down one end and added the black contrast (including a Funky Fossil embossed sentiment). I also added a strip of the cardstock I had added the markers to for a rainbow strip! Finished it off with the sequins for some sparkle.

Entering this into the SOMETHING TO SAY challenge at CREATIVE KNOCKOUTS

The second one is the print I created when the water was applied to the first and this white paper added to the top and then run through the big shot. This meant the images are left blank (except the natural bleed of colour) and the colour is soft around them.

This one I added the strip of cardstock I had coloured, plus some Polished Pink cardstock. Then decided I wanted the background panel to be embossed so used the new Fern 3D embossing folder to create some nice texture.

I also wanted a cluster of for the focal element so use a die cut circle of scrap Tranquil Tide and three stamped and die cut leaves behind a circle of white and a fussy cut sentiment. I then added some of the cute little flower elements from my stash as embellishments. I then used a Fresh Freesia card blank as the base.

Love how both these cards looked and how the technique worked. I think I need to experiment more with more ink types and a slightly different papers to see how they all react but definitely a fun technique. I must admit I love the way Jennifer explains techniques and her cards are always so pretty … certainly jealous of her craft supplies collection and in awe of her talent!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

I got some new stash to play with and I made a card for my daughter to celebrate the end of her exams … because yes we got there!

I started by stamping the Tropical Hideaway background in Parakeet Party (I love this colour … it’s so fresh!) then some of the leaves from Splendid Thoughts in both the Parakeet and Tahitian Tide. I decided the card needed a pop of pink then so die cut the bowl shape twice from Polished Pink.

Then I grabbed the Amazing Phrasing stamps that are from Saleabration and stamped the Woo Hoo! and the You Did It! in Orchid Oasis … yes using lots of the In Colours on this card!

I layered them all up and added some dimension with foam under one of the sets of leaves and the bowl shape piece. I then added some gems for bling.

I then wrote inside the card and it got messy and smudgy and I ran out of space so I ended up cutting the card front off… adding a panel of the Polished Pink and more foam and adding it to a 6×6 card.

This time my inside writing went fine and job was a good’un!

So you can see both the original and the final card… what do you think? I think the extra pop of pink on the final piece is actually better and helps frame it all … so a happy accident!

Entering this into the challenge at YOUR NEXT STAMP

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Today I have a final card made using the last of the Boho Indigo kit that I found last week when I was tidying up … it was all bits and bobs that I got in a pocket letter from a crafty friend.

I decided to team it with a few cards from the Memories and More kit.

It might have been a bit mad to have so many die cuts framing the main part but I really love how it came out.

Entering this into the diecuts/punches challenge at Cardz 4 Galz challenge blog

Happy crafting!

Catherine