Stars, Stripes and die-cuts

I have a lot of freebie stamps from magazine and most of the time they get inked only once, if at all. But this star stamp, I have realised, has actually received more than its share of inking! I guess this is because it is the only stamp I can use for boys when they have outgrown teddy bears... I would never have bought it myself!

It's a CAS card, again it's for a boy so can't be too fussy, and I used similar ideas as previous cards I made with this stamp.
I stamped the star on white cardstock, embossed with a dark blue embossing powder and die-cut with a Spellbinders Nestabilitie.
I stuck 3 strips of double sided tape and embossed with WOW embossing powder in detail silver.
I stamped the sentiment (another freebie) and embossed in white.
A die-cut (Spellbinders) in the corner from silver card finishes the card.
I am entering the WOW Embossing powder and LadyBug Crafts challenges.

Do you have any freebie go-to-stamps that you would not bought for yourself ? Let me know your faves...

Halloween layout

Halloween is trending on all crafting blogs, so I feel duty bound to add my own Halloween post! As I am catching up with scrapbooking my photos, here's the layout I made:

All the stamps used are from Crafty Individuals, CI-319 for the image between the 2 photos, which I coloured with pencils and CI-209 for the embossed trees.

The idea, not entirely successful, was to emboss the trees with clear powder and use Versamark around the trees brushing mica powders (Imagination Crafts - Nature set) over the top, to create a spooky night scene. Trouble is I used Core'dination cardstock which is textured and I lost some of the stamp detail. The second problem I had was trying to clean the mica off the embossed trees...

I die-cut a few leaves, using the resulting stencil to ink some leaves (white pigment ink), and the letters for my title from some more Black magic Core'dination cardstock.

I am entering the following challenges:
Crafty Individuals, Country View Crafts- Something Spooky, Imagination Crafts, My Mum's Craft shop, Pan Pastels UK, Ali-Craft

Thanks for coming by,

Challenged By Alison Bomber (2)

As soon as I saw Alison's canvas, I wanted to try out some of her techniques.
I get on much better with acrylics when diluted, and made my own spray with Fresco paint to create some water effects with drippings as well as concentrated colour around the mesh and corrugated cardboard pieces I stuck to the panel..

Water effects made me think about reflections and this is what I am trying to capture in my main image. I first stamped the boat's reflection with a brayer and ligned up the stamp with a stamp positioner for the positive image. This is my third attempt as the first 2 went wrong !

To complete the panel, I stamped the Reflection stamp from Paper Artsy Eclectica ESN07 and a motif from  Hot pick 1111 in black ink as well as another stamp from ESN07 in Aubergine.

I am entering the panel in the Paper Artsy and Pan Pastels UK challenges.

Thanks for coming by,

Journal Page Dictionary challenge Letter J

Can't accuse me of too much imagination... I chose "journal" as my word for the Craft Barn challenge letter J.
I managed to illustrate 3 different meanings of the word with stamps, the rest is filled with patterns.

Like the previous page, I have used a smooth card and coloured pencils for this page.

Of course I reprised the rubbing technique I used last time, as I had had so much fun, and I went further by trying rubbing with stamps! See top left the diamonds and bottom left the flourish. It doesn't produce results as defined as with hard surfaces such as embossing folders but still is an interesting option...

I also tried the method successfully with a stencil (Crafters' Workshop Garden gate)

If you're looking for the illustration of the 3rd meaning I have stamped a Ledger design on top of my definition.

Thanks for coming by,

No glittery substances spared

I know this was World Card Day but it's been so long since I have done a layout I needed to do something about it. Starting with the sorting, labelling and printing of almost 2 years' worth of photos! Prompted by the Impression Obsession challenge, I chose a photo taken in October last year, just as the leaves were turning, on one of those crisp and clear mornings where the sky colour takes on a deep blue shade.

I started with a blank page and used 2 stencils with sprays and Distress inks.
Using CAC Grunge (CC076) I distressed all 4 sides of the page and partially stamped CAC Branches (CC031) for some interest.
I created a mat for my photo with a MStewart PATP, without the corners as the size was incompatible, and a label with Flags Die Set (DIE015-F).

I punched out a leaf to make a stencil and applied texture paste through, when dry I used pigment ink and mica powder on top.

Some embossed vellum and a scrap of washi tape serve as embellishments to break up the fall colors.

Now for the glittery stuff... I wanted to have another go with foiling with the Sticky Stuff powder (Judikins) as the last time I tried it was an out and out disaster. For those unfamiliar with this, it is a powder, used like an embossing powder over a versamarked image, which turns sticky after heating with the embossing gun. When I got it I thought it was a better way than to use a glue pad,  less clean-up and no drying pad before it has even been used!

BUT.... it doesn't work as well. Below are detailed pictures of the areas I used as testing grounds. The stamp is a solid image, Rose Leaf Branch (F8199).

On the left, I stamped with the glue and applied the flakes before burnishing. As you can see the whole surface of the stamped has been covered. (and what a shine!)

On the right I used the powder and gilding flakes; when it failed I overstamped with Versamark and gold embossing powder. Only a small area was sticky enough to grab some flakes.

Powder 0, Glue 1. But would the powder work with glitter at least ? Below the result:

Definitely better than with the foil but even though the whole image was stamped, embossed and glittered at the same time and in the same manner, you can see the top leaves had a lot less stickyness to them. I surmise that the area has been overheated which means that the powder is VERY sensitive and a fraction of a second turns it into a useless mess.

My advice : don't use my powder! As well as being finicky the grain is quite large (larger than standard embossing powder) so the sticky surface is not as flat as it should be, particularly if you want to use detailed stamps.



I am also entering this layout in the Pan Pastel UK challenge.

If you do know a powder that does work (I know there are other brands out there) please let me know in your conmments!

Challenged By Jo Myhill

Time for another Paper Artsy challenge ! This week I was inspired by Jo Mayhill project here.

For the background I used Claret, Limelight and London Bus Frescos and a beige acrylic paint.
I used several ticket die-cuts stamped with a selection from Hot Picks 1206, 1207 and 1208 as well as from ESN07.
For the image transfer I used an image from a magazine instead of my own photo.
I added some green embossing powder on the sides.

I am now thinking the white border around the image is just too white and I might take a marker and change that!

Let me know what you think...

Challenged by Liz Borer

This week on the Paper Artsy blog Liz has been working with fabric to create some wonderful projects: frame, doll, chair...

I was inspired to play with fabric but considering my skills level and time I had to aim low... Thankfully part of Liz's project had a panel (see her post) which I thought I could pull off...

I used stamps from Hot Picks 1112, 1201 and 1202 with Archival inks, then painted around the stamped images with Fresco paints (South Pacific, Limelight, Claret). I didn't like the way the white fishes looked, so I gave them some colour too.

I made a frame for my mini painting with the Flourish Embossalicious folder and created some metal corners with Nestabilities labels dies and a Cuttlebug folder.

I rather enjoyed painting on fabric and plan to do it again on a bigger piece of fabric.

Thanks for coming by,

Journal Page Letter G

Not sure what came first the chicken (stamp) or the word... but I definitely wanted to use the Impression Obsession Rooster background stamp so I selected Gallinacean as my word for the Craft Barn Dictionary challenge.

As my last 2 pages were done with wet medium on watercolour paper, this time I chose a smooth paper with dry media for a change.

Coloured pencil is not a fast medium and I only did the rooster (from own photograph) and a few parts of the stamped image, but as I needed more colour all around, I had a brain wave and used that old technique of texture rubbing, using embossing folders (Tim Holtz bark and bricks folders), and home made "plate" (washers stuck to cardboard in this case).

I really enjoyed that bit: it's easy, fast and as a bonus it sharpens the pencils as you whittle down the lead from the side of the pencil.

Finally I used a Chiken wire stencil (at last an appropriate context for this design !) still with pencils and a feather stamp to complete the page.

Hope you will like my page,

Tried and tested

Some months ago I acquired a pack a A6 cardstock following a demo at the Craft Barn Extravaganza. At the time, I was seduced by the fact it could be used with alcohol inks and I was running out of glossy cardstock.

I only opened the pack last week-end to make cards (see the last 2 posts here and here) and was AMAZED at the result! The card looks and feels like any other smooth "stamping" card so I wasn't expecting it to behave any differently...

Maybe I am late to the party... I have heard of silk card before, I know Clarity stamps sell some (not sure if it is the same though) but I had never heard any glowing references.

I am not a paper specialist so I don't know for sure but my guess is that the card is coated with an  ingredient that sucks up the ink off the stamp. I do mean suck because on my very first stamping, I did my usual stamp, press all over, let it sink in for 20 seconds or so.... and then I had to pull the card off the stamp and for a moment I was really worried it wouldn't come off!

Enough talk, side by side my practice stamping on copy paper and the finished article on the silk card :

In this next picture the silk card and the practise stamping on smooth stamping paper :

I haven't tried it with Archival ink or Stazon but dye inks and pigment inks work well, just make sure the ink is wet and lift the stamp off the card as soon as you have stamped.
The pack I have is Cream but they also do a white and you can find it at the Crafty Individuals website here.

I am looking forward to trying it out with photo stamps since the best inking is done with a brayer and it means less ink on the stamp so if the card grabs more ink...

Hope this will be of interest... let me know if you already use a similar product.

Rich reds and gold

I have been meaning to use more foil since I have finally acquired a glue actually designed for the purpose, and I wanted to use my very well liked but not often used Damask Letterpress (Lifestyle Crafts), so I used that as prompts for this card.

For my background, I letter-pressed with embossing ink and applied gold embossing powder.
The image is from a Joanna Sheen stamp and I stamped it with black Brilliance ink.

For embellishments, I die-cut a Memory Box corner and a Cuttlebug corner, applied glue and then foil (this is foil on a plastic sheet not proper foil). At which point I realised how garish the gold of the foil was against the more natural gold of the embossing powder.... I die-cut another corner, coloured it with markers in red so I could create a "shadow" for my first die-cut, isolating it slightly from the background. OK still not very good...

2 pieces of ribbon, one on top the other finish the card. I decided againt adding anything else because, as regular readers will know, I hate covering my backgrounds, never mind that the design would be better for it!

I am entering this card in the WOW! Embossing Powder challenge - Decadence and the Crafts-Too challenge - Texture with twist, since my embossed panel is textured and there is lots of shiny accents all around on this card!

Let me know how I can improve this card as I do know it's not quite right but can't come up with ideas on how to fix it!

Things that fly

The latest Impression Obsession challenge is about Things that fly... First thing I thought about was butterflies, but I did that for the previous challenge and I didn't want to bore my audience!
Bird it is then...

The image is Bird Collage 1 (E13043) which I stamped with wate rbased markers on my new Silk card (more on that in a later post).

Prompted by the Oldie but A goodie challenge I decided to use as many punches and old items as possible on the basis that I haven't used the punches in a long time and I need to use up old stash !

It would be quicker to mention the new items but here's a list of the old stash (older than 6 months):

• MS punches: 3 corner punches (the red embellishment is made with a corner punch) and 2 border punches used on the square mat and the Coredination  under the bird image.
• X-Cut Punch and Emboss Oak leave, Vine Corner slot.
• Core'dination : white wash
• Skeleton leave : I punched 2 leaves out of a gold embossed skeleton leave. I had to back them with another punched leave out of brown cardstock.
• Patterned Papers: from a Making Memories pad, bought in Lakeland when they were selling craft supplies... yes it is that old and what's worse hardly used!
• Anita sticky ribbon (black) 

The large Core'dination mat has been embossed with a fairly recent freebie folder .

This one is quite OTT for me and a big change from the CAS card I made in my last post !

Thanks for coming by,

Definitely challenged...

I was inspired by Joanne Wardle's post who is guesting this week on the Paper Artsy blog and I planned to make a CAS card with a stroke of paint. Should have been real quick and easy... But I decided to use acetate for that transparent quality knowing full well that stamping on it is delicate... obviously not challenged enough then!

I stamped a freebie acrylic stamp (the poppies) and a word stamp from Paper Artsy Eclectica ELB03 onto the transparency, inking with a Big brush pen (Faber Castell). I tried the Big Brush after testing with Archival ink which a) made the stamp slide and b) didn't look like it was going to dry anytime soon.
On the reverse I colored with alcohol markers, then I did my swipe with a mix of Fresco Limelight and South Pacific on the front. I am now thinking it might have been better to do it on the back as the paint wasn't as transparent as I expected (well it is applied more thickly than intended!).

I am also entering this card in the Craft Stamper, Sir Stampalot and SSS monday challenges.

With such a simple design it needed to be perfect and I find it wanting... but I got some experience stamping on acetate so I'm still happy!

Let me know your tricks about stamping on slippery surfaces,