Monochrome for CraftyCardmakers - 30th May

Morning Everyone,
It's my turn to host the challenge over at CraftyCardmakers this time, and I have chosen Monochrome as my theme. So your creations need to be made using MOSTLY ONE COLOUR. Hair and skin tones will be allowed but please make sure that your card is made using only one main colour.

 I have used punched hexagons to create the background.

The shapes have been punched from black scraps in my bits box. It is quite amazing to see how many different shades of black there are amongst my cardstock stash.

Each shape was edged with pale gold sparkle paint from Imagination and then stuck onto a piece of double sided sticker sheet, before my floral images were stamped and embossed onto it.

The entire panel was edged with Gold Gilding Wax, also from Imagination, before I added a bit of black dotty ribbon and mounted the whole thing onto more black card stock.

Unfortunately I didn't think about photographs when I made the card and typically it hasn't shown up very well. It really does look so much better in real life.

I hope that you will join us over at CCM. I really look forward to seeing all of your creations.

Have a wonderful Bank holiday Monday. Happy Crafting.

Hugs Kimx

An Array of Hobbies at WoodwareWitterings

Morning Everyone
It's my turn over at WoodwareWitterings today, where this week we have an array of Hobbies.
Now I must admit that it has been a while since I managed to fit in any knitting, but it was a hobby of mine once upon a time.

This card was made for the latest Woodware catalogue using a fabulous knitting bag stamp set designed by Jane Gill.

I did a bit of paper piecing on the main image

using some papers from my stash.

The red background paper has been dry embossed and then highlighted with Gilding Wax.

I wrapped some woollen threads around the card and then added the sentiment and some buttons.

I also created a second version of it for a friend who is an avid knitter.
I hope that you have enjoyed our theme this week, and that you will join us again on Monday when we will have some more ideas to inspire you.
Have a great weekend.
hugs Kimx

Tissue Paper backgrounds

Evening Everyone,
I don't know about you, but I love making backgrounds. It has to be one of my favourite things to do.
The trouble is that you always seem to get carried away, or at least I do, and then you end up with a ton of bits just waiting to be used up.
It does of course make it easy when you need a card in a hurry though, it's just a question of deciding which piece to use which can sometimes take longer than making the actual card itself.

 My cards today use up some of those bits. The backgrounds have all been created using pieces of 'Bleedin Art Tissue'
Lay torn or punched pieces of tissue onto white or cream card stock and spritz with water.

It is often better to spritz the card a little before laying the tissue down so that the pieces don't fly away as you  use the mister. Ask me how I know this lol.
Leave the card to dry before removing the tissue to reveal fabulous patterns.

You can also sandwich the wet tissue between two pieces of card while it is drying to give twice the pieces of background for your stash.
Better get some sleep now, I have a really long shift at work tomorrow.
hugs Kimx

Block Stamping

Hi All
You see, I told you that it couldn't last.
Nearly a full week of blogging and then life took over again!!
Still I'm back now, so lets try again shall we?

Today I have several cards to share that all use a clear acrylic block, dye based inks and a spritzer bottle to create the background for the main panel.

Cover the clear block (any size) with dye based inks.

Multicoloured ink pads like Kaleidacolor make it really easy to achieve great backgrounds without having to think about colour combos.

Spritz the inked block with water before stamping it onto card stock. This one uses glossy card stock.

Watercolour card is actually my particular favourite to use, but experiment with what you have. Card always has a back side if you absolutely hate what you get.

There is usually enough ink left on the block to create a second panel with the addition of a little more water.

Sometimes it is even worth trying a third time.
Once the panels are dry, stamp and emboss your image over the top.
That's all for now, maybe I'll manage another post tomorrow, you never know.
Happy crafting and Hugs
Kimx

Good Luck and Love in All that You Do

Evening Everyone,
We are in full blown exam mode in our house. GCSEs, or what ever it is that they call them these days.
Megan seems to be coping with them reasonably well at the moment although I believe there was a bit of a meltdown moment when there was confusion over exam rooms and seat numbers. Six of them all had the same number!!!
Hopefully today's exam has been a little less stressful.

It is a little bit late, what's new I hear you say, but here is the card that I made Megan to wish her luck and love in all that she does, namely said exams.

The background has been created using Imagination Silkies and a stencil.

Some of the colour was removed using a baby wipe whilst the stencil was still in place and then Sparkle Medium was burnished over the top using a piece of cut and dry felt.

The main stamped image is one of my favourite Woodware stamps at the moment,

and the sentiment is from LOTV.
I think we are exam free for a few days at least, so lets hope that the stress levels recede a little.
Bye for now.
Hugs Kimx 

A little bit of greenery

Evening Everyone
Yesterday has got to be a fluke, two posts in one day, unheard of for me.
I even managed to get back to the gym yesterday, so maybe things are looking up. I'd better not speak too soon though.
More exercise today as I took Emma home, and we went to visit my Mum which means a 3 mile walk from the station.
Now Emma is crawling she makes a beeline for Mum's horse brass which are just at her height.

Mum doesn't seem to mind, it's another generation to play with them just as we used to as kids.

 It was definitely not as hot as it has been recently for which I am rather grateful,

 but everywhere seemed so green and lush even though we haven't had too much rain over the last week.

 I stopped to take loads of pictures along the way.

I'm really quite pleased with them given that they were taken on my phone.
There were rather a lot of them so I won't bore you with them all.
I hope that I might actually get down to some crafting tomorrow, not that I haven't enjoyed my Emma sitting you understand, but I am starting to get crafting withdrawal symptoms.
hugs Kimx

Stitching Real or Faux for CraftyCardmakers.

Morning Everyone,
This is my second post of the day, wonders will never cease lol.
This week we have a new challenge over at CCM.
Maike is our host this time round, and she is looking for Stitching - Faux or Real.

Once again I have used a card that was made for the last Woodware catalogue using Jane Gill's JGS451 Sew Wonderful.

I figured that there was nothing better for a stitching challenge than an old fashioned sewing machine. My childrens Great Nan used to have one just like this. In fact that is why I coloured mine black.

I have actually paper pieced the sewing machine having stamped and embossed it in gold onto some black card stock. I painted the leaves with Watercolour Pearlex.

I have added faux stitching to the edges of the die cut panel and background papers.

Here is another card made using the same stamp set, some paper piecing and patchwork background papers.
I hope that you will join us for this latest challenge. Please stop by and show the rest of the team some love.
Hugs Kimx

Boys will be Boys for WoodwareWitterings

Morning Everyone,
My turn again over at WoodwareWitterings and this week our theme is 'Boys will be Boys'.

My card was made for the last Woodware catalogue using one of Jane Gill's stamp sets JGS431 Cowboy Boots.

I stamped and embossed the boots and hat onto watercolour card, coloured them using dye based inks and then fussy cut them out.

The background papers are from my Woodware stash. Yes I do have one of those.

I also added some punched stars, a lasso and stamped sentiments from the same stamp set

This card was made with the leftover bits and pieces. I always manage to have quite a few of those, all very similar, but different, if that makes any sense to you lol.
I'm looking forward to seeing what the rest of the DT come up with for this one.
Have a fabulous week. Bye for now.
Hugs Kimx

A Little Spotlight of Colour

Morning All, or afternoon as it is now!

Another beautiful sunny day. I wonder if we will make it to the park today or whether we will just have a lazy day? I think we might opt for the latter.

Of course this is taking a while to write as once again I have a helper. 

Mamma's toys are much more exciting than her own lol.

I thought that I would share a couple of cards that I made a while ago on a Spotlight Cards class at Davina's.

I found the idea for this on Pinterest, the most amazing place if ever you are stuck for inspiration.

I used a circle die for my spotlight and left the die in place while I sponged the image with colour. I then mounted it onto a circle of kraft card and mounted it over the main image using silicon. This created the 'Spotlight' of colour,

This is a second card made in the same manner using a slightly larger circle die but without the kraft card layer.

I also added some faux stitching to both cards with a micron pen.
My little helper is calling for some more attention. I think a clean nappy is in order !!
Hugs Kimx

A little helping hand.

Evening Everyone,
I hope that you have had a great day.
I have. We didn't make it to the park, shopping took far longer than expected, isn't that always the case lol.
I have been trying to get a few blog posts sorted out, in between playing of course, but it has been a little difficult as I have been having some help!!

I gave up in the end and chased her across the room. She has just started to crawl and being chased by Mamma on all fours is apparently hysterically funny.
I wonder what we will get up to tomorrow?
No crafting that's for sure lol.
Bye for now.
Hugs Kimx