Happy Birthday Janice

Evening Everyone,

Let's have some cards today to celebrate the birthday of a good friend.......Janice.

Janice and Andy run Sirstampalot in Peterboro, and under normal circumstances I would be looking forward to spending a week with this lovely couple in March.

I don't do holidays, but a week playing in their craft shop is my idea of heaven, although I'm not sure that my bank balance enjoys it that much lol. Still when you think how much a holiday costs, at least I come home with something to show for my time away other than just a few photos and some lovely memories....... I also come home with toys.

I usually teach a few classes while I am there so I get to meet up with lots of crafty people as well as a few old mates who always come along to say Hi.

One of the classes that I taught last time I was there involved alcohol inks and the amazing Alcohol Lift ink pad.

I love this technique. Quite apart from anything else it gives me an excuse to make backgrounds and it also involves a 'Twofer'. Two cards for the price of one.

You may wonder why I am sharing Christmas cards on Janice's birthday in February? Well it is because that is what we were making last time I was there in November 2019!!!!! How long ago???

As you can see I am rather partial to this fabulous Penny Black Poinsettia stamp which was one of those toys that I brought home.

There is so much detail to the stamp which you only really notice when you stamp it out. Here I have stamped it in black on linen card stock which adds even more detail.

I was actually amazed at just how much detail because when you look at the rubber it looks like it is going to be a rather solid image. I loved the shape and design of the poinsettia, but liked it even more when I used it......if that makes any sense at all.

In order to use the Alcohol Lift ink pad and get your Twofers you need an inky alcohol background on something non porous. Yupo paper works best for this as the colours move better, and best of all you can clean it off with blending solution and start again if you don't like what you have made.

I created my background on yupo and then used this to create several of the stamped pieces which I turned in to the cards above.

Another thing that you can do to the alcohol inky background is add a little foil before the alcohol inks dry completely.

I really liked this panel and didn't want to hide any of it so I tried to stamp and emboss a sentiment in the center of the poinsettia. Spoiler alert..................yupo doesn't take too kindly to heat!!

As you can see it rather shriveled up a little but was still far too nice to throw away, so I added my sentiment on a panel attached using silicon glue. 

I obviously should have done this in the first place, but you don't know what will happen until you try, and at least now I know that I have to be much more cautious if I want to heat Yupo paper. And as my friend Julie Hickey always taught me......It is never a mistake it is always an opportunity.

I hope that Janice has had a wonderful birthday, and that she will forgive all these reminders of Christmas.

Stay safe and have a crafty weekend.

Hugs Kimx