Say it with Flowers

Morning Everyone,

Time for something bright and floral I think, the perfect antidote to all this blasted rain.

As you will guess from the name it was made for my Boss's daughter.

He does like me to put their name on a card since they certainly can't pick one up off the shelf. 

That of course is the beauty of a handmade card, you can personalise it.

I made this one using a piece of hand made background paper and assorted dies.
The leaves are very sparkly since they were die cut from a piece of background card made using a brayer and some sparkle medium.
I did a make and take for Imagination Craft many years ago at the NEC so I have quite a stash of pieces to use up.
Lets hope the weather cheers up a bit. I know I can't go out for a walk, but I am still getting bored with this weather.
Have a great day.
Happy Crafting and Hugs
Kimx

With Brayer in Hand

Hi Everyone,
Another fabulous class this afternoon, even if there was no cake lol.
This has to be the first time in ages when no-one turned up with something for us to eat. I'm sure that we all made up for it when we got home.
Anyway, there were plenty of ideas for me to share with everyone.

As usual we made a tag, although as with the Alcohol ink class there was too much information to cram onto one tag, so we made two.

I showed them basic brayering, then the cling film technique and also how to enhance the colour with a Versamark pen and clear embossing powder.

The second tag showed them how to use the brayer with an Embossing Folder.
I made a card to show them each of the various techniques that I shared, although I am sure that there are loads more that I didn't get around to.

I have always loved making backgrounds, so a brayer has been part of my crafty equipment almost from the start. I learnt my brayering from the fabulous Suze Weinberg and have usually gone for the more random look.

This card, like the previous one, uses my favourite Kaleidacolour inkpad Creole Spice and a little bleach.
Once the brayered background has been created I spritzed it with water and then lay screwed up cling film over it until it is dry. You have to be patient and let the panel dry completely before removing the cling film or you don't get the fabulous frosted glass look.

This card was made with a 'Barbara style' brayered background. You have to remember the 'wheelie' to get the lovely faded centre.

This card is made in the same manner but I used the brayer after I had already used most of the ink on it so it has a much softer look.
The stamped panel has been coloured using Spectrum Noir pens.

This card highlights two different uses for the brayer.
The central panel has been created using the Resist technique, and the background panel has been created by brayering ink onto an embossing folder before running it through my Cuttlebug.
I also showed them a panel that I had made using an Embossing folder and Glycerin 'Sheena style', but I just didn't get around to finishing a card with it so I will have to share that on another occasion.
You will have to let me know if I have missed any uses for my trusty brayer, I'm always open to suggestions, so long as they are nice ones that is lol.
Hugs Kimx

Add a bit of Glitter and Sparkle

Evening Everyone
I hope that you have had a good day. Back to normal for me tomorrow I'm afraid. Thank goodness it is going to be a very short week!!
A consequence of two days of Make and Take at the NEC is a rather large stash of sparkly background papers, so I thought that I would try one of them out with a bit of stamping and embossing.

It also just happens that the challenge over at the Imagination Craft Challenge blog is Glitter and Sparkle, so I thought that I would enter it there, although unfortunately the sparkle doesn't show up very well in the pictures.

The background paper has been created using Diamond Sparkle Medium, white card and a brayer.
I stamped and embossed the leaves onto a piece of watercolour card stock and coloured them using the Vintage Pearly Palette, before cutting them out and sticking them onto the background panel.

The green card has been dry embossed and then a little Gold Gilding Wax has been added.
Why not check out the challenge, there is a fabulous prize to be won.
hugs Kimx

A brayered background

Evening
Wow, isn't the first day back after a holiday hard. I always seem to have to play catch up on all those things that apparently only I can do lol.
One of the main reasons for my few days away was to spend last Saturday teaching a lovely group of ladies who call themselves the Camstampers. They meet once a month in Offord D'Arcy and I was invited to join them by Ellen who I first met at Sirstampalot some time ago.
They provided me with numerous cups of coffee and a lovely lunch and I in turn taught them three separate techniques.

One of the things that they had specifically asked that I cover was brayering. Barbara Grey I am not. As you can see I have not yet perfected the 'flick' and therefore get lines in my backgrounds.

The main brayered panel has been created using a big and juicy ink pad and screwed up copy paper. I have then stamped and embossed Hobby Art Just for You and Hero Arts Leaf Cluster across the panel in black.

By cutting the panel into three before mounting it onto co-ordinating background papers I have helped to disguise the lines, I hope :)
As Julie Hickey always taught me ' It's never a mistake, it's always an opportunity!'
I have also used a Martha Stewart border punch and a Magnolia DooHickey to embellish the panels.
Well I was pleased with it, and the ladies seemed to enjoy themselves so that really is all that counts.
Off to bed now. Nite nite
Love and hugs
Kimx

A big red thank you.

Hello all
I am now officially on my hols - in Peterborough of course. A week with Janice and Andy at SirStampalot playing in their craft shop, what more could a girl ask for??
My daughter Becki drove me up here yesterday after work. What is it with the M25, it doesn't seem to matter what time we set out it always ends up taking at least 4 hours for what the sat nav tells us is going to be a 2 and 1/2hour journey. Still never mind I'm here now and all set up in my little corner ready to play.

I thought I would share another couple of the cards from Barbara's last TV show. I've also just  noticed that it looks like this show is being repeated on Create and Craft channel 671 at 7pm on Sunday 20th March. That's tomorrow.

This card uses the Dog Roses and Celtic Thank You Text Box. The background paper is made with a brayered background and cling film (Barbara shows a similar technique on the show). This card seemed ideally suited to help me say Thank You to all of the customers who came into our garage yesterday and supported our efforts for Comic Relief. We raised the spectacular sum of £531, which was the best in our territory. So a very big thank you to everyone, it made dressing up as a school girl and looking silly for the day well worth the effort.

It was actually great fun and everyone got into the spirit of it.
From left to right Kovi, myself, Jeanette, Sega our Headmaster, I mean Manager, and Jude the Duty Manager. The lady visible over Sega's shoulder is Cheryl another cashier. The picture of me is dreadful, I hate having my photo taken and now you can see why.

This is another card using the same two stamps only this time I have stamped and embossed the images and then painted with bleach, a favourite technique of mine as you know.

It's time to make the tea again so I will get on with some playing.

Don't forget to watch the repeat of the show show tomorrow, if you get the chance and I will try and post again later.

Happy Crafting.

Love and hugs

Kimx

It's a challenge!

Hello Everyone, thanks for stopping by.
Sometimes when you are doing a demo you have to use stamps and products that you would not usually choose. This is always a challenge, and not always one I am up to. The stamps on this card fall into that catagory, but I hope that on this occassion I I rose to the challenge ok.
The panel on the card is created using a versamark ink pad, which has then been brayered over with Kaleidacolor dye based ink (Calypso).
Rub over the image with a piece of kitchen paper before stamping and embossing the greeting with black versafine ink and clear embossing powder. Versafine really is the best inkpad for stamping and embossing, in my humble opinion, as it always gives such an intense black which embosses beautifully no matter how detailed the image.
I have finished the card off with a water marked panel, ribbon, and tiny punched flowers.
These are really very simple flowers with a little bit of bling in the centre.
I am enjoying making flowers at the moment, as you may have gathered, and am teaching how to make them at Davina's this evening so I had better get myself ready - hence the early post.
Will share again tomorrow.
Have a great evening
Love Kimx

More flowers

Evening Everyone, me again.
I just can't seem to get away from flowers at the moment.
Here is another of the cards that I made for the brayering class at Lavender Lane.
I used one of the wonderful Big and Juicy ink pads - brilliant for brayering - and such wonderful autumnal colours.
I found some double sided paper for the flowers in my stash which matched perfectly.
The main image has been stamped and embossed over a piece of resist background.
I added some pigment ink and embossing power to the punched flowers which definitely shows them to best advantage.
The Martha Stewart punch completes the card, along with the inevitable crystals - a must for flower centres!!
Hope you like it, and aren't too fed up with flowers.
Happy Stamping.
Love Kimx

Not a flower in sight!!!

Evening Everyone, or should that be Good night!
I really must try to post at a more reasonable time of the day, still better late than never I suppose.
I thought that I would share another one of the cards that I made at Lavender Lane on Saturday. As well as making flowers we also had a class on brayering.
There are lots of wonderful backgrounds techniques that you can create with a brayer and the resist technique is just one of them.

I stamped the checkered background on glossy card stock with a versamark ink pad, heated it , and then brayered dye based ink over the top.
As I have said before the effect is like magic painting for grown ups. Once I have made the background I have stamped and embossed the trees in black.
This makes for a very masculine card, which makes a change, and there is not a flower in sight, at least not on this one. Lots more to share tomorrow but I really must get some sleep.
Nite
Love Kimx

The wonders of modern technology!!!!

Good Morning everyone.
Well once again I have been defeated by technology.
There I was all ready to blog and share the brayered cards that I will be teaching today (Saturday 13th) at Lavender Lane, and then what a surprise - no internet connection - and I was on such a roll.
I just don’t know what it is with me and the internet, I seem cursed.Anyway here are two of the cards ideas that I am sharing with the ladies on the class.
I’ve always loved brayering, but my style is totally different from Barbara‘s. I don’t seem to be able achieve the paler backgrounds that she creates so beautifully. Mine always seem to work better with a darker more dramatic finish. Maybe it’s the stamps that I generally have to work with which seem to favour the darker look. Still isn’t it a good job that we both do different things with a brayer, it would be very boring if it was all the same.
The first card makes use of a resist technique - magic painting for grownups. A versamarked image on glossy cardstock with dye based ink brayered over the top, and hey presto the image ‘pops through’ just like magic painting when you were a child.
The tree has been stamped and embossed at the side of the resist greeting. As it is dye based ink I have been able to bleach out the top of the trees - what a surprise!!
The brayered panel at the centre of the second card has been created by applying scrunched cling film to a previously brayered background. Before you lay the cling film over the brayering spritz it with some water. Glimmer mist or something similar works really well with this technique.
You have to be patient and allow the card to completely dry before removing the Clingfilm. Your patience will be rewarded by the most amazing backgrounds which always remind me of ‘Jack Frost on the window pane’
I know I'm old cause I remember it being on the inside of the window pane, very pre-central heating. Now I think the nearest you get to seeing it is in your car on a frosty morning - I think I’ll stick with the central heating and create the effect myself on a piece of card lol.
I hope they all have fun playing today. Its amzing how many different pieces of background can be created using exactly the same inkpads and stamps, I always pick up some new ideas from everyone..
I hope you like the cards.
Lets hope I have better luck with the internet today.
Happy stamping.
Love Kimx