More UTEE Embossed Resist and Alcohol

Evening All,
We have had a wonderful day today celebrating the birthdays of four of our ladies, even though one of them unfortunately couldn't actually make it. March is a very birthday heavy month around here.

I seem to have run out of Green cards, so I thought that I would go with a couple more cards made using the UTEE and Alcohol ink resist that I shared with you on Tuesday.

Once again I used a fabulous large leafy background stamp embossed with UTEE and then covered with fairly dark alcohol ink colours.

I finished the card off with some die cut foliage, a stamped sentiment, and bakers twine.

This card uses a large flourish stamp,

along with some ribbons and die cut sentiment.

Another large background stamp, and plenty of blue alcohol inks for this card.

Once again finished off with a die cut and stamped sentiment.
Thank you for stopping by.
Happy Crafting and hugs
Kimx

Green - Day 2

Evening Everyone,
We started a new challenge on Monday over at CCM, where we looking for Anything Green in celebration of St Patrick's Day on the 17th March.

I found that I had several cards that were Green themed,

so I decided to have a Green Week, instead of just one day.

The background to this card was made by stamping and embossing the leafy background stamp using versamark ink and UTEE. The panel was then covered with green alcohol inks. I guess you could call it a type of Alcohol ink resist.

Once you have covered the panel in Alcohol inks, reheat the embossing and it shines through.

The background panel on this card was made in exactly the same way,

and then I trimmed it down and added some die cut leaves and flowers.

You know me, can't stand to waste anything, so here is a card that I made with left over trimmings.

You need to use UTEE for this technique in order for the stamped and embossed image to show through the alcohol inks. It will also take the second heating that you need to do.
I hope that you will join in with our challenge at CCM with your green creations.
Thanks for stopping by,
Happy Crafting and Hugs
Kimx

Texture, Texture, Texture at Woodware

Hello All
I'm helping out over on the Woodware blog again this week, and this time they are looking for Texture, Texture, Texture.
The card was made this Sunday (nothing like being last minute lol), where the weather in our neck of the woods felt more like Autumn than Summer, so perhaps that is where my inspiration came from.

 I used one of the fabulous Doobadoo stencils for the background, along with some dye based inks....

 clear embossing powder and gilding wax in gold and bronze.

The leaves have been created using the same coloured inks and two layers of UTEE. This was then  stamped into with the Stampendous leaf stamp while the UTEE was still hot and molten.

It doesn't affect the stamps but gives wonderful texture to the stamped image which I then carefully cut around.

The main card was made using a sheet of linen card. I rubbed the same inkpads around the edges of the card which helped pick up all the fabulous texture of the linen.

The bow has been created from some threads pulled from a Jute fabric square, layered over a couple of skeleton leaves and finished off with a wooden button.

Having sent the pictures to Dorothy I decided that perhaps the card looked better with a greeting.
What do you think?
Have a good day. Let's hope that by the time you read this the weather will have changed back to the glorious sunshine that we had on Saturday, even if it was a little bit too hot for me.
Never satisfied are we lol.
Bye for now.
Hugs Kimx

Sunset

Evening Everyone,
I hope that you have a nice relaxing Sunday, or have you been like me , frantically trying to catch up with DT work which should have been finished ages ago!!!
I have managed to get a few things done, including this card for a friend of mine whose birthday is on Tuesday. Looks like he might get it on time, that will be a first lol.

Now I didn't say that the card was started from scratch did I, in case you were thinking that I had some how managed to create a 36 hour day.

The central panel was in my bits box and was made quite some time ago using a lovely Hobby Art stamp (Sunset) and Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel (UTEE).
I also think that this makes a fabulous card for a man

Fortunately this card is for hand delivery as I'm not sure that the UTEE would survive a trip through our postal system. The panel does have some cracks in it, they were deliberate, but I would like it to arrive in one piece which is why I picked it for a card that I could hand deliver.

The background papers are from my stash and I have added Faux stitching and some stripy Card Candi.
Better close now, I need to find some addresses so that all my hard work to get cards made in time doesn't go to waste.
Hugs Kimx

An Invitation to the Woodware challenge

Evening Everyone.
I'm cheating a little bit tonight.
As you know I like to support the Guys over at Woodware and enter their weekly challenge. This time they are looking for Invitations.
Well this week I am so busy that the only way it is possible for me to enter at all is to use something that was actually made for a magazine article a few years ago.

I had to make several different sets of items suitable for a Wedding. In this case I made an invitation.

The background panel was made using chalk ink pads and Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel, if memory serves, and a lovely dress peel-off.

I also made a Menu card using a similar panel and some peel-off letters.

And then a little bag for sugar almonds as a Thank You gift.
You will have to use your imagination for the almonds as I didn't have any lol.
It has been very muggy here this afternoon and has even threatened to rain.
I must admit to hoping that it might cool down slightly so that I can find some energy to get on, I do so struggle in this heat.
Better get to bed now.

Wired Heart

Evening,
Sorry another late post but I really have been a busy girl, and I don't seem to get a look in on the computer either till everyone has gone to bed lol.

I've had some lovely comments from people who have seen my cards on the TV so it seems appropriate to share one of them with you this evening.

This was made with the Clarity Wired Heart and has been stamped into several layers of UTEE. I have also used it in the background, stamped and embossed gold on gold.
Better stop now, another early start in the morning.
Hope you had a good weekend.
Love and hugs
Kimx

Cracked Glass Trees

Good Afternoon Everyone.
Who knew how useful babysitting the Grandchildren could be. We have cleaned and tidied and gone shopping - its amazing what the promise of a burger out can get little ones to do lol.
I am now sitting 'cinema style' in the front room watching Mulan. I just love that film, it's music is fantastic and what an excuse to watch it - I just HAD to cause the kids wanted it on!!!!
I had hoped to get a couple more cards finished from the peel-off class yesterday but small children and crafting don't really mix so Mulan won.Instead I will share the 'Cracked Glass' card that I showed everyone yesterday in the UTEE class. The nestie panel has been stamped, embossed and watercoloured and then several layers of UTEE have been added. Once it has cooled (putting it into the fridge or better still the freezer will speed this up) you can crack it. Be brave, the effect is lovely. Smudge brown ink over the entire panel and wipe off the excess. The ink settles into the cracks and gives it a wonderful aged look.
I am obviously going to have to brush up on my linguistic skills. As well as adding a clustrmap to my blog with the help of Gilly, I now also have a Geocounter.
I have always wanted to add something like this so that I could see where in the world people were visiting me from and I have to say that it has proved to be absolutely fascinating. I have set it up to e-mail me whenever there is a visit from a new city and I find opening e-mails has never been so exciting. Only today I have had a visit from someone in Russia - how cool is that!!
I so wish that I had set it up right at the start, but this blogging thing is definitely a learning experience, and I have learnt that you are definitely never too old to learn.
Anyway I had better get back to Mulan, my favourite song is on.
Hope you get some crafting done, I may do when everyone is in bed.
Love and hugs
Добрый вечер
Kimx

A family Affair

Hi All.
I would say Good Evening Ladies, but after having a young man on my class today I feel that it would be distincly unfair to generalize.
It was another lovely class, if somewhat a family affair since as well as Jane's nephew (the young man on the class) her daughter dropped in with her new baby, George. You forget just how small and adorable they are, and typically very contended with a clean nappy and full belly.
As well as cooing over the new arrival everyone managed to make some fabulous cards with UTEE.I have once again used Hobby Art stamps, including the wonderful clear greeting set.
The large pink 'card candy' has been made from scraps of stamped card and just finished it off nicely.
I had better get to bed now as I am on babysitting detail all day tomorrow. That will probably mean a very early start as I'm not sure that young children know what a lie in is, at least they don't seem to in our house anyway.
Have a good evening.
Love Kimx

Classes at Lavender Lane

Evening Everyone, thanks for stopping by.
I had a wonderful, if very small class on Wednesday evening since unfortunately two of the ladies were unable to make it.
Hope you are feeling better Patricia, look forward to seeing you next time.
I can't remember the other ladies name but I hope that her Mum is feeling better now too.I actually sat and made a card that evening which I was going to share with you as soon as I had added some bling, but I couldn't wrestle the laptop off the grandchildren yesterday so I will share that one with you at a later date.
I am teaching at Lavender Lane on Saturday and as you may have guessed from the sample one of the classes is on UTEE - Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel for the uncrafty amongst you.
This is just one of the different techniques that we will be doing. I've stamped into it having first added some mica powders. I'm not sure that the pictures do the card justice, but at least taking them in daylight has helped a little.
The second class is called Patchwork Peel-offs and was inspired by a technique that the lovely Lisa B http://lisabdesignsinspiration.blogspot.com/ showed me at Farnborough.
I am really looking forward to the classes, they are always fun when Gill is there. I will make sure the kettle is on Gilly don't worry lol.
Have a good evening.
Happy Stamping if you get the chance.
Hugs Kimx

Happy Christmas Everyone

Well I'm afraid I failed miserably when it comes to posting any more of my Christmas cards. My excuse is that I have been at work all week at the garage, and I have had to fit blogging in around everything else.
You would be amazed at how busy we have been all day today, with people coming in to buy their M&S goodies with out having to go to a main store. We are only a medium sized petrol station but we have had 5 tills open and customers queing all day.
It's crazy isn't it - all this for one day, still it is Christmas I suppose he he.
I also had my very own Santa today. A regular customer insisted on buying me a bottle of Cava - 'for being so lovely all Year' How nice was that!!
Any way I thought I would share one last Christmas card with you, made for a very special lady, my Mum.
It is made using some of the fabulous Moonshadow Inks and Moonglow embossing powders from The Stamp Man.
I do love making background papers and these inks are just wonderful for that.
The panel in the centre of the card is made with ultrathick embossing powder which has then had some of the moonglow embossing powder added to the final layer before the stamp has been pressed into it.
It may not be the most traditional of Christmas cards but I love it.
I had better close now. I have to be at work again tomorrow at 6am (we are open 24/7 365 days a year, and Friday is my day to work!!) Still it is actually quite a nice day to work as everyone is in a good mood and then when I get home dinner will be ready :)
The grandchildren are just getting their letters, mince pies and drinks ready to leave for Santa, and of course a carrot for the reindeer. They are so excited. We have been tracking Father Christmas on the internet - oh how times change!!
Any way I just want to wish everyone a Wonderful Christmas, and a very Happy New Year. I hope you have a fabulous day tomorrow.
Love and best wishes
Kimx