Happy Birthday Jenni

Evening,

Today is a special day in our house, it's my eldest daughters birthday. Unfortunately she was working a split shift today, so not much celebrating, but it means that she can behave like the Queen used to and have a second birthday later in the year.

As you know by now, I am notoriously late with my cards, but since I retired I have definitely improved, so I am hoping that for once a card actually arrived on time.

I created the background to her card using inks and a fabulous stencil from Aall and Create.

Having added a little extra stamping to the background,

I then added a stamped, embossed, coloured and die cut image using a little silicon glue gell. I think the floral image is from Altenew but I really can't remember and it is far too late to go looking for the stamp.

A stamped and die cut sentiment and some gems complete my card for a special lady.

I hope that she managed to have a great day despite work and that the kids spoiled her rotten.

Thanks for stopping by.

Love and Crafty Hugs

Kimx

Back in the Zone

Evening,

Finally a successfully crafty day. I have been distracting myself with my cross stitch over the last few days, in the hope that following a pattern that I have chosen and love, will get my creative juices working. But with a deadline looming I have had to just sit and play, and I have finally got in to the zone.

Of course I can't share any of it with you, so here instead are another couple of cards made using fabulous Aall and Create stamps and Distress Oxide inks.

I do love a mop up background, they are always so different.

I have to admit though that sometimes it is a bit of stamping that turns them from something that I am really not sure about, into something that I absolutely love, and a bit of painting with bleach never hurts.

Another fabulous way to use Distress inks and Oxides is with this rather wet and wispy Watercolour stamping technique.

It is so much easier to achieve if you use a Misti or Stamping Platform of some type as the technique  requires that you re-stamp over the image once you have first stamped onto the wet card with your Distress inks.

Now I just need tomorrow to be as successful as today and I'll be a happy bunny.

Thanks for stopping by.

Love and Crafty Hugs

Kimx

Distress Micro Glaze, Stencils and Oxides.

Evening, 

As I've told you before, I have boxes of cards that I have made over the years, just waiting to be shared with you.

Here are a couple made during a playtime with Distress Micro Glaze, stencils and Distress Oxide inks.

I was inspired by something that I saw on Pinterest, I think, but of course I can't find the cards that inspired me now.........typical.

I loved the colours that they had used, and decided to combine the technique with some fabulous Aall and Create stamps that I own.

A smaller panel on this card, along with some double stamping for a very watercoloured effect.

I have several other cards made with this rather blurred background technique, so I will share them on another occasion.

Thanks for stopping by.

Love and Crafty Hugs 

Kimx

A Birthday Commission

Evening,

One of my crafty jobs before Christmas was to make a birthday card for my Boss's daughter. 

I make her a card every year, and so this time I decided to use a piece of background made using my Gelli Plate and acrylic paint.

I added some extra distress inks to the trimmed panel and created a fine white matt and layer.

The decoupaged floral image is from a Crafters Companion paper stack and die set. I saw them on Create and Craft right at the beginning of the initial Covid lockdown and just had to have them.

There are several different designs which create stunning decoupaged panels. I added some black die cut pieces using dies from AAll and Create.

The decoupage dies add embossed detail and texture to each of the floral layers.

Boss always likes his daughters name added to her card, after all it makes it all the more special, and is impossible for him to find in your average card shop.

That is the beauty of making cards for people, you can personalize them. I also like to add a few gems and some glossy accents.

Thanks for stopping by today.

I hope that you have had a great crafty Saturday.

Hugs Kimx

Playing with AALL and Create

Evening All,

Today has been much more my type of weather. As my Mum text me this morning "You got Your Wish ", although I'm not sure that I want it to last until the 27th, as the weather app is telling me!! Of course Mum will now be blaming me for the new lake that will appear in her back garden!!

I find it very hard to get motivated in the hot weather. I definitely wouldn't cope in any of those very hot countries. I would spend all my life indoors in a darkened room. Makes me sound like a vampire - which would of course account for my very pale and pasty exterior. no suntan for me lol. 

To make up for the rain, let's have a couple of bright cards. I have been working my way steadily through my stash of cards. The only problem is trying to remember exactly how I managed to make them.

This one was created quite a while ago using some fabulous stamps by AAll and Create along with Distress Oxide inks.

There was plenty of inking, stamping and spritzing going on I seem to recall, along with some colouring and fussy cutting.

This one was also made in the same manner with some fussy cut flowers layered over an inky background.

Thankfully it is Friday tomorrow. I need to get everything together for class on Saturday, and do some last minute playing of course.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs Kimx

Gesso Resist with Distress Oxides and Stencils

Morning All,
We had a fabulous class yesterday playing with Distress Oxides and Stencils.

Once again I found this technique on YouTube , my favourite place when I am sitting on the train visiting my youngest daughter and the Grandkids.

I have often seen people use Gesso on cardstock before they ink it, and to be honest I have never quite seen the point, it just seems like a major phaff.

Now I understand. I decided that I had better try the technique with Gesso, as per the video, and without to see if there was any point in its addition.

As you can see from these first two cards there is a definite difference in colour. Both cards have been made using the same colours. The first with Gesso and the second without.

The technique requires that after you have applied ink to the cardstock you run it through an embossing machine using a stencil and rubber/silicon mat to give you a fabulous textured background.

Once embossed you gently remove ink from the embossed image using a baby wipe.

The gesso on the cardstock acts as a resist allowing you to remove the ink which allows the pattern from the stencil to become more visible.

You need to be fairly gentle with the baby wipe otherwise you wipe away the background ink as well. Top tip from the ladies on the class...….squeeze the baby wipe first to remove some of the moisture.
I am always telling them that I learn something from them at each class and this was one of those things. Along with a fabulous colour combo that I need to try out.

Without the Gesso, the colour of the background is much darker, and the ink is difficult to remove making the stencilled image less visible.

A little gilding wax can help to make the background 'pop'.

Any stamping needs to be done to the background before you run it through the embossing machine.

I added stamped and coloured images or die cuts to finish off my cards.
This is definitely a technique that I will use again, and the bottle of gesso now sits on my desk, not put away with all the other paints that I own.
I wonder what it would look like using black gesso and Distress Oxides? Guess what I will be playing with this afternoon lol.
Have a great crafty day. It's very cold and frosty here so perfect weather for staying inside and playing.
Happy Crafting and Hugs
Kimx