I'm Thinking of You.

 Evening Everyone

What a gloriously sunny afternoon it turned out to be. Despite torrential rain this morning I even finally managed a walk this afternoon, and best of all it wasn't too muddy.

Unfortunately I have another sympathy card to send. I have sent far too many of these just lately. And this is yet another card for the same family, which is so sad.

This first card is made using an alcohol inked background and some acetate, which makes decent pictures almost impossible.

I really must play with my alcohol inks again, they make the most amazing backgrounds which is one of my favourite things to do. The only trouble is that you can get quite carried away and end up with a stack of bits and pieces just waiting to be used. Perhaps I should use up some of my stash before I start making more, but that's not nearly so much fun.

One problem with alcohol ink backgrounds is that they are quite busy and so stamped images can get 'lost'. I have also dry embossed this particular panel with a dotty folder which makes stamping on it impossible so I have added my stamped image on a piece of acetate fixed in place with tiny brads.

This next card was made using good old Cats Eye pigment ink pads to ink up the stamp with multiple colours.

Pigment inks stay wet for a lot longer which means that I was able to clear emboss the stamped image. I die cut the image and added some pale ink to the background with the die still in place which creates a thin white frame.

This final card uses a piece of mop up background and a white embossed image. 

I used the same die cutting and blending technique here to darken the mop up background.

I added some black gems to the flower centers and a chopped up sentiment edged in black.

I would love to think that these will be the last of these type of cards that I will send this year, but I fear that that would be wishful thinking.

Thank you for stopping by, and have a great evening.

Stay safe and hugs

Kimx

Here's one for The Friday Mashup

Hi All
Well that's one stamp set down, only four more to go so it looks like it is going to be a busy weekend!!

This card was made a little while ago when I was playing with this lovely floral Hero Arts Stamp and Embossing set. I used Cat's Eye pigment ink pads to colour the stamp and it is embossed with clear powder.

The pink card stock was cut with a border die and then I also added some dotty ribbon and a sentiment.
The Friday Mashup has started a new challenge today. They are looking for you to 

1. Create a project that's "Monochromatic".
2. Create a project with "Flowers".
3. or Create a "Monochromatic project with Flowers". 

I haven't managed  a Monochromatic card, but I definitely have flowers so I hope they like it.

Have a great weekend.

It has been raining here again today so there is no end in sight to our flooding dilemma.

I went to a meeting yesterday where they were suggesting that it will be several weeks and possibly even months before the main road is re-opened (May has been mentioned !!!) so I can see that I am going to have a large box of coloured images ready to be made into cards by the end of all of this lol.

Hugs Kimx 

Come and Join me for the Woodware Challenge

Hi Everyone
This is my first attempt at a scheduled post so I do hope that you are viewing this while I am safely tucked up and in the land of nod :)

The month of March is a very special one for me as I am honoured to be Guest Designer over at the Woodware Blog.
This week we start off with a Sketch, and once again I have used the fantastic Artemeo 10001147  Hedgerow Plants. This really is such a useful set as you can see by how much I have used it recently lol.

The main panel on this card has been created using the embossed resist technique that I was teaching at Davina's today.
Ink up the stamp using different colours of pigment inks.  I used a combination of colours from Colour Box Cat's Eye or Queue inkpads.

I like these little ink pads as the shape of them makes it easier to ink up the stamp.
I always start by covering  the entire stamp with the lightest of the colours and then add the others over the top. This way you guarantee to have covered the whole image and there is also less contamination of colours.
When you have stamped out the image once onto white card, cover it with clear embossing powder and heat, and then re-stamp the image again without adding any extra ink. If you 'huff' on it there is enough moisture in your breathe to rejuvenate the ink on the stamp and allow you the opportunity to re-stamp the image, sometimes several times.

I have also added some fine text using another of my Artemeo stamps 10001048 Manuscript Backgrounds. I only used second generation ink here to give a very subtle effect.
Once the panel is finished don't forget to wipe over it with some kitchen paper to remove any excess ink.
As it's name suggests the embossing acts as a resist and any ink stamped onto it won't dry so wiping it away will save you getting yourself in a mess, something I managed to do the first time I tried this technique out.

The stamped panel has been edged with my Pinecone ink pad (Thank you Crafty Lou  for introducing me to this colour) and some stitching using a fine black pen.
The background paper to the card is from a GCD Zen Garden paper pad.
I stamped onto it with my stamps and pinecone ink.
I have also added a border of pale orange card which I have punched with my Crafty Edger Antique Floral cassette and some gold peel-off lines.

The small square with greeting on it from the Woodware FRCL154 Salutations clear stamp set has been created in the same manner, but has then been dry embossed from the back and added to the card using silicon which gives it the padded look.

Of course no card of mine would be complete without three little 'somethings'.

I hope that you like the card and that it will help you feel inspired to join me this month.

Maybe you will even join in with the challenges HERE on the Woodware Blog.

Have a fantastic Sunday with hopefully a bit of crafting thrown in.

Hugs Kimx

I'm on holiday, yeaaaaaah................

Yippee, it's here at last, my holiday in Peterboro.
I'm staying with Janice and Andy at Sir Stampalot. I don't do holidays as such, a week on a beach is my idea of hell, but I do so look forward to my little breaks here.

The guys set me up a table in the store, and I sit and play. There are usually a few challenges awaiting me, and I often end up doing an impromptu demo when customers ask questions about something in the shop, but it is the least I can do to help out.
I'm also in charge of getting us up early in the morning and making sure that everyone is fed and watered.
I try and help out where I can, and tend to be go-fer when it comes to running upstairs to get stuff from the warehouse. I wish I could say that it helps to keep me fit, but the reality is that a week where the nearest I get to exercise is choosing a new piece of paper or card from the racks has a rather nasty effect on the waist line. Still, there is always next week for the diet to begin, for now I will just continue to enjoy a little bit of crafting heaven.
As you can see from the picture above I am nicely set up and have spent the day making a couple of cards using some of the left over bits from the Pearlex part 2 class that I taught on Wednesday evening.

The background has been made using metallic cats eyes and powdered Pearlex. I have then stamped and embossed using an old Penny Black holly stamp.

The square panel has been cut from another newer Penny Black Poinsettia stamp and coloured using distress inks.
I felt mean sitting in the shop making a card that I would then take home with me, so I ended up making a similar one for the shop. I didn't have my Pearlex powders with me, but Janice has got Cosmic shimmers so I used those instead.

The holly stamp this time is from the new Tilda Christmas collection.
One of the major advantages there is to sitting in the store is that I can always find just the right thing to finish off the card that I am working on - not so good on the wallet though!!

Of course one of the first things that I did when I arrived last night was to have a good look around the store and there have been numerous items that have found their way into my shopping basket, or should that be box lol. The guys have set aside a section of the store for some bargains, and lets face it we are all drawn towards them.
I had better sign off now as we are planning another early start, at least we get an extra hour in bed with the clocks going back.
If I'm lucky I might get to blog again tomorrow, I have another card finished ready so who knows lol
Enjoy your lie in.
Love and hugs
Kimx