A Bit of Bargello

Evening,

I've recently been playing again with Bargello. 

It is an old design used in quilting, but I also used it years ago in Paper Crafting since it is a great way to use up some of those strips of background paper that we all have lurking in our stash.

It can be quite time consuming, especially if you make the mistake of cutting your papers into very narrow strips. Ask me how I know that one lol.

But it is very satisfying when you have achieved a usable panel.

All I did to finish this card was to add a few die cut floral silhouettes and a sentiment strip.

Thanks for stopping by.

Love and Crafty Hugs

Kimx

Spring colours and Wildflowers

Evening,

What a gloriously sunny start to the day. It was a bit chilly with evidence of a frost, but beautiful sunshine.

So here are a few cards featuring nice spring coloured backgrounds and wild flowers.

The background to this first one is created using a stencil and Brushos.

The background to this one is made using the Brushos left on the stencil after creating the previous background.

Die cut wildflowers are a great way to use up Handmade Backgrounds without hiding too much.

The background to this card is made using one of my absolute favourite Embossing Folders for this watercolour technique.

Ink one side of the embossing folder with Distress inks and then spritz with water before placing a piece of watercolour card inside. Instead of running it through an embossing machine use pressure from your fingers to transfer the ink to the card, without adding texture.

I told you this was a favorite Embossing Folder. Another background created like the last, in fact you can often get a second impression, just by adding more water.

I've stamped and embossed onto this background, silhouette stamps work just as well as die cuts.

Thanks for stopping by

Love and Crafty Hugs

Kimx

Happy Birthday Andy

Evening

We have a birthday in the family today, so here is a card for the Birthday Boy.

I have used a piece of handmade background paper

and several leafy die cuts.

The white background panel has been dry embossed using a fern 3D embossing folder.

A nice masculine card I think you will agree.

Thanks for stopping by.

Love and Crafty Hugs

Kimx

Thank You for Letting Me Join In

Evening,

I spent a very enjoyable morning with an old friend, and lots of new ones at 'Stitch and Bitch', a Wednesday morning get together to stitch, drink tea and coffee, and bitch (talk) for England.

Having recently moved in with my Mum, I met up with an old friend who suggested that I join the group in the New Year, and I have been looking forward to it ever since. It is seen as an opportunity to take any stitching or knitting project along and work on it uninterrupted by life while in the company of good friends. It's a fabulous idea and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. I am already looking forward to next week lol.

I rarely do stitching on cards, and I haven't taken any pictures of what I managed to get done today, so here is a Thank You card instead. It's got ribbon on it. Does that count?

The background is created with a Multiple Resist technique with a stamped and embossed image over it.

I painted the flowers with bleach and then wrapped the panel with a piece of ribbon. The sentiment is a Peel-off.

Here is another Thank You card using diecuts on an alcohol inked background.

Thanks for stopping by.

Love and Crafty Hugs

Kimx

A Birthday Rose

Evening,

It has been perfect crafting weather today, not that I ever need an excuse to spend the day in the Craft Room lol.

I've been working on some samples for Creative Expressions, which are hush hush for now, so here is a card that I made a while ago using one of Jane Gill's fabulous Halloween stamp sets.

I stamped and embossed the rose onto black cardstock

and then coloured the rose and the spider with Iridescent Watercolour Paint.

I layered the fussy cut image over a piece of background from my stash.

The background was created using a stencil and paste along with some mica sprays.

I also found the die cut sentiment in my bits box, and added it along with a few gems.

Thanks for stopping by,

Love and Crafty Hugs

Kimx

A Die Cut Twofer

Evening,

Crafty people never like waste, so I think we all like a 'Twofer'.  

I used a piece of Alcohol Inked background for this card.

I placed a stencil over the top of the alcohol ink coloured cardstock and then used Alcohol Lift ink to remove some of the colour

leaving the rather cobweb like image from the stencil showing.

I used a die to cut out the leafy image which I used as the focal point of the next card. The background was just too nice to waste so I added it to a rectangular scalloped frame along with a stamped sentiment.

I used the leafy die cut from the previous alcohol inked panel as the main focus on this card.

Once again I used a scalloped panel and a stamped sentiment.

Very clean and simple for me, but definitely a card design that I will try again.

Thanks for stopping by.

Love and Crafty Hugs

Kimx

Black and Gold and Gilded

Evening,

I do love Black and gold, it is such a classy colour combo.

Of course a great way to add gold to a card is with Gilding Flakes and DSSSheets. I used a rose die on the black cardstock and then added the gilding flakes once I had attached the panel to the sticker paper.

Same idea here along with a large background die and stamped sentiment.

I used a fabulous old peel-off and some gems on this card.

I have various tubs of Gilding flakes including this one that combines gold and silver for a more subtle look. Once again I used a die cut and stamped the sentiment with Cosmic Shimmer Flake and Glitter Glue before adding the flakes. This glue means that any stamp can be used with the flakes.

I inlaid a couple of diecut leaves to this embossed panel.

I ended up with various small strips when I trimmed the gilded panels, so I used them behind this stamped and fussy cut floral image. Waste not want not as they say, or sad horder as my kids call me lol.

Thanks for stopping by.

Love and Crafty Hugs

Kimx
 

A Box of Cards, Just for You, Just Because (Picture Heavy Post)

Evening, 

I don't know about all of you, but I have not been feeling particularly creative over the last few days.

I think Christmas prep probably got on top of me, and so today I decided to try and get back into the swing of things by finishing off a stack of cards. They only needed inserts and envelopes, but it is amazing how long it all takes. I keep promising myself that I will do it as I go, but the resolve never lasts, and so I inevitably end up with a pile of cards that need that finishing touch. Amongst the pile were a couple of boxes of cards that I made as Birthday prezzies.

I made a box and then filled it with cards to cover various occasions.

The lid was covered with a panel created from scraps left over from the cards inside.

I used various pieces of patterned paper from my stash and then added embossing using a leafy folder, along with die cut frames and bits and pieces.  

The top of the second box of cards.

I also created a matching Birthday card to go with each of the boxes for when they are gifted to someone.

All in all I have had a very successful day with 60 cards finished off to add to my card drawer. Lets hope that it gives creativity the well deserved kick that it requires.

Thanks for stopping by.

With Love and Crafty Hugs

Kimx