Why not try Water Stamping

Evening Everyone
I hope that you have had some lovely sunshine where you are. It has been nice to see the sun although it has still been very cold here.
Today is the first Tuesday in the month so that means that it is the start of a new challenge over at Technique Time Tuesday.

 I love stamping and inks so it wasn't hard to play along with the challenge this month Water Stamping.

I have used a couple of Hero Arts stamps and my trusted Distress Ink pads.
I love these solid style images and have stamped and embossed using Versamark and clear embossing powder over the top of the text background which has been stamped in black onto white card stock.

The strip across the centre is an EK Success punch and I also added some Card Candi.
I would also like to enter this into the following challenges
Creative Corner Challenges - Anything Goes
A Little Bit Crafty - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly Challenge - Anything Goes
Let's hope that the sun is a little warmer tomorrow, I really am getting very bored now.
Thanks for stopping by.
hugs Kimx

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much xx

Hi Everyone
Another Early post for me.
I have unexpected babysitting duties to perform this evening (one of the perks of being a live in Granny ) so I need to get this done.
Saskia has already requested Mulan on the Boat!!! What she actually means is Pocahontas 2 which is what we said we would watch next time I babysat. It's amazing what they remember and how they describe it lol.

Saturday 11th August was the day my niece Vicky got married to Stuart. By coincidence it was also the day I met my kids Dad some 30 odd years ago.

This is the card that I sent the happy couple to celebrate their day.

The flowers, leaves and swirl are all made using Magnolia DooHickeys.

The background paper is Magnolia and I have stamped and embossed my favourite Hero Arts Leafy Swirls using Frantage Aged Ivory Embossing Enamel.
Of course no Wedding card would be complete without plenty of bling and some ribbon and lace.

This greeting is by Printworks and I cut it out with a Nestie.
I also used the Frantage powder on the background card and added Antique Linen Distress Ink.

This greeting is from Lili of the Valley.
I would like to enter this into the following challenges
Papertake Weekly Challenge - Pins and Needles. Only one pin I know bur perhaps they will forgive me :O)
Sweet Stampin Challenge - Weddings and Anniversaries
I had better get some dinner now before the picture show starts, and maybe pop some corn.
See you later.
hugs Kimx

A little bit of Bling for Our Creative Corner

Evening Everyone
I hope that you have had a good day.
I should really be tucked up in bed sound asleep as I have to be at work at 5am tomorrow, but once again I got carried away with my crafting!!
They have another fabulous challenge over at Our Creative Corner. I do love this blog.
There is always a twist to the challenge so they ask you for something just that little bit different. It makes you think outside the box and stretch your creativity.

This week they are asking for 'A bit of bling mixed with Nature'.
I hope that I have managed to fulfil the challenge criteria.
I think that the main floral image is from Penny Black which I have painted with inks and then added some crystals which I coloured with Promarkers.

The background paper was made using Starburst Stains and clingfilm.
Why not pop across to Vixykins blog where she has a great tutorial for a very similar technique.
I added a bit of stamping down one side and embossed it with my favourite Frantage Aged Silver embossing  Enamel.

I added a flower cut from some of the leftover background paper as well as a Diamante Ribbon Slider and a pearl brad for the flower center.
The sentiment is from Hobby Art.
I'm really pleased with the results, especially the colour.
I would like to enter it in to the following challenges
Bearly Mine - Sparkle and Shine
Papertake Weekly challenge - Anything Goes
Lexi's Creations - Sparkle and Shine
Must get to bed now or it will already be time to get up lol.
Hugs Kimx

Tea and coffee with Milk

Evening Everyone
Well so much for the sunshine, I suspect that we might be experiencing one of those blink and you've missed it Summers lol.
So you are probably tucked up in doors with a nice hot cup of coffee. If that is the case then my card tonight will fit rather nicely.

Over at Our Creative Corner they are looking for 'Bakin Beauties'. You MUST use something you would use in baking in your creations.
Believe it or not the oval panel in the centre of the card and the spiky flowers have all been coloured with Condensed Milk!!!

I found the instructions for this quite a few years ago in an old magazine, I think it was Somerset Studio or The Rubber Stamper, one of the American magazines that I used to get when I first started stamping, back in the day.
In fact I actually taught it as a class once at The Craft Barn, and the pieces that I have used here were from my class prep file so it has lasted well given that that must have been 10 years ago since I worked there.

If I remember correctly I stamped and white embossed the Magenta flower and then painted the image with condensed milk before heating it with my heat tool to caramelise the milk.
The brown panel at the back of the card has been made by painting card stock with strong black coffee, or you can use a soggy teabag, preferably before you add the milk :O)
The brown leaves were also painted with coffee.
You will be pleased to know that I did use a few normal stamping ingredients - Aged Taupe Embossing Enamel was used on the leaves in the gingham panel and of course some good old distress inks.
I have used a lovely sketch over at Papertake Weekly challenge, although I may be a little late to enter.
Do give this technique a try, it's great fun and it smells pretty good too lol.
Lets hope that the weather tomorrow is a little more encouraging.
Night night.
Hugs Kimx

Koi Carp for Dadda

Hi All, it's me again.
I said I would try and get back to share the card that was being made when I took the photo of my desk for WOYWW.
Well I have realised that I can't, at least not yet.
I'm never usually terribly organised when it comes to cards, very last minute as you may have gathered, and always late in the post.
Well on this occasion I am well ahead of myself since it is the card for my daughter Jenni's birthday next Wednesday. Are you not impressed?
So instead I am going to share the card that actually started off the organised chaos that is my Wednesday Worktop, and I have to say that I am really, really pleased with the results.

 The card was ordered by a friend from work for her Dad (Dadda). She wanted Koi Carp, Dadda, and anything Oriental, other than that it was up to me.

I knew straight away that I wanted to use this lovely old Stampendous Koi stamp, but other than that I had no idea what to do, so I figured the first thing was have a look through my rather large collection of Oriental stamps.
It seems you can never have enough Bamboo or Oriental script stamps, I have loads of them, most of them still in pristine condition  lol.
I'm afraid that I stupidly put them all away before I started to do this post so I can't give you details. I do know that most of them are probably no longer available but I'm sure that you will have something similar that you could use should you wish to recreate the effects.

The Koi have been stamped and embossed onto watercolour card stock and then painted with dye based inks.
The red background has been made by stamping and embossing the Oriental Script onto white card stock and then sponging Distress Inks over the top. I added some small Bamboo images into the gaps stamped with the same inks.
The large Bamboo on the main black card has been stamped and embossed using Versamark and Sticky Embossing powder. This has then had gold foil and Pearlex added to it.

I went on line to find out how to tie the Mizuhiki cord and to check that the symbol I have used on the punched circle said 'Love'.

I even decorated the envelope. I think that this has to be my all time favourite card so far.
My friend was absolutely thrilled when I gave it to her this morning.
I would like to enter this into the following challenges

Papertake Weekly Challenge - Anything Goes with an optional Heart or Love theme
Cards for Men - Seeing Red
Allsorts Challenge - Free and Easy February
Crafts and Me - Use a New Image. Pick any one of the stamps I have used. I may have had them for a long time but they were all Virgin stamps!!
The Stamp Man - Embellish It
.
I have had terrible trouble trying to get this post finished, so I am going to give commenting a miss for now.
I don't know what is going on with the Internet tonight but it seems to be really acting up for me.
So I'm off to bed, Goodnight for now
hugs Kimx

Live well, Laugh often, Love much

Well I managed to get it finished.

Those of you that stopped by earlier from WOYWW will know that just a little while ago this was a work very much in progress. Well now it is complete, including box :)
A friend asked me on Tuesday if I could make a card to congratulate his daughter on her Engagement. I hope that he feels that this will fit the bill.

I have used a lovely Lili of the Valley die cut some flowers and background papers all from my stash.

The leaves and swirls are Doohickeys that I bought from the fabulous Sir Stampalot. The Heart Border is from them as well.
The greeting is from a Printworks clear stamp set that I have had for a number of years.
I didn't have an Engagement stamp but I felt that this sentiment was just perfect.

I embossed the swirls with sticky embossing powder and then covered them with prisma glitter.
I am entering this in to several challenges

Papertake Weekly Challenge - Happy Highlights (Glitter on the swirls and glossy accents on the glasses)
Deep Ocean Challenge - Sparkling and or Glitter
Seems a Little Sketchy - I've used their Sketch
Allsorts Challenge  - Needles and Pins (Beaded hat pin in the flowers)
Winter Wonderland - Easel Card

I will be delivering it tomorrow, so I had better get it in it's box now that the silicon is dry.
Look at the time! Nite nite.
hugs Kimx