Resist with a Twist

Evening,

An all time favourite for me is Resist with a Twist. More detailed instructions for this technique can be found HERE

The 'Twist' is the stamped image in the background of the panel,

which is then stamped over with Versamark ink and embossed with clear embossing powder.

Once the embossing is covered with ink the image in the background shows through the clear embossing.

I have used a fine text background in both the first and second examples here,

with some lovely foliage for the clear stamped and embossed images.

This final card using a piece of music underneath the clear stamped and embossed floral images.

As you can see silhouette images work particularly well as the focus for this technique. We haven't played with this in a while, so I think that I will have to add it to the new class list for this year.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you have had an enjoyable Saturday.

With love and Crafty hugs

Kimx

Chalked Agapanthus

Evening,

In any stamp range there is always one design that seems to become a firm favourite.

That was definitely the case with the fabulous agapanthus stamps from Stampendous.

I used versamark ink and decorating chalks to create a soft stamped panel,

which I chopped up and then matched with some Bazzill cardstock and vellum.

As well as the single flower head, there was also this spray. Definitely in my all time favourite stamp selection.

I added various sentiments, peel-offs and card strips to finish these cards.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you have a wonderful weekend. Hopefully with a little crafting thrown in.

Hugs Kimx

Chalked Thanks

Hi All,

Many years ago I was lucky enough to be involved in writing articles for several different crafting magazines.

One of these involved creating a box of cards as a Thank You gift.

I chose to use a combination of Decorating Calks, Versamark and Vellum.

I used a variety of stamps including ones from Impression Obsession and Hero Arts.

I stamped the images onto the cardstock or vellum using the Versamark ink pad, and then added Decorating Chalks using a cotton wool ball. 

I also added some stamped and embossed sentiments and even a few white inked sentiments as well.

I still have the box of cards from the article, although the box has become a little battered over the years, so I decided to repurpose it by turning the lid into a further square card,

and the sides of the lid into strips across these smaller cards.

The kraft coloured sentiments on them are from Stamps by Me, and are actually wide Washi Tape with a co-ordinating die so that you can cut out a heap of them all at the same time........very useful.

I'm on extra babysitting detail today as Becki's child care has let her down. It's a shame it is so miserable today so we will be stuck in doors for most of it. Still, we will be backwards and forwards to the school for drop offs and pickups, so I'm sure that there will be plenty of puddles for them to jump in. They are all busy playing at the moment, so I snuck in the chance to write my post a little earlier than usual.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hope you have a great day.

Crafty hugs 

Kimx

Just to Say.......I Remember

 Evening,
I can't believe that it is 19 years since that awful day that the planes flew into the Twin Towers on 9/11. I can remember exactly where I was, and what I was doing as it all unfolded before us like something out of a Hollywood blockbuster. It all seemed very unreal.

So here is a card Just to Say that I remember, and am thinking of everyone affected by the awful events of that day.

The background was created by applying Decorators Chalks to dark card stock using a cotton wool ball. Once the panel had been covered with the chalks I stamped across it  using a Versamark ink pad which removed the chalk to leave the image behind.

 This card was made in the same way, only once I had stamped over it with Versamark ink,

I made sure that the ink was dry, and then stamped and embossed the floral images using black ink and clear embossing powder.
Versamark ink stays sticky for a very long time so it is always best to heat set it and use an antistatic bag or cloth before trying to stamp and emboss anything on top of it.
Thank you for stopping by, I hope that you have a good weekend.
Stay safe
Hugs Kimx 

Pearlex Poinsettias

Evening Everyone,
Christmas may be a dim and distant memory, except when the credit card bill comes in, but tomorrow we are getting a heads up on next year.
Every year we always complain that we haven't finished enough cards, so this year we have decided that we will regularly fit in a class where we have to finish off things from our Christmas bits box.
My friend Anna and I did it a few years ago and it made such a difference.

 With that in mind I thought that it made sense to share a few finished ones from my stash.

 They have all been made using an old Woodware stamp set, versamark ink and powdered Pearlex.

I do love Pearlex (Mica) powders and the fact that some of them look so different on dark

and light cardstock.

These cards were very quick and easy to put together. The hardest part was finding cardstock to match.
I'm hoping that we will be able to get a few more cards finished tomorrow.
I've got a whole pile of card and background paper ready to take, along with a few dies and heap of bits from my bits box that may end up being someone else's treasure lol.
Have a great weekend.
Happy Crafting and Hugs
Kimx

I tried the Black Gesso

Evening Everyone,
I had a very productive Sunday, finishing off quite a few bits and pieces including playing with the Distress Oxide and Stencil Resist technique only this time using black gesso.

I brayered black gesso onto a piece of cardstock and let it dry before adding several colours of Distress Oxide ink.

Because the Oxides are a combination of dye and pigment inks they will colour over the top of the black gesso.

It's quite subtle, but at least you can see it which you wouldn't using just the standard distress inks.

As with the cards yesterday I ran the piece of card through an embossing machine with a rubber/silicon mat and a stencil and then removed some of the ink only this time I left the stencil in place while I gently rubbed it with a damp baby wipe.
Because there wasn't a huge contrast in colour I decided to highlight the image using a versamark pad and clear embossing powder. Again I applied the versamark ink with the stencil still in place.

This card uses a variety of diecuts over a lovely gessoed background.

 I think that this is probably one of my favourite cards, if you are allowed favourites that is.

I stamped over the gessoed background in grey ink before running it through the embossing machine on this card.

I added stamped and embossed flowers over the top of the background images having first done a little fussy cutting.

As you know I hate throwing even the tiniest of scraps away so this card was made with some trimmings and a fussy cut flower.

This piece of card did not have gesso on it before the inking so it is mach darker in colour and the stencilled image doesn't show up very well.

I should have added a shim when embossing this piece of card (stencils come in a variety of thicknesses) so I added some gilding wax to highlight the image.

I used a large die cut sentiment,

and some funky foam to add dimension to this card.

Same colours as the previous card, just gessoed card stock so the colours are much more subtle,

and the baby wipe takes away the colour from the raised portions of the embossed background.

And this one is inspired by the colour combo that Michele came up with in class. She is definitely a purple girl and usually only deals with one colour at a time so this is definitely a departure from the norm for her. I also added the gesso after I has embossed the card which gives a different finished result.

I have to say that her background was much paler than this, which I think I probably prefer but I loved the colours that she chose so I just had to give it a try.
I actually got a little fresh air today. My Gym Buddy came and picked me and we went out for a coffee. So nice to see a different set of surrounds. Of course I'm paying for it tonight, but it was well worth it.
Hope you had a good day too. Thanks for stopping by.
Happy Crafting and Hugs
Kimx