Masking and Memories

Evening,

Just finished packing away after todays Crafty get together. We were playing with the Retiform technique, which is a rather more complicated form of masking. It is really much easier than it actually looks, but takes rather a long time to complete one panel. It is also a very good way of using up several stamps on the one card.

This is a card that I blogged a couple of years ago, as I have plenty of panels but no finished cards from todays session.

As Retiform is a form of Masking, here is a far more simple masked card using one of Jane Gill's fabulous floral stamp sets.

I stamped the flowers and leaves using fussy cut images on pieces of masking sheet as the images are all separate on the stamp set.

I then created a frame out of the masking sheet

and lay it over the stamped images before adding dye based ink to the card.

When the mask is removed it leaves a white frame around a coloured square to which I added some faux stitching. I added the panel onto a base card with the same colours of ink around the edges, along with more faux stitching.

It is lovely getting together with all the Girls to craft.......and natter......and drink tea and coffee.

I took my folders with me so that we could work on a list of classes for this year, which of course led on to how long we had known one another. I have a notebook here which details things like that, so I was able to text back and tell Davina that I had first met her at a Woodware Retailers Day in June 2002!!!! 

Where on earth did that 20 years go to? I have promised to send her a picture of the first class that I taught for her as I am that very sad person that has photocopies of all the classes that I have ever taught, and magazine articles that I have done. Perhaps I really ought to get a life, although to be fair it is a great reference tool when my mojo deserts me. It is also quite fun to look back at how my style has changed over the years.

Thanks for stopping by.

Love and Crafty Hugs

Kimx

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

Pretty in Pink

Evening,

My Granddaughter Chloe's favourite colour is Pink, well at the moment anyway lol.

The challenge at We Love Stamping is to use 'Favourite Colours, so I thought that I would share a couple of cards that I made with Chloe in mind.

This is a Spotlight card made using pretty spring colours, an embossing folder and Woodware stamps designed by Jane Gill for Creative Expressions.

A very similar idea, just a different stamp set, once again designed by Jane.

The children all came to stay at the end of the Summer while Mummy had some training to do, and got a head start on their Christmas cards.

It is so nice now I actually have the space for them to sit and craft with me.

Thanks for stopping by, and don't forget to check out the challenge.

Love and Crafty Hugs

Kimx

Thank You

Morning,

When you have the huge amount of cards that I have yet to blog, it becomes difficult to decide which one to share next, so I decided that perhaps I would check out a few challenges to help me out.

The Alphabet Challenge Blog has a brand new challenge for 2023, Thank You, so I thought that would be the perfect way to start.

 Here are a couple of cards made using some more of Jane Gill's stunning floral stamps.

I have several cards to send to thank people for their Christmas gifts, so these will be perfect.

Thanks for stopping by.

Love and Crafty Hugs

Kimx

Many Happy Returns

Evening,

I've got another couple of cards for you tonight made using one of Jane's fabulous floral stamps JGS829 Many Happy Returns.

I stamped and embossed the image onto a piece of watercolour cardstock,

and then used Cosmic Shimmer Icy Pink Airless Mister to colour the image and the background.

The green is also an Airless Mister, Kiwi Twist, which I used to paint the leaves.

I used a ruler and craft knife to trim the panel and then fussy cut around the image before layering it over a dry embossed panel.

The second card was created in the same manner,

only this time I dry embossed a piece of handmade background 

for the panel on the right of the card.

Thanks for stopping by.

Love and Crafty Hugs

Kimx

Roses with Love

Afternoon,

I'm home safe and sound, although definitely not dry. The motorway can be quite a scary place when there is torrential rain and people continue to drive like idiots.

There is always one stamp in any collection that stands out against the rest, and I think for me it was this one in Jane's spring release for Woodware at Creative Expressions.

I love Jane's floral images but I particularly liked this one JGS836 Roses with Love.

I used a variety of handmade backgrounds for my cards

along with various sentiments.

It's still pouring with rain so I think that I will go back to my needlework, or maybe a little cardmaking, or even a crafty granny nap lol.

Thanks for stopping by, 

Love and Crafty Hugs

Kimx

Thank You in Black, White and Green

Evening,

I can't believe that today is the last day of November. How did that happen. The last few months seem to have flown by.

Here are a couple more cards made using one of Jane's floral stamps.

There doesn't have to be masses of fancy colouring to create a card, I just used a stamped and embossed image that I die cut into small squares for these two.

I used the same design in the background as well.

Thanks for stopping by.

Love and Crafty Hugs

Kimx

Three of a Kind

Evening,

I back home safe and sound, and laptop all charged up. 

I recently had to replace the charger when the laptop slipped off the sofa and landed on the charger while it was plugged in, so I think that I might order one that I can leave with the Grandchildren for when I go to stay. I have a couple of drawers in a cupboard where I keep a set of toiletries, underwear and pyjamas to save me having to bring them with me each time, so I think that it would make sense to add a charger into the mix lol.

As I've told you before, when making samples I often have no idea of what I'm going to make. Sometimes I try out an idea or technique in several colours before deciding on which card I will send to Creative Expressions.

I coloured the ribbon with ink to match the stamping, but it was a little messy when placed at the top of the card,

so I decided to remake the card.

Of course it ended up very slightly different to the first one. I also added a strip of the embossed card over the top of the ribbon on the first card to help hide the mess.

The stamped panel on all of the cards have been created using a Misti or Stamping Platform.

Ink the stamp with Distress Inks (or similar) and spritz with water before stamping on to watercolour card stock. The colours will bleed, particularly if you lightly spritz the card stock first.

Clean the stamp, dry the cardstock, and then restamp the image using Versafine Clair ink. By leaving the stamp on the Misti/Stamping Platform in between inking, the image looks as if it has been watercoloured with minimum effort.

Of course you can always add more colour to parts of the image with a paintbrush.

Thanks for stopping by.

Love and Crafty Hugs

Kimx

Sunflowers

Evening,

I've just spent a lovely afternoon chatting with all the fabulous DT at Creative Expressions. It is so lovely to put faces and voices to the names that you see all the time. At least I got to see them. They on the other hand got a blank screen where my face should have been..................me and technology lol. Maybe I'll get to work it out before our next call in the New Year.

I thought that with them in mind I would share a couple of cards that I made using Woodware stamps available from Creative Expressions.

I do love Jane's floral designs.

I used a stencil to create the background on this one, running it through an embossing machine with a rubber mat to get the raised embossed finish.

I used the stencil again on this card but with darker colours along with some Distress Oxide Ink.

I painted this second image rather than using blending brushes and a second layer to the sunflower as I did on the first card.

I also added a thin die cut frame and a sentiment.

I'm looking forward to a new DT box arriving on my doorstep very soon. It's always such fun to open and come up with ideas of what to do with all the amazing things inside.

Thanks for stopping by

Love and Crafty Hugs

Kimx

Fabulous Spotlights

Afternoon,

One of the cards that I shared with you yesterday, was a Spotlight card.

I do love a Spotlight, it is a great way to highlight part of an image on a card,

but it can also be a great way to hide a stamping mistake.

I added a couple of circular spotlights on this card cut from a piece of handmade background.

And of course, you know that I hate waste, so I used the piece of left-over background

to create a second card.

I added a different sentiment to this one.

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy crafting and Hugs

Kimx