Three of a Kind

Evening Everyone,

Just to prove that I do own stamps designed by someone other than Jane Gill here are a trio of cards using stamps designed by Francoise Read, also for Woodware.

 I stamped and embossed this beautiful floral vase onto a piece of black card that reacts with bleach.

I used a texture stamp and thin undiluted bleach on a piece of Cut'nDry Felt to stamp all over the image, and then painted parts of the image with the bleach.

This is another of Francoise stamps used on a piece of background created using Distress Oxide inks.

Once again I painted parts of the image with thin undiluted bleach and added a small sentiment.

I've used the same image stamped and embossed onto blue card stock. I made sure that the card would react to the bleach before I stamped on it.

Not all cardstock will react and change when the bleach is applied so I test a small patch in the corner, even applying a little bit of heat from my heat gun to intensify the results.

I painted the image and also stamped on to the piece of background card before layering the panel on to it. I added Glossy Accents to the flower centers and hearts and then a few tiny assorted nailheads.
I have to say that bleach is probably among my favourite techniques.
Hope you have a good day. The weather has been glorious here again.
Thanks for stopping by.
Stay safe and craft.
Hugs Kimx

Happy VE Day

Evening Everyone,
What a glorious day it has been for all the fabulous socially distanced street parties to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of VE Day.
I've been trying to find something suitable to post today, so here is a card that I made a while ago using a lovely poppy image. Lest We Forget.

The background was created during a class on Alcohol inks, Alcohol Lift inkpad and Yupo.

I was showing The Girls how you could reuse the Yupo numerous times to create a background from which to 'lift' an image.

After everyone had used the same piece of yupo and ink colours I was left with a rather dark piece which I had also used to show them how to add foils to.

I decided to cut into the card using a Tim Holtz corner die and then added the stamped, embossed and coloured poppy image. Fortunately it has a co-ordinating die which made cutting it out so much easier.

I also added a die cut sentiment with shadowed background.

I also found another poppy card, this time using a stamp designed by Francoise for Woodware.

I love working with Alcohol inks, but trying to photograph glossy cardstock is a right pain. I have a small light box, but I can never seem to get the angles right so that the strip light in the top of the box doesn't show up.
Enjoy your parties and raised glasses over the garden fence, but please stay safe and follow the rules.
Have a great weekend.
Happy Crafting and Hugs
Kimx

Designer Boutique Stamps on TV

Afternoon,
I hope that you are well. This was supposed to have coincided with Gwen's shows on Create and Craft featuring the lovely new stamps from Designer Boutique under the Creative Expressions umberella, but I nodded off before I could finish writing it it :O)

This is the card that I made for Creative Expressions using the fabulous new 'A different View' stamp from this collection.

I stamped and embossed it onto watercolour cardstock using Jurassic Mixed Media embossing powder.

I sponged over the image with Distress Oxide inks and then buffed it with a piece of kitchen paper before splashing it with a few drops of water.

The die cut sentiment has been coloured with the same inks and then coated in Glossy Accents for added dimension.
Thanks for stopping by, and don't forget to check out the shows on Create and Crafts catch up. Gwen has loads more inspiring samples for you to see.
Happy Crafting and Hugs
Kimx

Seed Pods and Stems - Take two

Evening All,
Well let's try again shall we!!

Here are some of the samples that I loaned to Jane for her TV appearance last week. They use her fabulous Seed Pod and Stems.

I stamped and embossed them in gold on a piece of Pixie Powder background. I also stamped and embossed in black on a piece of white card and die cut a couple of circles which I place over the gold image, exactly matching the flowers. I couldn't see the strip of stamped card go to waste so I added it to the bottom of the panel.

This is also gold embossing onto Pixie Powder background with a strip of stamped and embossed vellum wrapped around the panel.

More Pixie Powders, this time over white embossing.

I have various types of watercolour card, so I was trying the colours out to see which cardstock worked best. But you know me, can't bear to throw anything away.

More white embossing and Pixie Powders, this time with a torn edge to the panel.
As you can see I sometimes get a bit carried away when sample making lol.
I'm going to quit while I'm ahead now. Besides which it's my night to cook, so the kitchen will be calling me very soon I'm sure.
Stay safe, and craft.
Hugs Kimx

Seed Pods and Stems- well I did try!!

Evening All,
Well, at least it will be by the time I get this post finished!!
I realize that there are so many more people surfing the web at the moment, but I am finding it so frustrating. I'm wasting hours of precious time trying to do something that should take me half an hour tops, because the signal keeps dropping in and out. Any bright suggestions would all be grateful received given that I'm very much a dinosaur when it comes to all things computer.
I'm sorry all, I am admitting defeat before I do some permanent damage to a wall or window with a laptop.
I will try again tomorrow.
Stay safe, and no computer homicides lol.
Hugs Kimx

Celebrations Challenge at CCM

Afternoon All,

It's my turn to host the challenge over at CCM this time and we are looking for Celebrations.

Now a 60th Birthday is definitely a good reason for a celebration, and this card was made for a friends sister.

The image is a Simply Print from LOTV called Time for You.

I printed out the image 2 to a page and then cut one out using a dotted circle die and layered it over a Tonic Floral Frame.

The other image was used to fussy cut the little girl and her hat. At this point I decided that I wanted some more of the flowers to embellish the card, so I printed the images out again (2 to a page) and fussy cut all the floral elements, hearts and butterflies.

The sentiment panel is a combination of stamps and a 60th die cut from glitter card using a Julie Hicky Numbers die.

I added the flowers, butterflies and tiny hearts around the sentiment and the rest of the card.

I also added some glitter glue and glossy accents.
I hope that you will find the time to join in with our challenge. I look forward to stopping by and seeing what you have come up with to Celebrate with us.
Stay Safe.
Happy Crafting and Hugs
Kimx

A Blast from the Past

Afternoon again,
I have just been watching Barbara on the TV, and I have had a blast from the past, and even a shout out from Barbara herself.
She has been showcasing her Clever Corners, and lo and behold amongst the samples were some that I made for her way back in March 2010 for her TV appearance then.
Given how timeless these stamps obviously are I thought that it was worth while sharing them with you again.

I haven't been on Barbara's design team for several years now, so it was also very reassuring to know that samples aren't just discarded after a show has aired, they are lovingly kept and showcased again even after all this time.
Thank you for that Barbara, it is very much appreciated.
Must get on now.
Hugs Kimx 

Perching Birds

Morning All,
Not as bright today, but nice weather for walking cause it wasn't too hot, I didn't even mind the few spots of rain that we got either.
I need to work on some samples for Jane's next TV show, so here in the mean time is a card that she took on the telly last week.

This is made using one of her lovely Lino Cut designs Perching Bird .

I stamped and embossed it twice on to a piece of hand made inky background and then the bird section a further three times onto cream card stock.
I fussy cut the birds and added them over two of the stamped images, and the third one at the base of the card.
I added the panel onto some olive green card stock with sentiments stamped and embossed down the right hand side.
Now for playtime. Stay safe and enjoy the rest of your Sunday.
Happy Crafting and Hugs
Kimx

And the Rest is History

Evening Everyone,
I hope that you have had an enjoyable Saturday.
I enjoyed my walk around the park in the glorious sunshine this morning, and then I had the mad idea to sort out my dies.
OMG, how many do I own??
I remember very clearly the day my current obsession with them started. It was a crafty demonstration day and my friend Caz had brought along a Cuttlebug to show us, that she had purchased from America since they weren't readily available in this country.
At that time I had an old Sizzix pump handle style machine that I had been given, but which sat unused on my window ledge gathering dust. Who needed a die cutting machine I remember thinking to myself, until Caz showed us the Cuttlebug in action.
WOW...…..and the rest, as they say, is history.

I wouldn't like to even guess at how many dies I now own, but there are certain ones that get used time and time again, most noticeably my favourite sentiments from Creative Expressions.

Here I have highlighted them with glossy accents which helps them to stand out against the 'smack down' technique background and sunflower cut from Jane's Giant Sunflower stamp.
Maybe I will get to play tomorrow after all this sorting. Jane has another TV show coming up in a week or so and I need to get busy with some samples for her.
Better get some shut eye. Thanks for stopping by.
Stay safe.
Hugs Kimx

Happy Birthday Megan

Morning Everyone,
It's amazing what I forgot I had, in my not inconsiderable stash.
I was reminded of this on Wednesday when I was watching Gordon from beCreative  demoing on Create and Craft.

Today is a very special young ladies 20th Birthday.

Now I knew what image I was going to use for her card a long time ago.

Megan is not a 'flowery' Girl, as I was reminded last year, when a conversation with her prompted a very last minute change of plans for her card. So as soon as I saw this image from LOTV I knew that it was perfect, down to the long hair, and tiny waist lol.

Finding the image was fine, but how was I going to turn her in to a card, and that's when I remembered the stunning butterfly background stamp.

I created a piece of background paper using my Gelli Plate, Hickory Smoke Distress Oxide ink and  Dots and Spots Grunge background stamp from Clarity.

I stamped the 7x7 Butterfly Splash Background onto this using a combination of Hickory Smoke and Black Soot DO inks. This is where a Stamp Platform of some description comes in very handy. It enables you to stamp the image using a variety of colours, one at a time.

I embossed the stamped image with a combination of gold and platinum embossing powders.

Some sentiments completed the card.

I had a strip of the gelli plate background left over so I stamped the Butterfly background onto it and embossed it using a combination of platinum, gold and silver embossing powders.

I stamped the Butterflies again onto a piece of mixed media card using a combination of Hickory Smoke and Black Soot Distress Oxide inks and embossed with clear powder.

I matte and layered both the strip and main panel onto black card and then placed the thin panel directly over the main image, making sure to line them up.

Sentiments matte and layered on black and then added using silicon gel complete this second card.
It will be a strange birthday celebration today. It is also my Mum and Dad's wedding Anniversary. It would have been 70 years this year and of course I won't be able to visit her.
Megan was actually born the morning of their Golden Anniversary and attended their party at a few hours old. She's been a bit of a party girl ever since lol.
Have a great day, stay safe and craft.
Happy hugs
Kimx