I Love Saturdays

Evening Everyone,

I do love a Saturday. Of course it is the weekend and I don't have to be at work, and every other week I get to be with the littlest Grandchildren, but then on the other week I get to spend several hours crafting with some lovely ladies.

Today was one of those Saturdays. We drink copious amounts of tea and coffee and eat biscuits even though we shouldn't, but most importantly we chat, laugh and play with crafty goodies.

Today it was stencils, like the one used in the background on this card.

I always try to make sure that there is something for everyone, and so this time as well as a drawer full of stencils, I took along some stamp sets that have matching stencils to help make colouring the images that much easier.

This particular set called Choose Hope is from Pink Fresh Studio and has a co-ordinating die available as well as layering stencils.

I think you will agree that it makes a rather lovely focal image on a card. I added some extra die cuts for added dimension, along with some gems and a sentiment strip.

Everyone seemed to have a wonderful time, and I have loads of extra bits to finish off, which is going to be my homework for tomorrow, so I had better get some shut eye now.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs Kimx

Before Alcohol Lift Inkpads

Evening All,

One of my favourite new products from 2019 was the Alcohol Lift ink pad. A fabulous product which not not only lifts an image from a piece of alcohol inked background, but also enables you to stamp the image onto another piece of card stock. A twofer.

Long before it came on to the market it was possible to create and lift an impression from a piece of alcohol inked background using an archival ink pad.

Unfortunately this technique does not result in a twofer, but it does give you some fabulous results.

These cards were made using alcohol inked acetate. The floral images were stamped onto the inked side of the acetate using Archival ink which is then removed with a piece of  kitchen paper or a cloth. This removes the alcohol ink, although the images can sometime look a little grey from the archival ink.

This final card was made using a piece of photographic paper stamped with images that were then cut out and layered onto a card over a fancy die cut.

We will definitely have to play with Alcohol inks again, they are such fun, in the mean time its stencils tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great crafty weekend.

Hugs Kimx

Playing with AALL and Create

Evening All,

Today has been much more my type of weather. As my Mum text me this morning "You got Your Wish ", although I'm not sure that I want it to last until the 27th, as the weather app is telling me!! Of course Mum will now be blaming me for the new lake that will appear in her back garden!!

I find it very hard to get motivated in the hot weather. I definitely wouldn't cope in any of those very hot countries. I would spend all my life indoors in a darkened room. Makes me sound like a vampire - which would of course account for my very pale and pasty exterior. no suntan for me lol. 

To make up for the rain, let's have a couple of bright cards. I have been working my way steadily through my stash of cards. The only problem is trying to remember exactly how I managed to make them.

This one was created quite a while ago using some fabulous stamps by AAll and Create along with Distress Oxide inks.

There was plenty of inking, stamping and spritzing going on I seem to recall, along with some colouring and fussy cutting.

This one was also made in the same manner with some fussy cut flowers layered over an inky background.

Thankfully it is Friday tomorrow. I need to get everything together for class on Saturday, and do some last minute playing of course.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs Kimx

Embossed Resist for Your Special Day

Evening All,

I have been rather looking forward to the rain that the weathermen have been promising us for today, and at 8pm on the dot it arrived. I know that it sounds mean, but I really don't cope very well in the heat, so I am really hoping that it takes the temperature down a bit. And of course the gardens all need it so it isn't all bad.

Here are the last couple of cards from the class on Resist and Distress Oxides. 

For this first card I have used some basic white embossing and the 'Mop Up' technique along with a load of fussy cut leaves.

For this card I stamped and embossed some stripes using clear embossing powder over the top of a dry piece of mop up background. Once the embossing has cooled, blend more Distress Oxide ink over the top of the panel and buff away any excess ink. I added some die cut wildflowers and a stamped sentiment to finish this card.

It's still raining nicely, although I can't say that it is any cooler yet.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs Kimx

Checkered Borders

Evening All,

I've got a few cards tonight, each with a hand drawn checkered border of frame added to them.

I added some extra doodling to the flowers on this panel along with a border to the main embossed background.

I added a frame to this Hobby Art floral stamp and then matched it to the backing paper.

Same Hobby Art stamp, different sized frame and a fussy cut flower.

I created a frame around the balloons on this card and also a sentiment border to the main card.

Once again the same Woodware balloon stamp with checkered border. 

Another Woodware stamp with an added border. It is amazing how you can change the look of any stamp just by adding a border to it. Why not give it a try.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs Kimx

Holly Wreath

Evening All,

I've got a couple of Christmas wreaths to share with you tonight. 

I have several sheets of stamped and embossed images from way back, and these cards were made with some of them.

Of course I had to add a bit of extra stamping to the background panel.

Now if only these would cool things down a bit then that would be all good for me.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs Kimx

White Embossed Resist

Evening All,

Another swelteringly hot day. I really don't cope very well in this heat. I hope that you all had a good weekend though.

Here is a card that I made for the last class to highlight the use of the Distress Oxides with resist techniques, in this case White Embossed Resist. 

The stamp is by Lisa Horton, and has been stamped and embossed in white before blending ink over the image. I spritzed the panel with plenty of water, and then let it dry naturally.

We had a wonderfully impromptu 'Non BBQ' at Becki's today, all cooked in the kitchen, hence the 'Non' bit. The kids had a whale of a time. They cope so much better than I do in this heat.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs Kimx

Christmas Stockings

Evening All,

And a very late one it is too. The kids often have movie night on a Friday or Saturday. The chance to stay up a bit later than normal to watch a movie with popcorn. For some reason it just seemed to go on particularly late tonight. We still won't get a lie in I don't expect, not from Jack anyway.

We finally managed to get the panels that the girls coloured a while back made into Christmas cards.

They each picked the embossing folder that they wanted,

and helped turn the handle on the embossing machine.

They want to make some more cards. They both love to watch Jennifer McGuire clips with me, and Emma was quite taken by one of her rainbow backgrounds, so I have promised to sort out some ink pads for her so that we can copy them next time I come to stay.

Off to bed now, it sounds like everyone is finally asleep.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs Kimx

Stencil Flowers

Evening All,

Well I managed to get to my daughters for my babysitting weekend in one piece. No trips or stumbles, and an enthusiastic greeting from all of them which is wonderful. Chloe has fussed around me like a mother hen, wanting to fetch my 'blue and black thing' (my splint), and telling me off for not wearing it all the time, even though I don't have to anymore. Aren't children wonderful :0) 

We are playing with stencils next weekend in class. They are such versatile things and can be used with a variety of products.

These cards were made using a floral stencil and alcohol inks.

They were also run through an embossing machine to which gives them extra dimension.

We will be using inks with the stencils this time, but I'm sure that we will play with them in other classes just like this one.  As I said they are so useful.

I added a die cut sentiment to this card, cut from glitter card.

Better get to bed, I'm bound to get an early morning wake up call lol.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs Kimx

Autumn Leaves

Evening All,

I toyed with posting a couple of Christmas cards this evening to try and bring the temperature down, but in the end I went with Autumn instead.

These were actually made after last weeks class on Distress Oxide inks and resist. Not multiple Resist this time just a good old black embossed image, blended inks and some fussy cut leaves.

This card used white embossing to resist the blended inks.

Better go and pack my rucksack, it's my weekend with the Littlies, so there will be very little rest lol.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs Kimx

Floral Sparkle

Evening All,

Another scorcher, and I was mad enough to go to the gym with my friend. It's no wonder that I am struggling to stay awake lol.

So just one quick card tonight, before I fall asleep. The background was created with a couple of colours of Cosmic Shimmer Airless Misters and some clingfilm.

Once the ink had dried I removed the clingfilm and trimmed the panel into a square before adding a frame created with a new Sue Wilson die.

The wildflowers are cut in black using a new Sizzix die. Such an easy card to put together, but I think the wildflowers compliment the background perfectly.

Thanks for stopping by. 

Hugs Kimx
 

The last of the Maker Mania samples

Evening All,

Another gloriously sunny day, way too hot for me I'm afraid.

I thought that I would share the last of the cards that I made for Janice and Andy using the embossing folder and stamp set from the Maker Mania weekend.

This is a gorgeous 3D embossing folder used with Distress Oxide inks.

I inked the folder with Distress Oxide inks and spritzed with water before adding a piece of white card and pressing the folder closed with my hands to transfer the ink to the card stock.

This was actually one of the first pieces I created using the embossing folder and inks. I used too many colours so they went rather muddy and it was going to be binned until I decided to sponge on some extra ink.

I used some Altenew inks with these stamps in true layering fashion. I also added some extra fussy cut flowers to the stamped panel.

This panel again used the Distress Oxide inks and the 'Smack Down' technique. 

A little multiple stamping along with some clear embossed images. I also used mica powders on the images on the base card.

I know that there is a particular name for this type of card, but I can't for the life of me remember it. 

I created the panel with the multiple resist technique on glossy card stock and then used stitched rectangle dies to cut the panels which were matt and layered onto white before putting the panel back together.

I had such fun playing with this set, and was thrilled to be involved in such a fabulous weekend. Let's hope it happens again next year. I'm looking forward to it already!!

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs Kimx

Black Magic Embossing Folder

Evening All,

Well I made it through my first day back at work........... just. I must confess that I have worn my splint for most of it, and my hand does ache a bit, but it's hardly surprising after 3 weeks off work.

It has been lovely to see how many people have missed me, particularly one of the girls who can now go back to her usual evening shifts instead of covering my stupidly early ones. 

The amazing Maker Mania 3 finished last night, so here are a couple more cards that I made for Janice and Andy using the Black Magic technique, this time using the 3D embossing folder from the kit.

I coated the inside of the folder with white ink and then placed a piece of black cardstock inside before running it through an embossing machine.

After that I coloured over the white images with my watercolour pencils. Any type of pencil seems to work although the colours are stronger with some types. Just give it a go with whatever you have.

With this second card I embossed another piece of black cardstock using the white ink pad only this time using the other side of the folder. 

I coloured and fussy cut the floral images and then layered them over a further piece of black cardstock which had been embossed inside the folder and then gently coloured with the gilding wax that was also part of the pack.

I am really pleased with how these turned out, particularly the first one which I think was probably one of my favourite samples from those that I did.

I definitely need an early night tonight, I didn't sleep very well last night and it's going to be a very long week lol.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs Kimx

I've Done My Homework

Evening All,

I hope that you have all had a good weekend, even if the weather has taken a turn for the worse. I could have done with it being a little cooler yesterday when we were at class, but as usual it was boiling hot then, and much cooler today.

At least I have been able to get my homework finished, and a little bit of sorting out as well.

We did a class on Multiple Resist on Saturday only we used Distress Oxides which led to a slightly more chalky finish to the panels.

I used up every last bit that I had created while showing the Girls the technique.

It works particularly well with leafy stamps, and not necessarily what you might think of as leafy colours.

I even found a card in my stash that I made years ago using normal dye based ink pads and a wood mounted stamp.

Amongst my pieces of homework is a card created from a panel that one of the ladies created, but didn't like. It was going to be consigned to the bin so I asked if I could make something with it. I hope that she likes it.

Oh dear, look at the time, I really must get to bed if I'm going to be up on time tomorrow. It's been a long time since I got up at 3.30am. I will be shattered by the end of the day.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs Kimx