Poppies

These red poppies always cheer me up. For some reason it is tricky to get this to stamp well but when it works, it is a lovely stamp. I am not sure who makes it - I have had it for about 10 years now and it is unmounted so there is no brand name on it. I have stamped it in black and then used the Twinkling H2Os to colour it. I embossed the red card with my Cuttlebug. I am not convinced that it is the right texture for this stamp but I wasn't sure which one to use instead. Next time I will try a different embossing plate.

A bird in the bush

This card was created with one of the new Cuttlebug folders for the background. The stamp is a new one from Memory Box. Birds seem to be really popular at the moment and I love the style of this one. I have stamped onto an oval (cut with my nestabilites) and then restamped it and layered on top. This has been layered onto a darker scalloped oval. The background has been embossed onto a gorgeous leaf green metallic paper and layered onto a dark purple piece. This makes another 'quick' card that can be used for any occasion.

Irises blooming

This springtime card was created for a friend. The irises (Hero Arts) were stamped onto white card with copper Brilliance Ink. This was then coloured using Twinkling H2Os.
The background flourishes were stamped on the green card with Versamark. The long purple triangle is torn from a piece of embossed paper. Isn't it a great pattern. I would love to have an embossing folder with a similar design. Unfortunately it is a piece of commercially embossed paper. The card was finished with a scalloped oval cut with my Nestabilites. Another Hero arts stamp completes the card with the saying.
As you can tell, I enjoy using the Twinkling H2Os as I find they are easy to use and very convenient. I have all mine stored in a storage box that is all divided up into compartments. I have them sorted by colour groups and I can store them there without having to put their lids on.

A 10 minute card

It is always nice to have a card design that can be used for almost any occasion and that can be created very quickly. This is one of those designs. I love the background paper and the colours that I found at my LSS. However you could use any scrapbooking paper. I stamped onto the aqua card with a circular stamp from the Inkadinkadoo Round Frames set. I used Brilliance Pearlescent Jade ink but it doesn't show well in the photo. I find the clear stamps great to use for accurate placement etc but they still don't stamp as well as rubber. I then used my circle Nestabilities to cut the pink and the cream layer. The sentiment was stamped onto the cream and then I sponged the edges with Caramel Adirondack. The layers were assembled with foam dots to add dimension. This is now in the post to a friend who is having a tough time. Hopefully it will cheer her day.

Butterfly in Blue

I have had this stamp stashed away for a wee while (like 2 years...) and hadn't got around to using it. However that all changed this last weekend.
I stamped it in black on white card. I then used twinkling H2Os to add touches of colour to the woman and to the butterfly.
I then trimmed around it including around the edge of the left hand butterfly wing. I mounted it to card with a foam dot under the wing to give a little bit of dimension. All this was mounted a card that has been used in the Cuttlebug with the Swiss Dot folder.

New Cuttlebug folders

After not doing much craft work over the last few months, I have had a creative weekend where I was able to make a number of cards. it was lovely to spend the day just focussing on card making and not having to worry about cooking, kids etc. I joined a couple of friends on a quilting weekend retreat and took along my card making supplies. Today's card is one that uses a new Cuttlebug folder and die combo called Friends Forever. I have used Core'dinations card through the Cuttlebug and then lightly sanded it. The small slider was cut using the Cuttlebug from a piece of card coloured with alcohol ink. I then cut the Hi using the Olivia alphabet dies. I thought that this would make a nice masculine card for any occasion.

Serviette Challenge

On the NZ stampers group we were challenged to create something using a paper serviette and some stamping. I used the top layer of a serviette with old fashioned roses. this was stuck to some card using a xyron and then trimmed. The lady came from a clipart CD that was printed on the computer. The rose was stamped and coloured with pencils and twinkling H2O. A flourish stamp was used on the olive cardstock to add texture. I was thrilled when it was voted as the winner of the challenge. Thanks to Elli for the gorgeous prize that I won.

Asian scenery swap

Recently I took part in the Asian scenery swap on the OSA (Oriental Stamping Group). This was the card that I created for the swap. I wanted to copy the blue and white look of Chinese porcelain. I used a stamp from PSX that I have had for over 10 years. The ink used is Adirondack Denim. I then used a water brush and the ink pad to colour in the stamp. The large text stamp in the background was from StampOutCute. the little red chop was a stamp from the English Stamp Company. I was pleased with the finished card and I have received some awesome items from the other players. To see the other cards visit this page on the OSA website

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright

This lovely tiger stamp is from Onyx Xpressions. I love how he stamps each time. I stamped it in black and then Portfolio watercolour pastels and Twinkling H2Os to colour it. Green ink was brushed on the edges to give a bit more colour. These were then mounted onto a Waxy Cuttlebug background from the latest Technique Junkie newsletter. This was created using the distressed stripes embossing folder. The dark green at the bottom of the card has also been embossed with the distressed stripes folder.

Lighthouses

I had to make a birthday card for a friend yesterday. Her request for her birthday was a piece of artwork with a lighthouse. Well, this is what she got. The stamp is a PSX one that was stamped onto cream paper. I used coloured pencil and Twinkling H2Os to highlight the stamp. This was torn and added to dark blue card that had been stamped with the seagulls. Green metallic paper embossed in the Cuttlebug finished the card once mounted onto a mid blue base card. I like the ability to say Happy Birthday without using a text stamp. The embossing is more subtle and fits into the card design. I was pleased with the layout for this card and plan to use it again.

At the Seaside

Another example of using the Pastel Gesso background from the Technique Junkies Feb/Mar 08 newsletter. I used yellow and blue pastels to create the look of sea and sand. The blue portion of the card was torn to provide the waves. i really like this background technique and have found it very versatile, able to be used with a variety of styles of card. I used a stamp from Hastings Rubber Stamps for the couple. This was coloured using watercolour pastels. this was all mounted onto teal and aqua card.

Altered Playing Card

Yesterday afternoon I got together with a couple of friends for an afternoon of creativity. We all took a idea or project to share with the group. Ali bought along some playing cards to alter using packing tape transfers and this is the result. These playing cards are a nice big size for altering. Firstly we sanded the cards and then I coloured my card with Brilliance ink. A text stamp was added for the background. The photocopy of the wee girl was lightly coloured with chalks. The butterfly wings were made from a photocopy that was transferred using packing tape. The tape was stuck over the image and then soaked in cold water for a few minutes. After soaking you can rub the paper off the tape, leaving a transparent coloured image. This was then attached to the card with a glue stick with the little girl.

Bliss

This is a canvas I created last month for the Valentines Challenge on NZStampers. I wanted to create something in colours other the traditional reds and pinks, hence the aquas and blues. The canvas was painted cream and then sponged with the blue and turquoise acrylic s and Lumiere paints. A scroll stamp has also been lightly stamped on the background. The word has been cut from Bazzill card using a Cricut (not mine though. I would love one but can't justify the cost at present). The heart was stamped with a Hero Arts stamp and then stitched to the canvas. The canvas was then finished with coordinating buttons.

Lunchtime sketch #8

This weekend I decided to have a play with Techno Stamper's lunchtime sketch. Each Monday a new card sketch is given and you are encouraged to create a card using the design. Here is my offering for sketch 8. I wanted to use a word stamp as the small highlight but with a word background it just wasn't going to work. Then I found the button that was just the right colour. Again I have used my new Cuttlebug to emboss the pink strip (crocodile skin texture of course!) and to cut the dark pink behind the button. The stamp is by Above the Mark Rubber Stamps and was lightly chalked to antique it.

Spring butterfly

This three dimensional card was fun to make but awful to photograph. My new digital camera just didn't seem to be able to cope with it so I apologise for the poor photo. The pattern (Spring card template) came from Jana's blog. I trimmed the top of the template so it was straight across the top instead of coming up to a point. I then stamped the butterfly (part of a Tin Can Mail stamp) and coloured with the pencilled twink method from Technique Junkies. This was mounted on top a piece of bright pink paper that I had embossed in my cuttlebug. The corner decorations were cut in the cuttlebug. The whole card folds flat for posting. It is a fun template that could be adapted to so many different uses. I certainly with be using it again. I just hope that I can get a better photo next time.

Card for Katrina

Katrina the cat has just joined my brother's household. She is about 2 years old and a dark coloured tabby. I decided that I would create a card to welcome her to the family. The stamp is from About Art Accents and is called Nap Time. I stamped the cream card with the Essential Glue Pad and then brushed it lightly with several colours of brown and rust chalks. Layered onto rust card and embellished with three brads.

Asian gardens

This is another card made using the oil pastel gesso background from Technique Junkie With this background I also swiped caramel Adirondack over the finished background to 'warm' the colours slightly. The background text and the bamboo leaves are both from The English Stamp Company's Oriental set 1. I am not entirely happy with the card but I am not sure what else to do to it. However my workmates love it so maybe I will leave it as is.

Geisha in pastel

This is the first card that I have made with techniques from the Technique Junkie newsletter for Feb. The background has been created with the oil pastel gesso. I really like the technique but the only downfall is that the pastel tends to rub off the card onto other surfaces. The stamps is by Good Stamps Stamp Good and coloured with pencils blended with mineral spirit.
I have enjoyed this technique and have already made several other cards using it. Keep an eye out over the next few weeks for other samples. I wonder how it would look with black gesso.

Cherry Blossoms

A friend at work wanted a card for her sister to celebrate the birth of the first grandchild. Something soft, delicate and pink was called for. She didn't want a baby card as it was for the grand parents so that ruled out all my baby themed stamps.
I used a Penny Black brushstrokes stamp with a Glue pad. This was the first time I had used the glue pad and was dubious about how it would work. Well, I can now say, the glue pads are great. Chalk sticks, glitter sticks and pearl ex sticks to the stamped image. For this card, I brushed on pink, brown and green chalks to create the softly coloured image. It was then layered to pink and white card and finished with a die cut and embossed butterfly (Cuttlebug)

Beach Belles

Last week I was given a Cuttlebug machine for my birthday. I have had great fun the last few days playing with the machine and its embossing folders. i only have a few folders but I can see I am going to get a lot of use from the machine. I also bought the Cuttlekids alphabet and both of my sons have used the alphabet already for their school projects.
This card was created with a Queen's Dresser Drawers stamp called Bathing Beauty. It was stamped on cream card with Stream Adirondack and coloured with pencils. I Cuttlebugged the background using Diamonds in the rough.

Welcome

Welcome to my blog. I thought that by creating this blog I will be able to keep track of some of the cards and artwork I have made and the techniques that I have used. I recently joined Technique Junkies and have had fun learning some new ways of using my stamping supplies.