CC2 technique 1

Linda Ledbetter of Studio L3 is hosting a series of challenges using Tim Holtz's new book 'A Compendium of Curiosities volume II' and each week she'll post where in the book to find the week's challenge...  Luckily my copy arrived last Thursday so I'm able to play along from the beginning!


This week, the technique is on page 66 (you can buy the book from Tim's website - & while you're there, check out his new website design - very Tim!) & this week's sponsor is Simon Says Stamp.

So, turning to page 66, you can see how to make your own custom foam stamps... I decided to make a card this week, using a couple of the stamps I'd made...  for 'fashionistas' everywhere!  Quite simple, this one; custom foam stamps, a bit of distress ink blending on the background (antique linen, barn door & broken china), a text stamp & a few 'pearls'!!


Back soon!  Kay

Creative Chemistry 101 - afterwards...

So what have I been doing (craft-wise) since my last post?  I've been busy playing & experimenting some more, & doing a few cards for Easter etc
I tried the nostalgic batik technique again...

My first attempt (above) didn't work too well - the card I used was very porous, & the heat embossing of the elephant & the trim didn't work too well!  At first, I thought it was my embossing powder (I noticed after I'd bought it that it said it was for pigment ink) but, as a 'creative chemistry graduate' (!!!) I experimented with different inks & cardstock... It was definitely the card!! And then I got too much water on the card (by the elephant's head) and the card started to disintegrate!  So this ended up just a practice piece, and I took note not to use this card again for this or similar techniques!!! I liked the colours though, and the design!

I tried again with the elephant, stamping & heat embossing onto a small 2 1/4" square canvas...  After I'd inked it up, I used beeswax to seal it - it rather 'lost' the embossing! & I need to perfect adding a top coat of beeswax! but it did work!


So third time lucky!  - I did this card for a friend who likes butterflies ...

Tim's nostalgic batik technique as before - butterflies in vintage photo and trim in dusty concord - both clear embossed.  Then I distressed the background with broken china, dusty concord & vintage photo,  and stamped the 'weeds' over with black soot.  To finish, I used spritz & flick technique.


& now onto Easter... first a very simple card

I just inked the embossing folder with mustard seed distress for the chick, and for the background, I just embossed the card, & then coloured it with distress inks in shabby shutters, broken china & mustard seed.

For the next cards, I cut egg shapes out of card, then used the stamping with reflections technique with the springtime background texture fades and finally sprayed with heirloom gold perfect mist.  I added a die-cut felt bunny on top of some lace & a little bit of 'grass' texture fade (inspired by Tim's Easter tag), but roughly cut the edge to shape (I haven't got any kraft core at the moment).

And finally another Easter card - I wanted a pastel, 'shabby chic' feel to this one.  I used similar techniques to the ones above, but I stamped the texture fade with aquamarine archival using the script stamp from one of Tim's Christmas sets - of course the script is reversed, but because so much is embossed I think it just gives almost a texture to the background...  Again I sprayed it with heirloom gold perfect mist.   I used some printed tissue paper for the 'lace' and die-cut the flowers out of alcohol-inked paper. I used the  bunny from Tim's March tag... and used scraps of the alcohol-inked paper (and one of the tiny flowers) for the bunny's mosaic, and embossed with tattered rose distress embossing powder (the powder seemed to want to stick onto the paper, so I carefully brushed the paper with a small brush!). And I heat embossed the bunny's bow with gold embossing powder to match the flower brads.


So my next two projects must be Tim's Easter & April tags, which I haven't done yet!


Wishing everyone a Happy Easter!!  Back soon!  Kay

curious scrapbookers field guide (2) !

Another project I've completed...

A bit of a 'sidetrack' this one, May had given us the link to Anna's (Finnabair's) website - her work is a m a z i n g !!! I found a 1 1/2 hour 'video' where she created a layout & I was inspired to try similar (it took me much longer than 1 1/2 hours though!).  I had such fun doing this!!  I'm hoping to do one of my Dad as well, sometime!  (Photo is of Mum as a little girl).







And some other finished projects...

2nd scrapbook page - I roughly painted the background paper, which was a bit too vivid for the photos.

A tiny altered 'birdhouse'... the house itself is only about 2 1/2" high & the 'tree' is actually a small diecut leaf!

And finally ...

A simple card with faux stitching...

I'm now working on a canvas... I've got as far as this at the moment...

Basic texture & colours done, flowers etc to add (not sure how I'm going to do them yet though!) we should be getting more ideas from May in the next couple of weeks!

Loving this class!!

Back soon!  Kay

a white Christmas?

Here's my entry for Chocolate Baroque's white Christmas challenge...

So when I decided to enter the challenge, I searched through my stamp collection, and, lo & behold, I couldn't believe that I hadn't got any of Chocolate Baroque's beautiful Christmas stamps! How that happened I don't know!  So apologies to Glenda & Chocolate Baroque (& I will definitely have some by next Christmas!).

Anyway, so working with Tim Holtz's trees stamp, I heat embossed them in white.  I stamped the smaller card on a creamy cardstock, and the larger card on white.  I used iced spruce distress ink (from Tim's Winter Collection) for the background on both.  I was struck by the difference in colour on the two cardstocks!  But whichever cardstock it's on, I think it gives a very wintery feel (just right for a white Christmas!).

PS I love all the colours in the Winter Collection, but I think Iced Spruce is my favourite!

Xmas pudding cup cake card!

Thought I'd use my cup cake dies for Christmas, hence this card ...

And a "reindeer & trees" card (in different colours)!

It's the next guest market at Watford Market tomorrow... & I've decided to offer to personalise the cards, with names (Mum & Dad, Granny & Granddad etc) and/or greetings, "while you wait"...

More soon!

Kay

making Christmas cards? this early?!

So, I've been making Christmas cards!  In October/November!  Unheard of! (I'm usually making them in December, ready to send off 1st class as I've usually missed the 2nd class posting date!).  But Watford Market has got a guest market which I'm doing (first one was on Saturday), next are November 19th, December 3rd & December 17th, so I though I'd better make a start!  Here are some of my new cards...



stamped



stamped & coloured





stamped, stencilled background

stamped



die cut







And not forgetting a few new(ish) birthday cards! 

die cut



die cut



stamped on card & paper



stamped & coloured





More soon (when I've had some more ideas)!