Oriental Poppy #2 Tag

The Oriental Poppy & Script image is clearly very popular, and this is a different take on the theme. I finally found out where I got this from- it was featured recently in Craft Stamper Magazine. It is Aspects of Design, Floral 01, from The Stampman. Here it is stamped on an alcohol ink background, in Black & heat embossed. I cut this into a tag, and cut a slightly larger tag from black glitter paper to matt it on to. I added a chinese coin, and the two little black sticks are cut down cocktail sticks, rolled on an embossing pad and dipped into black embossing powder, then heated! I tied a little red raffia around them, and attached them and the coin with a dab of silicone glue.A few strands of red & black fibres finished off the tag. The paper that covers the base was part of a roll I bought years ago one Christmas at the Hobbycrafts show at the NEC. I added three small coins, which have a little hanging loop at the top, so I secured them with a little bronze coloured brad. A narrow black ribbon was tied in a knot on the left side.
                        I often use a knotted ribbon when I am making a card with no particular person or occasion in mind. I think that knotted ribbon works o.k. on mens cards, whereas a bow is definitely more female. It just means I have a little more flexibility with who I can send it to. That is also why a lot of my cards have no sentiment on them- I add that when I need it.
  I seem to have my mojo back, I have been struggling to make enough time to get into my cards lately, and trying to squeeze them in just hasn’t been working for me.

WOYWW #114

First on my desk this week is another map card.The maps are from a set available from Stamp & Go.com, SIFS65,which features 6 maps, some waves, a couple of ships, and a ship in a bottle. It was stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black onto an alcohol ink background then cut into a mosaic and matted onto black card. The two tags use a stamp from Artifacts, The Stamp Bugs own stamps, Spirit of Adventure Collage. Just went to their site to get the link, and their u.m stamps are on sale at the moment, with 25% off! The Time & Tide stamp is by Paper Artsy, Clocks plate 3, which also features some of the stamps in the third picture I have posted. I sponged old Paper, Antique Linen & Walnut stain Distress inks onto some script background paper and both tags.

  The second card is again using alcohol ink backgrounds, and the Crafty Individuals stamp from a couple of posts ago. The square card base was covered in paper from Dovecrafts Aquamarine Floral Prints paper pack.

Here are some of the clock images from the Paper Artsy plate, stamped onto Distress inked card, cut out then the ‘glass’ created with Glossy Accents. The card was coloured by swiping Distress inks onto a craft mat (mine came from Poundland, a baking sheet) spritzing with water then wiping the card/tag across the ink. Here is a link to Tim Holtz showing how he does it. The clock hands have been cut out using the Silhouette, using a ‘dingbat’ font that features clocks & timepieces.Have a great Wednesday, and if you are new to this idea, visit the Amazing Julia Dunnits Stamping Ground and join the fun.

           The main image (Illuminata, Inkadinkado) was stamped in Black Stazon on an alcohol ink background, using Blues & Purples from the Earthtones palette , with Copper Mixative. I also stamped it onto a pastel background, also in blues & purples from the Lights palette.
The background panel is a Magenta stamp, 26019-R, stamped and heat embossed in gold on black paper. The  darker Illuminata image was matted onto black card, then mounted on top of the Ornate panel. Then I cut and punched some random sections of the pastel print, coated these in Glossy accents and sprinkled with a few seed beads.These were then stuck over the corresponding parts of the original image, some with glossy accents, so they sit flat on the surface, and some with a little silicone glue to add dimension.

 Some blue eyelash wool was wrapped around the front of the card, and the phrase’ Unique Art’, Paperartsy, was stamped onto some offcuts of the Alcohol inked image.  I stamped the two words separately, by covering one with lowtack tape while I inked the other word, then peeling the tape off before stamping.They were then heat embossed using Black detail powder. This allowed me to cut both words into a tag, which had a copper eyelet added before being threaded onto the eyelash wool & knotted in place. This is being entered into The Stampman Challenge, #26, Alcohol Inks and optional sketch.

Happy Birthday Marg

This card couldn’t be posted until today, as it was for my co- Mother-in-Laws birthday, known to all of you as Silvercrafter.  The Crafty Individuals 4 Birds stamp was stamped onto an alcohol inked background, made using Lettuce,Meadow & Espresso ink. The larger panel was sponged with a variety of inks, then overstamped with a selection of grasses stamps. Then I ran it through the Cuttlebug in the Birds & Swirls folder. Both pieces were matted onto dark Burgundy card. The backing paper is a Kay & co one I have had for a long time, a 12×12 piece which features the meaning of flowers.The base was covered with a word printed vellum, and a label cut from Nesties has a stamped sentiment. I added three flowers, together with a couple of skeleton leaves.

WOYWW #94

 Blimey, Wednesday already!! Where do these weeks go? Happy WOYWW to everyone,heres my offereing for this week. Get yourself off to our Glorious Leaders site,Julia Dunnits  The Stamping Ground, if you don’t know what this is all about and come & join the fun- legal stalking & snooping, lol.

   
On my desk this week, is a lot of untidiness!For putting this card together, I have a ball of Eyelash wool, a couple of square punches, my Tim Holtz ruler, and another clear gridded ruler,scalpel, Titanium non-stick scissors, dst, Memento Tuxedo Black inkpad,and Provocraft Silent Setter.

           The main image
(Illuminata, Inkadinkado) was stamped in Black Stazon on an alcohol ink background, using Blues & Purples, with Copper Mixative. I also stamped it onto an oil pastel background, also in blues & purples.

Silent Setter

The background panel is a Magenta stamp, 26019-R, stamped and heat embossed in gold on black paper.This panel was attached with dst to the front of the card base, a square black one.  The Illuminata image on alcohol ink was matted onto black card, then mounted on top of the Ornate panel. Then I cut and punched some random sections of the oil pastel print, coated these in Glossy accents and sprinkled with a few seed beads.These were then stuck over the corresponding parts of the original image, some with glossy accents, so they sit flat on the surface, and some with a little silicone glue to add dimension.

 Some blue eyelash wool was wrapped around the front of the card, and the phrase’ Unique Art’, Paperartsy, was stamped onto some offcuts of the Alcohol inked image.  I stamped the two words separately, by covering one with lowtack tape while I inked the other word, then peeling the tape off before stamping.They were then heat embossed using Black detail powder. This allowed me to cut both words into a tag, which had a copper eyelet added before being threaded onto the eyelash wool & knotted in place.

Next on my desk this week, is another bargain for you. I ordered theses Promarkers on Sunday, from Cowling & Wilcox, and they arrived yesterday.They are a bargain, because at C & W, these 5 packs are only £5.95. The 12 packs are only £11.85. And no, that is not a misprint. They really are that cheap. They do charge p & p, but if you enter this code : PROM211  in the promotional Code box, you will get FREE P&P until April 30th. They have all the packs too, not just a few.

 And thanks to everyone who liked my review of Paper Transformed last week, I am glad it was useful to you. As & when I get time, I will review a few other good craft/stamping books I have for you.
Quick reminder to all here in the UK, the clocks go FORWARD one hour this weekend!!!!

WOYWW #92

 Happy Whats on your Workdesk Wednesday to everyone, if you have found this at random, pop over to the Stamping  Ground to see what its all about, and maybe join in.

 The first of the items on my desk this week is a Mothers Day card, made with an Elusive Images plate, Morning Glory.It was stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black onto an alcohol ink background, then coloured with Promarkers.The base card was covered with paper from the Papermania Antique Cream pad, the image matted onto dark blue card, then layered with foam tabs. Purple dotted organza ribbon tied around the spine. The sentiment was computer printed onto vellum, heat embossed, then
attached to blue card with heart brads.

The second card using the same stamp, this time onto a pink alcohol ink background, matted onto pink pearlescent card. A sheet from The Far East paper pad was used to cover the base card.I used black peel-offs to create the line frame around the panel, and 3 small chinese coins added to the top right corner.

The third card, this time on blue/green alcohol inks. Matted onto dark blue card.The embossed background is a Quickutz embossing folder, Diamonds & Dots, which I embossed to the width of the card by putting the folder through the ‘bug sideways.Dark blue gingham ribbon added, a sentiment stamped and matted onto an offcut of the lattice background, which was cut to a tag shape.I added some narrow blue ribbon tails, and a bow.

                                                                                

This is the card from last week with two of the fibre butterflies added. They were given anthers made from mizhuiki cord, with a tiny bead on the ends. I added a peeloff oriental sentiment, as all the stamps I have were just a little too big for the space.

The last thing I want to share with you, will probably have lots of you rushing off to your nearest branch of The Works!

I found these in there last week- tiny canvases with easel, as you can see, 99p each! The canvas measures 3 1/2 in (9cm)  x1 3/4 in(7cm), and is 1 cm thick. I have a couple of projects in mind for these, for a birthday gift later in the year. Though I shall probably get a few more, ‘just in case’, lol.

Oriental Butterflies

Two versions of the same stamp,which is available as part of a sheet from a couple of suppliers: Tanda Stamps,Far East set 1,where it is also available as a single stamp,and in both rubber or clear polymer, or from Non Sequiteur, Plate 67, Samurai Plate. Apart from the Butterfly block, both plates have different stamps on them. For both cards, the butterfly block was stamped in black ink, then heat embossed, onto alcohol ink backgrounds. The butterflies, flowers and leaves were all painted with H2O’s.For the black & red card, the design was then cut into 8 tiles then remounted onto black card, trimmed then matted onto a second sheet of inked card. The sentiment was stamped onto a scrap, matted onto black card and fixed with foam pads.The butterfly embellishment was made using fusible fibres over the butterflies on the block, then cut out and mounted with silicone glue. An Oriental coin had a length of black/gold mizhuiki cord threaded through it, and was attached with silicone glue in the opposite corner.
This card is an example of how a card can change as you are constructing it, and of the benefits of putting it aside if you aren’t happy- coming back to it later often helps. This one was originally cut into 4 horizontal panels, then re-matted onto black card. I wasn’t sure about it, so left it and completed the blue one.When I looked at it again, I thought the 8 squares would work better, maybe because it seems to mimic the oriental Shoji panels?
For the blue card, the background is printed from a Joanna Sheen cd,Tales of the Orient.The kanji strip on the left was done in triple embossing, using black ink as the base. The sentiment was stamped onto a scrap of inked card, and small black brads added in the corners.

You can’t cross the Sea….

Both main images are from The Stamp Man, the Antique Map, and the Ship Collage  are here.The map is stamped on an Alcohol ink background, the ship on a brayered one in similar shades. Both matted onto black card, the map is mounted with DST, the Ship image is raised with foam pads. The sentiment is from Butterfly Kisses, from a set called Nautical Collage. This is stamped onto a scrap of the Alcohol ink background and matted onto black card. I set it in place with silicone glue, so I could angle it slightly- it is raised from the card base at the top. Two dolphin charms were added, also with silicone glue. The dark blue card base was cut to 15cm square. I have entered this in the Simon Says Stamp & Show challenge for this week- using your newest stamp.

The Last Batch of Christmas Cards

My final batch of cards use a variety of images,all stamped onto alcohol inked backgrounds using Black Staz-on.  All mounted on a base card embossed with the Papermania Baubles embossing folder, using the Cuttlebug.

              The image on these two is from Hero Arts,K4829, Collage  Merry  Christmas.
   The baubles were accented with sticky gems to match the colour of the image.
                       

                

                   

The stamp images are:
    Santa & Girl, Inkadinkado 93146.X,
     Seasons Greetings, Hero Arts, Collage Seasons Greetings, K4827,
        Christmas tree collage, Inkadinkado Illuminata,91277.Y and
         St Nick, Butterfly Kisses clear set, which includes sentiments.

Mainly Monochrome

Stampsmiths Ophelia was stamped in Black Versafine onto an alcohol ink background, created using Stream, Denim and a tiny spot of Cranberry, with plenty of blending solution. She was cut out using a Nestabilities Petite scalloped ovals large and the black matt cut out with the next size up.Using the card that was left from cutting out the image (the negative shape) I marked the position the image would occupy on the front of the card with a light pencil. Two flourish stamps were then stamped in Black Versafine so they would extend out from under the image, sprinkled with sparkly black embossing powder and heat embossed.The Versafine is quite a ‘wet’ ink, and on pearlescent card stays wet long enough to take embossing powder. A third flourish was stamped in the top right corner and also heat embossed.The Ophelia image was stuck to the black matt with DST, then the whole thing stuck to the card front, also with DST.Four flowers, 2 black, 2 white, were stamped with ‘Describe Her’ text in the opposing colour, joined in pairs with a black or white brad and added to the card with silicone glue. Black eyelash wool was used to wrap around the card spine, and as I hadn’t got a stamp small enough to blend in with the card, I used a small peel off in black for the Birthday sentiment.