Wall Art using Indigo Blue Stamps

Dramatic Eye Stamp 

Indigo Blue Butterfly Collector

Spray Inks

White Embossing Powder

Hi all

I was feeling a bit disappointed that I couldn't got to Ally Pally earlier this month when I saw a post showing that Indigo Blue wouldn't be there either and were offering a discount online instead.
So to console myself I ordered a few new stamps. When I got them I had to put them away for a couple of days (torture).....but then I finally found a bit of time to get messy so I made some art to go in an Ikea Frame that was sitting in the hallway ready to go back as I didn't need it (!).

I started by using spray inks by Oak House Studio in yellow, pink, blue and purple. Then I added some Dusky Concorde ink around the edge and a little black. Then I used the edge of my new eye stamp and some older stamps from the Butterfly Collector set, stamped them with Versamark and embossed with some white embossing powder.

On another piece of sprayed card I stamped the whole Dramatic Eye image with black Archival. Once dry I added some white Signo Uniball pen to make the eye come alive. I wrote some words with a black calligraphy pen on spare card then layered all onto a light cream then black card.

I played about with them and added them all onto the background layer, then added this to a 12 x 12 piece of purple card.

I popped the whole thing into the Ikea frame (only £9) and here it is....a gentle reminder when things get a bit tricky!

Hope you like it. Suz x

Journal 52, week 22 - cards

This was a tricky prompt to start with. So I just took out a box of children's foam playing cards that I bought for 75p in a sale somewhere (one of those 'oh they'll come in useful' purchases, lol). I initially looked at using the Queen of Hearts but the picture was a bit naff. I then looked at the Ace of hearts. I decided the heart in the middle could be a mouth - and I built up the rest of the page from there, trying not too think about it too much!.

I painted over the foam card with white Gesso. Once dry I used a Micron pen to form a mouth around the central heart. Then I drew in the rest of the face, coloured the eyes with a Sharpie marker and used a white Sakura pen to add highlights to the eyes and mouth.Beside it is a pic of another Ace so you get an idea of how they were before the painting.

 I drew in the neckline and highlighted the other hearts and the upside down A.

Once I was happy with the face I added it to a spare card blank....it made me think the face looked framed with hair. I added 'earrings' and some writing. 

 I roughly placed the card onto a journal page and worked out where I wanted to paint some fowers so they were beneath the card. Took off the card, completed the background and then added it back in in as the focal point. Before taking the final pic at the top I cleaned up the A and heart a little and extended the shoulder line to fully meet up with the card. I really liked the way it turned out. And I was very pleased to finally find a use for one of the foam cards.....only another 53 to go!
Suz xxx

April workshop - parchment embossing and aperture making

Hi all

Been a bit busy lately so this is a quick post to show you how we made today's workshop card.
I wanted to do a different shape this time and have an aperture that would focus on the technique of this month which was embossing velum. I knew of several ways to make aperture cards, but then I came across a wonderful simple step by step tutorial through good old Pinterest:  http://frommycraftroom.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/gate-fold-window-card-tutorial.html

This quick and simple method made it possible to combine both the shaped card making and the parchment embossing in a 2 hour class - so big thanks to Norma for sharing.

First thing we did was to have a practice of embossing parchment on some scraps to get a feel for the pressure needed to get the best results. Then the girls chose a 'sticky stencil' to work with and embossed onto a circle of parchment. You could just as easily trace and transfer a design but this was a fab quick method for the class. They we added a tiny about of Cosmic Shimmer around the entire edge of the circle and added the white scalloped frame which would hide the glue. Then these were glued onto a large circled of teal paper from Papermill Direct , I bought a batch of card from these guys recently and the colours are beautiful, price very good and it scores wonderfull with no cracks. This matches the card base which is A4 gatefold scored with the aperture cut as per the link above

 I then showed them the method Norma had used for creating the aperture but I did these while they carried on working on the rest of the project steps 

 Then we added some patterned cardstock to the inside of the card from Docrafts Papermania Capsule collection (EAu deNil). We decorated the edges of the card using a white Signo pen to frame and contrast and added punched flowers, gems and pearls to decorate. A sentiment to finish off and there you have it. Suz xxx

Don't trim cards while you are talking on the phone!

Here is a 50th birthday card for another lovely lady. 

Across the background I used a wash of watercolours. I drew a Roman style column and then used the 'Folk It' techniques to paint the flowers cascading down. I doodled a large letter L (Roman numeral for the number 50) added some white Signo Uni-Ball pen, some gems and that was it really. 

The only slight problem being that while I was cutting the card down to fit the 8x8 card blank my Mum called. Instead of waiting until I was off the phone to trim down the card I carried on and made a real 'pigs ear' of it, taking too much off the top and side. 

Such is life, bet you've all done it at some point - or should I say "Et tu, Brute?". Hahaaa. Suz xxx

New Home card

This quick card for my cousin's daughter who's just bought her first home with her fiance, was made using a set of stamps from The Artistic Stamper called "Our House", designed by Kathleen Fullman. 

I love this set as it is so easy to use for 'paper piecing'. 

Stamping onto various patterned and coloured backgrounds, cutting them out and mixing and matching the roofs and buildings can give you enough houses for several cards in one go.

Before I stuck down the houses I tore some inked green card and glued that on leaving the tops open so I could slide some of the houses behind. The front house I lifted off the page using foam tape.

I stamped the words onto white card and cut them in the shape of clouds and I doodled squiggles around the card to frame it and coloured in the diddy circles with a white Signo Uni-Ball pen. I also cut the doors open on a couple of the houses and wrote little messages inside. 

Good quick fun. Suz xxx

Quick card using PaperArtsy stamps on a geli print background and a Dylusions Stencil

Hi all
Not had much chance to blog recently....stuff happens. But having had stuch a fab time at the Hobby Craft and Stitches day at the NEC Birmingham on Tuesday, I thought I should get back into the groove! And while I'm at it I'll enter it into the Craft Stamper challenge which for this month is Stencilling. Love this months issue.

I recently found out a neighbour has been diagnosed with breast cancer and wanted to make her a bright pretty card. Having got my hands on one of the soon to be released stamp sets ESN14 by Sara Naumann from PaperArtsy I knew exactly what to use. I'm also planning my next workshop which will be based around using stencils so those two things together helped me come up with a quick and simple plan using dye based inks.

I stamped the images onto a gelatin plate print (made just by brayering DecoArt Quin Voilet and Titanium white onto copy paper). Cut these out (while waiting for the kettle to boil - always multi tasking!!!).
On a piece of white card I stencilled through the Dylusions Luscious Leaves stencil usint Spun Sugar then Pickled Raspberry distress inks in alternate directions.
I then added a strip of ribbon, adhered the flowers, added glass beads to the middle, some pink gems to and a stamped sentiment. I used a white acrylic paint pen to the base kraft card to make dots and a Signo Uniball pen for the wiggly lines. Finally adding the decorated white card to the base card.  I should have taken more time to ensure the sentiment looked straighter, but then it is a handmade card and I know my friend will appreciate it just the same!

Have fun all.
Suz
xxx

Tree treat boxes

Made these little tree treat boxes as gifts for my workshop ladies. I designed the boxes so the lids could slide up wire so that I could pop a treat in them.. Bit fiddly as I'd decided to use jewellery wire and beads as a decoration on the mechanism, but this did mean they could hang from a tree. I thought the fiddliness was worth it as they did look lovely, if I had been making less of them I'd have added even more beads! I didn't take step by steps so I've made a tutorial with pics below.

You can make these boxes any size.
1. Punch 6 circles out of lovely papers,....

....then another from scrap. Fold the scrap circle in half one way then the opposite way. Draw a line from the ends of two lines and cut a square this size to fold your circle over.

 If you want to make the inside circle defined, then fold the circles TOWARDS you over the squares, that makes them really easy to run the ink over with a blending tool or ink pad.
If you are not inking then fold the opposite way.

 I find it helps to decide which circle will be the top and I use the least blingy circle for the bottom. I line them up and then take two at a time in the order they will stick and punch a hole through for the wire.

I use a glue stick for speed, and as I use paper that is strong enough. I stick the bottom and sides so that the punched holes line up - but not the top as this runs free up and down the wire (see main image above).

 Then I glue the two other sides which don't need holes.

 This is a pick of the bottom, with all sides and bottom glued

And this pic is with the box upright and just needing the wire, beads and lid added.

 I put the lid in place, thread jewellery wire through from the top, down each of the two sides, adding the beads before threading through the final hole at the bottom and back up twisting the wire to secure (have a look at the main pic). Then the lid will slide up and down the wire so make sure the wire is long enough for a generous handle - this also means it can be hung from a tree or other decorative object if yo u wish! PLEASE IGNORE THE PIECE OF PAPER WITH "BOTTOM" WRITTEN ON IT¬  as that relates to previous steps. 

Voila! Have fun, Suz xxx