More card ideas....and a video!

Hi everyone, I've been playing with Lin's new stamps again and have created a few more samples...and as they are fairly simple and quick, I've made my first video tutorial!

As there are a few samples to share, it's about 10 minutes long so if you've got the time grab a cuppa and enjoy.....all feedback and comments welcome.

Close ups and finished cards

Stamping in watering can archival ink, gold paint, and the embossing powder is gold sparkle

All of the large stamps work so well as a base for collaging the smaller stamps onto.

So simple and quick

'Inspire' works just as well with the leaves as it did with the butterflies in my last post...

...and yes it is probably my favourite.

Thanks so much for dropping by, not sure how long before my next video, it does take a bit of work especially when you are learning from scratch and filming on a makeshift tripod that looks very Heath Robinson! Have a lovely creative time whatever you are doing.

Flora..

Following on from the 3 leaf cards I posted yesterday...a quick post to show the remaining 2 cards I made.

 I added some stamping and further colour to the flowers....

...and some gold embossing to the centres.

Edited...Just realised it qualifies for SOC here, so I'm linking the above card in!

This last card is a 21st...it may not be traditional but I hope she'll like it.

Thanks so much for stopping by, I read and appreciate all your comments. Hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Baby wipes part 2

Hi, following on from my Stamps and Stencils post here, just thought I'd share a few of the CAS cards I made with the leaves...

below...

One of the lovely things about this is that you have a choice of the reverse, although blue leaves may be slightly odd!

All 3 cards have a milled lavender swiped background, some gold fab foil on to stamp and bond and a sentiment in spanish moss versafine.

I also added a little more colour to the leaves.

I tried to capture the shine from the foil...which is why they are all taken at the same angle.

I made a couple more cards in the same style using the baby wipe flowers and I'll post them tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy creating!

More houses...

With several hours to spare...as opposed to my usual last minute, I'm entering this in the current 'Paint' challenge over at PaperArtsy. It's inspired by Sue Carrington's trio of houses post here and combined with a textured white background again.

I covered a piece of grey board with sticky back canvas and masked off a border.

 I couldn't find a suitable stencil in my mahoosive stash so resorted to masking off part of this stencil. After applying grunge paste I coated it all with gesso.

I had an idea to make some quirky trees however my first idea used the 'ladybird' shape which was too big but just thought I'd share as I think it looks like an alien weeble.......for anyone that can remember. I also made some fencing but decided not to use it in the end.

 I coated card with snowflake before stamping the trees so it wasn't too stark a contrast and the houses are stamped onto chalk painted card. I've also stamped and painted with zesty zing, hey pesto, glass blue, bougainvillea and tangerine twist.

I really like using these 2 stamp sets together and always enjoy using paint in this way. Thanks for stopping by to see my quirky houses with their quirky trees. 

'Alphabet Soup'

Hi, it's my turn to set the challenge theme over at ATP Exchange this time. It's a mixed media challenge and you can make anything you like but you must include some stamping (no digi images though). The winner chosen by the DT will receive a £10 voucher from our sponsor The Artist Trading Post......so Alphabet Soup??

The idea for this challenge came about when I was looking at some leftover chipboard numbers and letters on my desk, so this time I'd like to see you use numbers or letters in some way other than making a word or marking an anniversary with them. For my piece I've used chipboard pieces and stamped letters.

I started with a 6x6 canvas board and adhered numbers and letters to the whole of it.

I then coated the whole piece with 2 coats of Golden gesso....quite like the idea of a white canvas with just numbers and letters...anyway next step.

 For the stamped images I have used the new Lin Brown house stamps ELB14 and for the fencing I've used the long strip stamped twice from Darcy's new set EDY13

I've stamped the large house on smoothy card using the solid stamp, firstly in chalk fresco and then the roof had a mix of bougainvillea first, then over stamped with a touch of london bus. 

The house was stamped onto stone/taupe fresco painted card with a paperartsy mini set, masking portions off. The heart I added. The fence was stamped on chalk fresco painted card. Finally the words were stamped and applied. The idea came from  a saying I'd seen of House + Love = Home.

Please hop over here and see the fabulous makes my teamies have come up with, I love what they've done. I hope you'll then look at letters and numbers differently and be inspired to join in the challenge. Thanks as always for stopping by. x

CAS meets Steampunk!

Hi everyone, thanks for all the lovely comments you've left recently. A quick post from me today. Just thought I'd share a card I'd been asked to make. Sometimes keeping it simple is what's requested ....hence the title. I thought I'd take the opportunity to combine it with the current challenge over at SanDee & amelie's  blog which is 'Three's my lucky number' .

I hope it scrapes in as an entry...definitely a trio and watch, cogs and grungy background with gilding fit the steampunk bill......just hope it's not too CAS!!

The background is a brayered acrylic ink one from a recent post, with a little florentine treasure gold over the embossed areas. Thanks for stopping by.

Happy St.Stephen's Day

I really don't know where the time goes, every year I say I will be organised for Christmas but this year was no different.....only this time it was making family cards late on Christmas Eve! A quick post because I just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas....

and a ....

Ruth x

'Turning Japanese'

For those over a certain age a song may now be stuck in your head...sorry!

It can be a bit of a challenge making male themed birthday cards but my son quite likes Japanese styled things so here's a simple card I created for him. I thought I'd share it with you because I used luminarte silks to transform some cardstock.

The paper and card stock I used has been in my stash for years....and I mean years, in fact I think the Japanese calligraphy paper is some of the first paper I bought. The card stock has an embossed effect and I do like to experiment so thought I would see how the glazes worked on it.

They worked fabulously! I used persimmon and monarch gold and they gave a lovely golden, plum and indigo hue. I was able to use a slightly damp tissue to wipe the glazes off the embossed areas. I originally intended to use the card stock as a backdrop for the flowers I used in the previous post which were made out of DCWV  far east paper (hope I'm not the oldest blogger in town and there are others who recognise this stash from the past?)

Once altered it just toned in with the papers better than navy but then the oriental flower creation wasn't to be. However I really liked how the card stocks colour altered depending on the light so decided it could work as part of a male card combined with a good dose of black and gold. I added the tokens and the 2 motifs are cut from some oriental paper from the same stash. No stamping just fairly simple papercrafting.....with a bit of messy play thrown in!

'Orange'

I bought one of the new Ellen Vargo stamp sets (EEV06) when I was at the Doncaster Show at the weekend and I've been playing with them alongside my current ones.

In a previous post I made a master board, primarily with PA paints. This time I've used pan pastels and added some texture with gold embossing, and highlights with a white Posca pen. It was just about having some fun and hoping to create some more abstract cards for my stash which seems to be emptying as fast as I fill it.

                                                          Hopefully you can see various layers building up.

Apologies light was poor on these photos.

I'd cut the master board at this stage

I started by using purple tones on a tag, then decided to make 'inchies', so I have some options for a variety of cards...hopefully I'll show you the results at a later stage. 

Detail also showing I've used EEV02 and a paperartsy mini (28) that jumped in the basket as well...honest!

I chose Orange so I could enter this in the current 'Flaming June' challenge over at 'Creative Corner'. I'd originally though I might make something vintage for this but changed course when I decide to combine it with the 'Sunday Stamper' challenge... theme 'Friend' . You'll have to read Hels post to see why I was inspired to use Ellens stamps, not that I needed much persuasion. So I am entering the card in both challenges.

You might recognise this composition from when I made master board cards before..it just seems to work...for me. Thanks for stopping by.