Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Decoupage Cards

A new challenge is over on the butterfly blog. It is the turn of using a Technique and this time it's

Here are a few cards for your inspiration. 
On my first one I have gone with making a card 
using  the colours from the wheel of  Dairy Cream/ Dusky Pink/ Dark green. Decoupage/ Diamonds and a Die cut.

I have made a tent fold card shape which you can see in the photo below is self standing.  The stamp I have used is by Woodware 'Cosmos Collection' and I stamped 3 times. The first image creates the die cut base and I then fussy cut elements of the flowers out several times from the further 2 images to create the decoupage effect of the flowers. All coloured using my Graph'it marker pens and a silver gel pen for the relief . The sentiment was part of the same stamp set. Flat diamonds from my stash. The butterfly is a Woodware punch. 

The next one is a Slim line card created using a Die cut called Radiant Rose lily by Tonic Studios. I have used all of
  the colours from the wheel and  Decoupage/ Diamonds and a Die cut. Sentiment is also by Woodware. The die set comes with 5 single sized petals which I cut several times in various sizes and coloured before layering up with 3D dimensionals between each layer. 

A sideways view showing the layering. 
 
Last card using  the colours from the wheel of  Dairy Cream/ Daffodil/ Dark green. Decoupage/ Diamonds and a Die cut.  The stamp set  used is by W plus 9 and includes several butterfly shapes. Coloured using my Graph'it pens and a gold gel pen along with pearlescent chalks. Again i stamped out the flower image 3 times using the first image as the die cut base and fussy cut elements of the flowers out on the other two images to layer up with. The sentiment is from a stamp and die set by Practical Publishing 2020.

You can of course use ready made decoupage sheets which you just need to press out the pieces and layer up via the instructions included on the sheet. You will find a picture of one over on the butterfly blog.

I hope you will find the time to come and have a play. The challenge runs for 3 weeks as usual so will finish on Tuesday 2nd April. 






Friday, March 08, 2024

Straws Anyone!

A friend a while back challenged me to make a card using straws on it Now never one to pass up on trying out something different I bought a packet of drinking straws and sat and had a play and this is the result. 
I made a tent fold card base attached my stamped image to the front and then made a border around the edge by flattening straws and shaped at the corners to give the effect of a fancy photo frame.  The stamp is a favourite of mine by Woodware 'Camellia' and whilst the pattern on the straws is actually of roses they matched perfectly. coloured with my promarkers and dusted with a light coating of pearlescent chalks.  The card does stand up as I made the tent shape with a fold at the bottom. I did mean to take a sideways view showing that but I had sent the card to its recipient by the time I remembered to. 
Entering this card into the following challenges.
Crafts Galore #121 Anything goes.
Love To Craft #79 Anything goes.
Love To Scrap #166 Anything goes.
Patties Creations #216 Anything goes.



Sunday, March 03, 2024

Mixed Media Boards.

I fancied having a go at doing some mixed media using canvas boards for my base. Found everything I needed in my stash so had a play and these are the  results. Quite pleased with the results as this was the first time I had used modeling paste through a stencil and mica mists. I know , I know  I am late to the party but one just can't rush these things!

I covered the boards first with Gesso as they are only cheap ones and then used a stencil and modelling paste. Left it overnight under a radiator and then used a paint brush to apply some green pearls tints. After that I ventured out into the garden and used a pink micca mists randomly to cover.  The house was a chipboard piece that I covered in white paint and the frames were from where I had die cut the white strips (the kind man had  sent me as packaging in my order) mentioned in a previous post. The florals/butterflies are stamps by Julie Hickey again stamped and fussy cut from the white strips.  Buttons are from my button tin which once glued in place given a coating of wink of stella. 
The two heart buttons started out in life as orange with white spots but I covered in gesso  and sprayed with mica powder. The letters again cut from the white strips and painted pink and then wink of stella applied.  I just need to find a couple of matching old picture frames to set them into so I will be having a rummage in the local charity shop for those. 

Had several appointments to go to this past week but only managed to get to one of them as the rest were either cancelled  at the last minute or rained off so have had to be rescheduled.  There is so much surface water around at the moment. The bottom half of the garden is under water with just the stepping stones above it. Lots of flooding around the local roads too. Hope your all managing to stay dry. It is the first day of spring next Wednesday and I can't wait for the nicer weather. 



Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Book Corners.

Another use for your paper scraps. This time I turned my attention to  6 x 6 design paper pads and can't stop making these corner book marks. Really easy to make and also use up more of my white paper scraps for the embellishments.  I read a lot so these are ideal  for keeping my page marked but also when I give the books away to charity I pop one inside for the next reader to use. 

You can get 2 bookmarks per 6" square and the plain insert is a 3" square.  The Butterflies are all from punches but you can use any embellishment  and can make as plain or fancy as you like. 


They also work well for keeping pages of letters together to send. 

The paper here is from a company called Beautiful Writing Sets.Co.Uk and you can find them on Ebay.

This was after just a few days play. I either have a lot of books to read or a lot of letters to write.I could be some time!!

Entering into the following challenges:
Krafty Chicks #704  All Occasions .
Crafty Catz #666 Anything goes /more than one fold.
Creative Creases #76 Anything goes with a fun fold.
Creative Fingers#272 Anything goes.
Allsorts Challenge #769 Things that fly.
Double D Challenges # Patterned Paper
Allys Angels #79 Anything goes.
Creative Artiste #101 Anything Mixed Media.
The Crafty Addicts #10 Anything goes.
We Love To Create #2 Anything goes mixed media. 


Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Faux Cloisonne

A new challenge awaits over on the butterfly blog. It is the turn of using a Technique and this time it's
You will find the instructions on how to make down  below  here after my inspiration cards .

On my first one I have gone with making a card 
using  the colours from the wheel of  Cerise / Camel/ Cardinal, Congratulations and Circles.
The circles are a Card Deco Stitch round die and the sentiment is by Tonic Studios. 
The flower is a Stamp by Hobby Art 'Roses - BK -HA012 which I have coloured using water colour pencils and then blended with a paint brush dipped in water. I stamped using  gold embossing powder and fussy cut the image out after colouring. 

My second card uses the Faux Cloisonne Technique.
I have used the colours  Cerise and Celadon and the sentiment. 

I have used an old shinny calendar for the roses and leaves.  The background is watercolour colour card which I used to mop up some distress inks from my mat. The flower stamp is by Clearly Besotted called Beauty Blossoms. The trellis work is from my pile of white scraps.


Instructions for the Faux Cloisonne Technique.
You will need Magazine pages or any picture which is printed on shiny paper.  I used an old Calendar page for mine above. 
Before stamping your design rub over the picture with either your Embossing Buddy or a little Talc so that the embossing powder does not stick outside of the lines. 

Ink up your stamp using VersaMark ink and stamp on the magazine/ picture.

Pour gold, copper or bronze embossing powder over your image. 

Tap off any excess powder and heat the design using you heat tool until the powder has melted. 


I used a picture which was fireworks for the flowers and trees for my leaves.  It looks a bit fussy and hard to see  at this stage but once you have trimmed around the images you get  the full effect. The flowers look like glass.


I hope you will give the Technique a try as you can get some really stunning effects  from using the magazine pages. 
 
The challenge is running for the usual three weeks.




Monday, February 12, 2024

Another Milestone.

Another milestone reached. This time it is the Butterfly Challenge which has now been going for 10yrs. having  started on 12th February 2014.  There is a challenge going on over on the blog Here which still has 10 days left to run.  I'm showing a card below which has all the colours on the wheel plus  Borders and Best Wishes sentiment. 

Again I have used up more of those white strips to create a border which I hand stitched together. I distressed the edges by tearing down each side of the strips before sewing . The stamp is by Imagination Crafts which I stamped directly onto the base card. Coloured with my promarkers and then attached the border  frame over the top. The sentiment is on the inside of the card and is by Hobby Craft. 


Hope you will find time to come on over and join in the fun with the Butterflies.
Entering into the following challenges:
Scrapping 4 Fun #232 Anything goes.
Allys Angels #79 Anything goes.
Love To Scrap #165 Anything goes,
Patties creations #215 Anything goes.
The Crafty Addicts #10 Anything goes.
The Paper Funday Challenges #62 Anything goes/ No patterned paper.
Cards Inspiration Challenge #189 Stamps on your card. 

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Saturday, February 10, 2024

Frame it.

I have found another use for  those white strips of cardstock by turning them into a  Faux Picture Frame. This is the resulting card.

I started off by just cutting four strips to form the angles of the frame and adhered them together.
Stamped and coloured and used my score board to create the border to give the slightly bevelled edge.
The stamp is a freebie from a magazine and I used a pale pink and a pale yellow marker pens to colour the rose with green also for the leaves. 
To make the frame look more real I distressed with pearlescent brown chalk and drew fine lines within the score lines to give the appearance of a wood effect and 3D dimension. Lastly I used a  Silver gel pen to edge the roses and go over the lines .Mounted onto the front of a tented cardbase. I used more of the strips to raise up (instead of 3d sticky mounts) and added the sentiment and hearts to the open frame. 
The sentiment is by Crafters Companion , four layers glued together and the hearts are two Woodware punches,again four glued together. 
I am entering the resulting card into the following challenges:
Try it on Tuesday # Hearts and/or flowers.
Tic Tac Toe Challenges #240  diagonal line used rose flower/die cut/ use word love.
Aud Sentiments #310 Use Dies and/or Love.
Crafty Calendar # Add a Heart.
Incy Wincy Designs # Valentine Love.
Pearly Sparkles Challenge #92 Love / Have a heart
The Paper Funday Challenges #62 Anything goes/ no patterned paper. 




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