Thank You Cards

 I've had to make a few 'Thank You' cards for people with a range of interests.

An image (digital) I coloured and die cut ages ago. I've got a folder on my desktop where I put things like that if I've got no immediate plans for something but like the result. The image was colorured with pencils and the die used was from Spellbinders. The paper is some I've had in my stash for, I suspect, ten years or more, and the butterfly embellishment is even older. 

The one 'male' card I had to make, and it's for someone I don't know well, so that's even more awkward. I started with a background I made using a Clarity media plate. It's another refugee from my 'not needed now' folder. I've added some matting and layering along with a stamped sentiment (stamp and scrollwork are from Creative Stamping Magazine) and I finished it with a die cut bit of scrollwork cut with what I think is a Joanna Sheen die.

These two cards were made for a couple of ladies with an interest in patchwork. The die I used is from Spellbinders. These dies are particularly suitable for batch cardmaking as you can mix and match the patterned paper.

Another image I created a while ago, trying out a different way of using a stained-glass style card. The background in this instance was coloured using Promarkers, and it was definitely easier than 'paper piecing' as that particular die has always been a pain to cut well.

And finally, one for a lady with a keen interest in embroidery. I used some of a Spellbinders die set, along with a die which punces holes to make the swirls you see which I stitched with some metallic thread.

I really enjoyed making/finishing these cards - especially as they all have recipients already chosen. So often, I make cards because I'm trying a specific technique, and that's why I end up with unused bits in a folder!

International Art and Soul Challenge 137

 The challenge for this fortnight was set by my team mate Chriss, and she wants to see projects in Red, White and Blue!

I've gone way out of my comfort zone for this, and produced a card with a lot of white space. I was inspired by a video from Eileen Godwin. My version is much simpler and doesn't use Lavinia stamps!

It's a single layer image, stuck directly to a blank greetings card. I've used four inks - Distress Ink in Blueprint Sketch and Festive Berries and Versamark Clair in Tulip Red and Mediaeval Blue. The only other colour is from Posca pens in metallic blue and red.

I began by using Distress Ink and a ruler to create the inky lines. Then, I masked an area and spattered the rest with diluted Distress Ink. I then stamped the flowers (from an issue of Creative Stamping Magazine) and the sentiment (from Spellbinders) using Versafine Clair. I used diluted Distress Ink to fill in the flowers, and a Sharpie pen to add a blue border to the whole sheet. The Posca pens, as an afterthought, provide an edge to the panel.

So, way out of my comfort zone. But, while I have things I'd do differently next time, I'm not unhappy with the result.

I do hope you can join us this time!

International Art and Soul Challenge 135

 The challenge for this fortnight was set by my team mate Jennie who wants projects with a theme of Summer. 

I'm not a fan of summer, it has to be said. But I am a fan of the coast, and listening to the water, although I generally avoid it when the weather's hot and sunny. But it's still what comes to mind when I think of summer, so this is what I came up with.

I started with the stamp of deck chairs which came with Creative Stamping magazine some time ago. I coloured the image with my Koh-i-Noor pencils, and lightly shaded the background with the same pencils - a very subtle effect to remove the whiteness and no more.

Then, I added more colour with Pan Pastels rubbed on using cotton wool make-up removal pads. At this point, I almost ruined the whole thing. I wanted to add some white to the water, and thought I'd use an oil pastel crayon, thinking it would mix well with the Pan Pastel. Well, it didn't. The white oil pastel was invisible against the blue, until I put some more Pan Pastel on top, and then it showed darker than the surrounding area. But, fortunately with Pan Pastels, it's possible to erase, and that's what I did, carrying on and removing colour to get the white sea foam effect. I used the eraser again to just go around the stamped image to sharpen it where it had been softened by the Pan Pastel. I added a little more white using a white gel pen, and finally the sentiment which is from the same set as the deck chairs, and I stamped it in Versafine Clair in green.

A little matting, and that's it. I do hope you can join us this time!

International Art and Soul Challenge 106

 The challenge for this fortnight is Winged Creatures chose and hosted by my team mate Christine. I normally immediately go for butterflies for this sort of challenge, but not this time. Two cards, and not a butterfly in sight!

I have been inspired recently by some Lavinia Stamps videos, and this has resulted in both the cards in this post. This first one, started with a second gelli plate impression with distress oxide ink and a stencil. (The first impression will be used elsewhere!) The result was very understated, but I liked it, and added some more detail. First, I used a circular mask and Victorian Velvet distress ink. Then I added the foliage and added the raven using stamps from Lavinia stamps. I coloured the blossoms with pencil. I wanted a bit more texture in the background, so I used a couple of stamps from Creative Stamping magazine - some text and another small one with a 'cracked' appearance. And that, apart from some silver mirror card to matt, is that.

The second card used very similar techniques:

This card used similar techniques, although the gelli print was first generation, and a lot bolder as a result. I added some trees, and the fairy on a toadstool image. The fairy was from my first ever set of Lavinia stamps - I think they were a subscription gift for a magazine some years ago. The toadstool isn't opaque - so I added some colour using coloured pencils. And again, some mirror card to finish, and a fairly simple card.

I do hope you can join us this time.

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 265

The challenge for this fortnight is to make a tag. I normally find the smaller format of tags to be awkward, so I rarely do anything more complicated than a single die cut, but I decided I needed to try something more interesting for this challenge.

And in the end, I made two!

For both tags, I started with a John Next Door media plate, which I inked with Distress ink, before sprinkling on some dissolved Brushos and printed to my card. When it was dry, I stamped some images (all stamps from Creative Stamping magazine) using Versafine Clair ink.

The tags were cut using a Sizzix die set.

I do hope you can join us.