Background technique explained

Hi folks, it seems that during Stamp Addicts live Create and Craft TV show this morning the lovely Nigel asked me to mail in to explain what I had done for the background on one of my samples for the show. But as I recorded it I was too late to mail in, so I thought the next next thing was to explain here. Apparently the programme is on again at 6pm, but of course that will be a repeat.

I used one of the lovely messy techniques I love doing starting with a piece of mount board or really sturdy cardstock. Three steps:

1) Pain all over with acrylic paint......I tend to use a darker colour for this. Wait for it to dry or use a heat gun.

2) Pain with a layer of PVA glue which had been very slightly thinned with water, dry again but if you use a heat tool be careful not to go too close or the glue will bubble and spoil the finished look.

3) Pain over the glue with a lighter shade of acrylic paint. Leave to dry for half an hour and you will see the cracks appear to give the peeled pain look. If using a heat gun to dry, be careful as in 2) above.

You can them stamp on it with such as Stayzon or Archival ink. I have even used versafine black, embossed with detail clear and coloured with Copics. The frame is a Nestie.

There is another example using this technique here.

Glazed roses

Agancy staff at work again to let you know it's the lovely Emma's turn to host the new challenge at Allsorts and she has would like us to make our own flowers, right up my street this one.

Due to my enforced non blogging I have failed to thank a few peeps for passing awards on to me so before I forget yet again, can I thank Kay, Pat and Tracy and apologise it's taken so long. I do hope I have not missed anyone, if I have don't be afraid to remind me.

The main image is one of the gorgeous new Sara Burrier stamps from Crafts and Me, which I stamped with versafine back, embossed with detail clear and coloured with a mixture of Aquamarkers and Copics. I stamped the wings a second time, coloured, glittered and decoupaged.

The DP is a really old piece in my stash and no idea of the make, but it matched the colour I used on the fairy perfectly. I made three roses from the reverse side of the DP and dipped them into UTEE to achieve a lovely glazed finish and the border is Martha Stewart double loop punch. This is also for the following challenges:

Scrapbook Sisters - Lace and Pearls
Flutterby Wednesdays - Open with wings
Southern Girls - Brads/gems/dewdrops
Daring Cardmakers- Pound shop favourites (the tiny green flowers - I bought them and wondered for months what they would match - until I made this card)

Next fo this weeks new theme at Stamptacular Sunday - "You've been Framed". I have created another frame card very similar to the one I posted a couple of weeks ago but used a different shaped Nestie, but still using linen cardstock as the texture is good for this technique and after cutting the aperture stamped all over with Magenta 14315-0 using verasamark and embossed with detail clear.

I then folded repeatedly......mountain folds work best here and brayered randomly in all directions with Big and Juicy Spice..........this is the one exception where brayering works well on matt cardstock until the resist stamping shows through.

The sentiment is good old Penny Black 2695J Dance. I made a rose from a piece of plain paper which I stamped with Hero F5042 Leaf Flourish, which I then dipped into UTEE, exactly the same as the card above and added some punched leaves shaded with the same B&J.

I love these glazed roses and if any of the girls due at my next class at Sir Stampalot see this, you will be playing with the melt pot and making these.......regardless of how my body is acting up, I am determind not to miss out and will be there keeping a watchful eye over proceedings. This is also for the following challenges:

CCEE - Distress your papers

Paper Play - Lets get sentimental

Some odd Girl - Hnadmane embellies (the rose)

Stamping B's - Use a flower

New Create and Craft TV programmes

I am calling on my agency staff again to share a few cards with you.

I do think there is a bit of improvement at this end and the physio seems to be helping oil the cogs so I hope it won't be too much longer before I can join you all properly.

I have been doing some crafting, just short bursts as and when and have been enjoying playing and creating samples with the latest set of stamps from Sarah at Stamp Addicts. These are the transport set which will be aired live on Create and Craft TV on 21st March at 11am. There is also a new Stamp Addicts programme this Saturday 26th at noon featuring the new fairy stamps, so don't forget to set your record button.

The card above uses the train from the set, there are several more images which I will share with you soon, along with the lovely Stamp Addicts Countryside sets. I stamped the image with versafine sepia and embossed with detail clear, then shaded round the image with TH broken china. The DP is October Afternoon and the frame was cut with Nesties. This is for the following challenges:

Paper Playtime - Technology (trains are on their list)

Paper Sundaes - Masculine colours

Cards for Men - Recipe

Shabby Tearoom - Buttons and bows

Bee Crafty - Tatty or Buttons

My second cards was cut on the Cricut and the scalloped circle a Marianne die. The image is Hero Arts S5049 Flower Wreath and the sentiment and frame Hero Arts CL384 Floral Frames which I coloured with Copics. The butterfly is a Cuttlebug cut and emboss folder using vellum. I only has a small piece of the floral DP............which means Jules that it's a "Snippet" just for you...............which matched really well but as there was not enough for the top section of the card I stamped a white circle with various leaf stamps using TH distress inks mustard seed and sage. This is for the following challenges:

One Stitch at a Time - Anything but square

Pollycraft - Pearls and gems

Incy Wincey - Punches and dies

Oldie but goodie - Spring is in the air

Nature inspired

Good morning peeps, back with my growing pool of secretaries and some more DT work. First up it's time for a new challenge at Allsorts where Fleur would would like us to be "Inspired by Nature".

I could have made a dozen cards for this theme which is right up my street, but I will share this simple little four seasons set I made recently for Stampalot samples demonstrating sponging techniques.

Each card was made in the same way by masking the top and bottom leaving a strip across the middle which I sponges with TH distress inks, stormy sky for the shy in each, then for the bottom sections, peeled paint for spring, Victorian velvet for summer, dried marigold for autumn and broken china for winter.

After removing the makes I stamped each repeatedly with Art Impression H895 and one of the smaller trees from Creative Expression Trees set. I added an Art Impression sentiment to each one and some black gems. They are actually a really quick and simple set to make, but I think quite effective. This is for the following challenge:

Frosted designs - No DP's

Creative Inspirations - Plain and simple

Next my DT work for this weeks Stamptacular Sunday where the theme is "S.O.S" to create a card or project for someone special.

This is a tag book I made for someone rather special to me, the pages were cut on the Big Shot Professional......I don't actually own one, I just have the express and much as I would like the big fellow sitting in my craft room, I think it's more geared to clubs and classrooms, so thank you Janice at Stampalot for the borrow.

All pages were stamped randomly with stamps from Magenta CS043 Botanical and Hero Arts F5042 Leaf Flourish using versafine sepia and embossing with detail clear, then distressing with TH tumbled glass, tea dye and marigold.

The sentiment stamp on the second page is old favourite Penny Black 2695J Dance. I made flowers from punches to go on the side tabs, spritzing with Glimmer Mist Pearl and added Stickes to highlight some areas and finally tied the three pages together with ribbons. This is for the following challenge:

Southern Girls - Blue and Chocolate

Creative Cottage - Fabulous florals

Brayered scrap attack

Hello peeps, I'm utilising my pool of secretaries again as I thought that there is no reason why I can't share a few pre-makes with you..............plus a couple of new ones I have made over the last few days.

Very slow going on the crafty front and the computer is still a no no for more than a couple of minutes.......takes longer to correct all the errors because I can't get my fingers to go to the right keys........but I think there is some progress. Still can't manoeuvre the brayer which is a real pain in the derriere so the ones using that technique in this post are 'old stock'. And the Royal 'we' are going to try and be clever and enter some challenges - this will a good test of my 'staff'......

The little minx above is one of the new Crafts and Me (link of sidebar) stamps called Lighting the Way. She is coloured with watercolours and the DP are pieces from the 'pink and green DP drawers' and because they are offcuts I have no idea of the make. But because they are offcuts it's one of my shares for the challenge Jules has set herself every Sunday. The green flower is made from inked tissue paper which was wrapped round some flowers.......how thrifty is that ?

Papertake weekly - Putting on the glitz

Magical Mondays - With love

Paper Sundaes - Pink, distres inks, flowers

Sparkles Challenge - Fairies

Crafts and Me - Spread your wings

This card is another 'snippets' creation, this time utilising all those annoying piece of bazzil that I never throw away, yet rarely use. Both stamps are Penny Black and inked with Brilliance. The cord is also odds and ends and the flower made from the offcut of bazzil. I thought the card matched Ashley, one of my Doulton figurines perfectly so I added her to the photo.

ABC Challenge - O for Oldfashioned (Cottage garden flowers)

Simon Says - Make your own embellishments (flower)

Creative Cottage - Fabulous florals

Now for some brayer, masking and sponging work from my stock pile of creations. On both the card above and at the top of this post, stamps are a mixture of Art Impression, Stampscapes and Clarity, all inks are Adirondack felt dye pads and of course the trusty Speedball brayer and gloss silk cardstock. For sponging I use round make up sponges which you can buy in packs really cheaply from high street chemists as they scrunch up nicely to form a 'ball' at the top to ink and avoid lines.

The brayered cards are for these challenges:

Top card:
Incy Wincy - At least two mediums (Adirondack inks and Copics)
Try it on Tuesdays - The sky's the limit

Bottom card:
Shabby Tearoom - Photo Inspiration (think this uses the colours)
Stamping Sisters - KISS - one layer card

All about the sentiment

Hello everyone, seems like ages since I was last here......and I'm not really here now..........thank heavens for daughters and granddaughters who make wonderful secretaries and in typing this make it possible to post my DT work, which thankfully were all made weeks ago and in my picture file waiting to be used.

That's the thing about having something like MS, you tend to constantly plan weeks ahead just in case. I know some of my fellow DT members think I am paranoid working so far in advance, but the last few weeks prove exactly why I do that, it sort of becomes a way of life.

So three weeks now and not a single new card, but I did do a bit of colouring in this week. With the help of one of my 'secretaries' who inked the stamps, I managed to stamp them, she heat embossed the images, then I did a bit of colouring.......I'm still unable to grasp by Copics properly, but managed to watercolour as you don't need to be as exacting with that.

Now for the challenges and it's my turn to host the theme at Allsorts this week and I would like you to focus on the sentiment in "All about the Sentiment".

My DT card combines a bit of allsorts......oh dear what a pun....... the frame was created with a Nestie using linen cardstock.......the texture is good for this technique and after cutting the aperture I stamped all over with Magenta 14315-0 using verasamark and embossed with detail clear.

I then folded repeatedly......mountain folds work best here and brayered randomly in all directions with Big and Juicy Hydrangea..........this is the one exception where brayering works well on matt cardstock......until the resist stamping shows through and all those folds give a really different effect where they pick up the ink.

The sentiment is good old Penny Black 2695J Dance. I made a rose from a piece of blue DP which I dipped into UTEE to achieve a glassy effect and added some punched leaves.

And this weeks challenge at Stamptacular Sunday is "Lovin' from the Oven". I confess to freaking a bit as this one as apart from a PB stamp with a birthday cake along with some hedgies, I seem to have nothing remotely associated with food.....wine yes, fairies yes and flowers by the the bucket load but nothing foody.

So I made a little acetate bag and filled it with ginger fairing's.....homemade mind you..........and decorated it with a card to match. The circle floral stamp is one of the 2011 release from Hero Arts S5141 Floral Wreath, stamped with Memento black, coloured with Copics and Stickles added to the flowers centres. The tab on the bag was cut with Nesties and the card cut with a Marianne die.

Before I go......or should I say 'we' go, thank you all so very much for your warm and sincere messages, mails and cards I have received. Although I can't visit you all individually and say thank you, I really hope you will see this and know how much I appreciate all your kind wishes.

Love is all around us

It' love all around this week, at Allsorts my teamie Debs says "it must be love, love, love".......well it is nearly Valentines isn't it........ and our new theme at Stamptaculr Sunday is "Hearts gone Wild", all a bit outside my comfort zone as I'm not really a love and hearts person, but have given it my best shot.

First up the one at the top and an easel card created on the Cricut using the DS so I could weld the elements together. The smaller heart is cut with a Nestie, with I shaded using TH linen whilst still in the die then stamped randomly with Penny Black 3322D Je t'aime using Brilliance gold.

The main image is Penny Black 3865K Gossamer which I stamped several times onto DP from stash which I also used on the base card again cutting on the Cricut and decoupaged the flowers. The heart border is a Martha Stewart punch and I used the little waste hears to decorate here and there and ruched some red and gold ribbon.

My second share is the first outing for Penny Black 4023K Love is the Message.......I've actually had the stamp for ages but never quite sure if it's me or not. I decided on the colours but took ages to find an ink that matched the purple bazzil and the only one close was Memento which dries really quick, but I managed to get some detail clear embossing powder on it in time so I got a nice shiny finish.....but thanks to the rotten weather and light it looks more like black than purple in my picture.

The mat is punched with Martha Stewart double loop round the page and I stamped directly onto the Fancy Pants DP which has a pretty delicate pattern that does not overpower the image. Flowers coloured with Copics, feathers, punched leaves, a border punched with Martha Stewart hearts punch and some pearls to finish.

Say it with flowers and a woof

This post was scheduled a few weeks back and this is just a very quick message........I have been let loose from my chains for five minutes.......to say I am overwhelmed by all you wonderful and kind messages and thank you all so much, you have no idea how much they all mean to me. I have not been on the computer at all, but was 'allowed' to read your messages. The rest period continues..................

The first of the month means I am brimming with new challenges and have shares for Stampalot Challenge where the theme is "Noah's Ark" and Penny Black at Allsorts where the theme is "Say it with Flowers".

My card for Penny Black at Allsorts is very pink and girly, not normal me but I do love the image and the colours are growing on me. The image is Penny Black 4076K Gift of Flowers.......which I thought was most appropriate for the theme..........stamped several times with versafine black, embossed with detail clear and coloured with Aquamarkers then decoupaged. The DP is from my stash, flowers, some lace and a border using Martha Stewart Floral Vine.

My Stampalot card has Stampendous CRR123 stamped onto a background lightly brayered with Big and Juicy Spice, coloured with Aqumarkers and set into a Nesite frame. I borrowed the pooch stamp from the Stampalot classroom so don't have the code, but I think it's an Art Impression stamp which I stamped and embossed onto white cardstock and added a little shading with Copics. The DP is Nitwits and I used a paw print stamp onto some jute ribbon to tie across the middle and added some buttons.................dare I admit that this is the card I made for George's second birthday..............yes I do mean George the Labrador !!