Sunday 21 February 2016

MHK Designs Second Challenge


     Welcome to my second project for our new challenge blog, MHK Designs. MHK Designs are creators and suppliers of digital images, sentiments and backing papers available on Etsy, for more information please follow the links given at the end of this post.

     Looking at the challenge prompt I had to go with birds, I did try to colour them to look like the photo, but Oh Boy they did not look good! So it was back to the trusty watercolour pencils and sticking with shades of blue.
     The flowers have a pale outer drawn in to meet the darker middle. I also printed some off much smaller so I could cut the foliage out and tuck it under the mat layer.
     Do you spend ages trying to find just the right shade for your mat layer? Well so did I until I began using white card and my pens and as it's only the outside that will be seen I only colour the outside.
     When placed on to a white card blank it didn't look right so I have printed some pink paper from the Easter Flowers set and by altering the settings of my printer managed to get it very pale. I cut the open edged flush with the card but always fold about 1/2 inch over the spine to keep it neat, if it's going to lift it will probably be on the fold so this stops it happening.
     Digital images don't have to be just the same all the time, you can vary the size and the intensity of colour by playing around with your settings.
     I hope you have enjoyed the new releases this week, if you haven't seen them yet then please spend a few minutes browsing the Etsy shop, each release has samples to give you inspiration.
   

 Come and join us at MHK Designs challenge blog where you could win a stamp set just by playing along.



Birds and Branches
Easter Flowers











MHK Designs February Challenge

Saturday 20 February 2016

MHK Designs - Easter Blessings


     Welcome to the last of MHK Designs new releases this month. This set contains two images, two gorgeous banners and three sentiments.  I used to think digital stamps weren't as versatile as rubber stamps, oh how wrong I was! Being able to choose the size to suit the project, flip it, or use your printer options to change the colour slightly opens up all sorts of possibilities.

     I printed a pink paper from the Easter Flowers set but told my printer to use the 'draft' option which prints it out very pale. Using my computer I then used multiple copies of the flower to cover a page and printed that out in 'draft' again but over the top of the pink page to make my backing paper.
     I printed the ribbon banner with the sentiment from the He Is Risen set in the middle, on to white card and coloured it with  watercolour pens. Then I fussy cut it and mounted it on foam pads.
     The flower is printed out twice, coloured and fussy cut. The first flower is mounted on foam pads. The second flower is the petals only with a centre made using hot glue and micro beads, this is then stuck on top of the first flower.

     Now that you have seen all of the new releases from MHK Designs why not pop over to the blog to see all the inspiration from the design team. Don't forget we have a new monthly challenge starting tomorrow


Easter Blessings
Easter Flowers











I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:
Stampart Papel - Anything Goes / Easter
Brown Sugar - Anything Goes
Chocolate, Coffee and Cards - Anything Goes


Friday 19 February 2016

MHK Designs - Bunny Love


     Day four of the MHK Designs new release schedule had me working with bunnies. This will make those of you who know how much I like these little furry vandals smile. This cute set has three images and four sentiments, giving you a range of project possibilities for your Easter festivities.

      I printed a sheet of bunny paper from the Egg-cellent paper set on to 120gsm paper, I have found this easier to work with than card and it makes a great mini carrier bag.
     I then printed the top hat bunny from the Bunny Love set  on to thin white card suitable for alcohol markers and a Happy Easter from He Is Risen (showcased yesterday) onto some card with the same bunnies printed very pale.
      The bag has white card panels stuck over the top flap, where the holes are punched for the handles, to reinforce it. The ribbon handles are stuck in place before sticking these flaps down so all ends are out of sight.
     For this bag I usually stick down the top flaps, then join the side and finish with the bottom of the bag.
      The top hat bunny is die cut with an egg shaped die, coloured with alcohol markers and edged with a gold glitter gel pen. He was the mounted on foam pads and added to the bag.
     The Happy Easter greeting is also die cut  and edged with the gold glitter gel pen again. It is also mounted on to the bag with foam pads.
     This is ideal if you have a small gift to give or a bag of those little chocolate eggs.






Bunny Love
Egg-cellent











I would like to enter this project in the following challenges:
The Paper Shelter - Make It Digital
Kraftin' Kimmie - Anything Goes
Decorate To Celebrate - Anything Goes

Thursday 18 February 2016

MHK Designs - He Is Risen


     Day three of MHK Designs new releases sees us moving into Easter projects. This set has a gorgeous bunch of lilies accompanied by five lovely sentiments. The flowers are so pretty they could be used for any occasion, just change the sentiment and it's a perfect Mother's Day card.
     The lilies were printed on to cream card and coloured with my trusted watercolour pencils, I like the soft colours I get with these as they seem to compliment the vintage feel of the image. I then fussy cut the flowers so I could mount them on the card blank and have them pop up over the fold of the easel.
      The sentiment and banner frame are from another new set being released this week called Easter Blessings. I liked the scrollwork of this banner as it looked perfect with the gold die cut corners I have used on the card front. The greeting was placed inside the banner using my computer, then printed on cream card and coloured in with a gold gel pen.
     It is layered on dark green card and mounted on foam pads so that it holds the easel up for display.

We still have two more stamp sets to show you, plus some gorgeous Easter paper sets, so call in when you can to see what we have made. MHK Designs blog will link you to all of the Design Team's inspiration.


Easter Blessings
He Is Risen

Both sets are available at MHK Designs.







I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:
The Paper Shelter - Make It Digital
Stampart Papel - Anything Goes / Easter
The Crazy Challenge - Card For A Friend

Wednesday 17 February 2016

MHK Designs - Purr-Fect


     Welcome to day two of our new releases at MHK Designs. This set is called Purr-Fect, it has one gorgeous image and four different sentiments making it useful for many occasions.
     This image was printed in sepia tones on to cream card and coloured with watercolour pencils. There is a cream border left around the image before being mounted on a small chocolate pearl layer, then a wider gold layer before going on to a hammer cream card blank.
     The sentiment is also mounted on chocolate pearl card and then on foam pads over the corner of the image. There is a small paw print punched out of the bottom corner just to add a little extra interest.

    Please pop over to our MHK Designs blog and see all the different projects made by the design team using the same stamp set, I hope you'll find something there to inspire you.

Purr-Fect


I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:
Love To Scrap - Anything Goes
Eureka Stamps - Feathers and Fur
Ellibelle's Creative Moments - Anything Goes With Something Coloured

Monochrome Blues


     Welcome to our monochrome challenge at The Male Room. We would like to see a masculine project in any single colour.
     I chose to raid my stash and dug out an old Lace plate I have had for years, from the days before you could get a die to do it for you. This one was cut with a sharp knife using two tone paper, by the time I was finished I realised why it was at the bottom of a box! No wonder they make a die for this now. I love the effect but the need for a very sharp knife and patience, with the added stress of one small slip and it's ruined means there won't be many more like this, some things are best left behind.
     I do hope you find something to inspire you over on The Male Room blog, maybe you'd like to raid your old stash and add to my blast from the past!

I would like to try this in the following challenges just for fun:
Crafting Musketeers - Monochrome
Lemon Shortbread - Anything Goes

Tuesday 16 February 2016

MHK Designs - Birds and Branches


     Welcome to the first of this months new release stamp sets from MHK Designs. This set is called Birds and Branches, it has three images, two verses and one sentiment and being digital can be printed out at almost any size.

      I chose to print the two birds on a branch image to fit a large DL size card blank, it was printed on a white card suitable for watercolour. I have used watercolour pencils and a damp brush to fill in my image, keeping the colours quite pale.
     The image panel was trimmed and mounted on a thin layer of green card before going on to a pale pink gingham covered card. I also used a strip of this gingham paper to make a rosette to add to the top corner of my card, it has a small pearl stuck in the middle that was just the right shade of pink.
     The sentiment was printed on to white card and die cut but the green layer had to be cut by hand as I didn't have the next size up in the die set, this can be done by drawing around the outside of the die. This panel is mounted on thin foam pads.

     There will be a new release every day for the next four days and a new challenge on our blog MHK Designs on Sunday, so please call in when you can to see the great new designs you could use to join us in the challenge.


Birds and Branches
Going Gingham
   
Both these sets are available now at MHK Designs.







I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:
My Time To Craft - Check or Gingham
Crafting With Friends - Anything Goes
Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes
CraftyHazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything With Patterned Paper


Friday 12 February 2016

MHK Designs - Sneak Peek


     Please pop over to MHK Designs blog to see more. 
   
     We have lots of inspiration for you over there, as well as links to all the fabulous digital stamp sets available.  Would you like to win two stamp sets?, then pop over to the blog and enter our challenge, we'd love to see your creations.

Wednesday 10 February 2016

Valentine Cracker


     If you're cooking a special valentine meal at home how about dressing the table with some crackers. The beauty of making your own is you decide what the gift inside should be.

      These crackers are made with Stardust card, they have a lovely sparkle to them so decoration can be kept to a minimum and they'll still look good.
     I have used some ultra sticky red line double sided tape along the edge and covered it with gold glitter. Using a heart shaped punch I have cut out three shapes from double sided sticky sheet and stuck them on at regular intervals. These hearts are covered with micro beads.
     The large heart in the middle is a die cut shape which will pivot in the middle if treated with care. The outer heart is covered in gold glitter using PVA glue, the next heart is covered with the same micro beads used on the ends and the centre heart is covered with red glitter.
     I found that rolling the cracker around a rolling pin helped curve the card without getting any creases in it. I sealed the cracker by using curling ribbon in red and gold.
     The photograph doesn't really show the sparkle very well but I'm sure it will look great in candle light!



Materials list - available from your  local craft shop
Woodware Craft Collection - 821-06 Heart Punch (Green)
                                         
Stix2 Anything -  Micro Beads / Glitter
                          Red Stardust Cracker
                          Die Cut Heart
                          PVA Glue
                          Double Sided Punch Sheets
                          Double Sided Ultra Sticky Red Line Tape


I would like to enter this cracker in the following challenges:
Cardz 4 Guyz - Valentine / Love
Try It On Tuesdays - A Fine Romance
Sparkle N Sprinkle - Anything Using Glitter
Not Just Cards - Anything Goes
Scrapbook Blessings - Valentine Using Christmas Items

Saturday 6 February 2016

Valentine Explosion


     Pearl card always looks great when embossed, so as my card was red I decided to make a Valentine card.  Only the front is embossed, I put the front in the folder and left the back hanging out so it stayed smooth.

     The heart is made using hot glue and a silicone mould. There's a sprinkling of micro beads that went in the mould before the glue and once cold and trimmed it's been coloured with a red peel off pen. I found the peel off pens gave a better coverage than my alcohol markers did.
     Using a Spellbinder die I cut a frame in gold mirri card, then using the computer I wrote the word Valentine but missed out the 'a', leaving enough space for the glue heart to fit in.
     I didn't have a die the right size to fit in the frame so I drew around the inside of the frame die and cut it by hand. The frame is mounted on foam pads and then put on to card front.
     Inside the card is an exploding heart shaped insert. This is cream, as is the oval on the front, stamped with gold swirls. There is a separate heart carrying the sentiment stuck over the swirls, this was also printed on the computer so it matches the one on the front.
     When sending this out I may put some tiny red heart confetti in it so it falls out when opened, sent unsigned of course!


Materials list - available from your  local craft shop
Woodware Craft Collection Permipen Peel Off Markers
                                          702101 Hearts Small Silicone Mould
                                         
Stix2 Anything -  Micro Beads
                          Red Pearl Card
                          Hot Glue Gun / Glue Sticks


I would like to enter my card in the following challenges:
Brown Sugar - Valentine / Love
Creative Corner - Valentine's Day / Love
Simply Create Too - Love / Valentine's
Craft Rocket - Valentine / Love

Wednesday 3 February 2016

A Man With A Fan


     This time the challenge at The Male Room is Oriental as it's Chinese New Year next week. We would like to see any oriental creations suitable for a man or boy.
     This image is from a rather old CD Rom by Joanna Sheen, I'm not sure if it's still available and you'd probably have to have an older computer to run it on, I printed off several sheets of images ages ago.
     The image is layered on gold and black, then stuck onto a green card blank that has been watermarked with Versamark and a fan stamp. It is a very simple card that needs no extras.
     Please come and join us at The Male Room with your oriental creations, the DT have some lovely inspiration to help you get started.


Monday 1 February 2016

Taking Shape at The House Of Cards


   This month at House Of Cards we would like to see a shaped card, no squares or rectangles, any other shape, colour, style or subject is fine.
    I was given a card kit some time ago and am sorry to say it has stayed in my stash ever since, spending the last few days trying to tidy up and sort out has revealed quite a bit.
    I have decided to try and use some of this vast collection of bits and bobs so I can feel a little better about buying something new.
    This card kit is just right for the House Of Cards challenge as it's octagonal so I set to with putting it together. I had to sand the edges of each piece when it came out of the host surround to remove all those little tab bits that get left behind.
     The base card is decorated both front and back which makes it rather nice. I have layered up the two centre shapes using foam pads and done the same with the greeting.
     Nice and simple but using what I already have in my stash. I shall use this for my Mum for Mother's Day as she loves blue and white oriental designs, I just have to print out an insert and cut it to fit.
     Please come and join in the fun at House Of Cards with your shaped creations, our challenge is open all month.


I would like to enter my card in the following challenges:
Fussy and Fancy Friday - Monochrome
Kitty Bee Designs - Favourite colour combo ( Mum's favourite )

Fairy Houses


     This is a tale of two stories becoming a single storey, dwellings for Fairies.  The tale is rather picture heavy but like any estate agent I want to show you the best features of the property.
     Altered Eclectics begin a new challenge today, anything altered as long as it's not a card or an ATC. These two books and the bread board came from local charity shops, I've also tried to use as much scrap from stash as possible.

      The two paperback books where different sizes so I ended up with two sizes of house. The fold is quite simple and can be found on Pinterest or You Tube, just make sure you have a book with enough pages.
     To make the chimney I rolled a spare page from another book, cut the base at an angle to fit on the roof and curled a punched circle to make the cone on top. The ridge cap is a Kusudama flower again made from a book page. All these bits are stuck on with hot glue as they need a strong bond.  
      The door and window frames are cut from a scrap of Kraft card, the door is stamped with a woodgrain effect. The windows have curtains made using a punched circle and then a black piece of card covers the gap that is left, again stuck on with hot glue.
     The bread board had quite a few cuts in it so I sanded it down a bit and polished it. The path is made by masking off the required area and using texture paste through a stencil.
      The path was coloured once dry using Distress Inks and a marker pen. I used some modelling flock to make the grass, so that it didn't make it tricky to stick the houses down I tried to avoid where they would go by using dies taped down as a guide.
     The flock, in two shades of green, is stuck down with PVA glue, there are some small bits between the stones of the path too. When dry I sprayed the whole area with a firm hold hairspray just to make sure it was stuck and wouldn't shed.
      I stuck the large house on to the base first using hot glue, then lined up the small house and stuck that down too.
     The flowers are die cut using a small Sizzix die and rolled into a rose type flower, The edges have been tinted pink with a Koi watercolour pen. The foliage with the flowers is another die, this time from Couture Creations and coloured with a green Koi pen.

      The ivy is die cut with a Marianne die and coloured before removing it from the die. There is ivy up both houses but it has grown across the roof of the large house and around the chimney.
     There is a small group of flowers at the back of the large house just to finish it off.

If you enjoy being creative with left overs, recycling items or just altered art in general then please come and join us at Altered Eclectics.



I would like to enter these Fairy houses in the following challenges:
Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
Brown Sugar - Anything Goes
Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes
Crafting From The Heart - Anything Goes
Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes     (DT Pick)
Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
4 Crafty Chicks - Anything BUT a Card
Shopping Our Stash - Inspired By A Book     (Top 3)