Wednesday 27 September 2017

Robby and K9 Visit The Male Room


     The new challenge at The Male Room is technology, any masculine project with this theme is welcome, it doesn't have to be a card.
      In the campaign to use up my stash I came across this card and topper set featuring a robot and his dog, just right for a technology challenge.
     I cut the base card in half to get two card fronts out of it, this one is then trimmed to fit a 7x5 card blank. Before mounting it I used Distress ink to darken the edges, the card has a satin finish but the ink worked quite well.
     The sentiment topper came with the set but the two cogs are die cut greyboard coloured with Distress ink and then a Brilliance pearl ink on top. These are mounted on two different thickness foam pads. To finish off the robot has Glossy Accents over his eyes.
     When time is short these card sets can be very handy, all it takes to make them unique is a few small extras added here and there.
     Our challenge is running for the next two weeks at The Male Room alongside our DT call, so if you love to make masculine projects then please pop over and read the details, if you like what you read then come and join us.


I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:
Come and Get It - Anything Goes   (W)
Crafting From The Heart - Anything Goes   (W)
Always Fun - Anything Goes   (W)

Wednesday 13 September 2017

Gnome Delivery Service


     A new challenge at The Male Room begins today, this time it's all about 'masking'. It's a very useful technique for stampers, opening up the chance to build a scene with just one stamp.
      I stamped my image on to masking sheet three times and cut them out. I have used sticky notes in the past but have had mixed results because they move, Stix2 masking sheet doesn't move and it's low tack so your stamped image is safe.
     The first image stamped was the one that would be in the foreground, he was then masked while his friends were stamped beside him. Once you remember to start at the front and work back, masking can help you build some great scenes.
     With all three gnomes masked I used some torn paper to make another mask for my snowdrifts. Holding this firmly I used Distress ink to create the sky, then I spritzed it with water to create small blotches for snowfall.
     Moving the paper mask down, over the gnomes, I added a very small amount of the same ink to create shadow, making it look like another snowdrift is just behind them.
     With the addition of a little ink added by damp brush around their feet they were ready to colour.
     After removing all masks they were coloured with alcohol markers and spritzed with a pearl mica spray so the whole image panel glistens.
     I also coloured the edge of the card with Distress ink and spritzed it so it would match the image panel, the slight difference in colour is because the base card is different. A small silver mat layer added to the panel before mounting on the card gave it a little Christmas shine.
     Now the problems started when I went to add a greeting, I tried several different ones, die cut, stamped, embossed, but non of them looked right. So I have taken the decision to leave it as it is, I may come across one later that I like but I would rather send it out like this than add something that I feel doesn't look quite right.
     Please pop over to The Male Room to see the DT inspiration, come and join us with your masking projects. You also have the opportunity to join us on a more permanent basis as we're looking for DT members.


I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:
ABC Christmas - S-sketch / T-Trio   (F)
Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Anything Christmas   (M)
A Snowflakes Promise - Anything Christmas   (M)    Win
The Holly and The Ivy - Anything Christmas   (F)

Thursday 7 September 2017

MHK Designer Inspiration


     This month I wanted to show you a selection of seasonal cards made with the same image from MHK Designs in a range of different colours.
     I have to confess that I used to think digital images were just to be printed and coloured, Oh how wrong I was!
     If you have time to play around with them using a photo package you can achieve so much more. Now I am not what I would call computer savvy, but through trial and error (non of them serious) I have learnt a little, with the help of YouTube tutorials by our very own Mynn and advice from friends I am slowly progressing. This makes digital images and papers SO much more useful and very good value for money.    
      After selecting my image I used my photo package to change the colours. This was done by sliding the Hue/Saturation scale, found under the heading Adjustments, up or down. Each time I saw a colour change I liked I saved it with a slightly different name and then continued until I had five variations and my original.
     Using an oval die I cut them out and then coloured the edges with ink to draw the eye to the image.
     The sentiment plaque in the image has rounded edges so I used a corner rounder to make my card blank match. The edges of the card are coloured to match the image panel, with small holly corners painted with the same ink the base card was finished.
     A mirri mat layer under the image panel lifts the card giving it a little Christmas shine, it's mounted on foam pads to add a little more interest to a basic vintage effect card.

Christmas Frames
     I hope this has inspired you to go and play with your MHK Designs images to see what you can do with them. You can enter our challenge with your results, we'd love to see them.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:
A snowflakes Promise - Anything Christmas Goes   (M)
Crafty Cardmakers - Monochrome   (F)
Digi Choosday - Anything Goes  (W)
Christmas Cards All Year Round - Use Leaves   (M)

Friday 1 September 2017

House Of Cards Blows Bubbles


     The new challenge at House Of Cards has an Autumnal feel to it, it's sad to see summer fading but I am looking forward to all those beautiful Autumn colours. We would like to see some text somewhere on your card so that's where I started with mine.
      As our colour palette is mostly browns and creams I started on Kraft card, using a stencil with various size circles cut in it. I stamped through the stencil with a script stamp and some brown ink.
     Once my script was dry I moved the stencil and made coloured circles with Distress Ink in shades of brown and orange, moving the stencil whenever I changed colour.
     The real magic happened when I started using Distress Oxide Ink, this sits more 'on top' of the card than the original Distress and gives another depth to the bokeh type effect, it's semi-opaque and changes appearance slightly when the card is moved in different light. I haven't spritzed any of this card with water to change the Distress inks but that may add even more interest.
     I played around for some time with the colour of the greeting and finally settled on a dark brown pearl card to die cut, it matches the script colour and helps pull that forward a little. A simple cream mat layer, which helps show off the pale Oxide circles, was all that was needed to finish off.
     The House Of Cards challenge runs all month so please come and join us with your Autumnal cards, we would love to see how you are inspired by the photo prompt.

Add Text and/or Colours

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:
Cardz 4 Gals - Use Kraft   (W)
Day Dreamer - Anything Goes   (M)
4 Crafty Chicks - Anything Goes   (W)
Crafting With Friends - Anything Goes   (F)

MHK Designs - September Challenge


     A new month means a new challenge at MHK Designs, a photo prompt with fruit and flowers to get you inspired as well as some lovely colours.
    I chose some beautiful flowers from Marvelous and a sentiment from Lovely Ladies to make my card.
    Printing the flowers quite large filled an A6 piece of white card, then I coloured with alcohol markers and used a blue ink pad to colour the edges. The sentiment was die cut and mounted on foam pads, then nestled among the leaves.  A simple card and very flat, just right for dropping a short note to a friend.
     Pop over to MHK Designs blog to see the DT inspiration and read how you could win some digital images just by playing along with the challenge.

Marvelous
Lovely Ladies
       



I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:
Digi Choosday - Anything Goes   (W)
Passion For Promarkers - Make It Digital   (W)

DMC and Cocoa


     A simple recycle project for Altered Eclectics this month, we accept mixed media and recycled projects, anything really as long as it's NOT a card or an ATC.
     Having forced myself to use all that cocoa making chocolate brownies with my courgette mountain, I decided to use the pot for a handy container.
     I have had in my stash of 'usefull bits' some colour charts from DMC threads that I couldn't bear to throw away. Now was the time to use them, much to my family's amazement.
     As luck would have it the cocoa pot is exactly three colour strips tall, I took this as a sign it was clearly time to use them. Each strip was curled slightly before adding the tape in an effort to stop them springing off the pot.
     I used Stix2 Ultra Clear tape as it's very strong, a strip of tape down each side of the colour strip proved to be just enough.
     I chose to offset the stripes on purpose, it was extremely difficult to match them perfectly so this meant I didn't have to worry.
     I thought about putting a small knob on the lid so it was easier to remove, but decided against it in the end, the lid is a soft plastic type material and frequent tugging at the middle may tear it, I don't want to let all that gorgeous chocolaty smell escape!
     I have kept the blue thread strips ready to make another pot, now I have the task of emptying that one too, the things we do for art!
     Please come and join our challenge at Altered Eclectics, we run for the whole month with no theme and very few rules so it really is easy to play along and we would love to see what you've made.


I would like to enter this project on the following challenges:
Eclectic Ellapu - Anything Goes   (M)
Rhedd's Creative Spirit - Anything Goes   (M)
Not Just Cards - Anything Goes   (M)