Peace Is Not Just For Christmas

     I know Christmas is a long way off but in non-traditional colours this card could be used for another occasion. Christmas At Sweet Stampin' this month is all about 'Words' and you'll find some great inspiration on their blog.

     This stamp is a Woodware design from 2015, I have to say it's one of my favourites. I decided to use almost everything from stash, I have a bit (haha!) so I'm setting about making good use of it.
     I wanted to use some mica paints so I had to emboss the image as it holds the paint within it's lines perfectly. Using my stamp press I stamped in dark blue Versafine, the problem was I was using watercolour card which is very absorbent. The answer came to me while peeling potatoes.... stamp in blue, then wipe the stamp and stamp with Versamark, nice and sticky and ready for embossing powder, you've got to love a stamp press.

     Using a mix of Koi watercolour pens and the mica paints I set about colouring my image in shades of purple. There are some small words with this stamp but I chose not to use them this time, that meant the image would fit a large DL card blank.
     With a purple pearl card mat layer underneath it looked alright but something wasn't quite right, I then used a lilac Distress Ink to go around the edges of the image panel before I stuck it down, it knocks back the harsh edge that didn't seem right.
     With the addition of a few tiny sequin type stars dotted around it was complete. Don't tell anyone but the stars were to hide a small splodge I made by accident, turns out they look pretty good.
     I made a blue one as well, if I make two cards each month I will be well on the way to having a small stash ready for Christmas. he shine doesn't come out very well on the pictures but the mica paints really do catch the light.

I would like to enter these cards in the following challenges:

The 12 Months Of Christmas - Anything Chrsitmas/Winter Blues

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Shades Of Blue

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas/Cute

The Holly and Ivy - Anything Christmas

Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas

Watercolour Challenge In The Male Room

     There is a new challenge at The Male Room for the next two weeks, to use watercolours. I'm not an artist so I started with a stamp.

      This stamp is a few years old but a firm favourite as it reminds me of Tenby in Pembrokeshire.
     It was stamped on watercolour paper and embossed, this makes it much easier to paint as the embossing holds the paint within the lines.
     To paint I have used Koi watercolour pens, scribbling on an acrylic block and then using a water brush to take the colour to the paper.
     A colourful scene needs very little decoration, just a simple mount on to a white card blank that has it's edge coloured to frame the image. A greeting could be added but I rather like it as it is.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Cards In Envy - No Patterned Papers  (F)

Send A Smile 4 Kids - Anything Goes/Cards For Boys   (F)

Crafty Friends - Anything Goes   (F)

French Script for House Of Cards

      We have a new challenge over at House Of Cards, our theme this month is to Use Script and/or Colours from our photo prompt.

     I have a lovely SU french script stamp that goes perfectly with an Eiffel Tower stamp and die by Sizzix, so all I had to do was tie in the colours and I was away.
     The script is stamped in brown on to white card, then it's coloured with Distress Ink Bundled Sage and mounted on a dark green layer on to a cream card blank.
     The Eiffel Tower is also stamped in brown but clear embossed and cut with the matching die from the set. This is mounted on foam pads over the layers rather than on them.
     To bring in the pinks I chose to stamp and emboss some Heartfelt Creation flowers, embossed in gold and coloured with Koi watercolour pens. There's a tiny yellow gem in the centre of each flower which was added after they were stuck on to the card.
     The balloons are from a set of tiny stamps I found in a bargain shop, they are stamped in brown, clear embossed and then coloured with the same pens. They have some shape in them after working them on a foam board with a ball tool, each one is stuck on with a tiny foam pad.
     'Paris' is in the same Sizzix stamp set but this time I have used a ticket die to cut it out instead of the matching shape. It's stamped in brown on cream card, clear embossed and aged with DI Old Paper and a crackle stamp, coloured green, them mounted on foam pads. There is a tiny Fleur De Lis die cut in gold satin mirri in the top right corner just to finish it off.
     Please come over to House Of Cards and join in the challenge, we have lots of inspiration to show you aswell.

Use Script and/or Colours

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

CCEE Stampers - Eiffel Tower Day
Southern Girls - Anything Goes
Crafty Gals Corner - Anything Goes

A Male Room Thoroughbred

     The new challenge at The Male Room is Underwater, so come and join us with your masculine aquatic creations. I fell in love with this gorgeous seahorse, it's a black and white download of a Tattoo by a man named Tony.
     I printed the image on white card and began to colour with water colour pencils. I have used a mix of blue and green for the main body, then a little purple for the belly. The surrounding water is coloured with a light blue.
 

     Before mounting the image on pearl paper it has been spritzed with some pearl Glimmer Mist to give it a subtle sheen. It was then layered on pearl sea green and purple papers.
     Once dry I have used a gold glitter pen to highlight his eye, he looks a little mean and moody, he's just a seahorse with attitude.
     We have a DT call running at The Male Room so please come and show us your creations and add DT to your name if you would like to join us.

I would like to enter my seahorse in the following races:

Cardz 4 Guyz - CAS

Paper Minutes - Nautical

      

In The Pink

This cheeky little elf sees the beginning of the Contemporary Christmas challenge over at J and C Creations tomorrow. It is also an entry in a challenge over at Jingle Belles, who are asking for pink Christmas cards to be entered to help raise money for Breast Cancer Research. Each pink Christmas card entered in the challenge will result in a donation of $4.00 by the lovely ladies that run the site, so PLEASE make a pink Christmas card and join them to help beat this rotten disease.
The stamp used is called Little Elf Mim from Penny Black, stamped in archival black and clear embossed. Mim is coloured with watercolour pencils. The holly berries are glittered and the fur trim is covered with Flowersoft Polar White. The tree branches are a die from Marianne Creatables coloured with Distress Inks Mowed Lawn and Forest Moss. The stamped card has been edged with Distress Ink Picked Raspberry and then mounted on a cerise pink mirri card. The greeting is a bauble stamped with a JustRite stamp which is a perfect fit for the Spellbinder Heirloom Ornament die set.
Pink is not usually my first choice when colouring but I have enjoyed making this card and to know that it's creation is doing more than just keeping me occupied makes it all the more worth while.

Welcome Ellie

One of my friends has just had a little girl so I made this for her. Although I've known for some months of the baby's approximate arrival date I still managed to leave it to the last minute to make the card!

The stamp is from Lilly Of The Valley and works perfectly for either sex, just stamp and colour in, I've used Cosmic Shimmer watercolours. The image has been cut out using a nestability die, then leaving the die on the image I inked around the edge with Victorian Velvet Distress Ink. I love the little white border that you get when you do this, it gives the impression of another layer of card. The next layer is cut with the next size up in the nesty set using pink mirror card.

The base card was half embossed by only putting half of the front into an embossing folder. Lilac gingham paper is stuck onto the smooth half of the card. I always take the paper round the fold of the card and fix it on the back as this stops the edge getting creased up and spoiling all your hard work. The main image is placed in the centre on foam pads. Booties and wording were added using peel offs.