Snowflakes in May

     Where is this year going?! It's May already. It really is time to get those Christmas cards made and we have lots of inspiration for you over at Christmas At Sweet Stampin'.

      Snowflakes are one of my favourite images to use. They are great for masculine, general seasonal and traditional projects.
      Using Sizzix die Ice Flake I cut a shape from snowy acetate, then used alcohol inks to add a little colour to it. Another Ice Flake was cut from white glitter card.
      Sizzix Layered Snowflake was used to cut a shape from mirri card, then embossed with the  folder that comes in the pack.

      All three layers were then put together using Glossy Accents to glue them. I also put a brad through the middle just incase the glue gave out. I didn't have any snowflake brads so I used a silver flower and put a gem in the centre, coloured with an alcohol marker.
      I wanted a mat layer that matched the mirri card but was a little more subtle, so out came the Distress Inks. I have found I can match my layer colours to my project more easily by cutting a white mat and using the inks or pens used in the image to colour the edge that will show.
     The layer directly under the flake has been embossed with snowflakes to add more texture. The main snowflake has been stuck down with red line tape just to make sure it's stuck fast. Only the centre is stuck down, allowing the snowflake to look like it's just resting on the card.
      Please pop over to Christmas At Sweet Stampin' to see all the wonderful snowflake ideas we have for you, you don't have to use a snowflake to join our challenge but it would be fun if you did.

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

The 12 Months Of Christmas - #53 Anything Goes, Option-Creature Feature
CraftyHazelnut's Christmas - #436 Anything Goes, Option-Bells
The Holly and Ivy - #49 Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Mondays - Add Something Metallic

Seascape Inktin

     What do you do with an old, dried out ink pad that's not worth trying to revive? Well maybe nothing with the pad, but the tin is a different story. This project is for Altered Eclectics challenge blog as we love anything altered, recycled or mixed media.

   
     It took a bit of brute force to get the pad off the base, only to discover that the base wasn't really going to be of much use, so that went in the metal recycle bin.
     The lid has many possibilities as it's a nice silver tray about half an inch deep. After peeling the label off the lid I used some Sticky Stuff Remover to get all the glue off, leaving it nice and clean.
     To be able to pop it on the fridge I added a strip of Stix2 self adhesive magnetic tape on the outside.

      To decorate the inside I used Alcohol Inks in shades of blue, ready for my seascape.
      The weed and creatures are all made with hot glue in a silicone mould, this means they are slightly flexible which is very handy when sticking them on a curve.
      The shapes were painted with a mix of acrylic and pearl paints, then stuck into the tin with hot glue. The addition of a few shells collected on various outings completed the tin.
      If you have anything altered, recycled or mixed media then please come over to Altered Eclectics and join us, we would love to see what you've made.

Monochrome Bauble

   Welcome to my second card for Christmas At Sweet Stampin', our optional twist this month is monochrome but you can join us with any Christmas themed creation.

     This card started with some white card, a bauble stencil and Distress Ink. Using masking tape I secured the stencil to the card and my craft mat, then with an Inkylicious dusting brush I coloured the bauble shape with blue Distress Ink, trying to get it a little darker at the top than the bottom.
     I decided to stamp my image before removing the stencil, I've been a bit clumsy lately so thought this would protect the clean white card a bit longer and I'm happy to say it worked.
     This could just as easily be done in a stamp press, it's just that I was so keen to get it started I forgot until I got to the stamping stage!

     The image was stamped with Versafine Clair Medieval Blue, which is a very dark blue. I wanted to add some tiny stars to the night sky so I used a silver glitter gel pen. As the main star was stamped in blue I chose to add a tiny clear gem to the centre to make it stand out and shine.
     I wanted to keep it simple so I tried to find blue card to match my image, easier said than done, you would think with all the card and paper I have that I would have some the right shade?...no.  So I found an alcohol marker that did match almost perfectly, I cut a white mat layer and coloured the edge with the pen, let it dry and then matted my image panel.
     Once the panel was on a white card blank it needed a big greeting, a die cut would work well as it would sit across the layers happily. I cut one in white and coloured it with the same pen as the mat but it was too dull, so a quick rummage through the mirri card draw and a nice dark blue mirri greeting was ready. I saw somebody showing a tip for adding glue to a thin die cut, but sadly I don't remember who. Put some PVA on the back of your hand and dab the die cut over it to pick up a light coating before putting it on the card, it saves glue splodges oozing out when you press it down.
     A simple monochrome card suitable for a man and thin enough for posting. Making one card a month for is not going to get my stash built up very quickly, so starting next month I will try to make a batch of cards for each challenge to be blogged throughout the month.
     Please come and join us at Christmas At Sweet Stampin' with your seasonal creations, if you haven't seen all the DT inspiration then pop over and take a look.

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

ABC Christmas - Hang It Up/Intricate

The 12 Month's Of Christmas - Anything Goes/optional Fairies

The Holly and Ivy - Anything Goes

Hot Glue Flower

     This canvas was inspired by a photograph I saw on line, texture paste had been used to create the petals of a flower. Hot glue can be used for creating texture, so I set about using it to make my flower for Altered Eclectics.

     As the canvas was going to be painted I was able to draw a rough flower shape to guide my glue application. Working one petal at a time I put down a string of glue around the outside edge of the petal, with a silicone finger protector firmly placed on my hand I used it to smudge the glue into the centre to create a veined petal, this could not be done without the protector!
      Working at diagonals around the flower I created all the petals and let them set, hot glue sets quite quickly so you need to work fast. Some petals look better than others but then real flowers are never completely perfect.

 
     To get a textured centre I used some seed beads, a large pool of hot glue completely smothered with beads and left to set. Once the glue had set I very gently rubbed a finger across the beads to disturb any loose ones to get ready for painting.
     The paint I planned to use needed a layer of gesso first, some better quality paints may not need this preparation, it's an idea to try a small patch first if it doesn't give any information on the label.

     I painted the canvas with gesso and then a layer of white acrylic too. The purple metallic paint I used was then put all over the entire canvas, including the edges.
     I wanted the flower paler than the background so I used the same paint and added a little white acrylic to it, it lost it's metallic quality but that didn't matter as I was going to add foil.
     Once dry and touched up where necessary, I added a little glue from a Stix2 glue stick (other glue sticks may work) on each petal with my finger. After a few minutes I placed transfer foil over the petals and gently rubbed to get the silver in place.

     The beaded centre of the flower was painted with white pearl but it didn't look right, so I went over it with a thin layer of gold pearl with gave it some warmth.
     Butterfly or bee?....It had to be a bee. I die cut a bee in black card, then die cut in cork, I had hoped the cork one would be complete but his legs fell off as I took him out of the die, just a little bit too delicate. All was not lost as I used the little bits of cork that the die cut out of his body to go where the yellow bits might bee.

     The card bee was stuck on to acetate so I could get the translucent wings and also to give him some support. The wings looked OK but not quite good enough so I added a little iridescent glitter to them to make them sparkle.
     The bee is stuck on to the flower with two layers of clear foam pad, so if you look at it sideways the bee is hovering.
     A little trip around the edge of the canvas with a two in one glue pen, this is put on and it's blue, you smudge it with your finger to make a random distressed type edge and once it has changed to clear it is super tacky and ready for some foil, this canvas has a mix of silver and purple.
     The whole canvas is only 6x6 so it's easy to find somewhere to hang it, in sunlight it shows just how shiny it is.
     Altered Eclectics is a challenge blog for mixed media and altered art so if you have made anything like that please come over and show us, we would love to see your artwork.

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

Cut It Up - Flowers - must use a die cut

Simon Says Wednesday - Anything Goes

Love To Create - Anything Creative Mixed Media Goes

Curious March Hare

     Some of you may know my thoughts on rabbits, so it's a good thing this one is a hare! These stamps are gorgeous and being silhouette they are perfect when you've made a special background.

     Another background made with the amazing splodge and Distress Oxides, Picked Raspberry, Shaded Lilac and Broken China on white card.
     I stamped the hare, tree branch and fairy in Versafine black and set it aside for a few days while I had a think about mat layer colours.
     I die cut the image with my largest square die and then used a punch to take off the corners, I was going to cut this one out as a circle but I hadn't used a large enough piece of card.
     A little Broken China around the edge knocked back the white a little before going on a black mat layer. At this point I decided it was a bit too open in the bottom left corner and as I didn't want to add a greeting I went for some flowers instead.

     I found the perfect card to mat the next layer but as I only have a couple of sheets I though it would be good to cut out the centre and keep it for another project, once layered up you can't tell it's missing!
    To stay with the colour theme I die cut some tiny flowers in lilac card, shaped them and added them to the tree branch, with a tiny purple gem in each flower my card was complete.
     This one will sit in my card box until required, only then will a greeting be added inside.

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

Cardz 4 Galz - March Hares     (Spotlight winner)

Die Cuttin' Divas - Cherry Blossom or Pink

Addicted To Stamps - Spring

Golden Camellias

     A foray into die cuts this time, using dies by John Lockwood. My craft mojo had gone missing but thanks to a good friend and her new dies I found where it was hiding. This card is for my Mother-In-Law's birthday so it's in her favourite colour pallet.

 

     I cut the Oakham die in white and the Camellia flowers too, then cut the leaves  and flower centres in black. I brought them all home and set about assembling the card.
     I was going to mount the lattice on black but it all looked a bit too dark, so I changed it for gold mirri to give it a lift. I had to paint the thin frame with black paint as it was cut out in white, thank fully I had used a strong card so it took the paint well, without buckling.
   

   

     The flower petals looked a little flat just white, so I painted the edges of them gold, the paint gives a slightly distressed look but I prefer this to a pristine straight line. The tiny star centres are painted with the same gold before working the petals and assembling the flowers.
     A small gold half pearl added to the centre really finished them off. I made three flowers but decided only two would go on the card, less is more as they say.

     Sticking the lattice to the mirri was a challenge but my Stix2 PVA glue did the job with very little fuss.
     It was time to mount the panel on the card, as this would be more difficult once the flowers were added. A black mat on a white card set the whole thing off perfectly.
     I cut the greeting in black but it looked a bit lost, then I remembered a conversation we had Thursday night about shadowing greetings, so I cut a white one and stuck them together shadow style. Mounted on foam pads in the middle of the card it made quite a nice card just like that, but the flowers were a must for this card.

     A medium sized gold half pearl in each hole around the centre panel added a little bling and matched the pearls in the flowers.

     All that was left was to add the leaves and then the flowers, I lay these on several times in different positions until I liked the look, then I glued them on with my trusty PVA.

     Once all the glue was dry I tweaked the petals a little so they sat neatly, checked for any stray marks or bits of card and made sure it was clean and tidy. This will be hand delivered so it won't get squashed in the post.

     I think it's high time I got back into making die cut flowers, it's so calming just colouring and shaping, then building all those beautiful blooms.

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

As You Like It - Dies or Stencils (love them both but building flowers is fab!)
Craft Rocket - Flowers
Dragonfly Dreams - For A Special Female
Creative Moments - Anything Goes
Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
Southern Girls - Flora and/or Fauna

Christmas Shanty

     Is it really a month since the last card post for Christmas At Sweet Stampin'? Where is the time going?

     This one is another Lavinia Stamps image called Shanty. It has been stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa on Kraft card, black was too harsh on Kraft.
     The snow is texture paste dabbed on and a little iridescent glitter added before it dried, sadly that doesn't show up n the picture. The tiny snowflakes and small drifted snow areas are drawn on with a white gel pen.
     Lamps and windows should have a glow about them so they are coloured with a yellow alcohol pen.
    Keeping it fairy simple it was layered with a white mat, then straight on to a Kraft card blank. The greeting is stamped and embossed in white to keep to the colour pallet.
     There is a lot of inspiration from the DT over on the blog to get you in the Christmas spirit so please pop over and take a look, it's never too early to make your cards.

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

Sparkles - Vintage  (hope this qualifies)

The 12 Months Of Christmas - Anything Christmas/optional brads/buttons/bows

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas/optional Father Christmas

The Holly and Ivy - Anything Christmas