HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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My mojo did a runner today. This was meant to be an entry for the Sizzix Tim Holtz Facebook group's Christmas Challenge, which ends tonight, and although I've used Tim Holtz's Sizzix Bigz die, 'Weathered Clock', and a Tim Holtz font (and the numbers that came with the Sizzix Sidekick), and I used Ranger's Stickles glitter glue, it's nowhere near the standard of entries I've seen in the group, and certainly not Tim Holtzy enough to submit as my entry. Ah, well... at least it's sparkly! Lol..

Wishing you all a very sparkly New Year's Eve, and a happy and healthy new decade!

Dragonfly Wings

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There are a couple of tales to tell about this one. Firstly, the dragonfly and the 'On dragonfly wings' sentiment are from Tracy Evans' stamp set #230 by AALL & Create. It is one of their range of wonderful designs from their brand new, hot off the press Autumn release. I love so many of those stamps!

I was chatting online with my bestest crafting buddy, Lisa Vipas, and we were singing the praises of our favourites from the new release, but I was boasting about how disciplined I was being, as I have other (boring but necessary) things to pay for right now. All of a sudden, out of the blue, she says, "I have just bought the dragonfly stamps for you." You could have knocked me down with a feather! What a generous friend! Everybody should have a stamp fairy like Lisa. So this one is for her.

The next storylet is that I downloaded that beautiful font onto my PC about 11 years ago. It's called The King & Queen font. I used it a couple of times back then, but then forgot about it, and it's been gathering dust in the files of an old laptop ever since. Until I saw it on Tracy's stamp set, and I'm so pleased to be reminded of it. So I used it to create the (almost) matching sentiment 'Sending Thanks'.

The Workings

The card base is 6" x 6".

The background was from a Gelli plate play session, practicing techniques inspired by Tracy Evans' first One Day Special on Hochanda, back in August. I added some glitter paste through another AALL & Create stencil, but it got messy and you wouldn't recognise it if I told you! I edged the panel with Cracked Pistachio Distress Oxide.

The dragonfly is stamped onto dark brown card and cut out. Glued onto the card and the antennae are drawn with black fineliner, copying the stamp.

I stamped the wings onto another old piece of random background that also had traces of glitter paste on. Smart alec me forgot to dry the ink, though (Onyx Black Versafine), and it got horribly smudged while I was cutting out the wings. So I went over the design again with black fineliner, and tell myself it adds to the grungy style!

I wanted a pop of red, and I found some gems in my stash that would fit the bill, and added them to the thorax. 

The first part of the sentiment is computer-generated, and the second part is stamped. I tore the panels, and edged them with Peeled Paint Distress ink. They are applied to the card on recycled cardboard to raise them up a tiny bit.

It was too plain, I thought, so I added the rosebuds and pine needles die-cuts, with a couple of silver bows, folded in half and tucked underneath.

I wasn't sure about it (my composition) last night, but it's growing on me. I hope Lisa likes it. As soon as I can get to a Post Office, it will be on its way!

Thank you, again, my friend. xx 

Spotlight Flower

This one is part of a practice series, following the demos of Tracy Evans, one of the brilliant designers for AALL & Create, during the shows she did on Hochanda for her One Day Special, back in August. It has taken me a while to get around to it, but I've been compiling step-by-steps so I wouldn't forget anything.

For this card, I used Tracy's Spotlight technique. You'd think that at some point in my 17 years of cardmaking, I might have made a moon background at some stage, but no.. this was my first time... and so easy! I'm delighted! I'm also pleased with the layers of stencilling, the flower... and the very pretty coloured circle that's been left behind. That will come in handy for something else, I'm sure.

Anyway, here's the run down on what I used:

1. I started with a background I already had.. just a touch of blue glitter from cleaning my palette knife after using Cosmic Shimmer Ultra Sparkle Paste in Periwinkle on a previous project.
2. Over that, I used my AALL & Create 'Lotza Dotz' stencil #39 with Distress Oxide ink in Faded Jeans.
3. I edged the card with the same ink.
4. Then I die-cut a circle and following Tracy's advice, blending the Faded Jeans ink outward from the middle of the circle.
5. Next, I spread That's Crafty! Light Texture Paste through the 'Lotza Dotz' stencil.
6. I stamped one of the cone flowers from Tracy's 'Eclectic Stems' stamp #199 onto the card, and then three more images of the flower head onto spare card with Black Onyx Versafine ink, heat embossing the last one with clear embossing powder. I painted them with spritzed Distress Oxide in Picked Raspberry. I also coloured the leaf in green, but it's barely noticeable. The leaf and the final flower layer are also covered with Glossy Accents, and a touch of light blue Stickles on the centre of the flower. All the layers are decoupaged, without adding extra dimension by way of foam pads, etc, but allowing the petals to be unattached, which gives some dimension anyway.
7. The sentiment is also from the 'Eclectic Stems' stamp set, also edged with Faded Jeans ink.
8. I wanted to balance the pink, so I used Abs' (Autour De Mwa) stencil #6, which has paint splashes and other random effects on it, and Picked Raspberry Distress Oxide so there would be some pattern peeking out from underneath, and I added a few pink sequins. 

The Tide Recedes

This is one of those cards that brings mixed feelings; it's the kind you dread having to make, but enjoy the challenge of trying to convey depth of meaning, the sadness at the passing of the person and beauty without ostentation to respect the dignity of the receiver. But you're never sure if you achieved all that.

I created the wording on my computer, using two text boxes so I could have the large letter at the beginning, and used a black fine-tip pen to fill in the parts of the 'T' that were missing because of the overlap of the other text box.

The poem is 'The Tide Recedes', as follows:

The tide recedes, but leaves behind bright seashells on the sand.

The sun goes down, but gentle warmth still lingers on the land.

The music stops, yet echoes on in sweet refrains.

For every joy that's lost, something beautiful remains.

~ Author unknown

The shells stamp was a lucky find. It's a cheap, foam-backed stamp that was part of a set of wildlife stamps from many years ago. I stamped it in black Versafine, then coloured it with diluted grey from a combination of inks and added some fine Glamour Dust from Decoart for just a touch of bling to echo the 'bright sunshells' line. I blended some 'Cool Grey' ink from Versacraft around the edges, and added some silver/grey sequins.

The rest of the poem is printed on the inside fly-leaf of the insert.

 

Rose Thank You

From the archives, 2010. I needed a quick 'thank you' card, and this is what happened..

It's a 6" square card. The rose is by PSX, stamped three times and coloured with Koh-i-Noor pencils and Zest-It, blended with paper stumps, then Stickled. The sentiment is from Stampin' Up's 'Wonderful Words' set, using Versafine Onyx ink and clear embossing. The panel is raised on 3D pads and embellished with a little pink faux gem. I shaded with pencil to ground the roses, but not sure I would do that if I were making it again now. The 'cf' monogram is a bit pretentious, too. Not needed. 

Christmas Window

This is a 6" x 6" card, using a recycled image and sentiment from old cards, inked around the edges and layered onto a blue Bazzill cardstock mat, and decorated with holly leaves punched from old sheet music and snowflakes made with a Kaleidopunch. A button and string and some glitter complete the card.

Mother's Day 2008

Lots going on with this one! 'Mum' is computer-generated, using Wordart. The light green in the layers is vellum, and the silver is my all-time favourite embossed cardstock. There is a dark green satin ribbon down the centre of the panel and border punched vellum at top and bottom. The panel is raised slightly from the background on low profile foam pads. The background is a decorative paper, with a little stamping; the 'Love' word is stamped, for example. I have cut flowers and foliage from more paper and stuck it randomly to the panel and painted it with slightly diluted Craft Planet glitter glue. The green organza ribbon has a sparkly quality, too, and there's a touch of sparkle on the rosebuds. There is also a little metal dragonfly on the tail of the bow.

Sleepy Christmas Kitties

Super simple recycling.. using a cute image from an old card, layered up and embellished with a punched (Kaleidopunch) snowflake and a red gem. (The fur trim on the hat was already glittered.)

Iris Minnie's Naming Day card

Not my favourite card, although the little person it was made for is totally scrumptious! My friend Prue's baby, Iris Minnie. She is a rainbow baby, as her mum had several miscarriages before she was born.. hence the rainbow panel at the back, which is hand-painted and glittered. The name panel was computer-generated using Wordart, cut out and glittered. I used a Bee Crafty stamp for the background panel, using Peeled Paint Distress Ink. The stick-on giraffe is from an old K&Company set of papers and stickers, and he's sitting on top of an Iris die-cut. Please don't ask what happened with the colouring! lol.. I threw a few sequins on to distract from it!! #hangingheadinshame

Summer Beach

This was made last year for a summer-themed challenge, just before the heat arrived in full force. Think of a hot, sizzling day, and what song comes to mind? Hot enough to melt roads..!! Of course, you have to be knocking on a bit to remember this one. When I think of a hot summer, it calls to mind the song by Bobby Goldsboro, "Summer, The First Time", which was forever on the airwaves when I was about 18 during the hot summer of 1976. The lyric 'it was a hot afternoon' was the first line.

I used watercolour panels for the background (slightly splattered and doodled stones on the 'sand', and with some random glitter on the 'sea').. Impression Obsession beach chair die, Memory Box flying gulls die, Sizzix Tim Holtz thinlits die for the sun (trimmed off the outer ring), alphabet dies, also Sizzix Tim Holtz thinlits, some tiny snippets of white card for sails and a computer-generated banner.

Shiny New Home

A6 (4" x 6") card, pearlised oyster shade, with punched houses cut from glitter paper and stuck down on white, then layered onto embossed silver card, then again onto another white panel, which is 3D'd with low profile foam pads to give just a little lift. The key is a silvered plastic embellishment.

Funky Daisies

This was made when I was on the Funky Hand design team, before their sad demise, and I used one of their gorgeous digital papers here. I inked the edges of the panel and mounted it on glitter card. I fussy-cut some printed daisy die-cuts, glued gold micro beads in the centres, attached some stems 'borrowed' from some paper roses and mounted the daisies on 3D foam pads. The 'daisies' word was created with alphabet stamps in green to match the glitter card, deliberately wonky, and then stickled for sparkle.

Annett's Roses

This was a Valentine's Day commission from a colleague for his wife, Annett. (I didn't forget the 'e'! That's how she spells her name.) I think the elements of the card are pretty self-explanatory, but that may be because I made it! lol.. If anything's not clear, and you have any questions, I'd always be pleased to hear from you. x

Siren

This was inspired by the stamp of the naked lady.. I guess you'd call her a water sprite. The stamp (below) is called 'Swept Away' from Stampland Chicago. (Ref: swept-away-41-42-39). I stamped her in Staz-On on acetate, so that the paper panel underneath would show through. The paper had text on it, and I drew on the white flourishes by hand, and doodled the white dots, and cut around the edges with deckle-edged scissors. I used a lovely concoction of tiny sequin stars and glitter around the edge of the acetate panel, and used some faux gems for bling. The flourish at the edge was from the Rhonna Farrer 'Elegant Flourishes' stamp set. The stamped tallship was embellished with a silver thread wrap, and a small puffy silver star. The white 'wave' in front was hand drawn and cut out. Finally, some dark blue eyelash fibres at the side and some metal charms complete the design.

Rosy Bookmark

My mum was an avid reader, and I made this for her. The embossed rosebud panel can be slid out from its glittery silver binding to use as a bookmark.

This was made with a metal embossing plate, before the days of embossing folders, using an embossing tool and a lightbox, and then coloured using chalk, and decorated with sequin hearts. The background is a glittered piece of printed vellum by K&Co.

Ballet Cat

Penny Black's ballet cat is the one prancing around in the tutu, waving a pink rose in the air. I stamped the cat on acetate, as well, and cut out the tutu and slippers. The pink glitter was applied underneath the acetate with Art Institute glue. The image is layered onto pink mirror card and then onto a kind of white fibre sheet, shot through with silver sparkle.

Fairytale Wedding Invitation

This is not what I normally create for a wedding stationery, nor would I recommend it for anything but the smallest of weddings. It's too complicated and time-consuming for producing in volume.

The words were computer-generated and printed directly onto the card blank. The main focal stamp was from Elzybells, one of my favourite stamp manufacturers, sadly ceased trading at least a decade ago.. I shaded the background, glittered it, coloured the flower and added the gems, tore around and inked the edges, feathered the mulberry paper and glued the panel to it. Then I stamped the stripes in the background (also Elzybells), tied the delicate glittery silver thread wrap and mounted the panel on 3D pads.  A pair of hearts punched out of embossed silver card complete the design.

Purple Hope

Well, there's this, with the 'Hope' metal word embellishment by Making Memories, and the silver cross, or you could opt for stopping with the relatively undecorated card version below...

Glitter Hearts Rose wedding invitation

As (nearly) always, my wedding invitation designs are deliberately very simple, and of course, they can be easily swapped for another occasion by changing the sentiment.

This one is made simply by punching some hearts at random angles in some glitter card, 'draped' with an open rose with a curved stem, and the words here are stamped in silver Encore metallic ink.

New Job

Yellow Bazzill CS, Making Memories letters, computer-generated 'Congratulations', silver star brads, curly clip, flower stickers, and the balloons and confetti were stamped onto acetate and glittered underneath, then the panel was attached over a white piece of card with the little yellow star brads.