Inspire & Create

Hello and welcome to the blog today.

I found this piece of card stock I had played with a wee while back tucked into a notebook on my desk. 

I made it at the time I was into my gelatos and really messing about.

I received a set of sentiment stamps I'd ordered from Maximum Crafts by Woodware that I thought would be perfect for journalling and mixed media so that prompted me to make up a card using these as a feature. 

I've used a variety of mediums on this card with texture provided by the Modern Chevron embossing folder by Tonic and their Lilac Lavender Embellishment mousse through a stencil from my stash.

I've also used Viva Decor stamps [brilliant value from Cuddly Buddly Crafts] called Grunge Backgrounds

The Woodware sentiments are part of their latest release and are called Vintage Inspiration.

I've stamped them with Versamark onto black card and embossed with Tonic's White embossing powder.

These backgrounds are so much fun to do it makes me want to get all inky and messy again!

Thank you for calling in today.

Have a lovely evening. 

Just for You

Good morning and welcome to the blog today.

Well my love affair with Woodware stamps continues combined with the Faber Castell Gelatos and a wee bit of Embellishment mousse from Tonic Studios.

I love the way this background worked out with all the tones going through from orange, yellow, turquoise, pink and green. Ooer! Just my thing.

I've used Woodware Paris Collage, Deco Greetings and Splatters background stamps

I've used a mix of gelatos and popped in some embellishment mousse.

I'm so sorry I didn't note down the colours, I just went for it. 

The background has been done on gessoed watercolour card and matted and layered onto the stamped panel using Smokey Gray Versafine ink.

I stamped the image with Onyx Black Versafine ink which did carry a little on the surface but I really didn't mind. I liked the grungy look so kept it. I let it dry overnight.

The greeting was stamped onto a spare piece of card stock, backed with black card stock and 3D'd onto the front of the card. 

Thank you for calling in today

Have a good midweek! 

Welcome to Paris birthday card

Good morning and welcome to the blog today.

Guess what? Yes, you've got it, another Woodware stamped card. You would think I actually liked these wouldn't you? 😃

I've used the Old Letter stamp for the background inked with Versafine Smokey Grey, edged with the same and splattered with Cotton Candy gelato (spritzed with water and using a fine paint brush).

The mats and layers are coloured with gelatoes as well to tone with the main image.

I've used the Paris Collage and the Deco Sayings stamps as my focal image.

The image was stamped with Versafine Onyx black ink and embossed with fine detail clear embossing powder.

I applied the gelatoes over the top of the image and blended them together with a baby wipe. 

The greeting was stamped onto a spare piece of the background card so that everything toned in together and the card was finished using Tonic Nuvo Crystal drops in Caribbean Ocean. 

All in all very versatile stamps with most tastes catered for. I love these collages as they would be really useful for mixed media projects as well.

Hope you enjoy this one.

Thank you for calling in today. :) 

Especially for you

Good morning and welcome along to the blog today.

I'm sharing another of my Woodware cards today and my new best friends Faber Castell gelatos.

I've used the Woodware Splatters and Going to Seed stamp sets. 

I coloured the splatters stamp with the gelatos and spritzed it with water before stamping onto watercolour card stock.

I mingled the colours together towards the top of the card and left the splatters on the bottom.

I edged the panel with black soot distress ink after stamping the image and sentiment.

The black border was punched with a Stamping Up edge punch.

I added some purple ribbon and coloured pearls to finish. 

Thank you for calling in today.

Have a good one! 

Circle Flowers

Good morning and welcome to the blog today.

It's the weekend. I hope you have plans for a crafty one. 😉

I found a bit of time to play with one of my new Woodware stamps and my latest fave gelatos.

I found some other new stamps along the way so of course I had to add those to my stash.

The products I've used are Faber -Castell Gelatos; Woodware 'Circle Flowers' stamp; Viva Decor 'Grunge Backgrounds' (available from Cuddly Buddly at the ridiculous price of £3.99!!! ); Faber Castell PITT artist pen (black) and a fab stencil from the Crafter's Workshop called Mini Texturized. 

I prepared the background using an assortment of gelatos and used a baby wipe to blend the colours together. The grunge circles and the blue circles from the Viva Decor set were covered with gelato and lightly spritzed with water before stamping. I'm crazy about how they turned out. 😃 I used a baby wipe to remove sections of colour through the stencil to give the lighter circles. I then used the PITT pen to highlight some of the circles and echo the pattern in the flowers. 

I'm sure everyone knows these techniques but just in case you haven't come across them before I thought I would explain. I love the depth they create on a flat piece of card stock.

I've used watercolour card that I've painted with white gesso. I find the gelatos move better on a gessoed surface and are easier to blend. 

A close up of the main image

Close up of the tag.

The bubble edges were punched with an EK Success border and corner set of punches I've had since Adam was alive but I thought they suited the image and background very well. 

Thanks for popping by today.

Have a great weekend!

Memories

Good morning and welcome to the blog today.

I have been having a bit of a play with my gelatos today on a small 5 x 7" canvas.

I haven't a baldy clue about mixed media but couldn't resist having a go anyway. I did attempt a wee bit of die cutting but I've still a ways to go before I can get into the full swing of things again. 

As my starting point I had an extra butterfly from my previous card making project so I didn't want to waste it. LOL 😃 I used similar gelato colours for the background. 

The canvas was pre-prepped with gesso so I started by applying the colours randomly onto the surface. I blended them with my fingertip slightly moistened with a baby wipe until they were blended the way I wanted.

I used one of my Tonic stencils - Falling Diamonds and removed some of the colour with the baby wipe. I stamped the background with one of my new Woodware stamps - Memories in Versafine Onyx Black ink using the stamp freehand and just applying it here and there to get the effect I wanted.

I then applied some texture paste - Tonic's Persian Red mousse through the Fancy Fretwork Stencil and whilst it was still wet doused it with Pure Sheen Charcoal glitter.

As soon as the paste was dry I brushed off the excess glitter leaving a shadowed edge on the paste.

I then stamped a crackle pattern design with Versafine Sepia ink in opposite corners, added a moussed wooden swirl and a flower made with Tonic Kraft card (also moussed) from the Beautiful Blooms Woodland Aster die set. 

I used the Expressions sentiment die 'Life' cut from thin chipboard three times and layered to give good depth. I then inked it with Versafine Onyx black and embossed it several times to get a good thick coverage and plenty of shine. 

I applied a little more stamped detail in the bottom corner and used my heat gun to dry it but succeeded in flattening the mousse a bit at the same time. 

I really wanted to do a second gesso wash but chickened out! Perhaps if I have another go I'll try that and see what happens. 

So there we have it - a very novice piece but at least I managed to get messy, mucky, inky and splattered all at the same time. Just bliss! 

Thank you for joining me today on this wacky adventure.

Take care and have a good one!

Gelatos and butterflies

Good morning and welcome to the blog today.

I had a little spare time and unearthed another of my 'test' gelato pieces for a card. 

This particular background stamp and butterfly had a really thorough play time back in 2009!

They still remain favourite stamps today.

I wanted to try embossing resist with the gelatos and it works beautifully. 

I've used Hero Arts Grid Pattern and Heart Winged Butterfly stamps with a sentiment from Lili of the Valley.

I also used a narrow Cuttlebug embossing border with Hunkydory Black Adorable Scorable card stock. It cracked the surface but I liked the effect so kept it. 

The butterflies were stamped with Versafine Onyx Black ink and embossed with Marcasite embossing powder from Stamp n Stuff. 

The card stock for the background is water colour paper from a pad I bought in the Works.

I've used the gelatos to colour the sentiment and then edged it with Fired Brick distress ink.

The background panel is coloured also with gelatos in red and orange.

I just love the texture this technique gives.😃

Here is one of the 2009 versions. LOL x 

Have a good day and thank you for calling in. x

Especially for you

 Good morning and welcome to the blog today.

This is my last gelato experiment card from my messy play session.

I just love how much can be done with them and I've only touched on a few techniques so far. I have a pile of swatches on corrugated card, chipboard, grungeboard etc etc but I won't have a lot of time to do much more with them as we are waiting the imminent arrival of our fourth grandchild. Hopefully today! I'll be busy helping out once she arrives so the craft room will be neglected for a while. 

Onto today's card.

I've used the gelatos on gessoed water colour card stock.

I applied the colour in blocks blended them with my fingertip and then removed most of the colour with a baby wipe to leave more of a stain than an out and out colour background.

I stamped my Woodware 'Old Letter' stamp with Smokey Grey Versafine ink to keep the faded look. 

I stamped the Woodward 'Going to Seed' image in Versamark and applied Cosmic Shimmer embossing powders in Lemon Fizz Aurora and Burnt Red Lustre on the flower heads. The green stems were embossed with some ancient Melt Dust in Mint that I've had in my stash for years and never used. The sentiment from the Go to Seed set was also multi embossed. 

The embossing powder caught some of the script but I loved the effect and let it go. 

I spritzed some Cosmic Shimmer Mango Blaze on the piece since I had it handy from my first attempt with the gelatos. 😊

The completed panel was edged with Black Soot distress ink and matted onto dark green card stock.

I've used a 5 x 7" blank card from Anna Marie Designs as my base, added a little strip of ribbon and 3D'd the matted panel onto the front of the card to finish.

Thank you for joining me today.

Have a good one!

A smile that bursts

Good morning and welcome to the blog today.

I've another card to share made with my new Gelatos from Faber Castell.

They are just magic to use. 

 

I've used mango, cotton candy and pistachio gelatos for this embossed background.

The card stock was untreated smooth white 300 gsm. and I applied the colours directly over the embossing.

I then took a baby wipe and blended them together leaving some of the deeper embossed areas white for contrast. 

The embossing folder is Sue Wilson's Star Swirls.

I stamped one of my new Woodware stamps 'Climbing Up' JGS299 onto vellum with Memento ink and quickly applied Tonic's Clear embossing powder, heated it and got this fab enameled look on the vellum.

I torn the vellum to size and applied it with Zig two way glue leaving the torn edge open.

The stamped sentiment is from a Fiskars set called 'Laugh with me Quotes' and I've die cut it with a Sizzlet banner die. I've really fallen for this matting onto vellum so I've done that with the sentiment and the main panel.

The edge of the backing panel has been gelatoed and the colour blended out with my fingertip dipped into a spritz of water. 

Hope you enjoy this one today.

Have a super Thursday whatever your plans. 😃

Gelatos - who knew?

Good morning and welcome to the blog today.

I'm quite excited to share a card with you that I've made using Faber Castell Gelatos for my stamping and background. I bought these from Crafts u Love when they were on offer and spent the time in between ordering and receiving them watching You Tube tutorials on what could be done with them. By the time they arrived (they were delayed) I was bursting to have a go. It was something I could do sitting down which was a bonus with this back at the minute. 

So here it is. What do you think?

I'm thrilled with the results I've had so far with loads of practice pieces waiting to be turned into swatches or some more cards.

I used a piece of watercolour card stock and applied a layer of gesso then let it dry to give me a good base to work on.

The stamp is from Rubber Stampede and is called 'Gerbera Daisy'. I've had it for years and it still is quite a favourite especially for techniques like this.

I coloured the stamp with the gelatos - Metallic Melon, Tangerine and Mango straight from the stick. I'm not sure what to call them. They are reminiscent of chap sticks and have a smooth, creamy texture that goes on like a dream.

I spritzed the stamp lightly with water and stamped the card stock.

I reapplied the gelatos once as I wanted a good strong impression.

I used a water brush to smooch the flower centres and let that dry.

I applied the background using the butter cream gelato directly to the card stock, then I blended it in with my fingertip. I later went back with a baby wipe and dabbed that on to break down the more solid colour.

Once that was done I spritzed the piece with some Mango Blaze Cosmic Shimmer mist to help bring out the colour in the centre of the flowers.

The sentiment is from a set by Die-namics but I've discarded the packaging and can't remember the name. I cut it out simply in a rectangle and backed it with a piece of vellum.

I saw that tip recently on Lime Doodles Designs (Debbie Hughes) and I thought it was genius. It separates the sentiment from the background without a harsh outline. I'll be using that one again I'm sure. 

So there we have it. My first venture into Gelatos but not my last!

Have a super week and thank you for joining me today.