Lavinia Stamps & Brusho Crystals

Morning all, happy Monday. How was the second weekend of 2016 for you? I spent it in the craft room, ignoring the rain. I'm following on from Martina's post last Thursday, with a few Lavinia Stamps & Brusho cards of my own, from earlier in 2015........

The Spotty Toadstools were heat embossed with gold embossing powder & Turquoise & Lime Green Brusho mixed with water & brushed on top. I used the Nuevo embossing folder from Couture Creations to dry emboss a piece of Super Smooth card for the top layer..........

Painting the dry embossed layer this time with Lime Green & Turquoise Brusho. This is the Dream embossing folder from Couture Creations. Second & third generation stamping of the Ink Caps with Ripe Persimmon Distress ink. The Spotty Toadstools were heat embossed in gold again & painted with Turquoise & Lemon Brusho.............

For the third card I used

Fresh Lime Dylusions paint through the Imagination Crafts Hexagons stencil, Brilliant Red Brusho splatters on top & stamped the Ink Caps with 

Onyx Black Versafine..............

                                

Before I go, I have to give you some news from Google. They're making "improvements" again. This is the announcement from Blogger Buzz............

In 2011, we announced the retirement of Google Friend Connect for all non-Blogger sites. We made an exception for Blogger to give readers an easy way to follow blogs using a variety of accounts. Yet over time, we’ve seen that most people sign into Friend Connect with a Google Account. So, in an effort to streamline, in the next few weeks we’ll be making some changes that will eventually require readers to have a Google Account to sign into Friend Connect and follow blogs.

As part of this plan, starting the week of January 11, we’ll remove the ability for people with Twitter, Yahoo, Orkut or other OpenId providers to sign in to Google Friend Connect and follow blogs. At the same time, we’ll remove non-Google Account profiles so you may see a decrease in your blog follower count.

We encourage you to tell affected readers (perhaps via a blog post), that if they use a non-Google Account to follow your blog, they need to sign up for a Google Account, and re-follow your blog. With a Google Account, they’ll get blogs added to their Reading List, making it easier for them to see the latest posts and activity of the blogs they follow.

We know how important followers are to all bloggers, but we believe this change will improve the experience for both you and your readers.

Posted by Michael Goddard, Software Engineer

 

So, there it is, nothing we can do about it. If you want to follow the blog & leave comments, you're going to have to get a Google account & then re-follow. You can sign up to the Follow by Email subscription too.

That's it for today, thanks for visiting the blog, see you next time.

Kirsten

Inked & Embossed, part two

Good morning blog visitors, Kirsten here with the scheduled, second post of yesterday's post.

This time I have applied inks directly to the debossed side of the Without A Lock embossing folder.  Always make sure you apply the ink to the correct side of the folder.  Many times my attention has wandered & I've ended up with the ink on the wrong side.




As with yesterday’s post, I’ve used white, hammered textured cardstock.  Here, I’ve applied Frayed Burlap distress ink using the ink pad.  You get quite a textured result, with different amounts of ink.  I blended Antique Linen & Old Paper on top of the keys, because the white looked too stark.  This seemed to bring the piece together.




I’ve applied Faded Jeans distress ink onto the folder with a brayer for this piece.  You still get some texture, but it looks a little smoother.  And I liked how the white looks against the blue, so didn’t put any ink on top.




On this piece I used a Brilliance pigment ink in a sandy colour.  It’s very pale, with a subtle sheen & works very well with the white keys.





Here are the cards I made.  I kept them all very simple, using just core’dinations card in assorted colours & various embellishments, because I wanted the embossed shapes to be the focal point.

 

 

Frayed Burlap distress ink.

 

Faded Jeans distress ink.

 

 

Sand coloured pigment ink.

            



Thanks for visiting the blog, we appreciate your support.  We’ve had the first entries into the new challenge already, if you'd like to join in all the details are on the challenge page.
Until net time, happy crafting.
Kirsten

Inked and Embossed, part one

Hello blog visitors, Kirsten here.  I’ve been trying various things with stamps & embossing folders & I thought I’d share a few with you.  I made a total of five cards, so I will split this tutorial into two & post the second half tomorrow.

I started by stamping the Artemio collaged keys stamp onto white hammered textured cardstock with Old Paper distress ink, then blending Antique Linen DI over the image.



Next I embossed the cardstock with the Without a Lock embossing folder.





Swipe the Vintage Photo & Walnut Stain distress inks over the raised areas – not putting an pressure on the blending tool will achieve this.  Add more ink until you’re happy with how the piece looks, drying in between layers of ink.





I then cut the card with a Spellbinders label die & used it on this card.





On the next piece of cardstock I blended blue distress inks; Broken China, Faded Jeans, Chipped Sapphire, Stormy Sky, again drying in between layers.




I stamped the Artemio stamp in Chipped Sapphire & immediately applied a dark blue mica powder, fixing the powder with a spritz of water.





Despite the sheen from the mica powder this looked a little flat, so I embossed it with the Lattice embossing folder.





Here is a section cut into a tag on this card.  I used the same embossing folder on the red core’dinations & sanded it slightly.






           





That’s it for part one.  Until tomorrow, happy crafting.

Kirsten

It's That Time Again......

Good Morning Bloggers,

Hope you all had a great Easter!

First of all I would like to apologise for the lack of newsletter not sent out to all my workshop newsletter subscribers for last month.

If you wish to sign up for it please email me at: lisabaker1@btinternet.com .

As a lot of you know I had four shows last month, hence no workshop in March and was only home for around 12 days in that month which was quickly taken up by catching up on a lot things!!!!

It was a very exhausting time and I am only just starting to feel like my normal self again.

The weather we have been constantly having has not helped as I am not a winter person at all and the cold does not help my bones!!!

On a lighter note I am very much looking forward to seeing all of you that are attending my workshop this Friday 5th April, as it seems an age since we have all met up and had a bit of crafty time together.......

I am also very much looking forward to seeing your altered art box come to life as the kits have come together beautifully, and below is a sneak peek of what's in store for you, the pre chosen choice of the Kraft Vintage Memories Box or the Pretty Vintage with the gorgeous Ladies Diary papers from Graphic 45.......
 

There are a couple of places on each of the day and evening class that have become available due to illness, so if anyone is available and wishes to attend please email me a.s.a.p or ring me on

01622 675078 to book the places.

I have masses of new goodies going to be in the shop on Friday, ranging from wood pieces to alter like all sorts of wooden boxes, books with secret drawers, chests, clocks, money boxes, bird houses, key cupboards, plaques, etc, etc........

Massive brand new vintage range including lace's, miniature bottles, 5 sizes of cotton reels, gorgeous ready made roses, buttons, buckles, brads, metal embellishments, etc, etc.......

Loads of new Indigo Blu goodies including new Flitter kits, slap it on kits, clock kits and clock numeral stamps, new stamps, Kroma crackle paint, Slap it on, etc, etc........

Brand new Hobby House toppers including the new Elizabeth Bell toppers and now exciting new die cut scalloped round and square frames to match for those who don't have die cut machines and new Lili of the Valley A4 toppers..........

Brand new Wild Rose Studio Stamps and toppers, Creative Expression Dazzlers in lots of colours, new Couture Creation, Sizzix and Crafts Too embossing folders, etc, etc.........

Ohh I could go on forever there is so much stuff but will I get it all in the van, I ask myself????......

Remember anyone is welcome to visit the shop on Friday at Fant Hall, Barming. ME16 8NN from 2.30pm to 9.30pm and have a nosey around the shop.

Remember to bring your loyalty cards with you and bring cameras if you want to as I have been working very hard on lots of new samples to show you.......

Next months class is 3rd May and we will be back to making two cards.

It is all about die cutting and embossing and I know that you are going to love the two cards that we are making, they will be there on Friday for you to see.

I have some amazing new dies and embossing folders for next month and also a great new product called Shimmer Film as well as loads of new paper ranges and toppers.

Anyone not attending on Friday can email me or ring me to book for 3rd May........

Well I think that is all for now ladies, time is flying by and I still have so much to do!

I look forward to seeing you all.

Big Hugs Lisa.X