Dabbling with Colour

Hello everyone, it's time for a brand new challenge over on the Chocolate Baroque Challenge Blog, and I am helping to provide a bit of inspiration as part of the Design Team this week.

Following on from my recent kraft notelets, I decided to create a coloured version, using the new challenge colours. I created some notelets using linen card, using the same dimensions as in my previous post, and then cut some strips of watercolour paper 5.5 cms wide. I sprinkled some Brushos onto the dry paper, and then spritzed the paper with water. I used a second strip to blot the first one. This way, I only needed to colour three of the strips to create six strips of card. I dried each strip with a heat gun, and then using Versamark, and white embossing powder, used the same flower images, as I had used on my kraft cards.

I used a small amount of Mermaid Lagoon and Wilted Violet Distress Ink to add shading around the edges of the coloured strips. I then added a sentiment using Versafine Onyx Black Ink to each panel. Finally, I atteched them to the linen cards.

These notelets were so quick to make, and I am thinking of trying a Christmas version out next! Please pop over to the Challenge Blog, to check out the details of the new challenge, and to see the fabulous inspiration from my other team mates.

Thanks for stopping by, xx

Fifteen Minute Krafting

Hello everyone, there is a huge blog post over on the Design Team blog today, featuring more of our fifteen minute cards. This is a bi-monthly feature running on the blog, showcasing quick and simple cards, using stamps from Chocolate Baroque. We are trying to show how cards can be made in fifteen minutes or less and still be fabulous and eye-catching.

I am sharing two projects in the blog post today, both made using kraft card, hence the title of my blog post, please excuse the pun. The first of the projects is a set of little notelet cards, suitable for lots of occasions, and small enough to be gift tags, if I wanted to use them that way. To create the notelets, I took two sheets of A4 card, and measured 9.8 cms across the card, and cut three equal strips of card. I then scored and folded the card strips in half, and rounded all of the corners. I stamped the images and sentiments using Versafine Onyx Black Ink.

I have also created a card using a Poppy image from the Flora and Fauna stamp set. I die cut three squares, and stamped a segment of the image onto each square, and coloured it using Polychromos pencils. I mounted the squares onto a strip of black card, before adding the strip to another piece of kraft card. I added a sentiment from the Card Sentiments clear stamp set.

Please pop over to the Design Team blog to see the rest of the post, you will get so much inspiration from the rest of the projects. Thanks for stopping by, xx

Fabulous New Stamps to Show You!

Hello everyone, there are new stamps launching today over at Chocolate Baroque. Babushka is a super A5 plate of Russian dolls in three sizes, with a couple of little rooftop fragments to help you build a scene. These stamps are really lovely, and evoke lots of childhood memories for me. My Mum loves Russian dolls, and always wanted to collect them, but could never really afford them. I always remember being fascinated by opening the dolls, only to find yet more dolls inside. It was like magic.

I have created a card with one of the doll sets, and combined it with some apples from the Mellow Fruitfulness stamp set. I coloured a small panel of card with Shabby Shutters Distress Ink, and stamped the image randomly across the panel, before colouring it with watercolour pencils. I added some lovely navy gingham ribbon above and below the panel.

I stamped the three dolls onto a separate piece of card, and coloured them with pencils as before, and then cut them out ant attached them to the card. I added a sentiment from the Card Sentiments clear stamp set to finish.

The Design Team have been making some beautiful samples using these stamps, so be sure to visit the Design Team blog across the month to see lots of inspiration. Thanks for stopping by, xx

A Get Well Card

Hello everyone, it's time for another week on the Chocolate Baroque Challenge Blog, and my turn to provide a bit of Design Team inspiration this week. I have made a Get Well card for someone special who is having an operation this week, and wanted a lovely cheery feel to the card.

I created a wrinkle free distress background using Scattered Straw Distress Ink, and then added ink through a stencil over the top, using Latte Adirondack Ink, and Seedless Preserves Distress Ink. I then stamped a tree from the Fantasy Woodland stamp set around the edges, using Memento Ink in Pear Tart and Grape Jelly, plus Seedless Preserves Distress Ink.

I coloured some cartridge paper with Shaded Lilac Distress Ink, and Pear Tart Memento Ink, and then stamped two small trees from the same stamp set several times, using darker ink. I cut these out, curled them slightly, and stuck them onto the background. I added a green button into the centre of the flower. I added a sentiment from the Card Sentiments clear stamp set.

I matted the background onto purple textured cardstock, and die cut three butterflies from some of the left over card. I added these to the background to finish my card.

Hop over to the challenge blog to see some more DT inspiration, and find out how you can take part and win a £15 voucher to spend at Chocolate Baroque. Thanks for stopping by, xx

Tropical Bird

Hello everyone, I have a project to share using the Birds of Paradise Multibuy stamps that are currently on offer this month from Chocolate Baroque. I have chosen to use a colour palette that is outside my usual comfort zone, but I really wanted to create a tropical feel to this card.

To make my background, I spritzed a piece of smooth watercolour paper with some Dylusion sprays, and then used a Crafter's Workshop stencil to add some depth. I used Distress Inks to add the shading; Salty Ocean, Chipped Sapphire, Mowed Lawn and Pine Needles.

I used a little flower spray from the Wisteria Lane stamp set to create some branches to hang the bird cage from. I stamped the image randomly around the top edges of the background, using Library Green Archival Ink. I stamped and embossed the birdcage using gold embossing powder, ensuring that the background was completely dry, so that the embossing powder did not stick to the rest of the background.

I stamped the bird onto the background, and then again onto a spare piece of card. I coloured the second image with Polychromos pencils and cut it out before adhering it to the background. I added a sentiment from the Card Sentiments clear stamp set. I matted the background onto a piece of dark green card to complete my project.

I hope that you will experiment with your colours as I have done when creating your projects, you never know where the journey will take you! Thanks for stopping by, xx

Dandelion Clocks

Hello everyone, I have a card to share with you today, using some of the new Seasonal Fragments stamps from Chocolate Baroque. I wanted to create a little scene using one of the older dandelion clock images from the Fragrant Honeysuckle stamp set and add the clock seeds as if a fairy was blowing them off the flower head. I used to do this as a child and make a wish, did you?

I stamped the main flower image onto a piece of card, and then added the flower fragment across the bottom of the card. I added some colour to the background using Tumbled Glass and Shabby Shutters Distress Inks. I stamped the seed fragment, and added a fairy from the Spring Fairy stamp set. I coloured the images with Inktense pencils, and added a little bit of Stickles glue on the flowers, seeds and fairy wings as an accent. I stamped a sentiment from the Card Sentiments clear stamp set to finish.

I created a larger mount for my image using Shabby Shutters Distress Ink once again to colour the background card, and stamped the seed stamp around the edges using the same colour for a tone on tone effect. I attached both pieces of card to a large white card blank.

 I'll be back with more cards using these great new stamps in a few days' time. Thanks for stopping by, xx

Birdcage Collage using Stampbord

Hello everyone, I have a Chocolate Baroque Design Team project to show you using one of this month's individual stamps, Birdcage Collage.

I started my project by inking up the stamp, and then placing an ATC sized piece of Stampbord onto the stamp to take a partial print of the image. I stamped the image again onto a piece of white card. I coloured the Stampbord image with pencils, and also the areas of the image on the card that would not be covered by the Stampbord image.

I created a tile effect on the Stampbord using Versamark and UTEE. Once the Stampbord had cooled down completely, I attached it to the card image, lining up the two images so that they matched each other.

I created the card background using the wrinkle free Distress technique: adding Shabby Shutters Distress Ink to my craft mat, and spritzing it with water, before dragging my card through the ink. I dried this layer, and then patted the card onto the mat again to pick up some of the left over ink droplets, and dried the card again. I added Salty Ocean DI and repeated the process. I used a Crafter's Workshop template and the same colour Distress Inks to add a trellis effect to two of the corners of my background, and stamped a small berry stamp taken from the Woodland Dreams stamp set onto the other two corners.

I attached the background to an 8" x 8" crd blank and added a sentiment from the Card Sentiments clear stamp set.

 
Thanks for stopping by, xx