Hello - enjoy your day! (Penny Black Saturday Challenge)

 It's a cool Sunday afternoon and I headed into the craft room for a bit of a tidy up after Grace has been in here.   I was looking through my blog reader and saw that Helen had posted a gorgeous card for the latest Penny Black Saturday Challenge  It's Anything Goes -Optional Masculine.  Helen's card inspired me to pull out some of my PB stamps - all very old now.  

I was trying out making a torn paper stencil to make my clouds.   My friend Suna has set this as the monthly challenge at our NZ swap group.  I wanted to suss it out before making my card to sent to my recipient.  So started by tearing some copy paper, and then using a very light blue ink (Altenew) I went over the entire panel.  I then took the Hello Dear Cling stamp by Penny Black and stamped in Versamark Onyx Black ink straight over the light inking.  I heat set the ink as I remembered that alcohol markers can bleed with this ink.   Grab my Tri-blend markers and started colouring.   Happy to say- no smearing. I have the Extended Collection - so the colours are not quite as bright as the original sets but turned out perfect for this one.  I used a Winnie and Walter die cut Hello and added the sub-sentiment from a PB set called Sunny Days.   The card was mounted into some dark blue card and then the white base.   A fun hour or so in the craft room.  And think I've got the cloud background sussed, even if they look a bit peaky!  

Thanks Helen for inspiring me to enter the challenge.  I would say it's a bit masculine!  

Card Chain Challenge - May reveal.

 It's time to share the card I made for the May Card Chain Challenge

My card went to Patricia in Texas

The options for this month 

Theme options: Hats/Flowers/Friendship

Technique options: Embossing Powder/torn edges.

I chose to use the sketch, Flowers and Friendship

My background was made with white card and Altenew Hot Foil plate - Exquisite Marble and WRMK Rose Gold Foil.  I also used Altenew Charming Foliage Die Set  - cut from Paint chips. And used some of the Altenew Branches and Berries set.  The sentiment was made up of Altenew Sentiment Strips 3 and a Winnie & Walter Hello die.   To ground the flowers I used a dotted vellum cut with a Spellbinders Oval die. 

And I received this beautiful summer scene from my blog mate Arlene.  ( and some die cuts too)

Always delightful to get a card from a friend! 

Got some time this afternoon to play with Grace in the craft room.  She is spending the night here while Mummy and Daddy go out to celebrate their 2nd wedding anniversary.  The new baby arrives sometime in the next couple of weeks, so last time in a while that they will have time to go out together. 

Thanks for popping in.  

Tic-tac-toe at Die Cut Divas.... flowers, Love and patterned paper.

 It's the 31st so time for the final inspiration for this month at  Die Cut Divas.  Our sponsor this month is Frantic Stamper 

 

Our challenge this week:

I chose the diagonal - Flowers, The word Love, Patterned paper.  I used Pinkfresh Studio washi and the matching die.  I used Artistic Dahlia products.  Both are available at Frantic Stamper Inc. 

I stuck the washi onto some white card.  The die cuts out lots of the images all at once.  I used 300gsm paper... but next time I'll use a lighter weight.   I used a Gina K Master Layout die to cut the dotted patterned paper.  I used an Altenew stamp for the sentiment.  

Our challenge is open till 9.00pm Pacific time.  

Supplies:

Pinkfresh Studio - Artistic Dahlia Washi 

Pinkfresh Studio - Artistic Dahlia Die 

Gina K Master Layouts

Altenew - Best Sentiments 

Grungy Flower cards

 The other day I saw a lovely video from Natasha Foote - using a solid stamps and making a mixed media background.  Natasha used soft colours on her background and it was her inspiration that got me started.  My first background turned out a bit grungy and darker as I used paints for my base layer.  

I started by using Distress paints  and added to my card base.  Then lots of layers...Background Builders.  There are three wooden stamps each about 1.5" wide by 6" long.  I used various Distress inks to added them.  Also used some bubble wrap to add some texture.  Splatted some white ink spray.  Once everything was dry I stamped a Darkroom Door stamp in black ink and clear embossed.   Finished with a pre-printed sentiment from Creative Expressions Wordies.  

I decided to try and make a lighter background, albeit still a bit grungy. 

For this one I used Distress inks - Old Paper, Worn Lipstick Broken China and Victorian Velvet to smoosh onto my media mat and did the background.  Again used the bubble wrap. And some Gathered Twigs DI through a couple of stencils from Stampgiraffe.com.  One is dots and the other splatters.    Used the Stampin' Up stamps as well.  This time another of the Darkroom Door stamps, this time inked with Altenew Mahogany Bark ink.    The sentiment is part of another of the stamps in the set.  Added some hessian thread to finish.  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Interference Inks... two ways.

 Over at Splitcoaststampers this week, there was a great video using black paint/gesso and Cosmic Shimmer Opal Polish.  Christine used gesso and  3D embossing folder.   I don't have the Opal Polish, but I do have some VERY ANCIENT Opalite inks so decided to give them a go.   First up I used black acrylic paint with an Altenew Bergenia folder.... EPIC FAILURE!!!!   Next I tried with some black Obsidan ink (Altenew) brayered onto the folder and embossed onto white card.   Let it dry and then did a direct to paper technique with the Opalite inks ( Crystall Blush, Nordic Ice, Golden Mist and Cypress Frost)   It looks like versamark ink... no colour but once it hits the black it is supposed to show the colour.  Well with this one... it's there but only ever so slightly, if you tilt it in the light....So difficult to photo on this one 

Here you can just about see the colours... and definitely you can see it on the black card.  I swinked it on and then used a die from Concord & 9th Just Saying Dies.  A few black enamel dots to finish. 

I had more success using black card with the embossing folder. 

I added the inks by swinking across the embossed panel.  It really shimmers and shines.  I backed it onto the maroon card.  The sentiment is from Altenew's Versatile Greetings Dies, cut from the maroon card and backed with white card.  Added some white enamel dots.    I've had these Opalite inks for a very long time - bought them at a craft fair in 2016.  I think I might have used them once or twice and then stored them in the bottom draw of one of my cabinets.   I must admit I was surprised it still worked!  

Thanks for stopping by. 

Things with Wings at Sweet Stampin' Challenge.

 Hi there.  Time for the latest challenge at Sweet Stampin' Challenge.   It's Susan's team to inspire you with "Things with Wings"

For my card I've gone with a Christmas card - upcycling an old commercial card. 

I used a Spellbinders Oval die to cut part of the card front and layered it onto a decorative oval die (also by Spellbinders)  The sentiment is a hot foiled using the negative left from foiling with red onto white card.  The background is a pearlescent paper added to the white card base.  

There's lots of opportunities with this challenge - bird, butterflies, dragonflies etc,   So come and join us for this fortnight's challenge.  

 

Purple Poinsettia - a non traditional Christmas card.

 This month's challenge at Christmas Kickstart is all about a colour palette.

 Of course this palette is right up my alley as I LOVE the colours of Purple.  I was inspired by my bloggy friend - Linda with her gorgeous entry using a poinsettia.  

I used a Hero Art Woodblock stamp - Antique Poinsettia.   I too two sheets of PP from an Anko pack called Marble.  I stamped first onto a grey marble paper and fussy cut it out.  Added some pale purple marker to the leaf portion.  Next stamped was twice onto the purple marble paper.  Each time in the different shades of purple.  I then fussy cut the two layers.  The second layer had dimensional dots between it and the base, and the top layer was added directly to the second. Three little purple gems finished the centre.  I found the soft purple background in a Recollections pack called Northern Lights.  I decided I needed a little something more, so used a Kaisercraft Rectangle Fancy Frames die to cut a frame.  The sentiment is a Scrapbook.com die that was a gift when buying some stuff from them.  Cut it from purple but it didn't look right - so cut from white and layered the two together. 

And because I used a woodblock stamp, this one is going into Amy's Woodblock Wednesday challenge -Here is the stamp with the card, 

Today was a work from home day so once I finished for the day I quickly did the housework and then off to the craft room for the next couple of hours.  A productive afternoon making this one.  

Butterfly Love at Die Cut Divas.

 Hi, Dawn here to share my challenge card for this month's Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge at Die Cut Divas.   

Our fabulous sponsor this month is 

I chose the middle vertical line - Stencil, the word LOVE and Butterflies.

I used Altenew stamps, die and stencil for my card  today.   I used the stencil to make the gingham stripe and then die cut the panel.  I cut my red panel at 5.25" x 4".  The love sentiment was cut out of the red panel before I glued the white panel on it.  The butterfly - I die cut first then stamped and used my Tri-blends to colour.  

All my supplies are available at The Frantic Stamper 

Altenew Buffalo Plaid Builder stencil 

Altenew Dovetail Butterflies - stamp and die set

Altenew Versatile Greetings Die set 

Do come and join us and have fun with our Tic-Tac-Toe board