Christmas in July - Fun Fold card.

 I saw a neat fun fold card over at Splitcoaststampers a couple of weeks ago and finally got around to trying it out.   It's called Puzzle Panel Gate Fold    and it's nice and easy to do.  

I decided to make a Christmas card using some pretty Kaisercraft patterned paper.   

Here is the card standing up.  I found the paper when I did my reorganising the craft room... and thought it was perfect for this fun fold.  The base was made with a very dark green cardstock.   I stamped the sentiment for the outside and inside with Altenew Mountain Pine ink.   Both are from a free stamp set from a magazine - a very old one.   

Here it is showing the inside sentiment.   

I'm sure I'll be using this fun fold again as it looks awesome.

Inspired by Natasha...two cards

I've been crafting a bit for the last few days.. The long weekend was busy and I even managed some cards after work yesterday.  I made two cards inspired by YouTube videos I watch by Natasha Foote...her channel is HERE. 

First one was inspired by this video.  It's about coloured silhouettes 

I loved Natasha's use of purple so I did the same...of course I LOVE purple!  I did some ink blending like Natasha did on her card using some Villainous Potion Oxide ink , but when I decided to use Spellbinders Labels 1 to cut my panel, I lost a bit of the blending so I added some soft blending around the edges using Wilted Violet Oxide and added some splatter as well.  The panel went onto a white Decorative Labels 1 die cut.   I stamped a birthday sentiment from Altenew's Birthday Builder set  using the same Oxide ink.  Natasha has a neat trick for making a false layer - using some tape to mask off a little strip of the card and blending on ink.   Love how it always gives a great look. 

And the second card is inspired by this video.  It's called White Ink Embossing Tips and Tricks.

I've done some similar type of embossing - this one I took some teal card and an Altenew 3D folder (Silk Art) and white ink...inking up the raised side of the embossing folder.  I ran it through my Platinum 6 machine - and reinked and did it another pass through the machine.    This adds the ink to the debossed side of the card.   Once the ink had dried I added some Altenew Aqualicious Fresh Dye inks to the raised areas.   Added a foiled sentiment - used Go Press and Foil Aqua foil with a Pinkfresh Studio Perfect Sentiments hot foil plate and die set.   A few teal gems finished the card. 

Now I'm over to see Natasha's video for today.  She posts about three times a week. 

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.