I had a lot of fun making this, then I decided I wanted a shadow effect on the text, but of course I did it the lazy way – no stamp positioner!  It just didn’t work. 

Maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad if I’d let the green ink dry first, but no, I stamped straight over wet ink, then embossed with clear powder – disaster!  It looks blurred!

Soooo

I wondered if I could still make it work, by adding some shading and highlighting, which I usually do anyway, but I went a little OTT with the Distress pen – oops! (I sometimes find this difficult to use because the effects are delayed and you can’t see exactly where you’ve added it – or I can’t, anyway.)

Another disaster!

The only way I could salvage it was to layer up the verse, so that’s what I had to do in the end and I used one of my oldest tools – deckle edge scissors – haven’t used them for around 11 years!

It turned out okay in the end (at least I think so…) but I wonder if I’ll learn from this? 

Unfortunately, I doubt it – but it would be nice to think I will.

xxx

Addicted to Stamps (and more) are challenging us to use markers, pencils, etc on our projects this week and on KCUK, Janet has chosen the theme of ‘Book pages’, so here are a few cards along those lines.

Love this colour theme AND this lovely CI stamp!

This one – a scrapling - is on glossy, so the effect is slightly different – oh, and the resist isn’t acrylic, it’s Versamark! 

Another one on Glossy card.

xxx

Yesterday I had a yearning to play with acrylic paints, so I played with acrylic resist. it’s a long time since I totally lost track of time, but I did yesterday – ooh, it was fun!

I had some thank yous to send, so here are a couple of tags, pre adding ribbons.

I much prefer the above tag, with one pair of birds.  The second one is a bit too busy!

And here’s a card. The background is a bit too strong on this one, so the foreground images don’t pop as they ought to – NOTE TO SELF – Remember next time!

More to come AND I’ve been journalling …. ;-)

xxx

Hello!  Just thought I’d post another two cards I managed to make, even though I haven’t yet managed to get back into my little ‘den’.  I have, however, arranged for my shelves to be put up, which is a huge step in getting it all organised and workable for me!  Trouble is, I have to wait until February and probably mid-Feb because it’s half term? I’m just grateful to have some kind of idea of when I can get back in there full time. Ooh, bliss!

Meantime, I’ve been resorting things and reorganising bits and using up some of my dry embossed backgrounds. I love these two images.

I brayered the embossed card with my trusty Fiskars’ brayer, using the hessian roller – I always love its effect. In fact, I think it’s the only one I actually kept of all the ones I had, unless I kept the stars, too. Must check.

Sorry I’ve still not managed to get around to too many blogs, though I have managed a few. I’ve had visitors all week and a friend rebuilding my wardrobe, so I haven’t had very much time to myself. I will do my best to get around this week, though I have a crafting class to prepare and teach for Wednesday and appointments both Mon and  Tue.

Lovely to hear from those of you who’ve been in touch – thank you so much! I do really treasure my online friends.

See you soon!
xxx

Today I was inspired for the first time in ages and it felt really good to get inky and excited!

I decided to set a belated January challenge for KCUK because they wanted one and I needed a challenge myself – especially because I have loads of cards to send – including several belated ones - <red face> :-(

The challenge is pink and/or dry embossing and here are a few of the cards I managed to put together.

I know, this one’s well crooked, lol! I (mistakenly) believed the word ‘Paris’ was meant to be straight and stamped it accordingly – oops! Big mistake…

This one’s a bit of an experiment and needs to be refined but I like the idea. I actually got out the old stamp positioner in order to get that shadow effect!

This one’s for someone special, so I hope she doesn’t peep before it arrives. It’s a Magenta image – flutterbies far from perfect, but it was still good to play :-D

I embossed all images with white embossing powder, then sprayed inks and water, flicked water and overstamped the images in various shades of pink, then added high and low lights with Prismacolour pencils, a gold pencil and a Distress ink marker. All but the pop up butterfly were dry embossed after stamping and colouring.

Thank you for looking. Hope to catch up with you in the next couple of weeks as I bloghop for the first time in ages – yay!

xxx

Thanks so much to those of you who’ve sent messages – they really, really ARE very much appreciated!

I’ve decided to go to spend a few days with my brother, in York, so before I go, I’m uploading the Stazon Technique cards I promised and the card I made with Lindsay Mason.

These were made around 5 years ago, when the technique was on the Stampers Anonymous website (it no longer appears to be there) so my stamping has changed a little since then.  I still love and use these images.

It’s a really great technique to get you playing with contrasts and I love contrasts :-)

Here’s my Lindsay Mason card. If I’d done this at home, I wouldn’t have covered up the gorgeous background (acrylic resist and DIs) but I was following instructions (in my own way) so this is how it ended up.

I still love this Zetti girl – I think she reminds me of me – and I love to use colours that don’t match with her.

Lindsay is a lovely, no airs and graces person – I was speaking to her again at the weekend when she was demoing at a show.  I love her arty designs and her words. Her journalling is fab and I’m sure you’ll agree if you get to see it.  She’s been at Port Sunny the last couple of years, too, so let’s hope she’ll be there again.

See you soon and thanks again.

Cath xxx

Sorry I haven’t been around much – life does sometimes get in the way.  I haven’t been able to bloghop as much as I like to, so I haven’t been visiting much, either – please forgive me.  Must make some changes….

I haven’t been stamping much, but I have stamped a little and here are a few of the card I’ve made – most of them for the KCUK challenges.

Shadow stamps in the b/g

Perfect Pearls lifting technique

Paper piecing – just the dress.

I have made more but didn’t scan them all and there are some still waiting.  I also found my old ‘Stazon Technique’ samples, which I taught to several groups at one of our Stamp Camps, so I’ll upload those, along with a card I made at a Lindsay Mason Stamp Club meeting, last week.

Be back soon, unless I go to see my brother…

Have a great week, everyone!

Cath xxx

First of all, I’m sharing a couple of bits I keep forgetting to  blog!  The top two are on glossy card.

* * * * *

I spent Tuesday with a lovely friend, who came to visit, and we had a great time.  She arrived with presents of hand made books and brought some of her most recent work to show me.  I was inspired!

Doing as I’m told (as always??? ahem!) I dragged out my BIA and blew away the cobwebs, then  took out my treasure box of backgrounds and proceeded to make a journal from some of them. I added a few other bits I’ve been saving up along the way.

This is the cover, though it’s in its bare bones state at the moment, waiting to be decorated if I ever get my room sorted out – help!!!

Inside cover and end pages. Sorry, but this won’t load the right way round – it’s A4 landscape size, so too wide!)

Today, I’ve worked on a couple of the pages, though I’m not quite finished yet.

I’ve been hoarding some of these papers for years and been trying to use them up when I start things, instead of creating more and more to add to them.  This is a great way to use up some of your stash so that you’re free to make more!  He, he…!

Thanks, Ann.

I’m already looking forward to next time…

Happy Weekend, everyone!

xxx

The challenge over at Addicted to Stamps and more is Make your Mark, showcasing whichever mediums you use to colour. I seem to have a thing for flutterbies at the moment and have used a variety of mediums, including Prisma and Inktense pencils, but have finished the bottom two with lots of of gel pen – something I rarely use – I really enjoyed it, too.

Aren’t these flutterbies fab?  They’re Stampendous Cling stamps and wonderful to use :-)

xxx

Just thought I’d blog my two most recent creations – cards only, sorry but I’ll be doing more soon because I’m now teaching classes again – yay!  I’ve really missed it and now I have a legitimate reason to play :-)

I’m entering this first one into the Simon Says Stamp and Show ‘Anything Goes’  challenge for this week and also into the Dream Challenge on KCUK.

I has a lovely surprise in the mail last week, when I found a parcel from New Zealand, sent by Mum, in which were some gorgeous SU stamps!  Mum knows how much I love leaves and all things French, so she couldn’t have chosen better.  I do have a few projects in progress with this set, so I’ll be posting more.

Thanks, Mum!

See you all soon!

xxx

Sickness stopped play – unfortunately, I had a few days in bed and am now playing catch up, but here are the cards I promised to upload.  They’re all pretty similar and the bottom two are made for the one layer challenge. 

Just noticed this hasn’t scanned well – digital just doesn’t pick up colour variation well – there are two shades of grey in there, too.

This was my original entry for the One Layer challenge.

And another one with two of my favourite stamps used together again.

See you soon and Happy Sunday!

xxx

Thanks to all those of you who’ve still been following my inactive blog – so sorry for being absent but it’s been a strange few months.  I expected to have lots of time to myself but it just hasn’t happened and in fact, I have far less time than I had before I moved out!  The time is filled mainly with good things, though. 

Been trying to catch up and make a few cards for birthdays and other things I’ve missed while out of action and have also done a little journalling but not sure I’m ready to show that yet.

(sooooo not me that last one?)

There‘s some pale shadow stamping on this one but for some reason it hasn’t scanned at all. Maybe I’ll rescan…

This was for a one layer card challenge – sadly, I may just have to cut off the front and mount it because I think it needs more definition and something to frame it – or maybe I’ll go with it  because I NEED cards desperately – I’m WAY behind.

Here’s another one I may well remount, although I love the delicate feel of it as it is.  The gorgeous colours are Tombow pens – beautiful.

I’ve kept some back and will post ASAP, though I’m out most of tomorrow.

Really missed my bloghopping time but will do some more this week, all being well.

Blessings

Cath

xxx