Artistic Etchings with Postage due

 When I first flipped through the current Stampin' Up! catalogue I was so excited to see that Artistic etchings (the stampset with the eiffel tower and keys and crowns) was there and a lovely new stampset called Postage due. All in the modern vintage style that I love.

 These colours and style elements are inspired by a card in the latest Stampin' Up Impressions magazine.
Crumb cake card and ink with small accents of the new in-colours: Raspberry Ripple, Midnight muse, Summer starfruit, Gumball green and Primrose petals.

The postage due collage stamp makes great background stamping.

The three postage stamp images are definitely vintage in style and fit perfectly into the coordinating Postage stamp punch.

A bit of twine wraps around the card like an old fashioned parcel sent by post.

Tell me if you like this style, too?

Pacific Point Parisian breeze ...Oohh la la!

My favourite colour ... (after purple) is this Pacific point blue. It reminds me of the ocean, an island in the pacific, or the mediteranean sea. The textured patterned paper is called "Parisian breeze" because it is a combination of Baja breeze, chocolate chip and kraft coloured patterns. And when it came to choosing a background stamp for the baja breeze cardstock it just had to be "en francais". I have matched the ribbon with the Pacific point and tied it with a piece of white grosgrain... kind of french sailor suit now that I think of it. Here are my two versions side by side.
And another two variations on the same theme, the same layout reversed and using different colours to contrast with the Pacific point and baja breeze.On this one my embellishments were all mounted on basic black cardstock and then I stamped the best wishes on acetate with the white stazon ink. Love that contrast.

And for Variation 4... has the ribbon tucking beneath a cut out belt buckle thingy and I have sponged the edges of the scallop punch and attached it with a flower brad in chocolate chip to match the background stamping.The chocolate corner is made from a scallop square punch cut in quarters, works nicely on photos too.And for completeness here are the four versions just to show how much I like to photograph my cards... you can never have too many pictures can you?

Rustic rooster gets a challenge.

Over at The Elite challenges blog the November stamping challenges are up ... so over the weekend I put a stampset together that I haven't used and put it to the test.
The Colour challenge is to use chocolate chip, always artichoke, riding hood red and mellow moss.
This was a fun card to make - i have only used one stampset.
Which comes with this lovely detailed feathered rooster (very french styling). It also has it's own background stamp (not unlike the french script and enfrancais background stamps), only more rustic.The Paris 20, 1898 postage stamp is very cute and authentic looking which here I have stamped and punched out to place inside a build-a-brad. And if you know me, you know I like flourishes, so this fanciful flowery flourish is just me to a tea. Finally to keep with the rustic theme I have distressed the edges of the riding hood red cardstock and one edge of the Always Artichoke cardstock. I have created a cardstock "washer" with a jumbo eyelet to thread the ribbon through. I guess this could be a masculine card for a birthday or any occasion since I have only to add a sentiment when I decide who it is for.Materials used to make this card:
Stampset: Rustic rooster (free hostess set with a qualifying order).
Cardstock: Chocolate chip, always artichoke, Riding hood red, whisper white.
Ink: riding hood red, mellow moss, chocolate chip.
Other: Choc chip double stitched grosgrain ribbon, crop a dile, pewter jumbo eyelet, 1.3cm and 2.5cm circle punches, cutter kit to distress the edges, but a fingernail will work just as well.
Enjoy!

Great friend note cards

If you haven't guessed white stazon ink is my favourite product at the moment.
These are two little gift cards that I made last week. They were so quick and easy to make.The first one I made is on a piece of glossy white cardstock, sponged with baja breeze ink, matted with the gorgous Pacific point patterned paper (polka dots). The edge of the patterned paper is punched with the eyelet border punch. A piece of Pacific point ribbon tied around the centre and stuck to a whisper white love note card.My second card is pretty similar as you can see - I have tied the ribbon higher and knotted it before adhereing behind the patterned paper once again in pacific point patterns. I have stamped the Great friends butterfly with white stazon ink on to glossy white cardstock you can just see the image here. and sponged it evenly, all over with the pacific point ink:The white butterfly is rubbed over with a tissue to remove any excess ink before it dries. You could make a box of say 10 0f these for a gift, or to give when people do nice things for you either to say thank you or thinking of you or to write a little note. In October it is World Card making day so what will you be sending on 3rd October to your friends?
Enjoy!

Sense of time - embossing resist

Its wet raining and very grey outside, I had plans of going out, but the traffic and wet roads has put me off the idea.
Well, that means more time to share my latest creations with you...This is the lovely stampset: Sense of time. It lends itself beautifully to experimenting with embossing, sponging, and collage effects. I have stamped all of these clock faces with versamark and clear embossing powder onto whisper white cardstock. then used my sponge daubers in a variety of coloured inks to give a kind of vintage clock face look. On the first ones I used pink pirouette with creamy caramel and close to cocoa ink. The next two have centres of kiwi kiss, with creamy caramel and close to cocoa. These two are a mixture of the above and to blend the colours I spritzed them lightly with water to let the colours blend on the paper, blotting them dry with paper towel. I sponged the edges with choc chip ink for some extra definition. Once finished I over stamped with the background stamp Tres Chic. It gives a collage effect and I like how the word family and inspiration runs across each face ... creating family time.

Filigree flowers - En francais !!!

Well the holidays are over and family is back at school - I didnt get much stamping done in the last two weeks but had a great time with my daughter at home and with friends.
Today's card started out as a CASE from Claire Daly (her response to an image challenge) so I shared her idea of the Enfrancais background stamp on velum as a layer and the strip of Designer series paper beneath then did my own thing from there.
I chose the Pacific Point blue card base as it would contrast nicely with the white stazon ink on the velum. The patterned paper is in baja breeze from the Urban Garden DSP pack.
I have used the Best wishes sentiment from the "oval all" stampset in the new mini catalogue (out on 1st of August) as it fits beautifully into the large oval and the new oval scallop punch - this is a must have punch I promise you....

I have made this gorgous little flower with two layers of kiwi kiss cardstock and one of velum punched out with the 5 petal flower punch. The centre is made with the gorgous filigree metal brad set. The whole flower is raised up with a dimensional.

Oh and the ribbons are Pacific point wide grosgrain and Old olive grosgrain.

Enjoy!

Sisters scrapbook page in bella bleu

I haven't forgotten my scrapbooking - I have many pictures to scrap, just so little time.

Scrapbooking contains more elements and usually a title to be stamped and cut - so they take a little more time for me.

This is a photo of my beautiful sister at her birthday lunch ... it was a lovely sunny day at a friend of hers home, a simple but wonderful lunch, champagne, chocolate cake and cups of tea. Don't mention that I was having such a relaxing lovely afternoon that I was running late for school pick up... !

It is fairly simple with the heading stamped on vellum, attached with silver brads. Two paper flowers attached with build a brad centres. I have used circles cut from the bella bleu paper. The flowers are punched with sahara sand cardstock, stamped with the en francais background stamp in not quite navy and then the petals cut, ans scored with the bone scorer from behind. The second flower I actually put through the crimper ... either works, I think.
The cardstock is Not Quite navy textured paper, Sahara sand, Bella Bleu Designer series paper.

Vellum for the heading and fifth avenue floral flowers. The title is stamped with Lovely Letters stampset.

I think I might add some hidden journalling about the day, the date, the place, perhaps a photo of the other people there, why this was a special birthday (a milestone one ... )

Fifth Avenue floral brayer in tangerine tango

It was just not that complicated - especially, if you do it step by step - it is really easy and looks so nice even if you do feel you want to wear sunglasses!1. Start with your clear embossed background (Tres chic background with a touch of dazzling diamonds in the embossing powder).

2. Stamp your Fifth avenue floral in versamark and clear embossing powder over the top, heat and serve...

3. Brayer in tangerine tango and riding hood red.

4. Layer on to Basic black cardstock and punch out a greeting in stazon black ink on tangerine tango cardstock. (Its time to Bloom - from the Bella's bloom stampset). Punch Cut a larger oval with black cardstock.

5. Not enough? Dress it up by adding the black grosgrain ribbon and a clear rhinestone in the first 'o' of bloom.

Fifth avenue floral - brayered in kiwi kiss and baja breeze

I had fun with this one. The background was embossed with versamark and clear embossing powder using the Tres chic background stamp. I stamped the fifth avenue flower in versamark and white embossing powder, then did the brayer - Roll out your tensions for a moment technique!!! Using baja blue, Pacific point and kiwi kiss inks.

Now as if that was not enough, then when it was dry I added Crystal effects on to some of the petals to raise them up and give just alittle bit more texture.
I have wrapped some lovely Pacific Point ribbon around the black cardstock. Tied a ribbon bow.

Then punched out large oval says just because I care... from the hostess stampset: Best yet.

The clear rhinestone brad is actually reflecting the pacific point blue ribbon.

Brayer bliss - experimental embossing.

On this card I began with a pale pink pirouette and tangerine tango brayered piece of gloss white cardstock, then clear embossed the fifth avenue floral flower over the top.


Next, I took to it with the brayer a second time, using the "Brayer like your life depended on it" technique (thanks for the terminology Linda!).
Gradually darkening the layers of ink to Riding hood red to bring out the embossed image.
The flower is now lighter than the background but still a rainbow of pinks and oranges and red.

I mounted the gloss cardstock on basic black then, prepared the base card by stamping the tres chic background stamp in versamark and clear embossing powder. It creates a great shiny texture ... very satisfying to do and play around with.

The "for you" sentiment is from the Fresh cuts stampset, punched out with the large oval punch and finished with black grosgrain ribbon and a clear rhinestone brad ... loving these little accents at the moment.

Brayer cards ... the beginning

I have a brayer, but it was uninked, it was unused, untried ...

until I went to a brayering class at my wonderful upline Linda's house and we made the card above ( pink pirouette and two lovely blues ) it was late at night so I am not sure right now which ones.

Then the next day I made my own version in perfect plum and pale plum .... it is so much fun!!!

Here it is a little closer ... I have brayered pink pirouette, then pale plum and finally perfect plum in layers onto gloss white cardstock. The colours blend so beautifully and you can not determine the outcome, time and drying and chance play a great part.
My background stamp is Tres Chic, stamped in perfect plum on perfect plum cardstock.
The mount of course is basic black and the "to you from me" sentiment is from the Hostess set - Best yet stamped on textured pale plum cardstock.
The flowers are pocket silhouettes.
One of those cards that look far better in real life ... cant show you the shiny cardstock without a reflection, nor will the perfect plum purple photograph very well in this type of light. But you get the idea.
Warning: more cards to come.

It's a girl - emboss resist inspired by nature.

Today's card is in pink pirouette because Production run - baby number 6 is a girl ... I haven't seen her yet, no I lie, I have seen her photo - so gorgous, so new, so perfect and with dark hair.

I have kept this card very white and light in tone ... I was tempted to put a cocoa or black layer in there to contrast, but remembered it is a baby girl - she is supposed to be light and white and pure...

I think I am done with this combination ... but then there are more pregnant bellies out there...

Little Bundle of Joy - Baby card

It's a boy!!!

I am enjoying making baby cards at the moment ... a few of my friends are doing the 2nd, 5th or 6th baby production run at the moment. I was done after one, I am so glad other mothers can have babies for me to cuddle and welcome to the world ... I am loving this baja blue colour with Pacific point for boy cards ....

I would have no excuse to normally, indulge in backgronds that say - Adore, love, family, Together, cherish, hope, heartfelt... but for little babies.

This technique is called embossing resist - You stamp the background stamp on white cardstock.

You stamp a large stamp such as the grass from "Inspired by Nature" in VersaMark ink, sprinkle it with clear embossing powder, heat it ... then sponge the baja blue ink over the image.

The embossed image resists the ink and shows white, with the darker background stamp beneath. Just love the textured look and feel of this technique.

the little bundle of joy stamp is embossed in clear on white cardstock too. Then sponged to reveal the image ... A piece of Pacific point ribbon and its done. Now for the pink one ....