Through the Keyhole, Who Lives in a House Like This?

Today sees a new challenge over at That's Crafty

Here are a few teasers of my project, a full step by step can be found HERE

I hope these teasers have inspired you check out the full tutorial.

Tando Christmas!

I made this card for my fellow Demented Cat, Cheryl. 

I made the background using Gelatos, blending with a dampened finger.

Santa and his reindeer are by Tando. I triple heat embossed them along with the London scene below which is also by Tando.

I glued the two Tando pieces onto my background and added to a blank card. Simple easy steps but with an end result that I loved as did Cheryl!

Sketches in Thyme - December

Time for another scrapbook challenge!

Full details can be found HERE

This weeks sketch is fabulous and I had lots of fun using it (sketches always get my brain going as you cannot just 'do what you fancy')

I stenciled (using Andy Skinner stencils) onto patterned (Kaisercraft) paper and used a journaling pen to add border details around the group of photos and the whole page. I added the ready made 'shore' embellishment by Jolee and added heat embossed images of a shell and starfish to finish the layout off.

Its rare I use a ready made embellishment but I loved this one and it fit perfectly so it just had to be done!

A card using Seth Apter stamps and stencils

This months challenge details can be found HERE

This is a 6" x 6" picture frame style 3d card.

I took a stamped image Lynne Perrella (PaperArtsy) and coloured it using Distress Ink pads.

 I gave the image a thin coat of DecoArt Crackle Glaze.

I heat embossed the 'Network' stamp on a piece of 6" x 6" card and cut out the middle.

Using Distress Ink pads I coloured the card and added details with stencils by Seth Apter (I bought these directly from the US from StencilGirl).

Using the Crackle Glaze I dripped it onto the frame and let it run.

Using a pizza base I cut a frame to fit.

 I added the Lynne Perrella image behind the pizza base.

I was going to attach a card blank to the rear but decided to put a hanging tab instead.

13th August Scrap Thursday Part 11

This is the eleventh scrapbook page for my new weekly post Scrap Thursday. I will try and bring new ideas and techniques and revisit old favourites too. If you have any suggestions or requests just let me know and I will do my best to accommodate these.  

I usually work in a 12" x 12" format as this allows me more space to experiment and get arty!

This week I dug out an old photograph of a very old friend! Leanne introduced my husband and I to each other back in April 1989 and the rest as they say is history!

The layout is 12" x 12". I started by covering a piece of card stock with torn pages from an old book.

Using Grunge Paste and a Dutch DooBadoo mask, I added texture to the middle part of the card.

I diluted Luminarte Silks and brushed over the Grunge Paste.

Building up the colour.

 I added silver Gilding Flakes and Stampendous Frantage randomly together.

I added Dylusion sprays to the mix.

I used Tim Holtz Sizzix Dies and coloured the cut outs using Silks and a Smoothie (which is an egg shaped sponge for blending)

Prima flowers and resist canvas pieces were coloured with Dylusion sprays.

Petaloo flowers were coloured with a mix of Dylusions sprays and Luminarte Silks and layered up. After all this I attached it all to the background using a strong glue.

At the moment the fashion is to use very pronounced embellishments and flowers which if you are putting the layout into a box frame is great and works well, however if you are putting your layouts into an album these pronounced items can cause problems. Layouts can get squashed and if metal is used photographs can be dented. 

The photograph above shows how what I do with flowers that are deep. I basically cut a hole into the card, add glue to the edge of the hole and push though the bottom of the flower. Once the glue is dry I cut off the excess from the back using a craft knife. This is no way affects the way the flowers look but does help other layouts in the album.

I am really pleased with end result and I hope Leanne will be too!

Questions and Answers

I have had a couple of questions emailed to me so I hope the answers below are a help, if not then please ask again! I don't claim to be an expert, the info below is what I have learnt over several years of crafting.

Ink Pads!

Even now there are times I still get confused about which ink pad is better for the task in hand and one of the things I have done to help me is to write on the lid of the ink pad what I generally use it for. It is a simple thing to do and when you are working away it is easy to forget what you are doing and stamp with the first ink pad you pick up.

Dye

Dye based ink pads (Distress Ink pads, Adirondack Dye ink pads these are usually in a cream colour case, Archival, Memento ink pads etc, there are many on the market) are a must for most crafters. These generally are quick drying and work well on porous surfaces. If you use a dye based ink pad on a glossy card/paper you may find it never fully dries and will smudge. Although permanent not all are waterproof which is great if you are looking for a water colour style effect and want to spritz the image but not great if you don't! Some ink pads are fade resistant and permanent and some are not so you will need to read the label to see which are which. I use a black Memento dye based pad with my Copic markers.

Pigment

Pigment based ink pads are slow drying so are perfect for heat embossing as you get enough time to add the embossing powder. Pigment ink sits on top of the card/paper surface so again using on a glossy card/paper may create drying problems unless you are heat embossing. Pigment inks come in a variety of finishes.

Fast drying archival pigment inks are available (Tsukineko Brilliance Dew Drop), these dry well on vellum, acetate, photo paper & shrink plastic. These have a pearlescent finish.

Solvent

Solvent based ink pads are quick drying and permanent. They can be used on most surfaces and red/grey rubber stamps, however some of the clear stamps will be affected by them so its best to read the info on the stamp packaging.

I use Stazon in black and brown and I am never without it. Solvent based ink is not great to use if you are colouring in with Copic markers as it smudges. Warning! If you are using a solvent based ink pad over a long period of time make sure you use in a ventilated area (my son will testify that not opening doors and windows creates giggly women trying their best to stamp straight!!)

I hope that the above info is helpful, your local (independent) craft shop will have more expert advice and help if you really get stuck.

18th June Scrap Thursday Part 4

This is the forth scrapbook page for my new weekly post Scrap Thursday. I will try and bring new ideas and techniques and revisit old favourites too. If you have any suggestions or requests just let me know and I will do my best to accommodate these. 

My aim is to list the products I have used with links to retailers (preferably independent stores) and if I find any bargains I will let you know!  

I usually work in a 12" x 12" format as this allows me more space to experiment and get arty!

Materials used for this layout are: smooth white Bazzill, stencils/masks, Distress Inks, Dylusions stamps, Totally Tracy Stamps, Octopode digi images, paint, Washi Tape, WOW, journal pens, Copic markers, pages from an old book.

This week I have used the new colour Distress Inks by Ranger. Ranger are releasing one new colour each month and I have used the first 5 in the layout above.

 I used some white paper as a mask.

I used masks and stencils (Artistic Stamper, Dina Wakley and Dutch Doobadoo) overlapping to create the background.

 Using a craft knife I cut along the shape of the green wave.

 This allowed the bottom of the photograph to be hidden.

Using a journal pen I added some borders between each wave of colour. I used Dylusions stamps, WOW and Copic markers.

I stamped the Totally Tracy flower stamps onto an old book page to mimic the style of the Dylusions stamps.

Using paint and ink pads I added circles and lines criss crossing and overlapping each other. 

 I used digi images from The Octopode Factory

 Added some doodling

 Used Washi Tape for the bird to 'stand' on

And added a digi word image.

I am so very pleased with the result, its full of life and vibrancy as my niece (the photo above!) is.