Playing with backgrounds...

 Hello there, crafty friends! I had some time to sit and play at my crafty desk yesterday, after work and decided to have a go at some background techniques...

 I wanted to try the blackout technique but with different folders and colours and inspired by the lovely Denise's make, picked out a colour that I don't use enough - yellow...

The first one was the cog background and because there was a clock element on it, I couldn't use the debossed side (as the numbers would have been reversed), so inked the background between the cogs with Rusty Hinge and Vintage Photo Distress Inks, with a touch of Cracked Pistachio Distress Oxide, in order to try and get an old metal look. I then swiped over the top with Versafine Black Onyx and splattered with some duck egg blue acrylic paint....

Secondly, I tried inking a piece of white cardstock with Squeezed Lemonade and Mustard Seed Distress inks, embossing with a chevron folder and then brayering white acrylic over the top. I found that the paint picked up some of the ink, so this was more of a tonal look. ..

The third is inking the embossing folder technique (inking the deboss side of the folder), which creates more of a contrast in colour with the white emboss...

And fourthly, I embossed a leaf background design, inked the debossed side with Cracked Pistachio and Peeled paint Distress inks, then swiped over the top with a brown pigment ink pad....

I don't normally sit and make backgrounds, often plumping for patterned paper for speed and ease, but thoroughly enjoyed the process and will try to  make an effort to sit and create more....I even went on to make cards with them all, the first of which I'm sharing here today...

 To the original background I added some antique gold generic cog die cuts and the speedometer from Spellbinders mat onto a circle of the same antique gold. The finger of the 'clock' is on a brad, so that the age can be set for the recipient and I added a couple of sentiments from my stash, finishing with some gold flat back pearls.

I really liked the way this one turned out and will probably use it as hubby's birthday card next week, as they're all car nuts in our house!

Dies used -

 Cuttlebug 5x7 Clockworks embossing folder

Spellbinders Speedometer die S5-689 

Thanks for dropping by and I'll be back to share the other makes with you over the next few days...

Crafty hugs,

 

Blackout technique...

 Hey there, crafty buddies! Today's make is so far out of my comfort zone that I might as well be on another continent!! I have seen and wanted to try the blackout embossing technique for a while, so as I had an hour to play at my crafty desk, I decided to have a go...

 ...I'm not sure if the results turned out a little psychedelic or whether it's just me shying away from the bright and bold?! I struggled to find a folder that would compliment the technique and plumped for this Cuttlebug Floral Fantasy one in the hopes that it would turn out okay...

I splattered the background with some white acrylic, then added some pretty butterfly dies in white with an inked background and my favourite Yana Smakula sentiment die.

Dies used - 

 Sizzix Detailed Butterflies 661802

Spellbinders Yana's Layered Script Sentiments S5-496

Cuttlebug Floral Fantasy embossing folder 

The jury's out on this card, but I'll definitely be trying this technique again and am even wondering if it would work with white acrylic on a brayer to get a softer look and ease me back into my pastel comfort zone! 

Thanks for dropping by and I hope to see you soon with some more crafty inspiration...

Crafty hugs,

 

A little busy...

 Good afternoon, dear crafty friends! I tidied my craft room! Now, this normally means that I don't make anything for a while as I don't want to mess it up, but to break with tradition, I thought I would sit at my new crafty table and play with another couple of dies that haven't even been cut yet! (Bad crafter!)...

I started with the Sizzix embroidery hoop die and layered up some pretty papers on my background. Whilst looking through my ever increasing stash of dies, I came across this pretty birdcage set and cut one of the cages out in antique gold card - these dies are REALLY delicate, so I cut another in kraft card and layered them up for extra rigidity. I played around with different elements until I was happy with the composition, then splattered everything with Vintage Photo Distress Ink and some white acrylic...

I added in some pops of blue as the colour tones were getting a little...meh...and although the overall effect is a little on the busy side, it turned out pretty enough!

Dies used -

 Sizzix Tim Holtz Wildflower Stems #1 664163

 Sizzix Embroidery 664396

Sizzix Birdcages 665036

Flower centre from Sizzix Floral Cluster 666118

Hearts from Sizzix Tea Cups 665898 

Generic postage stamp die 

Thanks for dropping by and I hope you find inspiration in my (surprise, surprise!) pretty, pastel make...

Crafty hugs,

 

Say cheese!...

 Well, it seems like I'm on a roll! I'm back today to share another collage style card but this time using the fun Spellbinders Say Cheese camera die. I love these layering dies from both Spellbinders and Sizzix as they give so much detail to your die cuts...

 I layered my card with some paper scraps, a doodled border, ink splatters and a generic photo strip die that I picked up from Amazon. I created a polaroid type picture using the letter die from Sizzix You've Got Mail to cut out the aperture and used the mountain from Hero Arts You Lift Me Up framecuts, along with the treescape die from Clearly Besotted. I added a bulldog clip die cut and some sprinkles and a couple of sentiments...

  I decided to do two cards at once and added Welsh sentiments to the second...

Dies used -

 Spellbinders Say Cheese S4-1383

Sizzix You've Got Mail 665820

Generic Film frame strip die and bulldog clip 

Thanks for dropping by and who knows, I may even be back soon with some more inspiration...or I could fall off the face of the earth and it could be months before posting again!

Crafty hugs,

 

Sky's the Limit...

 How about this? Back so soon?!...

Today's make uses the Sky's the Limit #2 die set from Sizzx and Catherine Pooler Designs...

I've have to admit that I've made these kites up a couple of times and not been sure of them...and am still not! I don't know if it's that the black is too heavy or what, but I'm just not feeling it! I wanted to try and make a more masculine card instead of the rainbow tones that I have seen on the internet but am not 100% how it turned out...oh, well, it'll go in the box!

Dies used - 

Sizzix Catherine Pooler Designs Sky's the Limit #2 666832

 Spellbinders On Cloud Nine S3-432

Spellbinders Happy Birthday Wishes S3-514

Spellbinders Fall Label Motifs S5-519 

Thanks for dropping by and I hope you like my card more than I do!

Crafty hugs,

 

Ham it up...

 Hey there, crafty friends! How cute is this little piggy??!...

 This is Ham it Up from Spellbinders and I think he is just adorable! I created a collage style card with postage and countryside elements, and what would make me happier than a pig in mud?...clouds, of course!...

Dies used -

 Spellbinders Ham it Up SDS-199

Generic nesting postage stamp dies 

Hero Arts You Lift Me Up Frame cuts DI789

Also Marianne Designs Tab with Text die COL1315 & Creative Expressions Rustic Western Elemenets HCD721 (retired)

I think the tree landscape die is from Clearly Besotted, but can't find it's name

 

Thanks for popping in to have a look at my latest creation and I hope to be back soon with some more crafty inspiration...

 

Crafty hugs,

 

 

 

Spellbinders Pretty Birds...

 Hi again, crafty friends! I'm back to share another paper creation with you all...

 I treated myself to this Spellbinders Pretty Birds die set a couple of months ago and they have been sat patiently waiting to be used on a project, so I decided to cut them out and ink them up...

I have to say, I love the way these sweet birds came out, but am not 100% sure on the over all card...I liked it when it was finished, but then I always do the mantel piece test - I sit the card on the windowsill or sideboard and just look at it when I'm passing - I didn't know then if it was a little too sugary??! (That'll teach me for just using the first paper that came to hand as it was on my desk!) I'm going to make another one and try using a blue or yellow tone paper (something which I need to get more of) and see how I feel about it then, but in the words of Gina K, it's "better than horrible"...

Dies used :

 Sizzix Script Sentiments 665089

Spellbinders Pretty Birds S4-1406 

 Thanks for popping by to have a look at my sugary sweet card and I may be back soon with some more crafty inspiration...who knows?!...the sun is shining, so anything can happen! 

Crafty hugs,