Passion for Promarkers - Anything but Christmas...

Good morning, crafty friends! Another Tuesday rolls around, which means a brand new challenge over at Passion for Promarkers! It's my turn to host this week and I've picked a really easy challenge theme for you all...it is far too early for me to think of that event that happens at the end of the year, so I want to see 'Anything but Christmas'!...

Put away the snowmen and hide the holly, I would like to see all of your non-Christmas makes - whether it's Harvest or Happy Birthday, Easter or Anniversary, as long as it's not festive, I want you to play along...

This week we're being sponsored by Uniko who are offering one lucky winner a choice of stamp set from their online store (has to be in stock)...

Just don't forget that to be in with a chance of winning the prize, you MUST use your Letraset/Winsor & Newton mediums and follow the challenge theme...so NO CHRISTMAS!

For my card I went with a really simple design, giving focus to the pretty poppy image which we get lots of here in Wales. I coloured them up to look like the Welsh mountain poppies that seed all over our grass verges and gardens and fussy cut them out, leaving a white border.

Colour List - 

Primrose, Lemon, Sunflower, Gold

Gold, Pumpkin, Bright Orange, Mandarin, Firebrick

SN Willow, Bamboo, Camo Green

I inked the background with Broken China Distress Oxide, using a blending brush and stamped a pretty sentiment from Card Making Magic Layered Floral stamp set. I doodled a border and added the panel onto a rich, sunflower yellow cardstock. I have to admit to being rather influenced by Gina K's card style these days and love her simple design and use of bold colours and black mats...

I do hope that you can find the time to play along with my easy, peasy challenge this week and look forward to visiting you all and seeing all of your wonderful creations...

Crafty hugs,

More Wordart cards...

 Good morning, Blogger buddies! So, who says poinsettias have to be red?!...

I have to say, I really like the way this card turned out...probably because I am a sucker for frosty colour tones when it comes to festive makes. I printed two copies of the Christmas Wordart digistamp at 4" x 6" and then coloured with my Pro/Flexmarkers...

Colour list - 

Poinsettias - Pastel Blue, Denim Blue, China Blue

Holly - China Blue, Navy Blue

Mistletoe - Soft Green, Marine

Happy word and berries - Cool Grey 2 & 4

I cut out the image leaving a white border and also cut away some of the inner areas to give it a more open look. I then mounted the image on to a 5" x 7" card base that had been lightly inked with Cracked Pistachio Distress Ink and added some corners using the aqua polka dot from my Fuchsia mini kit. I decoupaged the words and used my Quickie glue pen to colour in before sprinkling with crystal glitter.

I finished off with some Liquid Pearls on the white berries and dots and added small crystal gems to the flower centres.

But what if I don't do colouring, I hear you say...well this next card is loosely coloured using Distress Inks (or any other ink pads or even chalks)...

Once again, I printed off two copies of the Christmas Wordart at 4" x 6" and gilded the word on one using my Quickie glue pen and gilding flakes, before fussy cutting with my scissors. For the second image, I used a cotton bud to apply ink over the different areas, not worrying too much about staying in the lines (but still being a little controlled in my application) and gilded the holly berries.

I added some border strips from the bonus red polka dot paper onto a 6" x 6" kraft card blank and then attached the image on top, decoupaging the wording. I added some gold line border peel offs between the layers and a couple of green polka dot corners, then finished with gold pearls, white pearls and a die cut gold bow (that just happened to be lying around on my crafty table!)

I hope you like my festive creations and that I have given you the inspiration to try different colours to the 'traditional' ones...

There's a definite Autumn nip in the air today but I'm still going to make the most of the cool sunshine and get the washing line filled. Have a fabulous Friday, whatever you're up to...

Crafty hugs,

 

Christmas Wordart...

 Good afternoon, crafty friends! I have a new design to share with you today which is great for making quick and easy Christmas cards...this is now available in my Etsy store HERE...

I was totally inspired by the new Gina K incentive stamp and wanted to create my own festive version for those batch card makes...

This card uses the precoloured image and the green bonus paper that comes with it. I printed the image off at 3.5 x 5 inches and thought I would give a step by step of how I print my images for all those digital newbies or those who need a little more confidence...

 Firstly, I cut my A4 printing paper down into quarters (14.8 x 10.5cm) although this isn't exactly the same as 4x6 inches, it is close enough (for me, anyway!). I have a separate tray for smaller sizes but if you don't, just place your paper in and adjust your guides so that it is held straight for printing.

I use the default Windows program for viewing  by double clicking on the image and then click the print icon (usually looks like a little printer). In the screen above, I have highlighted the two boxes that I set in the Print window - the Paper Size to 4" x 6" and the Photo Size box to 3.5 x 5 in. You can change the copies if you wish to print multiples for batch making, or if you want to decoupage elements.

For my card - once printed, I cut the image down to 13 x 9.5cm and added a black mat just 3mm bigger (13.3 x 9.8cm). I printed the polka dot paper to A4 size (changing the photo sizes will scale the print) and cut a piece 17 x 12cm, then inked the edge with Black ink. I attached the image off set to one side and added some thin burgundy ribbon around the left side with a small bow. You can then bling up your image by adding glitter, gems and pearls...

Next I printed off the digistamp and coloured it with a slightly darker colour scheme...

At first, I coloured the 'Happy' in a light brown tone, but wasn't sure about it, so added some gold glitter...I still wasn't sure, so printed off another copy and coloured the word in a contrasting aqua tone and decoupaged it over the top...

...much better! I think aqua is probably my favourite colour  - I love to use it in my crafting (especially teamed with a contrasting pink!) and it's a colour that I like to wear, plus it's one of my favourite colours for Christmas too!

I hope you like my new image and cards, and that you found my little step by step helpful. If you purchase my design and create, please send me a link to see how you've used it either in a comment here, through Facebook, Craftworld or even send me an email contact@ellasdesign.co.uk...

Crafty hugs,

Nativity Window...

Forgot to post this here, so here goes...

 I have a new image in my Etsy store...this pretty Nativity Window comes in a black and white digital stamp, pale digistamp (for no lines colouring technique) and a precoloured version, for just £1.99!...and it makes the easiest of Christmas cards!...

For this simple card, I used an A6 card blank inked with Mustard Seed Distress Ink and mounted the precoloured image from the A4 sheet included onto gold card stock. A touch of gold and crystal glitter, a bit of doodling and I was finished! Super quick...

 You can find this digistamp to buy in my Etsy shop HERE ...

Thanks for looking and hope you have a wonderful Wednesday, whatever you're doing!

Crafty hugs,

 

Passion for Promarkers - Leaves/Foliage...

 Good morning, crafty buddies! It's Tuesday...which means the start of a brand new challenge over at Passion for Promarkers! The lovely Julie has chosen a topical theme of 'Leaves/Foliage', so whether it's leafy papers, leaf die cuts or leaves on your image, we would like to see them...and it doesn't matter the season either - Spring green leaves, Autumnal tones or frosty Winter leaves, as long as there are leaves somewhere on your project, then that's fine! You better be-leaf it?!...

We're being sponsored by The Colour of Love who are offering one lucky winner a choice of 3 digital images from their online store...

We were lucky enough tot be able to choose an image to play with and I picked out the ever so pretty 'Gabriella Illuminations'...

I decided to do a box frame for a change and coloured Gabriella up with my Pro/Flexmarkers, decoupaging her dress, hair and the hanging lights. I added die cut leaves and stems, coloured with my markers and wanted it to look a little like Wisteria flowers. I created a sentiment in Photoshop and finished with a touch of glitter.

Colour list -

Skin - Blush, Putty, Tan

Dress - Satin, Blush, Soft Peach, Rose Peach

Hair - Cinnamon, Cocoa, Walnut, Umber

Leaves - SN Willow, Bamboo, Camo Green, Vintage Photo DI

I hope that you can find the time to play along with our fun challenge this week and look forward to seeing all of your wonderful creations!

 

Hugs,

Passion for Promarkers - Christmas in September...

 Good evening, crafty friends! This Bank Holiday has thrown my body clock out and I'm totally confused as to what day of the week it is (although it doesn't take much to confuse me?!)...

But, it's Tuesday ( I think?!)...and that means a brand new challenge over at Passion for Promarkers! The lovely Sue is in the hostess chair and she's set a theme for that holiday that happens in December, that I never really want to think about until at least the end of October! I suppose it would be good to be organised, so we would like to see all of those festive makes - be it snowmen or snowflakes, stockings or Santas, we want to see your Christmas creations!...

We have LeAnn's World 101 sponsoring us and they're offering one lucky winner a choice of 2 digital images from their online store...

The DT were lucky enough to choose an image to play with and I picked out the ever so 'Sweet Henrietta'...

I went with a CAS design and used my Distress Oxides to create a sky like background before adding on a couple of die cut clouds, with one for Henrietta to stand on. I coloured Henrietta up with my Pro/Flexmarkers and forgot to make a note of the colours in my haste to get ahead! I added some small snowflake die cuts and a simple sentiment created in Photoshop, then glittered up her wings, horn and halo with crystal and gold glitter...

I hope you can find the time to play along with our festive challenge this week and look forward to seeing all of your wonderful creations!

Crafty hugs,