gelli print party bags

Well today's offering is all about gelli. I needed some party bags for my older boy's birthday and I was running out of time to go shopping for some. I remembered I had bought some plain brown/ kraft coloured bags and then I had an idea.

Being half-term I thought that I would enlist some help. So I got my little prince of gelli Massimo's help. So I did the first one to kind of explain what we needed to do. I thought I'd use back side of bag to 'mop up' paint instead of copy paper thus printing on both sides and not wasting any paint.

I used brown, yellow ochre and lemon yellow for first print and then greens and phtalo blue for 2nd print. Then it was Massimo's turn. He wanted vermillion, orange, yellow and lemon yellow for first print. then he chose brown, emerald green and a mossy green for second print. I wasn't very sure of what this was going to look like but once the second print was on it worked. So much so that I ended up trying to replicate his print later.

massimo's print

My attempt at copying 

Well I can tell you that the children enjoyed their day first watching Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs 2 followed by a meal at Nando's.

Hope you had a great day, Theresa xx

dove stencil

So I received this stencil and was really excited to use it. I had seen some cards by Bernie Simmons and was rearing to have a go. So got the stencil out and put on theuva card and using stencil brushes and distress inks I created background. I was quite pleased with it and so I lifted stencil off.......Nooooooooo. i had ripped theva card as there was a little piece of double sided tape on stencil that I hadn't seen.

So I had to work out how to salvage this background. So in meantime i stamped Noel from Clarity stamp and embossed it with ranger tarnished gold. Did the same with the star (Clarity). Then i had a thought....what if I put some ribbon across to hide tear? But no ribbon matched. So then i remembered i had ds tape that I could emboss with. So I put a strip across and embossed again with tarnished gold. It still didn't look right so i put some thin black ribbon across.

I could see it was still missing something and the white poinsettia from Sweet lilac flowers was the finishing touch along with some ribbon in the colours of background. 

So matted on black and mounted on white base card - 8x8 and first card finished.

For the second card the background is the same but I used the Peace at Christmas stamp from classroom lesson 5. Stamped in black archival and clear embossed. Same with star. I mounted it on black but it somehow looked bare so i found this lace i had with blue edge that really matched the background and threaded some yellow ribbon through to complete. I put this on black matting layer before sticking topper on.

Hope you like these as much as i enjoyed making them and thanks to Bernie for inspiration, Theresa xx

Clarity weekend aftermath

After watching some of Barbara's shows this w/end I managed to get an hour to make a couple of cards. Unfortunately I couldn't watch all the shows as I was on call and at work but i have it all recorded to watch later when i have time. I was inspired by one of the demos and came up with some cards.

The first I did by stamping the crib on white card. Then I laid the card on the stencils: holly wreath from Ali Reeve and the Noel from Clarity stamp. Embossed it through GC. Using the Clarity brushes and distress inks: mustard seed, barn door, stormy sky and dusty concord i inked the whole background  This made the embossing pop. Finally i stamped the star in black archival and embossed in stardust. Matted on black which i sprayed with iridescent multicolour sparkle spray.

This is the second one I made. I embossed white card with the snowflake stencil and large Peace from Clarity stamp. Using stancil brushes i inked whole background with tumbled glass, stormy sky and dusty concord. I put the 'outie' over Peace and went over it with dusty concord. I added some snowflake stamps using tumbled glass and stormy sky both first and second generation ink. I sprayed the card with multicolour iridescent sparkle spray and finished it off with some pearls. Matted on black and attached to base card, 8x8.

I hope you were also inspired by the fantastic shows. Take care, Theresa xx

Fab 60's

Today I decided to visit the 60's. I've bought these beautiful stencils from Stencil Studio which I've been itching to play with.

I used the back of white centura pearl card, laid stencil down and secured it with masking tape. I used a stencil brush and black soot distress ink for the image. I covered it with double sided adhesive and micro beaded it. I attached 4 small pearls in the corners and matted it on black. 

Then I embossed a piece of white linen card with the dogtooth embossing folder from couture creations. I inked edges with black soot distress ink and matted it on black. I attached a strip of black satin ribbon to it and secured it at the back.

I made a triple bow with same ribbon and attached it to the ribbon on the side. I added another bow in black and white twine. I embellished the bow with some paper roses from Sweet lilac flowers and added some more pearls in the corners.

Finally I attached the topper and mounted the card on an 8x8 white base card.

I really hope that you like this as much as i enjoyed making it Theresa xx

Sweet lilac flowers - love and celebrate fussy and fancy challenge

Hello everyone. Yes it's that time again. This month the theme is Love/Wedding.

For this challenge i started with a gelli print that i had in my stash. The colours used on it are red, yellow and gold. The stencils are the swirly leaves and dotty wave and are both from Clarity stamp.

I tied a double bow using wavy edge organza in red and gold. Ribbon from creative expressions. I then arranged an assortment of flowers from Sweet lilac flowers along the bow, making sure that they reflected the tones on gelli print.

I stamped the sentiment in black archival and clear embossed it. I cut the white card like a banner and attached it underneath bow elevating it in middle to create movement and attaching it flat at pointy end. I attached the topper onto black 8x8

base card. No matting was necessary as the print had the white edge ready.

So i hope this helps with some inspiration. 

Make sure you join us over at the sweet lilac flower blog challenge.

And because the theme for the current fussy and fancy challenge is 'celebrate' I think that this card will make a perfect entry.

All for now, hugs Theresa xx

happy birthday son!

 Well tomorrow is my older boy's birthday. He has reached the grand old age of 11. This is the card i made for him. As he loves music and singing i thought it only befitting to follow the theme, quite a simple card really.

I embossed white card from both sides of am mbossability folder and inked with black soot distress ink to bring out embossing. For the main imge I went onto clipart free images and printed an image off. I was quick enough with embossing powder so managed to clear emboss it too! Coloured in with promarkers and die cut with spellbinders circles. Matted on scalloped circles which was coloured with promarker as didn't have matching card.

I stamped sentiment along side of 8x8 base card in my beloved letterbox from Clarity stamp kit using teal memento ink. The number is again stamped from number kit again by Clarity stamp in geranium archival ink and clear embossed. Cut with spellbinders and matted as topper.embossed mat was matted on matching red card and join hid by the strip of red.

I hope you like it. He loved it and said it was great.

Below are the invites that I made for his party.

They are A6 in size and very quick to make. i spritzed base card with perfect pearls mists, I used biscotti, a brown, a bronze and a gold. I stamped in espresso archival ink after i dried them up with heat gun. Stamps are from Tim Holtz and some from Sam Poole.

I'm aware this is a longish post. Hope you don't get bored before you come to the end. Theresa xx

Massi's classroom homework

Well as per usual he saw me making my card and wanted to do a card for Barbara. I showed him the jigsaw stamp and he was unsure about it. then he had a look in my Clarity folder and chose the dove and the twig.

Starting with theuva card he stamped jigsaw in cobalt blue archival. He decided to use cornflower blue for dove and twig and after 3 attempts he got it right. Next i helped him mask the jigsaw off as he wanted to do a sunset with a big sun. he decide the distress inks he was going to use: mustard seed, spiced marmalade, barn door, dusty concord and tumbled glass.

Using ink dusters he set to work. he decided how much to put and where. I kind of suggested but he did what he wanted in the end.  Before colouring the sun, he coloured twig in with weathered wood distress marker and i versamarked it for him but he wanted to hold heat gun to emboss it as 'I want to do it all by myself'!

The last thing was to decide matting. I said to use the blue and he wnted red. in the end he said to use both. And his card was finished.

I hope this makes you smile. it's an experience crafting along this child of mine! Theresa xx

Happy Anniversary

Well i have just watched the recording of Barbara Gray's show from this morning and I couldn't believe my ears when she said that i had inspired her with one of my cards. This is the card she was referring to.

It was soon after I had received the NDC stamp that I thought it would look good on a swing. So i got out one of my favourite stamps, the swirly leaves and decided to use them with the love birds.

Using archival black ink i stamped the smaller swirl twice and clear embossed it. Next i stamped the birds and embossed them too. Then I needed to extend the branch that they were sitting on which I did with a black micron pen and embossed. I added the rope bit with same pen and ruler and again clear embossed. I stamped Sentiment in black archival and again clear embossed.

Now it was time to colour birds which i did with distress markers. I used and orange, a blue and a green for both but the more muted for the female. Then i cut out a cloud mask and using tumbled glass and broken china, I created a background with clouds to give the impression that the birds are high up.

The topper is ready. To finish it off I matted it on orange and black. On the black card i stamped swirls all around borders in versamark and clear embossed to create more interest and to tie in with topper. Finally I cut a strip of black card and wrapped orange ribbon round it. I added a bow and stuck a cameo from creative expressions to finish it off.

I sent this card off to my parents for their 47th wedding anniversary.

Have a good one, Theresa xx

Audrey.......

Hello my crafty friends. For today's card I tried a new technique. I bought these lovely stencils which I had cut to A6 size as originally they come in larger sizes.

I used black paste to get image from stencil onto white card and left it to dry after removing stencil carefully and washing it immediately.

I ran a piece of centura white pearl through GC using dogtooth embossing folder. Then I darkened edges with black soot distress ink. I stuck it to white base card and then stuck red polka dot ribbon across. With a shorter piece of ribbon i tied a knot. I stamped sentiment from Clarity stamp in black archival and clear embossed it.

When the image was dry i matted it onto black and then red and stuck it down. I added some black crystal swirls from creative expressions and some pearls and the card was ready to send to my sister-in-law.

Finished card 8x8

I do enjoy reading your comments if you feel the need to leave me some. Theresa xx

Clarity challenge and homework

This was the first card I made with the jigsaw stamp. I had it in my head and tried to reproduce it on paper.

I started by stamping jigsaw on the back of centura pearl with cobalt blue archival ink. I stamped the single jigsaw piece and cut it out and attached it to the big jigsaw so I could create a whole picture. Then I decided where I wanted the trees and robin and stamped those in cornflower blue archival ink (Wendy Vecchi).

I then tore a piece of copy paper and using weathered wood distress ink created shadows for a snowy scene. I used tumbled glass for the sky. Then I extended the scene onto a bigger piece of card.

I stamped the Christmas star in cornflower blue and embossed it with stardust clear embossing powder. Happy Christmas was clear embossed.

Finally I versamarked the jigsaw pieces and used ultra thick clear embossing powder on them. I triple embossed for a smooth finish so it looks like a tile.

I'm entering this into the clarity winter challenge. 

All for now Theresa xx

Froehe Weihnachten

This card was totally inspired by Sue Wilson Particraft.blogspot.com. She is truly amazing with spellbinder dies. I changed colour scheme and embossing folder.

The stamps are from heartfelt creations and embossed with detail white embossing powder. The white banner is embossed with the christmas tree folder from couture creations.

The dies match the stamps and i added frosty glitter on leaves and berries. The greeting is from Clarity stamps.

All for now Theresa xx

Hubby's birthday card

Today is my hubby's birthday and i made this card for him. I started by working out how to position the wording on a piece of scrap paper first. I had to juggle them a bit and realized that i couldn't fit them in well so i put the symbol for and rather than the word and this fitted better. I stamped all around perimeter of an 8x8 card in cobalt blue archival ink.

Next i started to work on topper. I started with the car first which i stamped on clarity card in same ink. i masked car and created background with distress inks, ink dusters, torn paper and make-up sponges. Then i stamped trees from lesson 21 and the edge on road from same set of stamps.

I added glossy accents to wind screen, head lamps and wheels. The topper was matted on navy blue linen card.

The card still looked a bit bare so i decided to add the metal corners. However they were the wrong colour. So I gilded them with midnight black, patina and silver gilding waxes and mounted them on opposite corners.

I really hope he likes it. Whatever you do have a good day Theresa xx

Baby girl

Well i made this card when my son asked me to make a baby card for his singing lessons teacher. I have been on a spellbinder bender and so i stamped on the non shiny side of centura pearl card and cut it out with circle die and matted it on a lilac die. The image i coloured in promarkers.

Next i embossed the shiny side of a piece of centura pearl card with the heart lattice folder from creative expression. I stamped congratulations on the non shiny side of centura pearl card. I threaded a narrow piece of white card through a lilac buckle die and stuck it over join. I added a pearl to the centre of the buckle.

matted the card on lilac and mounted on A5 white base card.

The teacher loved it and thought it was great. I hope you like it too. Hugs Theresa xx