two fer day...

Well today there are two cards on offer. however the main image is very similar so i have blogged them together.

In the first one I started with a 15x15 cm piece of white card. I brushed antique linen and old paper over it using the clarity .Then using the outie of a clarity stencil and chosing the tag, I started to build colour inside the tag. I added more distressink mainly antique linen with brushes and then added some more around edges with a make up sponge. I also added some scattered straw and stamped the argyll pattern in it as well. I then stamped the the images inside using potting soil archival ink. They are travel minis by Tim Holtz.

Then I used the innie, ie the tag to mask the image and start building shadow all around the tag. I used  make up sponge and several tones of brown distress inks till i was happy with shading. The burlap is from the journalling set by clarity.

I then built background using other stamps from journaling set and some other Tim Holtz minis in different shades of brown distress ink. I then darkened around edges with walnut stain. Lastly I punched 2 holes in tag and threaded some paper twine through. Matted on some atching card and stuck to 7x7 base card.

Now for the second card. It is constructed in a very similar way but I created a longer topper. I used Tim Holtz stamps for all stamping bar the sentiment which is from the word chains by Clarity stamps.

The 'pearls' on the side are cosmic shimmer pva glue. chocolate brown, olympic gold and vanilla.

I hope you like my offers, Theresa xx

I would like to enter this card in:

Sunday stamper - wheels

happy birthday amaryllis and hobby art

Today's offering is all about the background. It's a simple card that looks more complicated but it is all about deceiving the eye.

I started by cutting 3 pieces of white card that 'nest'. Then i applied mustard seed, forest moss and peacock feathers distress ink to my craft sheet and spritzed with water, Then i swooshed the card in the ink till i was happy with the background and left to dry. For speed the heat gun can be used. Now it is time for stamping. Silhouette stamps work best for this technique. Layer the card pieces on top of each other. I secured with a tiny piece of double sided tape in the middle so they don't move.

I inked the lovely poppy stamp by Hobbyart with black archival ink and stamped it in 2 opposite corners reinking in between. If any edges are missed due to edges these can be filled by a black micron pen. Then each piece is mounted on black card and the topper assembled.

The sentiment is another Hobby art stamp sentiments set. I cut it with a spellbinders die and fussy cut a faux nestie in black.

The butterfly is also a spellbinders die which i cut in white card and vellum. I stuck vellum one just along body leaving wings free to give impression of flight. I finished it off with some pearls.

I mounted the whole thing on a white mat to which i added some interest by piercing all around the edges. I mounted it all on a white A5 base card.

And viola' a relatively quick card and quite simple to achieve.

I hope you like what i have made and would love to read your comments.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Simonsaysstampmonday challenge - mellow yellow

MilkCoffee challenge - bright colours 

Fashionable stamping challenge - flying things

creative moments - anything goes

ladybug crafts - here comes spring

monochrome

Today's offering is worked in all the neutral and brown distress inks to give a monochromatic effect.

I started with a piece of white card and using the Clarity stencil brushes i brushed it over with antique linen and old paper to tint it lightly.

I stamped randomly with same inks various stamps from the Clarity journaling stamp set.

Then I added brushed corduroy along all edges again with the brushes and then some vintage photo. I added some more stamps from the set in these colours keeping the centre clear. Finally I added some walnut stain with cut and dry foam.

Now it was time to experiment with grunge paste. I got out the brick wall stencil and using an old credit card i spread some paste over 2 opposite corners. Then I had to wait for it to dry and in meantime washed stencil as I needed it again.

Once dry I repositioned stencil and tinted paste with the same distress inks and cut and dry. Finally I stamped the freesias and the Mother sentiment in potting soil archival ink. I then bleached colour from flowers by a damp brush and finished it off by adding some clear wink of stella.

I matted it on dark brown and used ivory card as base card. And this will be my mum's mother's day card. Will be as in Malta it is the second Sunday in May.

So I hope you like what I make and please don't tell my mum......ssssshhh, Theresa xx

I would like to enter this card in the current Clarity challenge - monochrome

big stamps.....

This week I received Sheena Douglas's new stamp set and they really got my juices going. Then I read on the Simon Says Stamp challenge that it was about using big stamps and decided to start playing.

The other thing I wanted to use was my new gelatos that I bought from ally pally. So i stamped the indian arches on the matte side of centura pearl and embossed in ivory. I then shaded it in with gelatoe using my fingers to apply and blend. They are yummy and now i want more colours.....

Getting back to the card.....

I stamped the tiger in versamark and embossed in black and coloured him in with gelatos and fingers again. He is one amazing tiger....so detailed. I fussy cut him and feathered around tail and cheek/whisker areas.

Then i stamped some leaves all around edges with fern and olive archival inks. I stamped and clear embossed more leaves using same inks. Then came the laborious task of fussy cutting. I must confess I lost the will to live.

I layered them over the stamped images to give impression of lush vegetation.

I stamped the sentiment in versamark and embossed in detail black. I die cut it with a spellbinders tag die and  coloured it with gelatos while still in die. I cut another piece in black and offset it at the back creating a shadow.

I assembled the card and matted and layered on black, orange and black and stuck to craft card base card. I stamped some images from same set in versamark creating a watermark effect on the side.

And viola'. I finally finished it. I hpe you like my offering. i sure did enjoy making it ( bar leaves). Theresa xx

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Simon says stamp challenge - big stamps

Fan-tastic Tuesday _ anything goes
Paper shelter - for the boys
Sister act card challenge - anything goes

lace and pearls and graphic 45

Well over at the Fussy and Fancy blog a new challenge was set. I happened to receive my 6x6 g45 paper pad and thought that it would be apt for this challenge.

This is the card I came up with. I picked 4 papers and some cardboard toppers that  co-ordinated. I then rummaged through my die sets till i found some that i felt would really go together and set about cutting them out. Then I decided on a layout that was pleasing and distressed all the edges with walnut stain distress ink before layering down.

I added some lace from Sweet lilac flowers to background and to the main topper. I also stamped sentiment on it with potting soil archival ink. I glazed teapot with a clear sakura gel pen, went around all edges with walnut stain distress ink and then stuck toppers down.

I added some pearls and a button with some twine. Not my usual style of card but very fussy and fancy I thought.

Then i set myself challenge to create another card with left overs and here is the result. I was quite pleased with this actually. Less busy and cleaner lines.

Well i hope you like my offerings and if you do comments are greatly appreciated, Theresa xx

I would like to enter the cards in the following challenges:

Fussy and fancy challenge - lace and pearls

Bunny Zoe's Crafts- April challenge - distress

Sweet stampin' challenge - lots of layers

Crafting by designs - anything goes

Crafting from the heart - anything goes

happy easter

These were some of the Easter cards I made this year. They are all a different version of same stamps by justrite.

I stamped frame in archival ink and clear embossed. I then stamped image in second generation ink and overstamped with saying from gospel and clear embossed. I then lightly coloured image with spectrum noir pencils and the frame with mica powders and water. 

I fussy cut image and mounted it on die cuts.( spellbinders)

I finished cards off by adding some sweet lilac flowers in a corner.

In the other version I stamped frame and clear embossed it. I coloured it with mica powder and water and fussy cut it. I stamped it again and added first generation ink image in centre which I coloured with the same pencils. i then added glossy accents and when it dried added frame creating a sort of cameo.

I added 2 sentiments from same set and finished card off by a bella rosa flourish and delicate aster flower (spellbinders) and some ribbon.

Whatever you are doing, hope you have a joyful and blessed Easter.

If you like my makes don't forget to leave me a comment, Theresa xx

flamin' wings

Today's offering uses the stamps that came with creative stamper magazine issue 16. I started with a piece of centura pearl and using the matte side i inked the background using ombre' technique with distress inks. I used persimmon. spiced marmalade, dried marigold, wild honey and scattered straw.

Then i brayered over with wet elastic bands and after afew secnds blotted with kitchen towel. This creates the streaky background.

Using orange blossom archival ink i stamped the nest and sentiment. Using a wet brush I bleached some colour from eggs and flowers and some leaves. Then I added clear wink of stella tp eggs and butterfly.

 I then stamped bird randomly using the distress inks. i also added the music .

 To add some more interest and texture to background, I inked through a Tim Holtz stencil with versamark and clear embossed in opposite corners.

 

I matted it on a piece of Tim Holtz 6x6 co'ordinations card and stuck dome ribbon on base card that was 7x7. I finished card off with flowers and leaves from Sweet lilac flowers.

I hope you like my creation and remember that i love to read your comments, Theresa xx

As I have used several oranges I would like to enter it into the following challenges:

Sunday Stamper - Eternal Flame

Simon Says Monday Stamper  - Winged things

                                

monochrome and sweet lilac flowers

Well it is that time of month again when the new Sweet lilac Flowers challenge is launched. This month it is monochrome.

For this challenge I decide to go with purples and do an ombre' background. I used the matte side of centura pearl and inked it using dusty concord, seedless preserve, victorian velvet, shaded lilac and milled lilac distress inks. I spritzed liberally with water and dried with kitchen roll after a few seconds. Then I dried it well with heat tool.

Using the free stamps from issue 16 of creative stamper, I stamped the swirly leaces in black archival twice and clear embossed. I stamped sentiment from set in black and again clear embossed. I then stamped the musical notes randomly using distress inks. The white patches were achieved by inking versamark through the fading spots stencil by Tim Holtz and embossing in white. I then highlighted the flowers with a white pen. I matted and layered the topper and stuck it down on 7x7x base card.

This left quite a gap so I added some purple ribbon from my stash. Then I tied a triple bow with twine and embellished with some matching Sweet lilac flowers.

I hope you like my creation and please do join us over the Sweetlilac challenge and don't forget there is a box of flowers up for grabs, Theresa xx