The Stamp Man's Second Challenge

Hi everyone. Today is the start of The Stamp Man's 2nd Challenge which is Take Two Colours. As you can see from my card I opted for some nice bright colours of purple and green which I thought would make a nice fresh looking card. 

For the background I used the Cuttlebug Stylized Flowers embossing folder and some plain vellum. After I'd embossed it I coloured the reverse side of the vellum with some markers in order to pick out the detail of the embossing.

For the main panel I used one of my stamps from the Funky Flowers stamp sheet and coloured this using Coloursoft pencils and Sansador in order to give it a soft muted feel.  I then took one of the flourishes from my Fancy Flourishes stamp sheet and stamped and embossed around the flowers using Versamark and Crystal embossing powder.

The birthday wording is from my Funky Frames stamp sheet.

I really hope you like the card and fancy having a go at submitting a card of your own into our challenge. Click here to go and visit the Challenge blog and find out what you need to do to enter.

Enjoy your weekend!

Summer Rain

Good morning everyone.  I thought I'd stay with the Denami range of stamps and show you the card that I made back in May for my class at Stamp Addicts.  As you can see this one is a bit more involved than the one I showed yesterday!

I just LOVE the Mimi range of stamps as she is just so chic and stylish looking.  They don't take long to colour either!

For the background of the card I stamped and embossed the Decorative Flourish using Versamark and Iridescent Sparkle embossing powder and then stamped a couple of the Large Dot Swirls using a soft brown inkpad.

For the Mimi panel, I stamped Mimi using Graphite Black Brilliance and then stamped the flower heads (from the Whimsical Flowers set) either side of her using the same inkpad and drew in the stems and leaves using a fine black pen.

I then coloured her in using Polycolor Pencils and a Splender pencil and added some shimmer using the Clear Sakura Stardust pen which you can't see from the angle of this photo!! Once I'd finished my colouring I used a brown Polycolor Pencil to go around the edge of the panel and then pulled this colour into the panel using Zest It blending solution and a paper stump. Lastly I added that Large Dot Swirl using the soft brown inkpad and then using Versamark and Iridescent Sparkle embossing powder.

All of these products came from Stamp Addicts.

Denami stamps used:
Mimi In The Rain
Whimsical Flowers stamp set
Decorative Flourish
Large Dot Swirl

Simple Flowers

Sometimes...................just sometimes...............I like to make a relatively simple card and this is one of those cards.  As you can see there are no 'extra bits' at all on this card keeping it very clean and uncluttered looking.

All the stamps used on this card are by Denami and can be bought from Stamp Addicts. The pink paisley paper is by Denami too and I simply stamped the large dotty swirl over it to jazz it up a little.

This was such a quick card to make as the colouring is very minimal.

I first stamped the Wavy Stem Trio and then stamped the individual flower heads onto each stem and coloured them using Polycolor Pencils and a Spender Pencil.

For the stamped background on the main card I used a Denami flourish stamp and a pale pink dye based inkpad.

Denami stamps used:
Wavy Stems Trio
Whimsical Flowers
Decorative Flourish
Large Dot Swirls

At Last!! - Sharon's Card!!

Morning guys.  I have been meaning to show you this card for absolutely  ages, that I was very honoured to receive from Sharon when I was last up at Stamp Addicts.  Just after the class finished that I took up at Stamp Addicts in May, Sharon (one of the ladies on my class) presented me with this gorgeous card!  I was so thrilled to receive it - especially as when I opened it I found that Sharon had been really kind and had stamped me out some different 'cute' images to colour with my Copics!  Now I must confess that I haven't had chance yet to actually colour any of them in but I have looked at them several times and am itching to find some time to attack them!

So what do you think?  Isn't this lovely!!  It is currently displayed in my craft room as I can't bear to take it down.  As those of you who read my blog regularly will know, I don't often get hand made cards and truly treasure those that I do get.  (I still have those Christmas cards that some of you were kind enough to make me last year!)

Here's a closer look at that gorgeous teddy stamp from Lili Of The Valley. I'm pretty sure that Sharon coloured him in with Pro Markers but I'm afraid that I have no idea on whose papers she used.

Sharon doesn't currently have a blog of her own but she does visit mine regularly so I am sure she would love to read any comments that you might care to leave!

I really am so lucky with the ladies that I get on my classes - you are all such a fabulous bunch!!

The Craft Barn's Candy

Hi everyone.  I thought that maybe some of you might be interested in some blog candy that is currently available over on The Craft Barn's blog!! Click here to go and check it out!!  I have seen some of Carol's cards first hand that she has made using the stencils and paste and they are absolutely amazing!!

Milton

Well in my last post I introduced you to Mille so this time I felt it was Milton's turn!  This particular image is called Milton With Card and again he is by Wild Rose Studio.  The background paper is by Bo Bunny and is called Peacock Lane/Tweet, the flowers are from the Athena range by Prima, the leaves are a punch and the wording came from my Fancy Flourishes stamp sheet. The sheer ribbon was originally white but I coloured it with a Copic marker to match the rest of the card.

I stamped Milton using Tuxedo Black Memento ink and coloured him with Copics.  I added some sparkle to the Prima flowers using Platinum glitter glue.

Here's a closer look at the colouring of Milton so you can see that I added some texture to some of his fur to make him more scruffy looking than Millie. This was done by using a flicking motion using my second darkest fur colour of E33.

COPIC COLOURS
Fur - E35, E33, Y11, Y000 and E30
Inner ears - R20 and R22
Card - V15, V01 and V000
Ground - C5, C3 and C1
Dotty background - C1, V01 and V000

Millie

Morning everyone.  So sorry for my lack of postings this month!!  I do have loads of cards to show you I just keep running out of time to blog!  Anyway today I have managed to snatch a few minutes and thought I'd share this card with you that I made for The Glitter Pot when I was there demoing the other Saturday.  The stamp is from Wild Rose Studio and is called Millie With Pot.  I think she is so sweet!  There is also a male teddy bear called Milton who is just as adorable.  Infact Wild Rose Studio have just released some Christmas stamps featuring Millie and Milton and I can't decide which one I like the best!  Click here to see.

Anyway back to the card.............I used my Nestabilities Labels Twelve die to stamp Millie onto and two of my Martha Stewart punches edging punches - Floral Lace and Flower Patch to add some interest to the actual card.  The backing paper is by Bo Bunny and the punched out swirls were done with an EK Success punch.

I stamped Millie using Tuxedo Black Memento ink and then coloured her using Copics which of course I just LOVE!  I wanted her to look very smooth and neat (as if she takes pride in her appearance!) so I blended the colours really well to give her a nice smooth appearance.  (For the male teddy Milton, I actually made him more textured looking, in order to make him look more scruffy, which I'll show you another time.)

Here's a closer look at Millie so you can see how the colours blended together.  I think I am right in saying that I actually used 5 different colours to achieve this result.   As you can see I also added a soft background to her using the Copics.  Once I'd finished my colouring I used a few different colours of the Copic Spica pens to add some subtle shimmer and then applied some Stardust glitter glue.

COPIC COLOURS
Fur - E35, Y13, Y11, Y000 and E30
Inner ears - R20 and R22
Flower pot - C5, C3 and C1
Flowers and leaves - Y13, V15, V000, BG15, BG10, YG06, YG03 and G20
Dress and hair bow - V09, V15, V01 and V000
Ground - C5, C3 and C1
Spotty background - B00, B32, BG000, and V000

I hope you like the result!

The Craft Barn's Summer Sale

Hi guys.  Just wanted to let you know that The Craft Barn are currently having a summer sale!!  There are all sorts of bargains to be had including 40% off Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, over 50% off  selected Woodware's clear stamp sets and lots of other things that are too numerous to mention apart from my particular favourite of 40% off the Dahlia Box Blends.  So what are you waiting for?.......................... Go grab yourself a bargain because once they are gone..............they're gone!!

The Stamp Man's First Fortnightly Challenge

Hi everyone.  Today is the start of The Stamp Man's new Fortnightly Challenges over on their new Challenge Blog. Click here to head on over and find out what you need to do to enter and don't forget to read the few rules that we have whilst you are there.

The first theme to get us up and running is Anything Goes which means that you can make anything you like!

Here's what I came up with for this challenge.  First of all I used my Nestabilities Blossom die to get my centre piece and then stamped components from my Funky Flowers stamp sheet to make up my own arrangement within the die-cut - just like I showed how to do in the May 2010 issue of Craft Stamper.  The beige background papers were stamped with two Hero Arts cling stamps (Flowing Flowers and Leaves and Reversed Flowers and Leaves) and a Distress Inkpad in Antique Linen. I then stamped over this using my fine flourish from my Fancy Flourishes stamp sheet and Walnut Stain Distress inkpad.

The brown swirls and squares were punched out of brown Bazzill card using a medium square punch from Woodware and an EK Success Flourish punch from The Hobby House.

I coloured my main image using Sakura Stardust pens and a water brush which gives a lovely soft shimmer to them. Once I'd done this I took the dotty stamp from the Fancy Flourishes stamp sheet and a light green inkpad and stamped all around the edge of the die-cut to give the speckled effect. I then used this same inkpad to stamp the leafy flourish from the Flourish stamp sheet at the base of the flower stems to add a subtle background.

I hope you like it and that you now feel inspired to join us for our Anything Goes Challenge!

Little Miss MissMatch

Hi guys.  I thought I'd share this card with you today that I made some time ago as part of my DT work for The Craft Barn.  I really like the colour scheme of this one as I thought the pink and aqua colours really complemented each other.  The main stamp is called MissMatch and is from the Ketto range by Stamping Bella.  Isn't she great?  The DP is from the Alyssa range by Bo Bunny which came from The Craft Barn - not too sure if they still have it now.  The stamped and embossed flower sprigs came from my Daisy Flutters stamp sheet.  The circles along the bottom of the card are the Craftwork Cards Card Candy.

I stamped Miss Match with Tuxedo Black ink and coloured her using my Copic markers. By using the lighter colours of markers I was able to give her a nice pastel look to go with the rest of the card. (Can't remember now which colours they were though!)  I then added lots of Stardust glitter glue to the card to give lots of sparkle. 

All products came from The Craft Barn.

Glitter and Pearls

Morning guys.  Well I must say that I am most impressed with The Glitter Pot's new premises as it is absolutely HUGE!!  The Glitter Pot team must have been working overtime as I couldn't believe how straight it was looking and how much stock they had got out and organised already - what an achievement!!  They still have lots to do to get it just how they want it with sorting out some of the other rooms and putting in a lift etc... but at least they are back up and running again.  Their new classroom is sooooo much bigger than their last one and has a lovely feel to it.

My thanks to everyone who stopped by my table yesterday and kept me company!  It is always lovely to see some friendly faces!

Well onto todays card and I thought I'd have a go at entering another challenge!  This time I'm entering the Belles and Whistles Glitter and Pearls challenge and have used a B&W stamp called Wishes. (As I think we all know by now I just LOVE these stamps and The Craft Barn now have all the latest ones in too and I'm definitely wanting them all!!)  The wording and background flourishes on the card were taken from my Fancy Flourishes stamp sheet.

You'll notice that I am getting some use out of my Martha Stewart punches too as I have used the Floral Lace Edging Punch and the Monarch Butterfly on this card.  The Sweet Pear paper is from the Double Dots range by Bo Bunny - just love these papers as they go with anything and are great to stamp over too!

I punched the Monarch Butterflies out from Tutu Double Dots Bo Bunny paper and added a little touch of colour to them using my Copic markers. Self-adhesive pearls were used for their bodies. I hand drew the wiggly frame around the main panel using the fine end of a Sepia Marvy Marker and then traced over it with Platinum glitter glue.

The wishing well image was stamped using Tuxedo Black Memento ink and coloured in using my Copic markers. You can't see it very well from this photo but I also added a delicate sky area around the Wishing Well too using Copic markers in B63 and B60. To add some glimmer I coloured selected areas using Copic Spica pens and then added touches of Diamond glitter glue.

The whole card was then sprayed with Iridescent Gold glimmer mist so lots of different layers of glimmer and sparkle happened on this card!  Everything used on this card came from The Craft Barn except for the Retro Flower punch and the Sepia pen.

Anyway hope you like it!

The Glitter Pot Has Moved!!

Hi guys.  First of all my thanks to everyone who have been leaving me such lovely comments recently - I do so enjoy reading them!!

I don't know if you have heard but this week The Glitter Pot moved into their new premises and they are now located in Burgess Hill. Click here for the proper details!  As everything is very new at the moment I will be demoing there tomorrow (Saturday) instead of taking my classes.  So if anyone fancies stopping by to check out their new venue please stop by my table and say 'Hello'!  I will be demoing with the Copic markers from 10am-4pm.  That is of course if I haven't melted by then!!

I hope you all enjoy the weekend!

A New Challenge Blog

Hi guys.  Time keeps marching on here and I can't believe that it has been a few days since I last posted!!

If you scroll down a little bit you will notice that there are some new blinkies in my sidebar.  The Stamp Man people have been very busy recently and not only are they hosting a new ATC blog but now they are setting up a new Fortnightly Challenge Blog too!!  As you already know the ATC swaps are up and running and we have already had some marvellous entries.  Click here to go and visit and see the ATC's and learn how to win some blog candy. 

The new FortnightlyChallenge Blog will be going live very soon in a weeks time. Cick here to find out all about it.




Anyway all this talk of challenges has made me decide to try and enter some challenges now and again and after having a brief blog hop this morning I have stumbled on yet another new challenge blog called Penny Black At Allsorts so having made a few Penny Black cards recently for The Glitter Pot's demo weekend, I thought I would enter one into their very first challenge called A Burst of Summer Colour.

So here is my entry for this challenge using the Penny Black Sunny Days stamp.  I don't think anything can say 'summer' better than sunflowers!  I just love their cute stamps and this is just so sweet!

As you can see I did quite a bit of decoration for this card.  The delightful background paper is from the Kioshi Collection by Basic Grey and is called Motochi.  I used my tiny daisy punch and also a McGill pine punch to decorate around the wonderful Prima flowers.

You can see these extremely pretty flowers a bit better in this photo.  They are from the Athena range and I just added some Platinum glitter glue around the edges of the petals and some Diamond glitter glue to the centre.

The main Sunny Days image I stamped onto smooth white card using Tuxedo Black Memento and then coloured using Copic markers.  After I'd done my basic colouring I added some shimmer using the Copic Spica clear pen and some Diamond glitter glue.

All of the items mentioned can be bought from The Glitter Pot apart from the McGill punch which I purchased from The Hobby House.

I hope you like it!

Miranda

Hi all.  I know I keep saying this lately but I just don't know where the time keeps disappearing to!

Anyway today I have found a few minutes so I am back with another card to share with you.  This one was made months ago now as part of my DT work for The Craft Barn.

This little cutie is called Miranda and she is part of the Green Bean Baby/Teacup Girls range.  I don't know about you but I just LOVE her spiky hair.  All of the Teacup Girls have sweet little features which really appeals to me.

I'm afraid that it has been sooooo long that I can't remember whose paper this is but it did come from The Craft Barn.  You might be able to make out that I did some stamping and embossing onto the pink Bazzill card too with one of my own stamps from the Double Delights stamp sheet.  As luck would have it there was a stamp on there which is really similar to the decoration on the tea cup so I just had to use this with it! I then added some punched out flowers etc... to decorate the card.

The actual image was stamped using black Memento ink and coloured using Copics - both Ciaos and Spicas. You can hopefully see the colouring a bit better in this picture.

Well that's all from me today.  I hope you like the card!

Two New Challenges

Hi guys.  Today I have two new challenges to tell you about!  The first one is happening over at The Craft Barn's blog and this challenge is to make an unusual shaped card. Click here for more details.

This is the card that I  made for this challenge using my Marianne Creatables die that I bought a little while ago from The Craft Barn.  I had it in mind at the time that this would make a brilliant shaped card and was quite pleased with the result!  The background papers for the card were made using a large Hero Art stamp called Reversed Flowers and Leaves that I bought from The Glitter Pot.  This is such a lovely stamp and iit makes great background papers just by inking it up with your inkpads.  I used Distress inkpads in Antique Linen and Milled Lavender for these papers.  Not only does the Marianne frame cut out this wonderful shape but it embosses the design around the outside too which I coloured to match the rest of the card using Copic markers.

Here's a closer look at the middle panel for you.  You can see that background stamp in more detail now.  The main image is one of my favourite stamps at the moment called Beary Big Hugs from the Belles 'n' Whistles range.  She was just the right size for the panel too!  I coloured her with my Copic markers and then used the darker plum coloured Copic (that I used on her sweater) to colour my ribbon to match. I took this same marker and used the brush tip to go around all the cut out detail of the frame.  The wording 'special friends' came from my Fancy Flourish stamp sheet.

To add some sparkle I used touches of both Platinum and Diamond glitter glue.

Here's a different view of the card.  No doubt you will see some more of this type of shaped card as I really liked the effect it gave.  By the way the winner of this challenge will receive a surprise £30 goodie bag!!  So don't forget to head on over to The Craft Barn's blog to find out all the details to enter and also to see the other cards that some of the DT came up with!

Okay now onto Challenge Two and this one is happening over on the new Stamp Man's ATC Swaps blog.  The theme for this first challenge is - Wings.  What I like about ATC's is that you only have a small space to decorate so these don't tend to take so long  to do.  Although it does depend on how intricate you decide to make them! 

As you can see I actually kept my offering quite simple! (GASP!!)  See I can do simple - sometimes!!  Well sort of!  I made the background paper myself using a Bundled Sage Distress inkpad and then used the same inkpad to stamp the spriggy background. (The sprig came from my Japanese Thoughts stamp sheet.)  I then used a Gold Encore inkpad to randomly stamp a smaller sprig and the smaller dragonfly (both from my Japanese Minis sheet) onto a strip of black card. Next I stamped and embossed the rectangular dragonflies frame (also from my Japanese Minis) using a black pigment inkpad and clear detail embossing powder. I coloured the imagery using Tombow pens and a waterbrush and added some sparkle (which you can't really see!) using Diamond glitter glue. The Japanese Wording (from my Japanese Minis stamp sheet) was stamped using a black dye based inkpad. 

The rest of the DT have done some really fab ATC's too which you can see over on The Stamp Man's ATC blog.

By the way The Stamp Man are currently doing all of their stamp sheets at 20% off so now is a great time to get any that you might have been thinking about!  Plus they are also doing free P&P at the moment!! Click here to go and see!

Well that is finally all from me today.  I hope that you made it to the end!  If you did I hope you are all enjoying some lovely weather!