Wow Thursday already , gosh where does the weeks go.hmmm.
Hope you all enjoyed yesterdays post and I inspired you a little to create your own backgrounds with whatever media you like or have in your crafty stashes.
Today is Creative Expressions day and I am again using the new frame stamps recently launched with sentiments in the centre, Of course you don't have to use them like that you can cut out the centre an d use the words on absolutely anything but I do like to use as it to start then build up to new ways to look at things.
So without further ado here is today's card in crisp colours and with a lovely amount of polished silk glitter thrown in too.
As I said I used The wrought Iron frame stamp from Creative Expressions in the singles range and it is a large stamp, it looks A6 or slightly smaller to me but certainly is a big one.
The centre is already like this in the stamp but I stamped it twice so I could take the centre out and mat it onto black card then raise on 3mm foam tape to have it quite high on the project.
Here is the stamp I used and I really love this one, it has so many uses and for me it has two sentiments with it as the top part could be used independently in my opinion. I am very much the type of person that looks after others so I could easily say "It's so important to make someone happy" but for me I could not say "start with yourself" , thinking of myself it wouldn't make me feel comfortable but I could see it used for someone else , and you could cut the words down and use them for instance. "It's with yourself to make someone happy" or "It's Important to make yourself start happy"
The Polished silk glitter I used are Fire red on the edge of the card and Sahara gold to highlight on the leaves. I blurred this picture slightly so you could pick up on the sparkle in the little pots, I cannot believe how smooth these are when you burnish them onto your sticky tape. Amazing.
So I started by choosing white card and stamping out the image twice, I cut the centre out of the first and mounted it onto black, I also mounted the 2nd piece onto black. Next I took a white piece of card and lightly embossed with sues Cascading hearts embossing folder A4 size from the first collection which I still love.
It is quite hard to see the image here so here it is a little better represented.
Cascading hearts A4 embossing folder.
I wrapped a piece of red crinkle edge ribbon around the embossed card and mounted that onto black card also. I then tied a bow in the matching ribbon and took a dazzler in black into the centre, I also added a couple of tiny red top pins from my own stash behind the dazzler just cos...I also added a couple of bits of string pearls.
I set this bow aside to dry and cut out a couple of sues Faux quilled leave die cuts which I inked lightly with Festive Berries embossing ink and added a little Cosmic Shimmer glue in places flatly then dipped it into Sahara gold glitter , Not to entirely cover the leaves, Just to shine in places and I really liked that distressed look on such a clean card.
So I took the final mat in white card and ran a length of double sided tape 12mm all around the edge in one layer, once I removed the backing I took a pile of the Fire red glitter and burnished it into the tape all around the card , tapping the excess back int the pot I mounted this piece again onto a black mat. Every piece except the last black mat I added 3mm foam too and layered it neatly into its shape.
This photo shows you the even height in between each layer all keeping the clean and simple look abut this one.
Here are those teeny tiny pins from my stash , the above disk of foam is one of the new Tim Holtz 1 inch foam circles that go on the tiny blenders so you can see how tiny they are, I thought they would make fab antennae or stamens etc on mixed media so I have them in white too, alternatively good for sewing projects lol...
At this stage all I had to do was add the leaves to the left of the card and I took my time cutting them down and adding them in the shape I wanted then I added my bow and arranged (dressed it with glue dots into place) , I decided not to add flat back pearls or charms to this one as I think the cards I find harder work then mixed media, male , shabby chiq and vintage or any of the distressed cards which I love are definitely clean and simple so Here was my version of slightly clean and simple my friends.
I have a small announcement to say after this years battles with operations and my mothers illness etc Craftwork cards whom I have designed for for a long while now have decided to have a reshuffle on the team so I will be stepping down as I really didn't have a lot of time to concentrate on short notice work. I would like to thank Sue and Andrew the owners and Julie hickey who runs it along with Emma Williams the DT leader for all the great times and wonderful collections I was part of and all the advice etc. I wish them good luck for the future and thank them from the bottom of my heart.
I hope you all like this one I know that red, black and white are all very popular colour choices among my lovelies and I had to throw the gold glitter in the mix didn't I just to be a little different.
Have a great Thursday
Love
Kim
XXXX
Hi Kim,
ReplyDeleteI Love this morning's Beautiful Card (where do you get all your wonderful ideas from?) I Love The Wrought Iron Stamp, and I Love it as you actually get two stamps and there great value for money, and you can do so much with it. I Love the colours you've chosen for your Card and The Cascading Hearts Embossed Background, I Love The Fabulous Polished Glitter you have used and The Crinkly Red Ribbon.
I'm really sorry to hear your no longer with Craftwork Cards, But Long may you continue with your other ventures especially Creative Expression and
Visible Image.
Love and Hugs
From Sam x
Hi Sam
DeleteThank you as always for your lovely kind words, It is ok re design team, we all know when we take them on it isnt forever and we will end up moving on and I was with them over two years which is a long time as most DTs it is only 3-6 month terms. Its good to change round but as you know I want to demo and teach much more but I could never give up a couple of my teams.
Thanks for your comments as always
Hugs Kim xx
A beautiful card Kim, love that stamp and it looks great .
ReplyDeleteAll the detail and the glitters and the bow are lovely.
It's a shame about your craftwork cards spot, but you can't do everything Kim and you have had a very busy year.
Take care ,
XxxRuth
Hi Ruth
DeleteYou are right I am certainly not super woman and as one door closes one always hopes another will open.
Thanks again for your kind thoughts
Hugs Kim xx
Morning Kim
ReplyDeleteLove this card so glittery. Love the Wrought Iron Stamp
Sorry you are leaving Craftwork cards, but sometimes it is for the best and we can always find you with Creative Expressions, and you have had a very hectic year.
Hi My Carol
DeleteVeru true , all you said above, I have had a busy few years, I am hoping for a kinder but busy year next year.
Looking forward to meeting you for sure
Hugs
Kim xx
Hi Kim,
ReplyDeleteAnother very beautiful card today, red, black and white always look stunning together and what girl doesn't like a bit of glitter! Love these stamps too. The layers are great and the red bow sets it all off.
This year hasn't been particularly good for you and sometimes it's best to take stock off your like and cut back on something... sorry you are leaving Craftwork cards though but do hope you are staying with CE.
It's my birthday today so having a quiet day as we went on a coach trip yesterday and I'm absolutely shattered! Lol!
Love Sheila xx
Hi Sheila, huge Happy Birthday for the 9th , I hope you had a wonderful day and relaxed well. I am so sorry I missed it on the day but I really appreciate allyour lovely words and kind thoughts . I hope you had a fab day out, I must admit I dont travel well unless I am driving so the thought of coaches makes me remember lots of sick events by the seaside with plastic bags haha. Hope not so for you.
Deleterest well my dear
Hugs
Kim xx
Another lovely card Kim and the colours are gorgeous, that red glitter edge looks wonderful, and such a great idea to coat the leaves in some gold too. It's a shame you have to step down from one of your DT's but with all that life has thrown at you recently it's no wonder that something had to give as they say, but you still have two great DT's . x
ReplyDeleteHi Pat.
DeleteThank you so much for your kind words.
I am on three teams Pat with heartfelt whom I draw for two but I will shortly be down to two fab teams as I need to concentrate on demoing etc. Hugs Kim xx
I like the wrought iron stamp and you've made a lovely card with it. What did you mean by 'lightly embossing' the background card?
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, in a way, about you stepping down from Craftwork Cards but I think you're right to consider your commitments and try to take some time for yourself. Take care, love Jan
Hi Jan
DeleteThank you yes I like this frame as it is quite delicate isnt it. If you use slimmer plates so there is not so much pressure on the card you can keep the emboss quite light on the card , for instance if you do not have differnet plates just use some card instead of a plate and run through your machine, you will get to know how many you need to give a light emboss, I dont always want such a deep image on the card especially if the card is quite thin.
Hope that helps
Hugs
Kim xx
Hi Kim, Woweeeee, a beautiful card, loving the gorgeous colours you have used and the wrought iron stamp looks stunning, I love everything you have done here.
ReplyDeleteLots of love from Patricia xx
Hi Patricia,
Deleteahhh Thank you I am so pleased you like it, its funny how I look for all the girlies I know to see if they like the colour/composition etc. I am pleased I make you all happy most of the time too.
Hugs
Kim xxx
Evening Kim, beautiful card today, I really love the clean and simple look but always find it difficult to achieve as I always feel I need to add more! Ive got some of that polished glitter but never used it as I wasn't too sure what to do with it, I won it in a blog candy, I'll have a go now it looks great on your card. I understand what you mean about not feeling comfortable putting yourself first, I feel the same, although if we don't take care of ourselves then we can't take care of others, so I suppose that's a good reason to also think of yourself. Sorry to hear you are stepping down from Craftwork Cards design team but taking on too much only adds unwanted pressure so I think you are quite right to step down.
ReplyDeleteHi Stephanie
DeleteThank you for those kind kind comments as always. I find it difficult to do clean and simple as I have too much in my head all the time i think. I am so pleased you will have a go with the glitter, it feels so amazing, like no other glitter for sure. I really appreciate such kind support you give me in your comments Patricia. I really hope we get to meet up this next coming year.
Hugs
Kim xxx
Lovely card Kim in one of my favourite colour combos Have yo say in my ignorance and naivety (not sure I've spelled/spelt..?that right lol) I hadn't realised you were on Craftworks DT As others have said you can only do so much and if you take on too much and put yourself under lots of pressure it becomes a tiring chore
ReplyDeleteHi Karen
DeleteI am so sorry we didnt get to meet before you went away but we definitely will when you come back. All the teamlists are always on the right on my blog if you ever need to know who and what ones I am on. lol
You are right though i want to get into lots of thing this coming year so it is better to move away from all items of stress etc.
Thank you Karen xxx
Hi Kim, a really lovely card, love the glitter. Bx
ReplyDeleteHi Bridget, I am glad you liked this one. I love the sparkle on the glitter, be fab for dorothys shoes hey.
DeleteHugs Kim xx
Hi Kim. Great card, I love the new stamps. It is important to look after yourself, especially if you have to look after others, but I think we all find it hard to remember that don't we! I love he tiny pins, where did you get them from?Stepping down from Craftwork Cards must have been a sad decision to make but you musn't spread yourself too thin must you! Having too much work stops you enjoying ANY of it which is very sad so I'm sure you know it is the right decision. Take care.
ReplyDeleteHi Mrs B.
DeleteGlad you like the card. I got the tiny pins online on a shop on ebay, only cheap but nice to have little goodies like that for pojects isnt it.
The trouble with some teams is they only give you work very very last min and when I am prepping for shows I cannot do that so its better for them to have people that arent trying to make a carreer out of their art i believe. Thank you for your kind support.
Kim xxx
Hi Kim,
ReplyDeleteLovely card, the colour combo is my favourite one.
Looks as if you are finally looking after yourself a bit more, too much work is not good because you have not much time to actually enjoy the creative process and especially at short notice the pressure to produce lovely and unique looks can be a bit much. And just because you are no longer in the design team for Craftwork Cards doesn't mean that you have to lose contact with the people there.
Have a good weekend
Hugs, Rose
HI Rose
DeleteI remebered you love this combo Rose. All of your words are very true my lovely, thank you.
I will email you later,
Huge hugs
Kim xx
Hi Kim.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful card, just my cuppa coffee (dont like tea)
I love that stamp, and yes the coloures are just great. I like to use the thicker foam too, adds that lovely dimention.
There are times in our lives that we have to stand back and re-think what our priorities are, we all like to think we can do it all, but we are only human, and sometimes, something has to give. If its the right decision for you that's all that matters.
Take care Kim.
Hugs.
Lancashire Steph xx
Hi Steph.
DeleteLovely to see you. I am so pleased you like this one. The stamp is fun isnt it, makes clean and simple very easy for sure especially when it isnt usually my thing. Thank you for your kind support , I am so lucky all your ladies are so fabulous to me. Thank you so very much
Huge hugs Kim xxx