Creative Expressions Thursday.

Hi Everyone

Happy Creative Thursday , well i have another card made using the 12 days of Christmas pad which is the last one for this month so I hope you ike it.

Visible Image Wednesday.

Hi Folks

I hope you are all having a lovely week and you all enjoyed the lovely weather we had last weekend and we are on the run up to a nice long weekend hey. How lovely hey... what will you all be doing? let me know down in the comments if you get the chance. Lots of things coming up over the next few weeks so I look forward to keeping you all informed.
I heard some fabby news tonight before we get started on this weeks card and tutorial Visible Image have a 30% off sale on which started at midnight,  They added up the dates for the wedding  now they are back from honeymoon and it came to 30 so that is why you get 30% off and will carry on through til Sunday so If there is anything you would like to purchase  head on over and get yourself a bargain on already fabulous priced stamps I know I am on my way over as soon as I finish typing...
oooo and guess what else you can win tickets to Aly paly in September too if you go over to the Visible Image page too.  They have 12 pairs to give away so if you fancy coming on down and seeing us on the Visible Image stand (hehe) then you have to be in it to win it as the saying goes.

So this weeks card has a Christmassy theme with some of the new  Christmas stamps not long  launched by Helen and Mark my good friends at Visible Image.
Hope you like it.

I love cards like this that have a hand made background using gorgeous stamps and then all the accessories match and make you think the words are perfect which of course they definitely are.

So lets get started on how I put this one together....

So I used Momento Grey Flannel Ink and the White Christmas  snow flake from the stamp set. I stamped the image randomly over the page and made sure lots were dropping off the edge and some just had parts of the very tips showing on the edge of the page too.
 

Next I used the same ink (which looks a little blue here but it is really a grey with a hint of blue in real life.) to ink the edges well especially the corners as it shows in the above pic.

I then took some scrap paper and again inked my stamp with the very same ink and this time i stamped first onto the copy paper and then onto any gaps on the card , second generation stamping helps to give depth to a backing piece such as this and really can look very pretty, alternate how you hold your stamp so you get different sections in different places to keep it interesting.

Once dry cover the card in double sided adhesive so you can then add glitter over the entire backing section.
 I used Vintage sparkle glitter for this one as I just loved the different colours in it, pinks and greens and white but all very very sparkly and pretty.

 Just a close up here so you can see the shiny adhesive and underneath you can see the stamping and over stamping here.

 I added the glitter onto the adhesive and burnished it for a few seconds to make sure all the adhesive was covered. I took an alcohol pen in Denim blue and just dabbed it in places all over the very edge of the snowflake and glitter. You can touch your alcohol marker onto the actual glitter and some of the alcohol colour will transfer and really give that nice bright edge.

I also wrapped some seam binding in several pieces across the  centre of the card and then added a Soft gold colour mat.

I added another mat and layer to the backing and raised this one onto some Foam to give the card some height but not too much.

I wanted to make a home made accessory so I had these tiny weeny cones in a bag not used yet and decided they would be perfect if they were white so out came the White chalk paints and while it dries I      added the same glitter to match the card too.

So it went from the above picture to this one below in just 2 mins or so.

 This is a Little blurry and so you can actually see the colours in the glitter a little which i think is soooo pretty.

 Taking a smaller piece of card I stamped the sentiment from the set in the same Grey Flannel ink from Momento, I took a Denim blue promarker and added some very gently to the letters just randomly , then using a very light cool grey I gave the letters a small shadow to raise it from the page slightly. I also stamped the very edge of the snowflake around the edge of the card and using a quickie glue pen and some of the same glitter I added it around the whole circumference. I gave it a soft gold mat and raised it up on foam before adding it on an angle to the card front.

 As you can see here once you see the snowflake edge on the topper here it really blends to the background once the two are paired together. You could easily use this as branches etc too.

 So next to the embellishment corner. To start I tied a triple white seam binding bow, I also twisted several stamens from my collection together and glued the stems together before snipping to a smaller length too.
I took two Marabou feathers and glued them to the bottom of the card in an L shape. I added my bow on top and then glued the three little cones in the centre, I glued in some of the stamens in the centre and some behind poking out of the bow slightly. Lastly I glued some flat back pearls along the spine of each feather and into the corners on the card  to finish.

Here is the finished image again in all its feathery floaty glory haha.

So the Stamp set I used was called White Christmas and here is the image.

Its so pretty and you can use it in several ways , you can isolate the centre flower and use the outside pieces as branches as well as using it whole in its intended purpose. Endless possibilities as always with Visible Image.

I hope you have a brilliant Wednesday my lovlies and I will see you all tomorrow.

Love to all

Kim 

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Creative Expressions Thursday

Hi Folks

Another card made with our Johns Lovely 12 days of Christmas papers pad and Phil's Holly Background stamp from Creative Expressions.

This time I thought Id try some different papers but mix them up and keep it all to the red and white theme with the touches of grey here and there in some of the papers. I like how it turned out and of course where would we be without the chocy box bow.

So to get started you will need the paper pad or papers of your choice , I chose once of the striped ones with just a hint of red in it and some Red Geranium archival ink to stamp Phil Martin's Holly Background onto the patterned paper , I know it sounds a little busy but we will only see flashes of it on the card once it is decorated and it seems to work and its all about giving it a go isn't it folks?

Here is a close up so you can see the paper I used.

 Next I chose the snowflake backing paper and gave it a darker red mat using the usual foundations red card stock.

I went back to the first paper now the ink was dry and gave it a mat of red card and wrapped a piece of white Crinkle edge ribbon around the bottom third of the card , I added some thick foam around 3mm to the back and mounted it on top of the mat we created in the last step. ( as you can see when I stamped the holly I didn't apply enough pressure on one part of the stamp in the middle to the left but it will not matter as I knew this is where the bow would reside haha) happy accidents and it is fun to work out ways to still use any little faux pas' as it were  haha.

I decided as if there was not enough going on to give the top third of the card a little row of swans as they were so cute on the paper so I cut out a strip and inked the edges of course with just a tiny amount of the same ink.I didn't give it a mat I wanted it to blend right into the paper as if it was always there.

So here is how it is looking so far with all the paper mixes and stamped section. 

 I then went to the section of the pad that has these little ready made toppers and cut out the 12 days of Christmas as you see here I used a white gel pen ( this is such an invaluable part of your tool kit if you like to enhance anything or draw etc) I used it to add a few highlights on the music notes and a few patterns on the snow flakes etc just to break up the red a little.

 I just needed to add a couple of the pearls sprays and a bow , which I tied just a single one this time as I didn't want to over power the side as the focus should stay with the papers I feel rather than we focus straight on the pretty bow.

However, here is a close up on the bow with a large flat back pearl in the centre. I also added a couple of pears in some of the corners to match and of course the two pearl sprays under the bow just poking out slightly.

And here is the finished card again, I did go back and just use that white pen again to further outline the inside of the swans necks as in person it gives the shape in between the swans which looks like a heart a little more dept and stands out more as a heart , It is difficult to see on Camera but it works, Just like adding dark gives a shadow and makes things pop or drop back depending how you use it and a white line brings light and helps things stand out too especially if your showing which way a light is cast on an object.

Anyway I won't bore you more,  if you just came to see the card rather than the tutorial haha.  Have a wonderful Thursday and if you have our Johns pad  I would love to see what you have created and would be happy to show it on here if you would like others to see it too.

Crafty hugs as always

Kim

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Visible Image Wednesday

Good Morning folks.

I have a card which I really enjoyed making today with a slightly masculine feel.
Today would have been my dad's birthday if he was still with and so if no one minds I should like to dedicate today's card to my dad and all the dads no longer with us. God bless them all.
Happy Birthday to my wonderful father who was also  the one who raised me and gave me all the values I carry with me today. xxx

Here is today's card using just the Believe stamp set from Visible Image who are enjoying their honeymoon as we speak , they made a fabulous Bride and groom last week in wales.

So today's card has quite a few elements but is fairly easy to do depending how many embellishments you choose to add or whether you decide to keep it clean and simple with the handmade back ground.
So as aways I have a full tutorial on how I put this together so with out further ado let us begin

 First the Believe stamp set comes with two separate word stamps follow your dreams and Believe of course and I used Brown archival ink here with follow your dreams on white card for the background.

When you have staggered all the words and cut it to the size you require ink around the edge lightly with Walnut stain distress ink and it should look as it does here.

 Next in a zig zag pattern rather than straight down start to rip the card as above. Once done add extra ink to the back of the split on the white card.
Once the ink is on the card spritz the ink with water and curl the card back so the curl goes back on itself as below.

Next take a piece of black card and add to the back of the above piece then cut out the Central area behind.

 Take a larger piece of white care and stamp Believe onto it in back archival once dry at some white gel pen in a few places on the lettering if you have it as it aways makes it ook shiny.

 I took three of Tim Holtz tickets and mounted them onto black card and cut them into three.

 The larger card you stamped believe in the centre of, add some picture you love, we like music so this was nice to add in so that it shows through the split in the paper.

Wrap a piece of brown satin ribbon around the bottom of the piece you made earlier

Add the three tickets on the bottom left of the card, sightly overlapping each other near the satin ribbon.

 I thought I would keep the ribbon simple and not add a bow as such so I just folded over a coupe pieces of ribbon which I adhered in the middle and added a silver button to the centre of the bow.

 I used embossing ink and gold embossing powder to stamp and heat set the small follow your dreams added to the bottom of the card and inked the edges of it before sticking it to the backing matts.

 I took a photo of a lady from one of Tim Holtz pads and I used one of his square fragments to stick the photo onto the back of the fragment so I could add it to the card in the corner.

I also used treasure gold polish to add some god to the button and to the card curl backs and some of the ribbon and embellishments to tie it all together.

 I added the lady to the card and a vintage looking embellishment which I added some gold to the little flower also.

 Here is the compete image with another flower added to the left to finish this card off.

A slightly different angle. I hope you like this male themed with a twist card all and I send my love to all.

Here is the stamp set used on this one.

Believe

Unfortunately this has now been discontinued ( I did not realise until I had made the card unfortunately and i really wanted to show it to you today) but you will find so many wonderful word and verse stamps over at Visible Image and I have linked it here for your ease to look if you should like to.

I have you have a wonderful Wednesday folks and i look forward to catching up with you all really soon.

Take care

KIM

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Creative Expressions Thursday.

Hi Everyone

Happy Thursday and it is officially nearly another week gone by, gosh the one thing about the job I do is that you are always so so so busy that the time flies by so quickly in the day. The NHS is always busy no matter what area you work in I am sure, but of course our elderly care system leaves a lot to be desired in my eyes and Continuing heath care is no exception but I guess that's another type of blog post.
So getting back to why you are all here I have used the new John Lockwood 12 days of Christmas pad and Phil martin's Holy themed stamps to create today's post, again a Christmas themed item but I hope you like it in its traditional colours too.

Without further a do here is today's card.

A little different hey folks...

Here's a few pictures along the way ...

 These are the stamps from Phil's line I used to create the background. 

I used this mdf shape and Jon Lockwood's paper pad to cover it,i used the pear tree paper and placed the branches where they would be on a real tree.. lol clever hey...

 It looks nice like this but i added some stickles and also some diamond sparkles in the end as you do

Here's the background coming together.

 Once I stamped out the holly backing I used my distress pens to give some colour and dimension to the backing colours , then I used some square dies to cut a frame out of it on the edge. I added the inside piece flat then raised the frame up on foam. keeping the pattern of the holly correct which looks really cool i think.

Here's the added sparkle etc on the tree and placed on the edge slightly. I had a tshirt once that said , If your not living on the edge your taking up to much space lol (random yes but it made me think of it ) 

 I stamped out the central image and used the sentiment in the centre and also cut out a smaller frame and did the same trick with this as above and I also coloured the holly in and added some prettiness to the black writing ,

Here is a close up so you can see.

After this I used another paper from the pad and 12 days of Christmas from Jon and a black mat on the backing and also a few little pearls here and there and on top of the tree. 

I did then decide lastly it needed a little red so I made a little bow from seam binding top left with a pearl centre and then on the right I cut a strip of the same backing paper and alternately between red and green seam binding added a little strip and twisted it in the centre and attached on the back, i did that all the way to the top and then backed it in black and added it to the right on the card. a little different , and gave a Candy cane impression maybe, what do you think? 

Here is the finished image again.

Anyway all done....

Hope you like it and I will see you all very soon.

Huge hugs

Kim 

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