Visible Image Wednesday

Hi Everyone

Can you believe another week has gone by it is crazy how fast it goes when you are soooo busy , I just haven't known where this year has flown to but gosh its gone like Concorde in the early days  lol.
As you all know Visible Image had a fab new launch last week with new stamp sets called  Express yourself so this week I am showing another one of the cards I made with 2 of the fab stamps from the Be happy set.
For this one I have kept it fairly simple and used just one ink, some Mica , embossing powder, 1 backing stamp and 2 sentiment main focus stamps from the new set. Of course I then decorated it with a few simple flowers and some natural fibres and bows but you can decorate with anything you have of course or leave it plainer for a gentleman.

Here is today's card.

 I went for a subtle background and used only some Vintage photo ink around the edge of the backing piece to bring the edges in and create a frame.

 So to start I chose the Take risks stamp and some white card. I also decided on this gorgeous Pearlescent interference blue Mica powder from Ranger to create a backing page as opposed to lots of ink just for a change. So although it is extremely hard to see on the white card I had stamped the Take Risks stamps randomly on the backing with perfect medium and then got out my mica.

 I then used a soft brush to add the powder dry to the ink and here you can see it picking up some of the colour, You can also cover a background in perfect medium and lay down your mica, ink up your stamp in perfect medium and then stamp onto the mica and it will pull up the powder and leave you with a negative image too.

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This is what my backing piece looked like at this stage, I then decided to add some dots with the grunge polka dot background too in the same way so I haven't shown that as it is the same as this , I just held the stamp in my hand rather then on a block so I could get in where I wanted to for this one. I measured out some mats and started to put them together next.

 Here is the very back in gold and black.

 I then took the mica backing and inked the edges as described earlier in Vintage photo. I used some vintage cotton lace and wrapped it around the bottom third of the card and also wrapped a thin piece of matching blue ribbon around that and layered that piece onto some gold added foam to the back and mounted it onto the black and gold layer. This is our backing card ready so now onto the main focal point.

I stamped out the 'Life is what you make it ' stamp onto black card with perfect medium embossing ink and added this gold embossing powder and of course tapped off the excess and heat set.

 I added the black card onto a piece of white card added some burlap and some matching lace and ribbon, I also added some twine later after this photo for extra fibres, as you can see below.

 I then added foam to the back to raise it u off the card and added it on an angle to our base.

I tied bows from burlap ribbon and blue ribbon to match and added them, I also added three white roses which I later added some perfect medium too and a little perfect pearl to give just a slight pastel tint to the flower edges , I also added some stamens and some curly cues in green wire as you will see in the finished pictures below.

 Lastly I added some tiny blue bling to the ribbon and some larger on the edges to tie in the frame.

It is a real shame the mica does not show up so pearly and sparkly in the photos as it really does stand out and sparkle in real life but it is very pretty.
Below I have added the lovely new stamp set and the backing stamp I used for this one too.

           Be happy set from The Express Yourself sentiment range.

 Grunge Polka dot background stamp.

I hope you have enjoyed this small tutorial I have enjoyed using these stamp sets of course as they are lovely, I hope you managed to get anything you wanted in the Black friday sale from Visible Image too as they had there huge up to 40% off sale over the weekend and their prices are already absolutely brilliant.

I have a few updates as I have simply had no time to update the comment section recently which saddens me as I always love to chat to you all and keep up with comps and things .

So firstly You will all be pleased to hear my mum was out of bed and walked in the hospital for the first time yesterday and the doctors are now saying she is probably as well as they can get her again now so may decide to discharge her later this week and as she has refused to go into a rehab place to get her strength more first so she will go home again with carers several times a day so  I wanted to thank you for all your support and kind words and wishes on this. I know this will be part of our lives now for a while but it is good when things settle down even for a short time to gain a little momentum again as it were.

Secondly , I am so so so sorry to all those still waiting for gifts, cards and prezzies from my give away which was ages away now. I keep planning to get to the post office as i have several to get out and then get called to the hospital or had several meetings and now on my third week back to work. My post office also closes on Wednesday which does not help. I know I have received a few emails from you all and I am about to answer them personally but this is the first chance I have had to get  even on here. I do apologise I know you must be frustrated but the light is here at the end of the tunnel as it were now and i will get some help the end of the week to get this done, but just think it has allowed time to get a few extra bits in with your goodies by way of apologies for lateness. I do have to personally post every item myself though I don't have anyone helping as the giveaways I decide to do are all done by myself and not connected to any of the companies I design for at all. Just to give you a little insight in the process. So again my humble apologies and I will email as soon as I have put them in the post this week so you will all know they are on route.

Thank you again for your patience, I also pass on all your good wishes to my mum and when she is having lucid moments she is very grateful for your kind words as am I always. 

Crafty huge hugs

Love

Kim 

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Creative Expressions Thursday

Hi all

Well this is the last Thursday of the Month and so here is the last of the Christmas posts for this month. Again I have a couple of cards for you to peruse and give me your opinions on of course.
I hope you enjoy them.

Ok so lets get started here is number one.

 This is one of the demo's I did on C&C and it has the five pointed star couture creations die along with the sleigh die that sold out on the show too and the flourish under the flower. I stamped out the sentiment from the Christmas post set of sentiments and I used tape around the edge of the matting and covered it in antique rose polished silk glitter.

 A close up on the flower which I covered in the Glitter Jewell's diamond snow, which I loved.

 Here  is the sparkly sleigh too which I used inside a cut out I created with the vintage labels 7 and popped up onto foam above the soft silver cardstock we carry. I know you loved this sleigh too as it was selling very quickly and I can see why as it was so cute , especially those little presents that are part of it, although not on this card. Funny story for you my daughter was in her room yesterday and came out saying " I don't think this is mine, I think it is yours".  it was one of the little die cut presents from this set and somehow managed to gravitate into her room, I think on one of her socks when she came to say night to me when I was in the stash room haha. ( that must have been in her room for ages now as it was a long time ago I cut this out. )

Here is another look at that very neat sentiment which would work lovely with the chalk board effect that is so popular right now.

So for card number two.

 This was going to be another demo on the show for C&C but we decided to do a mini clinic instead and so this one got missed off but it was shown, it only has a little stamping with the sentiment and the poinsettia which was coloured with distress ink. But the ribbon is gorgeous and was on the show too and the background was created by taking a piece of white card and covering it in double sided sticky sheets and then I die cut this Couture creations Lace background four times and placed three whole on the paper and cut the other in half and added it I then sprinkle the whole thing in sea green polished silk glitter. I added some cosmic shimmer glue to the few areas i wanted to change the colour of the glitter and then tipped on gold glitter , because it is opaque it coloured over the green completely and I was left with a stunning and very sparkly piece of art to add to my mat and layers .

 Here is the sentiment I chose and stamped it in black archival ink and cut out with the smaller Vintage labels 7 die.

 Here again is the finished look with that large ribbon neatly tucked around the first mat and a double bow tied by hand and a poinsettia used to cover the knot and one of the real sparkly embellishments in black seemed perfect for this one.

A close up of the bow with all that gorgeous satin , I used some glue dots as shown before to make sure the bow stayed perfectly placed in true chocolate box fashion.

Well we have reached the end of another month so next week sees the start of a new month on the team and I wonder what we will be demonstrating this time.... hmmm

have a wonderful Thursday everyone and I will see you all soon.

Huge hugs

Love 

Kim 

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P.s   Thanks so much lovely blogglies for all your kind words and messages re my mum, My brother is very touched you leave all these kind wishes for me and says thank you too. I explained how we are all a huge family here and he was most impressed. Huge hugs and I appreciate your kindness and support very much.

K xxx 

Visible Image Wednesday & Express Yourself.

Hi Folks

Today I have a card created with the Amazing Visible Image stamps some old and some very very new, In fact so new it was only launched at the weekend and pre orders coming in very fast. This new launch has a set of six sets of Inspirational sentiments from the Visible Image family of Mark and Helen. Here is there promo pic that you may have seen on Facebook if you have it featuring all the sets.

 I know you can't see it very closely but no fear more photos will follow of the sets as I use them and the link above will take you straight to all six sets to have a look at, so whether you are a card maker or an avid scrapbooker there will definitely be a phrase or sentiment here you are sure to need in your stash.

Here is today's card using The Make me Smile set. Created in rich purple/pink and Orangey warmth for Autumn with touches of natural fabric in hessian and a burlap bow I hope you all enjoy how I put this one together.
I have a full tutorial with lots of pictures for this one so please get yourself a nice cuppa and enjoy putting this one together with me.

 Ok, to start this one I ran my Anti static pad over the card,  I took my "You make me smile" stamp and Perfect medium Ink with clear embossing powder and stamped somewhat randomly over the piece of white card I had chosen as my base colour. I heat set the embossing of course and then moved on to choosing the ink colours for today's card look.

 The first colour I chose was Dried Marigold distress and I used my usual method to apply the ink, cut and dry foam and added the ink in my usual side side middle way. Of course the first layer of ink as I have said on several cards now is just a blending layer and so just throw it on there , to wet the card fibres a little and if it is patchy as mine is above , don't worry. You know me now ladies and you can here me saying it just doesn't matter can't you.

My next colour is the gorgeous and vibrant Seedless preserves, I just love this colour with the orange palette its so gorgeous. So this is coat one complete and just look how patchy and swirly the colour is, at this stage people give up but don't. While that ink is still tacky ladies ( and gents) go back in with your second coat to smooth the colours out.

 So, coat two. Much richer and deep but still a little blending needed but not too much as I have not finished with layering on this background yet.

 Deepen the edges with darker shades or another coat of colour on the edges. I used Rusty Hinge on the Marigold to deepen and the same Seedless preserve with a little vintage photo all over the edges to really bring out the dark edge and mix of colour here.

So here I started to introduce some of the other stamps Visible Image retail. Here I started tone on tone with the Ink splat set in the same rich colours and didn't mix them much at all. So keep within the purple with purple splats and so on. Quick blast with the heat gun here.

 Next, I wanted to have some lighter splodges for want of a better word but you could wet a stamp and lay that image down too and it will have the same effect as I used here , so the lighter drops are water spritzed into my hand and dripped onto the card and ink and left a few seconds then dabbed off with kitchen paper. Dry again here pretty well this time.

 The next background I added was the Crackled Background and I used Black archival and held the stamp in my hand and added random and small amounts just around the edge of the card and again blasted to heat set this one, or the ink would have smudged. I also used my anti static pad very well here to make sure all was dry or the ink would pick up the embossing powder in the next stage.

My last background here I again held off a block in my hand and this was the grunge polka dot and I used  white embossing ink for this one in several areas  and once all was done and heat set I used a micro fibre cloth to buff up all the clear and white embossing to remove any ink that had tinted the whites. I then added that piece to a piece of black card with just a very small border. I then set aside.

I had this little chippie frame so I coated it with perfect medium and gold embossing powder and heat set , I cut it the frame in half and set aside too.

I stamped out the main Sentiment I wanted to use from my set first of all and I stamped it in black archival and then simply used a very thin and pretty shimmery gold stardust gelly roll pen from sakura to add a slight halo effect on the words which you can only just see here, I then mounted that white piece onto some black also and added the two halves of the gold frame to the back with a gap in the middle.

 I added a second double mat under the over all card with foam in between for some elegance and cut a piece of hessian which I then frayed and added on an angle to the front of the card, I then added my sentiment and frame concoction on the other angle to create a sort of 'X' at this point on all I needed to do was build it and add the two small flower displays.

This is the bottom right flower in rich plums and orangey/peaches and white to match, I also took a couple of the little orange leaves I stamped out from the Poinsettia set and used those to go under the flowers on the card.

I wanted to add a little close up as I added some white gel pen to the roses and also some glossy accents very finely with some iridescent glitter added to them too for a little sparkle. You can also see the layering of the stamping we did on this image, which I love and feel it gives such depth the a background this way.

And here is the sentiment in place on the card and you can just pick up the tin sparkle on the letters here too.
So there we have it guys the way to layer inks and embossing to give a look that can be subtle if needed but easily taken to the grungy stage with real dark inks to blend and over layer.

I used some stunning stamps for this one and here I will add them and the links.

                                      Ink splats.                                        Crackled Background.

                     Grunge Polka dot Background.                           You Make me Smile.

                                                                   Poinsettia set.

So lots of stamps used for this one to create a inky beautiful well framed background to use to push forward our sentiment from the beautiful new Express Yourself Launch from Visible Image.

I hope you enjoy this tutorial on how to and that you can see colours that you really think sometimes no way will they go actually do and you can make them anyway by adding in all the layers of stamping and embossing to diffuse the concentration of the colours. Have a go and see how surprised you are to get these results just with a little ink .

** So by way of a little update. My mum is now clear of ICU and on a ward in the hospital, she still isn't walking yet but they have twice now had her sat in a chair and she is eating without tubes feeding her now so although she is a very ill lady her condition, now the infections are leaving her is improving for her and she has had to have a barrage of scans to see if anything else is going on as she is very confused at times and has very little short term memory too but at least she is on the mend, her illnesses are such that she is unlikely to have too long but the hospital remain hopeful she can be well enough to manage again for a while. Thank you for all your kind wishes and patience regarding posting at this time and i really do appreciate all your kind words on here and fbook etc. **

Huge hugs 

Love

Kim 

XXXX

Creative Expression Christmas Post.

Hi folks

I have some show cards on the Christmas theme for the Dt this month as you all know so I have been adding a couple each week so that they all get seen a little more up close.

Here is card 1.

 This first one and the only real stamping it has on it is the sentiments so of course there will be another and a twofer always helps hey... I used several of the different new Couture creations dies from the Christmas lace collection and The Merry little Christmas selection of dies too.

 Here you can see the sentiment from the Just Rite Christmas post series of stamps and the backing is the  Border lace die cut and the trio of trees die cut with the negative areas that popped out used as trees with some glitter just along the edges.

 I also cut the top off the lace border ( another strip of it anyway) and used just the top section along the top of the card just so the patterns all matched up.

Here is the finished card with its gorgeously symmetrical feel to it.

Next is another little number that I love.

 This is a tall thinner card and again I used the ribbons of holly Background in Hydrangea blue ink I then stamped out my sentiment from the Christmas post set from Just rite , It also had that dinky tree flourish that I used on the sentiment tag too and I cut it out using the Vintage labels seven die.

 A close up shows you the two little holly piece I stamped too on the tag and the new white flowers and die cuts underneath the flower also Couture creations.

I used the green crinkle edge ribbon in sheer organza to add to the finished look.

So please leave your comments below as You know how i love to read them all and I will see you all very soon.


Huge Thankyu's for all your kind comments re my mum etc yesterday, I really do appreciate them all and last night very late they moved her from ICU to a ward so that means definite progress, I know they can only get her to a certain point but at least she is now responsive and sitting up. She is still very confused and you have to repeat everything several times and she doesnt really know why shes in there or how ill she has been again but maybe thats a good thing in one way.

Thank you again with lots of love

Huge crafty hugs 

Kim 

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