ASIAN ARTISTRY .... Cameo Coral and Ruby Red rose, watercoloured

Last week at stamp group (a monthly get-together with stamping friends, mainly to eat chocolate and talk a lot!), I watercoloured a few images from the new Asian Artistry stamp set.  Despite remembering to take chocolate, I didn't remember to actually take any inkpads along, so I scribbled with markers on the plastic stamp case, and watercoloured using my aquapainter.  I'd used the colours Cameo Coral, Ruby Red and Old Olive, so that was the starting point for this card.

I started off making a very simple card for a challenge on my Stampin' Up! team's online forum, but it evolved into something completely different.  I've been known to sponge cards to within an inch of their life ..  couldn't not use sponge daubers on this one!  The end result is waaaay out of my comfort zone; it's not really my 'style' of card, but I decided I'd share it with you anyway.  I'm just enjoying having the time to create, and post on my blog .... hopefully you'll like this card a bit more than I do (and a LOT more than my husband does, LOL).




Stamps: En Francais, Asian Artistry, Life Definitions

Card: Ruby Red, Cameo Coral, Old Olive, Very Vanilla, Watercolour paper

Ink: Basic Gray stampin' pad, Old Olive stampin' pad and marker, Cameo Coral stampin' pad and marker, Ruby Red stampin' pad and marker, Versamark inkpad

Other: Old Olive 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, sponge daubers, dimensionals, Nestabilities (long deckled rectangle)

JUST ADD INK #16

Time for another great challenge from the Just Add Ink team.  This week it's a call-out to make a papercraft project incorporating the following colours:





I'm pretty sure it's okay to throw a 'neutral' into the mix.  No prizes for guessing that I chose to use Kraft!

I love, love, love, the single "All A Flutter" stamp that is in Stampin' Up!'s new Autumn-Winter Mini catalogue, so was determined to use it in my challenge entry.  I clear-embossed the butterfly onto Pretty in Pink, So Saffron, and Ruby Red card, by first inking the stamp in Versamark ink, then loading it with my chosen colour and stamping on the same coloured card.  A sprinkle of clear embossing powder stuck to each image, thanks to the Versamark (sticky, clear) ink. 

I've just re-read what I typed ... does that make sense to you??  I hope so!  Just ask if you need clarification (I was described by my teacher, when I was 7, as "verbose", and have proudly carried that tag all my life, LOL).




Stamps: All A Flutter, Inspired By Nature, Asian Artistry

Card: Kraft, Ruby Red, So Saffron, Pretty in Pink

Ink: Versamark inkpad, Soft Suede, So Saffron, Pretty in Pink and Ruby Red stampin' pads, Pretty in Pink marker

Other: Soft Suede Polka Dot grosgrain ribbon (reversed), Whisper White 1/4" grosgrain ribbon (coloured with marker), Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, mat pack and paper piercer, sponge dauber, Button Latte, dimensionals, mini glue dot, Stamp-a-ma-jig
 

"ASIAN ARTISTRY" in blue

Asian Artistry is a brand new Level 2 hostess stamp set, in Stampin' Up!'s Autumn-Winter Mini catalogue.  It's a beautiful set, containing a few images that are perfect for watercolouring.  Being a hostess set, it can't be bought, but it can be earnt for FREE if you host a qualifying workshop. If you like the sound of this, want to get some friends together for a few fun hours of stamping, and live in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne, email me, and we'll arrange a date for your workshop!

The focal point of my card is the gorgeous bird, perched on bamboo; I've simply stamped the image in Basic Gray ink, and lightly 'painted' over the foliage with my aquapainter (water-colouring brush), to blur the lines a little.  I scribbled with a Brilliant Blue marker onto my plastic 'palette' (the clamshell case of the stamps), and picked up the colour with my aquapainter to watercolour the bird.  I don't gravitate towards blue very often, but I love the colours in this card.  I was thinking it'd make a nice sympathy card; what do you think?





Stamps: Asian Artistry, En Francais, Trendy Trees (sentiment)

Card: Basic Gray, Bordering Blue, Brilliant Blue, Confetti White, Watercolour Paper

Ink: Basic Gray stampin' pad and marker, Brilliant Blue stampin' pad and marker, Bordering Blue stampin' pad, Very Vanilla craft stampin' pad

Other: Aquapainter, Eyelet Border Punch, sponge dauber, Basic Gray taffeta ribbon, corner rounder punch
  

MANHATTAN FLOWER Get Well Card

As promised, I'm back with the second card I made in my Get Well "series" (does two cards constitute a series??!).

My friend Leanne makes the most beautiful cards, but doesn't have a blog to showcase them.  So, I can unashamedly copy what she does, and post them on my blog, and pass them off as my own!  No, not really ... but I was very inspired by a card Leanne showed me recently.  She'd used a cut-out panel of embossed Manhattan Flowers on Whisper White, overlaid on some Kiwi Kiss Designer Series Paper.

I took that idea and ran with it, and this is what I came up with:




Stamps: Teeny Tiny Sentiments, Fifth Avenue Floral (stamped on the tag)

Card: Kiwi Kiss, Basic Gray, Whisper White

Ink: Versamark inkpad, Whisper White craft stampin' pad

Other: Bella Rose DSP, White embossing powder, Manhattan Flower embossing folder, Basic Gray taffeta ribbon, Dress Up Ribbon Originals, Sizzlits Lots of Tags die, mini glue dot, sponge dauber



Thanks to Leanne for the inspiration; I love your work, my friend!  I'm rather pleased with how this card turned out; you might see a whole lot more using this cut-out floral panel!

"GREENHOUSE GARDEN" Get Well card

My dear friend Kerry let me borrow her  "Greenhouse Garden" stamp set, that is not available in Australia.  It is such a gorgeous set, and I have been hanging on to it for weeks; I thought I'd better make something with it, before I give it back to Kerry tomorrow!

One type of card that I (thankfully) don't have much need for, but which I'd like to have in my stash 'just in case' is Get Well cards.  I have a couple of creations in the pipeline ... I'll share the Greenhouse Garden one with you today, and will post the other tomorrow.

The oranges that I've used in this card are Apricot Appeal (LOVE the softness of that colour), and the much bolder Pumpkin Pie.  To soften the solid background card, I have stamped it in Very Vanilla using the Sanded background stamp, then have sponged around the card edges with Very Vanilla ink.

Even though this beautiful stamp set is not in our current Stampin' Up! range, I wanted to share my card with you, because I really like it - hope you do too!





Stamps: Greenhouse Garden, Sanded, Sincere Salutations, Vintage Vogue

Card: Pumpkin Pie, Very Vanilla

Ink: Very Vanilla craft stampin' pad, Apricot Appeal, Pumpkin Pie and Old Olive stampin' pads

Other: Top Note die, orange rhinestone brads, Wide Oval Punch, sponge daubers, Very Vanilla 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, Apricot Appeal 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals

JUST ADD INK #15 : Happy 4th of May

Tonight I sat down to make a card based on theJust Add Ink sketch for this week.  I wanted to make a boy's birthday card, because lately I seem to be have been going all flowery on you.  As soon as I'd finished the card, and prepared to show hubby, I just KNEW he'd say "oh, that looks very American".  He didn't let me down.

So, even though it's not my intention (and, quite frankly, I think it's entirely the wrong blue), here's my "Happy 4th of May" card:





Stamps: Starring You

Card: Pacific Point, Whisper White, Glossy White, Real Red, Kraft

Ink: Sahara Sand and Pacific Point stampin' pads, Versamark inkpad

Other: Star punch, Pacific Point striped grosgrain ribbon, Top Note die, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, 1 3/8" circle punch, 1 3/4" circle punch, sponge dauber



It was so nice to sit down and make a card just for the fun of it tonight; the swaps for the looming Stampin' Up! Convention are getting a bit overwhelming!  I needed to just 'play'; thanks to the girls at Just Add Ink, for the inspiration! 


 

FIFTH AVENUE FLORAL

The new Manhattan Flower Textured Impressions embossing folder from Stampin' Up! has rekindled my love for the Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set. Let me explain.

The roses created by using the embossing folder co-ordinate beautifully with the large rose stamp in Fifth Avenue Floral.  I know, that's obvious, but I have taken a look with fresh eyes at the stamp set that has not received much love from me lately!  I've also revisited some of my unloved Designer Series Papers ....the same rose pattern features prominently on the Urban Oasis papers.  At this point you're probably thinking "okaaaaay, tell me something I don't know".  I'm not sure I can do that!  I'm just pleased that a few beauties that I had forgotten about for a while are back in the forefront of my mind.

On the weekend I had a few of my stamping friends over for a Mother's Day card class.  We made three projects, ostensibly with a Mother's Day theme, but, since most of us don't need more than one or two Mother's Day cards, we switched around a sentiment or two.  Since I've rabbited on a bit about Fifth Avenue Floral, I thought I'd share with you what we made with one of the flower stamps from that set.  Here's the card, and a list of ingredients:




Stamps: Sanded, Fifth Avenue Floral, Occasional Greetings

Card: Pale Plum, Whisper White

Ink: Pale Plum and Rich Razzleberry stampin' pads

Other: Wide Oval Punch, Top Note Die (cut using the Big Shot), Whisper White taffeta ribbon, sponge dauber, dimensionals, Pale Plum marker (to colour the centres of the Pale Plum flowers)



To complement this card, we each made a cute little pillow box, to hold a small gift (perhaps some earrings or a necklace, or a couple of small chocolates) ... here are the card and pillow box together, followed by the products used to make the pillow box:




Stamps: Sanded, Fifth Avenue Floral

Ink: Pale Plum and Rich Razzleberry stampin' pads

Other: Pillow Box Die (and Big Shot), Sticky Strip, Rich Razzleberry Polka Dot grosgrain ribbon


Now, I mentioned that I've also rediscovered my Urban Oasis Designer Series Paper.  I have let the paper 'do the talking' in my next card, as I think it is just so beautiful.  I've added a few co-ordinating accents, since Stampin' Up! does them so well.  See how I've stamped the rose from Fifth Avenue floral on the tag?  LOVE how that co-ordinates with the pattern on the paper.




Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral, Teeny Tiny Sentiments

Card: Kiwi Kiss, Basic Black, Whisper White

Ink: Kiwi Kiss and Basic Black stampin' pads

Other: Urban Oasis DSP, black brads (from Vintage selection), Kiwi Kiss satin ribbon, Sizzlits Lots of Tags die (used in Big Shot), sponge dauber, kitchen string, mini glue dot



Even though I've been a bit gushy, I hope I've inspired you to take a look in your (no doubt vast, like my) stamp collection and show a bit of love to some of the stamps that might not have been used for a while.