Baja Medallion

Hello

Its ages since I have done a sketch, but this one on the Just Add Ink blog took my fancy.  I have tried some new techniques and used some new tools in the process. I started by stamping the Medallion in Versamark on the Baja Breeze cardstock and then clear embossed it.  I have brayer-ed over the image with Chocolate Chip ink to produce the 'blue on brown' effect. It reminds me of the old pressed metal ceilings, for those old enough to remember such things J. I cut out the medallion with the Circle Scissors Plus, which I used for the first time - it is fabulous for preparing custom sized cirlces. I cut the medallion in half and layered it on the gorgeous Parisian Breeze speciality cardstock which is unfortunately retired. I have used the scallop edge punch on a strip of Baja Breeze cardstock and then put it through the crimper for added interest. The centres of the medallion have been popped up for depth. The sentiment tags created with the Medium Jewelry punch have been layered to finish it off. 

Card Details
Stamps	Medallion Background, Tiny Tags
Cardstock & Papers	Baja Breeze (Smooth & Textured), Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Parisian Breeze DSP (Retired)
Ink	Versamark, Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze
Accessories	White Taffeta ribbon, Vintage brads
Tools	Clear embossing powder, Heat gun, Brayer, Circle Scissors Plus, Crimper, Corner Rounder Punch, Sponge daubers, ¾”Circle Punch, Dimensionals

Enjoy your week.

Sunset Silhouette

Hi there

It is a holiday Monday here in Melbourne and the sky is blue - what better combination of events can you have in Winter? Being light and bright makes such a difference to how I feel and so much better for stamping.  Crafty will be spending the afternoon soaking up the sunshine and napping in front of one the windows that go down to the floor in the kitchen.  Must be something with white cats that they love soaking up the warmth. He is 6 months old tomorrow, so I thought I would share a photo of him that I took while he was playing this morning.  He has such a great personality, is so full of energy, loves being played with and is sooooo cute. He is waiting at the front door each evening when we get home from work. For those wondering what breed he is, he is a snow spotted lynx point Bengal.

Now back to stamping! I have christened my brayer using re-inkers to create the background on white gloss for this card. This is a technique I've not tried before, but is really simple. The Upsy Daisy silhouette was stamped in Versamark and then black embossed over the brayered background. You can emboss first and then brayer over the top, but I prefer to position the stamp where I want it.  All the details are below.

 

Card Details
Stamps	Upsy Daisy
Cardstock & Papers	Pretty in Pink, Whisper White, Glossy White
Ink	StazOn Black, Regal Rose, Versamark
Accessories	5/8” Regal Rose Grosgrain Ribbon, ¼” Pale Yellow Grosgrain Ribbon (not SU)
Tools	Scallop Oval Punch, Large Oval Punch, Eyelet Border Punch, Brayer, So Saffron, Pretty in Pink and Rose Red Re-inkers, Black Embossing Powder, Sponge Daubers, Dimensionals, Heat Gun

Enjoy the rest of your week.

More Asian Artistry

Hello

Winter has well and truly arrived in Melbourne - perfect for soup, comfort food and of course stamping. Today I have a quick and simple card for you, using the new Hostess set Asian Artistry from the Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue, one of my current favourites. 

The flower image has been stamped in Basic Gray on watercolour paper and then coloured with an aquapainter and Watercolour Crayons. It has been matted on the two main colours I used for the flower - Cameo Coral and Sage Shadow. Both of these colours will be retired in the coming colour renovation that will be launched with the new Idea Book and Catalogue on 1 September 2010. The base card is Basic Gray stamped within En Francais in Versamark.

 

Card Details
Stamps	Asian Artistry (Level 2 Hostess Set), Occasional Greetings
Cardstock & Papers	Basic Gray, Sage Shadow, Cameo Coral, Watercolour paper
Ink	Basic Gray, Cameo Coral, Ruby Red
Accessories	Basic Gray Taffeta ribbon, Small adhesive flat back pearls
Tools	Eyelet Border punch, Ticket Corner punch, Small Oval punch, Aquapainter, Watercolour Crayons - Cameo Coral, Ruby Red, Sage Shadow, Sponge daubers, Dimensionals

Stay warm!

'Celebrations' - Blog Hop

Hi there

Welcome to this month's Blog Hop with the ‘Art from the Heart’ team. We have had a change of date for the monthly blog hop which will be the first Saturday of the month going forward. The Art with Heart team led by Claire Daly, is a group of more than 90 Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators from across Australia. If you would like to be part of this supportive group of talented paper crafters email me for more details. 

  

 

You may have come from blog of the lovely and talented Christine Blain but if not, you can join the Blog Hop from here by clicking on the link to the next blog at the bottom of this post. We hope you can take the time to visit each blog to see the wonderful creations we have to show you! If you leave a comment on every blog and then email Nikki at [email protected], your name will be put into the hat to win some beautiful Blog Candy. You have until 6am EST on 8 June 2010 to leave your comments and only those who are not Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators are eligible to win the Blog Candy.

One of my colleagues and his wife are expecting their second child, so I decided to create some projects to celebrate his birth - yes, they know they are having a boy which is really helpful for me. I will have a gift ready to go!

First up, is a special photo card for the proud Grandma (or Mum for that matter) to carry around and show off to her friends. There is a matching envelope box to keep it safe.  I have used the Washington Apple Designer Series Paper and the matching colours Pumpkin Pie and Bashful Blue with Brilliant Blue as a bold contrasting colour.  The 'Fox & Friends' stamp set from the Autumn/Winter Mini catalogue is perfect for this.  First up is a photo of the envelope box, which is made from a commonly available template, that I have customised for a snug fit. I've used the Big Shot and the Timeless Type Junior Alphabet for the wording. I love this font.

The second photo is the front of the card. I've used the sentiment from the Sale-a-bration set 'Whimsical Words' which has been well sponged and mounted in the Silver Hodgepodge Designer Label tag.

The next photo is the inside of the card. On the left is the Birth Announcement details presided over by the cute owl from Fox & Friends. I have printed this on the computer and then cut it out with the Top Note Die. On the right side a photo can be slipped into top opening.

Here is a final photo of the set.

The second project using the same materials is a set of Birth Announcement postcards for the proud parents to send out to friends and family. These are designed to fit into standard envelopes. The announcement cards are double sided, with the details on one side and the photo sleeve on the other in a matching box. The box has been sized to fit the envelopes as well. Here is a photo of the open box showing the announcement cards and envelopes.  It should fit at least 10 cards and envelopes (I've only completed half at the moment).

 

Making boxes to any size is very straightforward.  I just measure the largest item (in this case the envelope) and then add 2mm to the length and wide to get the dimensions of the base. The sides are dictated by how much you want to hold in the box. I made these 30mm as I new I needed to hold quite a few cards and envelopes. To make the top, add a further 2mm to the length and width to ensure a snug fitting lid. This photo shows both sides of the announcement card.

 

I hope you have enjoyed these projects. If you have any questions you would like answered, please email me. Below are the details of the products used.

 

Card Details
Stamps	Fox & Friends, Whimsical Words
Cardstock & Papers	Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Pumpkin Pie, Brilliant Blue, Washington Apple DSP
Ink	Brilliant Blue, Bashful Blue, More Mustard, So Saffron
Accessories	Bashful Blue Taffeta, Silver Hodgepodge,
Tools	Scallop edge punch, Designer Label Punch, Corner Rounder Punch, Big Shot, Top Note Die, Timeless Type Junior Alphabet Dies, Polka Dot Embossing Folder, Circle Punches, Scallop Circle Punch, Sponge daubers, Dimensionals, computer & printer

The next stop on the Blog Hop is another lovely and talented lady - Sue Madex, so hop on over to Sue's blog and don't forget to leave her some comment love!

Have a great weekend.