SHC - Winged Things and More ....

... Good Morning everyone! If you're in the UK I hope you all had a good Mother's Day. I'm here with my regular weekly post for Seven Hills Craft blog. Last I tried out Jennifer McGuire's Gel Plate Lift technique and I shared a couple of cards that I'd made. Well, I made lots of backgrounds and today's cards are all made from them. They mainly feature images from Colorado Craft Company's Big & Bold range of stamps, with other images from Altenew and Concord & 9th. For my first two cards I used the Big & Bold Honey Bee stamp set. I embossed the huge bee onto white card, emboosed with clear powder and used three shades of yellow ink to build up the background colour. I ended up with a darker positive image and softer negative image. My first card is bold and bright:

Stamps: Colorado Craft Company - Big & Bold Honey Bee; Concord & 9th - Beautiful Butterfly

Inks: Gina K - Lemon Drop, Wild Dandelion, Sweet Mango, Soft Stone; Versamark; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Accessories: White Card; SU Card - Basic Black; Clear Embossing Powder

I'm submitting this card to Love to Challenge Craft Blog - LTCCB#56 where the theme is Anything Goes.

My first card uses the positive image. I cut the panel to 4” x 5¾”. I added a simple sentiment from Concord & 9th’s Beautiful Butterfly in bold black ink. I layered the panel on black card and adhered the whole piece to a US A6 (6¼” x 4½”) card. Inside, I cut a mat layer of black card. On the white panel I stamped the large honey bee in yellow ink, added some soft grey hexagons and finished with one of the sentiments from the Honey Bee stamp set.

I was having such fun with this stamp set that I decorated the envelope too. I add a bold yellow bee on the front of the envelope and added a message, created from the stamps, on the envelope flap. I like the 'save the bees' message - bees, for some reason, seem to be declining in number.

My next card uses the softer negative image. 

Stamps: Colorado Craft Company - Big & Bold Honey Bee; Altenew - Hello Hydrangea

Inks: Gina K - Lemon Drop, Wild Dandelion, Sweet Mango, Soft Stone; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: MFT - A2 Rectangles Stax Set 1 #11, A2 Stitched Rectangles Set 2 #9

Accessories: White Card; SU Card - Basic Black

I'm submitting this card to Darnell's Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#24 - it's the first time I've used the lovely big honey bee stamp!

This time I used an US A2 (4¼” x 5½”) card. I cut a piece of black card just smaller than the blank and used a die to cut the honey bee image. It’s such a lovely image that I kept the greeting quite simple and used the vertical ‘hello’ stamp from Altenew’s Hello Hydrangea stamp set. Inside on the white panel, I stamped the little hydrangea buds from Hello Hydrangea, and the solid bee and words from Honey Bee. I layered this onto black card and adhered the whole piece inside the card.

My next two cards feature some of the leaves from Colorado Craft Company’s Big & Bold Brilliant Beetle stamp set. Using the same technique, I have a bolder positive image and softer negative image.

Stamps: Colorado Craft Company - Big & Bold Brilliant Beetle; Concord & 9th - Beautiful Butterfly

Inks: Gina K - Key Lime, Grass Green, Fresh Asparagus; Versamark; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: MFT - A2 Rectangles Stax Set 1 #11, A2 Stitched Rectangles Set 2 #9

Accessories: White Card; SU Card - Basic Black

The first card, using the bold positive image, is a US A2 card. I stamped a butterfly from Concord & 9th’s Beautiful Butterfly stamp set, coloured it with Copic markers, restamped with Versamark, heat embossed with silver powder and fussy cut it out. I used a strip of the left-over green card the long sentiment from Big & Bold Brilliant Beetle, embossed with silver powder and cut it out. I layered it onto some scraps of card for dimension and adhered it to the card. I used dimensional pads to add the butterfly. I kept the inside white panel very simple. I stamped another of the butterflies from Beautiful Butterfly and added some leaves and a words from Brilliant Beetle. I layered the panel onto black card and added to the inside of the card.

My last card for today is for my stash. I think it’s always important to have some sympathy cards on hand, but they are so hard to make. So, I tend to make them as I go and have them ready. This one uses the softer negative image.

Stamps: Colorado Craft Company - Big & Bold Brilliant Beetle; Altenew - Fresh Freesia, Beautiful Inside

Inks: Gina K - Key Lime, Grass Green, Jelly Bean Green, Fresh Asparagus; Memento - New Sprout; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Accessories: White Card; SU Card - Basic Black

The card is a US A6 and I simply cut the mat layer and image panel to fit the card. I added a simple sentiment from Altenew’s Fresh Freesia stamp set in black and called it done. On the inside, I stamped a verse from Altenew’s Beautiful Inside stamp set – the words are lovely. I finished by adding a few leaves from Brilliant Beetle.

It was fun learning this technique and I recommend watching Jennifer's video, click this link and it will take you to her post. I love the velvety look you get on the positive images - the inks blend beautifully and are so smooth. I think I might come back to this technique. 

This turned out to be an exceptionally long post – thanks so much for sticking with me to the end. I hope you liked the cards. I had fun making them. I can’t make up my mind which image I prefer – the bold positive or the softer negative. What do you think? See you soon.

Edited to add: Jonathan and I had our first Covid-19 vaccination today - we had the Oxford Astra Zenica one. Second vaccination in about 12 weeks. Feeling great :)

SHC - Rainbow Washi ....

... Hello! I can't quite believe how fast this month is going! I hope everyone is safe and well. We've been having very mixed weather here in North Wales, in fact the weekend weather was awful with lots of wind and rain. So I made good use of my time and played in my craft room. I've made six cards for my Seven Hills Craft Blog post - all feature Altenew's lovely Geo Rainbow washi Tape. Here are the first two cards:

Stamps: Altenew - Fresh Freesia
Inks: Gina K - Jet Black Amalgam; Stazon - Jet Black
Dies: Altenew - Fresh Freesia
Accessories: White Card; Altenew - Geo Rainbow Washi Tape

These are super easy to make. I covered some lightweight white card with a long strip of the Geo Rainbow washi tape. I cut a piece for the front of a 6¼" x 4½", I cut off the white borders and then die cut the freesia slightly to one side. I adhered the panel to the card and drew a thin black border with a marker pen. I put the card in the MISTI and stamped the outline freesia flower in the negative die space. I finished the front with a simple message. I put the die cut freesia shape into the MISTI and stamped the outline image onto it using Stazon black ink - I had to repeatedly stamp the image to get a crisp black outline. I stamped a birthday greeting and then adhered the diecut flower with dimensional pads. I have left the inside blank. I'm submitting these cards to Just Us Girls - JUGS#543 where the cue word is RAINBOW.

With the remaining piece of washi covered card I die cut several "hello" words. I also cut some out in black card.

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Lovely Lattice Turnabout Stamp
Inks: Versamark
Dies: Concord & 9th - Say Hello Dies
Accessories: White Card; Altenew - Geo Rainbow Washi Tape; Black Card; Clear Embossing Powder

I cut a panel of black card onto which I stamped the lattice turnabout in Versamark and heat embossed with clear powder to give a subtle background pattern. I adhered the large solid hello die cut to the centre of the black panel and then added the thin black hello die cut. I like this clean, simple and bold card. I'm submitting this card to Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#16, as it's the first time I've used the lattice stamp and the hello dies.

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Say Hello
Inks: Gina K - Jet Black Amalagam; Kaleidacolor - Spectrum
Dies: Concord & 9th - Say Hello Dies
Accessories: White Card; Altenew - Geo Rainbow Washi Tape; Black Card

These are ultra clean and simple. I love the way the solid black hello makes the thin outline and inner hello diecuts really shine. I simply added a couple of sentiments to make a nice message - this card is on the way to our son, Ben. I had one more thin washi covered hello die cut left, so I simply adhered it to a card and added the word 'sunshine' in bright colours. Once again, the inside is blank for my message.

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Say Hello
Inks: Gina K - Jet Black Amalagam
Dies: Concord & 9th - Say Hello Dies
Accessories: White Card; Black Card

After making all the cards above, I had the thin black outline die cut hello left, so I adhered it to the front of a card and used the large stripey hello stamp inside the outline and added another word to complete the message.

That's all from me today. I had lots of fun making these cards. See you soon.

Every day - a gift ....

... Morning! I've just got back from taking Kat to school. It's colder than recently and there were tiny snowflakes falling as I drove home - it is very pretty, but I hope it doesn't last long! I'm here with a clean, simple and very bright card:

Stamps: Altenew - Fresh Fressia
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Memento - Tuxedo Black
Dies: Altenew - Freesia; Lil Inkers - Circles and Diamonds Stitched Cover Up
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Tim Holtz Water Colour Card; Stampin' Up! Card - Tangerine Tango; Zig Clean Colour Brushes; Spectrum Noir Sparkle - Clear; Gems; Copics

Stampeddler, my local craft shop, has recently started stocking Altenew - I'm pleased, but it does mean that I've got some more new stamps for my stash! One of my all time favourite flowers is the freesia - I love the pretty flowers and the wonderful scent, so I had to get the stamp set. I've used it here on this card.

I used a cover plate to die to cut the all over pattern on the card base. I stamped the flower on water colour card and used my Zig brushes to colour it, cut it out with the matching die and added sparkle to the petals with a clear brush. I adhered it flat to the card base. I made the sentiment panel from a scrap of water colour card. I stamped the sentiment, scribbled three colours over it and used my sparkle pen to spread them out. I adhered it with dimensional tape. I finished the front by simply adding a few frosty gems. On the inside I cut a mat layer of orange card and on the white panel stamped another flower and a greeting. I used Copics to colour the flower.

I'm submitting this card to Paper Players - PP#328 where they want a flower on our CAS project. Also to The Card Concept - CC#65 where I was inspired by the bold colours and the pattern on the cushion. Finally, I'm also playing along with Addicted to Stamps and More! - ATSM#226, where it's ANYTHING GOES.

I don't normally make any type of new year resolutions, but this year I am determined to work more on my art journal - so you'll be seeing much more of that. However, it does mean that I'll have less time to spend on cards! I had fun making this one.

That's all for today. It's end of semester for Kat and she's had final exams all week. Today are her last two exams - she's been working really hard and has done well so far. As a treat and to help her relax, we are spending some girl time together this afternoon. We're having a massage, foot rub and some aromatherapy - should be bliss!!! See you soon.