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 :)

JUGS GD - Happy Birthday ...

.... Hi! I'm half-way through my time as Guest Designer at Just Us Girls and I'm having a great time with so many lovely cards to see. This week is colour week - JUGS#536 and we want to see bright colours - green, orange, yellow and pink. Here's my card:

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Butterfly Love Turnabout, Beautiful Butterfly; MFT - Bitty Birthday Wishes, Sassy Pants Birthday Greetings
Inks: Versafine Clair - Cheerful, Summertime, Charming Pink, Verdant; Gina K - Black Amalgam
Dies: Spellbinders - 5 x 7 Modern Stationary (S6-013) #4; Die-namics - Stitched Fishtail Flags STAX #1
Accessories: White Card; Black Card; Vellum; Copic Markers

I'm submitting this card to Fab Friday - FABF#189 where they have a lovely versatile sketch, and to AAA Birthday - AAAB#13 where they want to see things with wings.

I used my MISTI to stamp the butterfly turnabout image in bold, bright Versafine Clair inks. I stamped the large butterfly on the turnabout in black ink and coloured it with Copic markers, then fussy cut it out. I used a die to cut a panel of the butterfly image and a layer of vellum, adhered them together and put them on the front of the card. I stamped a simple birthday greeting, cut it out with a die and attached it to the card. I finished the front by adding the bold butterfly. On the inside, I cut a mat layer of black card and on the white panel stamped a sassy birthday message along with another smaller butterfly. I coloured the butterfly with softer tones on the inside of the card.

Do join in with this week's challenge at Just Us Girls - JUGS#536 - I can't wait to see your bold, bright cards! That's all from me for today - see you again soon.

SHC - Rainbow Bright ...

... Hello again, it's another of those days when DT posts collide! I'm here with my cards for Seven Hills Craft Blog. I decided to revisit some older Concord & 9th stamp sets in my stash, as well as some dies. I've been inspired by the number of wonderful rainbows that the kids in my village have drawn and put up in their windows. So, my first card is a bold, bright rainbow thank you card:

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Rainbow Wishes, Thankful Turnabout
Inks: Versafine Clair - Cheerful, Summertime, Paradise; Gina K - Lipstick, Lucky Clover, Black Amalgam; Memento - Summer Sky; Distress Oxide - Wilted Violet
Dies: Concord & 9th - Rainbow Wishes, Bitty Thank You; Spellbinders - A2 Curved Matting Basics Set A and B #7
Accessories: White Card; SU - Basic Black; Nuvo - Clear Aquashimmer Brush

I'm submitting this card to Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies - HLSAGD#04.

It's so easy to stamp this rainbow. Each arch is a separate stamp and it's easy to line them up or even have gaps, so forgiving. The hardest thing is picking the colours to stamp. I've gone for a very bright rainbow using lots of different inks. I find the Versafine Clair inks are so bright - love the yellow. I added the sentiment directly on the rainbow used a bold black ink. I die cut a couple of clouds using the matching die set, and then stamped on the clouds and lightly inked the edges. I die cut a large thank you in black and layered it on a couple of white die cuts for dimension. I used a shaped die to cut out the stamped panel and also a mat layer of black card. I adhered the panels to the card base and then added the clouds and the thank you die. I finished the front by adding a few little red hearts and some shimmer on the words. On the inside, I cut a mat layer of black card and on the white panel I stamped a bold sentiment and some more of the hearts.

I also took a photo of the sparkle on the die cut - it was a super sunny afternoon and the sparkle really shows up - not often you get to see this!

My next card also features a rainbow, but this time I've gone for a soft, pastel look and it's a birthday card:

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Rainbow Wishes, Mail Drop, Beautiful Butterfly
Inks: Memento - Angel Pink, Summer Sky, Lulu Lavender; Distress Oxide - Squeezed Lemonade, Dried Marigold; Gina K - Applemint; Stampin' Up! - Smoky Slate
Dies: Die-namics - A2 Stitched Rectangles S1 and S2 #9 (both sets)
Accessories: White Card; SU DP - Smoky Slate; Copic Markers

I'm submitting this card to Seize the Birthday - STB#187 where the option is Spring Fling, Your Next Stamp - YNS#136 where they want pastels, and to Inkspirational - INK#210 where it's Spring.

I really like the pastel look on this rainbow - not sure which is my favourite. I added a greeting in soft grey and added lots of spring flowers from the Mail Drop set. I coloured the flowers with Copic markers. I cut out with a stitch edged die and layered onto soft grey design paper, and attached to the front of the card. On the inside, I cut a mat layer of grey design paper, stamped the flowers, coloured them with Copics and added a simple greeting.

I know that Tara is getting the new Concord & 9th release, but in the meantime why not visit the Seven Hills Craft shop to check out some of the older sets - so many wonderful sets to play with! See you soon.