Shelter

Last entry for the Chocolate Baroque Colour Challenge # 15

 

It started out of that same paper as the previous card.

It’s the top left part. At first I had stamped the buddha branches on the top (with 2nd and 3rd generation ink stamping) but it was way to busy, I had added the flowers and white pearldrops then allready too. So what do you do then? Add a coat of gesso on it. I made a bit of a texture in it. First I brushed it straight down, then on the top part of the gesso bit I brushed it like a pointed roof. It reminded me of a shelter. I added some paint which should dry up with a blotty effect, but it was paint on spirits base (not sure how it’s called in english) and takes a long time to dry. It was transparent too, too white. That is when I got out my brushed pewter and silver acryllic paint – added a few drops on the top, some water, and kitchen foil. Let it sit and focus on the other cards.

The effect when the foil was removed is great. It’s stoney, and the brushstrokes down give it more depth. And guess what, I even added a ribbon! I felt it needed some layering, some softening.

Oops, messed up the drop of stickles here… was looking for the shiny blingthingies which I never use but had found again and intended to use it for these cards and then when I needed them couldn’t find them…  Not sure if Ill add a sentiment to that card, I don’t think I will.

I love the contrast on these pictures, especially from the Shelter card, looks like a thunderstorm and rain like this. Love how it turned out.

Now I’ve got some cleaning to do and get to bed (way too late!)

Forget that

Here is my entry for Chocolate Baroque Challenge #13.

I named this post “Forget that” as this isn’t my best card, there are things I did I shouldn’t have. But there’s no more time… so here I go:

 

And the Challenge colours:

I read it as craft-paper coloured, a bright purple, green and yellow.

The good: colouring of the lady.

The mwah: stamping the bold flowers with distress ink and not masking one petal off… it bothers me… grrr. Stamping with the distress ink was good though. I used a waterbrush to let the colours flow a bit, you can see that in the little petals and yellow heart/circles.

The shouldn’t-have-done: the crackle accent. You can see below it left an uglo gap on the right as well. Or should I have covered the entire card with it? Meh, just shouldn’t have done it.

To camoflage it I stamped the sentiment on the empty spot, but not entirely straight and a little too much to the left. On the positive side, now it looks like the butterfly is flying from her hair or sitting on it, that looks ok. The yellow hearts of the flowes (transparant yellow and opaque) are made with paper pens from viva decor (and the green and purple on her earrings too). Other colours are made with distress inks/markers. I added white gelpen for some highlighting.

It’s not totally bad, just should have stopped sooner…

 

To end this post, here is a picture of the A4 sheet the background came from and another card I am/was working on:

I liked the idea of making the lady purple. I like the left card (embossed with bronze/copper), but not sure where to go from here. I do know at one point I want to combine this stamp with the text “Forget not that the earth delights to feel your feet on the earth” while having her hung upside down from leaves :P. But that thought doesn’t help me finish the purple lady card… Maybe syrround her (only a small but, lower half,) with green leaves, and a little brown stem? Tips are appreciated 😛

Beauty in all places

Like in between the cracks of a brick road, a seed can fall. It could sprout into a beautiful flower.

Made for the Chocolate Baroque Colour Challenge #8

The background was made first, then the flower was stamped. It didn’t pop enough, so I embossed it. I mixed pruple and white embossing powder, as I knew the purple embossing powder would turn out quite dark. The purple and white doesn’t really mix when you look at it up close, but it does soften the tone. The card is glued onto cardstock, but not with a frame, as a neat finish like that doesn’t match the grungyness of the image.

Hardly visible are the “red bricks”CB stamp behind the larger stones. I had stamped these first but wasn’t happy with the result, so I stamped the larger stonework on top of it, and I l;iked the mix it gives.

To add some more interest to the (Hero Arts) stamp of the grungy paintsplatters (frame stamp), I added some decoupage glue on top of it.

Wet decoupage glue and I also had stamped the text. (Crafters Companion). The two bricktypes and the flowers are Chocolate Baroque.

Here you can see the red bricks behind the bigger stonework stamp. And you can also see I had stamped the flowers previously with just stazon vibrant violet and had embossed over it (and stamped slightly off).

Dried decoupage glue in the lower right corner. I stamped “ghost images” of the flowers with Milled Lavender distress ink.

To me it felt like beauty in a harsh environment. Good things are possible even if the odds are against it, even it it is unlikely. Hence the text stamp, not exactly the same idea but it’s in the same spirit.

This is my third and last entry for this months Chocolate Baroque colour challenge.

 

AWOL – where have I been?

(Scroll down to see a gallery of about 30 previously unposted cards!)

Well, I’ve been busy again, with lots except cardmaking.

I sent half my relatives&friends christmascards after 4th of January (maybe a handfull got them in time as I brought those with me, but hadn’t finished the rest yet). The other half of the relatives&friends didn’t get a card. Who did or did not get a card was kind of random, I had printed out the adresses on stickers, and just took a card, scanned the list to see who would match with the card, of the other way around.

Before that I was busy with christmas, buying a house, renovating our appartment to put it up for sale, and being pregnant again. I still am, don’t worry, but the most tiring weeks are over, I don’t crash in bed at 20:30hrs anymore. The appartment isn’t up for sale yet, there are still a few renovation works to be done and to be honest, I want to move out before we put it up for sale, as I just don’t want the stress of getting the house in a showroom kind of state, with all sorts of stuff tucked away (where??) and the kids toys not all over the place, and everything clean and spotless. Not to mention, taking the bigger stuff out of the house (oh and the kids) when there would be visitors, things like the stroller(s). So, we’ve also been planning the moving, and some renovations / freshening up in the new house. It doesn’t look like crafting time anytime soon, my crafting stuff is too efficiently tucked away to take it out. (Well, I can get to it, it’s not in boxes, but it’s spread in 3 cupboard which are not near eachother. And as it takes up quite some time, I rather not start crafting untill after I’ve moved.)

I still had lots of unposted cards, so I’ll show you now in almost random order.

Most used stamps: Chocolate Baroque and Design by Ryn.

Most used materials: Distress ink and Caran D’ache (or was it arche?) Neon colors.

Most used technique: stamping (duh), masking, sponging. Some dry and heat embossing as well, and some dies are used.

You’ll see all pictures in the slideshow gallery first, beneath that is the thumbnail gallery. Most cards deserve a bit more spotlight though, as ofcourse details get lost on thumbnail size images :P. Maybe I”ll show them full size in a post another time.

Want to know more details about used materials or how I did it? Just ask, I am be happy to answer!

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Raindrops & leaves by Design by Ryn.

With an Indian image from Trishia of French Kissed postcards, made back in july. Background is a wallpaper sample, slightly inked on the edges.

Ooh I loved this one, been saving it for a special blogoccasion. The women is made of multiple layers. Stamps from Chocolate Baroque (I think, it was in a grab bag). Text is from erm….another company. 2 different embossing folders used for the background.

This one was for one of my nieces. I like the scenerey a lot. All stamps from Chocolate Baroque.

Made back in july, this paper origami flower with stamps from Design by Ryn and Chocolate Baroque.

Made by my son, with Distress ink and water. I pressed the distress inkpad onto an acryllic block, sprayed some water on and he could paint with a brush. He chose the colors. Sometimes turning the acryllic block over and smooching it over the paper.

A collection of several mermaid cards, stamps (mostly) from Chocolate Baroque.

Yes, these are the raindrops from Design by Ryn. I heat a rubber block thingy (forgot the name), then pressed the stamp into that. It cools quite fast, and then you have the negative of the stamp. I turned it upside down and made balloons out of “tears”. Stamps used on the flowers and cloud (swirly kind and the leaves) are also from Designs by Ryn.

A little detail of the balloons card, I loved the vintage-y summer colours. Butterflies and fairy are from Chocolate baroque, dies from Marianne Design and maybe Joy! Crafts.

I love to try out different colours. Who knows how mythical worlds look?

The toning of her body, the shadows – I didn’t know I could do that!

This is a card I almost didn’t want to give away. I just loved how the colouring ended up, and the glimmer on her tail. I used a lot of masking on this card, although it’s just one (or was it more?) stamps from Chocolate Baroque.

Can you see the shimmer on the tail?

Another card with the negative (via a magic foam block) with the Design By Ryn raindrops. (Leaves also). Umbrella is from stampinback if I remember correctly.

A steampunk stamp girl, and I gave her wings with the steampunk umbrella stamp.

This card I made for a neighbour who watered our plants while we were on vacation in a very hot week.

This card will not leave the house being sent to someone, unless I cut out the middle again and do something else with it. It was an experiment.

Can you tell that I like this card very much as well? Design by Ryn raindrops and Chocolate Baroque flower. The flower emits warmth, scent, or the steam kind of thing you sometimes see after a rainshower in the summer. I heatembossed the edges.

Showing my card 🙂

A challenge for myself. Use the laminate sample sheets, which are very glossy.

Yup, this was a card for a man, nad I am quite satisfied with the result.

I printed this lovely lady from French Kissed onto an old bit of a pillow case. She’s still lying like this in my cupboard, waiting for me to do something more with it. (But me and sewing don’t go well together).

This is the same mermaid as stamped somewhere else on this post, but I think this was a different card, but you can see bits of the process / masking here.

This mermaid is just stunning. This one I made after the other one, but I liked the results just as much.

heatembossed onto tissue paper.

Design by Ryn swirls meet Chocolate Baroque mermaid.

Oh look, here’s the pair of pretties!

yup, face needs paint too.

Hmm I could have cleaned her up a bit more, but at the moment I thought it was the charme of handmade and watercolouring. (with either Caran D’arche neon colours or distress ink). Just don’t stand too close when you look at it ;).

Experiment with aluminium foil. I think this is about as far as it got.

More masking technique. Stamps from Chocolate Baroque.

oh I painted it a bit more.

Oh and this one! it’s still unfinished as I am afraid of ruining it. I love how I coloured the dragon and the fire. You’ll see in the next pictures.

Heat embossed, painted with D’aran Cache neon colours (I think), or was this still only with distress ink and water?

Chocolate Baroque dragon and I think it’s a stampinback knight.

Sparkle, sparkle

I finished another card yesterday for the CPS 5th anniversary challenges.

Based on sketch # 26:

CPS#26

This time I went for some bright coloured cardstock. I kept it simple. I wasn’t sure about a sentiment, it could fit right in on the top right, but I don’t know yet what the occasion for the card will be, or who the receiver will be. I prefer to leave it blank and enter the occasion or receivers name in the available space.

I even used glitters!

With this card I’d like to participate in the following challenge:

• CardPositioningSystem – CPS 5th Anniversary day 10 with Lee Murphy and The Stamps of Life

I was in doubt about putting something on the card in the place where the flower is in the sketch. I decided against it, as now the lady sort of looks at the flowers, the focus is right. Adding another embellishment would distract from the flowers I think.

I had lots of fun creating the pieces of background, it all started with cream coloured cardstock, rangers distress ink and an blending tool.

The Lady is made with a Kaisercraft Stamp “Lady Jude”, the flowers with various punches, the birds on the wire with a viva decore background stamp, the flowers on the right strip of paper with Prima Marketing Pixie Glen stamps. Other Ink I used was black, purple, Dew Drop Moonlight white nd a tiny bit of pink.

The stamps surrounding the lady is nameless, it was a gift when I bought some supplies at a fair.

I stamped the lady in black first, letting her fade out on the card on the bottom. (Stamp is longer than that). I coloured her dress slightly purple, but it wasn’t obvious enough, so then I inked only the dress on the stamp, and stamped it again. This made the dress pop a bit more. (Now in the evening it doesn’t seem as bright on the picture, but you do see some colour). The strip on the right was crumpled, and then I thought I’d wanted something else instead of putting it flat, so I creased it into this shape.

Now back to the table for the CPS sketch of day 11, only 4 more days to make 5 more sketches!

Spring can’t be restrained…

…not even on a card.

I’m not sure if it is a card, it’s A5 size (14,8 x 15 cm) and it has only 1 “page”, like a postcard, so maybe it’s just a piece of art or a page. Or a very big card 🙂 Here is a SCAN of the card, you can’t see the three flaps flapping out here but the colours and details are best this way.

With this card/page I’d like to participate in the following challenges:

• Gingersnap Creations – GC136: Color Challenge – Glorious Greens – closes February 19, 2012
• Truly Madly Crafty Challenges – January Challenge: Anything Goes – closes Saturday 4th February at 10pm (timezone unknown)
• Victorine Stamps – Anything Goes – closes saturday or sunday?
• Paper Crafting Journey – PCJ Challenge 1 – Floral – closes 12:00pm UK time on Wednesday 1 February 2012

Foto:

It was made by decoupaging a napkin onto green cardstock and distressing it (or is it “inking”?) with green ink. Next I used a Tim Holtz embossing folder on it twice.

The flowers are all stamps from Chrsina Renee nr 1 and 5 and the Springtime stamp is from Paper Crafts. The stamped images are stamped on regular white paper so it would be most springy. They are coloured with derwents.

I cut loose three strips and put the green pouring out from behind it. Very lightly behind the strips & right bottom corner you can see more spring nature, see closeup below.

I used my dewdrop Moonshine white ink on the rays and middle part, then stamped Springtime with it, stamped over it with black and again with white so the black is faded abit.

The backside is distressed (if that is the wrong word for colouring the edges then please correct me, I’m new to all terminology!) and stamped with Fiskars Fieldflower stamps.

Hmm is that a cat hair there? Anyway, I like this side a lot too, with the ragged edges of the napkin still showing and the colours.

The ideas of decoupaging a card is from http://thestampmanchallenges.blogspot.com/p/tutorials.html

The idea of cutting away some strips is from Mel at Melstampz

Comments and opinions are welcome, and as I am a new cardmaker I do want feedback on how to do better, I can’t learn if everyone is only polite and doesn’t say what could be done differently! Don’t worry, I won’t follow your advice blindly if it’s not my style ;). Although I do like this card a lot. I like the thank you card of 2 earlier posts less, the colours are too pastel for my taste. But this post was about this card. Originally made for Gingerbread Challenges as there was a longing for spring- I so agree on that! The weather has been soft here in the Netherlands, no real winter, untill this weekend and today… it was even snowing! Brrrr.