A Zen Garden

I'm sending you a little bit of zen today!

I have been doing yoga regularly in the mornings and knew I wanted to make a 3d picture for my yoga area as soon as I saw the mindful moments stamp set by  Visible Image. However, this particular picture has been sent in to Visible Image - so I need to make another one for me now. It's a good job I took photos so that I have this step by step.

First some distress oxide inks direct onto a canvas and spritz with water to make the colours blend together. Concentrate the darker ink on the outside of the canvas.

On some card, make a background by smooshing  lots of green inks using both oxide and distress inks.

Using various foliage dies, cut out some leaves. Keep any waste that looks like grass tufts too.

You can stamp and fussy cut some leaves too. Here I stamped the tree and scribbled over it with zig pens and then fussy cut it to make some leafy branches.

I also used the lotus flower stamps to make leaves. Attach some leaves and 'grass' directly onto the canvas and save others for attaching onto the frame

 Stamp and heat emboss the figure onto gold mirror/holographic card and fussy cut that. Then attach it direct to the canvas before adding the canvas into the box frame.

#

Now make tabs for the leaves you are adding into the frame and glue those onto the box frame.

Namaste!

Stamps Used:

(please click on the picture to be taken direct to the stamp set in the online store):
            

Other Supplies:

Distress Inks (bundled sage and pine needles), Distress Oxides (twisted citron, lucky clover, mowed lawn), Prism ink (evergreen), Zig clean color real brushes (004 flat green, 045 pale green, 048 emerald green), Tim Holtz alterations dies (festive greenery, spring greenery), Versamark clear ink, WOW! embossing powder (metallic gold rich), holographic gold card, white card, box frame, 


I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

A Place To Start July - Anything Goes
Crafting From The Heart #247 - Anything Goes
Crafty Cardmakers #237 - Dies or Punches
Lemon Shortbread #97 - Anything Goes
Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends #109 - Anything Goes
The Corrosive Challenge #7 - Anything Goes
Through The Craft Room Door 9 July - Anything Goes
Tuesday Throwdown #435- Anything Goes

Visible Image social media and other links (just click on the words in capital letters):

SHOP where the fantastic stamps are sold
BLOG with all the latest news and posts
FACEBOOK PAGE with info, inspiration and weekly giveaways
FACEBOOK GROUP come share your work with us and enter the monthly 'show and tell' challenges
INSTAGRAM
PINterest

Thanks for stopping by today.  I really hope to see you again soon.

Hugs,
Sharon xx

Less is More #399 - Celebrations

Hellooooooo! Welcome to July and a new challenge at Less is More has just started today.

Cue Card

Sponsor

The fabulous guest designer at LIM is the May winner, Viv from Daizy Mae's craft blog and both she and the design team have made some fantastic cards which you can see by clicking HERE

I've been a little bit Inky and Technique-y with my cards today (all 3 of them!)

1) Joyful Celebrations

This first card was made with all those exam results in mind because this image always reminds me of graduates leaping for joy at the end of their studies. This one is a little involved to make, but it is perfectly easy to reproduce it.

Die cut an oval in some scrap card, lay it over a gelli plate and brayer blue lagoon ink through the aperture. Remove the mask and press a piece of white card on to the gelli plate so that the oval is off one edge, leaving enough room for the stamped image. Reattach the mask to the white panel then lightly blend around the edge. Stamp the script stamp through the aperture and also stamp some dotted circles in grey and blue ink. Spritz with a glimmer spray and then remove the mask and dry it. Stamp the image into place and curve the sentiment and stamp that into place. Add some white highlight to the image with a posca pen and add a few dots of white into the inked oval too. Draw a series of dots around the edge of the panel and join them together with straight lines. Mount the panel onto fun foam and then onto a card blank

STAMPS: Visible Image (tomorrow doesn't exist, scripted streets, you are not alone, go to words)
INKS: Prism (blue lagoon, french navy, slate grey) Distess Ink (peacock feathers)
DIES: Tim Holtz stitched ovals
OTHER: White card, Pearfect Pearls mist (mint), Posca Pen, light blue sharpie, gelli plate and brayer, fun foam.

2) Marker Stamping

I wanted to get back into using some grungy/distress techniques in a CAS way so I made this card with distress marker stamping. It was quick and easy to do.

Cut a panel from white card. Using a flourish stamp, colour it using the brush tip on a yellow distress marker and go over parts again with an orange one. 'Huff' on the stamp and stamp the image on the panel. Repeat this process one or two times, then stamp the same swirl onto the Kraft card blank. Blend over the whole panel with pumice stone distress ink, and whilst drying with a heat gun add some large drops of water. Stamp the sentiment (again I used a distress marker and 'huffed'). Add a little gold gilding wax to the outside edges of the panel, then mount it onto fun foam before mounting  onto a coordinating strip of blue card.

STAMPS: Hampton Art (flourish and bloom), Waltzing Mouse Stamps (say it loud)
DISTRESS MARKERS: Mustard Seed, Carved Pumpkin, Chipped Sapphire
INKS: Pumice Stone Distress Ink
OTHER: Kraft card blank, navy card, Distress Sprayer, gilding wax, fun foam.

3) Alcohol Marker Faux Bokeh

Finally, I came across this technique in an old Craft Stamper magazine a long time ago. I made a note of it and tried it out this week. Sadly, it didn't have the result I imagined or would have liked, but possibly that is because I need to use a specific type of paper. Maybe I'll try it again one day, possibly using glossy paper.

Using the lightest colour of alcohol marker and the chisel tip, scribble all over a small panel (don't worry about any smooth blending). Decide where you want the darkest colour to appear and scribble with the mid, then the dark colour alcohol marker. Use a pipette and add drops of isopropyl alcohol onto the panel.  When dry, stamp the word 'celebrate' repeatedly onto the panel. Now, using a pencil, draw the champagne glasses image from a brass stencil. Use liquid pearls to go over the line art and set aside to dry. Mat and mount it onto a card blank.

STAMPS: Happy Little Stampers (big bold birthday sentiments)
PROMARKERS: Orchid, Purple, Prussian)
DIES: Sizzix deckled rectangles
OTHER: Isopropyl Alcohol, pipette, Distress Ink(seedless preserves), Papermania brass stencil, pencil, liquid pearls (gold), white card, cream card


LIM BLOG
LIM FACEBOOK PAGE
LIM INSTAGRAM

That's it from me for now. I hope you found something you like and I really hope to see you again soon.

Hugs,
Sharon xx

That Warm Sunshine!

Hello there. It's been pretty warm recently in a lot of places so my card has been influenced by all those sizzling hot sunsets. Although the sunsets over here in the Algarve are normally beautiful pastel blues and pinks, the panel that I've made here is what I imagine a warm summer African sunset to look like.  I know that there are owls in Africa, but I'm not sure if they are out to see the sunset or sunrise so forgive my artistic license if they are not. I just thought they went with the tree image so well.

Anyhow, I've mixed and matched some stamps by Visible Image today: two brand new sets and an older one.

Here's how I made this.

First stamp the whole tree image onto a large panel of card. Remove the large panel and stamp part of the tree image onto a small panel of card. Now paint the tree's leaves on the small panel with a masking fluid and let that dry.

Working on the small panel, add a moon mask behind the tree and then blend an ombre of warm colours of distress oxide to give the setting sun look.

Remove the moon mask and very lightly blend some squeezed lemonade yellow over the circle that is left to make it into a sun adding slightly more colour towards the bottom than the top of the sun. Now remove the masking fluid from the leaves and stamp the owls into place. Add some white ink dots to the owls' eyes because the reds of the ink below will be showing as the eyes.

Mask off part of the sentiment so that only 'feel the sunshine' is showing and ink up the stamp. Remove the mask and stamp the sentiment into place onto the large panel.

Inside the card blank, mask and stamp another part of the sentiment. Also add a sun in yellow ink.

Mount the large panel onto some coordinating card and attach it to the card blank. Add the small panel on top with fun foam for dimension, making sure to line the tree up on both panels.

Stamps Used:

(please click on the picture to be taken direct to the stamp set in the online store):
             

    

Other Supplies:

Moon mask, masking fluid, Versafine onyx black ink, Distress Oxide inks (squeezed lemonade, mustard seed, spiced marmalade, abandoned coral, candied apple), post-it notes (for masking), white posca pen (owl eyes), fun foam.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
A place to start July - Anything Goes
Addicted To Stamps #176 - CAS Summer Card
Crafty Sentiment Designs - Bright Colours
Inkspirational #190 - 3 or 5 of something (3 owls)
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Make a Background
Sweet Stampin' challenge July - You are my sunshine (Use a SUN)
Take a Word Challenge JFF - Wings
Through The Craft Room Door 2 July - Anything Goes
Tuesday Throwdown #435- Anything Goes

Visible Image social media and other links (just click on the words in capital letters):

SHOP where the fantastic stamps are sold
BLOG with all the latest news and posts
FACEBOOK PAGE with info, inspiration and weekly giveaways
FACEBOOK GROUP come share your work with us and enter the monthly 'show and tell' challenges
INSTAGRAM
PINterest

That's it from me for now. I'm wishing you all a warm and sunny day today. Thanks for stopping by and I really hope to see you again soon.

Hugs,
Sharon xx

After The Rain Storm

Well, I hope you have sunshine and not rain storms wherever you live. However, as soon as I saw the cloud and sentiment stamps in this Look Forward With Hope brand new stamp set by Visible Image I knew I wanted to make a card where beads move up and down threads like raindrops.

I've seen these cards around the internet and thought I would try to make one. I don't know if I have made it correctly....but this is my take.

First blend some distress inks onto white card. Add the time tunnel stencil (my favourite!) on the top and blend though it with broken china distress ink. Move the stencil and blend again so that you have 2 swirls.

Add a little iced spruce through the cosmic skies stencil.

Then stamp a few of the clouds with broken china ink.

Cut the panel to size, then add layers of shaker tape as shown below. Sandwich threads, with beads on them, between the layers of shaker tape, making sure that the beads can move freely. 

TIP: Once the threads were in place I dusted the sides of the shaker tape with baby powder. This makes sure that there are no sticky patches on the sides.

Cut a white 'frame' panel for the front of the card and adhere it to the background. Heat emboss the central sentiment panel in silver embossing powder and attach that too. Attach the whole thing to a card blank.

On the inside stamp the sentiment and the image

Stamps Used:

(please click on the picture to be taken direct to the stamp set in the online store):
            

   

Other Supplies:

Distress Oxide Inks (tumbled glass, broken china, iced spruce), Prism inks (canary yellow, orange zest), Versafine onyx black, Versamark clear, WOW! metallic silver embossing powder, shaker foam tape, thread, silver beads, white card, baby powder


I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
A Bit More Time To Craft #94 - Anything Goes
A Place To Start June - Stencil Me In (favourite stencil)
Scribblers Design Challenge #78 - Make It Square
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
The Corrosive Challenge #6 June - Anything Goes
The Crafters Cafe #221 - Men/Boys or Rain/Sun
Through The Craft Room Door 24 June - Anything Goes

Visible Image social media and other links (just click on the words in capital letters):

SHOP where the fantastic stamps are sold
BLOG with all the latest news and posts
FACEBOOK PAGE with info, inspiration and weekly giveaways
FACEBOOK GROUP come share your work with us and enter the monthly 'show and tell' challenges
INSTAGRAM
PINterest

That's it from me for now. Thanks for stopping by and I really hope to see you again soon.

Hugs,
Sharon xx

Less Is More #398 - OLC Spots

Hi,  I hope you are all doing well.

I'm here today to introduce a new Less is More challenge and it is the dreaded one layer week with a theme of spots.

Cue Card https://simplylessismoore.blogspot.com/

Sponsor http://www.uniko.co.uk/shop/

LIM has a fab guest designer, Maria from Swim Bike and Run and she created a gorgeous card so I hope you can all pop over to see what she made. There is also a lot of inspiration from the DT on the the challenge blog too.

I have 2 cards for you today.

1) Uniko Green Birthday card

It would be rude not to use some stamps by the sponsor of the challenge, wouldn't it? So I used some Uniko sets on this card which has simple stamping and masking in a green monochrome colour.

First stamp and then mask the leaf image. Next stamp the background into place. Then stamp the tendrils onto the leaf and the sentiment under the spotty halftone panel.  Remove the masks on the leaves and add a little pencil colouring to the leaf parts that join the stalk. Easy peasy and super fast to make.

STAMPS: Uniko Natures Treasures 2, Background Blocks Halftone, Flower Power 2
INKS: Prism Inks (rainforest green, apple green)
OTHER: Polychromos pencil 112 Leaf Green, post it note for masking, white card blank

2) It's still you.

My second card is a another monochrome, this time in gorgeous black and white. It uses some brand new stamps by Visible Image that have just gone on sale.

Cut a strip from the edge of the front of the card blank, then tape some spotted ribbon on the inside of the card so that it shows when the card is shut. Stamp the sentiment on the front, heat emboss it and then cover it up with a mask. Stamp the circles 3 times then remove the mask. Add a little shading with a soft pencil to some of the circles. Stamp the doves and add some stickles to them.

STAMPS: Visible Image (Have I Told You and Guardian Angel)
INKS: Versafine Onyx Black, Versamark clear
OTHER: Wow! pimary ebony embossing powder, stardust Stickles, white card, spotty ribbon.

I'd like to enter these cards into the following challenges:

Green Birthday Card

Addicted to Stamps and More #346 - Anything Goes
Crafting By Designs - Happy Birthday
The Paper Shelter #388 - Stripes and / or dots

Black and White card

AAA Cards Challenge #142 - One layer with optional only black and white
Crafty Catz #467 - Anything Goes with optional twist of Circles
Crafty Gals Corner #194 - Polka Dots and/or stripes
Inspire Create Challenge #045 - Embossing


That's it from me for now. I hope you found something you like and I really hope to see you again soon.

Hugs,
Sharon xx

Beautiful Dolphin

Hi! I love dolphins, don't you? I have been lucky enough to swim with them a few years ago, out in Cuba and I remember that day so well....it was wonderful! I walked around with a huge grin on my face for the rest of the day. That memory will stay with me for the rest of my life and there is something about these beautiful creatures that just makes me smile whenever I see them.

So when I spotted the dolphins in the new Visible Image stamp set called Mythical Mermaid (being released on 22nd June) I was so happy.  I wanted to make a card that depicted reckless abandon in the utter joy of life, so the wonderful wave and one of the dolphins really fit the bill. For me nothing depicts that sheer joy in life better than seeing images of dolphins leaping out of the water.

Plus, there are only 6 tiny steps to make this card:

1. Stamp the waves in blue ink and the dolphin in black ink onto some water colour card.

2. Water colour the dolphin with greys and the sea with blues 

3. Add a little microglaze to the dolphin and water (to stop the colours moving in the next step).

4. Add gloss to the dolphin and some glitter glue to the top of the waves

5. When the gloss and glitter glue is dry mount the watercolour panel onto a blue card blank.

6. Stamp the sentiment (from the Life Is Beautiful set) in blue ink, cut it out and mount the words onto the panel with foam.

Here's a close-up of that dolphin.

Stamps Used:

(please click on the picture to be taken direct to the stamp set in the online store):
               

Other Supplies:

Versafine onyx black ink, Ranger Archival cobalt ink. Zig clean color real brush markers (031 cobalt blue, 02 persian blue, 036 light blue, 092 blue grey, 097 pale grey), stardust Stickles, Ranger Glossy Accents, Microglaze, watercolour card, blue card blank, waaterbrush, foam tape.


I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Crafty Sentiment Designs 18 June - Anything Goes
Lemon Shortbread #96 - Anything Goes
My Time To Craft #399 - Watercolour
Path of Positivity #70 - Something positive (optional encouraging)
The Corrosive Challenge #6 June - Anything Goes
Through The Craft Room Door 18 June - Anything Goes

Visible Image social media and other links (just click on the words in capital letters):

SHOP where the fantastic stamps are sold
BLOG with all the latest news and posts
FACEBOOK PAGE with info, inspiration and weekly giveaways
FACEBOOK GROUP come share your work with us and enter the monthly 'show and tell' challenges
INSTAGRAM
PINterest

That's it from me for now. Thanks for stopping by and I really hope to see you again soon.

Hugs,
Sharon xx