Citrus Summer

Hello there. It's been super hot over here in Portugal recently (39 degrees) and hydration has been key to keeping safe and well. So my card today has been influenced by the beautiful, fresh, summery, juicy, citrus lemons and limes that I have been flavouring my water with.

This card features all new stamps and stencils too! They are all from the June stamp release and the July stencils release by Visible Image. The stencils are available to purchase on pre-release until 17th July, and the stamp set is available to purchase now.  Along with the rest of the design team, I've had a fantastic time creating samples for these releases. There are some stunning projects coming out of the design team with these new products and it is no wonder because they are awesome designs.

Anyway, to my card. Although I don't often reach for my stencils, one of the things I love to do when I do reach for them is to challenge myself to layer a few stencils together, but at the same time try to keep a clean. crisp design. Not always easy when the natural urge is to go grungy! 

Right, here's how this one was made:

First cut a panel from white card measuring 12.5 x 12.5 cm (almost 5"x5"), blend squeezed lemonade Distress Ink around the edge, then use the mesh it up stencil with fossilized amber Distress Ink in random places to add some interest.

Now use the Autumn Leaves stencil to ink through some of the smaller leaves. Use a base of twisted citron and go over that with cracked pistachio to get the lovely citrus colour of green. Do not move the stencil until you have completed the next step.

Place the Heavy Rain stencil over the top of the leaf you just inked, and ink through both stencils with mowed lawn Distress Ink. You can press quite hard with a blending foam to make sure that the colour goes through the depth of the two stencils. Now remove the stencils and repeat these 2 steps for every leaf you ink. 

When you have enough leaves inked, set the panel aside to dry completely. When the ink is dry, stamp the 'summer' word  from the Summer wings stamp set in versamark over the background and heat emboss with white embossing powder. To finish this panel blend a little fossilized amber around the edge.

Cut another small panel 9cm x 9cm (3.5" x 3.5") and ink through the large leaf in the stencil using the same ink colours and method as above. When this panel is completely dry, stamp the word summer in fossilized amber distress oxide and heat emboss it with a clear embossing powder.

Now stamp the butterfly 3 times onto some spare card and heat emboss that with white embossing powder. When the heat embossing has cooled, blend squeezed lemonade over the images.

Fussy cut the images as shown below and add additional shading as seen in the photograph. Set these aside for the ink to completely dry

On 2 of the butterfly parts use an embossing pen to 'colour in' where you want the sparkles to show and heat emboss with a clear sparkly embossing glitter.

Doodle around the outside of the 15cm x 15cm (5 7/8" x 5 7/8") card blank or if you prefer, cut a panel to the same size and doodle on that and attach that panel to the card front. Use corresponding Distress Markers.

Add each layer to the card with fun foam in between to have some dimension. Attach the butterfly with a glue gel so that you have even more dimension.

Stencils and Stamps Used:

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

            

Other Supplies:

Distress Inks (squeezed lemonade, fossilized amber, twisted citron, cracked pistachio, mowed lawn), Distress Oxide (fossilized amber), Versamark clear ink and Veramark embossing pen, WOW! embossing powders (opaque bright white, clear sparkle, clear gloss), Distress Marker pens (fossilized amber and mowed lawn), fun foam, Pinflair glue gel, masking tape, blending tools and foams, white card, ruler, pencil, eraser, scissors, heat tool.

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 giveaways
FACEBOOK GROUP come share your work with us
INSTAGRAM
PINterest

I hope you like this card because I sure enjoyed making it. I'll be back within the next few days with another card featuring some more of the new stencils.

Hugs and stay safe,
Sharon xx

Less Is More #423 - Fuchsia, Yellow and Grey

It's been a busy old week again and that means that I didn't have time to make more than one card for this fun colour combo at Less is More. 

This is a bit of a cheeky image from a stamp set that I bought a few years ago now, but have never used! It is such a shame that this stamp company is now permanently closed for business because they made some super, witty stamps. Anyway, I thought I would give this set a little outing because it deserves to be taken out of that dark cupboard where it has been stored, plus I think it is perfectly okay to use our old stash items as well as the new ones. 

We seem to get caught up in a frenzy sometimes in the chase to get the latest products and images, don't we? I bet that lots of crafters are just like me with some treasures of stamps that have never seen any ink.  Maybe we should all go on a mission every now and again to use some of those long forgotten stamps and supplies, eh?  Perhaps we could give them a new twist with an up-to-date layout, card shape or technique?

Anyway, back to the challenge.

Cue Card

Sponsor https://cas-ualfridaysstamps.com/products

This is another easy to make card. Simply stamp and colour the image then fussy cut it. Die cut the panel and dot the outside edge with 3 of the promarker colours. Stamp the sentiment into place then add the panel to a card blank raising it up on fun foam. Add the image to the panel with the glue gel.

STAMPS:    Acid Drops and Whatnots AD#13 Hourglass Figure  
DIES:   Sugar Pea Designs Card Front Builder dies
INKS:   Memento Tuxedo Black
PENS:   Promarkers (soft lime, yellow, canary, cerise, magenta, blush, coral, ice grey 1,3 & 5) 
OTHER:   White Card, 3Dfoam, Pinflair glue gel

Why not head on over to the challenge blog for some fantastic inspiration from the design team using this colour combo?

Hugs,
Sharon xx

Summer Dream (plus a bonus of 5 more projects)

This is such a bumper-filled post today! There is a step-by-step of one project, plus a bonus of 3 additional cards and a gift set project at the end of this post. Why have I decided to add all these into the one post? Well, because tomorrow is the day that the latest release from Visible Image goes live. You can still pre-order the new stamps today, so I thought I would show you the sample projects that I made with the sets in this first card to show how versatile they are.

Right, let's crack on. Here is the step-by-step for the first card.

First, attach the square route stencil over some white card, stamp the suns, moons and stars from the Happy Day stamp set in place and then paint those with masking fluid. When the masking fluid is dry, blend or sponge rainbow colours of distress ink through the stencil.

To add some more interest to the background, leave the square route stencil in place and add the ripples stencil over the top. Draw through the ripples stencil with a white posca pen. Then remove both stencils, remove the masking fluid from the small images and round the corners of the panel with a punch. Mat the panel onto black card and attach that onto a white card blank - making sure to round the corners on both the card blank and the black mat.

Now take a scrap of vellum and stamp the dragonfly from Summer Wings in white ink. Use a flower forming tool or a pergamano tool to go over the stamped lines, pressing very lightly and going over the lines several times. 

Now make a few soft lines on the dragonfly wings with the same tool. You don't have to be a pergamano expert to make that shading, just work from the body towards the edges of the wings, press lightly and use a 'swishing' movement i.e. lift the tool at the outer edge of your lines.

Fussy cut the dragonfly wings, then roughly cut around the dragonfly body leaving a small border, then cut notches into the border. You will use these notches to attach the dragonfly to a black image so that your shading on the wings will show up. 

Stamp another dragonfly onto black card - I used versamark clear ink, and fussy cut that. Then place the vellum image on the top of the black image and fold the notches underneath the black dragonfly. Secure those in place, then attach the dragonfly to the front of the card.

I haven't photographed making the sentiment strip because my embossing gun broke on me that day (so I had to stamp it in white ink and go over it with a posca pen). However, I recommend that you white heat emboss the sentiment onto a black strip of card to finish the design off.

Stamps & Stencils Used:

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

   

              

Other Supplies:

White card, low tack masking tape, Versafine Onyx black ink, masking fluid,  Distress Inks (picked raspberry, carved pumpkin, mustard seed, twisted citron, mowed lawn, peacock feathers, salty ocean, wilted violet), blending tools, white posca pen, vellum, Versacolor white pigment ink, pergamano tool, scissors, black card, versamark clear ink, corner rounder, plus white embossing powder.

Here's a bonus of some other cards that I have made with these sets:

Firstly using the Happy Day stamp set.

This card was inspired by my youngest daughter. She's a real free spirit who loves wearing flower crowns at festivals. To make this, stamp the face, stamp and mask flowers for a flower crown, colour with coloured pencils and draw in a fringe.Stamp the sentiment. Mat onto black card and then onto a white card blank.

      

    

Now a card inspired some of the pretty designer papers. It is easy to make your own designer paper with the small stamps in this set. For this one I masked a central oval, stamped the small flowers all around the oval and coloured 2 types of the flowers with pencils. Not fancy colouring, just a few strokes of the pencil. Then I added some stickles, stamped the sentiment and inked the edge before mounting onto a white card blank.

And a CAS card with a rainbow. This was the fastest to make. Stamp the ombre swipes (from the Dare To Be Different set) then stamp, colour and fussy cut the rainbow. Layer onto a white mat and card blank. Simples!

Now for Summer Dreams 

Here is a gift set of a card, tag and gift bag. 

It's a Brusho background, made by adding brushos onto paper that has been pre-wet. Dry the brushos, then stamp the butterflies in black and the 'dream' sentiment in gold. Back onto a coordinating colour green cardstock. The instructions for the gift bag (which turned out so professionally made so I'll definitely be using this again) were taken from this YouTube video by Sam Calcott UK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY1huFGZxPI. I just added a square of the backing paper to the front and back of the bag and added some ribbon for the handles.

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 giveaways
FACEBOOK GROUP come share your work with us
INSTAGRAM
PINterest

That's it from me for now. Thanks for stopping by and I really hope some of these projects caught your eye and gave you a little inspiration. Hope to see you again soon.

Hugs,

Sharon xx      

Less is More #422 - Solid And Outline

As I write this post my craft room is absolutely spotless, for a change. Yes, I took a day out to clean and tidy it from top to bottom because I was waiting for some happy mail of a new stamp release. You know how it is; we all get super excited and impatient for happy mail, don't we? Well, the best laid plans and all that .... 

The Portuguese courier delivery service left A LOT to be desired. Granted, companies are sometimes struggling during these COVID times to fulfil their obligations however, for a paid next day delivery service the package actually turned up 3 days late even though it arrived in Portugal at around 6am on the day it was supposed to be delivered. There were no updates from the couriers; I had to go chasing them each day for an update. 

Would you believe the same delivery company managed to get another package sent at the same time by the same person from the same place in the UK, delivered all the way to the recipient in America the day BEFORE my parcel arrived? (rolls eyes skyward) Yes, they did! Come on Portugal.....you are letting the side down. 

Anyway, the package is here now and you are more interested in my card for the Less is More challenge, aren't you?

 

 It's recipe week and we need to use BOTH a solid and an outline image.

Cue Card

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

I decided to make a shaker card for a change and the stamps that I immediately thought of were the Flower Power 1 set from Uniko.

Here's how to make this one:

Cut a panel from white card and die cut a circle in the centre. Place the panel over a card blank and lightly mark where the circle aperture appears. Remove the panel and then stamp the solid shapes into the marked circle with distress ink. Stamp the outline shapes in black ink over the top. 

Now add a small piece of acetate to the back of the panel with the aperture so that it covers the window. Stamp and heat emboss the sentiment and add that to the front of the panel. Fix shaker tape onto the back of this panel, both around the acetate window and around the edges of the panel.  Add some sequins over the stamped area on the card blank, then secure the panel over the top.

Easy Peasy!

STAMPS:   Uniko Flower Power 1  
DIES: Sizzix nesting circles  
INKS:   Versamark Clear, Versafine onyx black, Distress Inks (twisted citron, peacock feathers, picked raspberry)
OTHER: WOW! opaque bright white embossing powder, black and white card, acetate, sequins, shaker tape.

 

If you head over to the Less is More challenge blog you will find some awesome inspiration from the rest of the design team.

LIM BLOG
LIM FACEBOOK PAGE
LIM INSTAGRAM

That's it from me for now. I hope you like my little shaker card. See you again soon.

Hugs,
Sharon xx

Guardian Angel

Hi there. How's life treating you? Well, I don't know about you, but since the Covid lockdown my life seems to have got busier and busier, and now that things are gradually returning to normal over here in Portugal it gets harder to fit everything into one day. Perhaps it's because of the health kick I've been on, so preparing healthy, nutritious food plus fitting in the extra exercise each day takes a big chunk, or, maybe the learning a new language eats into that time, or finishing my lockdown crochet afghans, or tackling the overgrown garden, or....the list goes on and on ;-) . I bet many of you have also taken on extra curricular activities too, huh?

Anyway, you're here to take a look at my card, aren't you?  It's an inky one today for a change with a sizzling hot colour theme; just right for the warm weather that, if you don't have it already, I hope you will see very soon. The gorgeous Dark Angel stamps hadn't been used by the Visible Image design team for a while, so I decided to break that set out again and turn the dark angel into an angel of light. 

It was another fun card to make and here's how I did it. 

Blend some distress inks onto two panels; one an A5 card front size and one smaller A6 size (for those in the USA I believe the equivalent sizes are an A3 and A2). Try to get the central panel of blue/pink colours roughly at the same point on both panels.

Stamp and heat emboss the angel, wings and birds onto vellum and heat emboss with a sparkly white embossing powder, then fussy cut them.

Take the rays stamp from the Set The Tone set, attach it to an acrylic block and spritz it with water. Hold the acrylic block so that the excess water drains away, then stamp onto the smaller panel, Hold the stamp in place for a few seconds, then remove it from the panel and dab the panel with a piece of paper towel.  Repeat this step 4 times so that you have lighter rays showing just on one half of that panel. 

Now take the larger panel and stamp the circles all around the edge using the distress inks that you used for the blending. Stamp in the pink and blue over the orange parts, then stamp in the orange on the pink and blue parts. Take a white posca pen and add some highlights to only some of the circles to make them look like bubbles.

When the small panel is completely dried, stamp and heat emboss the sentiment in white embossing powder onto the top of the smaller panel. Attach the large panel to a card blank, then attach the small panel to some white card for a border and use some 3d foam behind it for some height on the card. The vellum shapes can be attached with invisible glue dots. I think you can see some of the sparkle/glitter in the embossing powder in this photo. It looks lovely up close.

The final thing to do is add some glossy accents to some of the dots on the larger panel and set it all aside to dry overnight.

 

Stamps Used:

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

Other Supplies:

Versamark clear ink, Distress Inks (picked raspberry, ripe persimmon, peacock feathers), Water spritzer, WOW! (sparkling snow embossing glitter, opaque bright white embossing powder), White Posca Pen, Micro glaze, Glossy Accents, White card, Vellum, Invisidots for Vellum, 3D Foam

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 giveaways
FACEBOOK GROUP come share your work with us
INSTAGRAM
PINterest

That's it from me for now, so thanks for stopping by, I hope you like this light version of the Dark Angel and I really hope to see you again soon.

Hugs,
Sharon xx