Sunday 31 January 2016

All stitched up ...

Good afternoon!  No card today ... I just couldn't come up with a new idea!  So instead I have tried my hand at free motion machine embroidery ... this is something I have wanted to try for ages but didn't really know where to start.

I began with a simple heart shape and some varigated thread ...
The heart is about one inch (2.5cm) tall
It looks tidier in real life!  My second attempt was a simple heart in a square ...
The heart is about one inch tall
This also looks tidier in real life ... it is difficult to see the imperfections on such a small piece.

I then moved on to a larger project.  I am attending a Printmaking course at the moment and this last couple of weeks we have been doing dry point etching ... whatever technique we are learning I try to print at least one image on fabric with the intention of adding texture and interest with machine embroidery.  Up until today this has only been a dream - I haven't had the courage to give it a go - this is my first attempt!

I began with this print:

The before photograph doesn't reflect the strength of colour
This is how it looks after adding some stitching:



I'm reasonably happy with the outcome ... maybe next time a better image and more practise will improve the finished image.  My biggest surprise was to turn over the piece to find that the reverse of the image is actually quite interesting!



Something I definitely wasn't expecting!!

Enjoy!

Thursday 21 January 2016

Scribble Heart ...

A quick second post for the evening - in my earlier post I mentioned that I had stamped two gerbera in order to get one to use for that card - never one to waste a piece of card I die cut a heart to create this second card.


If you look very carefully you can see the flower detail!
I used:

Uniko Pure Florals Gerbera Stamp
Hobbycraft A6 Swirl Background stamp
STAMPlorations Bloom Sketches for the sentiment
Distress Ink - Picked Raspberry
Memento Ink - Grape Jelly
Sizzix Scribble and Splat Die set

I'm entering the following challenges:

Uniko Studio - Challenge 28 Anything Goes with the option of Love

STAMPlorations - January CAS Challenge


Enjoy!

Purple Gerbera ...

I've had another attempt at the stamp "kissing" technique where you ink up a solid stamp and a detailed stamp and then "kiss" the solid stamp onto the detailed stamp to add pattern!! Not a brilliant description but it does create an interesting effect.  Tonight I turned to my favourite Gerbera stamp to see what sort of effect this technique would create - this is how it turned out:



The technique creates a mottled effect.
It is an interesting effect but the swirl detail of the background stamp is not clear - I even stamped it twice to see if I could get a better impression.

I used:
Uniko Pure Florals Gerbera Stamp set and matching dies
Stampin Up Off the Grid
Hobbycraft A6 Swirl Background stamp
STAMPlorations Bloom Sketches for the sentiment
Distress Ink - Picked Raspberry
Memento Ink - Grape Jelly
Personal Impressions Silver Dollar Embossing Powder

I'm entering the following challenges:

"Less is More" Week 259 - Kissing Technique

STAMPlorations January CAS Challenge


Uniko Studio Challenge 28 Anything Goes with an option of love

Enjoy!

Sunday 17 January 2016

Butterfly wishes ...

Good morning from a dull, damp and dreary UK - no sun just overcast gloom!

A quick post to clear the decks for more crafting ...



My card is inspired by the challenge at "Less is More" - this week the theme is to use the stamp kissing technique.  

I used:
Hobbycraft Swirl Background Stamp
Artemio Butterfly
Uniko Pure Florals Chrysanthemum for the sentiment
Stampin Up Inks - Bermuda Bay and Not Quite Navy

I am entering the following challenges:
"Less is More" Week 259 Kissing Technique
Addicted to Stamps and More #157 Anything Goes

Enjoy!

Sunday 10 January 2016

Raindrops ...

With the amount of rain that has been falling this month in the UK it seems apt to create a card with a droplet stencil!




I added this photograph to show the shimmer from the clear texture paste
I took a panel of white card and sponged distress inks through a droplets stencil before removing the stencil I applied clear texture paste to create the shimmer.  I trimmed the panel using a stitched rectangle die and wrapped the panel with vellum before adhering it to the card base using foam pads to add dimension.  I die cut the sentiment from white card before heat embossing (twice) with silver embossing powder.

Apart from the rain, my starting point for this card was the January CASEplorations challenge at STAMPloration - this month the challenge is to CASE this card by Laura Bassen:



I love Laura Bassen's design so I'm thrilled to have an excuse to CASE one of her cards.

I used:
STAMPlorations - Droplets Stencil
Distress inks - Festive Berries, Spiced Marmalade, Squeezed Lemonade, Mowed Lawn, Salty Ocean, Chipped Sapphir and Dusty Concord
Versamark Ink
Personal Impressions Silver Dollar Embossing Powder
Cosmic Shimmer Clear Texture Paste
Lawn Cuts - "Happy" and "Birthday"

I'm entering the following challenges:
STAMPlorations - January CASEplorations
STAMPlorations - ongoing Anything Goes Challenge
TIME OUT - Challenge 47 Birthdays with the optional twist of adding sponging.

Enjoy!

Saturday 9 January 2016

Smile ...

My blog seems to be very quiet at the moment ... I don't seem to be getting many visitors ... I guess I need to be more inspiring with my posts!  Hopefully as the weeks go by (and it stops raining!) I might get more creative!  I have quite a few projects on the go at the moment and I'm trying to spend time trying out and learning new skills.  I've enrolled on an on-line art course 'Wanderlust 2016' - a mixed media and art journalling course - it is definitely outside of my comfort zone but hopefully will inspire me!

Today I've done more sorting and tidying than I have creating - unfortunately housework and shopping need finishing on a Saturday before crafting can begin!  I have managed to create a card for this week's challenge at "Less is More" - it is One Layer week with the theme of "Flourish".



I simple card with masking, ink blending and stamping.

I used:
Stampin Up - Everything Eleanor
Uniko - All Occasion Sentiments
Distress Inks - Squeezed Lemonade, Dried Marigold and Spiced Marmalade
Versafine Onyx Black

Enjoy!

Monday 4 January 2016

Thanks ...

My first card of the New Year ... I had hoped to be more productive this year but I'm off to a slow start hopefully I will gather momentum as the days pass!



Always in need of Thank You cards I created this one for this week's challenge at "Less is More" - it's a colour challenge to use Neutral colours.

I used:

Lawn Fawn - Fawn Cuts - Thanks and Stitched Rectangles
Die'Sire - Wildflower Trio dies

Enjoy!