woodlland memories

Today I am sharing samples using the remembrance tree and the trees a crowd stamp sets.

The first one is the remembrance tree , simply stamped in black versafine onto an inky background, although i did cut down the remembrance to remember!

The background was sponged in wild honey distress oxide ink, and images from the polygon poppies stamp set were randomly stamped using the same ink pad. I used a circular mask behind the tree and sponged over it to create a moon, then added a narrow black mat to finish

Using the harmony tree and trees a crowd set as well I created a concertina book from a sheet of A4 card. The background was sponged with distress oxide inks using peeled paint and broken china, with some fairly random stencilling and stamping. 
 

The first spread used the remembrance tree , with two of the words stamped onto spare card, cut out and glued in a slghtly different place and edged with black charcoal pencil.

The harmony tree this time, but only the words on the right of the stam

Two  tree stamps from trees a crowd this time, with the lines of the stamp in the background extended behind the larger tree - sentiment from same set.

Two more stamps from trees a crowd to finish the last page

A bit back to front, this was the outer pages of the concertina, with the leaf spray from  from nature 1 stamped in blue and random words from harmony tree cut out and edged with charcoal pencil

Masking Ideas by Natalie

Sketchy, textured or broken image stamps all look fantastic when combined with masking techniques. There are a number of masking products you can use to achieve this but I tend to stick to paper based products when working with inks. There are two approaches: positive and negative we shall call them.

Positive Masking

This is where most beginners start with paper masks. You can stamp your image onto masking paper, tissue or tape and then cut it out to create your mask. You should trim slightly inside the image to prevent a halo when apply another image or ink to your design. The resulting mask then masks the original image so you can ink outside of the image for background techniques, glows or shadows. It is also how we can build scenes using multiple stamps. 

Using From Nature 1, stamp and cut out the mask of your chosen leaf image. Depending on your material, you may want to allow the paper to dry before cutting out to save inky fingers.

Stamp your image onto your card blank using any stamping ink and even embossing powder if you wish. Heat set the ink and apply your mask. Using a blending brush, sponge or dauber apply ink over the top - Distress Oxides were used in the sample below. Stamp any textural images you want to add using any inks; you could even stencil over the top.

Peel off your mask and allow to dry. Stamp and mount a sentiment to complete the card.

Negative masking

This is where we mask the background instead; this makes colouring your images a much quicker process. This time trim slightly outside the image to prevent an inner halo using a craft knife or scalpel using a cutting mat beneath your masking material.

This process enables us to then apply colour to our stamped images quickly. Stamp your image onto your card, in the above sample this was inside a card blank. Apply the mask to your card carefully, working from the aperture outwards. Apply dye based inks over your image; this prevents your original stamped image looking faded.

In the sample above, I then used a light box to sketch the outline of the stamping trimmed the card about 1 inch shorter to the front and around the image. I then applied some rub on stitching designs as well as a sentiment border from the stamp set. Then use the same inks you coloured with to add leaf designs to your envelope.

Autumn Leaves (Tracy Thompson)

 I'm here with my third post for this month, using From Nature and Numerology from Octobers shows.

For the background on this I used four different coloured inks blended together.  I then used the splatter from Numerology to stamp over the inking.  The leaves were inked with sprays before being  fussy cut and adhered to look like falling leaves.  then all that was left to do was add a sentiment.  I stamped the word Autumn and a mini bulldog clip to the top.

Another inky background done in a couple of colours,  I then stamped leaves to one side of the card and the numerology stamp down the opposite side, then some smaller leaves floating down the centre.  I layered up a couple of sentiments from the same set and added to the card.

Happy crafting

Tracy x

tagtastic (by Veronica)

 I have gone back to the From nature 1  stamp set, this time using tags.

I used the tagtastic  stamp on a spare piece of inked card to create the tag, then stamped the larger maple leaf down the centre in green. The fussycut leaves were left over from a wreath card , and were stamped onto a piece of card coloured with brusho powders, and the sentiment was also stamped onto a bit of leftover bit of card and cut up;  the 'ribbon'  was a scrap of fancy knitting yarn.

My second tag was stamped onto a distress oxide background again, but this time trimmed to fit onto a DL card blank cut from kraft card. The leafy spray stamp was inked with a multicolour inkpad  and stamped twice into the tag shape. The third stamping was with a terracotta ink pad. The sentiments were stamped in black ink, and I added shading round the tag shape with a charcoal pencil

Grungy Numbers (by Judith)

Hello everyone, I have two projects to share with you today, showcasing the stamps that we brought to you in last month's TV shows.

To create my first project, I made a quick background by inking up the gelli plate with Distress Ink, and pulled a print using smooth white card. I stamped Floral Grunge in the middle of the card using black ink, and added some leaves from the From Nature 1 stamp set around the flower head and up the 'stalk'. I added the numbers from Numerolgy to the background, and also the splatter, using colours that would match the colours I chose for the flower.

I stamped the flower head again onto a piece of separate card and coloured it with pencils, before cutting it out. I also coloured the leaves that I had stamped onto the background with pencils, to give them extra definition. I attached the coloured flower head to the background.

My second card is a much brighter affair than my first card, and shows how the Numerology stamp set can be used to create a card. I created a Distress Ink background, using shades of green, blue and yellow. I then added the various stamps from the set, and a couple of leaves from the From Nature 1 stamp set, stamped in second generation stamping in the background. I like the subtle effect that the leaves give underneath the numerals. I stamped them with the same black ink for a monochchrome effect.

I hope that you are enjoying the inspiration from the Design Team this month, thanks so much for stopping by,

Judith xx

Nature's gems by Rachel

 Hello there! Rachel here today with some samples from the October shows that show the beauty of nature. I have used the stamp sets from nature 1 and floral grunge.

In this first tag I used a mop up background with metal flake foiled leaves from Nature 1. 

In this next card I used more flake to create the leaves from the stamped images.

In this final sample from this set I used different coloured inks to simply stamp the images to make an autumnal card.

In this card I teamed the floral grunge stamp, coloured with water colour pens with some background paper. 

In this final sample I stamped the floral grunge stamp in versa mark and heat set with white embossing powder. I used the crackle background to stamp around the image and also stamped floral grunge parts in versamark on the black and brushed over with mica powder. 

I hope these samples have given you a little inspiration.

Have a great day!

Hugs Rachel xx

Autumn Colour (by Judith)

Hello everyone, I have some leafy projects to share with you today. I thoroughly enjoyed using the new From Nature 1 stamp set that Lesley created and showcased last month on the TV shows. This set is so versatile, and will be a 'go to' set for me when I need to create cards for so many different occasions.

For my first project, I chose a piece of patterned paper, and stamped the large tag from Tagtastic using black ink. I added a bit of shading using Distress Ink around the edges. I stamped two of the flower heads from Floral Grunge onto book paper, and coloured them using pencil, in colours that matched the tag. I worked out where I wanted the flowers to go and stamped some little leaves from the From Nature 1 stamp set so that they would be peeking out from behind the flower heads. I used Versafine Clair ink. I also added the fabulous splatter stamp from Numerology, before adhering the flower heads, and trimming them to fit the tag shape. I then edged the tag again with black ink.

I created a background on a piece of Drawing Cartridge using Distress Ink, using colours to match the tag. I used a larger leaf and Versafine Clair ink as before to stamp all over the background, to echo the design on the tag.

For my second design, I inked up my gelli plate with a shade of green Distress Ink, and stamped one of the leaves from the stamp plate randomly over the plate. I pulled a print with smooth white card, and cut the card to the size that I wanted. I then chose a shade of green Versafine Clair, and stamped a smaller leaf stamp over the background, and added one of the sentiments. This was a really quick card, but great fun to create.

You could vary the colours, and each card would turn out differently.

My final card is a variation of a card from my previous post. I inked up a background using Distress Ink, and then just stamped lots of leaves in first and second generation stamping using Versafine Clair and Archival Inks. I love this riot of Autumn colour.

I will be back later in the month with more projects to share. Thanks so much for stopping by,

Judith xx

Autumn Leaves (by Doreen)

Autumn Leaves

Hello once again everyone, well I can hardly believe we are already into the second week of November, did someone fast forward the clocks since the end of August because it certainly feels that way to me !! 

Today I would like to share my four samples using the From Nature 1.Such a beautiful set of stamps.The first is such a simple card simply made using a multicoloured inkpad, masking tape, fineliner pen and a gold gel pen.

Mask off the area you want using the tape making sure that there is enough tape either side of the area for stamping, if the there isn't simply use another strip of tape. Stamp using a multicoloured ink pad or if you haven't got one use a few autumnal coloured pads to get the effect desired.

Remove the tape carefully once the ink is completely dry, using a ruler outline the stamped area with a fineliner pen, I added a second line a few millimetres away from the first one as I felt it added more dimension. The word Nature was stamped on an offcut of card and the lines added to tie in with the faux panel. I used the Gold gel pen to highlight the veins on the leaves and to outline the word Autumn.

This card uses a selection of inkpads and gilding flakes plus Versamark and White Embossing powder, to apply the gilding flakes you will need a glue suitable to apply the gilding flakes to. Apply the inks using either a make up sponge to achieve the Bokeh technique. A dark ink used around the outside of the card helps to frame the design.

This card uses some printed card as a background and then the leaves were stamped and coloured using ink sprays, left to dry naturally and then cut out. Shape the leaves and apply to the card using glue gel.

This card also is stamped on to a printed card stock. I used a mask that I had stamped onto 

Masking Tissue fussy cut the image out, stamping the centre image first and then applying the mask before stamping the other images.

Thank you for looking in today

Love Doreen x

 

Beauty by Rachel

 Hello there! Rachel here today with some makes using the Beauty in the Eyes stamp set released in the October shows. I made a card, a canvas and a tag using this stamp showing its versatility. Its a really striking image that works so well with different techniques.

In this first sample I stamped the image in black ink and coloured it using water colour pens. I then mounted it on papers matching the colour theme I had chosen and also with the circle theme going on.

For this next one I stamped the image onto script paper and coloured using water colour pens. I then created the rest of the canvas using similar colours of acrylic paints and also mixing coloured mica powders in with texture paste and using that through a stencil. Once all that was dry I added the image.

The final one I used a piece of mop up card and stamped on the image. I used a die to cut the tag shape. Then added more colour using water colour pens and finally added some leaves from the 'From nature 1' set that I had stamped and foiled in flake. I then added the black background and the ribbon. 

I hope this has given you some inspiration. Have a great day!

Hugs

Rachel xx

Multi-coloured Stamping using Chocolate Baroque stamps by Natalie Ballard

Multi-coloured stamping

An easy way of colouring your cards quickly is multi-colour stamping. To do this accurately, you need a good quality stamp platform so you can stamp in exactly the same place. I also keep a cotton bud handy to clean up any excess ink.

Simple multi-colour stamping

To start with, we will begin with practicing with text stamps. We can use multi-colour stamping to highlight individual words, highlight a point or just for visual interest. Here, I used a sentiment from "From Nature 1" as its ideal to pull out the top line in a complimentary colour for your design.

You will need: a stamp platform, cotton bud and 2 or more colours of ink.

1.     Place your card into your stamp platform. Align your stamp onto your card and close the lid to pick up your stamp. As we are working with rubber stamps, you may need to remove an inner shim in your platform or swap the lid around (each platform varies). 

2.     Next, tap your first colour of ink into your chosen area. Use the cotton bud to mop up any excess to other areas of your stamp. Stamp this first impression and reink and stamp again if required.

3.     With the second colour, apply colour to the other areas of your stamp. Again, use the cotton bud if required. Stamp your sentiment and repeat if required.

 

You can then decorate the rest of the card as required.

Distress Oxide Blending

Once you have practiced the above technique, we can move onto image stamps. Bolder designs will work better for this technique so you can see the colour blending. The "Numerology" number stamps are ideal for showcasing this technique due to their bold appearance and larger stamping area.

You will need: a stamp platform, blending tool (such as sponge or blending brush), cotton bud and 2 or more Distress Oxide pads. You can also add a water spray for use with these inks; otherwise, you could also do this technique with other wet pigment pads.

1.     Place your card into your stamp platform. Align your stamp onto your card and close the lid to pick up your stamp. As we are working with rubber stamps, you may need to remove an inner shim in your platform or swap the lid around (each platform varies). 

2.     Next, tap your first colour of ink into your chosen area. Use the cotton bud to mop up any excess to other areas of your stamp, but this time we are going to create a fade off with our ink. Using your blending tool, tap at the edges of the applied ink to soften the transition from ink to no ink. Stamp this first impression and reink, blend and stamp again if required.

3.     Clean your stamp with a damp cloth carefully so the stamp doesn’t shift.

4.     With the second colour, apply colour to the next area of your stamp. Again, use the cotton bud if required, but this time we are going to create a fade off to both ends of the ink. Using your blending tool, tap at the edges of the applied ink to soften the transition from ink to no ink. This fade should overlap the previous blended area of your image. Stamp your sentiment and repeat if required.

5.     Repeat for each colour you wish to use in your blend.

Optional: With Distress Oxides, you can lightly mist your stamp before stamping with colour to activate the oxidisation. This particularly pops on coloured card and especially on kraft card.

Distress Oxide Resist

Distress Oxide has a particularly cool effect when dye ink is applied over the top as it acts as a resist to the dye. I use this technique a lot for giving a distressed look to my stamping using shades of brown, oranges and teals. It works even with detailed stamps, making it a great technique to use with the intricate detail of Chocolate Baroque stamps.

In the sample below, you can see both bold and detailed designs from Punky Romance. They both use the same colours but notice how the detailed image looks lighter. You can vary your ink colours between images if you wish to compensate for this.

You will need: a stamp platform, cotton bud and 1 or more colours of Distress Oxide and a dye based pad.

1.     Place your card into your stamp platform. Align your stamp onto your card and close the lid to pick up your stamp. As we are working with rubber stamps, you may need to remove an inner shim in your platform or swap the lid around (each platform varies). 

2.     Next, lightly tap your first colour of Distress Oxide loosely into your chosen area. You want areas where the ink doesn’t hit to make the resist effect more obvious. Use the cotton bud to mop up any excess to other areas of your stamp. Stamp this first impression. Do not be tempted to reapply at this stage.

3.     Use this same technique for other Distress Oxide colours you wish to include, applying colour lightly to the other areas of your stamp. Again, use the cotton bud if required. Stamp your image.

4.     When your Distress Oxide stamping is complete (you should have a light all over image), clean your stamp and ink it up with your dye ink. Stamp and reapply if required. The Distress Oxide will then reveal itself through your ink.

There are many more multi-coloured stamping techniques I look forward to introducing you to over the coming blog pieces.

 

Wreaths And Notelets (by Tracy Thompson)

 Today I am sharing some projects I created for the October shows, using From Nature and Numerology

I created this Wreath by spraying card with spray inks in Autumnal colours, then I stamped the leaves from the set called From Nature and fussy cut them out.  I inked a background and then arranged my leaves to form a wreath.  I added a banner across the centre saying Autumn.

For my next project I created a Notelet set, 

This is the front of the folder for the notelet set, I did a background piece with Distress inks, then on another piece of card I stamped some leaves and the word Autumn.  I used the splatter from Numerology to add in between.

Inside the notelet folder on the left hand side I did some more stamping and then on the right side I made a pocket.

I made four notelets with matching envelopes, all with different designs, using autumnal coloured inks.  

I will be back later in the month with another post with more of my creations 

Happy crafting

Tracy x

autumn leaves (by Veronica)

For my first post this month I have used the gorgeous new stamps from nature which are perfect for this time of the year.

My first card also uses the frame and bubbles from beauty is in the eyes. I inked the frame and bubbles using a small dye ink pad in a  honey colour and wiped any ink off the rest of the image before stamping onto the edge of a square of card. Reinked the stamp, turned the card round and stamped on the opposite edge. I used a waterbrush to pull the colour out in the frame and on some of the bubbles.

The big leaf spray was inked in the same ink and stamped at an angle across the card, reinked with some orange and green ink added randomly overlapping the first image.  Inked up a third time with thew orange and green inks and stamped more vertically over the other images. Finally inked in black ink and stamped again - I used a stamping platform to match up the images. the sentiments were stamped on scraps of card coloured with the same inks

A  wreath card using a stamping platform and the small leaf stamp inked in green ink. The large leaves were stamped in green ink onto card cololured with brusho powders and fussy cut out before gluing in place and adding the sentiment stamped in black onto a spare piece of card

A simpler wreath just using the small leaf stamp again, stamped alternately in green and yellow inks 
 

Beautiful Autumn (by Judith)

Hello everyone, I hope that you are keeping well. We are really into the Autumnal weather now, the leaves are falling and the windy days are here. I love this time of year, we still get the odd sunny day, and it is not too cold for a good walk. I hope that you caught last month's TV shows, and saw the fabulous new stamp sets that Lesley brought to The Craft Store. The Design Team have had so much fun playing with these stamp sets, and you will be truly inspired by what they have to share with you this month.

I have three projects to share with you today. My first card was created on a left over background from another project. I had painted over a piece of scrapbook paper with a wash of white acrylic paint and added some stencilling with blue and orange Distress Oxide Ink. Some subtle stamping had been added with the same colour ink; butterflies, clocks, and splatters, etc. These colours dictacted the colours that I then chose for the rest of my project. 

I stamped Beauty is in the Eyes using Versafine Onyx Black and extended the bottom frame using a fineliner pen. I used the same pen and a circle stencil to draw extra bubbles on the right hand side. I coloured the image with pencils, and added white highlights with a gel pen. I had another scrap background for the larger background, created using acrylic sprays. Always keep your left over backgrounds, you never know when you might need them! I matted both backgrounds with black card for extra drama. The little word 'Focus' comes from the same stamp set.

My second project is a small chipboard panel. I used a piece of decorative paper and stamped one of the leaves from From Nature 1 across the background using green ink. I stamped and embossed the large leaf spray from the same stamp set onto kraft card using white embossing powder. I also stamped and embossed just the face from Beauty is in the Eyes, and the flower from Floral Grunge, also onto kraft card using white embossing powder.

I added a sentiment to the background paper, before attaching it to the chipboard panel with matte medium. Once the adhesive was dry, I sanded the edges to get a white edge. I coloured the face and flower with pencils, and inked the leaves with Distress Ink. I attached all of the images to the panel for a collaged effect.

My final project mixes and matches stamp sets, something that I really enjoy doing. I have used Distress Inks to create a blended background, and then taken a branch from the Sticks and Stones stamp set which I have stamped in first and second generation stamping, using a brown Versafine Clair ink. I have coloured in the first generation branches using brown pencil, and the second generation using a mixture of grey and brown pencils, to make them appear to be in the background. I have then used a mixture of Autumn colours to stamp the lovely leaf from From Nature 1 in first, second and third generation stamping across the branches. Finally I have added my absolute favourite Chocolate Baroque sentiment to the card. This comes from the Nature's Peace stamp set. As Design Team Leader, I should probably not have favourites, but I am still human, and I adore this stamp! I knew as soon as saw the stamp set From Nature 1 that I wanted to create this card, sometimes a card design just pops into your head.

Thanks so much for stopping by, take care,

Judith xx