Canvas #2

I can see myself really getting into doing these!! In fact, I already have another two on the go...!!

This one is for my Mum. My original plan was to do a 'bird' theme canvas but it sort of evolved when I realised that my bird images are all totally different styles and wouldn't look right together. Mum loves her garden, so I thought a garden type theme would also work well for her - and suited the things I had a bit better!!!

Again, this is a canvas board, which I inked up in a bunch of blues and greens (mostly distress inks). I stamped the grass and flowers image in a dark green distress stain, which I blotted afterwards and gave a totally different look - it lifted all the blue which I wasn't expecting, but which worked really nicely and gave a more subtle yellow sort of colour. I also stamped the tree image (and an extra bit of grass under the tree as the first stamp didn't reach across the whole canvas!). I then made a mask of the bottom half and images, and stamped the music notation. Of course, when you want a lovely crisp image, you end up with a bit where the ink doesn't take - typical! I then sealed the whole thing with clear embossing powder.

Once that was done, the rest came together so quickly! I used a butterfly I'd made previously (double sided foam die cut into a butterfly and then mother of pearl transfer foil on the sticky bit), with a square blue gem added because my Mum just loooooves blue and can't get enough of it! A few flowers with added bling which were added either direct to the canvas or on 3d pads. Four stamped birds on vellum, stuck down with double sided tape. Then, to finish, a die cut rectangle of vellum, stamped and embossed with sparkly embossing powder. The bow is part of a set of earrings I was given for crafting purposes, which I've cut down to get the best bit and then stuck on top. And lastly, a bird stamped, fussy cut and popped up on dimensionals.

I'm pleased with how it turned out, can't wait to give it to Mum now! I hope she'll love it!

I'd love to know what you think. And I'd also love to know where you think the focal point is and where the eye is drawn - I'm fascinated by the idea of "movement" in designs but I'm often not sure why I'm drawn to something, and so I'm trying to educate myself!!!

Entering into the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Hey girl
The Pink Elephant - Summer
The Stamp Man Challenge - Summer colours (anything goes)
Allsorts challenge - distressing

Wedding card

A friend of mine asked me to make her a wedding card to give to a couple getting married tonight. I don't often give cards away as I find it a bit.. stressful!! I worry that people won't like them enough to give them away if that makes sense! So I made a pile of different ideas, trying to go for every style I could think of!

This was the one she picked - and it's the one I would have picked too so she obviously has good taste! (typically, the pic hasn't come out very well and I no longer have the card - but you get the idea anyway!)

Very simple to make, I think it's pretty and elegant, and almost totally carried by the gorgeous DP.

The vows script is a new stamp I bought from a tabletop sale last weekend, which was a bargain.. got loads of great new stamps which I've been happily inking, and they barely cost me anything.. lovely stuff :)

Thanks for popping by..

Trying something new - my first canvas!

I decided to try something a bit different, as I've got plenty of cards to keep me going for a bit... Saw this idea on Hels' blog, mini canvases decorated... and thought I'd give it a go!

I decided to use canvas board instead of proper canvases.. they were cheaper (for a first attempt!) and the size was better for what I was looking for... tho I'm still thinking about how to make it hangable.. going to have to visit a hardware store methinks! Any tips gratefully received!

This is a canvas for a friends' birthday. We work together, and I've never known someone to drink so much tea.. so I know this will give her a giggle! Purple is also her favourite colour.

So, I started by covering the canvas in three coats of gesso.. wasn't really sure how many to use, so figured three seemed like a lucky number. It did seem to work, but it was still tacky this morning after leaving it overnight to dry... so perhaps I'll try two coats next time ;)

I then blended pink and purple distress inks over the top.. it is lovely to do, much easier than on card as the inks really move around and don't get absorbed. I then overstamped with some purple chicken wire in the middle (mostly behind the sentiment), and some script in white at the top and bottom of the board. I left it a couple of hours to dry but it was still very tacky and the inks weren't really drying so I dumped a load of clear embossing powder on and sealed the whole thing with that.. worked a treat, and it's lovely and shiny too.

Stamped four images (some in distress and some in archival) from the tea set from here, and coloured in various distress inks, fussy cut and stuck down. I really love the tea sentiment, would use it on everything I made if I could!!

The sentiment was stamped and coloured then popped up on a faux chipboard shape made by stacking die cuts (tip picked up from Vicky's blog), and then embossed the edges in silver for a bit more shine.

Tied a ribbon in the lace, and stuck it down.. the flower at the bottom is created from three different shop bought flowers, metal one as the middle layer. There is also a frame shape cut out of an aluminium can stuck at the back behind the cup.

And that was about it!

I've already started on the next one. They're not really a style I'm particularly comfortable with so it's great to try some new things and just see what happens! I'm planning to make one for my sister with a butterfly theme, one for my mum with a birds theme, and I like the idea of making a couple for the flat - perhaps a "bathroom" plaque with rubber ducks and bubbles... or a "kitchen" plaque with food and stuff on.. you get the gist. We'll see!

So I'm entering this for a few challenges...

Hels' Sunday Stampers - Embellishments
Anything Goes Challenge - Lavender and Lace
Saturday Challenge - Food and Drink
Stamp Man - Anything Goes - Summer Colours
Totally Papercrafts - Lots of Layers

More blue, more framing

Another blue entry for the Addicted to Stamps challenge.

Very similar to this card I posted last week, for the Moxie Fab love challenge. This one has been made 100% specially for my mum with her favourite colours and favourite images. She's really unwell and I can't stand not being close to her (she lives about 90 miles away). I go to see her as often as I can, but when it's not possible, the best I can do is let her know I'm always thinking of her.

Inky background created with all kinds of different blue inks and sponges. The stars are one corner stamp, and I used a stamp positioner to turn it into a frame. I quite like how it gives an uneven shape.


Here's another picture, to show the shiny shine! Love silver embossing - and so does my Mum!

And here's a pic of the inside.It's not stuck down in this pic, as I wrote a soppy message in silver pen before sticking it down, but didn't feel I needed to share that with you all ;)

Thanks for stopping by.

Bon voyage

A quick post, with a quick card made for a friend who is off travelling.

Entering into the "Blue" challenge at Addicted to Stamps. I've got another entry to post tomorrow too, blue is one of my favourite colours to use!

Thanks for visiting, would love to know what you think.

Moxie Fab - love challenge

Another entry to the Moxie Fab challenges... there are so many awesome challenges going on over there at the moment! This card is for the love challenge.

I started off with a background created with a pile of distress inks.. can't remember the colours but if you want to know then please feel free to ask. I picked those colours because I think this is a really warm and comforting colour combination, just perfect for a love card.

I then decided I wanted to add copper and gold embossing powder, for a sort of autumnal feel. Foliage seemed a sensible way to go, and so I went for edges and left the space in the middle for the sentiment. If you look closer there are some foliage images which are unembossed because i liked the subtle look of the embossing ink.

The stamps are all from the Papermania Bird Song set which I recently acquired in a sale.  The birds were embossed with fired brick distress powder on to vellum, and stuck on. The top one looks a bit odd because of the shine - it looks much more solid in real life but I couldn't get a pic which showed that as matt and the gold and copper as shiny!

Finally, I created a black card blank and stuck the panel on top. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out :)

Also entering into the following challenges:
Try It On Tuesday - Anything Goes
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Depth of Distress
Craft Your Passion - Things with Wings