Mountain retreat

Last week we stayed at our daughter's place in the Blue Mountains. They have been travelling in Europe for the past 6 weeks and were due back the following Monday. So we thought we would surprise them with a little spring cleaning of their lovely new house. It's funny how spring cleaning is so much more fun in someone else's house!!
We took time out for a couple of nice lunches and some walks. These photos are from our walks around Wentworth Falls. It's hard to imagine why someone would say there is no God when you see a landscape like this.

Here we have a lookout named after our cat!

The panorama was quite majestic. The day was quite cloudy but suddenly there was sunlight on the sandstone cliffs. Just beautiful! 

Mountain retreat

Last week we stayed at our daughter's place in the Blue Mountains. They have been travelling in Europe for the past 6 weeks and were due back the following Monday. So we thought we would surprise them with a little spring cleaning of their lovely new house. It's funny how spring cleaning is so much more fun in someone else's house!!
We took time out for a couple of nice lunches and some walks. These photos are from our walks around Wentworth Falls. It's hard to imagine why someone would say there is no God when you see a landscape like this.

Here we have a lookout named after our cat!

The panorama was quite majestic. The day was quite cloudy but suddenly there was sunlight on the sandstone cliffs. Just beautiful! 

Stampin' Up watercolouring

I just love watercolouring! It has a very different feel to ordinary designs. I struggle however to get the technique right however and it is still a bit of a 'hit and miss' result sometimes. You can watercolour using Stampin' Up inks and markers using a variety of techniques.

Today I will use just one of these techniques and it uses watercolour paper, a Stampin' Up mister of water and ink and stamps. I used the Fabulous Florets set. Very basic and easy to do.

With this technique you can either mist the watercolour paper with water, mist the inked up stamp with the water or you can do both. It all depends on how much bleeding of colours you want.

I experimented with these different options to compare the results.

The following was the result from misting the stamp and the paper. I think it is too fuzzy. I didn't photograph the result of just misting the paper because it turned out very similar to this one as well.

This second one is just misting the stamp slightly. Its a bit hard to see but the watercolour effect is there but only slightly. I like this better because it looks like I meant to do it! The first one looks more like I had a bit of an accident!

I haven't taken much notice of Stampin' Up Calypso Coral. But wow I really like it. It looks great teamed with Always Artichoke and I think using Crumb Cake card sets it off nicely.

These are the cards I made from my experiments results.

                           

If you would like any of these products you can purchase them through Stampin' Up. Just email me on kcrocker56@optusnet.com.au

Happy crafting!

Stampin' Up watercolouring

I just love watercolouring! It has a very different feel to ordinary designs. I struggle however to get the technique right however and it is still a bit of a 'hit and miss' result sometimes. You can watercolour using Stampin' Up inks and markers using a variety of techniques.

Today I will use just one of these techniques and it uses watercolour paper, a Stampin' Up mister of water and ink and stamps. I used the Fabulous Florets set. Very basic and easy to do.

With this technique you can either mist the watercolour paper with water, mist the inked up stamp with the water or you can do both. It all depends on how much bleeding of colours you want.

I experimented with these different options to compare the results.

The following was the result from misting the stamp and the paper. I think it is too fuzzy. I didn't photograph the result of just misting the paper because it turned out very similar to this one as well.

This second one is just misting the stamp slightly. Its a bit hard to see but the watercolour effect is there but only slightly. I like this better because it looks like I meant to do it! The first one looks more like I had a bit of an accident!

I haven't taken much notice of Stampin' Up Calypso Coral. But wow I really like it. It looks great teamed with Always Artichoke and I think using Crumb Cake card sets it off nicely.

These are the cards I made from my experiments results.

                           

If you would like any of these products you can purchase them through Stampin' Up. Just email me on kcrocker56@optusnet.com.au

Happy crafting!

Open Sea

This stamp set has been around for a while but it is hard to beat for masculine cards. It is particularly good over a brayered or sponged background.

This first card is very much inspired by a video I saw by Karen Philipp. In this presentation she shows you how she got the beautiful soft background behind the ship stamp. It is a great technique using waxed paper, Stampin' Up markers and a gel pen. This method could be used for all sorts of designs. Check out the video.

Close up of the design. 

 Instructions. 

For the background behind the ship use a scrap of watercolour paper or glossy card. Double over a piece of wax paper and scribble about 2 inches in Pool Party marker. Then scribble same amount Stampin' Up Island Indigo below the Pool party. Make sure the two different colours touch in the middle. Using a Calypso Coral marker scribble just a little in top left hand corner to act as an accent in the design. Spritz the wax paper until the ink beads a little.
Lay the Watercolour or glossy paper down in the puddle and press down without moving it. Try not to blend the colours too much as it will just look murky. Let it dry and then using Versamark ink, stamp the ship over the part you like the best, remembering it will be cut into a circle. Once the ink is dry colour in the sails with a white gel pen to give it some dimension. Put a few white squiggles in the sea for waves.


The second card is also inspired by something I saw on the web. (this is such a wonderful inspiring place to get ideas from!) Now however I can't find who created the original card but when I do I will add the link.

Instructions 

I cut a narrow panel of Whisper White cardstock 5.5 cm deep by 15 cm wide.

The technique I used for the background was one I often use for landscape cards:-

 I punched a small circle in a post it note ensuring that there was some adhesive at the top and placed it on the card where I thought the moon would be.

I made myself a template from card where I had simply torn a series of hills and valleys.

Firstly using Pool Party inkpad I brayered a light, uneven layer of ink across the whole panel. I didn't want an even coverage on the sky as I wanted it to look misty. Then using the template I sponged Island Indigo across the panel, moving it to make a series of waves. I did another uneven layer behind without re-inking the sponge to make it look further into the distance. Towards the bottom I added more waves this time using Midnight Muse and sponged around the bottom of the panel in Night of Navy. At the top I sponged a little Elegant Eggplant. 

Once the background was done I simply stamped the ship in Versamark ink. I finished the card front by embossing 2 lines to surround the panel with the Needlepoint Border  embossing folder and stamped the sentiment. I stuck the panel inside the embossed lines and then trimmed the very edge of the card. I usually do this rather than try to measure the exact size of a panel because no matter how careful you measure it never seems to end up flush. So much easier to line up the first edge and then just trim the second!

One final one for the day

If you would like any of these products you can purchase them through Stampin' Up. Just email me on kcrocker56@optusnet.com.au

Happy crafting!

Open Sea

This stamp set has been around for a while but it is hard to beat for masculine cards. It is particularly good over a brayered or sponged background.

This first card is very much inspired by a video I saw by Karen Philipp. In this presentation she shows you how she got the beautiful soft background behind the ship stamp. It is a great technique using waxed paper, Stampin' Up markers and a gel pen. This method could be used for all sorts of designs. Check out the video.

Close up of the design. 

 Instructions. 

For the background behind the ship use a scrap of watercolour paper or glossy card. Double over a piece of wax paper and scribble about 2 inches in Pool Party marker. Then scribble same amount Stampin' Up Island Indigo below the Pool party. Make sure the two different colours touch in the middle. Using a Calypso Coral marker scribble just a little in top left hand corner to act as an accent in the design. Spritz the wax paper until the ink beads a little.
Lay the Watercolour or glossy paper down in the puddle and press down without moving it. Try not to blend the colours too much as it will just look murky. Let it dry and then using Versamark ink, stamp the ship over the part you like the best, remembering it will be cut into a circle. Once the ink is dry colour in the sails with a white gel pen to give it some dimension. Put a few white squiggles in the sea for waves.


The second card is also inspired by something I saw on the web. (this is such a wonderful inspiring place to get ideas from!) Now however I can't find who created the original card but when I do I will add the link.

Instructions 

I cut a narrow panel of Whisper White cardstock 5.5 cm deep by 15 cm wide.

The technique I used for the background was one I often use for landscape cards:-

 I punched a small circle in a post it note ensuring that there was some adhesive at the top and placed it on the card where I thought the moon would be.

I made myself a template from card where I had simply torn a series of hills and valleys.

Firstly using Pool Party inkpad I brayered a light, uneven layer of ink across the whole panel. I didn't want an even coverage on the sky as I wanted it to look misty. Then using the template I sponged Island Indigo across the panel, moving it to make a series of waves. I did another uneven layer behind without re-inking the sponge to make it look further into the distance. Towards the bottom I added more waves this time using Midnight Muse and sponged around the bottom of the panel in Night of Navy. At the top I sponged a little Elegant Eggplant. 

Once the background was done I simply stamped the ship in Versamark ink. I finished the card front by embossing 2 lines to surround the panel with the Needlepoint Border  embossing folder and stamped the sentiment. I stuck the panel inside the embossed lines and then trimmed the very edge of the card. I usually do this rather than try to measure the exact size of a panel because no matter how careful you measure it never seems to end up flush. So much easier to line up the first edge and then just trim the second!

One final one for the day

If you would like any of these products you can purchase them through Stampin' Up. Just email me on kcrocker56@optusnet.com.au

Happy crafting!

A landscape technique

I just love Michelle Zindorf's cards. She uses Stampin' Up in the most amazing way! You can always tell at a glance that it is one of hers. I admire from a distance but it always seems a bit beyond my skills. But this time I have jumped in and had a go.These are three using slightly different colours.

It is so simple to do. Have a look at Michelle's great tutorial on the technique here

Have a go. Its fun!

If you would like any of these products you can purchase them through Stampin' Up. Just email me on kcrocker56@optusnet.com.au

Happy crafting!

A landscape technique

I just love Michelle Zindorf's cards. She uses Stampin' Up in the most amazing way! You can always tell at a glance that it is one of hers. I admire from a distance but it always seems a bit beyond my skills. But this time I have jumped in and had a go.These are three using slightly different colours.

It is so simple to do. Have a look at Michelle's great tutorial on the technique here

Have a go. Its fun!

If you would like any of these products you can purchase them through Stampin' Up. Just email me on kcrocker56@optusnet.com.au

Happy crafting!

Wax Paper Resist technique

Today I am exploring the wax paper technique for creating backgrounds with Stampin' Up products. It is just so simple and all it requires is waxed paper ( like our Mums used to wrap our school  lunch in!). I tried two different ways of using it and both produced quick and effective results. The first technique is using a screwed up piece of waxed paper. The second one is embossing a piece of waxed paper in a embossing folder and running it through the Big Shot. Instructions for both are below.

These are some of the cards I made with the created backgrounds.

This first one was made using the Stampin' Up Vintage Embossing folder and Whisper White card. It is the new Crisp Canteloupe colour.

 This one is on gloss cardstock using the screwed up wax paper technique.

 This one used the new Stampin' Up Alphabet Press embossing folder brayered in Old Olive. The design is cased from the net but I can't find where I got it from now. It was a watercoloured design using watercolour paper. The Stampin' Up Thoughts and Prayers stamp was coloured with Melon Mambo and Old Olive markers and then lightly sprayed with a mister of water. Just a couple of squirts. The water colour paper was moistened as well. The design was then spread out a bit and was allowed to dry.

The stamp was then dried and inked up the same way again. This time it only was sprayed  (but not the paper )and stamped over the preceding image using a stamp-a-ma-gig. I like the effect but I am not sure if I would give it away in case the person thought I had just smudged it!

This one was cased from Patty Bennett and uses glossy paper and the Stampin' Up Vintage embossing folder.  It has Marina Mist card as the card base

 And this one is Perfect Plum using the Vintage embossing folder again.

A simple male card with a wax paper Stampin' Up Woodgrain embossing folder background

Bermuda Bay is such a vibrant colour. I brayered this over the card embossed with screwed up wax paper. 

Another male card made with scraps of embossed card. Calypso Coral and Bermuda Bay and Chocolate Chip go very well together. 

Instructions 

The most basic technique is simply to screw up a piece of waxed paper tightly ( cut the piece slightly bigger than the piece of card and then carefully unfold it and lay it flat on a piece of cardstock. Make sure this is laying on something which is heatproof. You can either use plain cardstock or glossy cardstock. Both look good but quite different.


You need a hot iron, no steam.

Place a piece of scrap paper over the waxed paper and when the iron is hot, press down gently over the top for around 3 seconds. Repeat a couple of times until each section of the cardstock has been covered by the iron. Don't rub the iron backwards and forwards as it will blur the image.

Now you add ink either with a brayer of you can sponge it on. You will see the that the waxed areas resist the ink. Once you have the depth of colour you are after, rub off the excess ink with a tissue.

Presto, you now have an interesting, unique background that can be used for all sorts of projects.

The second technique is to emboss a piece of waxed paper in your bigshot in one of the embossing folders. You may need to lay a scrap piece of paper over the waxed paper in the folder as it may tear otherwise.

 There are some great videos out there on both techniques. Have a look at some of these sites.
Liz Hughes
Patty Bennett
Gwen Mangelson 

If you would like any of these products you can purchase them through Stampin' Up. Just email me on kcrocker56@optusnet.com.au

Happy crafting!

Wax Paper Resist technique

Today I am exploring the wax paper technique for creating backgrounds with Stampin' Up products. It is just so simple and all it requires is waxed paper ( like our Mums used to wrap our school  lunch in!). I tried two different ways of using it and both produced quick and effective results. The first technique is using a screwed up piece of waxed paper. The second one is embossing a piece of waxed paper in a embossing folder and running it through the Big Shot. Instructions for both are below.

These are some of the cards I made with the created backgrounds.

This first one was made using the Stampin' Up Vintage Embossing folder and Whisper White card. It is the new Crisp Canteloupe colour.

 This one is on gloss cardstock using the screwed up wax paper technique.

 This one used the new Stampin' Up Alphabet Press embossing folder brayered in Old Olive. The design is cased from the net but I can't find where I got it from now. It was a watercoloured design using watercolour paper. The Stampin' Up Thoughts and Prayers stamp was coloured with Melon Mambo and Old Olive markers and then lightly sprayed with a mister of water. Just a couple of squirts. The water colour paper was moistened as well. The design was then spread out a bit and was allowed to dry.

The stamp was then dried and inked up the same way again. This time it only was sprayed  (but not the paper )and stamped over the preceding image using a stamp-a-ma-gig. I like the effect but I am not sure if I would give it away in case the person thought I had just smudged it!

This one was cased from Patty Bennett and uses glossy paper and the Stampin' Up Vintage embossing folder.  It has Marina Mist card as the card base

 And this one is Perfect Plum using the Vintage embossing folder again.

A simple male card with a wax paper Stampin' Up Woodgrain embossing folder background

Bermuda Bay is such a vibrant colour. I brayered this over the card embossed with screwed up wax paper. 

Another male card made with scraps of embossed card. Calypso Coral and Bermuda Bay and Chocolate Chip go very well together. 

Instructions 

The most basic technique is simply to screw up a piece of waxed paper tightly ( cut the piece slightly bigger than the piece of card and then carefully unfold it and lay it flat on a piece of cardstock. Make sure this is laying on something which is heatproof. You can either use plain cardstock or glossy cardstock. Both look good but quite different.


You need a hot iron, no steam.

Place a piece of scrap paper over the waxed paper and when the iron is hot, press down gently over the top for around 3 seconds. Repeat a couple of times until each section of the cardstock has been covered by the iron. Don't rub the iron backwards and forwards as it will blur the image.

Now you add ink either with a brayer of you can sponge it on. You will see the that the waxed areas resist the ink. Once you have the depth of colour you are after, rub off the excess ink with a tissue.

Presto, you now have an interesting, unique background that can be used for all sorts of projects.

The second technique is to emboss a piece of waxed paper in your bigshot in one of the embossing folders. You may need to lay a scrap piece of paper over the waxed paper in the folder as it may tear otherwise.

 There are some great videos out there on both techniques. Have a look at some of these sites.
Liz Hughes
Patty Bennett
Gwen Mangelson 

If you would like any of these products you can purchase them through Stampin' Up. Just email me on kcrocker56@optusnet.com.au

Happy crafting!

Scraps and Edges

 One of the things I really enjoy doing is to use up the leftover scraps when I make a card. Whether it is a strip of leftover Stampin' Up  Designer Paper or embossed card or vellum it can add some interesting effects to a card. Add some embossing to some of the leftover card strips and they are transformed!. Embossing folders such as Delicate Designs, Needlepoint Border or Adorning Accents make wonderful edges to cards. Simply scored designs are a great addition as well. Ribbon or crochet trim is also effective.

This card uses some leftover strips of card that have been stamped and resist embossed.

This card  has Simply Scored  lines, mini hearts and small scallops from Adorning Accents,

This lovely card was made by my friend Sue. It has a lovely monochromatic, clean look and it is very elegant. 

I cased this a while ago and can't remember where from but it is a lovely design. The lower edge was made with Adorning Accents embossing folder and edgelits. 

The following edge is from the Delicate designs embossing folder and die cut with the Large Scallop Edgelit.. 

A panel of contrast card really lightens up a card. So many of the stamps make great repeating patterns and they are so simple to do. Using only 2 colours in a card is quite effective. 

Another card that uses the Adorning Accents and edgelits. The white matt is edged and then mounted on the black matt which had already been die cut with the design at the bottom. Then this was mounted onto the card base. 

Below, Delicate designs embossing folder and die cut with the Large Scallop Edgelit

Delicate Designs embossing folder. I love this folder. It can be sponged lightly for a lacelike effect.

The Honeycomb embossing folder was used on the lower part of this card. 

This card has a strip of repeat pattern from Fabulous Florets and this was layered with the second folder from Delicate Designs. Making panels from repeated stamped images is fun. 

This stamped panel is from the Summer Silhouettes set. Check out the cute little flower. I made that with the new Pressed clay which I had coloured with some re-inker. I am excited that I can now rustle up a button or flower to match anything I want!

I  love the new Needlepoint Border folders. They add such an elegant touch to the card. This card is a simple leftover strip of Designer paper with a decorative edge embossed on either side. You need to make sure that the 2 embossed lines are far enough apart that the edges of the folder don't go over the preceding embossed image as it will flatten it.

Even these tiny scraps can be used up!

Delicate designs plus Large scallop edgelit. 

I really like this card. The vanilla panel has been sponged lightly with soft suede ink to give it a vintage look which goes nicely with the Crochet trim. 

This one uses a scrap of inked embossed card. The blue panel is a leftover strip of Stripes embossed card. 

This one uses the leftover part of the Windows framelits and a leftover strip of designer paper 

My new resolution is to use up everything leftover!! Even my fridge is coming under the same rules at the moment. 

If you would like any of these products you can purchase them through Stampin' Up. Just email me on kcrocker56@optusnet.com.au

Happy crafting!