Backgrounds

I'm going to do some background techniques with my class tomorrow, including my favourite direct-to-paper with overstamping. I have some new class members who haven't done any card making before, so I've tried to make it fairly simple to begin with. This sample shows the first outing for my new Hero Arts Antique Brocade stamp, which I think is destined to become much loved. I stamped it over paper sponged with Versamagic inks. The girl and butterfly images are from Crafty Individuals' Miniatures Books "People & Places 2" and "Butterflies & Flowers" respectively. I used the huge butterfly from the Elusive Images "Patchwork Butterfly" plate as a background on the base card, and the sentiment is from the same plate.

Next week it's half term, so I'm going up to stay with my daughter & family in Dumfriesshire. Lots of playing and babysitting planned, so I'm not likely to get much time for challenges, or even blogging. There'll be room in the car to take one box of supplies with me in the hope of managing to make a few cards. The question is, what will I be able to conjure up from only one box of stash? Now there's a challenge, if ever there was one!

More non-card stuff

My mission for the summer holidays is to start getting some of my stash used - the impulse buys that I liked the look of when I bought them without any clear idea of what I would do with them, and which have since been languishing in the cupboard. One such item was a little Maya Road chipboard album. It consisted of six identical chipboard shapes, and rather than make just one album with them, I used two of the shapes to make the covers, and then cut some pages with my Nestabilities Scalloped Squares (which luckily happened to be just the right size!).



I sponged the covers with pigment ink and then stamped them with a Stamping-ton flourish and Stampendous butterflies, completing the front with a Spellbinders Ribbon Tag and a couple of flourishes diecut from Grungepaper. I punched some butterflies and a flower from the grungepaper to make charms to add to the ribbons and fibres with which I decorated the bookring holding everything together.

The photos inside are of my grandparents and great grandparents.

Back in the box

A few days ago I was driving north up the M1, heading for the M18, when something made me turn off at junction 29. I couldn't imagine what, but after a couple more miles I suddenly found myself outside Once Upon A Stamp. "Well," I thought, "since I'm here I might as well go in." I was drawn to the Spellbinders display. "Ah!" I thought."So that's what it was. A magic spell!"

I thought I'd better buy something. The Large Labels Nesties and Ribbon Tags Trio found their way into my basket, along with some Distress Ink re-inkers. Once I'd handed over the money, the spell seemed to be released, and I was able to leave the shop & continue my journey.

Anyway, after the horrors of my previous creations, it was a relief to get back to my usual style, which I like to think is a bit more subtle and sophisticated. All of my recent purchases made an appearance on this card. The background uses Distress Inks sponged on to glossy card and misted with water, with a darker colour sponged around the edge for definition. It was then overstamped with my favourite flourish. The music was stamped on to a Large Label, which was then lightly sponged with the inks. The Ribbon Tag was coloured in the same way. All stamps from Crafty Individuals, as is the printed picture.

Harlequin Rose

I've just bought the latest plate from Graphicus, Harlequin Rose. It's so beautiful I couldn't resist it. Had to try it out straightaway, and here's the result. I sponged the background with pigment inks, stamped the image in black and then highlighted the rose and leaves using a damp brush to pick up some colour from the inkpads. The border along the bottom is part of the set. It will be so versatile and will work well with many of my other stamps. I felt the card needed a simple embellishment to finish it off, so I added a sheer ribbon bow, tied between two eyelets.