Baroque birthday

Sunday’s featured stamper on Splitcoast was Michelle. I browsed through her lovely gallery and was inspired by her card here. I did not copy her layout exactly but the similarities are there as you can see. I did try adding some ribbon, but it wasn’t quite right. This was a very simple card, which I will probably reproduce when I need something quick for myself or for a workshop.

Supplies:

Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Hugs & Wishes
Inks: Bashful Blue, Pumpkin Pie
Cardstock: Bashful Blue, Pumpkin Pie, Naturals White

Double Embossed

After I had tried the flourish from Baroque Motifs( the flourish is the whole reason I chose the set) I decided to see what I could do with the other stamps. The square motif reminded me of one of the cuttlebug folders so I decided to try and combine the two. I embossed the image in gold and then ran it through the cuttlebug three times, centering the the images each time. You can see the raised areas on the gold but not the cream. I sponged the upper and lower edges of the designer paper with Always Artichoke.

Supplies:

Stamps: Baroque Motifs
Inks: Versamark, Always Artichoke
Cardstock: Always Artichoke, Brushed Gold, Very Vanilla, Le Jardin designer paper
Also: Fancy Corners embossing folder, Gold e.p.,

Black Flourish

The camera is found! I had time over the  weekend to try out my new set Baroque Motifs. Sharon’s Stamp Simply challenge this week called for black accents so I embossed in black. The first card I did had the flourish on a busy patterned panel which I wasn’t totally happy with. My second attempt features a simpler sponged effect which I prefer. For both cards I cut my small white rectangle first and laid it on top of the large white rectangle before stamping the flourish in versamark. That way I knew the tendrils of the flourish would line up after matting the small rectangle.

Supplies:

Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Boho Backgrounds
Inks: Versamark, Perfect Plum, Mellow Moss, Elegant Eggplant
Cardstock: Whisper White, Sahara Sand, Basic Black, Perfect Plum, Mellow Moss, Elegant Eggplant
Also: Black embossing powder, Cherished Memories Rub-ons

Technical difficulties

I’m sad to say I have no new cards to post for two reasons. Number one: the camera is still missing and I don’t know where to look next. We started cleaning up the schoolroom/playroom today and I was hoping it might appear. My family know I am keen to get a digital SLR but this is not a ploy to make that happen!

Even if I knew where the camera was I don’t have a new card to photograph.  Last week every spare minute at my craft table was spent on the scrapbook I am putting together for my girls’ violin ensemble. They both belong to Stellae Boreales, a twelve person violin choir. This year has been the biggest year yet for the group as it is touring China in July. I have been collecting newspaper articles, tickets, programs and other memorabilia from all their performances for the “official” scrapbook. On Sunday the group held its second big fundraising concert with dessert and auction to follow and we wanted the scrapbook available for guests to peruse.

I hope to share something new with you very soon. Thank you for dropping by.

Colour blocking

Even though Sharon’s new Stamp Simply Challenge is up today I am just getting last week’s onto the blog. The reason for the delay being the disappearance of our camera. It is still missing but I borrowed a friends’ so I have this one card to share. We have looked all over the house and don’t know quite where to look next.

I rarely use colour blocking on cards so this one is quite different from my usual style. I had the whole background done in blocks of the same colour originally but it needed the variety of colours. It is faint but there is a tree stamped in chocolate in the bottom left hand corner

Supplies:

Stamps: Spring Song, Lovely as a Tree
Inks: Chocolate Chip, Basic Black
Cardstock: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Garden Green, Sahara Sand
Also: Watercolour pencils, Chocolate grosgrain ribbon

Negative image

This is one of my first attempts at a positive/negative image card. It is just a matter of stamping in a dark colour on light cardstock and in the light colour on the dark cardstock. You need to stamp either a large image twice and cut it in half or stamp a design with a common element in the middle as I have done here.

Supplies:
Stamps: Time Well Spent
Inks: Chocolate Chip, Versamark
Cardstock: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Soft Sky
Also: Organza ribbon

Another simple spring card

Here is another simple but bright and cheery spring card. The temperatures here today were definitely spring temperatures and I have seen grass around the place but not much at our place. We seem to keep our snow longer than most! I did notice yesterday that daffodils and tulips were coming up in A11’s garden in the 10cm strip where the snow had already melted.

Supplies:

Stamps: All Through the Year, Garden Annuals wheel, Fundamental Phrases
Cardstock: Garden Green, Pixie Pink, Whisper White
Inks: Garden Green, Pixie Pink
Also: Square punches

A simple spring card

Someone just told me that we are still expecting two more winter storms! Despite this news it is beginning to look and feel a bit more like spring outside. When designing cards for a workshop last night I decided I really needed to feature spring things. So I have butterflies and flowers to share.

Sweet Shapes is a set which I bought at A11’s request and was not sure what I would do with it. When everyone used it for the Make and Take last night it was a hit and a few people ordered it for themselves It was certainly easy to get a pretty design with the two step butterflies.

Supplies:

Stamps: Sweet Shapes
Inks: Pumpkin Pie, Apricot Appeal, Almost Amethyst
Cardstock: Pumpkin Pie, Apricot Appeal, Almost Amethyst, Confetti White
Also: Apricot grosgrain ribbon