I Forgot........Sorry!!!

It seems at the moment that if I don't do something when I first think of it, I'll forget to do it. It sounds like the onset of dementia; but my GP tells me it's because of the meds I'm on for my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and peripheral neuropathy. The reason I'm admitting this is because I forgot to post my card from my last challenge for Simply Create Too. It's now time for the new challenge to start, so head on over and see the creations on show and join in to win a great badge to put on your blog site. The theme is to use green.

Getting back to my card, I had to use my favourite colour combo; which, if you were to look in my wardrobe, is a combination of blue, green and purple (and all of the variations in between).

I used some Couture Creations Anna Griffin Mix & Match Pigment Powders and smooshed, and layered the background and then hand-painted the sentiment onto a heat embossed image. If you haven't tired these powders, you really should. They have a glorious sheen and the colours are vibrant and so pretty. Very similar to Tim Holtz Perfect Pearls, but the colours are much more vibrant and you only have to use a smidge to get great depth. They can also be used mixed with any liquid media, such as embossing paste, liquid glue, white gesso, etc to get it coloured to match perfectly the colours of your layouts or cards.

Anyway, a simple card, but, oh, so pretty!  (Big smile)

Don't forget to check out the latest Challenge at Simply Create Too.

Bye for now.

Love,

A wedding card

Recently one of my nieces got married and I wanted to share the wedding card I made for them. I wanted to go all out with it and nothing says "hi" like foiling, so I got out my mini MINC and got busy.

I foiled the silver as an underlayer for a diecut panel that had been cut using the Spellbinders Card creator: A2 Devine Eloquence cutting die set. I also used the silver foiling on another tag and to foil the sentiment that I printed using my laser printer. The middle die cut panel was also dry embossed with my new Calvin's Quatrefoil embossing folder from the Oh La La Collection by Ultimate Crafts. White ribbons, flowers and leaves completed my card. 

I'm a massive fan of the MINC and I especially love how it foils on pearlised cardstock. It looks so luxurious. I'm intending on doing a video featuring foiling, so look out for it (but don't hold your breath waiting for it...I'll get it done once I'm feeling up to it.) 

Anyway, that's all for me tonight. I'll be back again soon.

Love,

Janelle

XXX

Starting the new year with Simply Create Too Challenge #123

Challenge #123 for Simply Create Too has the theme of "New Beginnings". I made a card for my step-daughter's wedding, coming up in February. (I hope she doesn't see this before then).

This card was made using the Spellbinders Nestabilities Majestic Elements - Majestic Labels 25; as well as Elizabeth Craft Designs Curvy Leaves and Memory Box Small Marianna Vine Outline cutting dies. I used some Arctic White and Purple Crystal Perle cardstock, some silver glitter cardstock and white vellum. The flowers were Kaisercraft Coconut paper blooms. In the background you can see some Swiss Dot embossed white vellum; while inside the frame I cut out an oval of the vellum and stamped in purple ink and heat embossed with clear embossing powder..

This card is such a departure from what I've been doing lately, but I was inspired by a card by Olga Direktorenko.(click on the link to see the card). I CASEd her card also for a 90th birthday card for one of my mum's friends.

It's hard to photograph white cards. Any suggestions, anyone?

This post is sooo late. I've been frantically trying to get the house back into order after getting the inside repainted at the end of last year, but because I'm reorganising, adding new household fixtures, cleaning and culling all at the same time, it's taking forever. Our garage is out of action with all of the household goods in it, which is sooo bad as we'
re having heat waves in Queensland at the moment and getting into a hot car is not my idea of a happy situation.

Hope you're all keeping well and having a crafting good time.

Bye for now.

Love,
Janelle

Get Creative Challenge #48

I'm back again with a new challenge for Get Creative Challenges blog. The challenge this time was to use embossing, either heat or dry. I went the full hog and used both. hahahaha!

  











This challenge was sponsored by Star Stampz and the Winner's Prize is 3 images of the winner's choice. 

For my card I used an embossing folder on some white cardstock, that was then inked over with some distress ink. To finish off, I went berserk with some water sprinkled very liberally over it and then mopped up. I love the way the swirls are really pronounced across the top, but gradually fade to match the background around the girl. I thought this embossing folder sort of looked like wind swirling in the sky.

The image was from Sarah at Star Stampz and is called "Autumn Fall Girl Reading". She was coloured with Copic markers and fussy cut around. The sentiment was heat embossed with white EP. To complete the card, I applied Spectrum Noir Glitter Brush over her hat, pumpkins and cat. The matt is some bronze glimmer cardstock - mmmmmm - yummy!

Anyway, head over to Get Creative and see the lovely designs posted and perhaps join in the fun.

Bye for now.

Love,

Janelle

My very first own drawn digistamp

Hi again. I'm posting a card today that uses my very first attempt of a digistamp. 

I've been wanting, for a long time, to do something different with my crafting. When I saw 3 books in Big W last week, I knew I had found it. These are the books here. (And they were only something like $12 each. Bargain!)

They have step-by-step drawings showing how you can draw various things. I drew this budgie and liked it so much I turned it into a digistamp so I could print it out to be coloured and used on a card. (I don't know if there are actually budgies that really look like this - let's call it poetic licence!)

I think my drawing is sufficiently different to the original that I'm not infringing on copyright, so I feel free to offer my drawing to anyone who wants to use it. If you're interested, drop my an email and I'll send it on to you. (adashofflash@gmail.com)

I've always been drawing, even as a child, but felt I wasn't good enough (esp. when compared to my mum and my younger sister, who is really good.) So I've not done any for a long time. When I started drawing again last week, I felt energised, yet relaxed at the same time. Strange, huh? But I'm pleased to say, I like what I've done, and wanted to show off a little.

To make the background for the card, I glued strips of blue cardstock onto another piece of paper (these I had left over from when I was sorting and storing some of my cutting dies). I then used a Kaisercraft embossing folder on it, before inking the highlights with two types of green ink. I then used some clear Wink of Stella over the tops of the leaves. I wanted this to look like a tree canopy for the bird to hide in.

I foiled the sentiment and matting using my mini Minc machine and some teal DecoFoil.
The card was finished after I added a few clear sequins.

So this card has a purpose, I'm linking it to the Lawnscaping Challenges where the theme is "off kilter!".

Both the stripes in the background and the sentiment triangle are on an angle. It also works well with the budgie's tail.

Anyway, That's all for me now. I'm off for the weekend to Brisbane's Scrapbook and Papercraft Expo. I'm doing four classes and looking around at what's new. I'll let you know how I go. I'm also hoping to catch up with my online crafting buddies Therese Calvird and Linda Langes. Should be fun!

Bye for now.

Love,

Janelle

Watercoloured Backgrounds

Here are a selection of cards I created for Practical Publishing a while ago that demonstrated techniques that could be used to watercolour backgrounds for cards. I used salt, over white heat embossing, wet-on-wet technique, using embossing folders, with stencils (lifting colour) and over the top of texture paste.

 The green one that was done using an embossing folder is actually ombre in effect (very subtle) but accomplished by laying progressively darker shades of green down the embossing folder before closing it to run through the diecutting machine.

I think my fave is the one at the top where I added salt to the multicoloured panel while the paint was still wet. Lovely effect.

Hope you enjoy these.

Bye for now.

Love,
Janelle

I'm now on two more Design Teams!

I hope I don't get into trouble for telling you this yet, but, I've been asked to be on the design team for two internet card challenges. I'm so excited!!!

They are both the brainchildren of Angie Addison. from Florida, USA. The first one is Get Creative Challenges and the other is Simply Create Too Challenges.  I'll be submitting cards for them real soon - can hardly wait!!!

I have also started a Facebook page. I'm a bit of a techno-dino, when it comes to things like that, but I need it for my crafting, so needs must....... (I think that's how it goes.) I will be using it mostly for cards etc. I hope those who have asked to be my friend don't get too disappointed with what I post on it. :)

Speaking of dinosaurs, I've ordered a ring with a Dinogem in it. In case you don't know, Dinogems are agatized dinosaur bones and sometimes called "gembone". The stone for my ring is said to be from a T Rex. How cool is that???! I'll post a photo when it comes.

Lastly I'm posting some cards I made for Practical Publishing a while back and hope you like them. They used foiling techniques from heat foiling, using glues, stamping, double-sided tape, gilding flakes and gold leaf.

The "Hello" card uses what I've called a faux velvet technique. IRL the texture on the card looks like jacquard velvet (the red/brown bits). This is because I applied gilding flakes through a stencil (onto a panel of double-sided adhesive sheet, then rubbed in some Distress Glitter once the stencil was removed. Because the glitter flakes are rather large, they don't lie flat and you see a nap, like in real velvet. 

I'd seen it with microbeads added but not the Distress Glitter, and I really love the effect that produced. Another good thing also, the glitter doesn't continue to brush off with this type. No more fairyland funhouse here.  :)

Anyway, bye for now.

Love,

Janelle

80th Birthday card

I'm sharing a card I made for my mother-in-law for her 80th birthday last week.

I embossed a panel of white cardstock using a Couture Creations Confetti embossing folder. I then inked over the top with gold Delicata ink. The panel (and the sentiment banner) was matted with gold mirri card. The doily was one I had made previously using paper clay and a mold, which was sprayed with Iridescent Gold Glimmer mist. The font was die cut from gold glitter cardstock using a Tim Holtz Alterations/Sizzix die set (Alphanumeric 3/4" tall).

I'm sure that this set will become a firm favourite as it produced a really nice result and the letters are a great size to use. Just one thing, since there are 125 pieces in this set and I was sure that I will be using "Happy Birthday" again, I separated these dies out from the heap and sealed them in a little baggie so I don't have to hunt through the lot again. I'm also thinking of doing the same for other words that may be used often, especially "love", etc.

I'm glad to report my MIL loved the card. She is a lovely person and I'm so very lucky that she's in my life. She welcomed me from the very first meeting and she's always there with a hug when needed. :) I am blessed.

Anyway, bye for now.

Love,

Janelle 

Some bloopers for you to see

Bonjour, mes amis. (Don't know why I did that, just felt like a little French flourish.)

I don't believe in waste (if I can help it), so when I recently tried out some new techniques (and failed) I turned them around to add to my stash of cards to offload onto my friends and family.  :)

This first card was supposed to look like Therese Calvird's beautiful die embossed and stamped card (pictured here), but I couldn't get the tension right on my die cutting machine and it kept on cutting out the butterfly and not embossing the frame. Rather than throw out the lot I fell back on a favourite technique with colour sponging and foam tape to lift the coloured layer off the stamped image. I then sprinkled over some water drops to watermark the colours and when dry, drenched it in Glimmer Mist. It'll do! :)

The second card was a test run for a commission using Distress Markers and I was trying out a background colouring technique. 

The image was stamped with Archival Ink and then masked with some Molotow Grafx Art Masking Liquid. (I only discovered it the other day and it was exactly what I wanted for what I had in mind - and I love using it already!) Only problem was that my background ending up a muddy grey colour - not a good look! After splashing on some more green and blue colours, I got it fairly reasonable. Once I splattered over some Glimmer Mist in a number of colours, it started looking even better. So here is the finished product. 

Alex, my son, said it looked like a sympathy card, but maybe it could be a masculine card or a birthday card for some-one over 50 (they don't need a lot of colour!) ;?) Only joking - I'm in that group as well.

Anyway, I'm going back to try it out again (this time with another type of paper). Hopefully I'll get lucky this time.

Bye for now.

Love,
Janelle

Time for more cards

I'm posting another collection of cards I made during the last year. This lot were published in Issue 58 of Australian Simply Cards by Practical Publishing. 

They featured the technique called OMBRE. I was looking for easily translated cards that showed the basic versions of this technique; so I included: using layers of varying coloured cardstock, watercolouring backgrounds, sponging different colours over heat embossed stamping, heat embossing with different coloured embossing powders and die-cutting different coloured cardstock.

My favourite cards were the Hello card as well as the heat embossed multi-coloured card. There was another card I made for the commission, but I don't like it, so I'm self-editing it out.

Bye for now. Have a lovely weekend.

Love,
         Janelle 

Triple Stamping

I'm posting today some cards made for Issue 56 of Australian Simply Cards, published by Practical Publishing. These cards featured triple stamping which is a simple technique to do, but looks really difficult to the uninitiated.

All of the cards used the same technique, just used a variety of different background shapes and tags and arrangement of pieces.

     

 

This card was my favourite. I love the positioning of the background shapes and the butterflies. 

This card is slightly different to the others as the background was sponged as well as stamped (and heat embossed) before matting and assembling. It doesn't look real nice in the photo, (because of the shine) but IRL the colours are lovely and the heat embossing really shows up nicely.















As you can see, each card shows a different variation of the technique. It really stretches my brain to show what can be done using each technique. 

This was an easy collection to show you as I had fun with this technique and have used it a few times since.

See you again tomorrow.

Bye for now.
Love,
         Janelle

Metal Shim

Back again with another selection of cards that have been published by Practical Publishing. This lot of cards was published in Australian Papercraft Essentials 31. These cards featured a variety of uses for metal shim in cardmaking. I wanted to keep the techniques fairly basic, while still being interesting.




This card used a number of embossing folders, including some embossing in brass in the Vintag tags and folder. I also stencilled with some  Viva Décor Copper 3D Stamp-Paint, used a metal butterfly and metallic mesh to increase the metallic look.




















I die cut Ranger Inkssentials Foil tape sheets for this card and then created a metal foil rose using outline stickers that I placed on the mesh and cut around, before shaping and then adhering together to form the rose. The leaves were made in the same manner, but using silver outline stickers on the foil. I love the mixture of gold and silver.

      







On this card I did dry embossing with an embossing folder, then sanded the surface before playing with alcohol inks to give an aged look.

       To make the foil stronger and more resilient to dry embossing I stuck it to some cardstock before embossing.

To be honest, there are parts of this card I like (flowers and the painted doily behind) but I wish I'd done something else with the foil. Not sure???

      









For this card after I embossed with an embossing folder, I then painted the foil with some Viva Décor 3D Stamp-Paints to give it a totally different texture. I sanded the banner before adding the sticker alphas.

The foil on this card was die cut before being recoloured using alcohol ink. 
 










This final card was created by hand embossing the house that had been stamped in thicker foil and then shaped with tools to create the shaped image. To keep the shaping, I filled the back of the image with foam tape, before attaching to the card. 

The letters were heat embossed with Stampendous Frontage Embossing set, adding mica to give it a more tactile appearance.







Anyway, that's it for this lot of cards. Be back soon with more.

Bye for now,
Love,
         Janelle

Watercolored Cards

Here are some more cards that were published by Practical Publishing over the past year. They were published in Australian Papercraft Essentials 30 and featured quick tricks with distress markers.

Whenever I do a "technique" collection, I try to do a different technique on each card, so this first card features a background where I scribbled over a craft sheet with a few distress markers, spritzed with water and then smooshed the cardstock over it.

This second card was stamped and then coloured with the distress markers. Only a little water was brushed over to blend the colouring.

 This card was stamped with a stamp that had been coloured with the distress markers and then spritzed with water before stamping. That's why you get the watercoloured effect and less distinct lines from the stamp.

This card was the most complicated to do. The cardstock was dry embossed with an embossing folder, then brayered with VersaMark, before being heat embossed with white embossing powder. The impressions in the cardstock were then coloured with the distress markers and a waterbrush.

This final card has a background that was coloured with distress markers on a background stamp, then without spritzing, stamped onto the cardstock. The collage stamp was then stamped over the top and coloured with the distress markers. 

 I think that this last card is my favourite of this lot. It was also the hardest to do perfectly as the background had to be stamped just right to work out without too many light patches. This is the tricky bit when just relying on a "huff" to keep the ink moist enough to stamp evenly. I then had the second layer of stamping to worry about as well. I think I had six or seven attempts before I got this sample to use.

Anyway, more next time.

Bye for now,
Love,
         Janelle

P.S. Reason I didn't post yesterday was that I couldn't get my son off the computer - that's what you get with school holidays.