Before Coca Cola

It has been way too long since my last post but this is due to having no internet connection for days on end and then coming down with a real bad head cold. So unsure just where to begin I'll post my most recent project.

Yesterday I was at a demo day at my local craft shop and the main interest was a demo on colouring Magnolia stamps. It was very relaxed and the demonstrator Nina couldn't have been more helpful. Made you want to try everything. Anyhow I bought the stamp I used in this project and just to add a twist I decided to use it for Monday's colour challenge (olive, yellow, kraft or tan and dark brown optional) at Stamptv.

I am also linking it to the Belles and Whistles GDT call.

They say that before Coca Cola came along Santa wore a green suit.

This image is watercoloured using Ranger Distress inks and although I'm happy enough with how my first attempt with this medium turned out it didn't go as easy as the demo. I think this was down to not having the right card. The only watercolour paper I have is textured and you really need smooth. I decided to use good quality smooth paper but because it wasn't proper watercolour paper the inks dried before you could blend them properly. Just need a trip to the art supplies shop.

inside

By the way, a message to the 3 ladies who were with me, - I know you'll be reading this and I will be waiting to see what you've done with your stamps.

STAMP: Magnolia - Santa with Gift CHF - Pine Needles and Cones Backgrounder

RIBBON: GinaK BUTTONS: Lasting Impressions

CARDSTOCK: GinaK

Baby Girl / Christening

Just to try to make a hole in the backlog of posts here is a card I made for a sketch challenge last week.

stvsc32

The background is made by inking the Houndstooth Cuttlebug embossing folder.

The sentiment is stamped and embossed in silver and cut using the long rectangle nestabilities. There is too much of a difference between the size of the nesties I stamped on and the one I used for a mat - it had to be tweaked slightly.

STAMP: Stampendous- Shine on You

CUTTLEBUG: Houndstooth

NESTABILITIES: Long Rectangles

Brighten Someone's Day

Today's posts are the Stamptv Technique challenges for last week and this. Unusual for me both cards are uncharacteristically bright but the I am trying to broaden my collection.

Shaker Card

Last week we were challenged to make a shaker card. I eventually decided that I would use a Tilda stamp with the shaker bits representing raindrops.

The problem I faced is that Tilda is quite a big stamp and so requires quite a big frame. There is little room left for anything else on the card front.

For some reason this background paper (dp) reminds me of water. I think it's the distress lines through it suggest ripples. Anyhow the paper determined the colours used on the stamp.

It doesn't seem quite finished to me and I would like to put a sentiment on the front - something I quite often avoid. It could be a birthday card or any number of cards but I see it as a Get Well wish with something quirky like 'Sorry you're feeling under the weather'. Just can't decide where to put it. All suggestions welcome.

STAMPS: Magnolia - Tilda in Spring Rain

PAPER: DCWV

PUNCH: Fiskars -Threading Water

Patchwork Pieces

This week's challenge was to do some sewing on a card. Have actually wanted to do this for some time so this was the perfect opportunity. I really enjoy patchwork so to me this was the way to go. It's a great way to use up leftover pieces of card-just as a quilt is intended to use up scraps. Anyhow I got the machine out and once I got past the point where I thought I'd broken it (way too long since last sewed) the card started to take shape. I didn't think to photograph it a the time but the difference before and after the stitching is amazing -I could hardly believe it. Anyhow here's the result and I really enjoyed making it. Put me back on the notion of sewing.

STAMPS: Gina K - Thanks A Million

Good news for me - my posting of JT and Mother Hen won me a stamp set in the Stamptv scrapbook challenge.

Unchartered waters

Having a blog is a whole new territory for me - the difficulties of learning how to set it up, how to customise and then how to operate it. Everytime I think I'm getting somewhere I do something

I shouldn't and have to start again.

So for this post I may as well introduce something else that is outside my comfort zone - the colours green and pink. Personally I love autumnal colours or anything blue but I decided it was time to try something different. It was also my first Magnolia stamp.