Poinsettias - Christmas is coming ...

Poinsettias - Christmas is coming ...

 Today I am using a set  of DL Rubber Stamps the Poinsettia Script is a beautifully designed set and can easily be made into a 3d image should the mood take you. I have shown the front and the reverse of this heart which could be used on a gift or as a gift to someone special. Or maybe even a Christmas Decoration.

I used a blank Rice Paper to stamp onto and then coloured using Distress Inkpads a little water and paint brush, then once dry stamped the image using  A Versafine Clair Nocturne Inkpad. To add extra colour to the image I have used some watercolour brush pens. To seal the image onto the heart I have used Deco Art Decoupage. On the reverse I have used a pre-printed piece of Rice Paper, sealing once again and then after completing both sides of this heart I used a permanent black chisel tipped marker to go around the edge. Finally I used a suitable piece of organza ribbon making a loop and bow to hang the heart from.

                         

Thank you for looking in today 

Love Doreen
 

 

Heaven and Earth

Heaven and Earth 

Today I will be sharing some of my samples from last months newly launched designs by the talented Fiona Randall there are two A4 sets and to choose a favourite is nigh on impossible,

Celestial Rubber Stamp Set   and the 

Sacred Rubber Stamp Set

The first of my samples is using the Celestial Set, using Alcohol Inks and a Lift Out Inkpad which quite literally does as the name suggests.

Using Yupo and a selection of Alcohol Inks I used 3 different shades of blue. 

Ink up the stamp of choice with the Lift Out Inkpad as you would with any other Inkpad and stamp onto the prepared and dry Alcohol Ink background. Lift off after a few seconds which will have allowed the Inkpad to do its work. Do not waste what you have lifted from the background stamp it onto a spare piece of card or into a journal. Two for the price of one, that can't be bad can it ?? 

The next photo is from the Sacred Set using the same technique but a different colourway.

For another look you can also use Versamark and White Embossing Powder on the Heavyweight Yupo but add the heat in short bursts as because the Yupo is basically a plastic paper it tends to buckle if too much heat is applied to it.

These are fairly quick and addictive techniques but very effective, I hope you have enjoyed looking today.

Love Doreen

 

Beautifully Evergreen

 Welcome to Christmas inspiration in September. Today I have four samples to show you but will not bore you with ins and outs of how each of them were made. They are all fairly easy to achieve. They are all made using the fabulous Holly Script Rubber Stamp Sheet - DL.

This first sample was made using the trusty A4 Drawing Cartridge, cut the card slightly larger than you want your finished topper to be. Using a Green Distress Inkpad blend the colour into your card leaving an area in the centre free of ink. Spritz with water and lift excess water off with kitchen roll. Taking a Black inkpad of choice once background is dry, stamp image onto the card. Heat set with a heat gun. then colour the Holly leaves with either paint or using a darker green inkpad to paint with, working fairly quickly add either embossing powder or glaze if you have it to the leaves and emboss with your heat gun. Next, using stickles or glitter glue of choice enhance the veins of the holly and add some lighter stickles to the stem to give the impression of light. Then add the red to the berries leave to one side to dry. Put well away from your work area as it does take a while to dry and I have many a mishap with not doing so. I used a piece of white card to matt the topper onto and a piece of red card to folded for the base. 

For this sample I chose a rustic feel using sepia tones and a piece of corrugated card for the base.

This next sample uses some odds and ends from my stash including a bauble shaped piece of mount board. Ribbon and bakers twine add a little decoration. Coloured using Distress Inkpads to paint with, also a little ink on a soft brush to add some colour to the outside edge of the bauble.

Another sample using a backing made some time ago to make a small card that uses the delightful verse that is included in this beautiful set of stamps.

Thank you for looking in today

Love Doreen

 

Perfectly Perched

 Perfectly Perched

The stamp used in the making of these cards is called

 The Gift Rubber stamp set - A6

Owl Edges Rubber Stamp sheet - A5

It is a very detailed stamp and full of potential. The first one is quite easy to make as is the second of the cards although it is a bit more fiddly if you choose to cut it out as I have.

The Bauble is made using a stencil, but if you don't have one fold a piece of paper in half and cut the shape you would like. Using a low tack tape position your bauble in place, stamp your image through the stencil, using the Distress Inkpad and a soft blending brush define the shape of your bauble. Spritz your paints with water and colour your image.

Then finally using the twig from the Owl Edges stamp sheet and the Versafine Clair Green Oasis stamp randomly around the image. 

This second card was stamped using a White Inkpad and White Embossing Powder onto Black Card. I used Iridescent Watercolour Paints to colour this piece and mounted the image after fussy cutting it onto a gold satin card with some green sheer ribbon on two of the corners. The image is mounted onto the card using a silicone glue gel. 

Thank you for looking in today

Love Doreen xx 

Floral Delights

 Floral Delights

Today I have two samples from the last months shows, both are from the beautiful

 Flora and Fauna Rubber Stamp Sheet - A4

The first of the images used is the stunning Morning Glory, such a beautiful yet delicate flower. This set has so many fabulous images (16 in total) six of the images are large and make a real statement, but the others on this stamp sheet are equally as beautiful and detailed in their own right and very useful too.

The second is an easily recognisable Cala Lily and although I would love some in the garden my hubby dislikes them with a passion, so I content myself looking at the wonderful display in my neighbours garden.

The Morning Glory was made first by using a Gelli Plate with dye inkpads and a sheet of kitchen roll applied whilst the ink was still wet, taken off fairly quickly and then using a sheet of card larger than the size needed for the finished card and take a print then set to one side to dry.

Stamp the main image onto another piece of card, then using your dye inkpads as paints colour your image.

I then tore the edges of the card and with a soft brush applied ink to the edges of the torn piece to add definition.

With the Cala Lily I stamped the image then coloured it using Inktense Pencils and a Clear Sparkle Brush Pen to blend. I stamped and coloured the dragonflies in the same way. The clear gems were added once the image was dry,

Thank you for looking in today

Love Doreen xx

Summers Day

 Summers Day

Hi everyone, here are my picks for today. Can't you just imagine looking a view just like this out of a window ? 

This was a fairly quick make to be fair. I used a cloud mask and some of my Distress Inkpads applying them with soft brushes onto some glossy card.

Next with some Versafine Clair Green inkpads and the 

Walk Tall Rubber Stamp sheet - DL

 For the grasses in the foreground I just used the tops of the stamps, applying them randomly. When completely dry buff with a soft cloth to give a sheen to your finished card and although I chose not to you can easily add a sentiment of your own choice to the card.

Here is another card which uses the grasses from the Walk Tall Rubber Stamp sheet - DL

in the background to compliment the beautiful Majestic Crane Rubber Stamp sheet - DL 

Again this is a simple card to make using the Majestic Crane stamped directly onto a Pixie Powder background which work exactly the same as brushes but with added mica powder.

The card used for this make is the trusty  A4 Drawing Cartridge 220gsm - pk 10 Which is definitely my go to card in the majority of my makes. 

Well that is all from me today, I will be back again later in the month but there is a daily blogpost from the Design Team where you can see some fantastic makes from the rest of the team to inspire you.

Thank You for looking in 

Love Doreen xx

Sitting Pretty

Sitting Pretty

Today I would like to share this make with you, it uses a stamp set called

 Mermaid Queen Rubber stamp sheet - A5

I also used a Grey Inkpad, Watercolour Brush Pens, a Clear Glitter Gel Brush Pen and one of my Make Art inkpads Garden Patina which I used to colour the background and the mermaids spotlight bubble.

Another card made using the Mermaid Queen set and the very versatile and much loved

 Make your Mark Rubber Stamp sheet - DL

I used the worker stamps in the Mermaid Queen stamp set, a mop up background on glossy card, the stamped images were embossed using a clear embossing powder.

The bubbles from the Make Your Mark set I feel set the scene on the backing card for the finished topper.

Thank you for looking in today

Love Doreen 

Punky Posy

 Punky Posy

Hello all Chocolate Baroquers, I'm back for my second visit this month. I would like to share this Steampunk floral tag with you today.

Using a sparkle paint to cover the MDF Tag used in one coat, leave to dry and stamp the Roses onto Drawing Cartridge, I coloured the roses using Inktense Pencils and after shaping slightly I used a crackle glaze to add a sheen to the roses.

Returning to the tag I stamped and heat embossed the cogs randomly directly onto the tag using a black inkpad and clear embossing powder.

Apply the roses to the tag using a gel of to aid the depth required, I also added a metal cog from my embellishment stash. To finish I used a little glitter and some variegated coloured organza ribbon for a bow and to hang the tag from.

A4 Drawing Cartridge 220gsm - pk 10

Steampunk Butterfly Rubber stamp sheet - A5

I also used the Steampunk Butterfly stamps to create this card, which actually contains the beautiful Steampunk Butterfly.

Thank you so much for looking in today 

Love Doreen

 

Memories Of The Beach

 Memories Of The Beach

Hello everyone, I hope you are all well and looking forward to the weekend, here are two of my projects from last months shows.

The tag in the first photo and the canvas both use the Seashell Collage

 Seashell Collage Rubber stamp sheet - A5 

The tag is a bit of a long make but only because I used 3 different colour Crackle Enamels, which I spread in a random way mixing them without worrying about the mix. Set aside to dry. Then stamp the images in a permanent ink and fussy cut the images. Once the crackle has dried using a 3d gel to mount the images and then using a sealant of choice to seal the crackle and images.

The Canvas Board is very straight forward to make but do keep a spare piece of smooth paper to hand. I stamped using the Archival Colbalt Blue inkpad, the images need to be stamped with a firm pressure then using the paper you have to hand stamp the image this will leave a textured print for you to use either to decoupage or to use on another project.

Thank you for looking in today 

Love Doreen 

Time to Re - Visit

 Time to Re - Visit

Today we re - visit these lovely houses.

Dutch House

Italian House

Bridge House

Turret House

It was more than a pleasure to re-visit these lovely stamps, they really are very versatile.

I have used different mediums to colour but in the main they have been stamped with Versafine inkpads in either grey or black. 

Backgrounds have been coloured using Distress Inkpads smooshed onto a glass mat and applied with a paintbrush.

To extend the Bridge House I used a mask using the Masking Tissue.

This was also used in the making of the Turret House which also used a sentiment from Life Is So Much Better.

Thank you for looking in today

Love Doreen 

  Orchard  Designs

Using a blank wood plaque and Versafine Clair Acorn and the taller of the trees from the Orchard Design a Tree set, which I slightly extended. A dye inkpad was used to colour the sky applied with a stencil brush. The heads of the flowers were also coloured from a dye inkpad and paintbrush. The foliage on the tree was stamped with a Plum Archival Inkpad. Both the stems of the flowers and grassy area used a green inkpad and paintbrush. The white gel pen daisies were left to dry before applying 2 coats of Deco Art  Decoupage medium to seal.

This card needs a little pre preparation I have used something called

 ' Goosebumps' Which is basically a clear medium that remains raised when dry this was flicked onto the card not sprayed. Anything you have in your stash that does the same will do equally as well.

 Once dry you can carry on as normal.

Using a mix of Distress Inkpads, for the sky I have used ; 

Wild Honey, Rusty Hinge and Crackling Campfire, which have been applied to the card using a soft brush randomly building up the colour to give the illusion of a sunset.

The trees and hills have been stamped and using a torn piece of paper and soft brush to build the colour for the hills from the really dark working the colour from the brush without adding more colour to build the distant hills , if more colour is required on brush use the brush very lightly or using a scrap of card apply the dark ink to be used at a later date. The trees and hills used a Versafine Clair Inkpad 'Pinecone', stamping the foliage until no ink remains on the stamp which will add depth. Buff the colour from your raised dots and although some will stay most will come off and mount onto  Craft Card for contrast. 

 

This card is so very simple, again using a remnant of the above card with the raised medium. I used a circle of  Masking Tissue. Then using Distress Inkpads in colours Shaded Lilac, Faded Jeans and Hickory Smoke using circular motions fading the colour out to the lovely soft grey. The Hills were coloured using Black Soot with a make up sponge and a torn piece of copy paper. Then the tree was stamped with Versafine Clair Nocturne.

So there concludes three relatively quick and simple cards from the  Orchard Dress a Tree set.

Thank you for looking in today

Love Doreen

 

Blossom Lane

This canvas was quite a labour of love as firstly I stamped, coloured and fussy cut each of Kim Moody's latest release of stamps which include ;

Kim Moody - Bottle and Jug A6 rubber stamp 

Kim Moody - Cotswold Stone A6 rubber stamp

Kim Moody - Luv Shack A6 rubber stamp

Kim Moody - Urban Chic A6 rubber stamp

Plus I have also used the Chocolate Baroque stamps

Orchard Design a Tree Rubber stamp sheet - A6

Although not a necessity and very time consuming I stamped and coloured some blossoms to add depth to the canvas fussy cutting the individual blossoms and shaping and applying each of them to the trees.

Next the canvas itself was coloured using a wash of distress inks, which I also used to colour the cottages. The path was just randomly sized paving slabs yet again coloured using a paintbrush and distress inkpads allowing the colour to fade before replenishing the brush which gives a natural look to the shading.

The sentiment is from the Life Is So Much better set which was simply stamped and cut up before being applied to the canvas.

Life is so much Better Rubber Stamp sheet - A5

To finish I simply set everything in place before adding some birds using a fine liner pen.

Here are also one each of the cards from Kim's new range;

Thank you for looking in today 

Love Doreen