Tag week - Trees at TIOT

This being the Tag week over at Try It On Tuesdays, the theme is Trees. I decided on being rustic and grungy, the tag is sitting on a piece of torn and exposed cardboard, which I coloured with Walnut Stain. A hole punched though them both is tied up with garden twine. The actual tag, has was stamped and clear embossed with text, then I blended several toning colours of Distress inks, I then stamped a super large tree from Inkylicious, with a scattering of birds from the grass. When everything was dry. Out came a sheet of newspaper and I ironed over the tag, till the hot iron had removed the embossing , leaving behind a white text, going through all of the stamping, this is known, I believe as 'Batik stamping'. May I add, like any good crafter, this is the only iron, I've touched for over a week. Once again I look forward to visiting your blogs. There were some fabulous seaside cards last week. Please pop over to our blog where the design team have produced some wonderful tree tags. have fun and thanks for visiting my blog.

CAS at Cards for Men

Over at Cards for Men and Boys, the challenge this week is Clean and Simple. Some time ago, I saw this technique, which I am calling Split Negative, I tried several times without success. Today I tried again and it worked so well. Everything comes to he who waits, so they say. I stamped with Versamark and used white embossing powder onto black card, then stamped onto white card, using black ink and clear embossing powder. The trick then is to mount them one on the other exactly, I then cut the square to 6sq cm.,  checked again the position of the bike then cut the card at 3 cm. I have another two pieces left so I can make another card. I matted and layered on white and black card. Added black and silver card candy down the two scalloped edges and made it a tent card. I hope you like my card, however, many thanks for visiting me, I always look forward to your comments.
I am also entering this into  the Secret Crafter Monochrome (Black and White only) challenge.

Things with Wings - Birds or Bugs

This is our second week of Things with Wings at Make My Monday, and Suzanne would like us to create a project with Birds or Bugs.  I wanted to use an embossing folder, so I chose birds. Firstly I coloured the card with Distress Inks before I placed it in the E.F. and ran it though the Cuttlebug. I then added more colour to the embossed areas and the sky. I wasn't too happy with the bird already on the embossing folder so I decided to stamp a suitable bird for the top of the reed as well as one for the lower section of the card.



I added some twine for texture. The birds are from Inkadinkado - Jewel birds, I have added some glitter on some areas, the remaining areas have been painted with H20's. I coloured the card with Weathered Wood for the sky. For the lower area, I covered the card with Mustard Seed, then used a piece of mesh through which I dabbed with Spiced Marmalade, don't you just love the names of these wonderful inks? Added a few flowers and job done.  Please pop over to the challenge blog for the Design Team have made some wonderful Birds or Bugs samples for you to see. I again look forward to visiting your blog, it is amazing how many variations of a theme are possible, it is so interesting. Thanks for visiting me, I always appreciate your comments.

No 2 Beside the Seaside

Here I am again, ladies, my second card for the month for St. Luke's Charity Card Challenge. Do you know they need to have £4 million  to provide the care they give each year?  It is ages since I was last at the seaside,  so I am enjoying pretending to be there. This card was made using a Joanna Sheen stamp, an oldie but a golden set in my collection. I decoupaged the little boy to make him more life like. I have added glitter glue to the sea, I hope you can see the glitter when you take a peek. I used Distress Inks to colour everything on the card, I thought it added more interest by taking the colouring from the panel to all of the card.

I hope my last batch of cards arrived okay. Have a good week ladies, see you next Sunday.

I am also entering this card into the Gingersnap Creations "Babes and Tots" Challenge.

Fashionable Stamping - New Blog

It seems there are new challenge blogs sprouting up like mushrooms but this is one I have signed on as a follower and will be entering their challenges on a regular basis. The Fashionable Stamping Challenges will be perfect for my stamping. I wish the group every success, though I know they will be a very popular challenge blog. For my first entry in their first challenge,  Anything Goes, I have made a small 4" square easel card, A little cheat on the base, for it is from the new La Pashe build a Blossom sheets. However, the easel section is 100% staming techniques. I started by  heat embossing text which covered the square. Then coloured the background with Fired Brick red Distress inks, so I had a resist technique. I then stamped the lovely lady and swirls, from La Blanche stamps, using Tuxedo Black. all was then dried with a heat tool. The card was covered with newspaper and ironed carefully checking as I went, until all of the embossed was ironed off, leaving a batik effect. The writing is still there behind all of the stamping giving a very effective background.
I am also entering this card into the Sugar Creek Hollow Make you own Background challenge, another beautiful challenge site.

On the Beach

This week at Try It On Tuesdays, we would like to see anything connected to the beach, there are a few challenges around with the same title this week, so why not add our name to your list too. Over on our blog there are some wonderful samples from the DT. Don't forget the winner, chosen by the Random Indicator, will receive a £10 voucher from One Stop Craft cards, their logo is on my side bar.
For my card, I decided to punch a 3" aperture, to allow us to see through to another scene.
I used the Coastal stamps from Creative Expressions and Distress inks for my colouring both in and out of the card.  I am looking forward once again to visiting your blogs, have fun, I do hope we get some more sunny weather before the summer ends. Have fun and thanks for visiting my blog.
I am also entering my card into the following challenges.
St. Luke's Charity Card Challenge - At the Seaside
There She Goes     Summer
Creative Inspirations  Summertime
Craft Room Challenge summer Holidays

New Month - New Theme at MMM

A new month, a new theme, at Make My Monday. Thanks to Fliss for the Vintage theme last month which was greatly enjoyable. For August we have Suzanne's choice of WINGS AND THINGS, each week, there will be a different challenge, around the theme, starting this week with Butterflies or Dragonflies, I seem to have been the only one who chose dragonflies, for I think they can be just as beautiful as a butterfly, I started by mmaking, what I call a stubby Diamond fold card.  I stamped on the lower section with a crackle stamp and added a greeting. The main topper on the diamond fold, was first coloured with Distress inks, dried, stamped with Versamark, again with the crackle stamp and a small swirl stamp. I then gently brushed onto the topper, gold and copper mica powders, which I then dried with my heat tool. Finally I stamped the dragonflies using Memento Tuxedo black ink. Give it a try, it's great fun and you can get some wonderful results by experimenting. Good luck and have fun.