2yr old Birthday card...

Im posting this hoping that the recipients mother doesnt see my blog... So far I think Im ok... This was another of my Commission cards... This time the brief was to make a Birthday Card for a 2 yr old Boy...

So I thought, bright colours, a truck, ballons and presents... What more would a 2 yr old boy want!?? I had fun with this one. Stamped with StazOn and coloured with my blender pens and SU ink. I lifted one of the baloons, and the presents on 3d foam and then decided that the card still needed a little Oomph... I used some 3d gloss, (Crystal Effects or Glossy Accents are two really good ones if youre shopping) and filled in the blue balloon, the red number 2 and the hub caps of the truck. (The number was cut out with a cuttlebug alphabet/number die using my big-shot. I cut out a red and a blue and layered the blue underneath to look like a shadow. The photo doesnt show it very well but I also did some sponging on the background and theres little fluffy clouds too! This was just done with some bashful blue ink and a scallop circle punch-out.

Again I remembered to decorate the inside with some strips of coloured cardstock.

What do you think?

Recipe
All products SU! Except red ribbon and 3d gloss.

New Year, New Colours!

Well, for me anyway! I rarely make New-Years resolutions but this year I made a crafting one... To use colour.... More of it, and using colours I havnt used in a while! Heres the first one.

This card has a 'recessed window'. I didnt think of the idea, I got it from Splitcoast Stampers, but the instructions were for a square card and window, so I changed it up and offset the window in a regular sized card. I also did some colouring with my SU! Markers and a blender pen...


Papers are from SU! Tea & Crumpets DSP, card is Kraft. Inks are SU! Markers.

Heres a link to the tutorial for the recessed window....

Last (and craziest) Card... (AKA Swirls & Pearls!)

Well you have to smile at this one... It was late at night. I had a long day. I went a bit mad with the swirls and the pearls...


In no way symetrical, in no way pretty... Just a bit too much dont you think? I like the colouring anyway... ha ha ha...


I think I may just have to 'rescue' the Gorjuss Girl and put her on a card that she deserves... !

BTW, doesnt the bird look like a chicken? Is it supposed to be a chicken? Who has a conversation with a chicken for goodness sake?

Reicpe: Stamp from Sugar Nellie, 'Gorjuss - A little birdie told me'.
Inks: Black Staz-On, SU! Markers.
Cardstock: SU! So Saffron DS Papers from SU!
Sizzlits Die 'Scribbles Swirls'. White Opal Liquid Pearls by Ranger.
Spellbinders Nestabilities 'Large Labels' dies.

So, Im done with this series now. Hope you got a laugh from this last one... I DID! I have the latest cards from my Craft Club to share next...

Y'all come back now Y'hear?

TTFN

C xx

Second Card in the Series...

Now this card is Abbis FAVOURITE! If you know my daughter you will immediately know why... Its pink and its glittery!


I must admit I had a smile on my face when colouring this as I knew she would like it... I actually think it looks a little like her too, including the attitude!


Did you notice the die cut swirls this time?


I ran the swirls through my Xyron twice - first time as usual and only removed the top transparent sheet. I then turned the piece over and ran it through again to get adhesive on the other side. This time remove both sheets making sure it still has the original backing piece on it. You can then glitter then front really easily and just peel off the backing sheet to stick on your card... Some pieces I just glued onto the card and added stickles iridescent glitter for a bit of contrast. Oh and the clear 'blobs' by the main image are just 3d gloss.

Recipe: Stamp is from Sugar Nellie - 'Gorjuss - Sitting' by Susanne Woolcott. Inks: Black Staz-On and SU! Markers.
Cardstock is SU! Pretty In Pink. Paper is SU! Sweet Always.
Sizzlits Die is 'Scribbles Swirls'. 3D gloss and glitter from stash.
Spellbinders Nestabilites Classic Ovals Large and Classic Scalloped Ovals Large.

Last card coming soon... I think I went a bit crazy with that one...!

TTFN

C xx

New & Improved Service... New Cards...

I now know what I have been missing... The new Whizzy Machine is AWESOME!!! Ive edited and uploaded about 20 photos already and its only 8.20am!
OK, so Ive been playing with my new toys I bought at the craft shop... Specifically the Sissix Sizzlitz Die (try saying that 5 times fast!) in my Big Shot. Ive just used the swirly one... My mission was to create 3 cards using the swirl and some of the images I coloured recently with my SU! Markers and watercolour brush... (Oh and of course my Nestabilites too!!!)

I stamped a whole bunch of images as soon as I got my new stamps and have been colouring gradually when I have time. There were some I had messed up on the shadowing so I just cut them out!

Heres the first card...


Ive used the Kraft cardstock I bought and the Tea & Crumpets Papers from Stampin Up!. I folded the strip along the bottom and pierced a strip that I had used my scallop edge punch on. This is lifted up with 3d foam... The swirly-gigs could be a problem to stick down but I ran them through my xyron sticker maker and it was easy peasy...



The nesties shape was cut out in so saffron but was too much of a contrast so I sponged it a little round the edges to tone it down... 2 Layers of stickles glitter on the wings, some Liquid Pearls from Ranger and its done!

Recipe: Sugar Nellie stamp is Bumble Bee by Suzanne Woolcott.
Inks: Black Staz-On and SU! Markers.
Kraft cardstock and watercolour paper from craft shop. Tea & Crumpets Designer Series Paper from SU!
Sissix Sizzlits Die 'Scribbles Swirls' and Liquid Pearls by Ranger in Gold Pearl and White Opal.
Spellbinders Nestabilities Classic Scalloped Ovals Large.

Another 2 cards to follow but this is by far MY favourite... I will show you Abbis favourite next...

TTFN

C xx

ITS CHRISTMAS!!!

OK OK OK! I know its not really, but Im trying to get a head start on my Crimbo cards this year... Last year I had a few original designs but ended up with one generic card in 3 different colour schemes. I mass produced these cards and felt really bad sending them out!

I recently invested in some Sugar Nellie stamps, thinking I would like to play some more with colouring... Boy have I had fun!!!

This image is coloured using the SU Markers and a watercolour brush! The only thing I have been struggling with is the shadow/outline around the main image...

Ive gone around it with a Bashful blue marker but only the 'thin' end as I think the 'brush' end would be too much... What I really want to know is what Copic Marker do you all use to do the shadows? I may just invest in a couple of these to get the look I want. Dont get me wrong, I love the effect the SU pens give. I think (for me!) the copics are a bit to cartoon-y and I love the 'rough' look of watercolouring...

Any advice gratefully recieved...!

Recipe: Snowflake - Elisabeth Bell, Sugar Nellie stamps. Backgound - SU Snow Burst stamps.
Inks: Black StazOn, SU Markers
Watercolour Paper, SU Old Olive Cardstock, Holiday Treasures DS Paper.
Stickles glitter.

Enjoy,
TTFN

C xx

More Watercolouring...

Heres a girlie card I did with the Stampin Up Markers and a watercolour brush/pen. Im liking this effect as you can pick your patterned paper (from SU) and use the same markers to coordinate your colouring! This card is using the Sweet Always Papers and pens to match.



A close up on the colouring...

YES, I did go over the edges... ON PURPOSE!!! Honest.

Heres the boy version...


This time I pulled out the Junior Vasrsity Papers and used the colours from there...


Another close up of the colouring...


Ive just noticed there is a bit of fluff on Juniors hand! Please excuse... cant be bothered to take the photo and edit all over again! At least not in todays 103f heat!!!

Sorry to keep showing the SU stuff but as an Ex Demonstrator I seem to have a lot of product from them... Cant imagine why? From now on I will try to introduce and demonstrate different ideas and methods you can use with whatever product you have at home. So obviously if you dont have the SU Markers you can achieve the same effect with Marvy Markers and many others on the market. We all have our favourites so, lets use them people!!!

Hope you likey likey... More projects to come soon. What do you want me to show, 3D projects, Big Shot projects, Basic stamping, Give me some ideas and I will give it a try for you...! (results are not guaranteed!!!)

TTFN

C xx

First USA Card!

Well, here it is!



As mentioned in my last post I used the Stampin Up Markers to colour this image and for my first attempt at watercolouring I am pretty darned pleased with the results! The main outline is stamped with Timber Brown Staz On. You MUST use a waterproof ink (Staz On works for me) or your outline will bleed and you will end up with a mushy mess. I started by applying the colour in the shadows (with the brush tip of the marker) and blended with a watercolour brush across into the highlighted areas. I found it easier to then let this area dry and come back with the same colour to apply a darker shadow over the top. I blended this just very slightly to get rid of the pen line... Details were inked with the smaller end of the marker.


(Dontcha love her dirty feet?!)

If you try this technique just play around and have fun. If youre not sure what the colour will look like then practice on a scrap piece of paper. Remember that the watercolour paper will absorb alot of water and will dry fairly quickly so you can always go over an area again if you dont like the result.



By the way the colours were from a DCBD challenge (number 132) and the layout was from a Mojo Monday Challenge (week 71). I would have liked some more 'girlie' colours for my 'girlie-girl' but went I with the plan!

If you ever get stuck for inspiration just do some blog hopping and get some ideas! Its not stealing!... Generally everything we craft bloggers put out there in cyber space is open for what we call CASE - ing, CASE = Create And Share Everything... Obviously we dont want you to copy our projects EXACTLY and pass them off as your own but you are free to use them as inspiration for your own creations.

More colouring to come in the next few days... Im on a roll!!!

TTFN
C xx

Watercolour Effects...

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this set, this is only2 of the stamps (there are 6 in total including 2 with sentiments - FAB!)

Recipe;
Stamps: Summer by the Sea
Card: Whisper white. Boy = Love Notes (Whisper White), Brocade Blue. Girl = Almost Amethyst, Perfect Plum, Lavendar Lace.
Ink: Boy = Night of Navy. Girl = Perfect Plum
Seasonings: Girl = Stampin Pastels, VersaMark Ink Pad, Both = blender pens.

The girl card is made by stamping a background stamp (I used a USA Stampin Up! background stamp, sorry guys... Fingers crossed it makes it into the new catalogue in October!) onto your card base with VersaMark Ink then dabbing with the Stampin Pastels (Chalks)

The boy image is stamped onto some watercolour paper that was given to me. It gives a more smudged look when you use the blender pens & pastels... The girl image is stamped onto Whisper White and colour added the same way. Not sure which I like the best!...

Thanks for Looking...
Enjoy!

C xx