Tips and Tricks Tuesday - Baby Wipes and Rubber Bands!

 Well, have I had fun today? I have been doing a Cary and choosing to get myself messy! Cary loves to do lots of different methods of making cards and although I love the Baby Wipe technique, I haven't used it in many years. Until today! It has been so much fun and because I kept moving the wipes in the tray, I got myself covered in ink! Oh well, never mind!!😀

I started by placing 5 or 6 baby wipes in a tray and then added numerous drops of re-inkers in 5 different colours, 3 blues and 2 yellows, although looking at my cards, you wouldn't think I had used blues at all! The next thing was to put some elastic or rubber bands around some different shaped acrylic blocks. The most bands that I used on a block was 3. Then I started to play. I had the Perfectly Plaid stamp set sitting on my desk so I took some white mats and using the blocks with bands on, made some different backgrounds. Then using 1 of the pine trees, I inked it up using the wipes and stamped them onto another mat and a spare mat to be punched out. I used another filling in stamp to colour them in too. 

The first card was on a soft blue card base. I had used the rubber bands and then a plain block to give a mottled effect too. Punching out 3 of the trees and mounted them using double sided foam or in Stampin' Up! words, Dimensionals and messages to complete it.

 

Here is the tray after I've been playing with the inks, rubber banded blocks and baby wipes. You can see that I haven't laid all of the bands flat too, that adds to the different dimensions and patterns.

 

 

 

The next card is very similar but this time I stamped the trees over the white card mat in different directions and then stamped a clean block onto the wipes and picked some of the ink up to give the wider mottled background.

 

 

Last card for today.

 

 

This last card I really went to town on. I used the rubber banded blocks again on this one and really randomly covered the white mat. I die cut a wreath from the Wreath Builder dies in 2 gorgeous shades of greens. I then stamped a third one using the baby wipes and inks. Yes, I just had to do some fussy cutting too, you know I love fussy cutting! I fussy cut out the wreath and added some of the little 'flowers' onto it. All mounted up, I think they look pretty good together. What do you think?

Make It Monday - #Simple Stamping

 Hello and welcome back. Well, once again Cary's cards last week were an absolute hit. How on earth can I follow those gorgeous gnomes? Aren't they just cute?

I don't know about you but I've started trying to make my Christmas cards. I can hear some of you saying, ALREADY? Well from this year onwards, I aim to get my cards made and written before Christmas Eve! Here's hoping! Well it hasn't been very quiet here as my poor grandson Theo who is now 7+ months old has been teething like crazy all week and still, he has no teeth! I reckon the tooth fairy forgot to dish him out some! 😂😂

Back to my projects this week. I tried to make a jumping box card, no luck yet! I started a triple cube box card, no luck yet! So I came back to simpler cards. Jest as well as it's #simplestamping today.

A few months ago, Cary and I held a charity card making day for a local care home. Most of my card have now gone but here are a few pictures of the simple stamping ones. I used some retired white papers that have a simple image on. They werre the Irresistibly Floral papers. This first one is spots. I edged the card with the gorgeous sea green colour of the Bermuda Bay ink pad and mounted it onto a White card base. To decorate this one, I added what was a wreath but it broke as I was messing about with it! It come from the lovely set of foiled papers called Forever Gold Laser cut papers. They are simply beautiful. So here after I broke it, I saw the letter C and added 2 simple words, A Celebration from the Field of Flowers stamp set. I have left the inside panel, also in the sea green, blank as I thought it might be good for the person who bought it to add their own celebratory message.

 

The 2nd card I'm showing you is another from the gorgeous Forever Gold Laser cut papers.

These simple little laser cut papers are so easy to take out from the outer mat. A few foam mats behind it and onto the card and another one is completed. This time I had a die cut stitched circle left over from another project. I added the simple Happy Birthday from the Well Said stamp set and using pads, added that too over the leaf circle. I inked along the edged of the mat again in the sea green ink and another plain mat on the inside.

Using these laser cut papers and making a card couldn't be easier than abc.

Please don't forget that this month of September...we are sharing the wonderful offer that Stampin' Up! have for this month only!!!!

A fantastic starter kit offer!!!

Wow! Not only do you get to spend £130 on whatever you like for your kit , you will also receive catalogues etc. For the month of September only, you will also recieve 2 bonus stamp sets, a packet of self adhesive rhinestones and 16 precut card and envelope kits!!!! All for the great price of £99 with free delivery 😀 

So why take advantage of this fantastic offer?  

As a Stampin' Up! team member you get to take advantage of an instant discount of 20%, before tax, rising to 25% off all you orders. 

You get to hear about all the fab offers and specials before they go public and take advantage of preorder before catalogues and specials go live.

 You can attend Stampin' Up! Events both here in the UK and abroad. 

You will recieve recognition and rewards for being an active team member.

You can join in a fun vibrant online community and make new like minded friends.

PLUS, if you sign up with Gill and Cary you get to be a part of the Larger Than Life Stampers!!!!! Our vibrant team of like minded crafters of all ages. 

Now what does that mean? Well, we hold regular team get togethers, have fun at in-person and virtual events. There are just for fun challenges. Card swapping. A business group with training on specific things such as social media. 

But most importantly the Larger Than Life Stampers community offers a friendly,  supportive environment where everyone is welcome and valued.  Where you can find inspiration and make great friends.

So if we've tempted you at all just leave a comment below or click the link below 

https://ida.stampinup.com/en-gb/?demoid=5001103   for Gill

https://ida.stampinup.com/en-gb/?demoid=5001701   for Cary

 

Fun Fold Friday Gnome for the Holidays

 For my final post of the week showcasing the Gnomes for the Holidays I'm going to share a card that I made during a mystery card zoom event. The event was great fun. The theme was Peek-a-Boo cards so the card I made just popped into my head!!

The peek-a-boo card to me means a hidden message on the card. And straight away the idea of the little door on the gnomes sweet gnome opening came to mind 😉

So I started by stamping the tree image onto a piece of card. I chose a piece of light blue card and stamped in Memento black ink. I then used alcohol markers to colour it in. I then used a craft knife and carefully cut the door so that it folded open. 

Next I stamped the sentiment I wanted to use onto a strip of white card. I then cut it up so that I could make it fit behind the door. Now I took a small piece of white card and place it behind the opening of the door and using a pencil lightly traced the opening outline. Now carefully stick the words into the space and carefully rub out the pencil lines. I then popped some 3D foam around the words and placed it behind the stamped image. 

I just had to use more of the fab Plaid Tidings pattern paper on the card and used this to dictate the colour pallette for the card.

So that's it from me this week. I do hope you've enjoyed my samples. If you have and would like to buy your own gnomes please consider shopping with us by clicking HERE

I do hope you've enjoyed my inspiration this week as much as I've enjoyed making them 😊 

Have a great weekend and please join me next week when Gill will be sharing her creations with us all.

Have fun

Cary xx 

Throwback Thursday Gnome for the Holidays

 For today's Throwback Thursday I'd like to highlight a technique that was one of the first I learnt. So with the Gnomes for the Holidays and the oh so fabulous Plaid Tidings pattern paper in hand I went for a little paper pieceing. 

Now for those who don't know paper pieceing is where you stamp your image onto your card. Next stamp the image onto pattern paper. Now the hard part decide what piece you're going to cut out! Once you've decided cut it out on the stamped line. Then carefully stick it on top of the stamped image.

So for today's sample I went to town and stamped not one, not two but seven gnomes 😅 I just loved that pattern paper 😉 It certainly won't be the last time you see it ! It is so versatile and not just for Christmas. 

Watercolour Wednesday Gnome for the Holidays

 Watercolour doesn't always have to be the star of the show. But they sure can be your perfect base for a fun picture card such as the one I'm made for today's Gnome for the Holidays card. 

So for today's sample I also decided to create a card that was an unusual size. A long narrow one that fits into an envelope that here in the UK we call a DL. The card base is made from a piece of card measuring 21cm x 19.8cm scored at 9.9cm. 

I then decided to create a " scene " card. Now this is really outside my box but sometimes you just have to .....don't you?

So I then took 2 shades of blue reinker and dropped a drop of each onto a silicon mat or acrylic block. Now add a drop or 2 of water to each.  And then on a piece of thick white cardstock gently give it a wash with water and then add the lighter blue at the bottom and top with the other. 

Once the piece is dry I stamped my images in black memento ink. Now some of the areas in the stamped images , particularly the baubles on the trees, had the watercolour wash showing and I didn't want that. So how did I fix that? I used a liquid called Dakin solution and carefully applied it to the areas I wanted to whiten. (You can also use Milton solution I am reliably informed).

I then took my alcohol markers and coloured in my stamped images. Added a few iridescent snowflake embellishments and there you have it. 

So I stepped out of my comfort zone and made a " scene " card and whilst it might not be the best I'm  happy with it 😀 

Tips, Tricks and Techniques Tuesday Gnome for the Holidays

 Want to hear a secret? One that as a seasoned card maker I shouldn't have!....I find it really hard to use a coloured card base 🤪....I know,  I know it's dreadful 🤣🤣🤣 But it really can be an issue especially when looking to use a more traditional colour pallette at Christmas.  Which is what I wanted to do with today's Gnome for the Holidays inspiration. 

So to find my inspiration for my red and green colour pallette I found a pattern paper that called to me. The paper is from a pack called Heartwarming Hugs from Stampin' Up! It uses a colour pallette of a traditional christmas red and green. But with a contemporary twist with the patterns, all stripes, checks and repeating tiles.

So I now had a pattern paper to work  from so choosing  coloured cardstock with which to make my card base was a lot easier 🙃.  Fortunately for us Stampin' Up!  always include a list of the key colours that are used in the paper on the packet!!!

 So my first tip for this week...  look to pattern paper and use it to inspire your chosen card stock.

My second tip is if in doubt have a plan B 😉  In the case of today's samples I also created the same card but using one of my favourite neutral colours Crumb Cake, a soft caramel beige.

So the question is did I make the coloured card bases work? Well coloured card for card bases may not be my go to but who knows I might be more tempted so watch this space 🙂