Spring Blooms

 

Here's my entry for the Less is More Challenge week 186  - for a change there is a simple sketch to follow.   My first thought was to stamp some flowers in the larger box and just add the sentiment underneath but  in the end I decided to do things differently!!  

 

 

 I've used the Spring Blooms set from Oak House Studio (Stamp of the Week this week) and clear embossed the sentiment using Midnight Ink.  I used a deckle edged frame as a mask and stippled ink through this with a mix of Powder Blue, Midnight and Golden Yellow Pigment Inks.  The flowers and leaves are also clear embossed over Midnight Ink and coloured with Lemon Yellow, Golden Yellow and Pumpkin Pie Pigment Inks and the leaves with Spring Green.

 

Thanks so much for popping by and for your lovely comments - they are much appreciated.  Hope you are all enjoying some crafting whilst it's so wet out!!

Smell the Roses

Just popping in with a quick reminder of the Words, Letters & Numbers Challenge over on the Oak House Studio blog.   All the details can be found HERE - and to cater for those people that don't have a blog, entries are via the facebook group this time.

I've used the Large Rose stamp and water coloured with Aquash and a water brush.  Once this was dry I masked off the rose and then stamped with the Take Time to Smell the Rosess sentiment.  I did the Spring Green one first and clear embossed that to make it stand out more and then filled in the rest of the card with the same stamp inked with Golden Yellow.

The challenge finishes next Sunday so you have plenty of time to enter - just use one Oak House Studio product!!

Mr Rudolf Reindeer

Had chance for a little play this afternoon so I've made a card for the Less is More Challenge week 185 where the theme is ANIMALS.   

Well I don't have many animal stamps at all so thought I'd use this deer/reindeer stamp from Crafty Individuals (CI-332).  I've stamped him with Onyx Black Versafine and then watercoloured him with Aquash.  I got a bit carried away with his red nose....he now has a red muzzle!!  I just matted him on red card to match  his nose and then mounted it over a spray of Snowflakes (Oak House Studio) inked in Powder Blue Pigment Ink.   A quick and simple Christmas card with the addition of a sentiment at a later date. 

Thanks for visiting and for your comments - they are much appreciated!!

Double Daisy

Just spotted the August challenge for the Craft Stamper's Take it, Make it challenge where you have to use a favourite technique from any of the magazines this year.

I love inking through masks and the challenge of  One Layer cards so that's the technique I've used -  demonstrated by Lydia Brooke Evans in the  June 2014 magazine.

I've used two masks for this - a simple rectangle cut out of paper and then a daisy mask created by stamping the Solid Daisy stamp from Oak House Studio's Double Daisy set on scrap paper and again  cutting it out.  I've used Oak House Studio inks too.  I started with a rectangular edge of Lemon Yellow using a stencil brush, then placed the daisy mask on the top and blended on Lemon Yellow,  Golden Yellow, Pumpkin Pie and Valentine from the centre to the edges.  I stamped the Outline Daisy over  the top with Versafine Onyx Black and just finished with sentiment.  As there are various steps to this, I thought it was apt!!

Many thanks for coming to visit and please feel free to leave a comment, they are very much appreciated.

Family like an Orange

Here's my 16th postcard for The Craft Barn's Quotes and Lyrics Challenge where the words this fortnight are FAMILY and/or THING.   Quite a lot to choose from but again I went with the first quote that made me smile and popped an image into my head. 

I've sprayed my postcard with Citrus Orange, Citrus Lime and Golden Oak Inks in a Bottle and just mopped up a little extra green too.  The orange I made using a large solid Journalling Circle (from Oak House Studio) inked with orange and clear embossed. Don't you just love that orange peel effect from the embossing powder!  To finish I've added a few more circles and the quote from Letty Cottin Pogrebin - no, I've never heard of her either but it's a good quote.

Thanks for visiting and please feel free to leave a comment - they are always very much appreciated.

Feels like Autumn

It's weeks since I've had chance to enter the Less is More Challenge and as the weather is so foul, I thought I'd have a go.   The theme this week 184 is FOLIAGE and it's a ONE LAYER week too.

I always admire projects using kraft card so that was my starting point - I tried to ink and spray the Mountain Ash stamp (from Oak House Studio) to create some colourful autumn leaves but the card was having none of it.  They went in the bin and so for my 5th  attempt, I just stamped with Yummy Chocolate ink and used a Hero Arts sentiment to finish.

I have a Joseph Rock Mountain Ash tree in my front garden and yesterday I noticed the leaves were starting to change colour already.  It must be the lack of rain.....until today of course.  Hope you are all staying dry and thanks for looking.

August Challenge - Alphabetica

Behind with my blogging again but I have been making things - it's just that I can't publish them just yet!   So today sees the launch of the August challenge over on the Oak House Studio blog with the theme of Alphabetica - anything WORD, LETTER or NUMBER related.




Today I thought I'd show you a couple of my cards using the Large Rose stamp.   The first image is very clean and simple with lots of white space.

I stamped the Rose, masked it off and then stamped over with the English Garden Text stamp.



I then decided I didn't really like it, so cut it down and created a Mothers Day card instead.  Still quite simple but much better I think!!

My final sample today is an MDF frame sprayed with Totally Turquoise, Peacock Green and Denim Blue Ink in a Bottle and then gold embossed with the English Garden Text.

 

I've used the Linen stamp for the background and  the Without Change set of stamps.

 

Full details of the challenge are on the blog and all Oak House Studio products can be found HERE  The English Garden Text stamp is a lovely script font, is great for backgrounds and I have it on good authority it is likely to be "Stamp of the Week" shortly but is already in the shop at half price.

Thanks for looking and why not enter the challenge - there's a prize to be won!!