Stencil Dimension

Hello,
Today have a card for the CAS Stencil April Challenge which asks for the use of embossing pastes/gels. I have a new stencil and glossy white Stencil Dimensions from Sweet Poppy which I have been wanting to use. Here is the card I made:

I really like cards made with craft card but I don't make them myself very often because I never think they come out very well. However, I decided to have a go this time after watching the technique videos shared as examples of the technique.  I am fairly happy with the end result, I think!

The dimension paste is white and glossy and I found that it happily takes watercolour on top when it is dry and it keeps its glossy finish. After I had done the stencilling I noticed that the edge is actually straight so I added the green glossy strip and die cut the sentiment from the same card.

The card has a lovely shine to it, that you can see in the picture above.

I am toying with the idea of adding a few clear drops, but I probably won't!

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog today, I really appreciate it.
Hilary
xx

Watercolour

Hello,
Today I have made a watercolour card for the April CAS watercolour challenge. The theme is poppy so I looked through my stamps and found a small poppy amongst a set by Clarity Stamp. The stamped lines looked very bold and the stamp is quite small so I decided to create a simple watercolour background and then heat embossed the stamp in white. I could then add colour with my Zig real brush pens. Here is my card:

I cut the oval from my watercolored piece and then stamped and heat embossed the sentiment (from Uniko) on black paper. I attached it and then ran the oval through the die cutting machine again so that the sentiment fits exactly. The oval is mounted on yellow craft foam that was cut with the same die. I quite like the effect of the yellow craft foam peaking out from behind.

I used a small diamond stencil from creative expressions to add a bit of interest to the background and mounted the panel on a pale yellow card base. I recently bought some Hunky Dory Adorable Scorable card which I really like for card bases now. It is 350 gsm and has a coated surface that gives it a shine, it is white inside.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog today, I really appreciate it.
Hilary
xx

One Layer

Hello,
Today I am sharing a very simple one layer card:

I masked off the coloured strip with post it tape and inked it with cracked pistachio Distress Oxide, the stems and sentiment were heat embossed in white. To finish I added 3 little sequins and rounded the corners.

After it was finished I wished I had set the sentiment so it sat at the base of the stems so I made a couple more along the same lines.

I am entering this one in:

Addicted to CAS #156 Ombre

Happy Little Stampers April One Layer



Here are the other cards that I made in the same vane, do let me know what you think.

The only reason these aren't one layer cards is because I smudged ink on the front, typical, but at least I was able to rescue them.


Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog today, I really appreciate it.
Hilary
xx

Something New (for me)

Hello,
Thank you for all the good wishes I received after my last post. This week I am looking forward to a quiet time with lots of time in my craft room, I have many thank you cards to make.

Today I am sharing my card at CAS mix it up April Challenge the main technique this month is layered stamping with heat embossing, which I have never tried before. I watched the video examples on the blog and realised that I have both the stamp sets demonstrated, the layered butterflies and bird by Hero Arts. I haven't actually used the butterfly one before so I decided to use it for this.

I am also sharing it at Pixie's snippets playground (#349 yes please for the draw) as the butterfly was stamped on a snippet of black paper and the background was in my stash.

Here is my card:

I don't have many different coloured embossing powders so I stamped the base layer and heat embossed with white then I did the second layer in terracotta and the third layer in gold. The stamping was done on black paper and I fussy cut it out. The background within the frame is alcohol ink on yupo paper that I did some time ago. This picture shows the foiling on the alcohol ink background:

The front panel is attached to a dark mulberry coloured card base although it looks black in the picture it isn't. It tones quite well with the alcohol ink colours. Here is a close up:

The sentiment is stamped and heat embossed and a large YOU has been stamped and heat embossed in white inside the card. I was pleasantly surprised by how the layered heat embossing went and if I get a chance I might try another one with the bird layered stamp.

                                    

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog today, I really appreciate it.
Hilary
xx

March Card Chain Challenge

Hello,

Today is reveal day for the March CCC, this month I followed both the colour options:



and the layout option:



Here is my card:

I used My Favourite Things bundle of blossoms background stamp to stamp the background in grey. I then stamped it on yellow cardstock and heat embossed it in silver, I cut a strip so that it would match the pattern on the base. The image on the card base was bolder than I wanted so I put a sheet of vellum over it first, just attaching it under the yellow panel. I got this idea from Lisa at I'm in Haven (I just love her cards).

I heat embossed the sentiment in black, the process of doing this warped the vellum a little so that it no longer sat flat on the front. I decided I didn't really mind that so went ahead and finished the card off with 3 little diecut flowers and filled the centres with Cosmic Shimmer glossy black PVA. Here is a close up:

This card has been sent to Shylaashree in India. I am not sure if she will have received it before the reveal as it takes a long time for snail mail to go from the UK to India.

Here is the card that I received from Jerrie in Wisconsin:

She has poor vision but still she doesn't let it stop her from making the most amazing cards, thank you Jerrie for gifting this one to me and it arrived for my birthday so that makes it extra special.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog today, I really appreciate it.
Hilary
xx