Hip Hip Hooray!

Hi everyone,

A couple of weeks ago I showed you a journal page that I had made whilst watching a Roben-Marie Smith tutorial.   You can find the original post here.

Today, I wanted to share with you four cards that I made immediately after with the same techniques. Below are my step-by-step instructions (as this time I went slightly off-piste) - but I definitely recommend watching Roben-Marie's video too! I used some of my PaperArtsy stamps and stencils, as well as the fabulous Lin Brown Limited Edition 3 Fresco paints.

Instructions

1.  I cut four pieces of Smoothy card each 4"x4".   I stuck some pieces of torn grey patterned paper randomly on them.

2. I then added some colour. Firstly, I stenciled some trianglular arrows (PS017) with Caribbean Sea paint. Then I added some scallops at the side using Bouganvillea, Tangerine Twist and Banana paints. I used quite a wet brush to make the paints even more translucent.  I added some circles with the pink paint, and filled in the gaps with the other colours and a touch of watered down London Night paint.

3.  Once dry I added some Snowflake paint with a palette knife. I love this effect - so different to adding the paint with a brush.

4. Time to add some shadows with black paint - I added it around the scallops and circles, and created some new smaller circles too.  I then outlined the circles and scallops with the black Stabilo All pencil, and went over the top of that with the waterbrush.  Love this effect too!

5. Now for some more stenciling ... I added the small arrow border in three corners of each piece using Jet Black Archival Ink with a piece of Cut'n'Dry Foam.

6. And to balance the shadows we need some light areas ... I added Snowflake paint with a paint brush, dipped a bottle top in the white paint and stamped with it, and also flicked the white paint over the top.   I also added some more accents with the Caribbean Sea paint.   Don't be afraid to go over shapes you've already made.

7. I outlined my original stenciling (the blue triangular arrows) and some of the scallops and circles with a black pen.

8. I added some stamping with the Jet Black Archival Ink Pad and the stars from stamp set EEG06 and the circles and border from stamp set EEG07.

9. To finish, I added some detail to the stamping with a white Extra Fine Sharpie pen, and also some criss-cross elements with a Derwent Charcoal pencil.

10. To complete the cards, I edged each piece with Renaissance Treasure Gold, and then mounted them on 4.25"x4.25" pieces of black card.  They were then stuck to my white square cards.   The greetings were stamped on Smoothy with the Jet Black Archival Ink Pad using the imagine that... All Typed Up stamp set.  I trimmed the greetings to size, and then outlined them with a black pen, before sticking them onto my cards.

Enjoy!

Ally Pally Make & Take

Hi everyone,

I've been asked by a few people for the instructions on how to make the 4"x6" card that was the Make & Take at The Big Stamp & Scrapbooking Show at Alexandra Palace a couple of weeks ago. So here goes...

Instructions

1. Cut a piece of Smoothy card 4"x6" and stick three pieces of book text onto the card. Then use a wet-wipe to add Snowflake paint over the book text.

2. Wipe Limelight paint and then Beach Hut paint over the card with a wet-wipe (leave some white space in the top right hand corner).  As the paints are translucent, you'll get a nice watercolour effect background.

3. Stamp the scalloped borders (EEG07) onto a scrap piece of Smoothy card, and then wipe Eggplant paint over them with a wet-wipe.

(Oops ... looks like I forgot the white paint over the book text in this photo!)

4. Sponge (or make up a water spray with) Snowflake paint through the stencil (PS016).

5. Stencil the square border along the two short ends of the card using a Jet Black Archival Ink Pad and Cut’n’Dry Foam (positioning the stencil so the main bit covers the card means you won't go over the edge on your card).  Outline the square border with a white Extra Fine Sharpie pen.

6. Stamp the large scribble circle (EEG07) randomly over the card (leave some blank space, and also think about where the photo will go).

7. Cut out the scalloped borders, and stick them and the photo (2.5"x4") in place.  Add detail with the white pen to the scalloped borders.

8. Stamp your chosen words (repeat them three times), and stamp the small scribble circle if necessary to fill in any gaps.

9. Add dots with the hard end of a paintbrush dipped into the blue paint (the more paint on the end and the harder you press the bigger the dot).

10. Edge the card with the black ink pad.

(Here's the finished French sample that they made in Paris)

  

(And a close up of the English version)

These cards were made using my brand new PaperArtsy stamp set EEG07.   You can find it here.

Enjoy!

Mini Album Madness

Last Sunday I taught my first workshop at Birds In The Barn... and what a lot of fun we had. So much so, that I completely forgot to take any photos until right at the end!   Oh well, here are the couple I did manage to take ... 

The seven lovely ladies I taught all made fabulous mini albums... they chose their own colours so they all came out very different (and I love that!). Here's some photos of my album for the class ...

I'd never been to Janet's shop before, but will definitely be going back again (to teach more classes too!).  It's a gorgeous shop, set in a wonderful garden centre (according to my folks!) with lots of free parking etc. And a rather nice restaurant. Well worth a visit. Here's the details of their website and blog.

More Brayered Cards

Hi everyone,

Last week, I showed you some small cards I'd made with a brayered background and some Prima stamps. You can find the post, and a video showing you how to create the background here.

Well today, I've used some more of the 3"x3" squares that I cut up and this time I've stamped them using my NEW stamps from PaperArtsy (EEG07 and EEG08).  Once again, my card blanks are 3.5"x3,5", and I again brayered the edges with Guacamole paint.

Instructions - Card 1

1. Stamp the scallop border with a Jet Black Archival Ink pad along the top and bottom of the brayered square.

2. Stamp your greeting (from EEG06).

3. Stamp the small solid flower with Wisteria paint.   

4. Stamp the largest open flower onto a scrap piece of brayered background (ideally you'll have a piece left over that is a slightly different colour to your square background).  Cut the large flower out.

5. Add some scribbles to the scalloped border with a black pen.  Use this pen to also outline the greeting and add dots around the petals of the large flower.

6. Use a white Extra Fine Sharpie pen to add detail to the scalloped border, around the edges of the large flower, and in the centre of all the flowers.

7. Add some dots using Ranger's Black Enamel Accents.

8. Edge your square with the black ink pad, before sticking the square to your card blank.

9. Stick your large flower in place with thin 3D Foam Pads.

 Instructions - Card 2

1. Stamp your greeting towards the bottom right hand corner of your brayered square using the black ink pad.

2. Stamp the large scribble circle and the small scribble circle around the greeting (remember to go off the edges of the square).

3. Either draw or stamp tiny outline circles to fill in some of the gaps (I cut off one circle from the end of the dot strip on EEG04 to use).  Colour these in with the white pen.

4. Add some dots using the Black Enamel Accents.

5. Edge your square with the black ink pad, before sticking the square to your card blank.

Instructions - Card 3

1. Stamp the banner border with the black ink pad along the top and bottom of the brayered square.

2. Stamp your greeting (from EEG06).

3. Stamp the small outline flower (x3) and larger scribble flower onto a scrap piece of brayered background (ideally you'll have a piece left over that is a slightly different colour to your square background).  Cut the flowers out.

4. Add some stripes to the banner borders with a black pen.  Use this pen to also outline the greeting.

5. Use a white pen to add detail to the banner borders and in the centre of the small flowers.

6. Add some dots using the Black Enamel Accents underneath the greeting and along the edges of the banner borders.

7. Edge your square with the black ink pad, before sticking the square to your card blank.

8. Stick your flowers in place with thin 3D Foam Pads.

Enjoy!

New Stamps and Ally Pally Catch Up

Hi everyone,

What a fabulous weekend we had at Ally Pally!    Thank you so much to everyone who came to the PaperArtsy/It's Crafting Time stand to watch me, Darcy and the Guest Designers demo, do a Make & Take, and of course shop!

I'm normally useless at taking photos at shows, but I did manage to get a few this time (though I apologise now for the blurry ones!) ... 

Setting up on Friday

Ready for the show to open Saturday morning

Darcy, Courtney and Emma

Lots of lovely stamps

Nina's photobomb!

One of the new art boards

 A lovely bunch doing my Make & Take

 The lovely Jo Myhill demoing

 The very talented Liz Borer

 This was my demo ... a Project Life layout

It was lovely to catch up with some #PATWITS Saturday evening too ... and boy, we needed a drink!   It was a shame we couldn't stay longer, but Courtney and I had to get back to PA HQ to trim more stamps for Sunday!

Darcy, Courtney and Me

Alison, Jo and Kirsten

And some photos from Sunday...

The fabulous Alison Bomber and Julie-Ann Lee demoing

Julie-Ann and her wonderful bird samples

  

 Darcy with some of her Make & Takers

One of my demo samples

And if you came along to the show, then you'll have already seen these ... but if not, then I have some exciting news to share ... I have two BRAND NEW PaperArtsy stamp sets!   And yes, your eyes do not deceive you, they are in French.

Leandra asked me to design them for the Version Scrap show in Paris ... they do love their pocket scrapbooking over there!   But I managed to include lots of fun elements and borders (as well as one or two easily recognisable French words).  I hope you like them ... and if you "need" them ... you can find them both here.

Dare To Spread Your Wings

Hi everyone,

I love quick and easy cards (as I'm usually trying to make one at the last minute!) ... and these really fit the bill!  Here's a couple of little cards that I made using a brayered background sheet that I had left over after demoing the technique in a class.  

If you're not familiar with this technique ... watch this fabulous video from Leandra at PaperArtsy first.

Instructions

1. Brayer a piece of A4 Smoothy card using the instructions in the video.   I used Smurf, Guacamole, Wisteria, Blue Oyster, Candy Floss and Chalk paints - in that order.  You will need to allow the sheet to dry fully before you stamp on it - if it feels cold to the touch, the layers are still wet - and it will not stamp nicely.   Use a heat gun if you want to speed up the drying process.  The less paint you use, the quicker it will dry!  I then cut up the sheet into 3"x3" squares (my card blanks are really small), and edged each piece with more Guacamole paint on the brayer.

2. Stamp with a Jet Black Archival Ink pad.   I've used the Prima "Don't Forget To Fly" stamp set for the butterflies and circles, and the greetings are from imagine that... "All Typed Up". Use the ink pad to edge each of the squares too.

3. Stick your stamped pieces to the card blanks (mine are only 3.5"x3.5" in size). 

4. To finish, add some detail with Diamond Stickles on the butterflies and around the edge of the stamped squares.

Enjoy!