Monday 29 March 2010

Cuttlebug Embossing Folder and a Penny Black Stamp.


I hope you had a good weekend. Mine was busy but very enjoyable. I love F1 racing so I got up really early to see the Australian Grand Prix ...and Jensen Button WON...oh yes!
I found time to make the lilac card using my new Cuttlebug Embossing folder and a Penny Black stamp called 'firework' I used Adirondack Inks and a few brads plus a ribbon ..job done.
 I made the butterfly card a long while ago but I like it very much. Peel-offs coloured with Gel -Pens and mounted on some Bazzill card along with  a rub -on sentiment  to finish it off.
Thanks for being with me today...have a good week.
Eileen xx

Saturday 27 March 2010

Clarity Stamps and Adirondack Inks

























Hiya, I had a very busy Friday. It was my birthday. My family and friends made sure I had a super day...thank you all for the cards and presents ...more Spellbinder 'nesties' great stuff!

On Wednesday I posted my Fairy Coach card and said I would make another card from the scrap paper I had used to take off the excess ink from my brayer. I liked the colours so much.

Well ....here it is. Because I used just cheap copy paper I had to back it with a stronger white card then I stamped and heat embossed in black, both of the Clarity leafy swirl stamps.
After slicing the finished image into three and mounting each of the sections onto dark purple card stock, I mounted them onto a white card blank and added three cut,embossed and stencilled ( with dye based inks) Spellbinder butterflies...I am pleased with it and from now on will look closely at any sheets of copy paper I use with my brayer before I throw them away !
Enjoy the rest of your weekend & thanks for looking.

Eileen x

Wednesday 24 March 2010

Lavinia Stamps, Adirondack inks and Brayer





This card is very similar to one I made last year and entered in a competition held by Quick Cards Made Easy Magazine..I was one of eight winners and I was over the moon to receive a load of crafty goodies on Christmas eve.

I started with some white,Matt card stock that is very smooth. It is difficult to blend the dye inks on some card stock so you must find the right stuff ...I buy mine from Lavinia Stamps.

I blended Lettuce & Pesto Adirondak inks along the bottom of the card & Purple Twilight & Eggplant along the top, meeting & fading together in the middle ...a light touch is required for blending, please do not be tempted to press down hard on your brayer ...soft, light, flicks only, adding more ink as you go but always take off any excess ink first on cheap copy paper ( I am making a card this afternoon with the scrap paper I used this morning ..I just loved the colours ..I will post it tomorrow if it's not rubbish!)

I inked the Fairy Coach stamp using Adirondak Pitch black & rolled my brayer up the stamp to get a reverse image ...TWO important things here ...I always use a Speedball soft rubber brayer ...I have others but for this technique they do not work like the speedball ..also I only ever use dye base inks with my brayer ...other inks stain the brayer and will not come off ! I always use baby wipes to clean my brayer and I am careful how I lay it down because the rubber can get dented and ruin the surface...I use a mug tree to store my brayers on ... ( see pic above )

Place the brayer about half way down the page and with a quick flick your image is there..don't worry if it looks a bit blurry it does not matter as it is supposed to be in water or ice! I inked the stamp again using Versafine onyx black and stamped it touching the reflection... a few thin lines of pitch black again using the edge of my brayer completes the water or ice effect... I used a third generation ink impression for the trees and Versafine Imperial purple & Olympia green for the vines & bullrushes ....a bit of ribbon...gold liquid pearls &  some stickles to finish ...hope you are not asleep cos I will be asking questions !!

Thanks for being with me today

Eileen x

Tuesday 23 March 2010

Reflections with Clarity Stamps

Hi, I bet you are surprised to see a Christmas card! Well ....I am still making wedding invitations and wanted a change!
This card is so easy to do. I inked up the 'Deer' stamp with bottle green Adirondak Ink & 'rolled' the brayer over the stamp (up the stamp)
Position the brayer half way down your white card stock and with a quick flick lay the image down.
Ink the stamp again and stamp the image in the normal way so you touch the 'reflection'!
Clean the brayer and then ink up the very edge of the roller just a VERY thin line of ink needed & flick this over the card stock to make an 'ice' or 'water' like effect. Stamp your words and along with the star this completes the card. Takes just a few minutes ....trust me!! All the stamps used are Clarity stamps.

Thanks for popping by my blog.
Eileen x

Monday 22 March 2010

A March Monday


Hi,
What a busy weekend! The Allhallows Crop on Saturday ...a fab time with lovely people, supper with our friends Karen and Ian and Sunday spent with my husband lugging furniture around ! My back is a bit ouch today.

I spent some time in my craft room this morning making loads & loads of wedding invitations ..so no new card to show you but I made this one using Clarity Stamps some time ago.Three of the stamp -stamps and the pocket watch stamp along with the verse 'What is life if full of care.....' This design is shown on a Barbara Gray, Clarity Stamp DVD and is a project that I really enjoyed doing.
Thanks for dropping by ...have a good week.
Eileen

Tuesday 16 March 2010

Tidy Tuesday





Hello, strange day today....My new grandson went back to hospital for some tests ...all proved to be well, thank goodness and he is back at home with his mum, dad, & brother Ethan ... a fine healthy boy ... while all this was going on, I kept busy ...as you do!!

Daisy & I went for a long walk in the warm sunshine..... and later I caught up on loads of boring jobs that I needed to clear ...then it was back to crafting.

I love Clarity stamps & for this card I used seven of them! Chipboard squares were covered in a Gesso base then painted with various colours of acrylic paint ...left to dry overnight before stamping with the Clarity stamps using Versafine Onyx Black.
Pale yellow,orange & black card stock along with some ribbon completed the card.
Thanks for stopping by
Eileen x

Wednesday 10 March 2010

Big & Beautiful























Hello ...  I used Adirondack inks on the background of this card and then stamped the swirl in Versafine Olympic Green. The Huge Butterfly was stamped with Memento Black ink and then coloured in with my Copic Markers.
Thanks for looking at my blog today .. see you again soon.
E xx

Sunday 7 March 2010

Rock on..it's Monday!

This tag was shown in an advertisement in this months Craft Stamper Magazine for 'The Patchwork Butterfly Theme plate ' by Elusive Images ....this is one of the projects shown in the ad. I added a bit of bling ( just a touch!)


I brayered the background using a very smooth white card and Adirondak Teracotta & Butterscotch Dye Inks. One of the swirls from the plate was then stamped with the terracotta to get a tone on tone effect and then stamped again but just around the edges in .....Versafine black.


The large butterfly was stamped using a black pigment ink & embossed with clear embossing powder & coloured in with my wonderful Copics.The smaller butterfly was stamped onto red card and embossed with gold embossing powder...they were both cut out and layered over the tag ...I made a hole at the top of the tag and threaded some ribbon ..... a few gems for the bling along with two black wire antenna for the butterflies cos I don't do fiddly cutting and I had lobbed them off !!


The Irish prayer is also from the plate...I stamped and matted & layered it onto the tag that's it... job done !


I hope you will call by again soon, have a good week.
Eileen x

Tuesday 2 March 2010

Wednesday









I made this 'Dance' card a long time ago ...loved it so much I didn't  want to send to anyone !

Quickutz Daisy Die....Rub-ons and some sewing!!
Thanks for looking at my blog today
Eileen x

Monday 1 March 2010

Here we go !

My Daisy
Well ...this is a steep learning curve for me
my first posting on my own blog.
I've had a lovely day today. 
Walking with our puppy, Daisy, in the warm sunshine. 
 I saw loads of birds and heard Sky-larks, so beautiful.
I also saw a Peacock butterfly.
Really surprised, I think this is early for butterflies.
Stamping is my 'thing' so tomorrow
I will upload one of my 'creations'
Thanks for looking today
Exx