Finished card from Colouring Masterclass

After attending the LOTV Master Colouring workshop in May, I thought I would get round to finishing off the card that we were given at the end.  Instead of using my original colouring, I decided that I would test myself that it would work again colouring on my own without the tutors there to advise.  Obviously Bev Rochester and Jacqui Dennis did a good job as I thought that I have managed to colour this in without any problems and must have retained what they taught me!  I used copic pens to colour.

The stamp is "Love Grow" by Lili of the Valley (http://www.liliofthevalley.co.uk)/ and the embellishments were provided in our pack on the day.  I believe that the background paper is from http://www.nitwitcollections.com/.

I was really pleased with the overall effect of the card and felt that this workshop was money well spent.

VIP Workshop with Jayne

I spent a nice Sunday with Jayne Nestorenko back in September on her VIP workshop.  This workshop was for crafters who have previously attended one of her workshops and as usual  are always a little special.  This time we had three projects to make - albeit one was very quick at the end.  Another good thing about Jayne's workshop are the quality of the 3 course meals that we have there that are included in the workshops.

The first project was the most difficult - lots of measuring which was mainly done on the Hougie Board - but we all got there in the end.  It was a gatefold card with the scenes from the Adorables Summer Collection CD and stamps.  The gatefold card had the added advantage of also having pockets on the front for gift tags. 

The idea of the card was to build up a scene using different stamps and backgrounds.  The striped backing paper was also from the CD. 

I was pleased that a beach scene was chosen as I would be able to add some of the shells that I picked up of the beach in Jersey.

I also liked the idea of being able to get the girl on the front of the card actually look like she was picking up a starfish from a rock pool.

Inside I added a couple of crabs and shells, life buoy and the little boy holding as spade and a bucket at his feet. 

The stamped images were coloured with a mixture of Twinkling H20s and Cosmic Shimmer watercolour paints. 

Again, as is the norm with Jayne's workshops, all of the cards were different.  She also ensures that there are a couple of different colour schemes each time to ensure that no two are the same.  There are also a large variety of stamps to ensure that everyone can choose something different and different colouring mediums are used to ensure all are different.

The next card we made was also a gatefold card, but this time there was not nearly as much measuring as before.  We would be building up a scene from the Adorables Summer Collection CD as before but this time we would not be stamping and cutting out to decoupage but instead we would be using the printed elements from the CD.  These elements were printed out on sheets for us and most were very similiar this time.

The scene that was chosen was a back yard on washing day.  You could choose what you wanted to go on the outside of the card and also what you would be hanging on your washing line and it was to represent the back yard of an.  I particularly liked that fact that the scene was layered up on the front of the card with a door that opened to reveal an outside toilet, if you really didn't like the door opening and showing the toilet you could have just left it uncut so that the door did not open but I felt that it showed a back yard as it really was.

A down pipe and a post was cut out and then some metallic thread was attached to them stretching from one side of the card to the other.  Washing was then hung on the line,  ensuring that when the card was folded in, the washing folded in flat.  There was then a few items that could be cut out and attached to the front or inside the card.  I just left it with a pram outside.

The last items we made were a couple of boxes using the new Spellbinders Grand Shapeabilities Square Petal Top Box and the Spellbinders Grand Square Bracket Edge box, just to show how quick and useful they could be.

A Card for Mum

Another day and another blog. If I keep this up I should catch up with what I have been crafting over the last few  months.     

Today I thought that I would post the design of the cards that I made for my Mum and for her sister for their birthdays, although not the actual cards.

It was a design that I got from Sue Wilson using mainly Spellbinders and also the wonderful crinkly ribbon and organza roses that Sue has sourced. They can be purchased from Sam Poole's shop at http://www.creative-studios.co.uk/shop/. 

Although Sue used hat pins on her card, I decided not to use them as I prefer them without and did not want my Mum or Aunt to inadvertently prick themselves.

I don’t actually have a photo of the exact cards I made for them both, I thought that I did have but only on posting realised that I didn’t. I made theirs in black and white, with white being the dominant colour but I have included some that I made with different colours, including other variants of black and white.

There are so many colours schemes that you can do this card - it is just a question of finding the ribbons that match. The flowers need not be the organza type.  On the beige card I used flowers from http://www.wildorchidcrafts.com/. 

I definitely think that I went overboard on the red but all three look that little bit different. 

I have left the greeting banner blank of these so that I can add the required greeting when I use the card. For the cards that I have sent, I had typed the greeting in a font that I liked and with a matching colour onto some card and then with a Spellbinder die, ut it out and attached it to the front of the card.  I just then went over a little of it with a clear embossing pen and then clear embossing powder to make it stand out a little more. 

Back Blogging

I have been bad at blogging just recently.  I was starting to get on top of it and then spend a weeks holiday in Jersey and all went downhill from there.  At least I managed to get some lovely ribbon in a small shop in St Helier.  I just seemed to have so much to do since I came back but am determined to get back on top and will be posting what I have done since my last blog over the next few weeks.

I will start of with the workshop that I did with Jayne Nestorenko at the end of July.  This was a box with an easel card on the top and was really a lovely item to make.  The background image on the easel card was taken from the Adordables Summer Collection CD and the decoupage was part of the Adorables Summer Collection stamp sets. 

The box was made in two parts and a Martha Stewart Punch was used to decorate around the box lid.  The stopper on the easel card was using Marianne D Creatables Frames/Swirls (LR0116).  I used the Spectrum Noir pend to colour in  the young boy hiker.  Spellbinders were used to form the base, lid and card.

We also made four gift tags to go with the box.  I have found this box really usefull for storing small items as it is really strong.  It was really pleasing that Jayne has put a picture of this on her website.  It is always nice at a workshop with jayne that although everyone is making the same items, there are never two that look that same - individuality is certainly the name of the game with her.

18th Birthday

Thought I would just put up a quick post of the birthday card that I made for my nephew's 18th Birthday at the beginning of this month. I really found it hard to do something that was not cricket or football as that is what he usually gets and wanted it reflect the fact that he is growing up. I don't usually use a stepper card but just thought that this would all go together and still be masculine.

For the card it was just a case of messing around with paper until I found the size that I wanted. I tyed with the idea of usng a template but then decided to do my own and it would then be exactly what I wanted rather than what I would be given. I used a digi image from http://www.mosdigitalpencil.com/ and as my nephew enjoys his food, thought an image of what not to become would suit him - did think about putting a can of beer around but as he is off to University in the US next month, it won't be legal for him there.

Spellbinder's die Lattice Rectangles was used around the image and then coloured using distress ink.The image was coloured using Copics and the background papers were from DCWV Natural Paper stack which has lots of good masculine colours. The greeting was a freebie from http://nettyscards.blogspot.com/ and just coloured on the computer.

The photo was taken on my mobile phone so not as good as it should be but wanted to ensure that I got it off in the post early rather than being late for his special occasion.

Going Native

Well, at least my stamps are rather than me. I spent a lovely Saturday in Kettering at one of Sue Wilson's workshops and the stamps used this time were the Native American stamps. The theme behind this workshop was textures, and Sue ensured that there were different textures to all of the cards - I must admit that they were superb. We were asked to pick a favourite out of all the cards that we made but I can honestly say that I was unable as I loved them all. I would make them all again.

This one above was made with a faux leather background which was done using tape, an embossing folder, distress ink and clear embossing powder and creates a real nice texture. We also cut using a Spellbinder die and the Out of the Box technique which looked easier than it was.

The one to the right was just stamped onto Hessian to give it a different look and the wooden beads at the side were coloured using distress ink and tied together using the leftovers from making the fringe and then attached with glue dots. The background was stamped using first black archival ink and then using a clear embossing ink and then dusted with gold mica. The edges of the black card and the black edge of the greeting were hole pierced. The main background was made using the Tim Holtz ruler and the greeting was pierced freehand.

The next one was made using a technique that I had never seen before but would definitely want to do again. The coloured background was made by spreading glue onto black glossy card and then dropping mica powder onto it. You did not want to glue too thick, neither did you want it to dry before heating from the underside with a heat gun until it bubbled. The bubbling gave the effect and it looks absolutely stunning in real life - much better than a photo can do justice too. There appear to be lines that are pretty even in the photo but they do not appear like that in reality. The lines are less defined and add to the overall effect. The pots were coloured using Cosmic Shimmer inks and mica powder. It was finished off just using pieces of coloured card inside the pot and glints and ribbon.

The next card was made using white glossy card for the cave painting background and sanding it both ways, putting on distress ink and then sanding again. Both the cave painting background and the brick coloured background behind were then torn before being layered. The string in the background was again more hessian string taken off the previous project .

The last card was the quickest and was stamped first with the nestie middle being laid down flat on the card and then embossed and stuck onto the card raised. The side was stamped with perfect medium and then dusted over with mica powder. The ribbon - which was absolutely beautiful was put under the gecko's tail by cutting the lower part of the tails so that the ribbon fitted under and this was done to show it can be done with lots of images for a different finish.

We were quite surprised that we actually managed to finish all five cards but were glad that we did and had such lovely cards to take home with us.

I suggested a pyjama party for the next workshop with Sue - can't wait to see if she takes me up on that but in any case, I just can't wait for her next workshop!

Workshop with Barbara Gray

Workshops seem to be getting like London buses for me - you wait ages for one to come along and then end up getting a few together. This was a workshop that I was really looking forward to attending as I had always liked the look of brayering but never tried it.

The workshop itself was great but the getting there and back was a nightmare and made me realise that it was not a place to try and get to by public transport. Without the help of Barbara, it would have been even more of a nightmare. I certainly appreciated her sending Dave to my rescue when I found that I would have to wait an hour and a half for a taxi to get me there. Even more so of Wanda arranging for my handbag to be sent to me after I stupidly left it behind! I'm not sure Barbara would want me at another of her workshops!! It just wasn't my day but at least I remembered to take home my goodies that I bought there.

There were four projects to be completed on the day and were split into 4 groups and each group did a different one of the project from the rest. It was nice this way as the group were then kept small with everyone getting enough attention. Before we started on the main projects, we warmed up with using Clarity corner stamps to make patterns on copy paper to get used to the stamps.

The first project and third projects that I completed were classed as the easy project and the first was Zentangle (which I always thought was doodling!) and the second was using gilding flakes and made into a post card using Clarity stamps to stamp out the back of the card. With the first project, I found that I did not like using Promarkers - especially on glossy card and was not that keen on Zentangle. I quite enjoyed the gilding flake and this was made using Clarity Adhesive sheets which was a quick way of gilding.

The second and fourth projects were using the brayering technique I enjoyed these two a lot more. I used brayering to create the water and sky for the Love card and to create more of a background scene for the woodland card. These two card were much more pleasing to my eye and both used techniques that I would use again.

I like that fact that these workshops were more orientated around the techniques rather than the finishing of cards although all of the projects were completed and were ready to be mounted and used. I would certainly not hesitate to go back on one of Barbara's workshop and learnt some new techniques.