LET THEM EAT CAKE

Crumb Cake that is.  Crumb Cake and Baja Breeze, two of my favourite colours.  I've always been attracted to cards made with this combination, add a bit of brown and a few birds even better.

On these tags I started out by smearing Crumb Cake on my craft mat which I then sprayed with a good amount of water.  Mop it up a la Tim Holtz Distress Ink style and dry in between with your heat gun.  Add as much or little of the colour as you like but leave some bits blank so you can sponge the next colour.  Add the Baja Breeze and start with a light hand, you can always add more colour if it looks a bit pale. 

I've used some randoms for the words as I don't have any SU ones than make any impact, mmm maybe that's something they can look in the future.  Stamps can be used in full ink or the stamp off method for a paler print and a combination of both looks good.  I always have a scrap piece to do a test stamp first, it's better than messing up a good tag and somtimes the scrap piece ends up looking pretty good too.  Other colours I've used are Basic Grey and Soft Suede. 

This is how my tags start out.  I created the one on the left first  with Baja Breeze then used the piece on the right to mop up.  I didn't realize there was another colour on the craft mat but that's ok, why waste it!

I was using my Stamp-it set when I remembered I had yet to christen  Established Elegance.  Stamp images are white embossed and I've also added Marina Mist and Perfect Plum to the mix.  I was a bit heavy handed with the Perfect Plum but never mind I can always cover that up with an embellishment later.

I do have a thing for Paris and dressmaker's mannequins and I was lucky to find this one in Melbourne last year.

Didn't realize at the time she was a bit grubby but so would you be if you'd been around as long as she - I wonder what stories she could tell?

SWEET BIRD

Love this picture from this site
http://www.howdoesshe.com/room-by-room-decorating-secrets/

UNG DRILL WHITE NO LONGER

I bought an Ung Drill frame from Ikea a week or so ago to use as a chalkboard.

It's plastic and white but I wanted mine blue, turquoise actually.  I wasn't sure how the paint would hold but decided to bite the bullet and paint it with acrylic craft paint.   It painted up surprisingly well and after two coats I distressed it with white again.  I painted the cardboard insert and put it back in the frame minus the glass.  At some stage I'll replace it with 3mm board but for now the cardboard works ok.

 

 

I like the solid blue one below better so I may add another coat of turquoise to cover over the white distressing on mine. 

 

 

 

 





THE BIRD AND A SWALLOWTAIL

Time to christen some new stamps - and there are many to christen:D
I blame it all on Sarah my Stampin Up lady.

 



 

Loved the Swallowtail the first time I saw it, had to have it but then wasn't sure what to do with it, it's a big stamp!

 

Tags on white cardstock - a good way to experiment.  Butterfly oh flutterby, waterwashed background in Sahara Sand and gaps sponged with Perfect Plum.  Back stamped with maidenhair fern from Papaya Collage in full strength Sahara Sand and swirl from Elements of Style in Basic Grey.  Swallowtail stamped with Soft Suede and stencil corner sponged with Perfect Plum.  Life is a matter of moments (so true) from Elements of Style.  3 flowers are serrated centre from the Fun Flowers Bigz L die - colour both sides, cut the petals and glue in place then fluff them up. Distressed (tool) and dirtied with Soft Suede.

 

Birdy and Rose

 

White emboss maidenhair fern from Papaya Collage. Waterwashed background in Certainly Celery and gaps sponged with Marina Mist.  Stamp the birds in Soft Suede first and then back stamp with rose in Black and swirl from Elements of Style in full strength Basic Grey along with small centre from Daydream Medallions.  Dirty with Basic Grey instead of the usual Soft Suede.  Sponged scalloped trim in Certainly Celery and torn strip in Marina Mist.  Random button and string bow.  Stamp Happy Birthday in white on black cardstock.  I didn't read my SU catalogue properly and when my order of neutral ink pads arrived there was no white.  I used an old white ink but it's very faint. I did use one random stamp on this tag to reverse the bird.

 

Stamps: Papaya Collage, Elements of Style, Daydream Medallions

Ink: Certainly Celery, Marina Mist, Basic Grey, Black, Soft Suede

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

INK PINK

Well my last post was a long time ago!

I'm now a Stampin' Up Demonstrator, well a hobby one at least, and have started buying inks in all the colours of the rainbow. I can see some firm favourites emerging. 

Putting them through their paces with me was my trusty non stick craft mat and water spray bottle.

First cabs off the rank - the Pinks - I love Rich Razzleberry.  Not so sure about the lighter pinks as they can sometimes appear to have a yellow undertone.  Probably didn't help that I was using manilla coloured cardstock, but it was cheaper than my SU cardstock which is reserved for making cards, and not to be wasted on experimentation.  Note to self - try lighter pinks on white card.

 

 

Base tags started out with Pink Pirouette water wash which was a bit light so I touched it up with Pretty in Pink and added Certainly Celery . 

L/H tag - Background stamping with Basic Grey works quite well and you can stamp off for a more subtle effect. Scalloped trim was created by heavily sponging white card, I'm still building up my supply of SU cardstock.  Nothing was safe, if it was on the table it got inked.  The bow is made from seam binding ribbon inked with Certainly Celery - I love seam binding ribbon and have a 10 yard roll of cream that can be coloured to suit any project.  Big Shot Butterfly courtesy of my last SU delivery box and a Lucky Limeade brad.

R/H tag - Background stamped with Basic Grey.  The machine stitched heart scrap is old book page, left over from an engagement card I made recently.  Cotton lace trim, purchased mini tag, little pink heart is Hearts a Flutter die. All distressed with Soft Suede, yes I like my cards dirty.

Stamps:  French Flourish, Papillion Potpourri, Postage Due and other randoms.
Ink: Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, Basic Grey, Soft Suede, Rich Razzleberry and Black.