Same stamp and die, different looks

A couple of weeks back I had a lovely parcel arrive from Justin and Gordon at Be Creative. It had the new wonder crystals (embossing crystals) in it and I just didn't have time to play! I managed some time last week and this is what I came up with.
The scene behind the trees was created using inkylicious stamps and ink dusters. I then cut the tree die from a wonder sheet. I peeled one side of the wonder sheet off and covered it in the crystals before heating. Once melted the crystals are so flexible. I then peeled off the backing and applied over the scene.  I wouldn't have thought of doing it that way round but it worked a treat and meant no buckled card from the heat underneath! The base card was covered in Be creative paper from the Nature's portrait pad. I rather liked this, so decided to have a go with a different colour scheme.

For this one I stamped the base card with leaves. I think this colour for the silver birches might work a bit better over a dark blue or purple scene.
Then I tried purples and peaches...

 The papers behind this one are from an Artylicious CD from Chocolate Baroque. The small leaves are a Joycraft die and have been rubbed over with gilding wax.
The crystals are lovely to use and with all of these gave a great coverage with one sprinkling. You won't need to triple emboss with them. Double embossing will be thick enough.
I am still experimenting, and will try to show you more soon. Look out for the crystals on the Hochanda website and at shows. More colours will also be available soon.
Thanks for looking!

Favourite five cards of 2015

Two post in one day, lol. It's just that I'm rushing in last minute to share my favourite five makes of 2015 with Debby over at A Scrap Journey. My favourite has to be Meg's eighteenth birthday card. She loved it so much it went off to uni with her. I used inkylicious stamps to make the scene and a frantic stamper fern die on the right.

Next up was this scene through the trees using a frantic stamper die and Inkylicious stamps.

 I loved this Honey Doo stamp, which was coloured with be Creative Alcohol markers. The papers are from Be Creative too.

 These last two card both used Be creative papers and Inkylicious stamps too!

Do pop over to see Debby's top 5 cards too - so cute! She also has her top 5 crochet projects and scrapnbook layouts to show you.Thanks for looking and for all your wonderful comments. Hope 2016 is a good one for you xxx

Flower power for May at Stamping Sensations

Good Morning! It is the first Sunday of the month and time for a new challenge at Stamping Sensations. Our theme this month is Flower Power and our Sponsors are Crafty Individuals.
Here is my card.

I used the springtime background papers and CI 395 along with Distress inks in Mermaid lagoon, abandoned coral, fossilized amber and cracked pistachio. I ink dusted the background first, then stamped the flowers. After that I used a fine paintbrush and water to remove some of the colour so the daisies appear white, blotting with a paper towel as I went along.  I added a punched flower (tonic) and some fern leaves using a frantic stamper die, oh yes, and some glitter. 

The prize this month is a wonderful £35 voucher to spend with Crafty Individuals. Check out the online store as they sell such an amazing range of stamps, dies, masks and other goodies too. I love it all, and you couldn't meet nicer people than Jean and Malcolm! 

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the wonderful inspiration from my very talented teamies.

As this goes live I am putting the last minute preparations in place for a bit of a party this afternoon. We are entertaining family and friends to celebrate Meg's 18th. Do help yourself to a piece of cake! 

 Lets hope the weather is good enough to venture into the garden, as we might not manage to fit them all in otherwise! 

Thanks for looking! 

Making a scene or two!

Hello there! Do you remember the Frantic Stamper fern die I showed you a couple of weeks ago? Well, I bought another! This is vertical birch trees. it was a bit more than I would normally spend on a single die, but I loved the size (perfect on a 7x5 card) and I am a tree-oholic!  I made a scene the same size using Inkylicious stamps, my ink dusters and a mountain valley stencil, then popped the birch trees over the top with 3d glue gel. I used a sakura stardust pen to add a bit of shimmer to the birch trees.
My second card was inspired by the lovely fresh greens of springtime that seem to be emerging at the moment.

Again I used Inkylicious stamps, memento inks, my ink dusters and a mountain valley stencil. The blossom around the edge is spun sugar distress stickles and gold liquid pearls.
Thanks for looking! 

All Grown up!

Tomorrow is my gorgeous daughter's eighteenth birthday! I can hardly believe it! Time goes so quickly... Anyway, here is the card I made for her.

The main image was dusted and stamped onto silk art card with inkylicious stamps, memento inks and ink dusters. I then mounted it on some two tone metallic card (Bronze and maroon) that was a bargain from PDA. I embossed a piece of pearlised black card and rubbed over with treasure brass and treasure pewter. Finally I added a sentiment (little claire) some die cut fern leaves (frantic stamper) and her name in scrabble tiles (stamps from Stamporium no longer available)

Here is a view from a different angle so you can see the sakura stardust pen highlights.I have just realised that this card fits with the Birthday theme at Penny Black and More this month, so I am entering it there.
Meg has gone to spend the last few days of her Easter holiday on the south coast, so we are apart on her birthday for the first time! We have a small celebration planned for a couple of weeks time to compensate!
She is currently studying for her A levels in Biology, Chemistry and Physics, so has put off most things until exams are over and she knows whether she will be able to accept her place at university. I will let you know in due course. I am so proud of her, and even though I will miss her so much I really hope, with all my heart, that she gets the opportunity to follow her dreams.
I will leave you with a few photos...

Thanks for looking!

A little pink creation and some photos

Hi there! I have just returned from a few days away visiting my dear friend Lynne. I needed to make a card for a work colleague who loves anything French, and as I used quite a lot of pink I thought it would be a good time to remind you that Pink is our current theme this month at Stamping Sensations.

I used Inkylicious ink dusters and stamps for all the backgrounds and used Distress inks in Victorian velvet and tea dye. The Eiffel tower (Dovecraft) was stamped on a snippet of card in starlight black brilliance ink and heat embossed with clear powder. I cut the ferns, a rather wonderful little die from Frantic Stamper (available from Once upon a Stamp) from two snippets of burgundy card. I cannot recommend Frantic stamper dies enough. They took one run through the cuttlebug and popped straight out of the die so easily! The sentiment (Little Claire) was stamped on another snippet of card, cut with a spellbinder die, and even the ribbon was a snippet! With so many snippets used I am nipping over to Di's snippet playground with this card.
Before I leave you I will share some photos from my trip to Scotland.

 Mute and whooper swans.

 Whooper swan

 Wild primrose

There is nothing quite like fresh air, sunshine, blue sky, good company and exercise to put a spring in my step! Oh yes, and seeing 47 species of bird in just one day!
Thanks for looking and for your lovely comments. Do bring your pink creations over to Stamping Sensations this month as there is a whopping prize of £40 worth of goodies from PDA to win!