card-making

lavenderhousecreations

just to say …

Welcome back to another challenge here at Double Trouble. Your recipe is to use 3 Colours from the No 3 primary colour wheel and the neutral wheel as well, 2 images and 1 sentiment. You may choose to add the dare from Twisted Sister and add a four footed animal and if you follow the sketch you may add your card to the TSOT challenge too. Be careful not to backlink if you choose to add it at TSOT.

My card incorporates more than 3 primary colours and several of the neutrals. I made my own section of PP by randomly stamping the fish bones in black, after which I added some colour using Sakura glaze pens. The second half strip is from a paper pack by GKD that I’ve had for a long time. I backed these pieces with a black layer and added it to the kraft card front.

After stamping my cats, all from the Crazy Cats by Tim Holtz, I coloured them using Prisma pencils and Gamsol. Then they were die cut using the matching dies from the set. I set them aside so I could work on the rest. I had these die cut circles left from a different project so I sponged colour using Distress Oxides 2 colours per circle. Once they were dry and I knew I liked them, I added the cats and fitted them to the other layers. Because I had already added the layers to the card front, I used a pencil mark on the two circles that overlapped and cut them on my Fiskars unit. My sentiment comes from a note pad by Hunky Dory that has pages of pre printed sentiments intended for the inside of cards. I’ve only just purchased this and it is handy as it has 120 Essential card inserts. The inside of this one says Many Happy Returns.

I’m happy with how this turned out and it was a fun one to create. We look forward to seeing your creations in our gallery and hope you have fun with the challenge.

Thanks for joining me today, I appreciate you and your time.

lavenderhousecreations

Beer Truck

There are some masculine birthdays coming in April so I used the sketch challenge found here, Challenge #368 – Floral Sketch Design. As the instructions said we can change the shape I chose a truck with beer barrels from a new unbranded set I’ve just gotten.

To begin, I wanted an interesting background so after sorting through some bits and pieces I found 2 inked backgrounds that I could cut up. I cut them into different size strips and glued them to some paper on the diagonal. Using a StampinUP die I cut this piece and glued it to a larger blue piece. This layer didn’t have a die that would give me the same edge as the striped layer, but I found a border die that I adapted to add the holes along the edge. The large background piece I distressed on the edges before adding to the card front. Then the other layers were added on top.

After stamping and heat embossing my truck and the barrels, I coloured them with Prisma pencils. Stamps and matching dies are from Amazon. Then I die cut my images and stacked other die cuts underneath for dimension. When they were dry I added some Nuvo Crystal drops to the windows of the truck, around the tires and to the lights. While this was drying I chose a sentiment from a Crafters Companion set, stamped and heat set it and then fussy cut. After placing the truck I chose to add the sentiment above it.

The friend for whom this is intended is a vintage car nut and he recently bought himself an amazing vintage truck. While my image is clearly not vintage, it is at least, a vehicle. He appreciates my cards and as a brilliant wood carver understands the work that goes into making them.

Thanks for joining me today. I always appreciate you and your time.

lavenderhousecreations

Birthday Fishes

I bought this stamp and die set, by Pink Ink Designs, along with other items from a sale basket at a local craft store late last year. The items were set aside and then our computer tech friend came to install my new computer and to transfer all my files from the old one. He needed a lot of desk space while using two monitors and two CPU’s so I cleared everything away. In the process I put these items somewhere and couldn’t find them until today. They were safely set inside a cupboard but until I pulled out my stencil storage I couldn’t see them. I knew I would find them eventually haha.

Anyway the challenge at Seize the Birthday #322-Green as Main Color so I went to town with different shades. After stamping the image I used Prisma pencils to colour it and using the dies I cut the fish from the frame. I also used some scrap card and cut several fish layers so I could stack them for dimension. Before I popped the fish back into their places I used a little ink on the background. After playing with it I decided I wanted to cut the frame down so I carefully went round it with scissors. Before adhering I also went around the edges with a green marker. I did the same to all the fish layers before I glued them together. Then I just popped them back into their places on the image. Initially I had a white card base ready, but decided to go with this green one instead.

My sentiment was created on my computer as I had nothing that I liked enough in my stash. I had no idea of whether this card was going to work, but now that it is done, I’m quite pleased with it. It took me most of the afternoon to make, but as the day progressed the weather also deteriorated so being inside crafting was just the ticket.

Thanks for spending time with me today, I appreciate you and your time, as well as any comments you may leave.

lavenderhousecreations

SPRING IS IN THE AIR

CAS has a colour challenge – Challenge #580 – Colour Challenge and this is what I came up with. I’m still learning ways to use these Craft Addiction slatted dies but am enjoying playing with them.

Having the Inkadoo stamp set still on my desk along with a new, as yet unused, stencil/die from Waffle Flower helped my process. After searching through all my paper scraps I finally found a piece large enough and in the right colour to fit behind the slatted section. At first I thought I would make a square card, but I didn’t measure the layer properly and because I didn’t want to waste the piece I’ve used it the way you see it here. I added some foam tape around the slatted piece and then added the blue background in behind it.

After stamping the tulips I coloured them with pencils and then fussy cut them even going into the crevices to take out the white bits. There is a little foam tape added behind the flower heads and I split the leaves slightly at the bottom so I could tuck everything into the slats but have the leaves drooping over the top a little. I also added a tiny amount of gold sparkle to the petals of the flowers on one side but it doesn’t show on the photo. After die cutting the word, I added the stencil and using inks I brushed in the colours. Using more foam tape I added the floral layer to the card front and then placed the word close to the bottom. Three Pop of Color dots from Scrapbook.com finished the card.

I had thought I might use a technique shown by Christine Stokes to add more dimension to the flowers, but I forgot. Hopefully I’ll remember the next time as it really makes a difference to the look. We are off to an art exhibition this afternoon, so I’m happy I’ve managed to get this posted.

In the meantime, thanks for stopping by. You and your time are appreciated.

lavenderhousecreations

BOOK WORM

The mood board at Double D has some inspiring images and the challenge gives us choices. As you can see I chose books and a card design that looks like a book. Double D Books/Bookmark and/or Postal/Postage Challenge.

It took me a while to figure out which way I should go with this design. I knew I wanted a portrait orientation so after cutting a normal size card out of some Recollections CS I scored it at 3″ and again at 4.25″. Before gluing this section I went around the edges with a sponge and Vintage photo ink. I wasn’t quite sure about papers but I knew I wanted the book die cut, which I cut from an old hand painted card. I think this die is from Kokorosa, but it could be an unbranded one, I’m not sure. After searching through some paper scraps I came across this mulberry paper that I rather liked so I cut both the spine and the front cover using this. Then I remembered that I had these corner dies (not sure of brand) so I cut two from some Gold and added them as you see, using the fallouts on the spine. I also added some thin gold strips top and bottom. After playing around with the book die cut I found it was going to be more effective if I cut into sections. Once they were glued in place I used a fine gold pen around the edges and on the spines for more detail.

My original intention was to create my own sentiment/book title using the computer, but I also wanted a vertical sentiment on the spine. I used an old GKD set for this with Ground expresso ink and some clear heat embossing. In searching for this set I came across an Inkadoo set that was gifted to me and the word stamps were part of the set. Because I was stamping these as an afterthought I had to play with placement a little, but using the same ink and heat embossing I managed to get what I wanted. Fortunately the paper released the powder easily as I couldn’t prepare it as I normally would have. Having it stick only where I required was a blessing.

I’m someone who is rarely without a book in my hand, when I’m not crafting that is, so this design is right down my alley. I rather like how it turned out and it is just a little different in its design. Thanks for stopping by, you, your time and any comments are always appreciated.

lavenderhousecreations

decoupage wildlife

Welcome to the latest challenge here at cardz4galz. The theme for this one has been chosen by Debbie and she is asking for embossing – heat or dry.

As you can see I have used both heat embossing – my gold sentiment, and a small dry embossed scrap piece underneath the green layer. The green layer was die cut with an unbranded set of dies and my decoupage is from a Crafters Companion kit. The small dots are from Pops of Color by Scrapbook.com. The sentiment stamp is from Hampton Art. The dry embossed layer is easier to see in person than on the photograph and the folder used is from Spellbinders.

Unfortunately this card may have to be hand delivered as the layers create bulk making it hard to mail.

Thanks for stopping by, your time and your comments are truly appreciated. We look forward to seeing your designs in our gallery and hope you have fun creating.

lavenderhousecreations

Green and Gold Ocean Scene

Although I like the end result of this card, I’m uncertain as to whether the colour is more on the blue side than on the green. However, I did make it for the challenge at Color Hues #128-Green and Gold and will enter it regardless. I like Teal as a colour but I do think interpreting it, is a challenge by itself.

When searching for PP related to photography last month, I came across another design pad that was all about water so I bought it as well. I found this pattern in the pad and die cut it using an unbranded set. I did the same thing using one of the smaller dies and gold CS but only used the leftover piece for this card. With other bits of the gold CS I die cut the sea weeds using a Memory Box die. The tiny fish are from Gummiapan and the seahorse I can’t remember unfortunately. All the tiny gold bubbles are fallouts from the Memory Box die cut.

As I’m not sure how I shall use this card yet, I’ve decided to leave the sentiment for now.

My brain has been thinking about another design so I may create it and have it work for another entry here. Its a good day to be inside, because the lovely sunshine we were having is gone and we have a rainy day now.

Thanks for joining me today, I appreciate you stopping by.

lavenderhousecreations

As You See It Speed challenge

7 mins 23 seconds

How appropriate that the newest challenge at As you See it is asking for purple which as many of you know is my favourite colour, and this is one of my favourite challenge sites too. Challenge #367 – Lickedy Split Lavender.

After finding all I required to make the card, I started the clock and cut two same size panels for the card front. Using a new oval from a Craft Addiction die set, I cut the floral image from a new paper pad by Hunky Dory called Duo Designs. I simple couldn’t resist that paper when I saw it. Anyway I took part of the paper and moved the die around until I found the part that looked best and cut it. With a smaller die from the set I die cut the white oval.

The hardest part of making this card was actually the sentiment. I used a stamp from a Joy Clair set, but I had to mask off each word so I could stamp it as you see rather than as a straight line. Up till that point it had only taken me about 5 minutes to do the card. Of course when doing something in a hurry Murphy’s law says it won’t work and I ended up having to do the oval twice.

So my card took me 7 mins and 23 seconds to complete. Well within the 10 minute limit, but it still made my heart race a bit.

For a card made in a speed challenge, it has turned out better than I expected and I quite like it. I am supposed to be doing bookkeeping for the end of year accounting, but it is a job I hate. I was so fed up that instead, I took a break and made this card as well as creating 2 envelopes for cards ready to be mailed, but that were not a normal size. I’ll go back to the books tomorrow I guess.

Thanks for spending time with me today, it is appreciated.

lavenderhousecreations

tent fold card

showing how it stands

Our artist friend has a birthday coming up soon and I really wanted to personalize a card for her. When I saw this style card on YouTube, I thought it would be perfect to make a painters easel and this is what I came up with. The tutorial is found HERE if you are interested. Our friend loves blue so my first thought was to use blue PP, then my second was realizing I don’t have any stamp sets with artist tools. She is also an award winning photographer so I thought about doing a card using that as a theme, but I’d done several of these for my hubby and wanted something different. In the end I looked online to see what I could find that would be useful and found a set by Globeland on Amazon. Cheap stamps but good enough for what I needed, but no matching dies so I fussy cut the images. And the order was delivered this morning which was perfect.

Making the card folds and decorating it wasn’t hard at all. I did, however, want something on the floating piece that would look as if someone was painting. It was then that I remembered some cards that came in my Weekender kit from last year. I found one that looked like a painting and cut it to size before adding to the panel. The sentiment is from Joy Clair and I’ve added a piece on the back for writing a personal note.

All in all I’m happy with how this one looks and of course I’ve learned a lot while making it, so the next one will be much simpler to do. I have two other artist friends and may do something similar for them when their birthdays are coming up.

I think this card works for the following challenge: V is for Volume (Dimension) at Alphabet challenge blog and it loosely follows the sketch challenge at Just Add Ink #779…Sketch even though it is a fun fold rather than a note card style.

Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate you and your time.

lavenderhousecreations

spring blooms

There are times when a store bought card, or in this case a tissue box, has images that just have to be used rather than thrown away. So I cut up the box and have several pieces that I can create with. This is my second card, but the first one is a scheduled post so won’t show up for a while yet.

I rather liked the sketch idea at Sunday Stamps and this is what I came up with. I shall enter it into the Anything Goes current sketch challenge.

Using some leftover scraps of a GKD brown CS I created a layer for the cut up tissue box piece. Before adding it to the card front, I added some ribbon and the sentiment. The sentiment is a gifted to me die with both shadow and word and I have no idea of the brand. I added strips of the same brown CS to the side and then added the enamel dots which are from Waffle Flower.

It is a more vibrant looking card in reality than it appears in the photo. A very easy card and I quite like how it turned out.

Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate you, your time and any comments you may leave.