stamping

lavenderhousecreations

harvest moon

I’ve been puzzling over the challenge at As You See It – Challenge #358 – My Favourite Autumn Things for a few days and eventually come up with this card. A few of my favourite things about fall are the Harvest moon, the crisp mornings and evenings, as well as beginning to see the skeleton shape of the trees. Lately I’m in a creative slump and have been avoiding my craft room except for keeping up with my duties as a DT.

Yesterday I saw a card by Frenchie Stamps that actually gave me an idea and I decided to CASE the design. I found some paper and created the base of my card, but when I created the die cut circle scene, I realized it didn’t work for the background part. After setting it aside, I decided that instead of doing the scene in miniature I would create it on a larger piece.

First I created a scrap piece I could use as a stencil to do the moon and I used the die cut as a mask, so I could ink the background fully. I also added a little brown and gray ink to the moon to make it look more realistic. Taking a Design by Rynn stencil I sponged through it with a gray ink to do my tree. Using another die cut circle, a sentiment and a leaf, from a Gina K set, I stamped the sentiment and then inked the circle some what to take away the starkness of the white. I used this to cover up a mark made during the inking of the background. After adding a few Nuvo Crystal Dots I stamped the leaf randomly three times and called the card complete.

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

lavenderhousecreations

splish splash

The challenge this time is basically splashy – interpreted anyway you like – rain, puddles, swimming, bath time, splashy drinks or just getting splishy splashy with inks. That said if you create something that isn’t totally obvious do make a point of letting the team know what it is in your post.

As you can see, I’ve chosen bath time as my theme because I wanted to revisit a technique learned a long time ago and not used much since. First I decided on a square shape and cut my layers accordingly. Then taking the main background layer I scored it in both ways at half inch indrements giving a tile effect. I stamped a leafy branch silhouette image from Crafters Companion randomly in Broken China ink to created patterned tile look. Setting it aside to dry I proceeded to stamp and die cut the other elements from a Hero Arts stamp and die set. Before cutting them I coloured the images using a combination of alcohol markers, inks and pencils. I also added some Nuvo Glaze to the bubbles and the water edges. After die cutting I played around with placement and added different thicknesses of foam tape where needed, but it required something more so I traced and fussy cut a shelf shape, coloured it and popped it up to give it more dimension. I found an image on the Internet that had bathrobes hanging and cut one out after I added some colour. This too was popped up with foam tape. The sentiment is from the same set and I used it above the shelf after fussy cutting around it.

Although I liked the finished card, I felt the background leaves were too strong in colour, because I obviously forgot to stamp off when doing the images. I needed to find a fix and I settled on using white pigment ink and a water brush to soften the colour. It took several layers but it worked and because the leafy image wasn’t too defined I didn’t have to be too careful doing it either. I have to say my artist friend was really helpful in trying this as she suggested trying to lift some of the ink. The problem with her suggestion was that the card was already assembled and I wasn’t prepared to pull it apart. So instead we tested it out on some scrap before actually doing it on the card.

Thanks for joining me today, I appreciate you and your time. I had a lot of fun creating this card and look forward to seeing what you come up with in your own designs. Have fun creating.

lavenderhousecreations

stacked banners

The challenge here at Double Trouble is to use Something, Anything and Everything. Hard to interpret you may say – no, actually easy as you will see from my process. The recipe says, 3 of something, 2 of anything and 1 of everything. My card can be considered in several ways using this formula. Firstly I used 3 X 3 layers of banners in a stacked design. This idea came from something I saw Natasha Foote do. As these were cut using a StampinUP die set my design says three die cuts too.

Secondly I have two layers, one of which is also a die cut and for this I used a Spellbinders border die. In addition I have 2 gem embellishments so I met the requirement in 2 ways.

And last but not least my sentiment layer is my everything, after all a card with no sentiment can look unfinished, but just in case I also added a sparkle glitter piece of tape. This served two purposes, it adds some glamour to the card but it also covers up the edge of that layer so it looks nicer. The PP is scraps from my stash although the middle set is actually from a photograph that didn’t print well. Waste not want not LOL. Sentiment is from a Hampton Arts set.

I did not follow the TSOT 680 sketch in my design, but I highly recommend that you try the dare as it gives you more chances to win. If you prefer to try an alternate challenge have a look at https://welove2create.blogspot.com/, and also at Sunday Stamps with their new challenge SSC370 Squared Away. Entering gives you another chance to win. We look forward to seeing your creations in our gallery, but above all we want you to have fun.

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

lavenderhousecreations

CAS stencil

My second card as a guest designer at Seize the Birthday and the challenge this time is to use a stencil and keep the card clean and simple.

My stencil was a hand made one gifted to me by a talented card crafter and is similar to the fleur de lis in pattern. I used stencil butter called Ocean Mist by TCW to do mine. As I had viewed a card on Pinterest that incorporated some drawn circles and a partial frame, I decided to try it on my card. I traced around the inside of two dies to get them as good as possible and used a T-ruler to do the partial frame. I’m not sure it was a good idea although it isn’t absolutely horrible. In retrospect I’m thinking using gray pen or pencil may have been a better choice.

The sentiment is from an incentive stamp set by GKD and I cut it into 3 to make it work better on my card. We look forward to seeing your amazing creations in the gallery and above all have fun!

Thanks for stopping by, your time and your comments are always appreciated.

lavenderhousecreations

just enough spookiness

Most of you know generally I am not into Halloween, but occasionally I’ll make one or two just for fun. This card is one of those and came about because of the challenge at Double D – Make Your Own Background Challenge. And while I was at it, I thought why not add it to the https://twooldbatshalloweenchallenge.blogspot.com/ as well. Their mood board features a cat, but I confess only checking that after the card was complete.

In going through my stamps the other day, I rediscovered some Concord & 9th Turnabout stamps and this marbling is using one of those stamps. It has been so long since I used these stamps I had to consult old videos by J. McGuire to remember how to do it.

After deciding on my colours I proceeded to ink up the background and added some shimmer spray to it because I felt like it. When it was dry I added it as you see to the card front. My cat is also ancient and is from the Crazy Cats and Dogs by Tim Holtz, the witch hat is from the same sets. The little ghost and sentiment come from GKD and my additional background piece is from a photo that a friend had printed and didn’t like. She reprints and I get to use the poor ones if I think I can. Using a WeR cutter, which allows me to choose the blade I like, I trimmed it the size. The ghost and hat were fussy cut. I used pencils to colour the images and did the hat buckle with a silver sparkle pen. Googly eyes finished the cat and I added some highlights using a Posca pen. I’m not good at this but our artist friend is going to help me develop my skill once she has gotten my hubby and his upcoming exhibition sorted. They have been working really hard on this and it is an eye opener to learn just how much work goes into preparing for an exhibition on a bigger scale than just one or two pictures.

I think I like the result, but even if I’m uncertain, I do have a friend who will enjoy receiving it as she is nuts about cats. Thanks for joining me today, I appreciate it.

lavenderhousecreations

postcard christmas

Although when I started this card I was thinking it may work for the next Peace on Earth Challenge #96, at the time I hadn’t seen their mood board or the DT designs. However, one example features a postcard and here is mine.

I was thinking about my Woodware postage frame die the other day and wondering how I might use it for a Christmas card? As it happens, I had already pulled out the MFT village stamp set I’ve used here, so I inked up some CS to give the blue background and stamped the scene in the middle. I used the accompanying stencil only to assess where to add other images. I added the trees, some from GKD, another MFT, the tiny mouse is Hero Arts and the sentiment is StampinUP. Everything was clear embossed as I worked and I coloured everything before I used the die to add the postage holes. I did trim down the edges to ensure it fit onto my card front which is from Spellbinders. At first I wasn’t sure if I liked it, but after my hubby and our artist friend were complimentary about it, I’m more comfortable with it myself.

I’m really trying to keep my cards as flat as possible for this season, as postage has become more expensive and the rules about some items keep changing.

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

lavenderhousecreations

skeleton leaves

It always puzzles me as to why the colours in a photo don’t look quite the same as in reality. This photo is a case in point. Here at home it isn’t as yellow as it shows here and is in fact more like the colours needed for the challenge. As You See It has a colour theme and a photo for inspiration this week.

My card started a while back as a mop up piece from some inking I had been doing. I set it aside for a few days and then stamped the skeleton leaves, an incentive set from GKD, setting it aside once more. I had intended to use it, and had already cut the piece using the unbranded die set I’ve just acquired, but in the end, went in a totally different direction. So once again it languished in my waiting to use pile.

It seems it was waiting for this challenge so I cut another piece using the next size die, using CS similar in colour to the one in the challenge and put the two together. My card front is dark gray but is CS from GKD. The sentiment strip is also GKD and I edged it with a black pen and added some copper glitter to the words before attaching it on top. Two Waffle Flower enamel dots completed the card.

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

lavenderhousecreations

oodles of doodles

Challenge #679 here at Double Trouble is to make a doodle style image card. You may hand draw, use a stamp or die as long as it looks like a doodle. You need 3 doodles, 2 layers including card base and 1 sentiment. If you wish you can take the optional thing 3 by Twisted sister and do a pop of colour and thing 2 is to use the sketch and enter into TSOT as long as you take care not to backlink.

As you can see I used a clown image as my doodle and it is from an old wooden block stamp from Stampers Choice. I also chose to do a pop of colour which I added using pencils and some glitter Sakara pens. My sentiments come from SSS. The background PP is from Simple Stories.

Have fun doodling and we look forward to seeing your creations in our gallery.

Thanks for stopping by, your time and comments are always appreciated.

lavenderhousecreations

bright as the sun

I was honored with an invitation to participate as a Surprise Party Guest at Seize the Birthday and this is the first of five cards I have made. The day the email arrived I was so surprised and delighted that I almost fell of my chair.

This challenge features embossing and I have done both dry embossing and heat embossing. The idea for this card came from a lovely design done by Marie SanFilippo, but I’m unable to link, as it was part of a private group held by Spellbinders. I used a folder from Taylored Expressions for my background and added swipes of metallic gold ink from Scrapbook.com to add some colour. My sentiment and the sun face are from Spellbinders and my flowers are from Memory Box. I used some yellow pop of color from Scrapbook.com for my flower centers. And I used gold CS to cut a background piece for the sentiment so I could offset the main part on it.

Although I do like my card, I wish I was allowed to show you the one done by Marie as it was truly an amazing card. Mine is quite different but the idea of hers is here.

Thanks for joining me today. I appreciate you and any comments you may leave. Have fun making your own cards featuring embossing.

lavenderhousecreations

May your stocking be full

September 2025 Peace On Earth Challenge #95 which is an anything goes Christmas challenge although there is a mood board for anyone needing a boost for ideas. I had the stocking already done as I was playing with this die a few posts ago, and I decided to use it here.

The stocking is from a small die by Marianne Designs, purchased in the Netherlands and I cut it using different PP so I could paper piece a little to give it more definition. PP is from a Recollections pad. The background layer is actually from a store bought card received last year that I thought would work for something else one day and it works well here I think. The tiny sentiment is from a GKD set, and the star banner is from Scrapbook.com. The lacy piece is a border die from Crafters Companion that was poorly cut. I layered it with another poorly cut piece and decided it would work as a kind of mantlepiece to hang the stocking from. The twine is from my stash and it took me forever to tie it into a satisfactory bow. The threads kept separating but I managed in the end. I added some sparkle to the snowflakes in the stocking as well as some red dots to the leafy area.

This card is a fairly simple one and although there are layers its still flat enough to be mailed as regular postage, although not to the USA, as their regulations have changed and anything that isn’t paper means it has to go as a package, which is becoming expensive.

Thanks for spending time with me today.