Three More Magnolia Creations

Here are three other cards I made some time ago, with the same magnolia stamp. The two at the top are from 2006 and the bottom one is from 2007. I thought I had used it more than that!! Two are painted with lyra watercolours and 1 is printed on to acetate with crumpled Fantasy Film behind it - a new take on an old technique.

From the Silk Road

This is my entry for Rainbow Lady's Fashion challenge this week. The girls are printed onto figured silk paper, using the JS Oriental Dreams CD. I still love it to bits! The backgrounds are made using a floral Hobby Arts set, using Old Paper and Brushed Corduroy distress inks. I oversprayed with medieval gold Glitz spritz and sandy beach Glimmer Mist, to soften the edges of the flowers and add that wonderful gold and silver mica. The edges are lightly rubbed with the corduroy ink using a piece of Cut-n-dry -, which is just so usful in many ways.

I have made three paper beads from some wonderful paper my daughter bought me for crimble (this one is called Japan Journey) and it has all the colours of the girls' dresses in it. The beads are strung on dark blue organza ribbon. The whole ensemble is mounted on very dark blue card, which matches the stripes in the printed image. This is a large card, measuring 11ins x 8ins. The backer features the full bloom stamp and a large piece of the figured silk paper. I hope you enjoyed looking at it.

Alcohol Inks

Rainbow Lady has been trying to get me to try these for some time!! I finally got myself some for crimble and I LOVE them. I have made several cards usuing them, and this one is my fav so far. It was made for a Rainbow Friend's birthday, and she has it now, so I can share it more widely.

I adore the Stamps Happen magnolia, and I think it stands out well here against a plethora of colours. I have also shown the backer, with a small fab dragonfly + beads, from Stamp Addicts.


Anyone else got this magnolia stamp? If so, why not show it off , so we can see how different it can look?

Rainbow Lady's challenge this week... my first!

This week, Rainbow Lady's Challenge was green & black.

I decided to try an old technique in a new way. I first stamped the dragon image onto heat embossable acetate, using versamark+black stazon and clear embossing powder.

On the reverse I used slate, bottle, meadow and stream alcohol inks, working them a lot to get small bubbles and dried with my heat tool, when I was happy with the background.

Then I used some mica powders and worked them into the inks with a dry brush. With crumpled tissue, Diamond Glaze and fine glitter, I stuck the dragon piece to the tissue and left to dry. The dry embossing is the bubbles Cuttlebug folder.

On the backer, I did the same image, but used shiny card and painted some of the dragon, in stream ink, to make certain features stand out. Inside is an inner using Joanna Sheen's Oriental Tales CD. The finished result is scaly and sparkly. The card is for a fellow Taiji student, who leaves soon, to join the RAF...

From the Beginning then...

I thought it might be interesting to share with you, the first ever card I made. Way back then, I had very little "stuff" and now I have - well just let's say, loads. It's amazing to see what I did with so few bits and pieces. Now I have what I want, and at least I don't have to hide how many stamps, papers and inks etc. I have bought, from my husband!!

So here is the humble beginning. Early on, I saw Jill Tuck, of The StampMan, and greatly admired her talent. I soon ordered her Oriental kit, and most of this card was made with things from it. I am pleasantly surprised and pleased to look at this card again and still to feel proud of it, after all this time. I am not sure which poor soul I sent it to, and I wonder if they still have it...

I made it a rule always to decorate the backs of my cards, but took this shot with my mobile phone, and did not keep the back view, obviously. NOTE to self - always scan the back view too!!

Getting the Hang of it

Getting the hang of this now. Have managed some changes and beginning to understand how things work. Now I need to work out how to import some of my artwork.

New Year, New Me?

I have finally decided to try a blog. So here it is for now. I hope to add some of my creations in due course, and I hope you will drop in from time to time, to see how I fair!