Rainbow Friend Birthday Card #2

Rainbow Lady's challenge, hats, was the beginning of this card for another Rainbow Friend, who also does not blog, I think... sorry if she does!! I added two sets of ribbons and some beaded flowers to the piece, and mounted on dark blue card. Below is the back of the card, where I stamped her twice and decoupaged the hat!! The backing paper is another from the Joanna Sheen Victorian CD - daisies in a field of grass, and the colours just go so well... I hope she likes it...
Thanks for coming to look...
xx

Rainbow Friend Birthday Card

I used my flowers tag to create this card for a Rainbow Friend's birthday, over on the Creating Rainbows forum. Above is the front of the card, whilst below, is the back. I used a Wendie Rhodes stamp for this, embossed in clear, then splodged and painted with my alcohol inks, which I have not used in ages, and really enjoyed!! I do hope she likes it... don't think she blogs, so won't spoil the surprise!! I used some paper as an insert, from the flowers disc by Stephanie on her CD, and made use of the scrap left over, as a backer for my stamped image.

Thanks for looking!!

xx

A Special Card for a Blogger Friend

I created this card for my good blogger friend, Beth, who admired the challenge piece so, and was poorly after surgery, so I decided to send it to her!! The top image is the front of the card and the image below is the back. I created a postcard feel to this one, and used an image from Joanna Sheen's Victorian CD to match the stamp on the front... I also used similar paper inside, for the unsert. I DO hope she likes it when I arrives over there in America!!!!

Thanks so much for looking

xx

Rainbow Lady's challenge - Hats - Klimpt Lady

This is my answer to Rainbow Lady's challenge this week, which is - hats... I don't have many stamps of people and so I got out the Klimpt ladies and chose this one, which looks like she is wearing a close cap/hat... well, that's MY interpretation!!!

I have used my new MicaGloss inks for my background this time, so it shimmers beautifully, but does not show up on the scan, as usual... The colours are green, blue and aquamarine. I shall definitely have more of these - from Stamp Addicts, by Judikins - but not until later in the year, as I have just been having a major, expensive project done in the garden... photos when finished!!! I stamped bits of all the cube around her, to soften the image, and embossed with clear ep as usual. I also used some stamps from an early Elusive images plate and long agapanthus, from Stampendous. I think it works, and hope Cynthia likes it!! - she might think it does not qualify!!!
Thanks for looking ...

TIO #13 - Spots and Swirls in Pink

This is my tag for the TIO #13 challenge this week - can't believe it is 13 already!!! The theme is spots and swirls in pink, so I began by swirling distress inks in dusty concord, worn lipstick and twilight brilliance, on to my shiny card (note to self, begin in a different way next week!!!). It has been the anniversary of the lunar landing, and last night saw the longest eclipse of the sun to be seen in this century, so I used my cloudy moon stamp and Leda, from Stamp Addicts, by Judikins. The dots/spots are also by them. The swirls are from a UMount plate and I also used a Kodomo stamp - woodcut iv.

I began in the top left and bottom right, stamping the small spots and Hero Art small solid circle, then building several other textures by using clear ep. as I stamped. This pulls out the colour in some places and not others and adds to the intensity. I always start with the palest colours of ink and get darker towards the top. That way the piece acquires more depth - perhaps this would help those of you who say you can't collage and layer your stamps without it looking muddled!!?? I finished off with some narrow ribbon and strands of wool from my bit bag. I hope you enjoy the challenge this week, if you are joining in.
Thanks for looking!!

InchyByInch Challenge - Text

Here is my entry for the InchyByInch challenge this week - text. Right up my street again , this one as I love using calligraphy and text in my art - but curiously, I never use it on the front of cards!! Odd lady...

The backbrounds are swirled distress inks on shiny card (yet again!!!) in mustard seed and tattered rose, and I printed using a variety of stamps from UMount plates and Butterfly Kisses. The spots of colour are from Sakura pens... really enjoyed myself here...
Thanks for looking!!

Bubble Challenge by Lilibulle - Image + 4 words

Here is my entry for the bubble challenge by Lilibulle - to use her given image and 4 words. The image is really so pink and purple, so I decided to get out my waxes and encaustic iron!! I made the bubble texture by using my sequin waste and the iron. The words are done on the computer and the flowers are from my stash. Hope she likes it!!
Thanks for looking...

TIO # 12 Carte Postale (Oriental Lady)

The theme on my DragonsDream TIO challenge this week is to make a postcard tag. I bought the images I have used here at the Stamp Addicts retreat, and thought they would be just right, when I thought up the idea of a postcard. This is actually A5, bigger than postcard size, but the only rules are to use the postcard theme.

I began with a piece of coated card, and printed the postcard image, one I had from The Graphics Fairy. Then I began swirling colour in distress inks mustard seed and tattered rose. I had seen the tag as "yellow" and basically it is, with some old paper, spiced marmalade, faded jeans and broken china thrown in!! The images are by Curious by Design - Cherry Blossom set. However, the blossom itself is from a set from QVC, which came wooden mounted and I peeled it off, the better to stamp!!

And that's it really. I built up layers of stamps and hightlighted some areas with a little more neat colour, using cut n' dry, and cut the edge with my decal scissors, after adding a little scrap of yellow ribbon. There are a few splashes of glimmer mists and starburst stains, and the blossom is coloured using 703Sakura stardust, so much of it has a sheen and shimmer - in fact it looks like a piece of delicate silk. Thanks for looking!!

Rainbow Lady's challenge - Script

I have thoroughly enjoyed this afternoon, doing Cynthia's challenge over at her Rainbow Lady's Challenge blog - Script. She wanted to see some calligraphy and I was in my element with this collage. I used an A5 piece of cream coloured card and distressed it with old paper, tattered rose (new and I LOVE it!!!) and brushed corduroy, using a piece of cut n' dry. I used field of sky and cloudy moon, from Stamp Addicts, to add dots and watermarks etc. I then stamped with my new set, Paris Voyage from Curious by Design, in versafine black onyx and old paper, for some calligraphy. I just kept layering stamps and also used a wash of my new blues distress inks. Then I put some clear ep over it and it took in damp places, causing the pitting you can see... UMount plates completed the piece... Hope she likes it!! Thanks for looking.

TIO #11 Passion - The Heart Song

This is my tag for DragonsDream TIO #11 Passion - The Heart Song, this week. It is inspired by my continuing love affair with Fred, a wonderful man, who loves and cares for me... We have not known each other long, as many of you who know my story will already understand. But it seems like we have always known each other, perhaps in some other life. I wrote a poem about this and you can read it here, if you are interested.

My tag is full of Passion, colour, texture and depth, and was not easy to scan. I might try a photo later... I used shiny card and distress inks, plus Adirondak red pepper and swirled red, gold and bronze pearly doodles on to my heat sheet. This created the different tones and the texture. I overstamped with red hearts, and clear ep, as well as field of sky and stars, from Stamp Addicts by Judikins, in black stazon and clear ep. The flower was a piece of board and I smothered it in various purple eps, then stamped into the hot mixture to get the texture. The middle has a piece of sparkly ribbon, rouched into it. The whole heart is stamped from a sheet by Elusive Images, on to a piece of 3"x3" acrylic and embossed in clear and purple eps, on the reverse side. The finishing touch was the little back beads, which outline the heart. I really enjoyed this one!! Thanks for looking...