Shaving Cream Fun! :)

Posted in Cards, On Your Birthday, Seaside by

No, shaving cream is not just for shaving!  And if you weren’t here for the class last night, you missed out on heaps of fun!

We used the shaving cream technique to colour some white cardstock to give a watery look, to use as the background for our cards, and here is the end result.

Stamp Sets: Seaside, On Your Birthday.

Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Whisper White.

Inks: Sahara Sand, Black Stazon, and Baja Breeze and Kiwi Kiss Reinkers.

Accessories: Shaving Cream, Cork, paper snips, dimensionals.

All you need to do, to make these unique and unusual backgrounds is:
Spray shaving cream into a tray (a clean meat tray or container lid is ideal) and make sure there is enough to cover the bottom of the tray.
Smooth it out then put some random drops of ink colour from some reinkers.  Use a paddle pop stick or equivalent to create swirls of colour in whatever form you choose.
Lay a piece of cardstock over the shaving cream and push down so that it is covering the cardstock.  Lift the cardstock out and place, shaving cream side down onto another piece of cardstock and again push down to “sandwich some of the shaving cream out.  This creates two pieces of cardstock which will probably be quite different.
Wipe all of the shaving cream off the card using some paper towel and you should be left with two pieces of cardstock with interesting patterns and smelling very nice!  Leave aside to dry.

So don’t miss out on the fun, come along to some of my classes and you just never know what we might be playing with next!

Keep stampin,

Chris

Which occassion?

Posted in Big Shot, Cards, Fifth Avenue Floral by

Yes Lynda, I am having an absolute ball with my Big Shot! 🙂

And here is the next card which uses an embossing folder through the big shot to create a beautiful background.  I haven’t added a greeting to this card because I wanted you to see how it could easily be used for many occasions, weddings, anniversary, birthday, mother’s day, sympathy, a get well or thinking of you card. 

The rose on this card is a piece of Whisper White textured cardstock, which I have stamped onto with the rose from Fifth Avenue Floral in black Stazon ink.  I have then used blender pens with a touch of Regal Rose ink to give the shading within the rose, but not too much ink otherwise it will destroy the cardstock.  I have then popped the rose up using some dimensionals.

I was also lucky enough to receive some of the gorgeous coloured rhinestone brads in the mail yesterday, from a special lady, Amanda Perryman, who has been my “Secret Sister” over the past three months.  So I have used one of the brads in the centre of the filigree flower, just to give it that finishing touch.

Stamp Set: Fifth Avenue Floral

Cardstock: Whisper White, Regal Rose.

Inks: Black Stazon, Regal Rose.

Accessories: Big Shot with Embossing Folder, Blender Pen, Paper snips, dimensionals, 2.5cm Double stitched Grosgrain ribbon in Rose Red, Filigree Designer brads, Circle Fire Rhinestone Brads.

I hope you like this one. Using the embossing folders makes it just so easy to create quick but beautiful cards.   So let me know if you would like to come to a class using the big shot to make the embossed backgrounds.

Til next time,

Chris

Big Shot!

Posted in Big Shot, Cards, Christmas, Christmas Classics, Snow Swirled by

Yes, I did!  I bought a Big Shot!  I just couldn’t hold out any longer! 🙂

So far I only have a couple of dies and some embossing folders, but I am already loving it.  I will be taking a few days off from classes and workshops over the next ten days or so, and hope that I will get lots of time to try out some new ideas, and of course, play with my new toy 🙂

So, for this card I have gone completely away from my usual traditional Christmas colours, and it is growing on me.  I have used the Big Shot with an embossing folder to create a lovely textured cardstock for my background, I just love this look, and am half way through another card using the same idea, so I will try to get that finished this evening.  I do think you will be seeing rather a lot of this in the near future 🙂

Stamp Sets: Snow Swirled, Christmas Classics.

Cardstock: Night of Navy, Taken with Teal, Whisper White.

Inks: Taken with Teal, Tempting Turquoise, Real Red.

Accessories: Big Shot with Embossing Folder, Ribbon from my own stash, markers.

Hope this inspires you to do something a little different with your Christmas cards this year.  And stay tuned for some more cards soon.

Keep stampin!

Chris

Sunshine and Flowers

Posted in A Flower for all Seasons, Cards, Fresh Cuts by

We have had such beautiful sunny, spring weather here in Canberra recently, so most of the cards I have been making have been in the same spirit – warm and sunny, or full of flowera and butterflies.:) The card I want to share with you today uses some of the Twill Tape, which I have stamped a greeting directly onto with Black Stazon Ink.  I have also watercoloured the main image with my favourite tool, the Aqua Brush, and have again used ink to do the watercolouring. The image is from A Flower for All Seasons Stamp Set, which is another of those really versatile sets, fantastic for watercolouring, or can be used without watercolouring.

It all looks a bit crooked and out of whack, but I promise it is just my photo. 🙂

Stamp Sets: A Flower For all Seasons, Fresh Cuts.

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Old Olive, Good Morning Sunshine Designer Series Paper, Watercolour Paper.

Inks: Black Stazon, Old Olive, Summer Sun, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Really Rust, Ruby Red.

Accessories: Scallop Edge Punch, Twill Tape, Linen Thread, Aqua Brush.

Hope you get some time today to do some Stamping.

Chris

Mojo Monday on Tuesday!

Posted in A Rose is a Rose, Cards, Designer Series Paper by

I thought I would have a go at this week’s Mojo Monday sketch.  If you want to know more about Mojo Monday, just click here to go to there blog.  They have a new sketch at the start of each week, plus some gorgeous card ideas.

This card features the “Faux Seersucker” technique (bit hard to see properly in the photo) which we are going to learn at my upcoming “Bella’s Roses” Card Class on the 24th September, so if you would like to learn this clever but easy technique, contact me to book in for the class by emailing dotdotstamping@myacn.net.au

I definitely like this card better in real life than in the photo! 🙂

Stamp Sets: A Rose is a Rose, Fresh Cuts.

Cardstock: Pink Pirouette, Whisper White, Bella Rose Designer Series Papers.

Inks: Pink Pirouette, Riding Hood Red, Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip

Accessories: Stamp-a-ma-jig, Corner Rounder Punch, Eyelet Border Punch, Crimper, Sponge Dauber, Paper Piercer and Mat Pack, Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon.


Hope you get to do some stamping today!

Chris

Masked Baubles

Posted in Cards, Christmas, Christmas Classics, Snow Swirled, Tree Trimmings by

Here is the last in the series of reverse masked cards from the class on Thursday evening, and yes it is another Christmas Card.  But at least I will be well prepared for Christmas in advance this year! 🙂  We didn’t end up finishing this card in the class, just did the masked bauble part, (too much chit chat again!) so I finished it off last night.  I am usually a traditionalist when it comes to Christmas colours, I just love my red and green for Christmas, but have to admit that this one is growing on me quite quickly.

Stamp Sets: Tree Trimmings, Snow Swirled, Christmas Classics.

Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Whisper White, Not Quite Navy, Ski Slope Designer Series Paper.

Inks: Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, Real Red.

Accessories: Circle Punches and Large Oval Punch (to make the mask for the baubles), Sponge Daubers, Two-way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds, Real Red Striped Grosgrain Ribbon.

Enjoy your Sunday everyone, and Happy Father’s Day to all the Dad’s out there.

Chris

More Reverse Masking

Posted in A Wish for Peace, Cards, Lovely as a Tree, Snow Swirled by

I have had a couple of comments regarding the reverse masking so here are two of the cards that we made in the class on Thursday night.

The first is a card inspired by the incredibly talented Claire Daly, who I find so much inspiration from, I just love her work and I am sure you will too, so check out her website, and you will find the original of this card if you click on her Christmas Cards area.  I have made mine a little more simple, left off ribbon and brads but I just love the combination of the two stamp sets used here, and the way it looks like snow on the spire of the church and on the trees.  I am starting to get in the mood for Christmas already! 🙂  It is hard to see in the photo, but the tree which is outside the oval masked area is glittery.

Stamp Sets: A Wish For Peace, Lovely as a Tree, Snow Swirled.

Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip.

Inks: Baja Breeze, Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Silver Encore.

Accessories: Sponge Daubers, Markers, Oval Reverse Mask, Scallop Circle punch for the corners, Two-way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds.

Ok and for the second card….

I got a little carried away with sponging the chocolate chip around the top (my three year old says it is a storm cloud!) and then when I tried to fix it I made it worse (of course!) – a lesson to be learnt, which I should know by know – never try to fix things up, it only makes them look worse.  Anyway, you all need to know that I am only human 🙂  Truth is, I was too busy chatting!

Stamp Set: Lovely as a Tree

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Kraft, Chocolate Chip.

Inks: Chocolate Chip, Always Artichoke

Accessories: Sponge Daubers, Oval Reverse Mask, ribbon from my own stash.

I do hope these inspire you to try something a little different.

Chris

Reverse Masking

Posted in A Kind Word, Cards by

Today’s card uses a technique called reverse masking.  Last night I held a class where we made three reverse masked cards, and this is not one of them! 🙂  However, I will post some of the cards we made in the class, but I wanted to share this one today, because it is so cute! 🙂  The card itself was a thank you card for one of my lovely hostesses who had a workshop recently, and I know her daughter just loves A Kind Word stamp set, and I don’t blame her! 🙂  Normally I watercolour the images from this stamp set, but this time used some sponging in the background to create the colour, and felt that was enough. Although I did just have to add some of those gorgeous felt flowers as well! 🙂

Stamp Sets: A Kind Word, Occasional Greetings

Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Whisper White

Inks: Black Stazon, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue.

Accessories: Certainly Celery 1.6cm Grosgrain Ribbon, Piercing Tool and Mat Pack, Sponge Daubers, Felt Fusion and Felt Fusion Too, Soft Subtles Brads.

If you are interested in learning more about doing reverse masks, feel free to email or give me a call.  But why not give it a go, there are so many possibilities, and I will be back soon with some more ideas from last nights class.

Father’s Day

Posted in Cards, Lovely as a Tree, Weathered by

Just a very short post today, but I thought I would share a card I made today for Father’s Day.  For those of you in different countries, we celebrate Father’s Day this coming weekend, the first Sunday in September.

I really like these colours for a male card, they are nice and earthy and masculine. It is a little hard to see in the photo, but I have used the Weathered Background stamp over the main card base to give it a little more texture and interest.

Hope you like it, and I will try to be back tomorrow with another card.

Stamp Sets: Lovely as a Tree, Weathered, Occasional Greetings.

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Always Artichoke, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip.

Inks: Always Artichoke, Close to Cocoa, Versamark.

Accessories: Linen Thread, Spiral Punch, Scallop Circle Punch (to make the inverted corners), Paper Piercing Tool and Mat Pack, Markers

Black and Gold Wedding

Posted in Cards, Greetings Eight by

Two posts in one day! That must be a record for me 🙂 Well, actually I realised just how much of my work hasn’t been going up on my blog recently.  But at least I have been taking photos of them before I send them to the recipient 🙂

My husband is one of my biggest supporters when it comes to my business, and he recently asked me to make a Wedding card for one of his work colleagues.  It was a little difficult to take a good photo of this one, so I hope it comes out ok.

One thing that you can’t see very well, is that there is gold embossing around the edge of the punched out heart.  To do this I have used a versamark pen (non-Stampin’ Up!) which you should be able to get from your local stamping or craft supplier.   Not only are they good for doing this sort of edging but also for patching up any little places that you miss when you stamp with your versamark ink pad. Or you could try using it for some embossed freehand writing or doodling.

Stamp Set: Greetings Eight

Cardstock: Basic Black, Whisper White, Vellum Cardstock

Ink: Versamark

Accessories: Scallop Edge Punch, Full Heart Punch, Gold Embossing Powder and Heat Tool, Gold and Black Organdy Ribbons (Non Stampin’ Up!)