A clever trick for creating Eclipse cards ......

Happy weekend!

I hope you're all well, and enjoying this gorgeous summer weather.  

It's been a lazy couple of weeks for me since my last post.  I'm still not fully mobile after my fall but, things are improving, slowly, day by day ...... just keep taking the meds! 

It's nice to see so many of you are as pleased as I am that the CAS Mix Up Challenge is back.  

There's still plenty of time to play along if you haven't done so already.

It's a Mixed Media Challenge for July, and the prompt is ..... Eclipse

I love this technique, and here's a really clever little trick that I came across on Facebook, from Jenn's Crafty Makes. 

I just had to give this a go.  Not only is it a quick and easy way of doing the Eclipse technique, it's also a great way of using up some of those off cuts of cardstock we all end up with.

You do need a stamping platform though, it really makes this so easy.

I started by stamping the large floral image onto a piece of white card using my MISTI.  

Once you've done this, just set the stamping platform to one side.  DON'T MOVE THE STAMP and DON'T MOVE THE CARD YOU'VE STAMPED ON TO.

Then, you need to cut some strips of white cardstock.  You can decide on how many you need to cover your image.  I went for nine strips in total, about 0.5cm wide and 11cm long, long enough to cover the stamped image.   

I actually layered two strips together, to give a bit of dimension, you could do three if you like.

Next, carefully attach the white strips onto your stamped image, trying not to move your card.  

If you do happen to move it, just make sure you put it back in the right place before the next stage.

You can see I slightly offset the strips just to give a bit more interest.

Make sure your card is in position, ink your stamp and then stamp over the top of the strips of card 

How easy is that ......... I love it!

A simple sentiment underneath and a bit of mat and layering and the card is done.

If you want to add a pop of colour, use a die cut sentiment .......

I used the same stamped image but this time, I trimmed the strips down a little.  I started in the middle with the longest one and then trimmed one each side a little shorter as I covered the image, it just gives a slightly different look

If you're not into stamping but you like the eclipse idea, then why not use some patterned paper and a simple sentiment die.

This is simply a sheet of paper from the Spellbinders 6x6 Beautifully Imperfect collection ...... I love this daisy!

I die cut my sentiment from the paper, and twice from black cardstock.

I then inlaid one of the black die cuts back into the paper, layered the second one on top, and finished with the paper one.

I added the stamped 'birthday' part of my sentiment ...... remember that you must include some stamping on your project for the Mixed Media Challenge.  And I finished off with a few gold splatters.

Thanks for popping by, enjoy the rest of your weekend.

We've got the family coming round tomorrow for a BBQ, and to watch the World Cup Final.  Not the teams we would have liked to be in the final but, it is what it is.  

Come on Spain!!!  is all I'm saying.

Cheerio until next time.

Products used ......

Cards1 and 2
Stamps ........ Floral image from 'My Condolences' Unity Stamps; Happy Birthday from Happy Birthday Sentiments - Pink Fresh Studio                                                                                            

Inks ......... Versafine Clair -Nocturne (my go to black ink); Delicata Golden Glitz ink; Picked Raspberry Distress Oxide ink
Dies ........  Winnie & Walter 'happy' die'

Other ....... MISTI stamping platform

Card 3

Inks ......... Versafine Clair -Nocturne
Dies ........  Winnie & Walter happy die

Designer Paper ...... Beautifully Imperfect 6x6 patterned papers - Spellbinders

Other ....... Winsor & Newton Drawing Ink - Gold (for the splatter)

Time to get festive for the Craft Stamper Challenge ......

Happy Friday ......

Welcome to November folks.  I don't want to cause a panic but ....... IT'S ONLY 52 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS ..... eeeeeekkk!!!   Guess what I'm doing this weekend ...... yep!  Christmas cards.

Let's start the weekend as I mean to go on with a little festive inspiration for this month's Craft Stamper Take It Make It Challenge .......

I think I'll be making a few more of these over the weekend .......  I love this new snowman from Penny Black.  He's from their Slapstick/Cling range and he's called Bundled Up.  He's a real jolly looking snowman and I think he looks great in the black and white, what do you think?

I used the MISTI to stamp him onto a piece of plain white cardstock, using Black Versafine Clair ink for the main image .....

and I also inked the holly leaves with a green Versafine ink.  I then used a glue pen and green glitter over the top of the holly leaves, and red glitter glue for the berries .... very festive!

For the band on his hat I went over the stamped image with the Nuvo Midas Touch (Gold) Aqua Shimmer pen
The sentiment was then stamped and heart embossed in gold across the bottom .... I do love my larger sentiments

I finished off by adding a sprinkling of Chunky White Embossing Powder and a couple of dots of black enamel accents for his buttons

As always there are two prizes up for grabs ......

1.  The Design Winner, chosen by the DT.  

They get their winning project featured in the Craft Stamper magazine along with a winners profile, and a GD spot on the Blog

2.  The Challenge Winner. 

And the prize for this month is ....... a fabulous Christmas Bundle of stamps and stencils from the amazing Kaisercraft

Remember you can enter the challenge up to THREE times .... any more than that unfortunately won't qualify for the prizes.

You must include ACTUAL RUBBER STAMPING on your projects too .... no digis please.

And also, don't forget to link back to the Craft Stamper Challenge post.

Happy stamping!

Thanks for popping by ..... have a fabulous Friday and a great weekend!

If you're off out to watch the fireworks this weekend, have fun, stay warm and stay safe.

Before I dash off though, I'm joining in the fun with Kylie's 12 Days of Christmas event. 

12 days filled with Christmas card ideas ....... that should help to fill my festive box!

Cheerio until next time ...... 

Middle of the week already .....

Hi everyone,

And a big 'Hello' to Kim, my latest follower.  I'm so pleased that my numbers are still growing,  it's great to have you along for the journey.

It's so nice to get back into the crafty swing of things.  Now that Stephen is back at work I can spend as much time as I like in the old craft room and not feel guilty.

I've had a busy couple of days what with Wedding Invites to do - I must admit these are getting done in short bursts.  They're not complicated or anything too fancy but doing the same thing over, and over, and over again is not good.  Especially when there's so much other stuff I have to do too.  A girl can easily get distracted, but more about that later.  They don't have to be finished until the middle of February so there's no immediate rush.

It's the beginning of a new year, and the beginning of a new month and that means one thing over at Less is More  - a Colour Challenge.
This time the girls have chosen one of my all time favourite colour combinations .........

BLACK and WHITE

with an added touch, splash, hint, suggestion, dab, or patch of a COLOUR of our choice

Here's what I came up with .......

Black and White, with a hint of pink.

 

The Vase and the Roses stamps are both by Clarity.  

The vase was stamped first and then I made a couple of masks, one to cover the vase whilest I stamped the roses, so that they actually look as though they are in the vase.  Then another one to cover the outside of the vase whilest I coloured it with a touch of Worn Lipstick Distress Ink.

I did a little bit of shading underneath, to ground the vase, using a piece of copy paper, Smokey Grey Versafine Ink and a make-up sponge. 

The sentiment is from a clear set of stamps which I think are from Stampendous.

A really quick and easy, but very pretty looking card, I think. 

Well, that's one off the list of many cards I have to make in January.  

Here's a sneaky peek at another one ........

You'll find all the details for this one, later today, over on the Indigo Blu DT Blog (no prizes for guessing whose stamps I've used on this one).

Speaking of Indigo Blu, my postie brought me a box of brand new goodies yesterday.  Oh, my goodness!  All you IB fans, watch this space.  Are you in for a treat or what!  New stamps, new stuff to alter ....... oops! I've said too much I think, I'll be getting into trouble.  (This was the reason I got distracted from the Wedding Invites)

On that note, I'd better be off to the old craft room.  It's playtime, sorry, I mean time to get to work.

Enjoy your day, I know I'm going to.

Thanks for popping by.

Linda

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