Hello Dollies ATC's by Deborah

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I've been playing with dolls: Lost Coast Designs Dolls. As they are quite small, I decided to use them on Artist Trading Cards.

Precious:

I painted a coat of Picket Fence Crackle Paint onto an ATC blank and let it dry naturally. I stamped the doll in the bonnet with Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink on an off-white paper. Then I masked her and over-stamped with Tim Holtz Flourish COM001, in the same ink.  I tore roughly round the edge and glued it to the painted ATC blank. To finish, I stuck a scrap of cotton lace with thin double sided tape to one edge, then stitched around the edge of the ATC. I used Glossy Accents to glue the buttons in place. I added some Antique Linen Distress Stain to age it.

Keep Calm and Carry On:

I painted an ATC blank with Paper Artsy Fresco Finish: Zesty Zing. Then stamped the sailor-suited doll with Faded Jeans Distress Stain and glued her in place. I masked her and stamped over her with the Tim Holtz Flourish stamp. It didn’t stamp cleanly, but I didn’t mind that. In fact, I stamped again, inking just the edge of the stamp, to make a grungier border.  I filled in some of the space with the phrase, postmark and crown from Kanban’s London set, using Memento Tuxedo Black.

Nothing to Wear:

I stamped the undressed doll onto off-white paper, masked her and stamped with the Tim Holtz Flourish, all with VersaFine Vintage Sepia. I typed out the words with a vintage typewriter font and printed onto regular copy paper stained with Antique Linen Distress Ink.


Deborah

Flower in a Bottle by Alan Scott

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This card was finally made from elements from 2 stylised stamp sets from PaperArtsy called Hot Picks 1203 and Hot Picks 1205.

MATERIALS USED:

A4 card made up from your card stock

12” x 12” sheet of backing paper

A4 sheet of gold pPaper

Cereal box cut into A5

Walnut Stain Flakes

Binding Tape

Martha Stewart Edge Punch

Tim Holtz Distress Stains: Old Paper/Walnut Stain

Distress Ink Pads: Walnut Stain/Rusty Hinge/Spiced Marmalade/Vintage Photo/Black Soot

Glossy Accents

Watercolouring medium (AquaMarkers/paints)

Water brush

Strong double sided tape

Normal items from your crafting goodies ie: scissors, craft knife, ruler etc.

 

HOW IT WAS MADE:

This card did not start out as it finally looked. You know when you're three quarters way through a card and you just turn around to pick something up and then on returning you look at the card and think OH NO THAT'S NOT GOING TO WORK! Well this was one of those moments.

So I put aside what I had done and carefully cut out all the images I wanted, like the bottle. That had been given a light green water wash and then using a high gloss gel, I in fact created a home made epoxy sticker.
When I tried to remove the topper from the card, as careful as I was, it did tear. So this is where with some gold paper and a Martha Stewart punch I managed to cover up what damage I had made. The rest of the area was covered up by using a larger topper that was made from the inside of a cereal packet. I never throw them away, as they are perfect for cutting out shapes using my Cricut and eCraft machine’s.

Right then, the bottle was originally made on the old card. Carefully cutting it out, I then gave the edges a going over with an old make up sponge and Black Soot Ink. This blended two sides and it covered up those areas that were left white after cutting it out from the original topper. The flower was also cut out but this time I only used the centre portion. This when I cut it out I snipped into the centre to give a look of feathering. The Butterfly was also cut out and this time was edged in the Black Soot Ink.

I had to now re-stamp the main flower. However this time I had something to work with. The original time I stamped, I had to work out where the bottle was in comparison to the flower stem and then mask etc. I didn't have to worry about it now, as I just had to secure the bottle over the stem and WHAM there you have it. Job done!

After I had stamped the flower and the butterfly in place, I had the chance to play with something new that has been delivered into my crafting stash - Walnut Stain. It's something that Altered Artists among others have used. It comes in flacks and can be melted into a liquid by just using hot water. This was the first time I have used it and it's just a wonderful product to give you that aged look. I placed a few flakes onto the wet card and rubbed in. I do this with coffee (another wonderful crafting aging product along with tea bags - clean ones please lol).

I was very impressed with what it had done to the card and I'm looking forward to exploring this more over the coming months.

Now all I had to do when the card was dry was in fact to build up the card. I secured the bottle over the stem, glued the butterfly over the stamped image and finally after moulding the flower centre to give some definition, that was glued.

I looked at the card and something was missing ..............

I didn't want a ribbon to go over all the front of the card, as it was aimed for a Male. So by carefully making a slit into the card I was able to thread the ribbon through (which had also been treated with the Walnut Stain), this way it anchored the card.

I don't put a sentiment or a theme on my cards if I can help it. This way, it's up to you to maybe grab a hint here or a style from there and bring it into your own crafting and theme of card.

Happy Crafting,

Alan

Pastel Bird Diva Card by Mandy C

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What I used:

Lost Coast Designs Stamp ~ Bird Diva with Face 

Tim Holtz Cling Mounted Stamp Set ~ Mini Muse ~ CMS063

Tim Holtz Cling Mounted Stamp Set ~ Bitty Grunge ~ CMS089

Tim Holtz Cling Mounted Stamp Set ~ Artful Flight ~ CMS069

Tim Holtz Cling Mounted Stamp Set ~ Mini Ornates ~ CMS064

Cosmic Shimmer Iridescent Watercolour Paints  

Cosmic Shimmer Mica Mists  

Ranger Archival Ink Pad ~ Jet Black

StazOn Solvent Ink Pad ~ Stone Gray

White Card
5 x 7 ins white card blank
Cat's Eye Fluid Chalk Ink ~ Dark Moss

1.  Cut a piece of white card big enough to fit the Bird Diva stamp on. Stamp the bird onto the centre of the card with black archival ink.

2.  Colour around the image with watercolour pencils. Using the harlequin pattern from the mini muse set onto the lower edges of the bird card. Edge with black archival.

3.  Take 2 pieces of white card. on one of them spritz with cosmic shimmer mists, leave to dry.  On the second piece of card, paint with the cosmic shimmer paints ~ I’ve used colours that compliment the colours on the ‘bird’ card. Leave to dry.

4.  Mount the bird card onto the turquoise colour card (made with spritzers) Edge with StazOn Stone Gray.

5.  Take the piece of card that you painted onto, cut to size... so it fits onto the card blank with a nice little edge. Firstly, I did think to just mount the bird card directly onto the painted card, it didn’t look ‘right’ so I decided to use a few stamps.

6.  Using the StazOn Stone Gray, stamp the script from the ‘Mini Ornates’ set. Then, again with the Stone Gray, stamp the punchinella stamp from the ‘Bitty Grunge’ set, randomly around the edge. Lastly, using the flourish from the ‘Artful Flight’ and black Archival, edge the card with the stamp.

7.  Using StazOn Stone Gray, edge the card. Then mount onto the card blank and finally edge the card blank with Dark Moss chalk ink.

Mandy

Victorian Music Hall Card by Alan Scott

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This wonderful stamp is from a stamp collection by IndigoBlu called Music Hall. Once again it is a set of stamps that can be combined to make one image or just using 1 or 2 to make a just as impressive image.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

IndigoBlu Music Hall Stamp Set 
8 x 8 card made up
Sheet of purple card stock
A4 sheet white card stock
Black glitter card stock
Dies to cut out the Toppers shapes (you may have your Cricut, eCraft etc)
Card Candi - Wedding Bells – Ritz (coloured with a bronze pen)
Cosmic Shimmer Mists – Bronze Blush – Golden Fish – Ancient Blush
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist – Afraid of the Dark 
Tim Holtz Distress Ink – Aged Mahogany – Rusty Hinge – Victorian Velvet
Adirondack Ink Pads – Latte –Eggplant - Watermelon – Pitch Black
A4 sheet watercolour paper 
A4 sheet Neenah paper 
Non stick crafting mat 
Spray bottle 
Baby wipes and disposable plastic gloves
Length of contrasting ribbon - think O.T.T when you're looking for this embellishment
Normal crafting stock we all have, scrap paper

HOW TO MAKE:

Now then, we have to get messy. I have put down disposable gloves - well I did learn the hard way and even 5 days later there is a tint to my fingers! So armed with your gloves, lay out the non stick crafting mat. Using your coloured ink pads, visualise an area of about A4. Dab onto the mat the different ink pads -try not to overlap as you don't want to contaminate your pads. When you're happy, take hold of your spray bottle and just cover the inks with a layer of thin water. You don't want to drown out the ink hue but just enough that will leave a nice colour onto your water colouring paper.

Take the misting bottles and just lay a thin layer of the Glimmer Mists - try not to combine them at this stage. Now take your paper and lay onto the ink. Lift up the paper and look at what you have achieved. If there are white spots, just take the paper and move it about lifting up the ink from the mat. if you have not covered your paper, just repeat what you have done. When you're happy place to one side. Clean up your mat by using scraps of paper - you don't want to throw anything away. I always keep a few white/tan tags to one side to use just for this. If you cant wait for the paper to dry use your heat gun on a low setting. When the paper is ready, using the Music Script stamp start to lay down some imagery. Use the tap and then stamp technique. This is the only time you don't have to be careful and get ink all over the stamp. When you have inked up, stamp onto some scrap paper and then stamp onto the inked paper. You want to have a light layer and the inked stamp does not stand out - it's got to melt into the back ground. Place to once side to dry. Taking an oval die or if you have a die cutting machine cut out an oval and and using good black ink  (I'm so impressed with the Adirondack Pitch Black by Ranger), stamp the image into the centre of the oval. Then using the Tim Holtz Distress inks you have used for the watercolour background, just put a hint of colour onto the oval. This is to tie everything into place. Stark white is sometimes so over powering when it comes to strong colours - it can make the card unbalanced.

Lets now start to build up the background of the card. Using the Flourish that's in the set, edge the purple paper. Again, use the black ink that you're using (try to keep to the same black all the way through a project. If you look carefully some blacks do not print the same hue on different papers). Secure onto the card that you have bought or constructed yourself and carefully trim the edges so that its flush.

Now it's time to cut out the same shape as the Multi coloured paper you have made. Just make sure that the black shape is a bit larger so it can overlap when layered together. Just to give the illusion that you have used brads, I love the Card Candi embellishments. They just glue into place and give that look of brads. Lay the black card onto the paper just off centre height way (you want to leave a space for the lavish ribbon you're going to use). Using the Card Candi, secure one in each ‘Petal’. Repeat the same with the paper that you have created. Make sure that you're going to lay the edge into the ‘dip’ of the black card. Again place the Candi embellishments into place. You will see that l have turned the stamped image on to an angle so that the image looks upright.

Then take your ribbon, secure into place and then make a great big bow - as big as you can make it, its got to be a focal point and not to hide away.

There you have it. A rather ‘lavish’ looking card that's not cost the earth to make. The ribbon came from an old ‘prezzy’ that some one received and were going to throw away. That's what gave me my colour tone. Who would have thought a ribbon and a great set of stamps would lead me to making this card?

Happy Crafting

Alan

Enjoy the Journey Steampunk Card by Mandy C

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What I used:

Lost Coast Designs Stamp ~ Steampunk Balloon Guys

Tim Holtz Cling Mounted Stamp Set ~ Going Somewhere ~ CMS090
Tim Holtz Cling Mounted Stamp Set ~ Spills and Splatters ~ CMS028
Tim Holtz Cling Mounted Stamp Set ~ BittyGrunge ~ CMS089
Ranger Archival Ink Pad ~ Sepia
Ranger Archival Ink Pad ~Jet Black
StazOn Solvent Ink Pad ~ Stone Gray
StazOn Solvent Ink Pad ~ Timber Brown
ColorboxFluid Chalk Cat's Eye Ink Pad ~ Dark Brown
Turquoise and Tan coloured acrylic paints ~ I used Eco Paints
Kraft square card blank
White Card
Watercolour pencils
Old store/phone card

1.  Take your card, store card and paints. Scrape the paints in different ways across the card, until you are happy with the effect. Once dry (Eco paints dry super fast) choose the piece of card you’d like to use and cut out a 5 inch square.

2.   Using the Sepia Archival, use the long ticket on the ‘Going Somewhere’ plate and   stamp across the card.

3.   Using Staz-on Timber Brown, stamp the punchinella stamp from the ‘Bitty Grunge’  set around the edge of the card. Then using Staz-on Stone Grey, stamp the coffee stains over one edge of the card.

4.   Stamp the Balloon stamp onto white card, cut out and position onto the card and glue in place. Stamp ‘Enjoy the Journey’ sentiment in Black Archival.

5.   Colour the balloon in with watercolours (you may want to do this before you attach to the card in case it warps)

6.    Edge card with chalk ink.

7.    Position and glue onto the card.

Mandy

Butterfly in Sepia by Alan Scott

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I set my self a task when I received this wonderful set of stamps from IndigoBlu called Wild Meadow. I wanted to use all the stamps in the set on one project. Now this is something that you can't normally do, as there are what l call “fillers” in most stamp sets.

MATERIALS USED:

Normal white card stock A4 x 3

Neenah Classic Crest white card

Espresso Adirondack Earthtones Ink Pad

Latte Adirondack Earthtones Ink Pad

A4 Gold Mirror card

Length’s of brown and gold ribbon

A4 backing sheet from my collection

Hougie Board

Normal crafting stock items ie: Glue Gun runner, Water Brush, Scissors, Ruler, Knife etc.

HOW TO MAKE:

Firstly I constructed my card from the white card stock. As it was a true A4 , I had to make a folding gusset to construct the card.

Then using the glue tape runner, I secured the backing paper onto my card front. This was then stamped over the edges by using the Floral scrolled stamp. (1 down 4 more to go!)

When it was dry, using the Hougie Board, I made a embossed line approx. half inch along all the edges. We sometimes forget that we can make a simple decoration by just making an embossed line along the edge of the card.

Using the Neenah Classic Crest white card, I started to construct my image. Using the Meadow base I stamped that image. Then by carefully selecting the densest area, I stamped the Dandelion stamp. I picked this area so that the lines of the dandelion wouldn't stick out and not feel part of the same image.

The butterfly was the last stamp to be used to complete the scene. Using a water colouring brush, I just dragged the colour into the centre from the stamped image to give a slight hint of a colour.

I cut this out and then gutted some Gold Mirror Card (I then used this for the sentiment stamp!) mounted the image onto the gold card and placed to one side.

The sentiment was then stamped onto some Neenah Classic Crest white card (YIPPIE!!!!! used all the stamps!). This was again mounted onto gold mirror card.

Before I secure all the parts of the card, I like to place them onto my card base and then play with the placement of each layer. The text in the end was placed on the edge of the card so that it gave the final images a wider feel. I mounted the sentiment with some double sided glue pads.

The ribbon was placed just off centre width wise. This again was to make the final image feel taller. Its important that you think about placement and you don't let your main images get lost on your card. Like wise, it's important that you don't swamp the card with your image. It's a very fine balancing act, that's why I always play with the final placement before I attack it with my glue runner, lol.

There you have it, a card made using all the elements of a stamp set (you can't say that about a lot of stamp sets!). This image can be taken in one colour tone or you can get your water colours out and go to town. Just remember, use the right ink for the medium you're going to use to colour.

HAPPY CRAFTING!!

Alan

Claudine’s Kitchen: Recipe Index Dividers by Deborah

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Keen cooks can make their own personalised recipe box, with recipes written on index cards and divided into different groups with decorated index card dividers. Claudine Hellmuth’s Kitchen stamps, mixed with clip art and patterned papers, are ideal for giving your recipe collection a retro look. I hope she releases a second set – maybe with kitchen scales, a mixing bowl and measuring spoons.

All the images are stamped with Adirondack Espresso dye ink; some are coloured with ProMarkers. I used a 99p peg stamp alphabet set for the lettering.

Deborah

Bird ATC by Mandy C

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What you need:

Tim Holtz Cling Mounted Stamp Set ~ Papillon ~ CMS106
PaperArtsy Stamp Set ~ Hot Pick 1005
Distress Inks (in a choice of colours)
StazOn Solvent Ink Pad ~ Dove Gray
Ranger Archival Ink Pad ~ Jet Black
Non stick craft mat
Water spritzer
White card 



*  Make your distressed background in your choice of colours

*  Cut out an ATC size piece of card (2.5 x 3.5 inches)

*  Using grey StazOn, stamp the background from the Tim Holtz set onto the ATC

*  Stamp the bird image from the PaperArtsy set onto white card and cut out

*  Glue bird onto ATC and colour the white parts of the image with a matching colour

*  Stamp the ‘bird’ word onto your ATC

*  Edge using the grey StazOn


Mandy 

Tres Caballeros Card by Mandy C

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What I used:


Lost Coast Designs Stamp ~ Tres Caballeros
Kaisercraft Clear Stamp ~ Script
StazOn Solvent Ink Pads ~ Cactus Green, Teal
Ranger Archival Ink Pad ~ Jet Black
Woodware Clear Silicone Adhesive 
Cosmic Shimmer Mists 
Rock Salt
Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads ~ Bundled Sage, Tattered Rose, Old Paper, Worn Lipstick
Cats Eye Chalk Inks
Non stick craft mat
Water spritzer
White card
Square card blank


1. Create a rock salt background by spritzing your Cosmic Shimmers onto card and sprinkling rock salt on top. Leave to dry and then rub the salt off. This creates amazing backgrounds.

2. Make a distressed background on white card using your Distress Inks and non-stick craft mat.

3. Take your card blank and using Tattered Rose, colour around the edges. Once dry, stamp with your script stamp and teal StazOn.

4. On your distress background, stamp the Tres Caballeros stamp, then stamp just the hats (if you can). Cut out the Caballeros stamped image out and edge with Cats Eye chalk ink.

5. Your background card blank should be dry by now. Cut a slightly smaller size square out of the rock salt background and attach to the blank. Then attach the distress ink card with the Caballeros on.

6. Cut out the hats and attach to the card using silicone adhesive.

7. Lastly, edge card using cactus green StazOn.


Mandy

I believe Tag by Mandy C

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What you need:

U-Mount Stamp Plate ~ Natures Wonders
StazOn Solvent Ink Pads ~ Dove Gray, Cactus Green
Ranger Archival Ink Pad ~ Jet Black
Woodware Clear Silicone Adhesive 
Watercolour pencils 
Brown Cats Eye chalk ink
Heat gun


1. Make a shaving foam background using green and pink inks. (I will make a tutorial for this type of background but I need some shaving foam!)
2. Cut a tag.
3. Stamp with the StazOn, grey and green, randomly over the tag using the elements from the stamp plate.
4. Stamp the plants from the Natures Wonders set, directly onto the background using Archival black... (the new type of Archival ink needs a quick blast from your heatgun to dry it)
5. Stamp one of the butterflies directly onto the tag, centrally.
6. On a scrap bit of background, stamp the sentiment and the two butterflies.
7. Cut and Edge sentiments and butterflies.
8. Arrange sentiment and glue securely.
9. Attach the butterflies with silicone adhesive
10. Add colour using watercolour pencils, if necessary.
11. Draw around the edge of the sentiment and the tag using a black fineliner pen.
12. Edge with your Cats Eye ink pad

Add ribbons to your tag at the top if you like.


Mandy

Butterfly Card by Mandy C

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What you need:

U-Mount Plate ~ Natures Wonders
Kaisercraft Clear Stamp Set ~ Bonjour
Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads ~ Crushed Olive, Old Paper, Barn Door 
Non stick craft mat 
Water spritzer 
White card 
StazOn Solvent Ink Pad ~ Dove Gray
Ranger Archival Ink Pad ~ Jet Black
Watercolour pencils 
grey Cats Eye chalk ink
Heat gun 
5 inch square card blank
Woodware Clear Silicone Adhesive 


1. Using your non stick craft mat and the Distress colours, make a background, using white card. Once fully dry, attach to your card blank and trim.

2. Using Grey StazOn, stamp the butterfly from the ‘Bonjour’ set randomly across the card.

3. If you have any of your distressed background left, cut a piece to size and use to stamp the ‘Natures Wonders’ image onto it. Trim and edge with Cats Eye chalk ink. Attach to centre of your card.

4. Use watercolours to add a bit of contrast colours to the plants on the centre stamp.

5. Stamp the butterfly onto white card, cut out and colour to ‘match’ the card. Attach to card with silicone adhesive, to add a bit of dimension.

6. Edge card with cats eye chalk ink.


Mandy

Papillon Hanging Tag by Mandy C

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What you need:


Tim Holtz Cling Mounted Stamp Set ~ Papillon ~ CMS106
Ranger Archival Ink Pads ~ Jet Black, Coffee 
Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads ~ Frayed Burlap, Vintage Photo, Wild Honey, Rusty Hinge 
Non stick craft mat
Water spritzer
White card
Beeswax
Small heat proof container (eg, tea light container)
Heat gun
Small piece of matching beaded trim

* Using your Distress inks and craft mat, make a distressed background. Leave to dry. You can heat dry it if you don’t have any patience (like me!).

* Once dry, cut into a tag shape. I’ve covered a small tag that I found in my stash. 

* Stamp the background stamp using coffee Archival Ink, leave to dry or blast with a heat gun.

* Stamp the butterflies onto a piece of your distressed background in black Archival (I did try this in coffee but the butterflies didn’t stand out enough for me). Cut out and attach to the tag, also cut the words out ~ butterflies and moths and attach.

* Edge with brown ink.

* Pour some beeswax into your tea light container (you may have a melt pot, but this is how I do it) and melt with your heat gun. Using an old brush, brush the melted beeswax onto the tag, it hardens very quickly but you can just melt it again with your heat tool, until you are happy with the effect.

* Add the beaded trim et Voila!


Mandy