Crafty cardmakers challenge #260 – create your own background

I am hosting today’s challenge, Create Your Own Background
As usual anything you care to enter is fine, a card, scrap layout, mixed media piece or home decor, as long as it meets the theme.

This will be our last challenge until August 17th so the team can enjoy some time doing other things!

One of the reasons I love stamping is that it is so versatile. You can use a stamp to make embellishments, toppers, statements – and backgrounds.

For my card, I used a simple daisy stamp to create my background, with judicious use of a sticky note to create the blank space for my sentiment.

This was a super quick card – one of the reasons I chose the daisy is that you can leave the petals uncoloured (or just go over with a sparkle wash if you choose). I used my favourite 6 x 6 card base, and cut a mat out of a cheery yellow card.

(Useful tip here – the other day I was too lazy to go upstairs and get my guillotine to cut some mats, so I used an old blade in my rotary cutter and a quilters ruler to cut them. It was AMAZING. So quick and you can see the exact size you are cutting through the ruler… I used a 9.5 inch square ruler to do mine, which easily covers all the card sizes I do and it easily fits in my crafting bag. I’ve ordered another one specifically to keep there now – something like this. they come in centimetres too, if inches aren’t your thing).

Next, I took a piece of white card and stuck a sticky note in the centre. Using versafine ink, I stamped the daisy stamp over the whole of the white card before removing the sticky note.

I stamped the sentiment into the centre of the space, and then using watercolour pens I coloured in the green leaves and the yellow centres of the daisies. Done.

This is a super easy way of creating your own background paper – and had I wanted to, I could have embossed the flower centres using an embossing pen and gold embossing powder, or used a glue pen and foil.

This was just a small thing – but with a stamp, some ink and as much paper as you want, the sky is the limit!

Happy Crafting, and stay safe…

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Crafty Cardmakers challenge #259 – masculine

Margaret is hosting today’s challenge, Masculine.
As usual anything you care to enter is fine, a card, scrap layout, mixed media piece or home decor, as long as it meets the theme.

For my project, I made an enhanced notebook, using a paper napkin and some texture paste. It is surprisingly effective!

I made the notebook for a friend’s husband, who uses it to record mileage done in their boat each weekend, so he can calculate diesel use, and also as a record of where they have been. The notebook as A6 in size, and just a standard lined book.

The cover was shiny – so the first thing I did was to paint it with a base of white gesso. Then I separated the napkin so that only one layer was left, and I applied it to the back book cover using napkin glue (I got mine from Anna Marie Designs). The cool part came with the front of the book – because before I put the napkin down, I applied texture paste (it’s a special paste – looks a lot like polyfilla…) under areas I wanted raised, such as the captain’s face. After gently applying the glue and with a spatula making sure the texture paste stayed in the right place, I left it overnight to dry thoroughly.

Finally, the next day I applied a top coat of varnish. Sorted. It’s a great technique, and very satisfying.

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #258 – Wedding

Hello all, I am hosting today’s challenge, Wedding.
As usual anything you care to enter is fine, a card, scrap layout, mixed media piece, home decor, or Invites, Save the Dates etc. as long as it meets the theme.

My card was made for a friend whose daughter was getting married. She asked for the card to be “plainish” and to include a photograph of the wedding bouquet. Oh, and a copy of the apache marriage blessing…

I used the colourscheme of ivory and bronze as that fitted in with the bride’s colours, and made a gatefold card, so that I could include the other items inside the card.

On the front I stuck a diecut heart as a mat, and on top of that I put a die cut layer. I used my foilquil pen in the scan n cut to make the plaque with the couple’s names on it, and some vanilla pearl nuvo drops to decorate the opening edge. To keep the card closed, I made a card belly band out of the ivory base card and placed some ivory lace across it. In the centre of the belly band I attached a ribbon bow, using a hot glue gun.

Inside the right card flap, I created a pocket for the Apache blessing, which I printed onto the ivory base card, and cut into a tag. In the centre of the heart on the left flap, I stuck the photograph of the bouquet, with a banner sentiment.

Lastly, in the centre of the inside I put a poem and left space for my friend to write her own message. The card was quite bulky, so to keep it safe I made a box for it.

My friend was delighted with her card – so relieved!

I look forward to seeing your entries for this challenge – happy crafting!