The Card Concept #208 - Hello Summer

Got the winter blues? Cheer yourself up by using The Card Concept's Hello Summer board as inspiration for your cards this month!

My mixed media card was inspired by the colours and starfish.

I began by making the starfish using soft clay and a mould; once dry I coloured them with oxide sprays. More sprays were used on the teal background piece and mummy cloth, which I then interwove with a few fibres from hessian ribbon. For the foreground I used sand embossing powder over crumb cake cardstock - it's the first time I've used this powder and I was thrilled at how realistic it looks! I got out my stash of seashells, assembling those with the mummy cloth, starfish and some art stones/art pebbles. 

Materials used:

• stamps - Ocean Wisdom (Stampendous)
• card - distress watercolour (Tim Holtz), crumb cake and basic beige (Stampin' Up), vellum
• distress spray stains/oxide sprays - salvaged patina, peacock feathers, lost shadow, pumice stone
• other - silicone mould Sea Land - Corals and extra light soft clay (Stamperia), Sand embossing powder (Hero Arts), heat gun, art pebbles and art stones (Art Ingredients), mummy cloth (TH), hessian ribbon (SU), seashells, craft foam

I'd love to be walking along a warm beach right now, wouldn't you?

Check out more inspirational ideas over on The Card Concept blog. This is the last challenge before the US summer break, so no more challenges until September. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

No Matter What, No Matter How

It was my elder daughter's birthday yesterday and she always asks for handmade things from me - you may remember the Harry Potter piece I made her a while back. This time around it's a general reading theme, a passion I have in common with both my girls, I'm thankful to say.

It's a shadow box and I've used a number of items from Stamperia's Vintage Library collection.

The main focus is the book pages. I used modeling clay and a mold to make the 'books', which I then painted and swiped with gold wax. I toyed with adding more to the sentiment - the words I've used for my header, in fact: no matter what, no matter how. I firmly believe it doesn't matter what you read - be it comics, graphic novels or books of any genre - and it doesn't matter how you read - physical books or e-reader - the most important thing is just that you read.

There's a few layers of pages, which I've shaped a bit and separated, though they are held in place.

And there's a little visitor hiding in the corner.

I stuck him a bit low down, forgetting some of that corner would be obscured by the framing once it was in place, but oh well, lesson learned. He was glued on way too good to move him, lol. Luckily DD didn't mind.

If you're an avid reader too, hope you enjoy! Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Just Add Ink #695 - Just Add Chocolate

It may not be my week to create for Just Add Ink but there was no way in the known universe I would miss the opportunity to ...

I mean, come on! 😂😉 CHOC. O. LATE.!!! 

A number of years ago (we're talking more than 10 years, ohmygosh) Just Add Ink had a challenge to be inspired by the wrapper colours of our favourite chocolate bar (yep, they seriously expected us to pick just one, lol). I was lucky enough to win that challenge, so the bar is set high to best that mouthwatering winner, lol! As luck would have it, I not-so-long-ago scooped up a number of items from Stamperia's Coffee and Chocolate range - serendipitous, right? You betcha whipped ganache! Here's my card, which I feel is perfect for many occasions (and do try not to drool all over your keyboard!):

Mm mm mm m mmmmm... 

BTW, while much fun was had, sadly no chocolate was consumed in the making of this card. I know, I know - I really didn't plan that terribly well, lol. 

Materials used:

• stamps - Sentiment Strips 2 (Altenew)
• card - basic white, early espresso
• Stamperia Coffee & Chocolate collection - stencil, paper and Collectibles
• distress oxide inks - Victorian velvet, vintage photo
• other - white gesso, distress opaque texture paste, craft foam, MISTI, Sidekick, blending brushes, sponge dauber, creamy caramel ink (retired), fan brush, water spritzer, Nothing's Better Than die (SU retired)

I started by applying some texture paste through the stencil, inking once it was dry. The 'chocolate' die cut word has three layers, darker behind for a bit of shadowing and lighter on top - I even dredged out a very old ink pad to try for a close colour match. The cupcake and chocs were fussy cut and sponged around the edges then raised at different levels for dimension. The splatters are watered down gesso and I couldn't resist using paper with just blocks and blocks of choccy over my base card.

Check out some more chocolatey creations on the Just Add Ink blog and if you're inspired to make, we'd love to see your work in our gallery.

I'm entering this card in this week's Color Throwdown challenge.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Oh, The Places You'll Go

It's my fourth and final challenge as Guest Designer for the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge and we've a great theme for you!

This week we're challenging you to make a project with VACATION as the theme. 

For my easel card I used Tim Holtz Road Trip colorize and Alphanumeric Varsity dies, Stamperia Create Happiness Compass stencil and volume paste, and paper from the 49 and Market Vintage Artistry Everywhere collection. I coloured with distress ink minis. 

Materials used:

• card - watercolour, pumpkin pie, starry sky, basic white, Vintage Artistry 'Everywhere' collection (49andMarket)
• distress inks - carved pumpkin, crackling campfire, mowed lawn, hickory smoke, mermaid lagoon, black soot, picket fence, vintage photo, mustard seed, shabby shutters
• Tim Holtz products - Road Trip colorize dies, crackling campfire embossing glaze, distress markers
• other - Big Shot, blending brushes, heat tool, craft foam, Dimensionals, spatula, Volume paste (Stamperia), computer and printer

There's plenty more to inspire you from the design team over on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge blog, so be sure to follow the link to check them out. 

As always, the kind folks at Simon Says Stamp are generously giving away a fabulous US$25 voucher to shop at the Simon Says Stamp store - all you have to do is take out your crafting supplies, make something following this week's prompt, and link up at the bottom of the Challenge Blog post. You can join up to 5 times, giving you 5 chances to win! All winners are chosen randomly, so everyone has an equal chance. 

I've had a blast taking part in the challenges this month and hope you've enjoyed coming along with me for the ride (pun intended, hehe 😉). Thanks for dropping by.

Cheers

Kerry

JAI #655 - Just Add Music

Welcome to another challenge with Just Add Ink. This week we're inviting you to ...

I've made an art journal page for my project. I have no skill with musical instruments but I have always loved singing and listening to songs, since way back in my intermediate school days (only a fellow kiwi will understand that reference, lol). When I looked up quotes related to music, the one I've used here (from Hans Christian Andersen) really resonated. 

I stencilled with both ink (music) and texture paste (words) on my page, also sponging the edges. Each piece of designer paper was distressed and sponged and all the ephemera pieces were sponged to match. Once all the layers were in place I splattered with both white and gold/brass paints and you might be able to see in the photo below that the cello, book it's sitting on and music book beside it also have hints of gold. 

Materials used:

• card - copper clay (SU), Vintage Library collection (Stamperia), A5 stone paper art journal (Stamperia)
• Other - Vintage Library ephemera (Stamperia), vintage photo distress oxide ink, distressing tool, tarnished brass and picket fence distress paints, Dimensionals, craft foam, blending foam, computer and printer, Book stencil (Stamperia), Concerto stencil (Tim Holtz), volume paste (Stamperia), paintbrush

There's plenty more inspiration over on the JAI blog. 

At the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge their theme this week is ANYTHING GOES, so I'm entering this page.

Thanks for dropping in.

Cheers

Kerry

Inside the Pages

This week's theme at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge is art journal and as I'd been itching to create a new layout, I sat down this morning and played in my A5 stone paper journal. I love the stone paper as you don't have to prep the pages with gesso before using paints and inks etc.

I applied two blue paints over my page using a baby wipe then decorated the top and bottom edges with a flourish stencil and some volume paste. Once my images were sponged and adhered, I gave everything a coat of gel medium, which when dry allowed me to create shading with big brush markers. Once the sentiment went on, I added splatters in both white paint and brown ink and gave some sponging to the edges.

Materials used:

• Stamperia products - A5 stone paper art journal, Vintage Library die cuts and paper, powder blue and blue aviation Allegro paints, volume paste
• other - vintage photo archival and oxide inks (Ranger), swirl flourish stencil (Kaisercraft), palette knife, baby wipes, computer and printer, Big Brush Markers (Faber-Castell), picket fence distress paint, paintbrush, sponge daubers

Hope you check out all the other art journal pages over at the Simon challenge blog and thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry

Edited to add: Picked by Maura for the Designer's Spotlight. Thank you so much! 

The Card Concept Challenge #195

As usual with every second challenge, this week The Card Concept offers two inspiration pics for you to choose from as a jump start for creativity. Here are Floral Spring and Garden Birds.

  

As I adore having birds in my garden, it wasn't difficult to chose that option as the inspiration for my mixed media card.

Once I'd chosen all the bits and pieces I was planning to use, I began with blending some oxide inks on my background and added a few water splatters. Next I applied the rub on flowers, die cut birdhouse and fence before adding the quote chip, small bird and extra flowers. Lastly came the bird in flight and some white paint splatters before everything was mounted on my card base.

Materials used:

• card - basic white, boho blue (Stampin' Up)
• Tim Holtz products - oxide inks in shabby shutters, bundled sage, speckled egg; Quote Chips - Labels; picket fence distress paint
• Stamperia Welcome Home collection - rub ons, ephemera
• other - blending brushes, rub on tool, paint brush, craft foam, Dimensionals, water spritzer

I hope you'll be inspired to create with our mood boards and share in our gallery. Do visit The Card Concept blog to see more samples made by my team mates, and thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

JAI #614 - Just Add Under the Sea

Welcome to another Just Add Ink challenge, where this week we are asking you to ...

I was in mixed media heaven making something a bit different for you ... meet my steampunk seahorse (I've called him Steve - do you think that name suits him? 😂😎).

Materials used:

• stamps - Seahorse (Stamperia)
• card - basic black, basic white, Distress warm collection, Stamperia Mechanical Sea World designer papers
• Copic markers - BG09, BG72, C0, C2, C4
• distress oxide inks - evergreen bough, cracked pistachio, walnut stain, black soot, pumice stone, hickory smoke
• distress paints - twisted citron, cracked pistachio, black soot
• dies - Gearhead, Mechanical (both Tim Holtz)
• other - patina oxide and chunky rust embossing powders (Seth Apter), heat tool, Melange art pebbles, mini glue dots, chipboard seaweed (Dusty Attic), Small Talk stickers (Tim Holtz), Big Shot, Dimensionals, sponge dauber, craft foam, white gesso, paintbrushes

We hope you'll be inspired to create a piece for our challenge. Do check out what my fellow team mates made for you over on the JAI blog.

Thanks for calling in.

Cheers

Kerry

JAI #604 - Just Add...You

For something a bit different this week at Just Add Ink we're asking you to...

Yes, just choose a card or project you've made previously and CASE (copy and selectively edit) it. You could change the stamps, dies, colours or shapes, but it needs to clearly be based on the original.

For my sample I chose to case my very first JAI design team card which was based on a sketch. Here's my original (click on it to be taken to the blog post if you'd like details).

And here's my case. I stuck with the shabby chic style and used Stamperia's totally gorgeous Provence collection which really appeals to the part of me that still loves girly and purple, lol. 

Materials used:

• card - highland heather, basic white, Provence DSP (Stamperia)
• other - Provence die cuts (Stamperia), pearls, Dimensionals, craft foam, distressing tool, sponge dauber, computer & printer, Sahara sand marker, hickory smoke distress oxide ink

Be sure to visit the Just Add Ink blog to see which of their creations my fellow team-mates decided to case and, as always, we would love for you to join the challenge.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kerry