Take a leap into the unknown

Take a leap into the unknown.
That is the Monday Challenge over at Simon Says Stamp.
I must admit I leapt yesterday with my faux bubblewrap.
I applied Ranger glossy transparant texture paste onto vellum for the first time ever!.
Never seen it anywhere so I wasn't sure it would work.
I used a pretty dotted stencil and when dry it looked and felt a little like bubblewrap, infact I wanted to pop the bubbles ;-)..

So today I played on this concept, and added color into the mix in the form of Distress Inks (picked raspberry and spiced marmalade)
I used a Simon Says Stamp Stencil (cicle dots) and sponged the inks through it, then the texture paste and let it dry.
This is 40lbs vellum or 80gsm so it took it quite well although it curled up and wrinkled a little, but then it

flattened back out when dry.

I added a black Simon Says Stamp diecut sentiment (smile circle) after I tried the painted hello in the same colors, it dissapeared. I kind of like how the sentiment fits into that circle perfectly.

I used glue dots to adhere the vellum hiding the gluedots behind the stenciled dots, so the corners lift a little, but I like that, as vellum is supposed to be light. I made my gluedots with Aleene's tacky over and over as I could make them as big or small as I needed, antoher leap of faith there ;-) worked!
:-D. You do this by dropping drops of glue onto an old and saved piece of release paper from double sided adhesive and let the drops go translucent and tacky. I guess wax paper would also work, but we don't have that here (at least not in the supermarket, maybe a butcher uses it).

For more information on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, see this

Faux bubble wrap

I made this card for the Inkspirational Challenge #103: geometric and
the AAA cards challenge: embossing

I used a dotted stencil from Scrapberry to put down Ranger transparant glossy texture paste on vellum. This created a bubble wrap look to the vellum.

For the cardpanel I used random sized circle dies and made a stencil of floating bubbles, or circles. I sponged Distress inks through the stencil (twisted citron and mermaid lagoon),
the sentiment is from Technique Tuesday and I stamped it with Versafine.
Folded the vellum around the cardpanel on the top and attached it with tape, then mounted the slightly smaller panel to the cardbase.

I'd never tried glossy or transparent texture paste or

white even on vellum, I like it so much though I'm pulling out all  my stencils now, so excuse me..I'll be busy  ;-)

AAA cards Challenge #59: embossing

AAA cards Challenge #59: embossing


For my card I used translucent embossing paste to give dimension to the bubbles.

I stamped my image and sentiment with My Favorite things black licorice. I colored it with my Spectrum Noir markers,
I used the falling snow stencil from Simon Says Stamp upside down, so now it is a rising bubbles stencil.
I inked some tumbled glass  from Distress ink through it and then I applied Wendi Vecchi translucent embossing paste through the stencil.
Although I always wash my stencils there was some red left and it reactivated as I applied the embossing paste, giving some of the bubbles red outlines...it's not everywhere or too overpowering, so I'm ok with it..just ;-)

The image is from Ranger Dylusions- clearly under the sea and the sentiment is from Joy! Crafts - seashore.
I worked on Neenah solar white for the markers and adhered it all with the ATG gun to my cardbase.

For more information on the  AAA cards challenge, see this

Cas Colours & Sketches Challenge #162

Cas Colours & Sketches Challenge #162

I made my card rectangular because to the guitar sticker.
I came across these earlier this week when re-organizing. I was given these and all it says exclusively made for Toi Toys, no brand.
I have the perfect sentiment from My Favorite things (bold statements) and stamped it with Versafine for a nice black and crisp impression.
I also had these rolls of washi tape for a year or more, one with musical notes, which I thought would be cool, I went for the blue guitar in the sticker set so I matched blue washitape to that.

I didn't know you could buy these ready made  shaker stickers, pretty neat. And they make quick and easy cards.
I don't have many shaped diecuts, pretty ones I mean, mostly square and round or hearts, so forgive me for using a sticker, I hope it's OK. I think I'll go make a few more and use the whole pack ;-)

For more information on the Cas Colours & Sketches Challenge #162, see this

Rainbow butterflies thank you card

I'd like to enter this card into the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: anything goes with Memory Box
and the Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesdays Challenge February: something floral.

For my card I used a Memory box stencil called drifting. I didn't use the same layout (well at first Idid, but I didn't like it), I used two of the openings to sponge Distress inks through them in a rainbow order (wilted violet, candied apple, carved pumpkin, mustard seed, cracked pistachio and broken china).

I then selected images from the Simon Says Stamp "hello friends"stampset. Unfortunately my favorite stamp from that set is missing, the one with three petals..clear so good luck finding it!..used the little images to add the floral touch and the pattern to the wings.

For this I used Ranger dye inks (grape soda, classic cherry, cheese puff, lemon twist, electric lime, caribbean coast.

These are my first  colored  "stamping" dye inks and so I can't compare, but I found they're very hard to clean off stamps; even with a shammy and Hero Arts stampcleaner, some residue persists, messing up the next color. You can see it in the green, bit of purple left, no biggie though. A few days ago I wanted to use a solid balloon stamp (Simon Says Stamp birthday balloons) and I just couldn't get the true color for some reason. Memento and Versafine black clean up easily.

Anyway rant over ;-) tips welcome...

The sentiment is also from Memory Box ( a little thanks) and I diecut it from black cardstock.
I wanted to add a strip of black on the bottom as well, but I just got the ATG gun and that tape is very sticky! and I forgot, so not wanting to mess up all my work I decided to add some bling in the form of rhinestones in different sizes instead.

Lawnscaping Challenge #124: celebration

Lawnscaping Challenge #124: celebration.


For my card I did a lot of masking and stamping to create a one layer "moving house card".

I thought that was some kind of celebration! 
Especially if you move into this house in the country, hence the bunny and snail and weeds lol.
I used Lawn Fawn's Hello baby for the bunny and Lawn Fawn's gleeful garden for the sunflowers, snail and mushrooms.

I stamped it all with Memento black ink on Neenah solar white cardstock. Coloured it with my Spectrum Noir markers.

the house and sentiment are from Uniko I hope that's ok I don't have those in Lawn Fawn. The fence is from Avec (crafthouses).

For more information on the Lawnscaping Challenge #124: celebration, see this

Sparkle and Shine Challenge #24

Sparkle and Shine Challenge #24

For my card I used a chevron stencil and pushed  white embossing paste through it coloured with Distress re-inkers. There are actually three colours, but the peacock feathers looks much the same as the mermaid lagoon in this, the other is wilted violet.

let it dry.
Meanwhile I diecut single roses from Simon Says Stamp, plain white as I kind of wanted the background to give the roses their colour.
Few matching sequins

No sentiment as I thought it could go for many occasions.

For more information on the Sparkle and Shine Challenge #24, see this

I am a monkeyman, just another monkey in monkeyland...

I am a monkeyman, just another monkey in monkeyland...

Is a very catchy song from Omar & the Howlers and one of my favorites from that CD.
I thought it would fit the challenge! Which is being inspired by a song over at Simon Says Stamp.
I used dies from Marianne design collectables (col 1399), two shades of brown cardstock and some black and yellow.
The sentiment is from Sizzix (birthday by Stephanie Barnard) and I stamped it with Versafine.
I  used the black Memento marker to draw in  the vines the monkeys are dangling from. Don't know if i like those lines though...I don't have a stamp for this.
I thought the green cardpanel would make it look more jungle like and I used a white gel markers to give their eyes a little glimmer.

For more information on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, see this

Bee Happy

I'd like to enter this card into the Less is More Challenge  #264: add texture.

For my card I mixed white embossing paste with Distress inks (cracked pistachio, picked raspberry and spiced marmalade) and Applied it through a Memory box stencil (honey) comb) which provided one kind of texture.
The image is from Hot of the press (bee happy) and so is the sentiment. I stamped the bee with Memento black ink on Neenah solar white paper and coloured it with my Spectrum Noir markers. Cut it out
I also  stamped it on the honeycomb (once dry ofcourse) for it's little legs and antenna's.
Raised the image with foamtape for the other texture.

I know honey combs are not pastel coloured, but I felt like it as a happy spring card ;-)

For more information on the Less is More Challenge, see this.

We've moved house card

I'd like to enter this card into the Addicted to CAS Challenge #82: home.

I used three stamsets: Uniko home sweet home, for the house image and the sentiment, the fence is from Avec b.v.crafthouses and the bunny is from Lawn Fawn's hello baby set.

I made masks for the fence and the bunny so I could layer the stamping.

I added a gravel path with a multi liner.
I stamped it all with Memento black ink so I could colour the image with my Spectrum Noir markers. For the grass I used the palette technique to get variegated  grass.

For more information on the Addiced to Cas Challenge, see this

I thought about adding this also to the Less is More challenge about adding texture, but I'm not sure this is the kind of texture they're looking for, so I'll go make another card now ;-)

Mentos mini sweets rolls triangular giftbox

I'm not sure if you can buy these Mentos outside of the Netherlands. But then it's just to show you how to make a triangular box, you can adapt all the sizes, this box is 2 inches high and a little under 1"3/4 in with.
In the video I show you how to build two boxes, one with a pattern  that doesn't matter how you cut the paper and one with image you want upright on the box.

I am making these little giftboxes, together with another version for a birthday party for a friend's son.

Just a little something the kids can take home.

These boxes are glued shut, I tried to make a lid, but it wouldn't stay closed, It would involve an different pattern.
I reckoned kids wouldn't care and would tear open these boxes like there's no tomorrow ;-)

You can put anything in these little boxes, I prefer using treats that are packaged individually for hygiene and safety reasons.
But little gumballs, easter eggs, Skittles, M&M's would perfectly go in this box.

You can decorate further with a thank you tag, ribbon and such, I am doing this off camera.


To make the box you need a piece or (patterned paper) 5"3/8 wide by 4"3/4 high.
If your pattern has to be "legible" or the right way up make sure it's positioned horizontally or right way up on the long side.

On the longside score at: 1/2 inch, 2"1/8 and 3"3/4
then turn and score on the short side at: 1"3/8 and 3"3/8 

I eyeballed the center of each square to cut my traingles, it's not really important, if you want it to be precise, measure, it's too difficult for a metric girl ;-) sorry

Cut away the parts as shown in the drawing and glue the parts as indicated. I used double sided tape.

the pattern is not 100% to scale as my grid is in centimeters

make sure your pattern is the right way up like my flowers...

CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #161

CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #161

For my card I wanted to use Distress inks Dusty concord and shaded lilac, BUT my Dusty concord is soooooo dry and I don't have the refill yet and shaded lilac had more blue in it than the colour from the challenge (wisteria wonder)
Also I thought for my silver I could die cut Happy Birthday from some aluminium tape from the hardware store, it's self adhesive so I thought that would work well. It diecut perfectly, but I couldn't get the release paper off, also the metal was wrinkled a lot.

So ditched this all above and proceeded with the next ideas...

I used my Spectrum Noir markers (HB3 and  LV2) to colour the feathers and the sides of the card which I coloured differently for interest. Ofcourse this bleeds through to the inside, but I don't mind.
The feathers are from Simon Says Stamp (feathers)

and after diecutting I coloured them plain, meaning no shading as I didn't want to use more colours than the challenge allows.
To give some interest to the feathers I rubbed the edges on my Versamark pad and heat embossed t it with silver (Papermania superfine silver) . For the solid silver one I did about three coats as it kept escaping from my tweezers and getting smudged, I also  like the smoothness you get from more layers.

Tried one of those metallic thread nests...never looks right if I do them, more like used dental floss than great embellishment, lol.

Ditched that and as I had already placed a gluedot for the silver thread I just stuck the feathers on top, adding more gluedots where  needed.

The sentiment is from Sizzix (birthday by Stephanie Barnard) and I stamped it Versafine black onyx.
adhered the cardpanel with taperunner.

For more information on the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #161, see this

Updated February 19th for a close up of the embossing

Update March 1st:

3 compartment shaker card

Simon says : shake it up, so I did ;-)
Showcasing Memory box, at least that's what I read before...dyslexia? just a little..it 's actually says We R Memory keepers...lol...
Well fair to say I didn't use them, could have to cut the paper, but I didn't...
I guess it's all about the Fuse I don't have so I made my shaker card the old fashioned way.

Last week they were showcasing Paper Smooches and I ordered some from SSS, just because I thought I didn't have any.
Today whilst thinking up this card I pulled out some dies by Memorybox and balloon dies, I knew some from Simon Says Stamp and another brand...I didn't remember but they are Paper Smooches...oh my..I tucked them in the same sleeve and forgot.

So next week I'll use WRMK products  I guess?

I have the punch  board and unless you make a see through envelope shaker thing pretty useless..hmm idea though...I might enter twice this week ;-)

Anyway for my card I diecut MemoryBox puffy clouds and spread Tombow and Tacky over and over on the diecuts, Just plain printer paper.
I think I saw Kelly Latevola making masks with Tombow glue and whilst I was at it, I thought I'd try Aleene's tack it over and over as well.
Spread it on with a brush and let it dry a while. Some were still pretty sticky so I detacked them on my hands, I think too much as they peel up a little, But this works better for me than the masking paper I was using before.

I used Distess inks (tumbled glass and broken china) and a dry brush to color the cardpanel.
Peeled off the masks I think I can reuse at least one more time if I store them properly ;-)
Then stamped the sentiment from Simon Says Stamp (birthday balloons) with Versafine black onyx.
I used SSS  celebration dies and Paper Smooches balloon dies to cut out three windows from this panel.
I attached some acetate behind the panel for the shaker window.
Then proceeded to attach a double layer or foamtape.
This is much easier if you first attach the foamtape to some (old saved) release paper from (in my case) double sided adhesive, but I guess wax paper would also work, altough I don't know as we can't buy that in the Netherlands, as far as I know...never seen it.
I just Checked SSS and they sell A4 size sheets, I have now put on my project (wish) list for my next order

You can double up the layer here and cut it like a dream, even doubled up.
So I proceeded to make the compartments and used my powder pouch to take away the stickiness from the side of the foamtape. It's just a microfivber cleaning cloth gathered with ribbon, filled with cornstarch..nothing fancy, I have an embossing buddy or such, but this one works great for shakercards.
Filled the compartments with green, purple/pink and blue toned sequins.
Closed the shaker part with a small panel.
I find that easier then trying  to place the cardbase immediately.
I used taperunner to attach the shaker portion to the cardbase.




For more information on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, see this

Plant/herb markers from old spoons

Over at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge is all about recycle and upcycling.

I once bought these spoons at the thriftstore or as we call them recycle stores. But for me they were too big, I can't eat off them, so they've been sitting in a closet for a while.
Today at the allotment garden I found a lot of plastic plant tags that were corroded by the sunlight and were brittle, they all snapped.

I had been thinking about the challenge whilst weeding, ofcourse, and I thought to myself: "those spoons are stainless steel, so they should last"...
So I got out my gesso to prime them, then mixed up acryllic paint into nice pastel colors.
Not sure if you  need the gesso as a primer, but just to be safe I used it anyway.
I then sourced these tissue papers I get with gifts or

even stampsets, like the green chevron one. I have many, black on white polka dots from the Ton p.e. but they didn't go with my pastel theme.

I decoupaged pieces of tissue paper on the back of the spoon and on the front I wrote herb names on tissue paper with a Sharpie.

I'm not 100% sold on these , layout wise. I think they might look better without the tissue paper, so whilst I type this I have two new spoons drying I will leave "bland".
I guess also the back left unpainted might be nice and shiny to scare off pigeons from my crops.

And for yet another idea it might be possible to use chalkboard paint, it comes in pretty colors these days, but those would be for indoor use only as one  rainy day will probably erase your plant markers ;-) I

don't have chalkboard paints and or indoor herbplants.

I first tried to decoupage cliparts I printed, but even normal printing paper was too thick for these curved shapes.
I guess if you have knives laying around...

I like to shop at the recycle shop, although their prices resemble more antique shops than second hand these days, they look up things and price them accordingly, which is good for them, but they get it for free and should use fixed prices I think.
Anyway I like to think everything I rescue doesn't end up in landfill.
I compost my green waste, collect glass, metal, plastic for the appropriate containers, as well as spent cooking oil, lamps, batteries, shoes, textiles, paper and make regular trips with empty soda bottles as we have a deposit system in the Netherlands

I try not to buy tinned food or food in glass jars as they mean more trips to the recycle spots and I like to avoid those trips...not near my house and on a bicycle you can only take little bits at the time, but somehow the plastic bin piles up really quickly...
Did you know there are worms that can compost your green waste and other worm towers that can deal with diapers and yet another that can eat up all the dogwaste and transform all this into usable stuff for your garden?
If you have babies or toddlers in diapers I would suggest to look into one of those bins as they reduce your waste drastically. There's talk of introducing  a pay as you go system for your waste in Delft at least, they weigh your bin and charge you somehow, there's a chip in your wheelie bin to record all this, not sure how this will work, but yeah, the less kilos the better ;-)

 

Some of my herb pots look a little sorry, so sorry about that, the ground in it was frozen solid, so I could only slip the spoons in at the edges of the pot. Hopefully they all survive the winter, the rosemary is in flower already. You can see the frost on my neighbour's roof...

Even the paint mix thing
 is  from a package of tape, perfect little dish I use and re-use



For more information on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, see this