Background block printing, with video

For this card I pulled out my stamping blocks, I don't really use them anymore and they felt ignored ;-).

I pulled three sizes and decided to use the smallest and biggest. The smallest so I can make strips of color by inking one color at the time on the block, spritz it with water and "stamp" it on Schut classic watercolor paper.

The biggest I just inked the three colors in one go.

For the first card I used Distress inks Chipped sapphire, blueprint sketch and wilted violet and instead of water I used the Shimmer spritz in frost.

Heat set it and then applied another layer.

The new Distress colors seem to water down really quickly and become faint. A  mere shadow of themselves just look at the card I used the same colors on but inkblending tools instead.


For the second card I used Aged mahogany, fired brick and wild honey and water.

I cut a strip off the bottom to add interest to the background panel and kind of a horizon line. You could also use a shaped die, a wave die  would be cute with the pirate but I wanted it more minimal and less frilly if that makes sense.

Adhered the watercolored panel with foamtape to the cardbase. then Stamped the

sentiment with Versafine onxy black ink.

Adhered the images with tape runner.

For the African sunset card I cut the background into three strips, just to chance things a little.

The images are all from My Favorite Things #mftstamps and I colored them with Spectrum Noir and Spectrum Illustrator markers.

Mission control, we have a birthday

This fortnight the challenge over at the Male room challenges is: anything goes with the option of technology.

I was asked to be the guest designer for this challenge and I'm so honored and happy :-D.

The Male room is all about cards for men, but also boys.
So for my card I chose an Astronaut in space. It takes a lot of technology to get them up there.

I started my card by watercoloring my space on Schut classic watercolor paper 300grams/140lbs. It's pretty rough in texture, so not good for stamping, I use them for these things.

For the space I used Talens Ecoline, a fluid watercolor. For the splatters I sued water, then Distress spray stains brushed pewter and picket fence, then Ecoline white.
I have a video on how I did a background similar on my Youtube channel.

I then diecut a window from a cardpanel and stamped the sentiment from the My Favorite Things set (space explorer) with Versafine Onyx black ink.

The little astronaut is from the same set and I stamped him with Simon Says Stamp hybrid black ink and colored him with Spectrum Noir markers. I chose primary colors as I thought they're more boyish.

I chose my favorite bit of my "space" panel and stuck in on the cardbase with red sticky tape, as that's nice and strong. Then I mounted the panel with the window with foamtape and adhered it to the cardbase too. I cut out the astronaut and mounted his head with foamtape and the rest with tape runner and stuck him on the front.

The I used the Nuvo shimmer pen in clear gloss to add glitter to the balloons...it's really stubtle but a card needs some shimmer haha.

For more information on the Male Room challenge, or to play along, see this

New Woodware suuculents and Oldie but goodie #14

My card today features the lovely succulents from Woodware stamps, and an old sentiment from Paper Salon, I got it second hand and there's no date, but judging on the sticky stuff deteriorating it's pretty old. But any sentiment will do of course, I just like this font very much and the reason I bought this set.

I first made and cut out all the succulents on Inka dinka do masking paper, I didn't show it in the video, I have done before and I like to do these things while I watch tv or a Youtube video ;-).
I then placed them as I'd like them and took a photo so I could reference it the day after, if you can remember then good for you, my memory is in serious trouble I think lol.

I use Schut hotpressed watercolor paper and Simon Says Stamp Intense black ink and the Be creative stampers friend as I had to stamp it four times, I think my inkpad is seriously used up :-(...
I then Used two bins of the Crafter's Companion aquablend pencils (primaries and naturals).

I'm also showing off my new pencil sharpener. It's a different one than advertised by Aldi, but it was also 2.99 euro, and a better one with adjustable tip size, not sure the other had it, didn't say in the ad. Of course just a few days after I got it, Lidl also advertised one, an electric one for 5.99 I believe, but battery operated, not a fan of using too many batteries.

Anyway I think it works great and I just wanted you to see a 3 euro thing works as well, it might not last as long, but the outlay is not as bad a a 100 euro or more, very important for me ;-)....

I stamped the sentiment with Versafine onyx black ink and chose a washi tape similar in color to my pots and cactii...I thought black and white was too strong.

Mounted the panel with foamtape and adhered it to the card.

Dashing through the snow...

ta tatata tata...well that's the extent of the what I know of the song hahaha.

The less is More challenge, this week is a sketch.

For my card I used the little reindeer from clearly besotted (let's prance) and it's coordinating dies. I colored them with my Spectrum Noir markers, the same as I used in the votive. I kind of liked that combo.

For the windows I used the Simon Says Stamp tri circle on a slant. Traced the openings on the cardbase and inkblended Distress inks (tumbled glass, cracked pistachio and what should be shaded lilac, but i think is a combo of Shaded lilac and seedless preserves as there was ink left in the foam, still gorgeous actually).
Splattered the inkblending with water and then Dylusions white linen for snow.
Used little bits of white glitter paper, to make the snow they're dashing through.
like with the votive I mounted the critters on a thin strip of acetate and the attached them to their respective windows.

The sentiment is from the same set and I heat embossed it with Wow! rose gold embossing powder.
I wanted to stay true to the sketch as much as possible so "through" is covered by the antlers of one reindeer, but I think everyone knows the line.

For more information or to play along with the Less is More challenge, see this

Updated October 6th: 

Everday Christmas card series #17- partial diecutting (gone wrong), with video

For #17 I wanted to do some partial diecutting with my new small plates. BUT those are thicker and they would go through the normal sandwich but left a pretty deep impression in both the plate and the paper :-(

I started the card bu making my own glitterpaste.
I used the ranger transparent gloss and Distress reinker in tumbled glass with blue glitter, mixed it in well and spread it through a Simon Says Stamp stencil (falling snow) onto the cardbase. I mixed just a tiny amount and had enough to make 4 cardbases.

then I traced a circle with the die onto a Crafter's companion neenah panel and stamped the snowman from Craft Sensations with My Favorite Things hybrid licorice ink.
Proceeded with the partial diecutting, you'll have to watch the video for the comedy act ;-)

I used Spectrum Illustrator to color the snowman.
Diecut the pine trees from Craft Emotions from black cardstock and used taperunner to add it to the window.

Mounted the panel with foamtape and adhered it to the cardbase that was now dry.

Let's prance votive

 For the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: shimmer and shine.
And
The Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: pop it up showcasing Lawn Fawn.

I made a fold flat votive/shadowbox/card thing that is big enough to hold a (electric) tealight.
For it you need to strips of card 8,5inch x 4inch. Score at 1/2"and 4 1/2"on both strips on the long side. Then I like to notch the "catches".
Then I cut a window out of one of the sides. Any shape will do.
For the hills I used the Lawn Fawn forest border and My Favorite Things Snowdrift and I cut it from white glitter paper. I made it more sturdy by sticking it onto card first, then diecut.
The strips are 5 inches and I score at 1/2 inch and 4 1/2" so it will fit and it will have flaps to stick them down.

I'm kind of making my own version of the Lawn Fawn shadowboxes as I don 't have the die.
Also wouldn't be big enough to fit the tealight hehe

I used white glitter for the Monday challenge and also because it would look like sparkling snow.

The reindeer are from Clearly Besotted (let's prance) I stamped them on Crafter's Companion Neenah paper with SSS intense black ink and colored them with Spectrum noir markers. I gave them Christmas light noses (red, yellow and blue) as there can be only one Rudolph ;-). Cut them out with the coordinating dies.
Popped them up with a bit of acetate and gluedots and attached them to the scene. Popped a tealight behind it.

You can't see it, I think, but I chose this particular scrap paper as there's tons of mini reindeer on it, that I thought would look like there's more in the background.

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

Everyday Christmas card series #16: Pernilla Nilsson digistamp, with video

I found these wonderful digistamps through the Youtube channel of Uniquepaper15.
Pernilla Nilsson had a Facebook page with albums, one is free downloads and the others are for sale. You write down "buy" underneath the picture you'd like to buy and Pernilla will send you a Paypal invoice and then all the digistamps via messenger.
To download them you click on the picture to open, then rightclick to choose "open in new window or tab" and then you click the magnifying glass and rightclick again and choose : "save as".  This is a bit laboursome, I know, but this way you get the actual size. You only have to do it once ;-)...

I positioned mine on a fullsize sheet for the printer in Photoshop and added the sentiments whilst I was there. I made them

as big as I could to fit on a cardfront. In hindsight if they were smaller I could position them behind a diecut window, to make the card a bit  more interesting...But you know me, CAS girl, so I printed them, cut them to size and colored them with my Spectrum Noir markers.

I think my digi is a gnome, but I made him into a baby Santa ;-).
Added Nuvo shimmer pen (clear gloss) on the hearts and the glossy accents on the hearts as well.

Tape runner to adhere the panel to the cardbase.
Easy, no stamping as I added the sentiment already, so no mess ups with Versafine Onyx black ink lol...

See Pernilla's facebook page, here.
I think I bought 6 or 7 or 8, digis, she gave me a bunch for free and I spent 90 sek, that was 9.75 euro, so about 8.50 US dollars. Super cheap and I like to support these super artists. You pay through Paypal.

Unique paper 15, youtube channel is here.