Pentacle Easel

I am still on a bit of an Easel  theme, this one took a bit of cutting and measuring to get right. The shape came about due to the shape of the stamp, which  is one bought off E-bay a few years ago, and I think it was a self-made one, as I have never seen anything like it anywhere else.It was stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black, this is the first time I have used this, and I can see why everyone loves it- the image is superb, even on glossy/coated card. The background was created using Tim Holtz method of swiping Distress pads onto a craft sheet & misting with water, then pressing the card onto it. My Craft sheet cost me £1 from Poundland, lol.I then trimmed the image to a pentagon, matted onto black & trimmed again. I made the easel fold in the card, then lay my image onto the folded part, and drew around the image. Next I trimmed the folded card front on these lines then stuck my image down with DST.The base was covered in a dark purple flowered vellum, and Birthday phrases in black were stuck around the edges.A small oval piece of Stampbord was coloured with Adirondack Black Soot and heat dried. then I stamped a Celtic design in Encore Silver and heat dried this Clear Embossing ink was tapped over the tile, and UTEE sprinkled over. I repeated this one more time, then coloured around the edge of the tile with a black Promarker. It was stuck in place with glue dots.

Simple Easel

The background here is brayered using only Adirondack Pool. The Penny Black Aspire is stamped in Ancient Page Flannel Grey, 3 times with a first generation image and once with a second generation.It was trimmed and matted onto black card. I embossed a sheet of white card and a sheet of black card using the Cuttlebug folder 'Swiss Dots'. The card was cut to the length of the folder, and twice as wide, then it was was run through sideways to be able to emboss a piece big enough for the card. Any dots that were flattened were just re-embossed using a stylus with the card placed on the folder. The image was matted onto the white card, and the black piece was used for the base. Offcuts of both were used to make the matts for the sentiment, cut out with Nesties Long Classic Rectangles Small. The piece for the sentiment was also cut out with the same set, but from a plain piece of card. 4 pieces of ribbon in Black & Teal were tied in a bow and added to the corner.

Friends are Like Angels....

This one uses the Penny Black stamp Aspire, and it was stamped using Forest Moss distress ink on the stems, and Colorbox Cats Eye Terracotta on the flowers.The background was brayered with Adirondack Lemonade/ Sunshine Yellow/Butterscotch. The image was stamped 3 times at various heights, then cut into 3 panels, the centre one wider than the outer ones.They were matted onto a dark orange piece of card.I used the Quickutz embossing folder, Diamonds & Dots to emboss a sheet of white card, cut it to the length of the folder and twice as wide. The phrase, Friends are like angels, Hobby Art GR1353DD, was stamped in Butterscotch onto a similar piece of brayered card as the one I used for the image.This was cut out with a large Nestie Petite scalloped oval, and a matt cut out in dark brown with the largest die.The base of the card was covered in a matching sheet of paper, Papermania Earthtones pack. A butterfly brad was added to the panel before it was stuck in place.

Fairy Easel

This card uses all Lavinia Stamps-Dandelions, 3 small dancing Fairies and Fairy dust is like love phrase. The background was brayered with Adirondack Sandal & Latte on the bottom and Cool Peri on the top, with a Post-it note mask. The dandelions stamps has three different flowerheads, and I just used one, stamped three times at varying heights. I stamped in Versafine black, and added a little sparkly embossing powder to the heads. The top part of the moon also has a sparkle, and this was completely accidental! When I tipped off the embossing powder, some of it stuck to the area the post-its glue strip had been.One of the three dancing fairies was also stamped in black, then I used Stickles 'Crystal' to add to her wings and for 'fairy dust' she is sprinkling on the flower heads. The image was trimmed and matted onto a pearlescent blue card.
The phrase was stamped onto an offcut from the image, and also matted onto blue card.
 I used a Quickutz embossing folder,Diamonds & Dots, to emboss a piece of white card which I added to the card base. The stamped phrase was added with a little silicone glue, then a matching silver/blue ribbon wrapped around with a folded bow on top.

Stampscapes Easel

Background brayered in Adirondack Sandal & Latte, with a post-it note mask for the sun.Stampscapes  Pine Row,150E, and Single Pine, 196F, both from the same U/m Nature sheet as the next card, were stamped in Distress ink Forest Moss. The flight of ducks,(Lavinia Stamps) and sentiment, (Butterfly Kisses Art Collage clear stamp set) were stamped in Adirondack Espresso. The image was trimmed and matted onto dark green, dark brown, then a steel grey card. For the base of the easel, I punched a strip with an X-Cut Fleur Di Lis punch, then added a strip of the grey card. A wide green ribbon was wrapped around, and a folded bow added to the top with glue dots.

Stampscapes Easel #2

This is one that was on my desk for WOYWW this week. The background was brayered with Adirondack Shell Pink/Watermelon /Cranberry. Stampscapes u/m Nature Sheet  set #6 provided the images: Lakeside Cabin,147F,Reeds lge,068D, Ledge, 054F and Water Pattern sm,231C. The birds are from Lavinia Stamps,  Flight of Ducks. This was matted onto black card, the corners punched with a SW punch, then matted onto Burgundy card.Card base was covered in a Burgundy embroidered paper, then I punched the lace strip using the Martha Stewart String Lace Border punch. A strip of corrugated black card went on top, and the Friend Description, (Stamps Away/Clevercut) stamped in black then cut out with a Nestie petite Scalloped Oval die. I mounted this with silicone glue so I could angle it upwards slightly.

LOVE BLOG Award

 I was given this award by my co-Mother in Law, Maggie C, Silvercrafter. 
 Thank you Marg, it is truly appreciated.

 For myself, the blogs I would like to pass the award onto are:
   Hels Sheridan, Ink on my Fingers,
   Donna Heber, Donnas Designs
   Helene, Helenes Papercraft
   Tuire Flemming, Strange Enchantment
  Jinny Holt, Creative this & that


 As always, the hardest part is to pick who to pass this on to, there are so many bloggers I could give it to, so....... I have chosen you.  All of these blogs have such wonderful, inspiring art on them, and I'd like to thank you all for what you share with us.  
  Sorry I couldn't choose more of you lovely blogging friends. The rules say a maximum of 5 .

There are a couple of conditions for the award:
If you want to take part, then create a post where you post the 'LOVE BLOG' image.
You should also blog the persons link that gave you the award and inform her/him that you accept the award.
You can then choose 3 - 5 favourite blogs which you also link in your post, then each blogger will inform you that they have been tagged.

WOYWW #86

A shot of a different desk this week, the one in front of my wood-mounted stamps, looking fabulously tidy, as I have just put away (almost) everything that was piled on it-well moved it to the left out of shot, anyway. That still counts as tidying. On the desk is a finished Stampscapes Easel card, a part finished project using a greek/roman style stamp, a set of Martha Stewart Punch around the Page punches, which are a new purchase this week and a can of Stick & spray (Repositional)  from Crafters Companion, also a new purchase. The shelf unit was built by my Beloved Husband, as was the smaller one next to it. Embossing powders also on here, and on the left hand shelves, lots of little Really Useful Boxes with small stuff in.The square purple box had a Christmas present in, and now joins the stuff waiting to be turned into something else, lol, and on top of it is two rolls of tiny tinsel in black, picked up cheap in the after Christmas sales, and a couple of lengths of Christmas tree beads, which, quote, 'may come in useful,' unquote, lol.

WOYWW #85

This is my desk today, 3 easel cards made with some of the images that were on my desk last week. There are a couple more images matted and ribboned ready to make another couple. Over on my PC desk, is my ever present crafters fuel- coffee!

Easel Card 1

This is the first of the Easel cards made with some of the stuff off my desk for WOYWW this week. I thought I would have a go at easels, and they are really very easy & effective. I have put a short tutorial on a page HERE for the folds and construction. The stamped panel was brayered with Adirondack Sandal, Lemonade and Citrus then left to dry. The image is called Aspire by Penny Black, and was stamped three times across the panel. I inked up the stems using Distress Forest Moss, and added the flower colour using Cats Eye Terracotta then the flowers had sparkly embossing powder added and heated. The panel was then cut into three, with the centre one being slightly larger, and matted onto dark red card. I cut my base card to the width of my stamped image, then scored and folded to create the easel.The part the card will stand on was covered in a dark green paper. I trimmed down the offcut from my card to make the panel that is the stopper.A piece of clear vellum was embossed with the D'vine Swirls Embossing Folder, cut down to slightly larger than the card panel, then edge punched with a Fiskars Heart Border punch. I added this to the panel with a small piece of DST in the centre only, where it will be hidden by the sentiment.The sentiment was stamped & heat embossed onto an offcut of the red card, then onto an offcut of the dark green paper. A silver Heart brad was added at either end. The lacy panel was adhered to the card base with foam pads, then the sentiment added to this with silicone glue, so I could angle it upwards slightly. The image panel was then added to the card 'front' with DST, and a butterfly made from Fusible Fibres was stuck down with silicone glue.

   TIP: to emboss vellum successfully in a cuttlebug folder, either use a very thick vellum, as it is available in different weights just like card/paper, and PDA card & paper (link in the sidebar) do a nice thick one that works well, OR if your vellum is thinner, use two/three sheets in the folder at the same time- this helps prevent the vellum from tearing, as it does not stretch in the same way card or paper will.

Easel Card 2

A piece of white card was brayered with Adirondack Shell pink, then left to dry completely. The Penny Black stamp 'Aspire' 3381K, was stamped 3 times across the panel in Ancient Page Flannel, which is a dark grey, then the flowers only had a little sparkly embossing powder added to them and heated. I cut the image into three panels, with the centre one being wider than the two outer ones and matted them onto a piece of pale mauve card.This was trimmed to leave a narrow border, and a length of dotted mauve ribbon wrapped around and secured on the back with DST. A small bow was made and added with a glue dot.
My base card was cut down to the width of my stamped panel, scored and folded.The part of the card that will form the base it stands on was covered in a Purple lined paper, again adhered with DST.
To make the 'stopper', I cut a panel of silver card, and punched two strips of dark purple vellum to make the lacy edge. This was done with a fancy corner punch with the guides removed. The vellum strips were attached either side of the silver panel  with DST. I punched another strip of the purple vellum with a butterflies punch, from X-Cut, and stuck this along the centre of the silver card then edged with silver peeloff border. The whole thing was then trimmed to size and mounted to the base with foam pads. A sentiment was stamped and heat embossed, then cut out using a petite scalloped oval Nestie die. A hole was punched either end, and a small piece of the dotted ribbon threaded through, and mounted with silicone glue.

Easel card 3

This card uses a stamp called Flying Stars, Penny Black 3636K. I stamped in black Versafine twice  onto card that had been brayered with Adirondack Shell Pink, just using one colour to build up over the card. I added an acrylic gem to the centre of each flower, and a small padded butterfly to the top of the image.This was then matted onto black card and trimmed. The actual card was cut to the width of the stamped panel and scored & folded. For the base of the card, I cut a panel of pink flowery vellum, and edged it with a pink peel-off border.To make up the base 'stopper', I cut a small panel from the offcut of the base card, and added a punched border  made from white paper using a Dovecraft border punch.I wrapped a length of pink organza ribbon around this then added  a stamped sentiment using an offcut from the brayered pink card. Two Nesties from the Long Classic Scalloped Rectangles Small set were used to cut this out & matt onto black card .Silicone glue was used to adhere this over the ribbon, then three acrylic heart gems added to the panel, also with silicone glue.Once the base was complete, I stuck the image to the easel with DST.

WOYWW

This is my desk for this week- I sorted out loads of images I have stamped up in the past, with the intention of making a lot of cards. And yes, this is very cluttered :)

Oriental Butterflies

Two versions of the same stamp,which is available as part of a sheet from a couple of suppliers: Tanda Stamps,Far East set 1,where it is also available as a single stamp,and in both rubber or clear polymer, or from Non Sequiteur, Plate 67, Samurai Plate. Apart from the Butterfly block, both plates have different stamps on them. For both cards, the butterfly block was stamped in black ink, then heat embossed, onto alcohol ink backgrounds. The butterflies, flowers and leaves were all painted with H2O's.For the black & red card, the design was then cut into 8 tiles then remounted onto black card, trimmed then matted onto a second sheet of inked card. The sentiment was stamped onto a scrap, matted onto black card and fixed with foam pads.The butterfly embellishment was made using fusible fibres over the butterflies on the block, then cut out and mounted with silicone glue. An Oriental coin had a length of black/gold mizhuiki cord threaded through it, and was attached with silicone glue in the opposite corner.
This card is an example of how a card can change as you are constructing it, and of the benefits of putting it aside if you aren't happy- coming back to it later often helps. This one was originally cut into 4 horizontal panels, then re-matted onto black card. I wasn't sure about it, so left it and completed the blue one.When I looked at it again, I thought the 8 squares would work better, maybe because it seems to mimic the oriental Shoji panels?
For the blue card, the background is printed from a Joanna Sheen cd,Tales of the Orient.The kanji strip on the left was done in triple embossing, using black ink as the base. The sentiment was stamped onto a scrap of inked card, and small black brads added in the corners.

Collage Art

The main image is Illuminata, by Inkadinkado, stamped in black versafine onto cream linen card, then green, red & ochre inks  added with a stencil brush. The card base was cut to 15 cm square, and a sheet from the Kay & Co Lifes Journey pad torn and added to the left side. The image was matted onto dark green card and trimmed with a deckle edge blade then mounted partially over the torn paper. The letter A was die cut and overstamped with the same stamp, and inked in the same way. This was then triple embossed and left to cool. The word stamp from Winter Wonderland Plate 1, from Paper Artsy, was stamped in Gold Brilliance ink in the top right , then heat embossed with clear powder. The letter was fixed in place with Pop-up Glue dots. Live Well Laugh Often, Love Much was stamped in Espresso ink down the left, and some narrow brown & green ribbon tied around the spine.

Birthday Wishes

Another card featuring Stampscapes Lakeside Cove. White card brayered with shades of yellow Adirondack dye ink, overstamped in Black Staz-on, then a little brown ink added to the rocks. the sentiment was also stamped in brown, onto a scrap from the main image. The image  and mat were cut out with the two largest dies from Nestabilities Labels 8. The base card was cut to 15 cm square and covered with a sheet from the Papermania  Antique Cream pad then a length of toning ribbon wrapped around, with a folded bow added on top.

You can't cross the Sea....

Both main images are from The Stamp Man, the Antique Map, and the Ship Collage  are here.The map is stamped on an Alcohol ink background, the ship on a brayered one in similar shades. Both matted onto black card, the map is mounted with DST, the Ship image is raised with foam pads. The sentiment is from Butterfly Kisses, from a set called Nautical Collage. This is stamped onto a scrap of the Alcohol ink background and matted onto black card. I set it in place with silicone glue, so I could angle it slightly- it is raised from the card base at the top. Two dolphin charms were added, also with silicone glue. The dark blue card base was cut to 15cm square. I have entered this in the Simon Says Stamp & Show challenge for this week- using your newest stamp.

'Mappy' Birthday?

This map stamp I have had for so long, I have no idea where I got it from, only that it came on a sheet with half a dozen maps and some sea/sailing -related stamps.The ship & compass collage stamp design is from The Stamp Man, and was stamped onto inkjet film that had the Crystal technique applied to it,and I cut the two parts of the image out and layered them separately, with a few dabs of silicone glue. The map was stamped onto a brayered green/blue background, then cut into three panels and matted onto blue/grey cardstock, then white. The sentiment was treated the same way. Black Staz-on was used for all the stamping. A small piece of white netting was smudged with Adirondack Latte & Espresso then scrumpled up. Held down with some silicone glue, which was also used to attach the Lighthouse charm and the sea shell. I filled the back of the seashell with the silicone to help protect it.
***  Update to this post, the map set of stamps comes from Stamp & Go.

Lakeside Cove at Sunset

Smooth white card brayered with Adirondack Sunshine Yellow and Butterscotch. A reverse mask from a post it note added to the top centre, and Distress Ink Wild Honey brayered across for the setting sun. Stampscapes Lakeside Cove, 049G, stamped in black Staz-on and allowed to dry. Reverse mask reapplied over the water, and the reflected sun brayered with Wild Honey again.A little colour sponged onto the rocks with Adirondack Espresso.The image was cut out with the next to largest die from Nestabilities, petite scalloped ovals, and a bronze mat cut with the largest size, this one also embossed. A sheet of distressed brown paper from  the Papermania Simply Elegant paper pack was used to cover a DL card blank.A length of toning ribbon was wrapped around the card front, and stuck down with DST where the image would be placed.The image was mounted with DST also. Three small squares with bits of image on were cut from the remains of the die cut image and matted onto bronze card  and adhered to the lower right corner, and a sentiment label was made using another scrap.

Mosaic Birthday

White smooth card, brayered with Adirondack Sunshine Yellow & Distress Shabby Shutters, leaving the central part white.Stampscapes Cloud w/Crescent Moon, 202G was stamped at the top of the card, then Pines & Rocks, 195G,was stamped 3 times across the card,using a stamp positioner, all in Black Staz-on. Allowed to dry, then a little colour added to the rocks with Adirondack Espresso, with a sponge. The image was trimmed to 10 1/2 cm square, then cut into 3 1/2x3 1/2 cm squares. Reassembled and mounted onto a piece of bronze card, leaving a narrow gap between each square. This panel was mounted onto a square (15cm) black base card. Sentiment added to a small label, and threaded with a short piece of Bronze ribbon.

Believe in Yourself...

Another brayered background, the moon shape created with a post-it note circle.Here I used Distress Ink Milled Lavender, then Adirondack Purple Twilight & Eggplant. Agapanthus Cluster by Stampendous was overstamped twice in Archival Black, on the right hand side of the panel.The Birds stamp, from Lavinia stamps, was also stamped in Black Archival. The whole panel was cut down to 15 x 9 1/2 cm, then roughly 41/2 cm cut off the left side, onto which was stamped the sentiment.This is a stamp aquired from e-bay at some time, and I don't know the maker, sorry.Both panels were matted onto dark purple card, leaving a small space between them. A scrap of purple organza ribbon was wrapped around one corner with a small bow stuck on top with a glue dot. The whole thing mounted onto a pale purple marbled card base, and a small dragonfly metal embellishment added to the sentiment panel.

Birthday in blue

                                                                   The first card of the year.
A simple brayered background (Adirondack Cloudy Blue, Stonewashed & Sailboat Blue), overstamped 3 times at various heights with Penny Blacks 'Aspire',3381K. Stamped in Archival black, then just the flower spikes sprinkled with a sparkly embossing powder and heat set. The panel was then cut to 15cm wide, so I could trim it into 3 equal panels, which were matted onto dark blue card with a narrow gap between, then onto pale blue card, then mounted onto a blue marble card base. Happy Birthday stamped onto pale blue card in black and embossed, then cut out with the smallest oval from Nestbilities petite scalloped ovals set, then dark blue card cut out with the next size up. I punched a small hole in the dark blue oval & threaded a piece of ribbon through then mounted with a couple of blobs of silicone glue.