Design team make....The Funky Chicken

Hello everyone...Genny here. For this weeks design team makes I have been working with this fabulous stamp from Hobby Art. It is called Funky Chicken and is so much fun. Sometimes you just need to make a card that will raise a giggle or even just make some one smile..and these chickens certainly deliver. On all these cards, I made the backing paper by stamping the same pattern but in different colours.

On the first card I used the 3 cockerals, stamped them with my memento inkpad and coloured them with my promarkers. Since I made this card, I thought what a great 'boys on the town' card.

For my second card I just stamped the images into circles..looking from different ways and just thought it would make a great card to send a smile.

For my last card, I stamped the same chicken 3 times and coloured them differently..the same colours but in different areas. I added the sentiment 'don't flap'..another great card to send to a friend.

I know from my own card making that sometimes you just need that cheeky card for a friend and I really think these funky chickens fit the well. I am hoping to have another play with them soon, as I keep thinking of different ways to use them. When I have the time to have another play..I will share them with you.

I hope that the weather is being kind to you, wherever you are. Being a lady of a certain age, I have found the heat rather hard to deal with. So you will find me crafting in front of my fan..which guarantees fun when the glitter comes out..lol. The cats have discovered that in front of the fan is a good place to be..so I find that I have to share. So until next week...take care and happy crafting.

Design team makes......Just a piece of paper.

 Hello everyone...Genny here. For today's design team makes, I have been playing. I began by getting my inks out and like I said had a play. I messed about mixing different colours on a piece of paper and blending them. On some, I worked on glossy card and some on ordinary paper. My thought process was what could I make just using inks and paper and a few stamps.

For the card above, I used different shades of green...actually doing a whole piece of A4..then added a little brown. I didn't concentrate on what was happening on the paper as a whole, just on getting a nice mix of colours. Then I cut out a panel and mounted it onto some black card. This I matted onto some brown card onto which I had layered some cream card. I then stamped some butterflies and coloured them with my promarkers. I finally added some jewels at the top and bottom corners.

For the card below..I really did have a play. I used my distress ink in a pink shade and inked onto some bubble wrap. I then used this as a stamp onto some cream card. I then used my blending brush to add some more pink on the edges. This I mounted onto some cream card, which itself had been layered onto some pink. I then stamped a butterfly again but this time coloured it with pastel colours, again using my promarkers. I then added a shower of tiny flowers. In my mind the butterfly is leaving a trail of flowers..lol

For my next card, I began by screwing up a piece of paper and then again coloured it using my distress inks in shades of green. I then added some gold mica powder whilst it was still damp. It doesn't show that well in the photo but there is a gold shimmer in real life. I then cut a square out and stamped the silhouette onto it. I then mounted it onto some black card.

For my final card..I began with a piece of glossy card to which I added my inks to. I also sprayed some silver ink over the top. I then cut out the inch squares using a punch..which I admit to having for about 10 years but had never used..lol. I stamped over the square using a corner stamp which I kept moving round, so it covered the square. I mounted these squares onto black again, as it does seem to make it all stand out. These squares I added to the card and added a greeting.

I hope that you like all my playing. That is what it is all about. I would encourage you to take an afternoon and have a play of your own. Take some paper and your inks and just play. Don't think about the end result..just get mixing your colours. Screwing up your paper and then flattening it  before inking gives a lovely effect. Add some metallic sprays or some mica powders. The fun is extended when you sit back and look at what you've created and pick out what areas you want to use for your card. As it stands now, I still have the rest of 4 A4 papers to use in the future.

Anything that you need or want for your crafting is available from Julie here at JB-Crafting Supplies. As I always say, she does have an Aladdin's cave of crafting goodies. I must also apologise for not posting yesterday but thanks to BT I couldn't even get online..lol. Today everything is fine..thank goodness. So until next week..take care and happy crafting.

Design team makes...Stamp Board and Silhouettes

Hello everyone...Genny here. For this weeks design team makes, I decided to have a play and use silhouette stamps and some stamp board. For all my backgrounds I have used a glossy card and have created them using my dusting brushes and my distress inks. One thing that I hope comes across is the variety of backgrounds that you can make just by changing the colours that you use. For the card above, I created the background, let it dry and then stamped the silhouette using my versafine inkpad. I also stamped onto some acetate using my stazon inkpad..a butterfly..which I coloured with my promarkers and then cut out. I finally added it to the card.

For the card below..I created a background and then stamped the scene onto it. I then mounted it onto black and white to highlight the image.

The three cards below are using exactly the same images and sentiment but all have different colour backgrounds. I did this just to show you how the colours make each card different and suitable for different projects. I think the plain black and white image would make a very dramatic card.

And while I as having a play, I came across some stampboard in my stash. A few years ago, stampboard was everywhere and then all of a sudden seemed to disappear. Well now it is back and seems to be a lot cheaper than it used be. I had forgotten just how much I loved working with it. One of the things that I adore about stampboard is the clean definition that it gives to whatever stamp you decide to use.

For my first make, I created a keyring. I stamped the sentiment on it and doodles around it. I then wired some beads to it. It takes the ink really well..using the pen, I thought to myself that I could zentangle onto it..watch this space..I will share it with you next week. I am also in progress of making a bracelet..it is drying at the moment. So that will come next week as well.

The tiny door hanger below was made using stampboard. I first coloured the stampboard with my distress inks and then stamped the words onto it. I then created a little hanger and joined the pieces using some beads and wire, What I did discover that my cropodile makes the holes in the stamp board really easily.

This final piece is a work in progress. I stamped onto the stampboard using my memento inkpad and then simply coloured it in with my promarkers. I have yet to decide what I'm going to turn this into.

One thing that I have been asked about a lot is what inkpad to use when using different mediums...so I thought that I would jot a few down for you all.

Memento Ink pads.....I use this for any alcohol pen work..promarkers, copics,spectrum noirs etc.

Versafine Inkpads...I use this for any image I wanted to watercolour or use any waterbased colours with.

Staz on Inkpads...I use this for glass, acetate and any other non porous projects

Versa mark Inkpads...I use this for any projects that I want to use embossing powders on. Also there is the Perfect Medium inkpad that you can use for embossing.

I hope that, that helps you a bit. As always should you have any questions about any project that I've made..please don't hesitate..just ask and I will be more than happy to help. Any thing you need for your crafting..just ask Julie here at JB-Crafting supplies.

The weather here in the mountains is beautiful...I hope that the sun is shining for you wherever you are. So until next week...take care and happy crafting.

Design team makes...using Hobby Art

Hello everyone....Genny here. What a week so far. I had meant to blog on Monday but with the weather and the joys of BT..it just didn't happen. I hope that the weather is being kind to you, wherever you are. We have had serious flooding in the village here..it was unbelievable. I have lived here for 25 years and have never seen it as bad as it was. People had to leave their cars on high ground and wade through water that was above their knees. There are waterfalls cascading down the mountains..where there was none last week. I was lucky because I'm situated at the top of the village. So with all the rain..which is still continuing today..I'm keeping warm and staying in to craft.

My first make is a new home card. It was created using the Hobby Art Townhouse scenic stamp range. I created a little row of cottages and a little garden scene. For the next card, I extended the scene and used it to make a christmas card. I stamped the houses,coloured them and added them to an oval. I also stamped the christmas tree and snowman. I coloured the top half of the oval to look like sky and stamped the santa and reindeer on to it.

And as I had a spare circle..I just had to make a sheep card..lol. The stamp of the sheep is a Penny Black one. I do have a collection of sheep stamps because living where I do..I'm always surrounded by them. And they always make me smile. For this one I stamped and coloured my sheep and then cut it out. I coloured the sky and added the sheep. I then added some snow..using white acrylic and of course I had to add some glitter. All the colouring was done using my promarkers, I added snow using white acrylic and the glitter was diamond dust..but any white or crystal glitter would do.

The great thing about making cards using these stamps is that it quite easy to batch make and you can add as much or as little detail as you want to. So until next week..and I hope that the weather is kind to you all...take care and happy crafting.

Design team make using a Stampendous Stamp

Hello everyone...Genny herewith my design team make for JB-Crafting Supplies. I was lucky enough to e able to work with this fabulous stamp from the Stampendous range. I made this simple card this week to send to a friend of mine who just adores shoes. I stamped the image and simply matted and layered it onto some patterned mirri and some plain black. I then just added the silver bow. It was a great stamp to work with as all the detail stamps so cleanly. The actual amount that they have managed to get onto one stamp is amazing. When you find a stamp company whose stamps work well every time..gives you confidence to use them again and again. And it like that for me with Stampendous stamps. They also have the license to work with all the house mouse range...a range which you must know by now, I love.

For next weeks make, I will show how this stamp can be used alongside a vintage make. The same stamp but used in a totally different way. Oh and to answer a question that was sent to me...for most of my stamping I use a memento inkpad..normally in tuxedo black. That's so I can use my alcohol pens to colour onto it if I want to. I use a Versomark for embossing and a Stazon for stamping onto acetate and glass. For inking backgrounds and for stencil work, I tend to use the Tim Holtz Distress range. There are many different types of inkpad out there but once I've found something that works for me, I tend to stick to it. One more that I have remembered is that I use a Versafine in black if I intend to watercolour. I hope that helps..and as I've said if you have any questions..just ask.

So until next week..I hope that the weather is kind to you all...so until then ..take care and happy crafting.

Design team make using the Cherry Cupcake Paperpad

Hello everyone...Genny here. For today's design team makes I have been using the wonderful little paper pad from The Wild Rose Studio called The Cherry Cupcake . There are just so many beautiful patterned sheets in this collection. For today's card I would use 2 of the papers.On the first I used this green/blue paper. I decided to use one of my large stamps from my stash, stamped it and coloured it with my promarkers.I then made a trail of black pearls, leading from the black peel off greeting. To my mind, both the cards are very simple but there are many times when you just need a card..and quickly..lol

For the second card I asked a friend what sort of card he liked to buy. And he said that he liked to buy a 'happy' looking card. I then asked him which paper in the pad was the happiest...and he picked this paper with the little birds in the trees. So working on that..I thought that it may be nice to use a backing paper as the main focus for a change. I had a rummage in my stash and found the stamp with this poem on it. I have a feeling that it is based on an old irish prayer...I shall have to check it out. I added a feather and some jewels and I think that it would be great to use as a notelet or just a card to send to say hello and raise a smile.It's always surprising just how much a simple card can mean to people. I know when I've received a card out of the blue. for no other reason than they were thinking of me..it really can make my day.

I hope that you are all well and that the weather is being kind to you. Here in the Welsh mountains, it's raining but we are used to it..lol..it must be time for some sunshine I think. Next week I will be revisiting the fairy stamps again...there is just so many ways to use them. So until then...take care and happy crafting.