Daisy Parkland Scene created for Chocolate Baroque

Here is another of my samples created for the recent Brusho demonstrations by Lesley Wharton on The Craft Channel. If you missed the show it is still available on catch up via the website. Well worth watching – Lesley was brilliant.

I have created a step by step for you with pictures showing the build up and stages for creating the scene.

Materials:

• Landscape Edges, Spinney, Orchard, Glade and Woodland stamp sets (also available as a multibuys)
• 18cm square card blank, black card and 15cm square smooth stamping card
• Inkpads: Versafine (Onyx Black, Vintage Sepia), Distress Ink (Crushed Olive), Versamark
• Pebeo Drawing Gum
• Alcohol ink markers (black, blue-grey, yellow)
• Fine tipped markers (black, white)
• Brusho’s (Black, Brown, Ultramarine, Turquoise, Leaf Green, Emerald Green, Lemon)
• WOW embossing powder (Opaque White)

 Step By Step:

Step 1 – Stamp the wall with Versafine (Onyx Black) and apply masking fluid. Plan the position of the trees and paint randomly with masking fluid for the foliage. This creates gaps in the branches after the trees are stamped to create a more realistic image.

Step 2 – Stamp the trees with Versafine (Vintage Sepia). Use some scrap paper to mask the lower section of the card (i.e. below the wall). Paint the background with diluted Brusho’s (dissolve the crystals in water and use like a watercolour paint). Use tissue to dab off excess ink from the masked areas. When dry remove the masking from the tree foliage.

Step 3 – Paint the tree foliage and drop on some dishwasher salt whilst the inks are still wet.  Leave to fully dry. This creates a lovely texture. If the card curls use some removable low tack tape to hold down the edges.

Step 4 – Remove all of the masking and salt. Paint the wall and foreground. Add foreground texture using the texture stamp from the Glade set and Versafine (Vintage Sepia).

Stamp the birds (Landscape Edges set) with Versafine (Onyx Black). Stamp leafy texture onto the tree foliage (Woodland set) using Crushed Olive Distress Ink.

Dust the bottom area of the card lightly with talc. This helps prevent stray embossing powder sticking onto the background. Stamp and heat emboss the daisies (Woodland set) with Versamark and white powder. Knock back the solid white of the daisies using the blue-grey alcohol marker. Colour the daisy centres with yellow alcohol marker.

Use the fine tipped pen to draw grasses and emphasise shading and branches on the trees.

Outline the card blank with black alcohol marker. Mount the painting onto black card to frame and draw the faux stitched border with the white pen. Glue to the card front.

A quick and easy card created for Chocolate Baroque

Here is another quick and easy stamping project for you – make it in under 15 minutes.

I used an Inkadinkadoo stamping gear circular stamping wheel to create this. This makes stamping in a circle really quick and easy. If you don’t have one of these simply draw a circle (approx. 11cm diameter) lightly with pencil (use a compass,  template or die to draw around) and divide it into 8 segments (make a little mark every 45 degrees – dig out that old school protractor) to help position your stamping.

I inked my background card blank, but ready coloured or pretty printed card would make it an even quicker to make.

I have not played with my stamping gear for a while now. I am off to rummage through my stamp collection and try out a few more designs.

Materials:

• Owl Edges and Words of Inspiration stamp sets
• 6X6 inch scalloped card blank
• Inkpads: Distress Ink (Forest Moss), dye based (blue) and multicolour (Kaliedacolor – Country)
• Optional: circular stamping gear (Inkadinkadoo)
• Shaped dies: Scalloped circle approx. 12.5cm diameter (Tonic) and smaller sentiment panel dies approx 3 and 5cm across (Spellbinders)
• Stickles glitter glue (Diamond)

 How to make it:

1. Stamp the floral spray in multi-coloured ink using a stamping gear (see note above if you don’t have one of these). Cut out with scalloped circle die. Edge with blue ink.
2. Cut out the sentiment mats and stamp the sentiment. Colour the card blank and sentiment mats with blue and green inks.
3. Glue mats to card front with 3D foam for dimension. Finish with glitter glue for sparkle.

Bright Storm Tree card created for Chocolate Baroque

Here is another quick and easy stamping project for you – make it in under 15 minutes.

I also sent this is as a sample for the recent Brusho and Design-A-Tree shows demonstrated by Lesley on the Craft Channel.

Materials:

• Design-A-Tree Woodland stamp set
• DL card blank and smooth white stamping card
• Alcohol marker and fine tipped drawing pen (black)
• Water based inks (yellow, orange, pink, purple, turquoise and green). I used Aquatints from Crafters Companion.
• Versafine Inkpad (Onyx Black)

How to make it:

1. Cut the stamping card to fit onto the card front and leave a small border. Colour the card brushing the colours and blending as you go. Use a fairly dry brush for the upper yellow and orange sky – so there is more texture in the sky. Dry.
2. Flick with water and lift off the ink with tissue. Dry.
3. Stamp the tree with Versafine ink.
4. Edge the card with black marker to frame. Use the fine tipped pen to draw a base and anchor the tree. Glue to the card blank.

Scene cards created using the Landscape Edges stamp sets from Chocolate Baroque

Here are two more of my scenes created for the recent TV shows on The Craft Channel where Lesley demonstrated Brusho’s. You can still see the show on catch up online if you missed it.

Materials:

• Landscape Edges and Words of Inspiration stamp sets
• 6X6 inch card blanks, black card, smooth stamping card and watercolour card
• Brusho’s (red, yellow, black)
• Mr Huey’s Colormist Spray with mica (gold and clear)
• Inkpads: Versafine (Onyx Black), Memento (London Fog and Tuxedo Black)
• WOW embossing powder (Clear)
• Alcohol marker (black)
• Watercolour pen (black)

How it was done:

The Backgrounds

1. I first created the backgrounds using Brusho’s on A5 sheets of card. The first piece was painted onto smooth card, blending the red into yellow, then black at the base. I tipped the card whilst wet to get interesting streaks and bleeding of the colours together. I then sprayed it sparingly with a little gold mica.
2. The second piece was created in a similar way but on watercolour card. I coated the card with clear mica spray before applying the Brusho’s.
3. I trimmed the backgrounds to approx. 13cm square.

Inspiring Sky

1. Images and sentiment were stamped with Versafine and heat embossed with clear powder to intensify.
2. I used water to lift a little of the stain from the cloud to lighten it against the background. To get a more intense effect try dilute bleach.

Red Sky

1. The clouds were stamped with Memento (London Fog).
2. The remainder of the scene was stamped with Memento (Tuxedo Black) using second generation stamping along the tree line.
3. A bit of shading was painted using wet brush the black watercolour pen ink.

Finishing

1. The images and card blanks were edged with black marker to frame.
2. Images were mounted onto black card to create a border and then glued onto the card blank.

Steampunk Flower Stepper Card Created for Chocolate Baroque

I love this Punky Flower stamp set from Chocolate Baroque. This is a variation of a previous card that I made for a friend. I created this one for the recent TV shows on The Craft Channel; stamping, cutting out and layering up the images.

I also used one of my favourite dies, the Decorative Centre Stepper from Tattered Lace. Perfect for building up layers and dimension.

Materials:

• Punky Flowers and Card Sentiments stamp sets
• Mottled Cream Card for card base, pearlescent gold paper for layering, Kraft card for die cuts, smooth white card for stamping
• Inkpads: Versamark, Distress Inks (Mustard Seed, Carved Pumpkin, Peacock Feathers, Gathered Twigs)
• WOW embossing powders: Gold Rich, Copper and Verdigris
• Alcohol marker (black)
• Fine satin ribbon (turquoise) and 3D glue gel
• Dies: Stepper card and tag (Tattered Lace Decorative Centre Stepper), Cogs (Trim Craft)
• Embossing folder for textured gears (Tri-Boss)

 Step By Step:

1. Cut the decorative stepper card from the cream card. Use the included mat and layer dies to cut the background mats from gold pearl paper and the panels from stamping card. Also cut a small tag from stamping card (also included in the stepper die set) and several cogs from Kraft card.
2. Use the embossing folder to create the gear textures on the side panels, corner of the tag, and lower section of the large front panel.
3. Colour the panels using Mustard Seed, Carved Pumpkin and Gathered Twigs Distress Inks, applying with a sponge. Also add a bit more colour to the die cut cogs.
4. Randomly apply some Versamark Ink over the die cut and embossed cogs. Heat emboss with a mix of the Gold, Copper and Verdigris embossing powders. Also sprinkle some of the powder randomly over the background and heat from underneath to melt. Outline the main panels with black marker to frame.
5. Glue the background and main panels onto the card blank. Add ribbon to the tag.
6. Stamp the images with Versamark and heat emboss with the fine gold powder. Colour with Mustard Seed, Carved Pumpkin and Peacock Feathers Distress Ink. Apply the colours to a craft mat, pick up with a damp brush and paint the colours. Colouring is easy within the gold embossed outlines. Cut out the images for decoupage.
7. Apply the cut out images and die cuts with 3D glue gel to give added depth.

Gilded Heart created for Chocolate Baroque

I created this one by recycling the clear packaging from the Flowering Baroque Heart clear stamp. Alternatively it could be stamped onto acetate using black Staz-On ink.

Materials:

• Image from the clear packaging coming with the Flowering Baroque Heart stamp
• 6X6 inch card blank, pink and black plain card
• Alcohol ink pens (teal, pinks, orange)
• Gilding flakes (gold mix) and acrylic glue
• Gilding wax (light and dark coppery gold)
• White gesso
• Stickles glitter glue (Diamond)
• Stick on faux brads (black)
• Ribbons (teal and pink)
• Embossing folder (TODO)

How to make it:

1. Cut out the image from the packaging and colour the back with alcohol pens leaving the background clear.
2. Paint over the coloured areas with white gesso. This gives an opaque background to the translucent alcohol inks. Note: you need to work fairly quickly without over brushing the gesso as it will lift some of the colour from the inks. Leave to dry.
3. Apply a thin layer of acrylic glue to the back of the image and cover with gilding fakes, pressing down lightly. Leave to fully dry overnight. Once dry brush off excess flake with a sponge. Edge with a black alcohol marker and mount onto pink card (with acrylic glue) to frame the topper.
4. Use the embossing folder to emboss the black card. Lightly apply gold gilding wax to the raised edges. Trim and glue to pink card.
5. Wrap the panel with ribbon and glue onto the card front. Attach topper with 3D foam pads for dimension.
6. Finish with a few dots of glitter glue on the flowers, add faux brads and ribbon bow.

Dream Tree Scene created for Chocolate Baroque

I created this one for Chocolate Baroque as a TV show sample for the recent Brusho’s show on the Craft Channel. Lesley was brilliant! You can still watch the show on catch up if you missed it.

Materials:

• Design-A-Tree set (Orchard, Glade, Woodland), Landscape Edges and Words of Inspiration stamp sets
• 15cm square yellow card blank, watercolour card and stamping card
• Brusho’s (black, blue, red, yellow, green, brown)
• Mica spray (Mr Huey’s Colourmist Shine)
• Inkpads: Versamark, Versafine (Vintage Sepia), Distress Inks (Mowed Lawn, Crushed Olive, Barn Door)
• WOW glitter embossing powder (Halloween)
• Sunburst stencil (Sheena Douglass)
• Alcohol marker (black) and fine tipped marker (brown)
• Glitter glue (red)
• Ready made flowers, green and sparkly red organza ribbons to embellish

Step By Step:

Brusho Backgrounds. I used the one on the right for this project.

1. Paint the watercolour card with Brusho blending blues and reds for the sky into yellows and greens at the base. Drop on crystals and spritz with water to provide foliage texture in the foreground. Dry.
2. Lay down the sunburst stencil and spray though with mica to create the sparkling sun rays. Dry and trim to approx. 14cm square to fit the card front.
3. Stamp the tree (Orchard), birds (Landscape Edges), and foreground pebble texture (Glade) with Versafine.
4. Stamp the foreground leaves (Woodland) in Mowed Lawn Distress Ink and the tree foliage (Woodland) in Barn Door Distress Ink. Touch up the tree image, and draw a base to anchor the tree, using a fine tipped brown pen. Add touches of glitter glue to the tree foliage.
5. Apply Versamark around the card edges and heat emboss with glitter powder to give a distressed effect.
6. Stamp the sentiment with Versafine onto a small panel. Edge with Crushed Olive Distress Ink.
7. Outline the topper and card front with black alcohol marker to frame. Attach ribbon to topper and glue to card front. Glue on flowers and sentiment panel with 3D glue gel.

Copper Tree scene card created for the Chocolate Baroque TV show on The Craft Channel

I created this one for Chocolate Baroque as a TV show sample for the recent Brusho’s show on the Craft Channel. Lesley was brilliant! You can still watch the show on catch up if you missed it.

Materials:

• Design-A-Tree Glade and Woodland, Words of Inspiration stamp sets
• Kraft card blank (approx. 18 X 14.5cm), black card for mat, watercolour card (approx. 14 X 11cm)
• Brusho’s (yellows, greens and brown)
• Inkpads: Versafine (Vintage Sepia and Onyx Black)
• Alcohol ink marker and fine tipped marker (black)
• Glue pad for stamping and gold mix gilding flakes (Honey Doo Crafts – Rolling Hills)
• Organza ribbon (green)

Step By Step:

1. Paint Brusho onto the watercolour card. Whilst still wet drop on some of the crystals and spritz with water to create the tree foliage and foreground. Dry.
2. Stamp the tree with glue and apply the gilding flakes. Press down the flakes and leave for a few minutes before buffing off with a sponge (to remove the excess). Clean the stamp quickly to remove any glue residue.
3. Use the fine tipped pen to add some shading to the tree and draw in a base to anchor the tree.
4. Stamp the leaves with Sepia ink, and the sentiment with black ink.
5. Edge the card with black marker. Attach the ribbon and bow and mount onto black card, and then glue to card front.

Quick and easy notelets created for Chocolate Baroque

I have created another set of quick and easy notelets using the Punky Flowers stamp set along with some patterned papers from my stash.

Check out the Design Team Blog for more quick and easy projects from my Teamies this week.

Materials:

• Punky Flowers stamp set
• A6 white card blanks and mixed patterned papers (from my stash)
• Glitter pens in colours to match papers
• Alcohol marker (black)
• Versafine Inkpad (Onyx Black)
• WOW embossing powder (Clear Gloss)
• Organza ribbon in colours to match papers
• PVA pearls (black)

Step By Step:

1. Choose patterned papers with a subtle Baroque style pattern. Trim to 10 X 14.5cm to fit the A6 card front leaving a border. Edge with the black marker to frame.
2. Stamp with Versafine and heat emboss the image using the clear powder. This makes colouring really quick and easy and adds a bit of textural interest.
3. Colour with glitter pens choosing a darker colour version to match with the paper.
4. Attach a ribbon strip and glue to the card front.
5. Finish with PVA pearls.

Quick and Easy scene card created for Chocolate Baroque

This is a quick scene project using the Tall Trees stamp set. This set is gorgeous and is on a special offer at the moment.

Do have a look at the Chocolate Baroque Blog to see some more quick and easy projects from my lovely Teamies this week.

Materials:

• Tall Trees and Mackintosh Sentiments stamp sets
• A6 white card blank (suitable for stamping)
• Inkpads: Distress Inks (Gathered Twigs and Peeled Paint)
• Fine tipped pen (green and brown)
• Gold glitter glue
• Water brush

Step By Step:

1. Stamp the tree with the green and brown Distress Ink.
2. Extend the scene and anchor the tree using the fine tipped brown pen. Quickly colour the scene with the Distress Inks and a water brush.
3. Draw a border with the green pen and blend the edges using Distress Inks.
4. Stamp the sentiment with the brown Distress Ink.
5. Finished with a little glitter glue.

Really quick and easy.

Scene card created with the new digital paper download from Chocolate Baroque

The new digital paper this month is a stunner. I decided to make a fold back scene card so that the full beauty of the paper can be seen as the card is pulled open.

Open Card

Closed Card

Materials:

• Design-A-Tree Orchard, Spinney and Woodland, Landscape Edges and Words of Inspiration stamp sets
• 8 X 8 inch white card blank
• Digital paper (Imperial Birds Background) printed X 3
• Small blossoms die cut (or punched) from scrap card in pink and cream
• Die cut shapes in green card (for mat) and white stamping card to create topper
• Inkpads: Distress Ink (Old Paper, Peeled Paint, Vintage Photo), Versafine (Vintage Sepia), Archival Dye Ink (multicolour light to dark browns)
• Acrylic Paint – light pink
• Glitter glues: Stickles (Star Dust) and green
• Pink PVA pearls
• 3D glue gel

How to make it:

1. Score the front panel of the card blank vertically down the centre and fold back the panel. Trim the digital paper and glue to the inside back panel.
2. Trim another print out panel and cut in half vertically to stick on the inside front and left hand fold back front panel. Check that the front panel pattern aligns with the inside back panel. Glue the inside panel but do not glue down the outer front left panel yet.
3. Lay the green mat onto the front printed panel and mark the position of the bottom left hand section with a pencil. Trim a slot around the leaves with a craft knife so that the mat can be tucked into the paper (i.e. under and behind the leaves). Glue the printed panel to the card front taking care to omit glue from the cut slot area. Stamp the sentiment with Versafine.
4. From the third sheet of digital paper cut out the vine leaves and shape slightly for decoupage. Shape the tiny blossoms. Add green glitter glue to the leaf veins and Star Dust to the flower centres.
5. Stamp the stone wall onto the bottom of the topper panel with Versafine. Stamp the tree (Orchard set) with the multicolour stamp pad so that the trunk is dark brown, blending to lighter brown for the upper branches.
6. Stamp the leaves in the light and darker green Distress Inks (Woodland set).
7. Stamp the blossoms with pale pink acrylic paint (Spinney set). Dot with Star Dust glitter glue.
8. Colour the wall and landscape using the Distress Inks and a damp watercolour brush. Ink the edges of the scene with Peeled Paint Distress Ink. Glue to the green mat.
9. Glue the topper onto the card front tucking the bottom left corner into the cut slot of the patterned paper. Glue on the leaves and blossoms with 3D glue gel. Take care not to add glue to the topper overhang section. Finish with a few PVA pearls.

Flowering Baroque Heart Easel Cards created for Chocolate Baroque

I love this month’s new Flowering Baroque Heart stamp from Chocolate Baroque. I just had to combine it with heart dies from my stash and some die cut flowers that I shaped to co-ordinate with the stamped floral image. I love creating shaped cards so decided on a set of easel cards using a large die cut bloom as a stopper.

I haven’t used my opaque gouache paints in ages so thought I would do something a little different with the colouring and stamp the image onto black card. I love the dramatic effect.

Materials:

• Flowering Baroque Heart clear stamp
• White, black, blue and teal plain card
• Versamark Inkpad
• Paints: opaque gouache (colours mixed: red, blues, teals, pinks) and gold water based paint with mica
• Spectrum Noir alcohol ink pens (blues, teals, pinks)
• WOW embossing powder (Clear Gloss)
• Black PVA pearls
• Stickles glitter glue (Diamond)
• Fine tipped markers: black and white
• Heart Dies: Tattered Lace Pin Dot Hearts and Pearl Pin Dot Hearts
• Floral Dies: Tattered Lace Floral Layers (All About The Middle, Leaves 4 and Rose die sets)
• 3D glue gel

How it was done:

1. I first cut the largest decorative heart, one in teal and one in black. A plain black heart was cut and glued onto the teal decorative heart. The Flowering Baroque Heart was then stamped directly onto the black card using Versamark. The images were then heat embossed with clear powder.
2. The images were coloured with the gouache paints, using the gold mica paint to colour the stamens. The outer border of the black decorative pearl heart was also coloured with gouache.
3. I used the plain heart dies to create the card blanks (in blue and teal) and inner black mats. The card was folded in half and the upper edge of the heart die placed so that it extended above and over the fold (cutting through both layers of card). The front panel was then scored horizontally to create the fold back for the easel. The topper was then glued onto the lower half of the front fold back.
4. The leaves and flowers were cut from thin white card and coloured with alcohol markers. I like using alcohol markers on 3D shaped items as the ink bleeds through colouring both sides of the card at once. They were shaped with a ball tool and embossing mat. To create the large flowers I snipped the petals to separate them and glued to a small circle of card to create the 5 petalled flowers. The stamens were cut in black card. The smaller petals were used to create the buds.
5. Fine tipped pens were used to add faux stitching around the hearts. Black PVA pearls were dotted around the pearl heart frame. Glitter glue was applied to the flowers and stamped image for extra sparkle. The flowers were attached using 3D glue gel.

I have been making Kanzashi Flowers

I have finished my first set of Kanzashi fabric flowers using wonderful kits available from Gina-B-Silkworks. Gina’s instructions are so easy to follow. Loved making these. They are a great technique for using up tiny fabric scraps too.

Now I have to decide what to do with them. I think that I will use them to decorate a little sewing box.

Fern Scene created for the Chocolate Baroque Colour Challenge 22

Here is another project that I created for the Chocolate Baroque Challenge 22 this month. It is quick and easy to make too.

Materials:

• Wild Meadow stamp set and sentiment from Words of Inspiration
• 5 X 5 inch card blank suitable for stamping and inking
• Distress Inks: Carved Pumpkin, Mustard Seed, Crushed Olive and Mowed Lawn
• CutNDry Foam
• Sunburst stencil

Step By Step:

1. Using CutNDry Foam blend Distress inks straight onto the card, using Carved Pumpkin at the top, blending into Mustard Seed, then Crushed Olive at the base. Dry  with a heat gun or hair dryer.
2. Place the stencil over the card and sponge through gently with water. Lift the ink by patting with tissue. Dry. Tip: Do this quickly and do not rub the card or the fibres may start to break up.
3. Stamp the ferns and sentiment with Mowed Lawn Distress Ink. Stamp the ferns quickly, inking the stamp and stamping 2 or 3 times in succession (i.e. without re-inking) to get the more faded ferns in the background. Repeat until you are happy with the arrangement.