Freshly Made Sketches #200 - Take Three

Today's post will have to be a very quick one I'm afraid, as the internet is worse than ever - weekend, I suppose - plus, I should really be getting things in order before we go on Friday!  As I type this, I am doing so on a text document first, as I am frustrated with how many times I have lost this so far, trying to post it!!

This is for the Freshly Made Sketches 200th celebration challenge!

This is their sketch.

For this sketch I partial die-cut a Spellbinder cover die at what was going to be the top of the card, until I realised that it would look better at the bottom, so this one is flipped on it's head now!  Then I put acetate behind the die-cut border to make it a window border.  Next, I got a base card and cut the bottom part off the card front and attached the panel I had die-cut the border from - are you all still with me so far? - Then I lined the inside of the card with patterned paper, used a couple of thin strips to 'finish' the edges of the border, made a die-cut flower and leaves arrangement and stamped my sentiment.  I also adhered a piece of white card-stock inside the card at the top for a space to write a message.

This is the card.

My congratulations once again to the Freshly Made Sketches DT on their 200th challenge and thank you all, my lovely readers for taking the time to pop in today and for all your lovely comments . . . I will miss you all next month . . . but do look out for scheduled posts!  Happy crafting!  Hazel xx

Freshly Made Sketches #200 - A Celebration! - Post Two

This is the second card, exactly the same as the first, but in black.  For both, I used some 'Imagination Crafts' Gold Sparkle Gel through a 'Tweed' stencil, cut a Penny Black 'Congrats' sentiment out of Stampin' Up Glimmer Paper and used a Martha Stewart punch for the flowers.

As it is for a celebration challenge, I felt that sparkle and bling was the order of the day!

Here are the rest of the pictures.

Which would you have posted?  Thank you so much for your visit today, it's very much appreciated!  Have a great day . . . without frustration!!  Hazel xx

Freshly Made Sketches #200 - A Celebration! - Post One

Today, I just had to try to post again - even though it's a bad day on the internet again - one day it isn't too bad and I think, 'great we are getting back to normal', the next, the little ring just keeps turning and turning in ever increasing circles, only to come up with the dreaded, 'can't load page' or some other such nonsense!

Anyway, the reason I am so determined today is two-fold.

One, it is a celebration over on the Freshly Made Sketches challenge as it is their 200th!!  Way to go FMS!  and as it is one of my favourite challenges, I just had to do something for it and I haven't been able to do much lately!  As I type this, I see Blogger has come up with a red bar and a warning triangle and is announcing, "An error occurred trying to save or publish your post" . . . but I will soldier on!

The second reason is that, as some of you lovely people already know, I am going to be away from next Friday for nearly a month - without internet - which at the moment is only a good thing!! - but I want to get as many posts as I can in before then!

So, here is the sketch.

Here is card number one.

Because it is a celebration, I felt that it needed sparkle and bling!  I have also made a black version and as I couldn't decide between the two, I am using both!  Stay tuned for the next post which is the second version.  Here goes!  Have a lovely day!  Hazel xx

Stepping Out Of My Comfort Zone!

Hi all my lovely friends!  I will have to keep this post fairly short, as the internet is still playing up (not as much as it has been, but still enough to make it quite tedious).

However, you know what they say, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade” . . . well, I did just that!  When my computer was playing up and the internet was hardly usable, I made cards!!

I have been trying techniques and styles that I have never had the nerve to try before and this is one of them.

Some of the 'experiments' I have tried have been more successful than others, but the failure is in the 'not trying', not the failure itself . . . right?

Anywho, today I stepped out of my comfort zone and thought I would have a go at the kind of 'artsy' style I admire in other's work, but have never had the nerve, or the talent to try.  The result is  not wonderful, but who's is 100% of the time?  Plus, I had fun trying!

Here it is, exposed in all it's nakedness and feeling vulnerable . . . well, that's how it feels! 

I used a NBUS stamp set from Simon Says Stamp and stamped and masked one of the trees on to a sponged background, coloured them sketchily - for texture - and added the white dots that are so popular now and stamped the sentiments from the same stamp set.

If I did it again, I would definitely stamp the sentiments in the same brown I used for the trees, rather than the harsh black.

Constructive criticism would be welcome from artists out there more versed in this style!  Thank you for taking the time to visit today and for all your comments, they are always very welcome!  Have a lovely day . . .  it's pouring with rain here!  Hazel xx

A Rare Post Indeed . . . . Hopefully!

Well folks, my internet is still playing up and my headache is lingering, but I was determined to try and get something made and posted before I go away next Friday!

I have been experimenting with some things I have wanted to try, techniques, products and so on.

So, if the internet will allow, I will show you what I have been up to.

First up is one that I have been meaning to try for a while and that is, just draw some lines in black marker in a random, geographical design (not thought out in any way) and colour the sections in with felt markers - I wanted to see what kind of results I can get with these cheap markers - they are certainly vibrant.  One thing that I did notice was, that you see every stroke, but I think that that gave the sections a bit of added interest, a bit of 'texture' so-to-speak.  This is the result.

My second card is one that I have made with a panel that has been lying around since I realised that I had cut the wrong corner off of the embossed panel for the project I was making at the time!

I also wanted to try to work with thread and try the technique that has been popular with everyone else for a long while (I am always late to the party)  and I used it behind the sentiment die cuts.  This is that one.

Up next is a very simple one that I made from a practice piece that I tried out.  My clever DH made me a home made stamp press with a hinged lid and I wanted to try double stamping (deliberately not inking the stamp completely and then inking it again to make sure it stamped in the same place . . . it did!)  Of course, I couldn't just then throw it away, so I mounted it on to a base card that I had stuck patterned paper on and this is the result.

This last one is one that I had been experimenting with water-colouring backgrounds in various ways and I decided to make this one into a card.  I got out a cover plate die that I hadn't got around to trying yet and cut it out of my water-coloured panel and mounted it on to a dark grey panel.  I then added a flower that I had already stamped and coloured, some vellum leaves and a couple of butterflies and this is the result of that session.

Right, my lovelies . . . here goes . . . let's hope this post doesn't 'time out' . . . it has been a little better today, so fingers crossed!

If you have had the patience to get this far in the post, thank you so very much for your visit.  I appreciate you all.  Have a wonderful evening.  Hazel xx

Posting With Gritted Teeth!!!

Hi my lovelies!  There has been no card posted for over a week now and will not be for the foreseeable I'm afraid and I will explain why . . . if technology will allow of course!

First, it was a three full day Migraine that kept me from doing anything, now, for the last four or five days it has been technology!  I do not know whether it is to do with my internet connection, my PC, or just amount of internet traffic, but it has been very very trying!

Whenever I try to go to a web page - or do anything really - it goes around and around forever and finally comes up with the 'Problem loading page' sign!

Believe me, when it says 'Try Again', I have . . . and again . . . and again!!

Now, on top of that we are away again (to the same place as last time) without internet (which at the moment is only a good thing) from 28th August to the 25th September, so there will be no posts then (except for ones already scheduled)

I can only apologise and hope that you will all bear with me and be there when I get back - if I am able to post before then I will - I am now keeping everything crossed that I am able to post this before it times out again!

Have a great day my friends!  Here goes . . . . wish me luck!

Happy Little Stampers CAS Challenge - August - Masking

August already, I can't believe how fast the years go by, which means another new challenge over at Happy Little Stampers CAS, which for August is Masking.

  For this challenge, I decided to repeat a masking technique that Laura Bassen demonstrated on the 'Stretch Your Dies' course I attended earlier this year.

 

 First, I made a mask by die cutting a piece of acetate (so I could wipe it clean between colours) with a wavy edge border die.  Then I used various colours of inks to sponge different colours down the front of a card layer.  I overlapped some to make new colours by tilting the mask at different angles.  Then spritzed it lightly with glimmer mist.  Next, I die cut the birthday word using a Reverse Confetti die, stuck it to a strip of vellum and stamped the word 'happy' above it in Stazon ink - as Stazon is the best for slick surfaces, like vellum or acetate.

To finish off, I folded the ends of the vellum strip around the back of the panel and fastened it with Scotch tape at the back and mounted the panel on to another panel of black cardstock, leaving a thin border and finally mounted the whole thing onto a white card base, added a Wink Of Stella to the die cut sentiment and some Glossy Accent dew drops.

Do join us at the Happy Little Stampers CAS challenge and see the fantastic inspirational cards the other DT members have come up with and have some masking fun!

As always, thanks so much for making my day by stopping by and for any comments, you leave, you are all appreciated very much!  Have a lovely day!  Hazel xx