Tuesday, March 31, 2020

STAMPlorations Inspiration #261


Hello!  It's Inspiration Tuesday at STAMPlorations, and I've got another card for you using powders mixed with walnut stain.

I placed a diecut Coffee Cup Silhouette on white card, sprinkled the powders on, then spritzed with water and let it sit there for a few seconds till I was happy with the level of colour mingling.  Then I lifted off the diecut.  Stay tuned for next week's post and I'll show you what I did with it.

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the design  team, and don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a $10 gift certificate.  If you use my code STAMPGIRLSHIRLEY you'll get 20% off.

Friday, March 27, 2020

Sloshing Spotlight


I've been sloshing again.  One of my favourite techniques.  Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog to see my spotlight post.


The images were coloured and fussy cut, then I applied a wash onto the card bases.


I deliberately used two of my least-favourite colours, but I've got to say, I like them here!

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Seize The Birthday - Cards for Kids


Hello, we've got a new challenge for you at Seize The Birthday - Cards for Kids.  Or Anything Goes if you prefer.



I made this card towards the end of last year, so I can't remember the full details, but I know the sentiment is from MFT.

Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the team, and our Surprise Party Guest, Stef Perry, and then play along with us.

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

STAMPlorations Inspiration #260


Hello!  It's Inspiration Tuesday at STAMPlorations, and I've raided my stash again to make this card. When Layered Cake Bake launched, I made this cake slice but didn't use it at the time.  The sponge is watercoloured and the frosting is Liquid Pearls or equivalent, can't remember.

The background is a leftover piece from this Spotlight post.  All I had to do was trim it down, add some birthday Telex messaging (who remembers Telex??) from World Birthday Cakes and adhere everything in place.

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog to see some more fabulous inspiration from the team, and don't forget to comment for your chance to win a $10 gift certificate to the store.  If you use my code STAMPGIRLSHIRLEY you'll get 20% off.

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

STAMPlorations Inspiration #259


Hello, and welcome to Inspiration Tuesday at STAMPlorations!  I've been rummaging in my stash of backgrounds and found this stencil print, which I thought would work will with a nice cool Blue Lagoon cocktail.  The 'celebrate' letters were cut from mirri card and have a lovely iridescent sheen.

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the team, and don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a $10 gift certificate.  If you use my code STAMPGIRLSHIRLEY you can get a 20% discount off your purchase.

Stencil: Prim Triangles
Stamp: Tropical Drink - Large
Die: Skinny Sentiments

Monday, March 16, 2020

ARTplorations Stencil Hop


Hello, we've got a special hop for you at STAMPlorations featuring some new stencil designs by Helen, and they're in the store now.

For my first card I used the lovely versatile Clouds stencil.  I just caught the lower edges of the clouds with Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide to give a hint of cloud, then blended the rest of the sky and added some ground with Shabby Shutters Oxide.  The stamps are from Birds of Paradise and Party Time


For my next card I used the Rubber Bands stencil, masking the majority of the card so that I just had a border down the side of the card.  I used Stormy Sky Distress Oxide.


I stamped the coffee cup on spare card, watercoloured and fussy cut it, and added a sticker from Just Caffeinate.  I think the coffee cup stamp may have been discontinued, but there is another similar one here.

My final card uses the brickwork stencil.  I sponged Antique Linen Distress Oxide lightly on the white card, then stencilled the brickwork pattern over the top using the same colour.  I added a potted plant from Fluttery and a sentiment from Everyday Sentiments.


Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog to see what the rest of the team have created, and don't forget to comment for your chance to win 3 or 6 of the stencils.

Sunday, March 15, 2020

STAMPlorations Stencil Sunday

Hello, I'm over at STAMPlorations today with a Stencil Sunday Project for you.


I used Infusions powders, which are water-soluble dye particles mixed with walnut stain, so you get a grungier colour than some other types of powders.

Using this method, you get two 'prints' out of the process.  After sprinkling the powders over the Prim Patterns stencil, spritz with water then leave it a few seconds for the water to do its work.  I used my normal cardstock, and the water sits on it for a little while before soaking in, giving colours time to mix.


Carefully lift the stencil off the card, then flip it down onto another piece of card.


All the ink that had collected on the stencil transfers straight onto the card.


So you end up with a positive pattern and a negative pattern.


I added a car to one for a male birthday card, above, using a sentiment from Deepti's Balloons and Banners.  For the other card I added a butterfly from Layered Butterflies, with a sentiment from Feathery.


I repeated the press with the Honeycomb Delight stencil and different colours.  This is the second step, flipping the stencil onto another piece of card.


And here's the two side by side.  I love the mottled patterns.


I added a bird from For The Birds, with matching die, Helenium Large and a sentiment from Trendy Feathers 2.


And on the final card I used a diecut butterfly from Flutter Zen 2 and a sentiment from Trendy Feathers 2.


I hope you've enjoyed seeing how I made these cards.  Leave a comment here and on the STAMPlorations blog for your chance to win a $15 gift code.  If you're shopping at the STAMPlorations store, don't forget to use my code STAMPGIRLSHIRLEY for 20% off.

Thursday, March 12, 2020

Seize The Birthday - A Touch of Green


Hello, and welcome to a new Seize The Birthday challenge!  Our theme this time is A Touch of Green.


And that was all that was needed to make these ZinskiArt ladies happy :)

Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the team and from our surprise party guest, Joyce, and join in the fun.

I'm entering this into Simon Says Monday Challenge, A Bit o' Green.


Tuesday, March 10, 2020

STAMPlorations Inspiration #258


Hello, it's Inspiration Tuesday on the STAMPlorations blog, and today I'm using Deepti's Better Together set.

Whenever I watercolour with Distress Inks I use an acrylic block as a palette, then mop up the excess with a spare piece of card.  This is one such mop-up, and all I had to do was stamp this lovely image over it, then mount the panel onto my card base.  Easy Peasy!

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog to see some more fabulous inspiration from the team, and don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a $10 gift certificate to the store.  When you're shopping in the store, why not use my code STAMPGIRLSHIRLEY for 20% off.

Friday, March 06, 2020

Craft Stamper Take It Make It


Hello, and welcome to a new challenge at Craft Stamper Take It, Make It!  It's always anything goes with polymer or rubber stamping.  Digital images can be included, but real stamping should be the main focus.  The other thing to remember is only have one project in your post.  We get some lovely entries that aren't eligible for the prizes because there is more than one project in the post.

So, what can you win this month?


That's for one lucky randomly chosen entrant.  If your entry is chosen by the design team it will be published in the magazine and the blog along with a bio, and you'll get a chance to guest design in a future challenge. What's not to like?

My card features stamps from Kaiserkraft, Dean Reaveley, Concord & 9th and a Craft Stamper freebie.

Pop on over to the Craft Stamper blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the design team and play along for your chance to win.

Tuesday, March 03, 2020

STAMPlorations Inspiration #257


Hello, it's Inspiration Tuesday at STAMPlorations.  Now, if you've been paying attention, you may think you've already seen this card but this is simpler version.

Here's the previous one, which had 6 blooms and you know what they say, odd numbers.  Hence today's card.

Pop on over to the STAMPlorations blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the team, and don't forget to comment for your chance to win a $10 gift certificate to the store.  And while you're shopping, why not use my code STAMPGIRLSHIRLEY for 20% off.

Monday, March 02, 2020

Colouring with Sharpies


I'm playing along with Kathy Racoosin's 30 Day Colouring Challenge.  On Day 1 she used Sharpie markers to colour, so I thought I'd give it a go on kraft card.  The image is stamped in brown archival ink, and I used thick-nibbed Sharpie pens.  I thought the colours would have turned out darker with being on kraft, so I'm quite pleased with the result!

I'm playing along at Simon Says Wednesday challenge, Anything Goes.