Bear in the spring sunshine

Here I am with a tag that I made for my husband who really liked my card that I created for her mother. If you want to know the story of that card, please visit my earlier blogpost, here. You also have to visit that blogpost, if you need a tutorial, because the process was quite the same.

I just love this bear. So cute, right? I imagine him waking up from the hibernation, drinking a cup of coffee with honey and focusing on all the good things that await him this year.

The only difference between the tag and the card that the text here is from the Tiny Text stamp set.

With my tag, I would like to join the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Easter/Spring.

Focus on the good - Card with a bear

Hello everyone, let me show you my latest make, a card that I made for my mother-in-law. My husband will give it to her for Mother's Day. And this text is just perfect for her, because she is recovering from a major illness and my husband wants to encourage her.

I've used this bear on cards many times, but only for the second time with flower in his hand. You can see my previous card here with this bear holding a flower in his hand. 

I've also used this sun a lot, but this is the first time with clouds. I got the idea from Emma to use the exhaust gas although Tim mentioned this in one of the YouTube videos but I forgot about it.

And here is the tutorial of the background. 

I cut a panel from white paper and first I blended Broken China Oxide ink to the top and Frayed Burlap to the bottom part. Then I also blended Speckled Egg to the top. After this I chose the dotted  piece from the Psychedelic Grunge stamp set and stamped on the panel with Faded Jeans and Brushed Corduroy ink.

Then I muted back the colours with diluted white paint. In the end I inked the edges with Vintage Photo and Ground Espresso Archival ink.

Most part of the bear was coloured with Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain ink and the stomach and the muzzle with Antique Linen and Vintage Photo. I always added the darker colour to the edges. 

The sun was coloured with Squeezed Lemonade and Mustard Seed.

The text was heat embossed with black embossing powder.

What I used:

Sizzix Thinlits die, Road Trip Colorize (666288)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Circle Play (663868)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Cozy Winter (665574)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Funky Foliage (663087)

Stampers Anonymous, Psychedelic Grunge (CMS056)

Stampers Anonymous, Noteworthy (CMS446)

Ranger Distress Oxide ink (Speckled Egg, Broken China, Frayed Burlap)

Ranger Distress ink (Faded Jeans, Brushed Corduroy, Worn Lipstick, Mowed Lawn)

Ranger Distress Archival ink (Vintage Photo, Ground Espresso)

Ranger Distress embossing ink

Ranger embossing powder (Black Super Fine)

etc.

With my card, I would like to join the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Whatever The Weather

Masculine birthday card

Hello everyone, I'm here with my second inspirational project that I made for the March challenge of the Country View Challenges. The theme is: Birthday card for a man

For this card, I had an inspiration from my first project, two birthday cards that I made for twins.  You can see them here. This one will be for my husband, but just in July!

I won't write you a tutorial here because you can find a detailed one if you click on the link of my earlier project.  

Here I'm just talking about the only difference, the colour of the balloons and the bow-tie.

So for creating this yellow I used the following Distress colours: Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed and Fossilized Amber.

So if you made a masculine card, please don't hesitate to join our March challenge where a randomly selected winner can have a £20 voucher in the Country View Craft Shop! Good luck!

Thank you card with huge butterfly

Let me show my latest make, a thank you card with my favourite butterfly stamp. 

For this design I just had to copy one of my previous card with a little twist. 

Here I used Princess Gold embossing powder and the Flourish stamp to make the background. Then I blended Salty Ocean and Prize Ribbon to the surface.

Then I took a brown paper from the leftover papers and with a pencil I drew the outline of the Flourish card. I went over the lines with an embossing pen, and heat embossed with the same gold embossing powder.

I glued the two sheets together.

Then I stamped the butterfly on 300gsm watercolour paper and heat embossed with the same gold embossing powder I used before. I cut out the butterfly and I coloured it with a mixture of red Distress colours.

What I used:

Stampers Anonymous, Lattice&Flourish (CMS257)

Stampers Anonymous, Perspective (CMS213)

MFT Stamps, Twice The Thanks Die-Namics

Ranger embossing powder (Princess Gold)

Ranger Distress in pads

etc.

With my card, I would like to join the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Things With Wings

Masculine birthday cards for twins - Gentlemen by Tim Holtz

Hello everyone, I'm here with my first inspirational project for the March challenge of the Country View Challenges. The theme is Birthday card for a man and the lovely Corrie is the hostess of this theme.

Well, for the first time this month I would like to show you two birthday cards that I made for twins, Peter and David. Peter's wife asked me to make a card duo for her husband and brother-in-law's 60th birthday, and I think the Gentlemen die set was just perfect for this occasion.

I'm just saying that the cards are huge, exactly A5 size.

So I cut an A4 watercolour paper (300gsm) in half and blended Weathered Wood ink onto the surface.

Then I spritzed with Speckled Egg Distress Oxide Spray ink.

Then I rubbed diluted white paint onto the surface with a piece of sponge. I like this technique, because with this a mute a little the original colour and it is also a great protection for the colours. When it was dry, I cut the panel a little smaller then inked the edges with Hickory Smoke and Frayed Burlap Archival inks. I finished off the background by splattering it with watered gold paint (Glorious Gold).

Now, the balloons. I cut out for balloons with one of the balloon dies form the Celebration die set. And I coloured them green and blue with the following inks. For the blues I used Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean and Blueprint Sketch, for the greens Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn and Rustic Wilderness. I glued the numbers on the balloons and for the numbers I used added the Alphanumeric Label die set. I also added a layer of varnish to the surface. I applied this with a sponge not with a brush, because with brushstrokes I could wipe off the ink from the surface. Just dab the sealing with a sponge gently.

Each gentleman was cut out three times from 300gsm black paper to give them dimension. I glued them together then I added a black paint sealing to the top layer.

For the nameplate, I cut two strips from grey paper, I blended diluted white paint as protection. Then I glued the letters on it. The letters are from the Alphanumeric Label die set too. I inked the edges with Hickory Smoke and Frayed Burlap Archival inks. Then I put a gold paper underneath which frames the name strip nicely.

The stars are from three different die sets: Crescent Moon, Twig&Stump, Swirling Stars.

The bow-ties from the newly released Tailored die set and coloured them with the same ink combinations that I used for the balloons.

There was one thing that was a real challenge in making this card. What should be the string for the balloons? With the original die you can cut a very short string, the balloons wouldn't have reached over the head of the gentlemen. I was a little afraid that a real twine won't stick perfectly. I was thinking about drawing the strings, but then I thought that a flower stalk might be good.  So I looked through all the flower and leaf dies and I found the perfect, the seven leaved die from the Skeleton Leaves set. I just had to cut off the leaves from the stalk.

What I used:

Sizzix Thinlits die, Gentlemen (666286)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Tailored (666289)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Celebrate Colorize (666285)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Alphanumeric Label (664177)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Skeleton Leaves  (663094)

Sizzix Bigz die, Crescent Moon&Stars (658716)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Swirling Stars (663095)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Twig&Stump (666072)

Idea-Ology, Metallic Kraft Stock

Ranger Distress ink (Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean, Blueprint Sketch, Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn, Rustic Wilderness, Weathered Wood)

Ranger Distress Archival ink (Hickory Smoke, Frayed Burlap)

Ranger Distress Spray Stain (Speckled Egg Oxide)

etc.

So if you made a masculine card, please don't hesitate to join our March challenge where a randomly selected winner can have a £20 voucher in the Country View Craft Shop! Good luck!

Valentine's Day card with The Park die set

Hello everyone, let me show you my latest make, a Valentine's Day card that I made with The Park die set by Tim Holtz. I used one of my earlier projects as inspiration for this card. It was a tag duo with the same stencil and embossing powder. 

After finishing the embossing, I blended the following Distress colours onto the background panel in this order: Tumbled Glass,  Salvaged Patina, Antique Linen and Salvaged Patina.

Then I inked the edges with Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain.

I cut out the lady and the gentleman from black texture paper and I put a layer of kraft paper under the cut-outs.

What I used:

Sizzix Thinlits die, The Park (665204)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Falling Hearts (664415)

Sizzix Bigz die, Heartfelt (660233)

Stampers Anonymous, Tiny Text stamp set (CMS394)

Stampers Anonymous, Roses layering stencil (THS075)

Ranger Distress ink (Antique Linen, Salvaged Patina, Tumbled Glass, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain)

Ranger embossing powder (Weathered White, Princess Gold)

etc.

With my card, I would like to join the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Frame it

Birthday card with Bunny Games die set

Hello everyone, I'm here with my second inspirational project that I made for our February challenge over at the Country View Challenges. The theme is: Be sentimental.

Because of the gift box and the balloon this can be a birthday card, but for me it's a name-day card for a friend who likes bunnies and purple colour. 

And now, here is the tutorial.

I cut out a rectangle panel from watercolour paper and coloured the bottom part with Pumice Stone and the upper part with a mixture Speckled Egg and Cracked Pistachio.

When it was dry, I painted the clouds using white paint and a brush.

Then I toned back the background with a wet mixture of Picket Fence and Pumice Stone. I dried it with a heat tool and then I inked the edges with Hickory Smoke and Vintage Photo Archival ink. 

Then I arranged the cut-outs on the panel to find the place for the text. When I found the perfect place, I stamped the text with embossing ink and heat embossed with black embossing powder.

What I used:

Sizzix Thinlits die, Bunny Games (665850)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Celebrate Colorize (666285)

Stampers Anonymous, Handwritten Thoughts (CMS218)

Ranger Distress paint (Cracked Pistachio, Speckled Egg, Picket Fence, Pumice Stone)

Ranger Distress Archival ink (Hickory Smoke, Vintage Photo)

Ranger embossing powder (super fine black)

etc.

So if you have a project with a sentiment on it, please don't hesitate to join our February challenge where a randomly selected winner can have a £20 voucher in the Country View Craft Shop! Good luck!

Tag with a bird of Feathered Friends die set

Hello everyone, I'm here with the first project that I made for the February challenge of the Country View Challenges blog. The theme is Be sentimental which means you have to use a sentiment on your project. This time my lovely teamie, Jane will be your hostess.

I got this idea of the bird sitting on a swing from a picture I saw earlier. And if I want to use a bird for one my projects, I almost always choose one of the birds of the Feathered Friends die set. I did the same this time. And this little one was also coloured yellow in an earlier project.

For this tag, I took a watercolour paper and cut out the tag shape. I coloured the whole tag with a mixture of turquoise, blue and grey Distress paints. Then I created clouds with a brush and white paint.

Then I toned back the colours with diluted Antique Linen and Pumice Stone paint. I inked the edges with Vintage Photo  and Hickory Smoke Archival ink. Then I stamped the sentiment with embossing ink onto the tag and heat embossed with black super fine embossing powder. 

Then I attached the tag to a 300 gsm grey tag to make it sturdier. 

With a piece of twig and jute twine I created a swing and then I glued to the tag with hot glue.

Then I added the bird with foam adhesive tape to the tag and I put a yellow ribbon to the top hole.

What I used:

Sizzix Movers&Shapers die, Tag&Bookplates (656938)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Feathered Friends (664433)

Stampers Anonymous, Noteworthy (CMS446)

Ranger Distress paint (Salvaged Patina, Stormy Sky, Pumice Stone, Antique Linen, Picket Fence)

Ranger Distress Archival ink (Vintage Photo, Hickory Smoke)

Ranger Distress ink (Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed, Pumice Stone, Hickory Smoke, Gathered Twigs)

Ranger embossing powder (black super fine)

So if you have a project with a sentiment on it, please don't hesitate to join our February challenge where a randomly selected winner can have a  £20 voucher in the Country View Craft Shop. Good luck!

All you need is love - Valentine's Day banner

Let me show you my latest make, a love banner that I created for Valentine's Day. But I'm sure a banner like this can be handy on a wedding anniversary, or first date anniversary as well. 

So, how did I make this? Well, I cut out 18 banners from red paper, using a Sizzix die of Framelits Plus die set, Banners. Then I cut out 18 banners with a one size smaller die from patterned paper. 

I inked the edges of the pink paper with Antique Linen, and the red polka dot with Vintage Photo.

Then I glued the patterned papers to the red bigger banners. I cut out the letters with Alphanumeric Bulletin dies from dark brown paper. I adhered the letters to the banners without the frames.

The next step was to make holes in the upper corners of the banners. For this, I used my Crop-A-Dile, Big Bite Punch (We R Memory Keepers).

I also made two banners with heart in the middle. For this, I chose the Heartfelt Bigz die and one of the hearts which has nearly the same heights as the letters. 

What I used:

Sizzix Thinlits die, Alphanumeric Bulletin (666281)

Sizzix Framelits Plus die, Banner 2 (660836)

Sizzix Bigz die, Heartfelt (660233)

Ranger Distress ink (Vintage Photo, Antique Linen)

We R Memory Keeper, Crop-A-Dile Big Punch

I hope you like it! And if you need a banner for Valentine's Day you still have plenty of time.

Celebration card with Cozy Winter bear by Tim Holtz

Hello everyone, I'm here with my second inspirational project that I made for our January challenge on the Country View Challenges blog. The theme is TIME and the lovely Evelyn is your host this month. 

Like the first time, I used Weathered Clock as the background. But the first project had Gladys in front of the clock, and now this cute Cozy Winter bear. This card can be used for birthday, anniversary or Valentine's Day.

And here is the tutorial. I took a square panel and painted with Salvaged Patina. Then I stamped the numbers (Perspective) here and there onto the panel with Vintage Photo Archival ink.

Then I muted the colours with diluted white paint. I also spattered a little with this watered white paint. I added Forget-Me-Not Archival ink to the edges and Vintage Photo as well.

The bear was  made exactly the same like here. (I used the same tutorial here too.)

The scarf was coloured first with Squeezed Lemonade, then I added Mustard Seed to the edges, then Fossilized Amber. 

The hearts were coloured with Worn Lipstick Distress marker.

The little flower is part of the Funky Foliage die set. I coloured it with Worn Lipstick and Mowed Lawn Distress markers.

The little hearts are from two sets, the tiny one is from the Cozy Winter and the little bigger ones are from the Stacked Tiles, Hearts set.

What I used:

Sizzix Thinlits die, Cozy Winter (665574)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Funky Foliage (663087)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Stacked Tiles, Hearts (665858)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Handwritten Celebrate (660215)

Sizzix Bigz die, Weathered Clock (657190)

Stampers Anonymous, Perspective (CMS213)

Idea-Ology Chitchat sticker book (TH92998)

Ranger Distress Archival ink (Vintage Photo)

With my card, I would like to join the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: 4 Legged Animals