A blog devoted to the cards I make in my tiny upstairs space. When my sister stays there, she calls it an "artist's garret". I'm not an artist, but am an enthusiastic cardmaker - hence the title "Cardmaker's Garret".
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Saturday 23 May 2020

Layered Stencils

I'm very last minute for the CAS Stencil "Layered Stenciling" challenge!


Christine and I did some physically distanced crafting on Wednesday and she helped me with two new techniques - stenciling with a gelli plate and creating a brayered background, both techniques using Fresco Chalk paints - I like them much better than standard acrylic paints.

First up the stenciled one, using the colours from the Color Throwdown Challenge:




 
I brayered yellow Fresco Chalk paint onto a gelli plate, laid the swirly flower stencil over it, then pressed copy paper over top, picking up the yellow paint.  I then laid a text stencil over it and sponged with grey Distress ink.

I added it to cs using a sheet of double sided tape, then trimmed it, and bordered with a thin grey border.  I added it to white shimmer card base.

I die cut the flower spray die twice from white cs and once from the white shimmer cs I used for the card base.  I glued the three together with the shimmer layer on top.  Then added a sentiment stamped in grey on the white shimmer cs and trimmed.  And for embellishment, two yellow pearl gemstones on the two largest flowers.


Then I used the technique seen in this video for the background piece in this card:
Using a brayer and a few shades of blue Fresco Chalk paint, I rolled (with a flicking random motion) the colours one at a time on mixed media cs.  I then sponged white paint over a snowflake stencil.  Once it was dry, I stencilled the word Peace over it with Distress Black Soot ink.

I trimmed the panel, added a very thin black cs border, and finished off the sentiment by stamping "on earth" from a TH "peace on earth" sentiment onto black cs and heat embossing it in white.


Love these two techniques, especially the second one.  Thank you, Christine, for all the help with the techniques!








Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Judith sentiment
Ink - Distress Hickory Smoke
Paper - white copy paper, white and grey cs, white shimmer cs
Size - A2
Accessories - TCW Believe Script and Swirly Garden stencils, PaperArtsy Butter Fresco Chalk paint, Memory Box Honeyblossom Sprig die, yellow pearl gemstones,

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Tim Holtz
Ink - Distress Black Soot, ColorBox Frost White
Paper - mixed media cs, white linen and black cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Red Lead peace stencil, snowflake stencil, white and various blue PaperArtsy Fresco Chalk paints, white embossing powder


Thursday 21 May 2020

A CAS Masculine Card and a Horse Silhouette

Another Twofer today!  I seem to blog in fits and starts!

For the Paper Players challenge:



I seem to have had a run on masculine cards lately.  Not my favourite to make as I find them difficult.  For this one, I pulled out a globe die.


I created a background for the globe with blue brushos sprinkled and spritzed on coated cs. I die cut the globe out of mixed media cs and smooshed it in various green and brown Oxide inks. I glued it to the blue background and trimmed away the excess blue.

I used a star stencil and embossing paste to create a background panel, added the globe to it, attached it to a linen card base, and finished off with two Tim Holtz rub-ons.



And today's second card is for 52 Christmas Card Throwdown:

 

I went with a white silhouette:


I used a piece of designer paper for my background as it has perfect dots of snow on it.

I topped it with a die that creates a perfect scene of a silhouette of horse, trees, snowy hill. And added a sentiment.
Wishing you all a safe and healthy day! 










Supplies for card 1:
Ink - various Oxide inks
Paper - mixed media cs, coated cs, linen cs
Size - A2
Accessories - globe die, blue Brushos, embossing paste, star stencil, Tim Holtz rub-ons

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Rubber Soul sentiment
Ink - Memento Danube Blue
Paper - white cs, Kiwi Scrapbook dp
Size - A2
Accessories - Starlitt Studio die, sentiment label die

Sunday 17 May 2020

A Dog with Bells

The Jingle Belles challenge wants "Bells" on our cards this time.

And The 12 Months of Christmas challenge is "Deck the Paws" - have a dog or a cat as the main focus.

I have a stamp that covers both challenges!


I stamped and heat embossed the dog and sentiment, then masked it and added the stars through a stencil, using silver embossing paste.  I coloured the bells with a silver glitter pen and bordered the panel with silver cs and popped it up on the card base.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope everyone is doing okay.








Supplies:
Stamps - Creative Images
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - white and silver cs
Size - A2
Accessories - clear embossing powder, Memory Box star stencil, silver embossing paste, silver glitter pen, fun foam

Saturday 16 May 2020

Lavender - Lilac - Purple Inchies


The current Double D challenge is asking for "Lavender - Lilac - Purple".  Isn't that a divine colour combination!

I made two panels with various Magicals by sprinkling the colours on watercolour paper, spritzing with water, and letting dry.

Then I stamped each panel with a different background stamp - one with positive flowers, one with negative flowers - and heat embossed in white.

I took a 1" square die and cut three inchies out of each piece (selecting the flowers I liked best). I spaced them out on white cs, bordered with dark purple, and added a sentiment.


I have a friend who absolutely loves purple so will be sending this to her.










Supplies:
Stamps - Rubbernecker background stamp (positive flowers), unknown background stamp (negative flowers), Savvy Stamps sentiment
Ink - ColorBox white, Memento Grape Jelly
Paper - white and purple cs, watercolour paper
Size - A2
Accessories - white embossing powder, Spellbinders square die, Magicals, SU sentiment label punch

Thursday 14 May 2020

A Mini Spring Card and a Purple Christmas Card

Popping in under the wire for a couple of challenges!

First up, Just Us Girls "Mini" challenge:

I made a small card (4.5x3.5"), with a small image of small flowers.


I got out an old PSX stamp of crocuses, stamped and watercoloured the image and painted some earth around the flowers to ground them. I added a bit of splatter in yellow and purple. I didn't want the sentiment to be as bold as the image so stamped it in brown instead of black. Then trimmed it and popped it up on fun foam.


Then off to 52 Christmas Card Throwdown "Non-Traditional Colours" challenge:



I'm not a huge fan on non-traditional Christmas colours but made myself go with a purple background!


I used various purple and violet Oxide inks and created a smooshed background. I used it to back my reindeer / trees / snowflake die, and also die cut the sentiment out of a scrap of it. Popped the panel up on fun foam for more dimension.

 






Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - PSX crocuses, Rosie's Roadshow sentiment
Ink - Archival Jet Black, Memento Rich Cocoa
Paper - mixed media and cream cs
Size - 4.5x3.5"
Accessories - watercolour paints, Spellbinders rectangle die, fun foam

Supplies for card 2:
Ink - various Distress oxide inks
Paper - mixed media and white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Tattered Lace winter die, reindeer / snowflakes frame die, fun foam


Monday 11 May 2020

A Couple of Masculine Cards

I really struggle with masculine cards so follow two challenges that focus on them so that I can get ideas. 

First up The Male Room where the current challenge is "Sentiment in Focus".

 

I made a pet sympathy card that uses the sentiment as the focal point.


I stamped it and heat embossed it in black, then die cut with a label die. I left the cs in the die and sponged the exposed part. That left a nice white border around the edge. I added a black background die cut label - so I've got three sets of curved borders around my sentiment.  Added it all to a paw print dp background.


And then there is Cards 4 Guyz where the current challenge is "Vintage".  I used a vintage ship image.


I made a "wrinkle free distress" background in blues and greens, and stamped the ship on it. I popped it up on fun foam and bordered with blue and green. I used a Tim Holtz rub-on for the sentiment.

I'll be back with something more feminine next time! 










Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Wordsworth sentiment
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black, Distress Antique Linen
Paper - white and black cs, unknown dp
Size - A2
Accessories - Spellbinders label dies, clear embossing powder

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Tim Holtz ship
Ink - Archival Jet Black, various green and blue Distress inks
Paper - ivory, green, and blue cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Tim Holtz rub-on sentiment, fun foam

Thursday 7 May 2020

Inspired by TV and a Silhouette

Catching up with some challenges!

AAA Cards wants one image and something inspired by TV.
 

I recently watched a great TV series, His Dark Materials, based on one of my favourite young adult fantasy novels.  In the book, there is a bear who helps Lyra, the main character.  Here's a photo from the TV show:



I got out my old SU stamp of the bear with the children riding on his back:


I coloured the stamped image with coloured pencils, trimmed with a stitched rectangle die, popped up on fun foam, and added glitter to the snow line and the brims of the hats.


And then Addicted to CAS wants a "Silhouette".



I needed a sympathy card and I prefer them to be very simple so a silhouette is ideal.


I masked a rectangle on some coated cs and brayered with Frayed Burlap ink. I flicked some water on it with my fingers and got one very big wet droplet that lifted all the colour where it landed and a few other nicer splats.

Then I stamped a silhouette of wildflowers and grass with Staz-On ink. I trimmed the panel down, leaving a narrow white border, and popped it up on the card base with fun foam.

I hope everyone is staying well and happy.








Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - SU Bearing Gifts
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper - white and red cs
Size - A2
Accessories - coloured pencils, Lil Inker stitched rectangle, glitter, fun foam

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - SU Just Believe, Great Impressions sentiment
Ink - StazOn Black, Distress Frayed Burlap
Paper - white cs, coated cs
Size - A2
Accessories - fun foam


Wednesday 6 May 2020

A Christmas Card with a Smile and a Wedding Card with a Splat





Two cards today.

First up for the Paper Players "Make You Smile" challenge and for Darnell's NBUS (Never Before Used Stuff) challenge.


I used a new stamp that I hadn't inked up yet - it certainly makes me smile seeing the naughty horse stealing the snowman's nose.


Stamped, watercoloured, trimmed, popped up on fun foam on a red card base - love the simplicity, love the mailability!


And today's second card, for Less is More "Scribbles, Drips, and / or Splats".

 

I need a wedding card and the people are quite artsy so thought this might work for them.


Using silver ink, I stenciled the small hearts and bits of grunge splats and dribbles on the white panel. I die cut the heart from silver glitter cs and also two narrow strips to border both sides of the panel. The sentiment is stamped in silver and heat embossed. The whole panel is popped up on fun foam.

They will be having a very small family wedding given the limitations imposed by Covid-19 so many of us who were invited won't be able to attend it - such a shame for a couple's special day!








Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Craft Emotions horse and snowman, Penny Black sentiment
Ink - Archival Jet Black
Paper - watercolour paper, red cardstock
Size - A2
Accessories - watercolour paints, fun foam

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Memory Box sentiment
Ink - Delicata Silvery Shimmer
Paper - silver glitter and white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - SU heart die, TCW Confetti stencil, clear embossing powder, fun foam




Sunday 3 May 2020

Christmas Berries

Loll is hosting the May challenge at CAS Christmas and she is asking for "Winter Berries".

I love this theme and was hard pressed to decide which of my many Christmas / winter stamps to use.  I ended up going with this one because it basically is nothing but berries.


I put the stamp in my MISTI and inked it up with various Distress markers, spritzing lightly, stamping on watercolour paper, and repeating until I was happy.

I added the sentiment and a bit of splatter, bordered with a matching brown, and popped it up on a red card base.  I went over the snowy bits of the image with a glue pen and added glitter.

Please come and join us.  You have until May 24th to link up.  Head over to CAS Christmas for more inspiration from the Design Team and May's wonderful Guest Designer, Lynne (Designs from the Loft).










Supplies:
Stamps - Penny Black
Ink - Distress Gathered Twigs
Paper - watercolour paper, red and brown cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Distress markers, glitter, fun foam

Saturday 2 May 2020

Silent Night Sky

My goodness, even in these strange times time is flying by and here we are at May already.  CAS Watercolour is asking for a Night Sky this month.


I decided to dig out my neglected Twinkling H2Os as they give a nice subtle shimmer.


I did a watercolour wash alternating Black China, Blue Flame, and Periwinkle Twinkling H2Os.  I spritzed the paints liberally and kept the watercolour paper quite wet so the colours would run together.  I put down a layer, dried it with my heat tool, then repeated layering and drying until the colours were rich enough and I was happy with it.

I took the Solar Gold Twinkling H2O and spritzed the paint with only a bit of water to keep the paint thick, and then splattered the gold onto the sky.  I die cut a square out of it.

I die cut a Sizzix village die out of white, added a dark blue sentiment, trimmed it to fit the bottom of my square of sky, and popped the square up on fun foam.

Please come and join us at CAS Watercolour.  I'm looking forward to seeing how you create watercoloured night skies.  There's more inspiration from the rest of the Design Team and this month's Guest Designer, Tina (Treebug blog).

I'm also linking it up with the Christmas Kickstart "Winter Wonderland: Create a Scene" challenge.







Supplies:
Stamps - unknown sentiment
Ink - Versafine Clair Twilight
Paper - watercolour paper, white cs
Size - 4.75" square
Accessories - Twinkling H2Os (Blue Flame, Periwinkle, China Black, Solar Gold), Sizzix village die, fun foam