Going off the edge

Morning all.  Time for a new challenge over at Back to Basics and Beyond.  This week we are pushing you right off the edge. There is a fab tutorial from Jennifer McGuire on You Tube and you can access it here.  The idea is to use a larger stamp around the edge of your card - and if you use Jennifer's technique you can create two cards at the same time.

I don't really have a lot of large stamps but I think I need some as I loved doing this technique.  My plan was to use a cherry blossom stamp but it was an odd shape and didn't really work so I chose the lily from the same set (I think it's Papermania).  I just coloured it in and used a die cut sentiment.  I could have used one of the sentiments from the stamp set but they are small and I was afraid it would get lost.

What do you think?

One thing I will say for Back to Basics and Beyond.  It is still managing to teach an old dog new tricks.  I think I need to invest in some more stamps as I can't really do this with Digis.  Well, I suppose you could but it would take a coat of thinking over first.

Please pop over and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Be Insprired - pretty please.

Morning all.  We have a brand new challenge over at Back to Basics and Beyond.  Unfortunately, our last challenge - for an explosive card - didn't attract many entrants.  We are hoping our Photo Inspiration Challenge will be more appealing.  Here's the photo:

Once I'd seen it my eye was drawn to the blue pattern on the sofa.  This is the element I've chosen for my inspiration.  You could be inspired by something totally different within the photograph.  

I chose the same colours and used my mosaic square die  to cut enough squares to form the diamond on my card.  I cut a fifth square just plain to mount my words.  I assembled the lot on a square of cream crepe paper and - as the sofa cushions have blue piping around the edge - I matted it onto another blue square.  I hope you can see where I was coming from with this.

Please pop over and see what inspired the other members of the DT and we'd love to see you be inspired to join.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

It's Nail Polish - But Not as You Know It!

Time for a new technique challenge over at Back to Basics and Beyond and I have to admit to never having seen this one before.  It's called the Nail Polish Technique.  There are tutorials on You Tube if you want to see it done but it's basically putting nail polish into a bowl of water, swirling it around to make patterns and then dropping a piece of card onto the top.  When the card comes out the patterned polish makes a lovely abstract background.  Apparently, cheaper nail polish is the best to use as it's runny.  Brilliant, I only own cheap nail polish (which is probably why you don't see me with painted nails).

I used a red and a glittery gold in my water and that's where I should have stopped.  Instead I also dropped in some pearly white which was a bit of a disappointment.  I used acetate rather than card for my first attempt and I'm pretty pleased with the result.  I also dipped a piece of pearlised white card.  I'm not so keen on that but my husband loves it and says it's very 'Chinese' looking.  Apparently, I've got to use my Chinese dragon stamp and mount it on the background and it'll look awesome.  'Yes dear' but not today as I need to get this other one done.

I kept it pretty simple for my card and chose a nice bit of the acetate to go behind a panel I'd cut in two.  I just added a die cut sentiment and a couple of glittery gem thingies and left it at that.
Now, where did I put that dragon stamp?

Please pop over and have a go.  It's a really fun technique to try.  Even I enjoyed it and I hate getting messy.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Doing the Triple

Morning all.  We are going Back to Basics and Beyond today with a new challenge.  Unfortunately, our shrink plastic challenge didn't seem to excite much interest so we are moving on to 'Triple Stamping'.  The technique is a fun one and easier to do than it looks.  There are plenty of tutorials on You tube if you aren't familiar with this style.  Most of the example I've seen are for normal rectangles but I'm a Contrary Mary and I wanted to try something a little different.  What do you think?

I'm hoping that you can see the image ok.  I've had the stamp, which was from Chocolate Baroque, for ages but I've only used it a couple of times.  This is the first time I've used embossing powder on it.  I'm still not sure if I should add colour to the koi in the middle.  It looks so effective in real life.

Please pop over and have a look at what the Design Team have created, and whilst you are there maybe you could join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Honey I shrunk the die cut

Morning all. Back to Basics and Beyond have a new challenge today and it has just taken me back.  The challenge is to use Shrink Plastic.  I first encountered this in my old ATC days and I'm not sure that I've ever used it on anything else.  I knew that I'd got some somewhere but it took some finding.  I'd put it in a bag of bits to send to the local kids club.  Luckily, I'd not gotten around to taking them.

For my card I decided to use a die cut rather than a stamp.  I cut it in card and then again in shrink plastic.  After colouring both I got out the old heat tool and let the magic happen.  Yeah, right!  My first attempt curled up on itself and wouldn't straighten so I did it again.  If I'd realised how awkward that thin stem was going to be to shrink I'd have done something else.  Anyway, I kept at it and this is the result.

I didn't want to distract from the simplicity of the card so this is it in all it's glory.  

Apparently, shrink plastic isn't a new thing.  My better half tells me that he and his sister used to bake sweet wrappers when they were little and they would shrink in the oven.

Please pop over and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Basically, it's a Gatefold

Morning all.  It's a new Back to Basics and Beyond day today.  The challenge is to create a gate fold card.  Now there's something I haven't done in years!

The challenge for me was to make my card look like a gate fold.  As I scan my cards it's pretty hard to tell.   I created a 5x5 gate fold blank and covered it in pretty paper.  I added a fancy edge to each side of my gate and used a silver peel off to cover the other edge.  The frame is stuck to one half of the fold and the middle is stuck to the other so that they separate when open.  I then dug out some old decoupage  and added it to the middle.  I can't remember who the sheet came from.  I have a box of decoupage bits and other toppers that I cut out and then discarded.

I wish I was better at taking photos so you could see the full effect.  I got the idea from this card on Pinterest.

I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else comes up with for this challenge as I don't do fancy folds as a rule.  I'm looking to you lot to inspire me.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x