More with the stencils this week, I have done the art deco rose card 3 different ways using embossing and sparkle texture paste - couldn't decide which I liked best!.

After using the texture paste I moved to dreamweaver metallic pastes and mica powders. There are 2 methods for these as illustrated by the 2 cards below.

I also used the micas for colouring machine embossed images as shown with the large rose last week. I;m afraid I haven't mounted up the pieces done with the other stencils yet,
These methods  - ways with mica and stencils/masks plus using sparkle texture paste will form the basis of the next stencil workshop coming soon.See website for details www.llindas.co.uk

Working on a few more of the tonal cards this week but linking them in with the stencils. I have used the sparkle texture paste for images and frames are done with inks and mica powders

This one I have machine embossed and coloured using mica powders - sorry about the light on the pictures - a problem with lots of skylights in the workroom!

Over the last week I have been looking into the "tonal cards". The idea for this came from the cosmic shimmer ranges which are supposed to be different products of the same tonal colour. I initially selected the pink and blue ranges but as I tried them out I became disappointed. The sprays were nothing like the other products and so my initial thoughts needed changing. I then collected together all sorts of pink & blue products which I had as well as shades of other colours and looked at what went well together. I produced samples of each using different methods embossing, inking, stamping,  powders, micas, metallic rub ons, inks
etc and then looked at putting some of the bits I'd done together - so if they seem random bits that's why! I id find in many instances that 1 other colour needed adding e.g. bits of black or the gold on green.

Now I've widened what I'm doing this is obviously a work in progress but here are some of the cards |I have done so far

This week I've been working on some of the "hearts for all occasions" cards. Some of the examples with the hearts striplet appeared with the striplet boards. Yet again lots more examples need doing but this is an initial board of ideas to use on tomorrows workshop.

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This week I have been trying to do more examples for the all day creative stamping - Fab 50's workshop and some more with the Gemini (border) dies from creative expressions.Both workshops are on for the first time this week , to be repeated later (see website for details)

Fab 50's are as shown - using different products with our stamping.

I have tried to show that the Gemini dies can be used with lots of other techniques. I have used them here with dies, stencils and some stamps - more of those to follow. (The Poppy is a new stamp from Woodware)

and then before this last week's workshop I managed to do a few more cards  with the striplets which I showed last week

Hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year. My Christmas was great - especially seeing our grandson who is now 10 months old and we hadn't seen him since August! The disaster over the Christmas break was a roof leak during the snow which damaged lots of papers so I spent a week drying off the partial affected sheets to use in workshops or sell for silly prices and sorting everything. I therefore made no cards for 2 weeks.
I had started before the break working on the striplet dies from creative expressions. Here are some examples - I have looked at different backgrounds to them- metallic leafing, glitter, flock, embossed sheets decorative sheets etc. The lovely thing about these dies is that you can extend them to the width you want. Here are some examples although I do intend to try more.

I am also halfway through the Gemini border dies and the creative stamping "Fab 50's" workshop boards so they should follow soon.

Sorry to any followers for not having posted for a few weeks. I've been busy with my Christmas cards most of which have been variations on those I've shown you before.
The one special card was for my son and family. Since my grandson likes flap books I decided to do a flap card which ended up as a 3 page book card.
Hope these pictures show it adequately . I used a selection of stamps from the creative stamping magazines and an embossing folder. Pages are shown with flaps closed and then open.

Then there was making special cards for the shop - the only type I sell at Christmas. I did 8x8 variations of the 5x7 cards I'd done before. The first one kept selling as soon as I'd made it.

Last week I started working on the new border and striplet dies from creative expressions, so those will be the ideas coming in the new year but for now there is a break from the shop and cardmaking while we celebrate Christmas with the family.
Merry Christmas to you all.

I've been busy with various workshops and card orders since my last post but I also managed to complete the board for the latest creative stamping "Labelled with love". We did the all day workshop on this yesterday and I wanted to take pictures of the different colourways that some people did but in the rush at the end didn't get round to it.
I concentrated on different ways with different types of glitter and metallic leafing but there were other cards using distress inks and papers from a creative cardmaking magazine plus of course various dies. I have been trying out different ways with the creative stamping striplet.
The pictures are not good - sorry! but hopefully will give you some ideas of how to use the magazine stamps of which we still have a number left. Thought it more important to get a posting than wait till I can do and post a better picture

Sorry there was no post last week and i only have a few things for this week having been busy with workshops.
 During our Stencil course I was asked about the sparkle texture pastes on acetate and the next two cards show this. An earlier card using trees can be seen if you go back a few postings

 
When doing pearlescent paste mixed with micas it didn't dry so we heated it for this lovely effect

Then some popular specials.

Got to post now as battery running out!!!!1

I was distracted from my plan this week by being asked to do a sympathy card. I set about looking at partially done cards/flowers to get these done then looked at variations of cards for an autumn / Christmas theme. These are some of the cards I came up with.

For these cards I adapted a style I had done earlier for this season

Wanting to combine stamping techniques with die cutting I tried these ideas. The bird is from Stampendous and the poisettia from Woodware. Creative expressions dies

  This one is awaiting the greeting - the holographic card has really caught the light here!