Frantaged Collage and Charms Masculine Birthday

This is the card that I made for my hubby's birthday this year. It involved using the Frantage embossing powders which were new to me before making this card, although I have of course watched the demos on Create & Craft.

 

To begin with, I stamped the collage image of Folium from Papermania using Versafine Onyx Black archival pigment ink. The panel was then distressed using Tim Holtz Antique Linen and Walnut Stain inks. Once the distress ink was dry, Versamark was added around the edge of the panel and Aged Taupe Frantage powder was added. Once that was heat set, extra Aged Taupe and White powders were sprinkled over the centre of the panel to give a speckled appearance.

To create the card blank, a sheet of A4 card was trimmed to 5" wide and then scored at 7". Panels of beige mottled paper by Craftwork Cards were cut to fit both the front and inside of the card, the edges first being distressed with the Walnut Stain ink.

The stamped and Frantaged panel was matted onto the black card as used for the card blank and adhered overlapping the edge of the front panel.

The next stage was to add the charms. These were very kindly donated by Donna at the cardmaking group that I attend. The large key charm was looped onto a length of black and white Gorjuss twine that was coloured with the Antique Linen and Walnut Stain inks, to tie it in with the rest of the card. The twine was wrapped around the front of the card and tied to the top of the charm.

The ends of the twine were then wiped with Aleene's Tacky Glue and wound around a paintbrush until the glue was dry, allowing the twists in the twine to remain. The same was done to the twine threaded through the compass charm.

The next stage was to work on the inside of the card.

The first step was to add some sentiments.

Firstly, the 'Happy Birthday' panel stamp, from the Papermania Portabello range, was stamped on the inside of the card using the Onyx Black ink. The panel was reverse masked and coloured using the Antique Linen and Walnut Stain inks. Using the positive mask, the panel was covered and overstamped using the postmark and clock stamps from the Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Visual Artistry stamp set, and the script stamp and number stamp from the Bo Bunny It's In The Words stamp set, all stamped using the two brown distress inks.

The final stage was to add a sentiment that could be read both when the card was open and closed. A line was drawn down the side of the card using a T-square ruler and a pencil, and, using individual alphabet stamps from a Studio G/Hampton Art alphabet stamp set and a Stamp-a-ma-jig, the sentiment 'with love' was stamped down the side of the card using Memento Tuxedo Black dye ink.

Versafine Onyx Black ink would have been better, but the Memento was out on my desk from when I had stamped the alphabet stamps onto the plastic sheet of the Stamp-a-ma-jig, and was used by mistake!

Here are the challenges that I am entering this card into:

A Girl Who Crafts - Anything Goes
Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes
Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper - Anything Goes (Not Square)
Creative Craft Cottage - #31 - Anything Goes
Mema's Crafts - Anything Goes
Seema Crafts - Anything Goes
The Sisters Of Crafts - Anything Goes
Bastel - Traum - Anything Goes
Vandicrafts Artistry - Anything Goes
Sweet Stampin' - Masculine
Art By Miran - Anything Goes
Jo's Scrap Shack - #71 - Anything Goes
Sister Act - #89 - Anything Goes
Wags 'n' Whiskers - #145 - Anything Goes
Aud Sentiments - #123 - Anything Goes
Dream It Up! - Birthdays
Little Miss Muffet - #102 - Anything Goes
Scrap & Craft - #1 - Anything Goes
Baffies Kreativladen - #40 - Anything Goes
The House That Stamps Built - #114 - Black, Brown and White
Penny's Paper-Crafty - #210 - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp - It's A Guy Thing
Whimsy Stamps - #78 - Anything Goes
Cardz 4 Guyz - Happy Birthday
Inky Chicks - #45 - Anything Goes
Party Time Tuesdays - #194 - Anything Goes
Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Crafting From the Heart - #42 - Anything Goes
Sparkle N Sprinkle - Anything Goes (Glitter, Embossing Powders, Flock)
Squigglefly - #2 - Anything Goes
The Paper Nest Dolls - #1 - Anything Goes
Whoopsi Daisy - Anything Goes
Robyn's Fetish - #247 - Vintage Look

A Day At Julie's

Just wanted to let you all know how my day at Julie's went. Early morning (6am!!) and an early train journey into London (or the outskirts at least). I bumped into Alex at the train station as we'd managed somehow to synchronize our arrivals.

After a bit of a chat, and the handing out of goodies, we got underway. Thankfully, they all liked their post-it note holders that I'd made for them (and they didn't fall to pieces in my bag, which I was rather worried about!!). But, I did forget to take a photograph of them, so girls, if you get a chance, please email me a couple of pictures so I can put them on here!

Alex had very kindly given us all one of her little boxes that was filled with chocolate. My dear hubby has been looking at it longingly but I'm blowed if I'm going to let him have them. I might just suck them a little every night so I can taste them but not actually eat them. They should last a while that way too!!! Darn this diabetes!!!

Alex had also assembled a card kit for us all in another beautifully constructed and decorated box. The card was a nice clean and simple design, using the gorgeous Papertrey Ink Damask stamp set (if only they would find a UK distributor/retailer, I'd snap them up in a moment, but with such exorbitant P&P charges, I could never justify the expense).

Anyway, having made my version of the card, I then proceeded to get inky finger prints (Versafine Vintage Sepia) all over it, which I had to disguise when I got home by sponging on the lightest brown colour from the Brilliance Tiramisu ink pad. I also failed to match up the border stamp in the centre of the gatefold!! I really should have a think before I commit anything to paper or card!!

Here is what I managed to create. I don't think it turned out that badly. The card blank was made from brown Kraft card, also available from Papertrey Ink, and brown gems were added to embellish the ornament image.



The second project I attempted was given to us by Julie's friend Lesley. She had prepared a pram template for us all to use, and this time we all managed to make completely different cards. Cutting the template out was the hardest part for some of us (wasn't it "stompy-feet Julie"), but we all produced lovely cards.

Here is my attempt!! I'm not sure what make of papers these are, but I thought they were perfect for a 'just in case' baby card, to keep for when you do need one!!

The Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder was used on the hood and the Fiskars Apron Lace border punch was used to create the lace trim. Craft Planet yellow glitter glue was added to the dots on the hood and along the top of the paper lace trim. A large Stampin' Up flower punch and a second smaller flower punch were used to create the layered flower in the top corner. The brad was originally pink, so was coloured using a green Copic marker and a blob of the yellow glitter glue.

Buttons from my stash were added to the wheels and the hood (when I got home), after threading them with green embroidery thread.

Alex very kindly did a demonstration of how to use the Copics to their best, so when/if I get around to buying any, I'll have more of an idea of how to get those great effects that so many of you all produce!!!

Also we all had a go at the monochrome look using the Tim Holtz Distress inks on a stamp and dragging the colour out, just as Alex had done on a Sarah Kay card she made last week. I decided to use the technique on one of the lovely house stamps from Papertrey Ink and the Weathered Wood ink. I haven't made the images into cards as yet, but will upload them when I have.

The rest of the day (and somehow there wasn't much more!) was spent stamping up each others various images that we had brought with us. Before we knew it, it was almost 7pm and we had to start tidying everything away.

Amazingly, that didn't take as long as we had anticipated, so we made our way back to the train station. We said our goodbyes (reluctantly) and headed off home. It was 10.45pm when I got home and was pretty bushed, but it was all worth it for an amazing day spent with friends - 'cos that's what you are girls!!! I never thought that two very special friends could be made through a forum, but they can and you are the proof!! Hopefully my move up north won't spell the end of our get-togethers. We'll have to figure a way around that! Not sure how big my new house is going to be, but maybe a weekend in Lincolnshire is on the cards.

Well, enough of all this soppy-ness! Hopefully I'll get around to uploading a few more cards tomorrow. Not sure which ones though. I'm still a bit behind on my uploads, so I might add a few of the anniversary cards I've been making.