Congrats card...

Hi! I am back today with a card that I made for a friend's daughter who is going away for higher studies.

This card gave me a chance to play around with some new techniques and also stretch my creative energies in finding alternatives to expensive craft products.

The base is white handmade paper. I created the coloured panel by using a stencil from Itsy Bitsy and some texture paste. Only I made the texture paste from scratch by mixing together some talcum powder, Fevicol, white acrylic paint and water. Very easy and much cheaper than anything available in the market! I coloured it using pigment inks.

The sentiment is a Sizzix die, which I cut four times and layered. I used the Faux Metal technique demonstrated by the very, very talented Jennifer Mcguire. You can check it out here. I loved the way she combined gold and silver embossing powders in the video. Since I have only gold powder in my stash, I decided to experiment with the stuff I already have. Some time back Jennifer had done a video in which she created her own glitter embossing powder by mixing some fine glitter and clear embossing powder. So I tried it with some copper and silver powders that I had on hand. And it worked beautifully!

I also decorated the inside of the card.

Entering this in the following challenges:

CAS(E) this Sketch #86

I used the sketch. Only I turned it around a bit.

The Card Concept Challenge #15 - Colour Challenge

I used the colour palette and was also inspired by the lacy votives. I guess my style would be Clean and Layered.

So that is all for now. I made two more cards using my 'texture paste' which I will post later.

Looking forward to hearing what you think of my DIY efforts!

Love,

Nan

P.S. Also posting in the following challenges:
Less is More Week 182 - Anything Goes
The card is definitely CAS - my usual style!

Addicted to CAS Challenge #43 - Celebrate

Card swap...

Hi! I made a bunch of cards for Swap Central India last month. I was really thrilled when Swap Central restarted, after a break, as I have enjoyed each and every swap I have participated in!

I had to wait till the cards were officially 'revealed' on their blog. So here I am, finally, with my set of cards.

The first card is a square 'Thank You' card.

The base is pink handmade paper. The DP is actually a tissue paper that is attached to some thick card stock using cling film. I had seen the tutorial for this a long time ago. Unfortunately I don't remember where. I tried it and it works beautifully! The sentiment is computer generated and printed. Some green twine and pearls finished the card.

For the second card, I went with a CAS but layered look.

The base is gold handmade paper. The DP is created by gluing diagonal strips of assorted papers onto a piece of scrap paper. I love this technique as it gives a lovely, rich look and also uses up all the scraps of paper that I hate to throw away. This particular strip is left over from two previous cards. You can check them out here and here. 

I used gold embossing powder for the sentiment. The floral gems are from my stash.

The third card uses a new technique that I tried for the first time. The original tutorial is by the amazingly talented Jennifer Mcguire. You can check it out here.

Supplies used are green and pink hand made paper. The embossing folder is from Itsy Bitsy. I used green and pink pigment inks for the embossed panel. I did struggle a lot to finish this card as nothing seemed to work after I had assembled the layers. Finally I decided to keep things simple and heat embossed the sentiment in white.

I used some tiny pearls to add a little bit of glamour to the card.

The final two are my favourites.

The card base is water colour paper. The panel is coloured using acrylic paints in blue and red. The butterflies are punched and then covered with glitter. I also covered the flourish die cut with glitter to make it pop.

I stamped the sentiment using my favourite Micia stamp set and dark blue sketch pen.

The fifth card turned out so much better than I imagined that I almost didn't send it!

The background is handmade paper, coloured using acrylic colours in pink, orange and yellow. I used my favourite Chloe Stem die by Memory Box. 

The sentiment is computer generated and printed on translucent paper. I added some pearls to finish the card.

Here is a consolidated image of all the 5 cards.

I really enjoyed this swap and am looking forward to the next. You can check it out here.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Love,
Nan

Stamping and misting 2...

Hi! The current challenge at Beyond Grey Challenges is Stamping on Fabric and Misting. I have already posted my entry in the layout category.

My second entry is in the cards only category.

I started with a piece of plain cotton fabric which I painted with acrylic colours in red, orange and yellow. Then I used a circle mask in a corner and sprayed the inside with metallic gold paint using an old tooth brush. Once the paint was dry I stamped using black Versamark ink and my favourite Micia stamp set. The birds are made using Faber Castell all surface marker.

Here is a closer look at the card.

The sentiment is from Bo Bunny.

I mounted it on cream card stock and added detailing with gold glitter pens.

I deliberately kept it simple since I wanted the focus on stamping and misting. 

Entering this in the BGC #53 - Stampin & Misting.

Love,

Nan

Stamping and misting...

Hi! The current challenge at Beyond Grey Challenges is Stamping on Fabric and Misting. I was very excited because this was an opportunity to try my hand at something new. Since this was a month long challenge, I thought I would have plenty of time to get my entries ready. Alas, life intruded in the form of kids' illness, schools etc. And finally here I am, at the last moment, posting my entries!

My first entry is in the layouts category.

I was very inspired by a layout created by Corrie J, thanks dear. You can check out her great tutorial here. 

I made the mist myself by mixing some water and acrylic shimmer paint by Hobby Ideas. It is not visible in the pics, but there is a lovely shimmer to the misting. Using masks and mini mister, I created a radiating pattern.

I created the butterflies by stamping on various fabrics with Versamark ink and then embossing with gold embossing powder. I cut the butterflies out using the co-ordinating die.

Here is another look at the butterfly.

All the fabrics are backed by fusible paper canvas to give it some stiffness.



The pic is a selfie clicked by my husband that I absolutely love! The paper doily was dipped in coffee to give it a slightly aged look. The sentiment is computer generated. Two Cheery Lynn Flourishes and some pearls completed the layout.

Entering this in BGC #53 - Stamping and Misting.

I have been trying hard to get into scrap booking for sometime. I find layering very difficult since my style is very definitely CAS. I am quite pleased with the finished project. Though it still looks very CAS to me! Would really love to hear what you think about my effort from you.

Love, 
Nan

Second card...

Hi! Another super quick post today.

I made a second card based on the CAS(E) This Sketch Challenge #79.

The second card came about as I was making the first. I just flipped the sketch and used the leftover scraps of the pattern paper.

Supplies used are black card stock and antique gold handmade paper from Chimanlals. Some tear drop shaped gems in yellow from my stash and sentiment from a Micia set stamped in black completed this card.

Linking this card to the following challenges:

CAS(E) This Sketch Challenge #79
I used the sketch.

Iron Craft Challenge Week 2
I used Inspiration Collage 1.

Love,
Nan

One sketch, two cards...

Hi! Super quick post today.

I made a card based on the CAS(E) This Sketch Challenge #79.

My take on this fab sketch is this card.

Supplies used are dark brown card stock and antique gold handmade paper from Chimanlals. I created the pattern paper by cutting ½ cm wide strips from assorted scraps of hand made paper and gluing them diagonally on another piece of paper. The sentiment is from Micia stamps and embossed in black on some translucent white paper.

Some sequins in antique gold finished the card.

The second card came about as I was making the first. I just flipped the sketch and used the leftover scraps of the pattern paper. 

Linking the card to the following challenges:

CAS(E) This Sketch Challenge #79
I used the sketch.

Iron Craft Challenge Week 2
I used Inspiration Collage 1.

Love,
Nan

New techniques...

Hi! Sometime ago I won a spot in the Online Card Classes: Clean & Simple One Layer Cards 3. Unfortunately, I was not able to do much more than drool over the awesome techniques demonstrated due to some previous commitments. Now that I am fairly free, I decided to try my hand at some of them. I ended up making a card for somebody who has just passed her board exams with fantastic marks.

I combined the Faux Letterpress technique demonstrated by Shari Carroll with the die cut inlay technique.

Supplies used are white watercolour paper, quilling strips, glycerine and white pigment ink from Itsy Bitsy. I created the circles stamp by die cutting craft foam and attaching to an acrylic block with thin tissue tape.

The sentiment was created digitally and printed out on some translucent white paper. I rounded the corners and mounted the panel on some double sided tape to complete the card.



After I finished making the envelope, I decided to use up the white circles that were left over as extra decoration.

Overall, I am quite happy with this card, though my stamping needs lot more practice!

Entering this card in the following challenges:

House of Cards:
May Challenge #2
I was inspired by the colours

CAS(E) this Sketch:
Sketch #77
Absolutely loved the sketch.

Less is More:
Week 173
I used die cuts for both stamping and inlaying

Time Out Challenges:
Challenge #6
I was inspired by the striped rug and the colours of the pillows.

Love,
Nan