Fathers day

I'd forgot how much fun some of the old background techniques were so when I saw a GinaK tutorial on stampintv I had to dig out the reinkers and have a play.

Archival cobalt & plum reinker with some silver alchie ink on clarity white gloss card. Katzelcraft tree stamp from the Craftbarn stamped with versafine and clear ep. With a few leaves bleached out. Note, archival inks are hard to bleach, have got some SU ones on order will do a write up on them when they arrive.

Purple co'rdinations card embossed with swiss dots before sanding back. I'm still hunting the perfect fathers day sentiment stamp so will probably end up using a peel off.

The big experiment

It has always surprised my that crafters spend so much money buying lots of different sparkly paints when there are artist mediums that cost a few pound and will mix with felt tip ink, stamp pad ink, watercolour paints etc. After a bit of discussion on ILWS about twinkly paints I decided to put this up to show the 2 mediums together as well as experiment a bit.

Using a stamp from Stampin'Up!s Seaside Fun set I stamped with stazon on to 300gsm bockingford watercolour paper. The dress is coloured with ink taken from the Lovely Lilac SU marker which was scribbled onto acetate. Before I picked the ink up I dipped the tip of the (old and tatty) water brush into the lid of the iridescent medium. The hat is using the same marker ink but this time I mixed it with a teeny bit of the pearlescent medium. You might be able to see how the colour has slightly lightened. In real life it looks like I've stamped onto pearl paper when it's tilted in the light which is how this photo was taken.

I've used the iridescent on the back area of the grass and the pearlescent on the front grass. Now when using either medium the water doesnt flow from the waterbrush as much as normal so it's "stiffer" when painting and the paint doesnt spread as far. You don't want to be using your best brush with the iridescant as the glitter is a nightmare to remove fully. With both mediums you'll need to wash your brush as soon as possible.

This picture is taken straight on and although you can see the sparkle in real life my camera wont pick it up.

I did have a eureka moment a while back and thought it might be fun to fill my water brush with iridescent medium. Doesnt work :( the glitter is too large to go through the valve, even the cheapie waterbrushes that normally leak like sieves don't like it. Spray bottles wont work either.

However it is possible to mix the pearlescent medium with water and use it through a spray bottle. You need more medium than normal, I used about 5 pea sized blobs and mixed with 1fl oz of water. Now this is where the experiment came into being.. could you make faux glimmer mists by adding a drop or 2 of reinker? Not having seen them in person I don't know how close the effect it but I added a couple of drops of a blue archival ink to the mix and gave it a quick squirt over some black card. Might not be perfect match but for those who very very occasionally want this sort of effect without having to spend lots of something they might never use again perhaps it's a good enough compromise.

Sketch and stash challenge

I was so pleased with Dads card I decided to carry on the theme for this weeks sketch & stash challenge. This time I've used the little girl image from the Summer by the Sea Su set. SU papers in bashful blue, brocade blue cs and an organza ribbon from stash. She's coloured with rich regal watercolor wonders.

Nothing to do with the challenge, I promised mum I'd make her a tissue box in peach & cream. Watered silk paper over card to give stability, peach bazzill punched with my MS edge punch. Cream pearl and and organza ribbon. The poppy image is from Bloomin with Beauty stamp set and coloured with dark chrome yellow, cadmium orange, light cadmium red & juniper green F&C pencils. Took 5 12" pieces of card to make & decorate so she's better not bin it in 6 months.

Dads birthday

This is for Dads birthday on Mon. He's not into any hobby as such unless you count Boddington beer, but he is a lucky s*d and lives just by the sea on a caravan site. I've kept it very very simple, Summer by the Sea stamped image from Stampin'Up! coloured with their rich regals watercolor wonders. Now why didn't someone tell me how good they are??? I've spent an awful lot of money on my f&c pencils but these are a lot quicker to use and blend really well. Flourish is from the Season of Joy set and sentiment from cheer & wishes set both using bashful blue ink, brocade blue & cream linen cs.

blog candy alert

Steph Has some lovely candy up for grabs if you're quick. Deadline is May 3rd.

Still havent had chance to play in challenges but I have added a few cards to my SU blog.

blog candy alert

Debbie has an amazing blog candy up for grabs until 30th April. Even if you're reading this after the deadline still go & visit as her blog is amazing.

As to my own blogs, nothing much happening with challenge cards here as I'm having fun making samples for my first SU party. I've added a few cards to my su blog and to my scal blog.

Breaking news.

I've just made the decision to sign up with Stampin Up to become a demonstrator. It's going to take a couple of weeks to organise, if I'm accepted that is lol. Woohoo can't wait.

Now this blog is already a wee bit chaotic with my stencil work, scal, tutorials and challenge cards so I'm going to start seperating things a bit. I'd already been toying with the idea and have got the addresses ready

This one will be primarily for my challenge cards and anything that doesnt really fit with the other blogs but there's going to be a fair amount of crossover seeing as I like to mix things up.

http://sueplayingwithstampinup.blogspot.com/ is where I'll be keeping everyone up to date with my stampin up creations.

http://sueplayingwithstencils.blogspot.com/ is going to be for my stencil embossing

http://sueplayingwithsurecutsalot.blogspot.com/ is for my cricut & scal work. As and when I get time I will be making more tutorials and putting some of my .svg files for sale.

It's going to be a bit of a job to get the blogs up together properly with plenty of links and pretties so don't expect anything really fancy for a few weeks or so.

Have a nice day everyone, I sure am lol.

Series of mistakes

This was made using a sketch of Charisma Cardz challenge and is a perfect example of why everyone should make charts of copics blended together. It doesn't look too bad at this size but in real life the rv000 use to blend the pinks has developed overnight into what looks like greasy marks instead of nicely shaded colouring. Bildmilarna stamped image with memento ink on bristol board coloured with dress rv000, r85, rv21. Hair e35, e31 & e53, Green flower yg11 yg41 & g21. with y00 & y21 for the centre of the flower. B00 for the trim of the dress.

Mustard yellow white core card embossed with birds & vines bug folder before being sanded back. Paper is from dcwv Blossoms & Butterflies but as I stuck it down I forgot I should have been sticking it to some green card not straight to the white core card.

Mistake 3 is the flower. I used psp & scal to cut the flower in 2 parts before shaping with a large ball tool. The sides of the cutaway layer didnt take the shaping very well and with hindsight it doesnt work, not the shape, size or colour.

Friday sketchers 46

Not too sure about this one, no matter what embellies I added it just didn't work but looked bare without.

Layout is Friday Sketchers, papers from PaperSalon, Gorjuss girl stamp from Sugar Nellie coloured with copics and promarkers.

The mat & layer were designed in PSP then cut with the cricut & scal. Sadly the blade went blunt mid cut and it was the last of my chocolate brown card so I had to finish cutting by hand.

Bit of lace from Ribbonbox, prima flower and a pb sentiment.

No peeking

If your name is Alex or Sara.......

Just a little something to say thankyou to Alex. One of the new gorjuss girls, stamped with memento ink onto bristol board and coloured with polychromo pencils. There are 5 different browns to her hair and the dress is rose carmine. Scalloped mat cut with the cricut.

Papers from a docrafts goodie bag and a couple of my crocheted flowers. I used a 2mm hook and quilters thread, never again!! Talk about squiffy eyes.

This is also for Alex and was cut on the cricut. Tildas tulip stamp and a few of the butterflies from the spring stamp kit. F&C watercolour pencils, rose carmine, light magenta, madder lake, juniper green & chromium green opaque.

It's Saras birthday on Sunday and along with a couple of ladies from the docrafts forum we're off to a Stampin Up demo. I've used my most precious CraftWork Cards papers on her card and she'd better appreciate the sacrifice I made by cutting them!!

A bildmalarna stamped image coloured with f&c watercolour pencils. The bottom corner is a new Anya style stencil dry embossed then cut away.

Pink organza ribbon with some gems and a sentiment that came with the papers.

Back to basics Challenge.

Here we go, Back to Basics Challenge.



I'd like to see cards made without using dedicated card making/scrapbooking supplies. Any technique or style is fine and the deadline is midnight 30th March gmt.



Banned items include, any diecuts, punches or cuttlebug embossed paper, craft cds, printed craft/scrapbooking papers inc 3d decoupage, prima style flowers, fancy brads/eyelets (plain are fine). No ready made toppers or dedicated cardmaking embellies. I'm not going to get all pernicity about it, this is to show just how much we don't need to rely on ready made and expensive.



Some people are starting to panic thinking if I can't use that what can I use... Any stamp, template or stencil. Plain card, vellum, tissue, crepe paper, wall paper, wrapping paper, sweetie foils are acceptable. Any colouring medium is fine, remember you can use them to make your own decortative papers... Ribbon, buttons, bows, threads, raffia, string, pins, beads & general haberdashery trim is fine.



Now for prize, I'll draw 2 names, 1 from here, the other from the Docraft forum and each person will get a mini tote from All My Memories. I've shown a picture of mine stuffed with my essentials so you can see how sweet they are. Sorry the contents arent included but I will put in a few nice things.

Links direct to your entry please and you must leave a link on your blog to this challenge. For those who don't have blogs you can either email them to me at playingwithpaper at googlemail . com (leave out spaces) or upload them to the docrafts forum. Any questions just email or pm me.

Have fun.

Back to basics winners

The 2 lucky ladies are

Alex from Docrafts, and Larraine via email. If you can pm me your addies and whether you already have polychromo pencils or not please.

Thanks for playing.

Back to basics cards by email

The challenge is now finished, sadly the response here hasnt been as great as it was on the DC forum.

When hubby gets up I'll be asking him to pull a name from the hat and will announce the winners late this morning. Good luck everyone and thanks for playing.

These 2 are from Larraine and I'm really pleased to see a parchment craft card. Parch is how I started cardmaking some 14 years ago and still remains my favourite. Sadly I don't seem to have the time to devote to it often :o(

Jackie E, made this beauty.

This is one from Elke, gorgeous stamped card.

Sketch saturday challenge 44

Finally my mojo seems to be back working on all cylinders thanks to a new stamp and inspiration from Crafty Caz on UKS.

This one is for sketch saturday and I've used my first anya stamp from Funky Kits. Stamped on Bristol board with memento ink, ivory promarker skin. Various combos of rv000, rv02 & bv00 and c3, c5 & c1.

Pink card stamped with a bubble border from HOTP and a few pink gems added. Black stitched band from DCWV All Dressed Up.

Nestie and the back 2 layers of the flower were cut with scal and the cricut, the top 2 are clip punches. Leon Em punch for the leaves.

Friday Sketchers 45

Thanks to the lovely ladies at Funky Kits my new Gorjuss girls arrived just in time for this weeks Friday Sketchers challenge.

Nanas Nursery boys background paper and a couple of pieces from my scrap box. Not sure which they are but I know I've used them somewhere on here before. Nesties, embossed with ivy & birds bug folder.

Stamped on bristol board with memento ink. Promarkers, ivory, blush & cocoa. Copics, g00, bv 02 for tights and bv00 for dress.

Charisma Cards Challenge

This weeks challenge at Charisma Cardz is Favourite Things.

This is using my favourite technique, dry embossing with one of my favourite Marianne Design stencils then areas cutaway and underlayered with 2 shades of cream pearl card.

I pinched tildas tulip from the card below which I wasnt happy with.

Coloured with damium orange, dark cadmium orange, dark chrome yellow and light cadmium red f&c watercolour pencils. Paper by Brenda Pinnick. A few minature gems and a satin bow.

This is the one I didnt like. Background was made for a challenge on Docrafts using adirondack inks swirled onto linen card, over stamped with a craftwork cards flourish stamp in red stazon.

My mojo is on the blink

For the last few days it seems as the my mojo is still about but it's not working right and I havent really been happy with anything I've made.

This one is for the Truly Scrumptious challenge. Their sketch is lovely yet I've managed to make a real dogs dinner of it :o(

DCWV nanas nursery papers again (I love them lol), sage bazzil, pink ribbon and a paper doily that I've cut into.

Tingla is coloured with rv02, r02, r22, c03 copics with meadow green and spice promarkers on bristol board with some stickles on her wings. Papermania red pearls to finish.

Sketch saturday challenge 43

I've taken huge liberties with this weeks Sketch Saturday challenge and I'm none too sure about the finished result.

Papers are from DCWV nanas nursery, boys paper and I've cut them with scal & the cricut.

Tilda is coloured with leaf & juniper green with cadmium orange & deep cobalt green stockings. Hair is burnt umber & walnut. Ribbon wrapped over a square of orange card to create a frame with a few pearls added.

Charisma Cards Challenge

This one's using a sketch from this weeks Charisma Cardz Challenge. Bit orange for my taste but sis will love it.

Tilda is coloured with rose carmine & light green with dark naples ochre, burnt ochre and van dyke brown hair. The flowers are cadmium orange, dark cadmium orange and dark chrome yellow f&c watercolour pencils.

DCWV nanas nursery, girls, paper with nothing more than a cuttlebug border folder, some ribbon & 3 gem butterflies.

Only just made it

in time for this weeks Sketch Saturday.

Nanas nursery, girl, papers with some green paper from a mini deco book. Crafts Too, grass border punch, my own nested shape cut with scal & the cricut.

Tilda is coloured with rose carmine and leaf green with dark naples ochre, brown ochre & van dyke brown hair. The tulips are dark chrome yellow, cadmium orange & dark cadmium orange, juniper green leaves. Forever flowers blossoms & a pb sentiment.