My Paper Corner

One of my favourite stamping techniques just happens to be resist embossing ... there are so many different ways to get inky and create lovely layered backgrounds or to make your main image pop.  For my card I'm sharing today I stamped and embossed my large flower bloom and leaves on watercolour paper before adding Brusho powders and spritzing with water leaving the colour to settle in between the fine lines of the stamps.  These were cut out and layered as I wanted a separate paler background behind to show off the vibrant colours. The background topper was achieved by pressing a VersaMark ink pad through a brick wall stencil, heat embossed with EP then brushed over with distress ink to colour in between making the bricks pop as they resist the ink. Finishing touches - brad in the centre of the flower and a few glossy accent raindrops. My card was made for these two challenges: Make My Monday Challenge # 73 Resist Embossing  and The Flower Challenge #21 Use a Previ

Today I'm sharing an 18th Birthday card made for a challenge over on docrafts where as host I set a music theme for our current CAS challenge.  Now CAS style is always a challenge for a lot of us and I admit to being very tempted to carry on adding more music notes but did stop at two in the end.  The layout was inspired by several cards seen on Pinterest where numbers were arranged in a random design and the actual birthday age highlighted in a different colour. The trumpet and numbers are all die cut out of white linen metallic cardstock and backed with gold & red before adhering to the card base.  Sentiment and music notes were stamped & embossed in black. I've used - Pearlescent green card for the 13.5 cm sq top fold base Numbers - First Edition Modern Alphabet die set Trumpet - Xcut Musical Instruments die set Stamps - mag freebie sentiment & music notes Thank you for visiting - I'd love you to leave a comment if you have time -  Steph x

I was inspired by a recent craft magazine technique of "shape stamping" where you fill in a shape with small stamped images.  This card was created for a floral challenge over on docrafts where our host asked us to also include a building or part of one.  I went for an outline shape of a cottage and filled it with solid floral stamps.  This technique also works well with small outline stamps that you can colour in with your own choice of medium.  Don't you think the chimney is a little crooked though ... but then doesn't each cottage have their own unique characteristics ...! To add more interest I added two die cut window frames & dots in blue & silver to embellish the centres of all the little flowers ... oops just realised I've missed the little pink flower out.  I might just be a little "OCD" but each time I use a die on another project I save the little dots (circles) for any future creation keeping them in a little self seal plastic

Over on the docrafts members gallery page a small group of us have got together and we regularly set a number of different challenges just for fun.  I'm sharing a couple of cards I have made recently - one with a vibrant feel and the other soft and subtle. Firstly for a Sketch Challenge Summer theme - used floral pattered paper, stamped/embossed sunglasses on a shaving foam background, embellished with punched flowers, “Have a Beautiful day” sentiment.  This card just didn’t want to come together nicely and to cap it all I broke the little flower punch in the process ... oh dear! I've used -  5x6 card blank Patterned paper & sentiment from different mags Unbranded stitched rectangle dies Xcut Tags & Bookplates die Craft Stamper glasses cover mount stamp Secondly for a Clean and Simple Challenge Birds theme - decided to use Birds of a Feather embossing folder & stamps from a magazine.  Patterned paper was one side of a printed sentiment insert