Faux Letterpress Background

Hi it's Lisa here and I've been playing about with the Chevron Stripe Mask again.

This is another way to create a textured background using both heat and dry embossing and is a sort of Faux Letterpress technique...

Completed Card

Here's what you'll need:

• Chevron Stripe Mask
• Sentiments Stamps
• Gold, Red and Black Inkpad
• Clear Sparkle and Red Sparkle Embossing Powder
• Viva Decor Pearl Pen
• Kraft and Red Card
• Die Cutting Machine

Step by Step:

1. Ink the mask with gold ink, making sure it is completely covered. Take a 14cm square piece of white card and place carefully onto the mask, securing with some low tack tape. Run through your die cutting machine to emboss and print the ink. I used a Cuttlebug and the sandwich was as follows A plate, B plate, mask, card, embossing mat, 2 card shims and a B plate. Carefully remove the mask. Cover with clear sparkle embossing powder and heat emboss. Mat onto red card and fix to your card base.
2. Take a strip of white card and stamp a border using the heart stamp (from Sentiments Stamps). Trim leaving a small white border, mat onto Kraft card and fix to the card blank and 
3. Create a fishtail on a strip of white card. Mat onto red card and fix to the card blank. Stamp the 'I Love You' (from Sentiments Stamps) onto Kraft card. Tear ends and fix to card.
4. Decorate with pearls.

Close-up of the de-bossed heat embossing!!!

Don't forget to stop by tomorrow for the start of our February Challenge as there are some fabulous projects to see.

Thanks for stopping by and come back soon for more inspiration from the fabulous Hurley Girlies!

Lisa

Into Africa layout.

 As soon as I opened my kit from January and spotted the large chevron paper, now in wonderful 12x12 size, I was itching to use it.

Alongside my project life album, I'd also like to start creating one layout per month taking the most memorable or favourite photo from the month. Into Africa is about my husband leaving at the beginning of January for a month long work trip to Africa.

 I can count on one hand I think how many 12x12 layouts I've created in my life so I think it's time I put that right especially now Sarah has brought out her papers in this size.

 

I started with gesso on the paper and then spraying with ink. I randomly stamped with the Hexagon background stamp and a couple of kit club stamps to make my starting point.

 All the papers and journaling cards are from previous kits and I layered these up with my photo. The cute self adhesive cork dots are from the January kit too.

 

I added the film strip from the Say Cheese digi kit which I use all the time printed out onto acetate.The arrows are from my own stamp set On Your Bike.

If you haven't yet signed up to the kit club I really think you should especially now the papers are in this  12x12 size.

Jaine x

Noted 365

Hello there, Claireliz here with todays post.

I have a confession to make...I'm a notebook-a-holic, I love notebooks & stationery, I have lots & lots of notebooks, sketch books, journals, all in different shapes, sizes, colours & textures.

I also love to alter them.

It was whilst I was working on my goals layout that I came up with this particular idea.

I want to take part in Sarah's Documented 365 this year, but I always fall behind & catch up at a later date, I was trying to decide how to keep notes of events etc for Documented 365 and I decided it deserved a dedicated notebook, so I had a rummage about in my notebook box & found this little Volant Moleskine notebook...

It's tiny, 6.5cmx10cm, perfect for fitting in the pocket of my handbag, it's not very pretty though so, I took some teal chevron patterned paper from Sarah's A Few of My Favourite Things Kit & covered the book, I used glue to stick the paper to the front & back of the book & squashed it under a heavy book whilst the glue dried to ensure it stayed put. I also inked the edges with Black Soot Distress Ink...

Then I added 3 strips of pink washi tape down the spine of the notebook to prevent the paper from splitting or becoming worn...

Then it was time to embellish it, I used the little Polaroid stamp from Sarah's Picture This Stamp set to stamp 2 Polaroid frames, one onto white cardstock & one onto pink spotty paper, I cut them both out then cut the middle square (where the photo would be) out of the pink Polaroid & stuck it to the centre of the white Polaroid, again inking all the edges in Black Soot Distress Ink, I also used Sarah's Block Alpha stamps to stamp 365 in the Polaroid frame, I glued the frame to the front of the notebook, then using the same alpha stamps I stamped the word Noted under the frame & also stamped a small row of stars. Finally I stamped stars from Sarah's Odds & Ends stamp set & coloured them with gold stickles....

The perfect little pocket size notebook for writing down everything that occurs that I may want to use during the year.

Are you doing Documented 365, if so how do you keep track of all the goings on, do you take photos & print them straight away? Trust that you will remember the facts or do you also have a little notebook somewhere.

I hope I've given you some inspiration today, thanks for stopping by & hope to see you soon.

C xx

Going Round in Circles

Hello Crafty Peeps,

I hope you're all enjoying the new and exciting Blog, here with us.  It's so nice to have a little cheeryness even though it's a bit grey outside.

I think sometimes, we all feel as if we need to use fancy shapes to make a card, and our poor basic shapes are a bit neglected (all together now, ahhhhhhh!).  So, I though I would try and make something using plain old circles, but with a different perspective.

I have been a little bit inspired by the wet weather too, and felt compelled to use the umbrella paper from the Brittannia Kit ;)

I printed a few different patterns and cut different sized circles from each, so I'd have a selection.  I then layed them out over the umbrella paper, until I was happy with the layout.  Some are stuck down flat, but on others, I used foam pads to give them dimension.  A bit of ribbon and a few "Zazzy" Big Bang Theory Fans will know) stickers, and I think you've got quite a pretty little card.

 

Hope you've liked this little interlude from me - keep checking back for more ideas, inspiration and more importantly - Challenge Winners!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Challenge winners

A huge thank you to everyone who entered my Thank You challenge. I truly enjoyed looking at all the entries and it was a really difficult task to choose a winner, but choose I must so here goes:

1st is number 7 donemark for that wonderful 3d mushroom card, I loved it.  Congratulations you win a £10 voucher to spend in Sarahs shop.

Blog badges go to the following:

5 Mrs A for the hard work with all that fussy cutting.

2 Pauline, I love the typewriter.

Get in touch with Sarah using the contact address on the right hand side bar.

Again, well done and thank you for taking part.

There will be a brand new challenge coming soon so look out for that. 

Jaine x

Embossed Background

Hi it's Lisa here with my first inspiration post on the new look blog.

We have already shown you a couple of posts on ways to create texture using masks, one from Jaine here and one from Jess here. I wanted to try and show that you don't always need to get messy (although sometimes that is fun!) to create a cool background.

Completed Card

Here's what you'll need:

• Chevron Stripe Mask
• Sentiments Stamps
• Yellow, Orange and Black Inkpads
• Stickles Glitter Glue and Viva Decor Pearl Pen
• White and Orange Card
• Die Cutting Machine

Step by Step:

1. Take a 14cm square of white card and place onto the mask, securing with some low tack tape. Run through your die cutting machine to emboss. I used a Cuttlebug and the sandwich was as follows A plate, B plate, mask, card, embossing mat, 2 card shims and a B plate.
2. With the mask still in place use a stencil brush to apply the ink. Remove the mask and mat onto orange card. Fix to your card base.
3. Take a strip of white card and stamp with various sentiment stamps. Mat on orange card and fix to the card base.
4. Stamp 'Surprise' onto a thin strip of white card and trim ends into fishtails (I used a square punch for this). Fix to card base using 3D foam pads.
5. Decorate with pearls and glitter glue.

A close up of the embossing.

I'm not sure that the camera has truly picked up the texture but it looks lovely in real life and makes you want to stroke it (sad as that sounds!).

Hope you are inspired to try something different with your masks and if you give this a go leave a link to your project in the comments below as I would love to pop by and take a look...nosey? me? ;-)

Thanks for stopping by and come back soon for more inspiration from the fabulous Hurley Girlies!

Lisa

CHALLENGE REMINDER- THANKYOU

Good afternoon and welcome to Sarah Hurley 365.

Today I would like to remind you of our January Challenge (Thankyou) set by the very talented Jaine. Exact details and inspiration can be found here or click on the challenge button on the side.

Below I have listed of our prizes up for grabs

1st Prize - £10 spend in Sarah amazing shop found here

2nd Prize - Blog Badge

3rd Prize - Blog Badge

All entries using any of Sarah's products will be in with the chance to win these fabulous Flexi Promarkers.

Thanks for stopping by and hope you are all having a wonderful weekend

Clare x