First go at ink smooching a background

The next installment on my Creative Art Retreat Journey with Jenn Shurkus and I finally had a go at smooching with Peacock Feathers distress ink and a cellophane bag to make a "watery background" for this absolutely adorable fox in her flamingo, Jenn had provided for this card the Dotted Scallops coverplate (PFS) on Distress Watercolour paper (RNG) PLUS all the stamped images which had been die cut out and the wave border. All I had to do was Copic colour, ink smoosh and stamp the sentiment and construct. I'm loving this stress-free easy KReating. 

I'm happy with my background but can see Jenn gets more spots with dark edges so more practice needed. I am also wondering if maybe I had too much ink on my bag as I only have mini Distress inks so I might have smooshed too many times or I didn't spritz with enough water but the background still looks fab. The delightful stamp set is Make a Splash by Avery Elle and the stampset plus die were also given to us as part of our kit.

Prisma glitter has been added to the shadows and the wave edge plus the fab sequins from Trinity Stamps used again. In our bag we received there are clear and pink ones but I just love these and hope they are available to purchase eventually. This card is so bright and cheery it certainly makes me smile.

 ✿ Karen ✿

Take one stencil continued

Continuing on with my blogging of my Virtual Creative Art Retreat Journey with Jenn Shurkus. I blogged the other day (HERE) about the amazing Quatrefoil stencil from Newton's Nook that we used to make 3 different backgrounds.

Today I thought I would blog as my record of My INKredible Journey about the 2 other cards, starting off with the cat in the hanging basket that we got to colour up like Mr. Harley (Jenn's cat).

Stamp set: Newton's Hanging Basket (Newton's Nook)

Amazingly no glitter has been used in making this card, but we gave added interest to the hanging basket by adding flicks of our BG markers. Greens and blues are my favourite colours so this card resonates with me.

Stamps: Melody (Purple Onion Designs)

Glitter has been added to one and a half columns on the Quatrefoil pattern with a Quickie glue pen (Sakura) and Prisma glitter (LF). The fox has been grounded with wee dots of various Toner Grey markers.

Well I just loved both these card backgrounds and the critters too. I am absolutely loving this virtual class with Jenn and it is now my number one for next year 2024, same time by the sound of it (first week in June).

Four cards down, nine to go ;)

✿ Karen ✿

Craft Roulette #169

Wow this turned into a real challenge. I decided really early on with the see-through that I would finally have a go for real to use my Window Frames stamp set by Simon Says Stamp. This was the monthly kit in February 2020 and guessing I bought this just before we went into lockdown, which seemed a long time ago now. I never got around to using it at the time and have taken it off to crafty weekend retreats with great intentions to use it but invariably it returns home looking brand new and not used :(

It is a very different stamp set with 3 frames; one with flowers which I have used, one with balloons and one with hearts. At the time we got a trio window die in the kit and a square shaker trio pouch (MFT). The shaker pouches are probably long retired but I'm glad I bought 3 packets worth as I'm off to my annual Craftirific girls crafty retreat next weekend and will definitely make more cards now I've finally inked the stamp set.

Unfortunately it doesn't come with a die to cut out the images so time to get fussy cutting. I coloured the flowers up in more earthy tones, which equates rustic to me and I even used Crunchy Leaf ink from Lawn Fawn to make the stems etc a pale brown which is an alcohol ink friendly ink. I do love and LOL at Lawn Fawn names of their colours.

I was looking at stencils for hexagons and I had 6-sided dies but to be a hexagon each side is the same length and same angle as I was thinking I could add  the sentiment onto a hexagon die to discover I don't own a hexagon die when I Googled what is a hexagon. I did know they were six-sided I just hadn't realised they had to be symmetrical. So it now has to be a stenciled background OR what I used which is stunning DSP called Golden Honey Specialty (SU!). 

I had a bee in another old SSS monthly kit wearing glasses (as apparently glasses especially sunglasses are fashionable) but decided my wee flower frame would suit a trio of wee bees including the Queen Bee wearing her very fashionable golden crown. I've coloured in the crown with my Signo gold gel pen and a few wee hearts.

I have also used some long retired Sequins for Everything (SU!) which come in a variety of colours and shapes including more hexagons. I have added Prisma glitter (LF) to the bees' wings. The bees come from Lawn Fawn's Hive Five set and the sentiment "thanks for bee-ing there" is from Bee Yourself  (SSS) stamp set. The background paper comes from Spiffy Speckles DSP (LF), I was going to use a pale lemon or mid-green card stock but I find myself reaching for this pack of 6x6" DSP it seems to work with everything and I love it comes with speckles and I don't have to splatter, it's all done for me ;) The stitched detail is the largest stitched rectangle stackables dies (LF).

I used my old blending combos from when I first started Copic colouring and looking at my sheet this is my best guess what I used (darkest >>lightest):

• Orange flowers: YR68/YR15/YR21
• Yellow flowers: YR24/Y19/Y11
• Darkest green leaves (bigger ones): YG67/YG17/YG03 
• Smaller green leaves: YG17/YG13/YG03

I'm really enjoying Craft Roulette as the combo of the 4 parameters certainly makes for a different card or project than "normal".

✿ Karen ✿