December Spectrum Noir Challenge

Hi Everyone

Ok, so I absolutely avoid messy crafty usually as I would rather keep clean.  I hate getting inky and messy and usually when I try I make an absolute mess.  However I love my finished card using Spectrum Noir Aquatints.

This months Spectrum Noir challenge is clean and simple and I love this type of card.  Although true to form I had the ink everywhere and even dropped some on my carpet.  I tried quite a few times to get it out and what worked was Leanns suggestion of lemon juice and bicarb of soda, luckily it came out really quickly as the carpet is a light biscuit colour.  So there is a top tip for you from Leann.  Although I really should be just made sure I didn't drop any in the first place.

For the card base I have used Centura pearl as my base card and matted my topper onto black card.  While browsing on pinterest one night I found a fab card and technique that I thought i would give a go one day and I wondered how this would work with the aqautints.  Here's the link and this ladies card is so much better than mine but this is my first attempt at something similar.

I've used colours 5, 8 and 25 and sorry I cant remember which packs they are out of as I have ended up mixing them up but you can choose any colours you like.  Then I've added the aquatint to a small piece of kitchen roll to use as a type of blotter, or ink pad and picked up the ink with scrunched up cling film.  then stamped with this cling film onto Sheena's stamping card.  I've used snowflakes from one of Sheena's ornate snowflakes stamp sets and finished with as sentiment from the friends and family sentimental pack, using versafine ink in black.

Hope you like it and don't forget to take part.

Louise xx

Crafters Companion Blog Challenge November - Christmas

Hi Everyone

Its just a little short of 4 months since i last posted and i just cant believe how long it is!!! Oh my word............ but i have been so busy with work and other stuff, NEC, Slovenia, trips to London........  (although i do think i should've had time to post at least a few times in those 4 months)  I've also had Labrynthitis??? I'm hoping its just about gone now and i have to say it is the most weird thing ever, vertigo is one of the symptoms and it knocks you for six every time it happens..........

So its nearly Christmas and I've not even bough one prezzie either.  But here is my card for the November challenge.

I've used Spectrum Noir Aquatints for the firs time, (i really don't like messy crafting), although i love the finished effect.  The colours ive used are 05, 08 and 25.  I htink 05 and 25 are from the pretty pastels and 08 is from the landscape set but i have mixed all my colours up so i'm unsure.  I've stamped with versamark onto Sheena's stamping card, using Sheena's snowflake stamps and heat embossed with white embossing powder.  Then I've masked off the top and bottom section of the card with stencil tape.  then to achieve the effect i have made my own blotting pad with aqua tints and kitchen towel and stamped the pattern with scrunched up cling film.  you can find a clip of how to do this on you tube and its soooo easy. However mine is not as good as the orginal one in the video. Then to finish I've stamped a few snowflakes in the darkest aquatint colour.  The sentiment is from the seasons greetings set of  stamps and the card base is centura pearl hint of silver matted with some black card.

Only 8 days left to join in and win a fab prize.

Hope you like it.

Louise xx

Spectrum Noir Blog Challenge - Nature

Hi Everyone

Today's card is very simple and its for the Spectrum Noir Blog Challenge for August, the theme is nature.

So while demoing the spectrum noir pencils i usually colour a very simple butterfly image in with only 3 Spectrum Noir Pencils pencils to showcase how simple the pencils are to blend on their own. This is with a mixture of colours, it doesn't always have to be 3 shades of the same toning colour. I've coloured a fair few of these now but never finished a card with it.  The three pencils i have used are all from the essential set, 11, 56, 67.  I've used no blending solution or paper stumps this is just the 3 pencils blended together.

The Card base is made from CC black card stock, I've matted the butterfly onto Sheena's stamping card after stamping a little leaf flourish in shabby shutters distress ink.  The butterfly digi is on the spectrum noir DVD but you can also buy a rubber stamp, Flying Colours.  The sentiment is from the greetings set of vintage floral sentimentals, I just love these they come in handy time after time.

A very simple but effective card i think and i just love the colours.

Hope you like it.

Louise xx

Crafters Companion July Challenge - Sentiments

HI Everyone

Well I'm a month behind I must try to get up to date but the weather is just so nice.............

So July is nearly over but there is just time to enter the Challenge if you haven't already entered.

So this card is one i made using sheenas embossing folder from her taste of india range.  I've done this card twice at demo's and also at a recent workshop and everyone loved the effect.   I've used glycerine as my adhesive fort the embossing powder and its so easy. I've tried and tried with versamark and i just cant get the hang of it.

So all you need to do is using a hard brayer is paint glycerine over the roller and then transfer it to one side of your embossing folder, this one is ornate screen.  then emboss as usual through your die cutting machine, i used the reverse of some centura pearl card.  Then sprinkle with your chosen  embsossing powder, I've chosen gold.  then heat emboss to set.  Once you have done this then choose a couple of distress inks and apply with cut and dry foam.  I've used fired brick and seedless preserves.  then cut your piece of card down to fit your desired card blank.  I've used Kraft card and matted with black card.  then finished with some black ribbon and the sentiment is from sheenas Mandala stamp set, stamped in black embossing powder and cut out using tags 1.  Then to complete ive added a few drops of liquid pearls in a matching purple colour.

Hope you like it

Louise xx

A little bit Summery

Hi Everyone

My tutorial for the Spectrum Noir Blog is now up, well I'm a day late..........  I love love love Sheena's little bit floral stamp as flowers always come in handy for all sorts of occasions so i have chosen the beautiful Dahlia to colour.

The full technique and the spectrum noirs colours used are on the blog if you would like to have a go.  The background is using 3 different distress inks, squeezed lemonade, picked raspberry and peeled paint.  First i embossed the card with versamark and then used white embossing powder. Then when you add the ink with cut and dry foam the white powder resists where the embossing powder is.  Then just a few bits and pieces to finish and a tag from the Scalloped Tag pack of dies.

I was demoing a similar card at Strikes Stokelsey yesterday, and this week i am demoing at Crafty Nook in Durham on Thursday, details below.  Please pop in if you can it would be lovely to see you.............

Event:	Demo Day at Crafty Nook
Date/Time:	Thursday 5th September
Location:	Durham
Description:	Demo Day at Crafty Nook in Durham with Louise Welsh. 10am - 4pm Please call 0191 374 0877 for more information. Address: Unit 27 Durham Indoor Market Durham DH1 3NJ

Hope you like it

Louise xx

Snowflakes

Hi Everyone

Today i have a card i made for my demo yesterday at The Paper Warehouse in Kendal.  It was lovely drive there and back, with fab views but the weather turned a bit nasty and i got soaked coming out of the shop.

The demo was mainly Christmas items using the new Christmas Dies and i mixed this with one of Sheenas Snowflake stamp sets.  I've used the Christmas Snowflake die-sire set on centura pearl card in purple, its in the dark set and this matches the card base.  Its so lush this colour it reminds me of cadbury chocolate.  the white snowflake is also white centura pearl but i have stick and stayed it and then pressed glitter into it, this was a tip from Leann.  The background is using the reverse of centura pearl and ive stamped the snowflakes in versamark and used white embossing powder, then distress inks in, chipped sapphire, dusky concord and milled lavender and this creates a resist effect over the embossed snowflakes.  The sentiment is from the same stamp sheet and i've use a Diesire tag to cut that out.

Next week I'm at Carlisle, Houghton Hall garden Centre.

And the next three days i'm off to London for a short break, i'm sooooooo cited!!!!!!!

Love London.

Hope you like it.

Louise xx

Craft Punked Blog Challenge - Blue & White

Hi Everyone

Today is day for a new Craft Punked blog challenge and as it's St Andrews day today the theme is Blue & White.

I've chosen some white watercolour card card as my case and matted half of it using some K& Co card stock .  I've added a sentiment from Sheena's stamp set, Best Friend and then cut a Butterfly out of the same paper with my diesire die.  This die is available to Crafters Companion members only at the minute but will be on general release in the New Year. Then to finish I've added a few pearls and some blue lace.  honestly it has taken me nearly two hours to make such a simple card and yet if i was to make it again it would take 10 mins max.  I find it really hard to come up with ideas when I'm not colouring in. However i love the finished result it was well worth the extra time it took.

Don't forget to pop along and take part.

Hope you like it.

Louise xx

Spectrum Noir Blog Hop

Welcome to the very first Spectrum Noir Blog Hop!  This week our entire design team has come together to start off summer with a grand celebration of Yellow - the color of summer!  If you have landed here from Jennies blog, you are hopping in the right direction.  If not, pop over to the Spectrum Noir Blog so you do not miss a single stop!

Here is my card for the blog hop and the theme is Yellow, the colour of summer.  So mine is a card that is going to be a tutorial on the Spectrum Noir Blog on Tuesday the 19th June.  It's a tutorial with step by step instructions and I have taken photos along the way to help you.  But the picture is very yellow I think and I have not used one yellow colour at all they are all golden brown and tans.  The image is from Sheena Douglas, its from her little little bit scenic range, 50's French Cafe.  Its the first time I have coloured it and I normally like colouring cutesy images so this was a change for me but i thoroughly enjoyed it, I think we all should try something a little bit different sometimes.  I've added the colours used below and you will have to pop back on Tuesday for the full tutorial.  It does look summery I think, I would do with a holiday in France and a cool glass of white wine in hand at a French cafe.............

We are excited to announce that our new Spectrum Noir website and blog is up and running. If you have not had a chance to check out all of the great tutorials, tips, suggestions and samples our design team has posted, today is a great day to take a peek.  Before we get to the rest of the blog hop, how about we add a bit more excitement?  Spectrum Noir is going to award one lucky winner with a full set of 72 Basic Spectrum Noir Pens!  Yes, that's right...all twelve sets of six pens each and $25.00 or £25.00 gift certificate to be used on any Spectrum Noir product at Crafter's Companion US or UK websites .

Entering to win is easy.   Leave a comment on the Spectrum Noir Blog Hop Post telling us one fun new thing (tip, trick, interesting combination of colors, etc) you learned about the Spectrum Noir markers while hopping with us this week.  A random winner will be drawn using random.org and posted on our blog at 9:00 AM GMT, Saturday, June 23, 2012 so be sure to check back with us to see if you have won!  The lucky winner will have one week to claim their prize or a second winner will be chosen.  How about a bonus chance to win?  If you add our blinkie to your blog and mention in your comment that you've done so, you will be entered into a second contest to win a $25.00 gift certificate to be used on any Spectrum Noir product at Crafter's Companion (the US or UK site).  To add the Blinkie, simply download the code from the downloads section on the Spectrum Noir Blog and place it prominently in the sidebar of your blog. Do not forget to let us know in your comment on the Spectrum Noir Blog Hop Post  that you have added the blinkie to your blog!

Now, hop on over to the next amazing blog and check out what Kristine has to share!  In case you get lost along the way, here is the entire hop order:

Danielle

Leann

Angelique

Linda

Jennie

Louise

Kristine

Marcea

Taylor 

Suzanne

Cyndi

Wendy

Jacqui

Spectrum Noir Blog

Thanks for joining us today, and best of luck on winning a 72 piece set of Spectrum Noir pens (and maybe even a gift certificate)!

Hope you like it and all of the other DT members cards, they are fab aren't they.

Louise xx

Busy Doing Nothing

Hi Everyone

Today is a very summery card which is a total contrast for whats going on outside.  It sounds like its blowing a gale here tonight.  I'm so pleased I'm inside with me jim jams, fleecy dressing gown and snuggly slippers.

What a beautiful stamp from Sheena Douglass.  I've coloured with speccies as usual and kept it quite simple.

Here's something to look forward to though, only 9 more days til the shortest day of the year and then it starts getting lighter.

Hope you like it.

Louise