Under New Management – Design Team Call

I have recently taken over the running of the Crafty Cardmakers and Spotlight Challenge blogs and am looking for some new team members to join our happy and talented, bus sadly somewhat depleted band.
Crafty Cardmakers is a more generalised blog specialising in, but not exclusive to, card making, and the Spotlight Challenge is more technique based dealing with technique, style or product.

We do not offer rewards, although occasionally we may have Sponsors who might offer items to use for the challenge (normally digital) and you should be prepared to use these when offered.

We are interested in people who are willing to try different styles or showcase their own particular technique, perhaps with the occasional tutorial as we aim to be a resource for the newer crafter as well as the more experienced one. So you might like the CAS approach or excel in shabby chic, altered art, steampunk or maybe you are a scrapper. Whatever your talent we could have space for you on the team.

Your commitment will be to produce two projects per month and to contribute with ideas for challenges. We take it in turns to host the weekly challenge and it will be your responsibility when it is your week to choose a Top 3. You will also be responsible for commenting on entries, including to the challenges you do not participate in yourself, and to that end you will be assigned a number to comment on. For example all entries ending with 1, 2, etc. 10% of the total entries.

If you like the sound of this and think you could give it a go then please create a blog post, in which you can showcase your three favourite projects or those that you think reflect your style the best, and also a new creation for the call along the theme of New Beginnings and then link to it below.

The call will run until 2nd October.

There will be no further challenges posted on either blog until I have a new team up and running and I will put a post up here when we are re-starting.

I am having real issues with the linky thing so please visit Crafty Cardmakers on this post to post your link.
 

Spotlight Stencils

Evening all! Welcome back to another spotlight challenge, before we move onto our new theme we'd just like to thank you for your ATC entries from our previous theme, fantastic wow!
We've got a few movers and shakers on the team at present and the loooooong school holidays aren't helping much so we're actually going to have a summer break and will be back in september all refreshed!

Our new theme today has been set by Gill who has sadly stepped down from the team as has Cazro so wishing them both good luck in the future and don't be strangers!

Gill has wrote a lovely tutorial for us on various forms of stencils so thank you for that!  You can use any kind of stencils, if in doubt just ask!

gill

I have chosen stencils for my challenge this week you can use your stencils in any way you wish but as using embossing paste is my favourite method of using brass stencils i thought i would do a walkthrough demo for any newbies just in case any one fancies having a go, it is quite easy to do and can produce gorgeous results.

You can buy pastes in many different colours but if you are just starting out and are planning on colouring your design with chalks or mica or using metal leaf etc just invest in either a white or a translucent to start with as you are going to change the colour anyway. then you can add the gorgeous silvers golds and colours blacks reds etc as you build up your collection of pastes.  I have used dreamweaver paste and stencils

Here is a pic of the general tools you would need to use embossing paste with a stencil, choice of paste-pallet knife-tub of soapy water to drop stencils into-low tack tape-card-stencil

first thing to do is to position your stencil on your chosen card and tape it down with low tack tape

 next scoop a large blob of paste and spread along the top edge

 now spread out the paste like icing a cake so whole stencil is covered

now using the side edge of your knife remove excess paste in as fewer sweeps as possible

 clean off knife straight away with damp cloth peel off tape from around the stencil and carefully lift it off card drop stencil into tub of water so paste doesn't dry on

now you have your design stenciled onto your card leave to dry for at least an hour i like to leave mine overnight

i tend to do several designs in one go and leave them all to dry so i have a few to play with without getting all the kit out everytime i want to add colour or as in this case i am going to add gold leaf

 here is the kit you would need to add gold leaf to the above design

gold leaf-heat gun- stamp and stick glue pad- stencil-craft sponge or nailbrush

 right put the stencil back onto the design and tape into place so it won't move

use the glue pad and dab it all over the stenciled area so you have a good covering its quite a spongy pad so press down well so the glue gets in good contact with the paste underneath

 now remove the stencil and heat the stenciled area gently until the glue is tacky to touch

 when cooled place card over your tub of metal leaf i choose a mixed one for this project press plenty of the leaf onto the design and press on so it sticks to the tacky surface underneath you wont waste it as

 you will now use your sponge or nailbrush to remove the excess leaf and brush it back into your storage box it does fly all over the place so make sure you are not in a draughty area and do it over a tub to collect all the excess to use again

 when all the metal leaf is removed you will have a beautiful design as below. this techinique can be so effective and is quite easy to do with a bit of practice

this is the finished card

 hope you like the effect, if you do, have a go at it and join in our challenge this week



another way to colour your image is with perfect pearls or mica to do this you would follow the method above but instead of using the glue pad use a veramark pad (no need to heat this) and add your colours with fine brush .when all colours are added remove the stencil and use a fluffy brush to remove any excess powder. i used this method with my feather stencil and matted it up and made a bookmark

here is a pic of it

you could use chalks with this method too

i also made a card using mat black paste using just the first stages above which were taping stencil to card spreading paste on removing stencil and leaving to dry. then used the image just as it was mat black.

here is the finished card

hope you like them

and hope it will inspire you to have a go with embossing paste and join us at crafty cardmakers this fortnight come over and have a play

gill x


Jacki

Now this is the first time for me with stencils I used a similar method to gill but instead of using paste I used versa mark ink,I stuck the stencil to card inked over it then carefully removed stencil cover inked area with emboss powder and heated the centre piece was done exactly the sane but on a seperate piece of card and then matted on to some red and black card

Sarah W

I've never really done anything with stencils but thought I would have a go with this.  I have used sequin waste as a stencil plus a brass one which I drew with white gelly roll pen then dusted over with mica powders.  It was very difficult to get this to photograph clearly so I hope you can make it out!

Jenni

I have used Distress ink with my stencil, using some cut & dry foam to apply the ink. I have kept it all very simple to try to make the stencilled image the focus of the card however the brightness of the ribbon is kind of defeating that purpose and I think I should maybe have used something a little less vibrant!

Spotlight ATC's

Afternoon again and welcome back for another Spotlight Challenge!  This fortnight we will be looking at ATC's.  If you're new to them and don't really know what they're about there is just one simple rule - Artist Trading Cards or ATC's absolutely must be 3.5" x 2.5"  Doesn't matter what shape or how many folds you put in but they must end up as 3.5"x2.5" as they are stored usually in wallets of those measurements.  They are designed to be traded, preferably face to face with other traders although thats not practical sometimes and there are loads of online places with organised swaps or like Do Crafts you can browse folders and request to swap individually.

They take a little getting used to at first if you've never made one before but it gives you freedom to use techniques and materials you maybe wouldn't use for your cardmaking on a larger scale so have a go at this fun hobby!

Over to the girls!

Jacki

here I have done 3 ATC's printed off the images then attatched them to the atc I haven't made many of these I find them very strange for some reason I still like them though I think it's because you are scaling everything down

Paula

Ive been making ATC's since 2006....they are a fab way of trying new techniques and are a fab size to begin with, if you are new to crafting.
My ATC has a little bit of everything on it, text paper, paint,ink,doodling,rub ons and a printed image.

Eiglas

I've made three as I wasn't entirely convinced any of them would suit! LOL!

The first two are, clearly, a Liverpool theme and the last one a kitty-themed one.

I haven't made ATC's for ages and I know the more I make in a batch, the better they get so Judie's probably catapulted me into an ATC-making frenzy! LOL!

Jenni

 

I have only made one ATC for this challenge - I quite like making them and used to enjoy swapping but I haven't made any for a while so it was fun doing this one. I used spray inks applied with babywipes to create the background, then stamped, sponged and splodged on some more inks to make it a bit more interesting. I stamped the PaperArtsy image on a separate piece of card and coloured it with a mix of distress ink and Promarkers then cut round it and stuck it onto the base card. Finally I added some handmade mesh paper which I  coloured with Promarker in the top corner to add texture.

Jack

The stamps for my ATC are all from Paper Artsy Bricks and Mortar  sets.  For the main background I used card that had been sponged with Brilliance Pearlescence inks, then I stamped my little arch directly onto this.  The houses and flowers are stamped onto card that has been coloured with Starburst Stains, then Sakura Stardust pens added for that extra sparkle.

Sarah W

I've used a mish-mash of textures to make this ATC a little less flat than my first attempts last year and thrown lots of alcohol inks, stamps and flowers at it and some mica powders too for good measure just to add some shimmer.

Cazro

I started making ATC's in 2004, I still make and swap them within an ATC forum. For this challenge I have made 3 unrelated, to show a few different techniques. This is my first attempt at Steampunk, time I caught up with what's 'on trend'. The beauty of ATCs is you can do no wrong, as long as the size is correct, it is an opportunity to experiment and create what you will.

Vix

Like Ei I also went on the rampage lol!  I've created 2 sets using encaustic wax and made 14 in total.  This one is using the larger group of 3 fairies from The Stampmans Aspects of Design 59 Starburst Fairies set of stamps and I've used encaustic wax and the round stylus tool to create the moon.  The rest of the set are on my blog to trade!

Winners!

Good Afternoon all!  We have our winners for 3 of our challenges below!

First up is the winners of our CHALLENGE YOURSELF sponsored by The Stampman and the random winner is - 18 - Anne  Well Done Anne, please email me to claim your prize!

And our Top 5 in no particular order as it was so close to call!

25 - Hannah Clark

21 - Merry

50 - Marjo

35 - I don't do straight

23 - Carla

Top 5's for Parchment & Sentiment spotlights to follow

Well Done all and thank you for taking part!

Spotlight - Masking

Evening all!  Bit late today as I've been away for the weekend and a 3 and half hour drive home and I'm zoned out with a ton of washing and cleaning to do today eeek!  How can 2 little people get through so many clothes in 2 days lol!

Just to say a huge Thank you all for your sentimental entries, we will do winners catch up this week (weds or thurs) so please check back then for all previous challenge winners.

Jack has set our new challenge so I shall hand over to her just now.  We have a fab stamp by Crafts & Me designed by Lemon Shortbread up for grabs for this challenge called Flapper 2 Melody.

SPOTLIGHT ON MASKING-
Its my turn to set the challenge this fortnight and I'd like to see you using masking - This can be using a bought mask (or stencil), making your own, stamping your main image and masking over it before you do your background, using torn paper as a mask, but NOT a picture of a mask. I'd also like a short explanation of how you used your mask.

Jack

Oh I do enjoy a bit of masking!  And masking on a One Layer Card has to be my absolute favourite thing at the mo!  I decided to have my rhino escaping from his background and so have used masks for the rhino, to limit the background to a square, and to create the actual background.  I shall put details on my blog of how I did this (with lots of pics of course!)

Paula

To create this, die cut a circle but use the negative as a mask to colour through , then stamp the face, I then stamped the face again on to a sticky note, cut out and placed over the image stamped on to the card and then over stamped with a background stamp.

gill

to make this card i used a dreamweaver stencil with paste and a few die cuts the masking part of the design was made with distressed ink worn lipstick and a crafters workshop 6x6 plastic template used a dabber to ink it up added a piece of ribbon and thats that.

Lin 

I stamped the LOV couple first and then masked them off and stamped the Cuddly Buddly church. The sun was made by punching a circle into scrap paper and inking through it. Then masking the two main images off I stamped the larger of the trees, the smaller one was far enough away not to need anything masking. The backgrounds were made with Broken China DI and a couple from a Kaleidoscope pad for the ground. The images were coloured with promarkers.

                                                                            Jacki

well this is my take on Jacks challenge for us this time I am not really very good at this part of stamping but love the effect the sky and gradd on image are all done using big and juicy ink pads and masking off areas to make clouds and land the image was also masked off so not to colour him with the same colours as sky and grass BPs are from MCS hope you like it

Jenni 

I have used two images from Lavinia stamps, masking the fairy one while stamping the fairy houses  as a background. I also used a masking method I saw in Craft Stamper magazine to stamp a flowery border - using a rectangle of paper held down with blu-tack and stamping a variety of flowers in different colours to create a frame. I used a combination of distress inks and Promarkers to colour the image.

Caz

I too used Lavinia stamps. I first prepared the background with TH Distress inks, Peeled Paint, Tumbled Glass and Dusty Concord, using a shaving type brush. I first stamped the centre houses, stamped them again onto a post it note, which I then placed over the centre house. I was then able to stamp the same houses to the left and the right without spoiling the centre houses. The post- it note is then removed.  I completed the card by stamping the branches and pixies, adding some glitter here and there and a little colouring. Masking is an interesting technique, which can be used in so many different ways.

Ei

For my card, I've made my background with my Copic markers and my airbrush system. It's the first time I've tried it and I'm quite happy with it for a first attempt! I'll put details on my blog but basically, it's just torn card, used as a mask and moved each time.

In addition, I have used  a Magnolia image of rope, a tour Jeep and tickets. The wooden 'bridge' is real veneer and alpha from stash (Brenda Pinnick I think).

Sarah W

The masking on this card is the panel on the left, done using my favourite technique of embossing then using shimmer mists, then ironing with newspaper to re-melt all the powder and take it off again!  The stamp is a Stitchy stamp coloured with promarkers and a few touches of polychromos pencil.  The sentiment is a diecut using the same paper as the background and then highlighted with pencil.  I've added the pink bow as a baby card always has to have a gender-specific bow somewhere lol

Spotlight - Sentimental

Good Afternoon and welcome back for another challenge here at The Spotlight Challenge!  Thank You for playng our previous challenge of Parchment, not many entries as its quite specialist nowadays but we are an all rounder and like to push out the boundaries a bit more so its great to see some new and inspiring work!

Our new challenge for you today has been set by Jenni and she would like to see SENTIMENTS AS YOUR FOCUS.  This means that the sentiment is the dominant part of the card and not a secondary element.

We dont have sponsors today so its just for fun (with a top 5)  If you're interested in sponsoring the challenges in future then get in touch!

Jenni

For my card I wanted to make a big deal out of a simple sentiment and to make it the main focus. I stamped the Thank You sentiment and used a Nestie die to cut it and the backing card. I also stamped the other words and cut out the individual letters, inked round them and stuck them onto the cardstock, making a pennant out of the first two. I used backing paper from DCWV, the bird was cut out from another paper from the same set and the flowers and brads were from my stash.

gill

for this card i used embossed dp from craftwork cards also the frame under the sentiment is from craftwork cards too inked it with gold brilliance ink to make the embossing show up. added a gold bow and die cut the words bride and groom to turn it into a wedding card another quick and simple card.

Paula

Ive used a Tim Holtz quote stamp as the main focus of my card, and coloured using Distress inks.

Josephine

For this, I've gone for a very simple design. The sentiment is stamped and embossed in silver, and I've roughly sponged around it with silver ink. I've embossed some white card in my Wizard using a Cuttlebug and a Papermania folder, and matted everything with silver mirror card. I did intend to add some white flowers, but when I got to this stage, I decided I liked it as it was!

Vix

For this I went for a minimalist style which I'm playing around with lately.  I stamped and embossed a hero arts sentiment and cut out with an oval template and stamped tapestry stamps around the edge, added glitter glue and mounted on holographc pink card and added some sticky gems.

 

Caz

For the sentiment I chose a Crafty Individuals stamp Hope, for I am sending this to a friend, who is not very well. Her favourite colour is green, so I used green hues with contrasting cream and gold. I distressed the paper, then used mica powders, green, yellow and blue to colour the sentiment. The green shiny card is from my stash, along with the flowers

Jack

My sentiment is from a Tim Holtz set by Stampers Anonymous - Good Thoughs. I bought the set just because of this one. I have teamed it up with an umbrella stamp from PaperMania's Stamping Chic - Party set (odd combination I know but it works) which I have stamped onto blue vellum. I love sentiment stamps and have managed to collect quite a few, lol.

Lisa

I've kept my card very simple.  I used a sentiment stamp from Paper MakeUp, stamped in 'bamboo' memento onto ivory linen card, and added a tree stamp from a Kanban set, stamped in 'new sprout' memento.  I then mounted the stamped square onto coredinations card.

Sarah W

Simple and me on cards don't usually go together!  It was pretty difficult to keep it all about the sentiment but I had a stamp in mind which I have in my stash which I think is by Debbi Moore.  I have stamped it and embossed it onto some gold paper and then cut with my nesties labels 4.  I have used core'dinations paper, sanded and torn at the edge for the background and then used a key stamp of unknown origin embossed with gold to emphasise the travel sentiment.  It was a bit of a nightmare to photograph but I hope you can see it!

Ei

For my sentiment this week, I wanted to use something that really is a true-ism for me and I'd come across this quote by 'Dilbert' creator Scott Adams a few months ago so had it in my mind before the theme was even chosen. 

I made the quote myself and mounted it with a Nestie and a Tim Holtz die. The backing paper is from stash and I would be very grateful if anyone could identify it for me as I love it and only have a little left. The strange ribbon I picked up in North Wales a couple of years ago - I can't even guess what it's meant to be for but I liked it so bought a few yards.

Look forward to seeing your sentiments!