More stamping delights from Chocolate Baroque

Good morning. This is the last of my guest posts for Chocolate Baroque this month. I had planned a completely different set of projects but just had designer block! Horrible when that happens, especially when working to a deadline. This happens to us all at times, particularly this year with all the added stresses.

After several days of wasted effort I just stopped working on my original plan, went away from my desk and tried to clear my head. I then went back and decided to just ‘go for it’ – no plan, no nothing. I just picked up stamps and got started. Finally ideas started to flow – phew. I find that this usually works for me, although it is not always easy to do – ha ha.

I hope that you enjoy my offerings. Everyone take care and enjoy Christmas as best you can. Spring will soon be here and I am hopeful for far better times to come soon. Big hugs Anne xxx.

Blue and White Mandala

This one is a quick and easy make using the lovely mandala style stamp.

Materials Used:

• 15cm square white card blank, decorative die cut circle in blue card and scrap white stamping card
• Palm Fan Silhouette stamp (Chocolate Baroque)
• Versamark Inkpad
• Dark blue embossing powder (WOW Earthtone Blueberry)
• White pen

How it was done

1. Faux stitching was added around the die cut circle to frame it. It was glued to the card front with 3D foam for added depth.
2. The Mandala was stamped and embossed with blue powder, cut out and glued to the card front with 3D foam.

Dazzling Butterfly

 

Chocolate Baroque have so many wonderful butterfly stamps – love this one.

Materials used

• 15cm square scalloped card blank, decorative die cut circle (light blue), scrap of white stamping card
• Stamp sets: Gerbera and Friends, Words to Dazzle and Sparkle, Butterfly Poppy Collage (Chocolate Baroque)
• Inkpads: Versamark, Distress Inks (Tumbled Glass and Stormy Sky) and Memento Dye Ink (Grape Jelly)
• Detail white embossing powder (WOW), and clear sparkle with extra fine glitter
• Alcohol ink pens (greens, turquoise, pink)
• Pink PVA pearls and Stickles glitter glue (Diamond)

How it was done

1. A mix of the Distress Inks were used to blend the outer edges of the card blank (this mix closely matched my blue die cut circle).
2. The blue card topper was stamped with Versamark and embossed with white powder.
3. The butterfly was stamped with Memento, coloured with alcohol pens. It was then heat embossed with a layer of clear sparkly powder and cut out.
4. Everything was stuck down and the card was finally finished with glitter glue and PVA pearls.

Hydrangea Card

 

When pushed for time I will often use some ready printed papers in the background. They can also help with inspiration at times too.

Materials used

• 15cm square white card blank, Crafty Individuals 6 X 6 inch background paper (Book 3 Springtime), white stamping card
• Stamp sets: Hydrangea Tag, Gerbera and Friends
• Inkpads: Versafine (Majestic Blue and Onyx Black)
• Brusho powders (Leaf Green and Purple)
• Alcohol marker and fine drawing pen (black)

How it was done

1. The background paper was trimmed and edged with black marker. The base texture was stamped with black Versafine.
2. The main image was stamped with blue Versafine, the card trimmed to approx. 9 X 13cm and edged with black marker. The floral section was stamped again with black Versafine. The stem was extended by drawing with black pen and the image cut out.
3. The topper was then spritzed with water and Brusho powder dropped onto the wet card. When dry the monochrome Hydrangea was glued on top, curling the edges up slightly for dimension.

Floral Thank You Card

This one was a super quick make. Ideal if you have a last minute card to do.

Materials used

• 10.5cm square watercolour card blank
• Stamps from Chocolate Baroque: Gerbera and Friends, Spring Bird Daffodil (sentiment)
• Inkpads: Versafine (Vintage Sepia), Distress Inks (Carved Pumpkin, Mustard Seed)
• Note: I used a stamping platform for this project. Not essential but it helps to realign when over stamping.

How it was done

1. The watercolour card was spritzed with water and stamped using a mix of the Distress Inks. These bled out giving a lovely watercolour effect.
2. When dry the image was overstamped with Versafine. Versafine was also used to stamp the border and sentiment.

Dreamy Elephant Card

I love the Indian themed stamps from Chocolate Baroque – definitely amongst my faves. To save a bit of time I again used a pre-printed background paper.

Materials used

• 15cm square white card blank, Crafty Individuals 6 X 6 inch background paper (Book 8 A Weekend in Seville), and scrap white stamping card
• Stamps: Artistic Affirmations, Indian Textiles, Indian Elephant, Gerbera and Friends
• Inkpads: Versamark and Versafine (Vintage Sepia)
• Versamark embossing pen
• Embossing powders: Metallic copper and detail gold
• Watercolour pencil (greys), sparkle pens (green, pink, purple, turquoise)

How it was done

1. The sentiment and base texture was stamped and embossed with copper powder.
2. The flowers were stamped with Versafine. The background was then edged and embossed using the embossing pen and copper powder.
3. The elephant was stamped onto white card with Versamark and embossed with gold powder. The image was then coloured with pencils and pens and cut out. The elephant was lightly shaped and glued down with 3D glue gel for dimension.

 

 

Medieval Chalice created with Powertex

I had fun creating a medieval chalice from an old glass that I have had for years. If you look closely it is actually made from a recycle wine bottle cut in half. The old bottle base is cut off and stuck to the bottle pouring top. The upturned bottle therefore making a new glass. I didn’t make it myself but it was a present from my ex’s daughter and has sentimental value. Now I have a super chalice to fill with cider and enjoy my drink along with good memories.

I wanted to keep the rim of the glass clean as I intend to use it as a drinking glass. I can clean the inside properly and around the rim etc. after use. The outer decoration will be ok with rinsing but obviously will be washed with more care.

For those that of not heard of Powertex – it is a non-toxic environmentally friendly fabric hardener that can be used to treat natural fibres (cotton, wool, silk, wood, MDF etc.) and create items that are weatherproof.

I first stamped some tissue paper (recycled packaging) with Versamark Ink and heat embossed the script image (Butterfly Poppy Collage set from Chocolate Baroque) with metallic gold embossing powder. I also collected some MDF embellishments ready for decorating. The Ankh is from the Pyramid and Ank Trio set, the hares and small cross from the Mini Hieroglyphs set.

As I wanted to keep the glass for functional use I didn’t want to completely cover it with texture and wanted to keep the stem area comfortable to hold. I first painted a band of black ‘all surfaces’ weatherproof glitter paint (Black Diamonds Crystal Glitter) onto the glass to add some interest and texture which will show through the background areas that I wanted to keep fairly smooth. The gold paint that you can see on the base was done some years ago with glass paints – I covered this up in later steps.

Next I tore areas of the script paper and applied them over the glass stem and bowl using Easycoat Mat Decoupage Medium. Tip: I used a water pen to draw around the pieces that I wanted, making it easy to tear shapes in a more controlled way. I sprayed with a little Green Bister just to blend in a little (dabbing off excess dribbles) where the white tissue paper was a little obvious.

Next was true happiness – a fist full of Powertex Clay – tee hee. I mixed some Stone Art with Bronze Powertex (approx. 50:50) with a small addition of Transparent Powertex, working it well into a non-sticky consistency.

Next I cut of square of T shirt fabric to cover the glass base and treated it with Bronze Powertex. I also treated a strip of T-shirt yarn and used it to secure the fabric over the stem base, then wrapped it up around the glass. Snips of textured lace were treated and added around the base plus a strip of treated lace was added to create a border around the top.

A rough slab of clay was rolled out and impressed using the text stamp. This was glued onto the glass front using Powertex. Stems and leaves were moulded by hand and ‘glued’ in place along with the MDF embellishments. Where needed a little Easy Structure Paste was used as a 3D ‘glue’ (painted over with Bronze Powertex to hide the white colour). A faux gem was stuck into the centre of the ankh.

The chalice was then left to dry for a couple of hours.

Next came the fun of dry brushing. I used Rich Gold Colortricx mixed with Easy Varnish first. It looked a little uninteresting in just the one colour so I also dry brushed with some of the new Aqua Metallic Acrylic Ink. Both of these dry very quickly so I just repeated layers of dry brushing until I was happy with the result.

I will leave the vessel for a couple of weeks to fully dry and cure before giving it a final all over coat of Easy Varnish to fully seal it. Et voila! My lovely new drinking vessel. I cannot wait to use it.

Butterfly Poppy Collage card created for Chocolate Baroque

Good morning. This is the last of my recent samples for shows on Hochanda using lovely poppy themed stamp sets from Chocolate Baroque. I have so enjoyed working with these gorgeous stamp sets.

 

Materials:

• Butterfly Poppy Collage and Pretty Poppies stamp sets
• 9 X 8 inch card blank (cream), watercolour card, white stamping card, scrap card (pink)
• Inkpads: Versafine (Vintage Sepia), Distress Ink (Forest Moss, Scattered Straw, Tea Dye, Tumbled Glass), archival dye inkpads (dark blue, dark pink)
• Watercolour pens (red, pink, blue, orange, green)
• Water based ink sprays (green, warm yellow and gold with mica)
• Alcohol ink pens: black and dark pink
• Pebeo Gilding Wax (gold)
• Glitter pens (blue and gold)
• Gel pen (opaque white)
• Stickles glitter glue (Icicle)
• Dies: Formal Flourish (Die-namics), Cut Mat Create rectangle (Heartfelt Creations), shaped square (Trimcraft?)

How to make it:

1. Wet the watercolour card and randomly spray with inks. When dry, lightly stamp all over with the large text collage stamp and Forest Moss Ink.
2. Cut to fit the card front leaving a frame of approx. 1cm base card showing. Stamp the right hand side using both blue and pink inks, and the left plus background butterfly with blue ink. Note: To get a good stamped image on textured watercolour card you will need to press the stamp down a little harder than usual. It will never be as clear and crisp as when stamping on smooth card.
3. Stamp the butterflies using blue ink onto the offcut piece of coloured watercolour card and cut out. Further colour the butterflies with alcohol and glitter pens. Add highlights to the butterflies and to the stamped poppy collage using white gel pen.
4. Cut the shaped square mat from smooth card and stamp the poppy image with Versafine. Colour the background with Tea Dye and Tumbled Glass Distress Inks, blending with a sponge. Splash with water and blot off colour to give a mottled background. Colour the poppies with watercolour pens and edge the mat with gold gilding wax. Add highlights with white gel pen.
5. Cut a rectangle mat in white card approx. 9 X 13cm (3.5” X 5”), stamp the text with Scattered Straw Ink, and blend in ink from around the edges. Further enhance the edges with black alcohol marker and mount the coloured poppy image to the left side using foam pads.
6. Align and position the mat onto the watercolour card and cut around the stamped poppy collage with a craft knife so that the mat can be tucked under the cut section. Cut 2 flourishes from pink card.
7. Finally glue everything to the card front, leaving the butterfly wings free for added dimension. Oooh, and add a bit of glitter to the poppy centres (got to be done – tee hee).

Poppy Shrine Card created for Chocolate Baroque

Good morning. This was another of my recent samples for shows on Hochanda using lovely poppy themed stamp sets from Chocolate Baroque.

Materials:

• Butterfly Poppy Collage and Pretty Poppies stamp sets
• White card blank (smooth inkable), watercolour card, red metallic card, black card
• Versafine Inkpad (Onyx Black)
• Watercolour pens
• Fine tipped pen (opaque white) and Sakura Glaze Pen (Clear)
• PVA pearls (black)
• Stickles glitter glue (Icicle)
• Easel Creator die set for cutting card shape and frame (Tonic)

How it was made:

1. The shaped card base was cut with the outer plain die (overhanging it just over the left hand fold of the card). The decorative frame was cut from metallic card and a black mat was cut using the plain dies.
2. The text and poppies were stamped directly onto the card front. Colour was added with watercolour pens. The mat and frame were then mounted around the image with 3D foam for dimension.
3. The poppies were stamped again onto watercolour card using watercolour pens to colour the stamp. A water brush was used to drag out the colour and more colour was added where needed. The 2 poppy flowers and bud were then cut out. I felt that the watercolour outlines were not really sharp enough so I laid my stamp onto my craft mat, coated it with Versafine, then pressed down the cut out flowers over the inked stamp (Sheena Douglass style – this is how she stamps up her ‘Perfect Partner’ die cut images). This added back stronger outlines and detail. I also added a few highlights with white pen. These were lightly shaped and decoupaged over the main image.
4. Finally a little glitter glue was added to the poppy centres and butterfly. I also added clear glaze pen over parts of the leaves and butterfly.

Vintage Poppies True Friend card created for Chocolate Baroque

 

Good morning. This is another of my recent samples created for Chocolate Baroque and Hochanda. This time I picked a pretty decorative paper to stamp onto. I am not sure where I got it from but think that it came in a mixed grab bag from Chocolate Baroque. You could use any suitable vintage decorative paper.

Materials:

• Butterfly Poppy Collage and Pretty Poppies (the sentiment) stamp sets
• A5 card blank, decorative vintage paper, textured cream pearlescent card, piece waste acetate
• Versafine (Vintage Sepia), Distress Ink (Tea Dye)
• Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pens (Sage, Biscuit, Summer Sky, Smokey Quartz)
• Satin ribbon (green)
• PVA pearls (dark green/gold)
• Clear glitter glue
• Alcohol marker (dark brown)
• Glossy Accents
• Rectangle dies for creating mat & layer (Heartfelt Creations Cut, Mat, Create set)

How it was done:

1. The decorative paper was trimmed to fit the card front and a panel was cut out with the rectangle die. The topper and background were stamped using Versafine and coloured with sparkle pens. The card and topper were edged with Distress Ink and alcohol marker to frame. Note: The poppy image on the left hand side was ‘reverse stamped’ to create a mirror image. This was done by stamping onto waste acetate then transferring the ink by ‘stamping’ from the acetate. The background image on the right hand side was repeat stamped, lining up the diamonds, to extend it up the side of the card.
2. The butterfly was overlaid with Glossy Accents. A larger rectangle was cut from pearl card for matting.
3. The images were also stamped onto the pearl card and cut out to create the decorative embellishments. 3D glue gel was used to stick down elements.
4. I added PVA pearls and a little clear glitter glue for extra sparkle (cannot help myself – tee hee).

Sparkling Trio of Butterflies card created for Chocolate Baroque

 

Good morning. I hope that you like my sparkly trio of butterflies created with the Butterfly Poppy Collage stamp set.

Materials:

• Butterfly Poppy Collage stamp set and Kaleidoscope of Butterflies Stencil
• 20 X 9.5cm white card blank, white textured card, heat resistant acetate
• Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen (deep teal blue)
• Versamark Inkpad
• WOW Embossing Powder (Metallic Gold Sparkle, Clear Sparkle)
• Alcohol marker (dark blue teal)

How it was done:

1. Sparkly ink was applied through the stencil onto the textured card panel. I then applied Versamark and heat embossed with sparkly clear powder. The card was edged with alcohol marker to frame.
2. The butterflies were stamped with Versamark onto acetate and heat embossed with gold sparkle powder. The butterflies were then cut out, lightly shaped and glued over the stencilled images.

Transparent Poppies card created for Chocolate Baroque

 

Good morning. Today I am sharing one of my samples for the recent shows on Hochanda featuring the Pretty Poppies and Poppy Meadow stamps from Chocolate Baroque.

I coloured my scene using the fabulous alcohol markers from Chameleon. I simply love the new Color Tops that allow you to blend 2 completely different colours seamlessly – very tricky to do with standard alcohol pens.

Materials:

• Pretty Poppies, Poppy Meadow, Nature Table, Butterfly Poppy Collage stamp sets
• 8 X 8 inch card blank, 6.5 inch square card suitable for alcohol ink (I used Velvet Card) and scrap copy paper (to make masks)
• Inkpads: Versafine (Onyx Black), Distress Ink (Tumbled Glass), Memento Dye Ink (London Fog)
• WOW embossing powder (Clear Gloss)
• Zig 2 way glue (temporary adhesive for masks)
• Alcohol pens (yellow, green, blue, beige and pink): Chameleon Pens (YG3, YL2, BL3) and Color Tops (NU0, PK3)
• Permanent marker (black)
• Coloured pencils (black, green and pink/purple)
• Water based fine tipped pen (light grey)
• Gel pen (Hybrid Ink – black with metallic red)
• Stickles glitter glue (Crystal)

How it was done:

1. The card background was stamped with the honesty stamp and Distress Ink. The corners were stamped with Versafine and the edges blended lightly with Distress Ink.
2. The foreground poppies were stamped onto copy paper and cut out to create masks. Small dots of zig glue were added to the back and left to dry (turns from blue to clear) to create a temporary stick to hold them in place.
3. The foreground poppies were stamped with Memento (water based ink that will not bleed when colouring with alcohol ink pens) and then covered with the masks before stamping the background poppies.
4. The stems were extended where needed by drawing with the fine tipped pen (NB. Make sure it is suitable for colouring with alcohol pens without bleeding – test if unsure).
5. The image was then coloured with alcohol pens. I love the delicate transparent finish – perfect for delicate poppies. I used the new Chameleon pens with Color Tops. These enable really easy one step blending of one colour into the next. Leaves were coloured with YG3 and NU0 Color Top, Flowers with BL3 and PK3 Color Top, Buds with BL3 and NU0 Color Top, Butterfly with YL2 and and PK3 Color Top.
6. A little texture and extra shading was added where needed with coloured pencils. The sentiment was stamped with Versafine and heat embossed with clear powder to emphasise. The card was edged with black marker to frame and glued to the card front with 3D foam for added dimension.
7. The butterfly was stamped with Memento onto a spare scarp of card, coloured with alcohol pens and cut out. To enhance the butterfly details (the grey ink was a bit pale) I overstamped it with Versafine Ink.
8. A little metallic ink was used on the butterfly and stamens. Further sparkle was added with Stickles glue.

Friendship Gives Wings card created for Chocolate Baroque

Good afternoon. This is one of my recent show samples using the Pretty Poppies and Butterfly Poppy Collage stamps from Chocolate Baroque.

 

Materials:

• Pretty Poppies, Butterfly Poppy Collage stamp sets
• A5 black card blank, watercolour and stamping card
• Versafine Inkpad (Black Onyx)
• Spectrum Aqua Watercolour Pens (Bud Green, Moss, Crimson and Scarlet)
• Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen (Clear overlay)
• Glossy Accents
• Cosmic Shimmer Twinkles glitter glue (Aqua)
• PVA pearls (black)
• Tim Holtz Stamping Platform (Tonic)

How it was done:

1. The poppies were stamped onto watercolour card and the stamps coloured with watercolour markers. I used a stamping press for this project – it is perfect for adding the different colours in layers and repeat stamping perfectly aligning with the previously stamped sections of the image. Similar can be done by applying all the colours needed over the stamp then huffing or very lightly spritzing to ensure that the watercolours are activated (otherwise some areas dry up a bit while working and don’t stamp well).
2. The card was very lightly spritzed with water to encourage a little bleeding of the stamped image giving a soft watercolour effect. More colour was applied to the foreground poppies, picking up colour and applying with a damp brush.
3. The sentiment and butterflies were stamped with Versafine. The butterflies were cut out, coloured and lightly shaped for added dimension.
4. I painted over the butterflies with clear sparkle pen, and added dots of glitter glue on the butterflies and stamens.
5. Finished with PVA pearls and added Glossy Accents to the butterfly bodies.