My Favorite Things - Friendship & Flowers February Card Kit

 

Welcome to my blog where I'm sharing my first of two cards featuring the February card kit by MFT Stamps which is called 'Friendship & Flowers'.  Following on from the very popular January card kit called Flower Fusion, this month's kit gives you some playful angles to work with, some new sentiments (although I used a sentiment from last month's kit) and reformatted layering stencils to work with the new angled stencil.  Here's what I've used for this card:-

Friendly Flowers 5 piece stencil set

Smart Mask - Diagonal Center Strip stencil

Essential Messages

My card started with a white A2 panel of sturdy cardstock.  Over this I layered the Smart Mask - Diagonal Center Strip stencil.  I then set about using each of the five Friendly Flowers layering stencils in turn and ink blending through them.  They are numbered for ease of use.

I used a selection of primarily purple, blue and green inks for my design these were either from MFT's ink line or Distress Oxide inks.   When it came to the fifth and final stencil in the set I used a sparkling Gelly Roll pen and drew around the outside of each little bloom cut-out and when I lifted the stencil off I continued to colour in with the pen.   It doesn't photograph well but in person when the card is handled it's a rather lovely sophisticated touch.  Before removing the Smart Mask stencil I continued with the Gelly Roll pen and went around the outside of the two portions and it looks like metallic thread.  Glitter is allll in the movement right?

To finish the card, I stamped the sentiment in my Misti using Grape Jelly Ink by MFT and I used a purple pen with a fine tip to go around the outside of those small light purple flowers to make them pop more.   I then sized the card up to an A6 by adding two panels of cardstock, one in Boysenberry and then the last one is white again.  These were all glued together and then to my card base and I highlighted sparingly with a white gel pen and added white Nuvo drops to the centre of some of the blooms for added interest.

Here's a look at the whole kit below.

Thank you for stopping by my blog today and don't forget to visit and subscribe to the MFT You Tube Channel for endless how-to videos, inspiration and product reveals.

My Favorite Things - Flower Fusion Card Kit Release

 

I'm happy to say that the Flower Fusion card kit from MFT Stamps is now available for purchase and this is my second card working with products from the new release. Here's what I've used:-

Essential Messages

Flower Fusion Stencil Set

Smart Mask Hi/Low Strip Stencil

This was (for me) a quick card to make and I think it is a design where you could get quite a production line going and mass produce cards, perhaps to make gift sets and those Essential Messages have got your covered for most occasions too!

To create the card I took an A2 panel of white cardstock and secured it down and over the top I layered the Smart Mask Stencil.

I then started with the first stencil from the Flower Fusion stencil set.  I layered it over the mask.  This first stencil will create the largest flowers which I did in yellow.   All subsequent stencils in the set are etched with the large blooms which means the guess work is taken out of the equation,  you'll know exactly where to place each stencil and this way you can quickly switch your stencils and inks and rapidly come up with the look I have achieved here with Spring colours.

I removed the mask stencil and popped the decorated panel in my Misti where I triple stamped the attractive sentiment using Memento Ink in Rich Cocoa.  I applied the panel to my card base and with that I was done!  Hope you like the card and will treat yourself to the kit or at least some parts of it.  If you missed my card yesterday please keep scrolling to the next post since it uses other parts of the release.

Thank you for stopping by my blog today and don't forget to visit and subscribe to the MFT You Tube Channel for endless how-to videos, inspiration and product reveals.

'And Then' Sentiment Set - Avery Elle

Hello everybody!  I'm sharing a card using the new And Then  sentiment stamp set from the most recent Avery Elle release.

Since the sentiments in this set are slightly chunky/oversized I decided I'd do a larger than normal card and I'm pretty much addicted to 'Slimline' cards right now.  The finished dimensions are 3 1/2" x 8 1/2", so cut an A4 panel of cardstock at 7 inches then score and fold in half (4 bar).  My panel was cut from the remainder of the sheet and is sized 3.2" x 8.2".  These cards fit a standard 'slimline' envelope which is easily found in online searches.



I ink blended my panel using Distress Ink in Mermaid Lagoon.  I then took a couple of different stencils that I had and used different sized circles from each, moving it about and ink blending using White Pigment Ink to create a bubbly or bokeh affect.  I stamped the sentiment with black archival ink and dotted in a few spots using a Uni-Ball Signo white gel pen.



On Bristol Smooth cardstock I stamped my images from Swans and watercolour painted them using Kuretake Zigs.  I fussy cut the images out and adhered them using foam tape for dimension.  I backed the panel with white craft foam and stuck it to the card base.



The final touch was to draw the ripples of water around the swans again using the Uniball Signo White gel pen.

Card complete!  Thanks for coming by today, I'll see you next time .......

Nicky x

Caroling Critters - Pretty Pink Posh

Hey everyone!  It is sneak peek time at Pretty Pink Posh for the exciting new release scheduled for November 5th .... mark your calendars!



Here, I am introducing Caroling Critters.   When I first saw the new release this mini stamp set immediately caught my attention and I had to play with it first.

I took a panel of A2 cardstock and using a stencil I very softly ink blended a drifted snow background using Distress Oxide Ink in Tumbled Glass.  I die cut the panel once to give it the stitched edge and once more using the Window Frames die from Pretty Pink Posh.  I hand stamped the notes using Ranger Archival Ink in Potting Soil then I applied thick dimensional foam tape behind the A2 panel and stuck it on a 110lb Neenah white cardstock base.  I then added adhesive to the back of the other piece and recessed it carefully through the opening making sure everything was aligned.



Using a scrap of white cardstock I die cut just the bottom of the arched opening from Window Frames again.  I then took one of the dies from Stitched Borders 3 set and die cut to give me a little strip of snow to 'stand' my Caroling Critters on.  I adhered this in alignment at the bottom of the opening.

On Bristol Smooth cardstock I stamped my Caroling Critters with Ranger Archival Ink in Potting Soil and watercolour painted them using a combination of Kuretake Zigs and Arteza waterbrush pens.  I highlighted some points with a Uniball Signo White Gel Pen and then I fussy cut the single image out.  There is no coordinating die for this set but it was not tricky to hand cut.  I applied regular thickness Scotch Foam Tape to the back of the cut out image and recessed it through the opening and adhered it.



Finally, I stamped MERRY CHRISTMAS to a small piece of cardstock in red and glued it down and then I added some essential Christmas twinkle by using some of the jewels from the beautiful new blend called 'Starry Sky Mix'.

I'll be back within a few days with another card featuring the new release and I hope this little look today leaves you excited!  You can see more sneaks over on the Pretty Pink Posh Blog starting from today so be sure to click my link to be taken there for more inspiration.

Until the next time then .......

Nicky x

Pig Time - Spring Birthday

I've made no attempt to suppress how excited I am about this new stamp company Hello Bluebird Stamps they have only been around a few months but I love everything they've released so far.  My only purchase to date however has been 'Pig Time', but I'm giving it a good old work-out, this is my 4th card with this set.

There are 4 pigs in the set and a couple of little birds and a balloon and some flowers etc.  I can't get over the expressions on their faces, they are drawn so sweetly.

For this card I started with a base of Insulation Pink by MFT Stamps and inside is inserted a quality paper writing insert.  I die cut the white cardstock frame using MFT's 'Stitched CU Comp Vert' using Neenah solar white 110lb.  I set the frame aside and concentrated the negative cuts using a couple of different MFT stencils to create the grass and clouds, blending with Distress Inks.  I recessed them back within the frame securing in the back and then applying this to the base with a layer of white craft foam in between to lift it up and the card then feels really substantial.

Using some Strathmore Bristol Smooth watercolour cardstock I stamped all of the images from Pig Time that I was going to use, I then die cut and watercolour painted them using my Kuretake Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers.  Some points were highlighted with my Uni-ball Signo White pen and then everything was adhered to the card on different amounts of Scotch foam tape to add depth and dimension.  I stamped the sentiment in black.  At this point I was choosing my finishing touches and I decided the piggy on the right needed a garland of flowers on her head and so I snipped off some flower heads from their stems and added those.  A few little flower sequins from Pretty Pink Posh finished out the card.

That's my very springtime take on Pig Time, I hope you've enjoyed it.   Thanks for coming along to read, I appreciate it very much.  Until the next time ....

Nicky x