Andrea's Stampin' Moments

Inktense Lil Monster!

Hello all today as I share a little of how I use the Derwent Inktense pencils!  I love to colour so I can safely say I like to try (and have) a lot of mediums.  This is only the second or third time I've used my new pencils so they are certainly easy to play with.  I love the depth of colour you can achieve as well as the easy shading.  These pencils are different from normal watercolour pencils as they are made from ink, and once the pigment is dissolved with water and allowed to dry it becomes permanent.  This is perfect if you want to go over with the same or other mediums because the dry colour won't spread or change.  

I decided to pull out one of my favourite stamps to colour - Lil Monster's Balloon.  I've stamped him with Brilliance ink on to smooth watercolour paper three times.
I created a video to go with this card which you can watch by following the link HERE.  I tried to keep it as concise as possible (I had intended to make it two shorter ones but couldn't work out how to do that lol!), so I hope you can bare with it!  In it I show a few different ways of adding your colour using these pencils, but certainly the techniques could be applied to ordinary watercolour pencils.

Inktense Pencils used : Iron Green, Mallard Green, Willow, Mid Vermillon, Cadmium Yellow, Poppy Red, Antique White, Sea Blue, Indian Ink.

This card was created using the sketch from Card Patterns for this week.

AnnaBelle Stamps doesn't stock these pencils just yet but if anyone (within Australia) would like to purchase any of the sets I'll be happy to email you with details of price etc and we would do a special order if we get enough interest :)

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the video!  I have to apologise for the darker section.  I started Mother's Day afternoon and then the boys took me out for coffee (who can say no to coffee!), so I finished part of it in late afternoon :)

Don't forget to check out the ABS blog today for the winner of our last Blog Hop!  If you haven't heard we are hosting a Blog Hop the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month and anyone can play along to win the prize!

Happy stamping everyone!

Hugs,

Stationery Gift Set

I've been trying to put together the pictures for this tutorial for over a week - sorry, make that 2 lol, but each time something else came up!  

These wallets hold 10 cards and envelopes, and the sizes can be adjusted easily to suit exactly what you want to give.

The tutorial is nearly ready if you are wanting the dimensions which suit Australian C6 envelopes and cards.
 

  
 

Thanks for stopping by today....I'd better get on with editing the photos and typing the tutorial :)

TUTORIAL HERE!

Say It With...

..Ribbon!!  I love ribbon and all the things you can do with it!  On todays card I've made three Twisted Ribbon Roses - 2 in 1" and the third 1 1/4".  I thought taking pictures of this technique would be a little difficult since I would need a third hand, so I took a video instead :)

  I've uploaded it to the AnnaBelle Stamps Youtube Channel, so be sure to let me know what you think :)  ...Just look past the glue on my hands and the wrinkles lol!, and remember you can always turn the music down!

For the ribbon roses I've used 16mm Double Faced Satin ribbon in Hot Pink and Pearl Pink.  Added a strip of 16mm Apple Green under the larger flower, then Hot Pink and 9mm Apple Green with white dots across the card.  The cardstock is Blending white and Bazzill (not sure what the colour is), and I've added some machine stitching for a bit of added interest

The Sprinkles on the roses were attached with glue dots, and down the side with a Quickie Glue pen - these make it really easy.

The flowers didn't take long to do at all, and if you you don't twist as tightly as I have then you can get a completely different look again :)

Thanks for stopping by today, and we'd love to see you join in with this weeks challenge.  Don't forget the sketch challenge is still running and you could win yourself the fabulous 'Helen's Party' set!  You can find all the details to both challenges HERE!

See you tomorrow for another 'Simply Saturday' :) 

Brick Wall Background

  I hope you all had a fabulous weekend!  I spent yesterday working on my first ever video!  Finished it just now and have added it to the AnnaBelle Stamps Channel HERE.  Now it's no Oscar winner, and I made a few mistakes, but it means I will hopefully do it better next time!  The words are a bit small and I forgot to mute it in some sections but I am just so happy to have it done!

Here is the card the tutorial is on and the focus is on creating the brick wall in the background, so take a look and tell me what you think :)

I stamped my main image from the Diva set then roughly drew in the top of the brick wall, which I left a little rustic/rough rather than ruler straight like the footpath.  

The brick wall is coloured first so that you can go over with your blender pen and not remove any colour from our Diva, and then she is coloured last.  I hadn't tried this before so it is very easy to do.  The sky and over the sentiment have been air brushed, and 4mm Emerald Sprinkles attached using a Quickie Glue Pen.  The ribbon is 16mm Double Faced Forest Green Satin ribbon.

Thanks for popping by today :)

Triangle Boxes

I love making these boxes!  I put them together this morning for a lunch I was going to - it's a great time of year to catch up with people - and they come together so quickly.  This year I thought I would make these for the Christmas table as well, and have everyones name on each box, as a sort of place setting, with some yummie goodies inside.

I've put together a tutorial HERE and hope that you find it useful.  I did a silly thing and started writing the tutorial before tea not thinking to save it, and the computer was turned off on me, I'll remember next time :)

The stamp today is from the Holly Branch set which is still on special through until 7th December!

Thanks for stopping by, and if you get a chance don't forget the sketch challenge at AnnaBelle Stamps Blog it finishes late tonight, but if you get a chance to enter there's a $20.00 voucher up for grabs!

See you tomorrow with a new sketch!

Sweet Cherries

I love cherries.  It would possibly have to be one of my favourite Summer fruits - which is probably why I planted three trees - along with peaches, nectarines, apricots.......

So as I passed some in the supermarket the other day I couldn't resist them.  Though I do try to buy only Australian fruit, these beautiful, large, plump American cherries screamed at me to be bought!  And they were incredible.  So it got me thinking, "I haven't used the Tart and Tangy stamp set yet from Stampin" Up! yet".  So I did.

I have used the large FTI brads from the Wintertime collection, and thought I would add a little sparkle.

To do this you take some tweezers to hold the brad in, so that you don't burn your fingers, and heat the end with a heat gun and quickly dip in to AED Hot Set Powder.  You will see it melt immediately, but heat a little more and then I dipped again and heated and then in to the AED Superfine Glitter, and heated briefly to set.

I gave this a try with coloured brads and coloured glitter as well, and they looked fantastic.  So give this a go today and if you are feeling brave drop me an email with your card and I will post it here to share.

Have a great weekend,

Supplies :

Stamps : SU! Tart & Tangy; Papertrey Ink Mixed Messages, Boxes, Bags & Tags

Cardstock : AED Smooth White; SU! Basic Black

Accessories : FTI Medium Brads, dimensional squares; SU! DS paper

Spring Card Petals

Today when I opened my emails I had one from Splitcoast Stampers as possibly a lot of you do.  The project they had today was a 'Spring Card', and I immediately loved it because of it's simplicity....I like anything that is easy and quick to do.  They had a full tutorial, but I have included one here just using metric measurements.  You can make two of these cards from a sheet of 12 x 12 designer series paper.

I love the look, and the fact that they fit neatly in to the square envelopes I have!

The paper you choose needs to be double sided as usually these papers are a little thicker and give the card strength.

I immediately wanted to do a watercolour with this card, and had a stamp set in mind, but I haven't received it yet - it's in the mail, and really I can't show you until the next mini catalogue comes out...but I may give in and do another when it arrives!

I hope you give this a go, because it is quick and easy, but looks so much more.  Email me with your creations, I would love to share them with others!

Supplies : stamps - Pick a Petal, Lots of Thoughts, cardstock - Old Olive, Whisper White, Ink - Old Olive, Rose Red, accessories - stamp-a-ma-jig, Pretties Kit.

Happy stamping,

Andrea

Sparkling Brads

Taking your ordinary brads and transforming them in to something that glitters is very simple, and easy to do.

Click here to view a very quick tutorial on what you need to do!

Gift card folder

I have made a number of these to make a gift card look like a mini present.

I can't remember the blog that I first saw them on, but I shall have to find it again and thank her, because the pattern has come in handy many times!

I will do my best to explain how it comes together, but I am hoping the photos will help.

You begin with a piece of double sided Designer Series paper that is 8" x 8".  I was going to convert the design to metric, but the measurements are much easier in inches.

Begin by scoring at 1.5", 4", and 6.5".  Turn paper and score at 3" and 6.5".

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Fold in each corner at right angles just shy of the score lines.

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Fold along 1.5" score line to the back.

With both 1.5" borders folded in, fold down the top 1.5" score line. 

Fold the bottom up and tuck into the folded right angle corners.

If you fine that it is a little thick across the top you can open it up and snip out the top section and then refold.

It doesn't have to be a gift card.  It can house little notes and promises of massages, doing the dishes, or the ironing or cooking.  Or maybe they are my little wishes?!

Have a great day!  We are at the moment, because it's raining!

Mini Christmas Box for You to make

Take an A4 sheet of cardstock and cut in half.  Working across the longest side, score at 7cm, 10cm, 17cm and 20cm which leaves a 1cm gap at the end.

Turn cardstock and score at 2.5cm, 4cm and 13cm.

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Cut to bottom fold, snipping out the section of the 1cm corner.  Snip down to the second score line, trimming the first 2.5cm x 3cm tops and once again trimming out the 1cm corner.

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Using a bonefolder fold and crease along score lines.  Punch holes for the handles in the top using the Word Widow punch.

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Secure double sided tape on right side of 1cm panel and on the reverse side of long bottom flap.

Peel backing off double sided tape from the 1cm side panel and join box.  Working from the bottom fold panels in leaving the one with tape till last, peeling off backing and adhering to seal bottom.

Use a glue dot at top to secure box closed with goodies inside.  Tie some ribbon and decorate as desired.  Check out the finished box on the post below.

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I hope this makes sense, and that these little boxes adorn your Christmas table!

Happy Stamping.