Monochrome Magic

Hey all!! :)

Hope you’ve all had a great Bank Holiday Weekend!! I had a very crafty Saturday and Sunday playing with my new LOTV stamps- I so love these and can’t wait to show you the results but first for the card I made last weekend for a friend’s birthday, which I was really pleased with...and happily, so was our friend!! :)

It’s based on a technique by Paula Pascual in last month’s issue of Cardmaking & Papercraft mag, although in this case, instead of using punches for the flowers I used a Dawn Bibby designs stamp set and cut them out.

I took a more sideways-on shot to show the gaps through the flowers better :)

I started by stamping and heat embossing several sizes of the flowers in a Silver Sparkley Powder on Black, White and Silver double-sided pearlescent card. I then had a play around with the arrangement of the flowers on my card blank before deciding how much of the front to cut off. I got the circle shape by drawing round a side plate and then stuck the flowers together by their petal tips with strong d-s tape- it was rather trickier than I expected as the flowers seemed to shift if I so much as looked at them so the arrangement did change quite a bit as I was going along!! :)

The sentiment is one I designed myself in a graphics program- I’ve been having fun playing around with a free download of Serif’s Drawplus Starter program and you’ll be seeing more of these sentiments, I’m sure!! :) I sized it to suit my Nesties and cut a scallop from the same black card as I used for the flowers :) The hatpins are a new acquisition from Craft Emma’s Store, attached with Silicone glue behind the circle and the spotty ribbon is Papermania :)

A couple more close-ups...One of the pearls, which were from Crafty Emma’s at the same time as the hatpins and I love these even more- think I’ve used half the packet already!! :) I added the dotty line around the edge at the last minute with fineliner as it just needed a little something And one of the inside of the card- the dotty paper is some wrapping paper my lovely mum picked up for me in Tesco a while back as she thought I’d like it...and I do- so much that there’s not much left and I’m rather upset about it!!! ;) The greeting is hand-written.

A shot of the whole of the inside and the backs of the flowers, just for interest :)

I’d like to enter this in the following challenges: Lexi’s Creations - Emboss It! :) ; Crafts and Me - Petals and Pearls :) ; Wild Orchid Crafts - Make It Sparkle (glittery embossing powder) :) ; Crafty Emma’s Store’s first challenge – Anything Goes :) ; Crafty Cardmakers - Video Inspiration :) ; and Crafty Cardmakers Spotlight – Glitter and Sparkle :)

Well, I’m exhausted and feeling extremely full after a gorgeous roast dinner so shall link these all up and then go and relax in front of the telly before bed, I think!! :) See you soon, I hope, with my LOTV cards!! :) Also, sorry for still being so utterly useless with getting round to leaving comments on all your lovely creations- hopefully I’ll be feeling a bit better and get back into it soon!! :)

hugs,