Phoenix Inspirations

I was cleaning up the Gallery on my phone when I came across some photographs that I took ages ago - before I became a Stampin' Up demo even so you can tell how long ago it was! The photographs were of a Tent Fold card and I had taken them step by step as I made it. The stamps used are walk in the Wild which are sadly retired now - but any set can be used for this technique and I needed to get the photos off my phone so here goes! First take a piece of card stock 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" and score in half down the longest side. Now take a piece of card stock 11 1/2" x 4 1/2" Score down at 1 1/4", 5 3/4" and 10" Crease the folds with a bone folder. Now die cut an aperture in the front of your card using a nesting die. Using the nesting dies create a frame to sit on the aperture. With the largest die used cut a piece of card stock for stamping on. With inks and sponges (or daubers) start to create a backgro...

A card for  The Male Room today. I have used Stampin' Up Walk in the Wild and World Map stamps and my splash of colour is Always Artichoke. Happy Monday everyone - hope you all have a fab week - see you soon xx

Here are the last of the cards made using the stamp set Walk in the Wild. Not so clean and simple this time as I took a bit more time to create backgrounds and I threw in a bit of fussy cutting too - take a look The first background was made by stamping Chocolate Chip ink on to Chocolate Chip card stock with the Hardwood stamp. I then used the same ink to sponge around the edges. The inside background scene was sponged on to die cut panels using torn copy paper and a fir tree stamp (one I made myself a long time ago). The images were stamped on to white card stock and then cut out and attached using Dimensionals. Hope everyone is enjoying the Bank Holiday weekend - I'll be back next week with a few more 'Man' cards - see you soon xx

Good afternoon. Well dad is out of hospital hence the missed blog post yesterday and I am also exhausted - can't keep my eyes open so I think a trip to the doctors may be on the cards. I have made some more card though - very similar to the previous ones but with a different kind of background. The first set of cards I made  HERE  used a fabulous little background stamp that looked like a water coloured brush stroke but it occurred to me that not everyone has a stamp like this and what could you do if that was the case. Here's what I came up with The backgrounds were made by inking up various sized acrylic blocks and spritzing them with water before stamping them onto card stock. The images were then stamped over the background with a Stazon ink. If you pop over to my other blog HERE  -  you will be able to see a quick tutorial on how I did this. Thanks for stopping by today - see you soon xx

Good morning all - hope the rain is not adding too much to the Monday Blues!! I'm off out later so I'm hoping it will dry up a little. Meanwhile I promised you some male cards - take a look at these These were so quick and easy to make but having the right tools for the job is essential. My new blog Crafting from the Ground Up is still in it's early stages but will start you off on the right track if you are new to crafting  -  you can find it  HERE So the above cards were matted and layered with Crumb Cake and Whisper White (Stampin' Up) and the background is a very useful little stamp from the Happy Watercolour set. It's like a paintbrush stroke and gives a graded look to your colour (Crumb Cake). I then stamped my images in a black Stazon ink - job done. Stamps used as usual Stampin' Up - can you tell I'm a fan?! - and are from the Walk in the Wild set. Ok I'm off now - dad is in hospital again having some tests for somethi...

It's time for another fortnightly challenge in  The Male Room  and this time the theme is WOOD. It's not a problem making 'male' cards any more not when you have the fabulous Hardwood stamp -it's huge but creates gorgeous backgrounds - here is my card I have teamed it up with the equally manly Walk in the Wild - I really do love that moose! - and the Lovely as a Tree - always a great standby for male cards. Embellishments are the Modern Label Punch with a few gems - coloured black with a marker. This card is as we speak flying across the Channel to my Facebook swap buddy for this month - hoe she likes it! Bye for now xx

Good morning and welcome to a new week! It's Monday and that means a new challenge over on  Make My Monday The theme is MALE cards so think Father's Day, Birthday etc. Here's mine Made using just Garden Green and Vanilla card stock plus Always Artichoke ink. Also used the very fabulous Walk in the Wild stamp set Walk In The Wild 130357 Price :  £13.95 Take a walk on the wild side with this nature-inspired set. Whether he's an animal-lover or an animal hunter, the images in this set will appeal to the men in your life. Clear-mount. Set quantity: 4 Hope you have fun looking at all the other dt cards today over on the blog! (To order any of the above current items or items from the Annual Catalogue please e-mail me on deezinesart@icloud.com - a catalogue pdf can be found in the side bar along with the NEW SPRING/SUMMER MINI. Items can be delivered direct to you - just £4.95 p+p any size order. Also see the special offers above in the top tabs - t...

Hello - it's Saturday so that means another Christmas challenge over at  52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown  and this week is a theme week - take a look And here is my card I love this moose stamp and I thought that he would be perfect for a Christmas landscape - I even considered giving him a red nose like Rudolf but I stopped myself just in time! There is lots of heat embossed white on this to give the impression of snow and I must admit it does look rather chilly! Materials - Stampin' Up Stamps: Walk in the Wild, Bells and Boughs, Lovely as a Tree Ink: Soft Sky, Midnight Muse, Island Indigo, Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Versamark Card Stock: Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Whisper White Accessories: Modern Label Punch, Decorative Label Punch, Basic Gems, White EP (Other non Stampin' Up - Ribbon, Kraft card blank) (To order any of the above current items or items from the Annual Catalogue please e-mail me on deezinesart@gmail.com - a...

It's time for another challenge and this time it's for  CAS - Colours & Sketches . We have a beautiful set of colours for you this week - very earthy and very masculine too - here's what I created And here are these gorgeous colours I was telling you about I coloured an acrylic block with markers to create my background - a great technique don't you think? Materials - Stampin' Up Stamps: Walk on the Wild Side, One in a Million Ink: Marina Mist, Chocolate Chip, Pear Pizzazz Card Stock: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Marina Mist, Pear Pizzazz Accessories: Modern Label Punch, Decorative Label Punch, Natural Twine (To order any of the above current items or items from the Annual Catalogue please e-mail me on deezinesart@gmail.com - a catalogue pdf can be found in the side bar along with the NEW SPRING/SUMMER MINI. Items can be delivered direct to you - just £4.95 p+p any size order. Also see the special offers above in the top tabs - tha...

It's a new challenge in  The Male Room  and this week we are going with Valentine - for men only of course! This is the card I've made for my hubby - he never reads my blog (I know how rude!) so I know he won't see it before next Friday! Clive loves hares - the more mystical the better, so I've created this one in the moon light - heart shaped. I haven't used all Stampin' Up stamps this time but I will list the ones I did use Walk on the Wild Side (grass on the moose stamp) Love and Sympathy (upside down stems on the flower stamp) Delightful Dozen (sentiment) The background and moon were sponged using Midnight Muse, Pear Pizzazz, Always Artichoke, Daffodil Delight, Cherry Cobbler and Black Stazon ink. (To order any of the above current items or items from the Annual Catalogue please e-mail me on deezinesart@gmail.com - a catalogue pdf can be found in the side bar along with the NEW SPRING/SUMMER MINI. Items can be delivered direct to you...

I have taken a few days out, my poor dad is not good again and it looks like his cancer has moved to his lungs. He's having some scans and tests today and it's a very worrying time for us all. I do find it very difficult to craft when I'm worried and I've missed a couple of my DT posts - so sorry but today I do have a card. The third challenge goes live today over in  The Male Room  and this time the theme is THE GREAT OUTDOORS. Here is my card I love this set - it was an impulse buy as I just fell in love with the moose but he is proving very useful for The Male Room challenges! Walk in the Wild also has two bird images - a pheasant and a grouse I think (it looks like the bird from the whiskey adverts anyway!) plus it has a sentiment so an all round useful set! Materials - Stampin' Up Stamps: Walk in the Wild  Ink: Soft Sky, Always Artichoke,Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake Card Stock: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Always Artichoke Accessories: Modern L...