Saturday 23 February 2013

Textured Impressions Embossing : Wedding Theme



If you love textured embossing...   

Just to share an embossing I did few days ago on a white cardstock. This is one of my successful embossing attempt as I always end up with few tears on the paper I used. Have you experience that before? I'm not sure if it is due to the thickness of my cardstock or other factors. Feel free to share some tips and tricks if you have any  :)

Supplies used :
  • White cardstock
  • Sizzix Textured Impressions Embossing Folders 5PK - Wedding Set #2 
 
Happy Crafturday!

Friday 15 February 2013

Let's do heat embossing!

Remember my dainty doily from Quickutz / Lifestyle? I'm going to heat emboss it with VersaMark Dazzle watermark stamp pad (frost) and Tsukineko Iridescent embossing powder. Sparkle sparkle! 

Ok, some of you might be familiar with embossing or heat embossing. For those who are not, here goes the definition for heat embossing:   

Method of creating raised logos or characters (such as in letterheads, call cards, invitations) on paper with ink instead of dies. The item is printed as normal in the desired ink color and the printed area to be embossed is sprinkled with the 'embossing powder.' Then the item is passed through a heater which makes the powder to swell and create raised (embossed) appearance. 

Eversince I invested on my first heat embossing gun few months ago, I can say that I'm quite addicted to try and emboss almost everything I can. Hehe... The feeling of ooh aah and wow! when you see the embossing powder melt is ah-ma-zing! I remember showing it to my friends on how heat emboss works and they went oohhwow... exactly like my first time. Haha! My favourite embossing powder as for now is iridescent colour. I need more moolah to fund for my craft supplies and more embossing powder. Will have to make/sell more handmade cards for artsyocean fund..

So, if you want to try out and start embossing - the basic ingredients of heat embossing are -
  • embossing heat gun / embossing heat tool / heat gun 
  • embossing powder (Extra Fine, regular, and Ultra Thick)
  • stamp
  • ink
 The final look of the embossed dainty doily paper. Can you see the shiny sparkles.
Close-up : Right after heated (I embossed twice)
 
Close-up:  Flatten it

Still thinking what to do with it... Hmm. Any idea? Feel free to share with me... So, what's your first embossing moment like? Do you still remember? 

Happy Weekend and Happy Crafting to you!

Cardmaking Challenge

Pinning these few cardmaking challenges to play along :

CAS card challenge


Other Card Challenge
Malaysia Cardmaking Challenge 
...and I've found our local cardmaking challenge space, kudos! 

Hope this will encourage more people into cardmaking hobby.

Happy Crafting! :)

Thursday 14 February 2013

CAS project : First Clean and Simple Card

Hey lovelies!

Happy Valentine's Day and wishing you a beautiful day ahead! I just found out about CAS card which means 'Clean and Simple'. I googled for the definition and found on simplylessismoore blog. Their CAS terms are:

Clean & Simple
A design of card with clean lines, minimal elements, areas of white space and few or no embellishments.

White Space
An area of the card which has no image, layer or embellishment.
This can be any colour dependent upon the colour of the card blank.

OLC - One Layer Card - One piece of card folded in half with no additional layers and minimal embellishments, where the image is stamped or printed directly onto the cardstock.

Generally, from what I've read around the basic rules is the design, less embellishment and white space area.

I thought of joining the challenge to try out CAS card but just found out that the challenge theme for this week is music. For those who wanted to join, you can go to their blog. I made a CAS and OLC card tho' but without music element on it but with inspired song title. I don't think that will count .. hehe. 

So, I'm gonna enter CAS-sual Fridays challenge - CFC89. The theme is love song.


CFC89:  With the Grammys coming up in a few days, we thought it would be fun to have a song inspired challenge.  Choose a song you love, then create a CAS project that is inspired by it!

CAS-ual Fridays' CAS terms are :  
Clean. And. Simple.  |  uncluttered  |  lots of open *white* space |  one clear focal point

You can have color... pattern...smart embellishments...even a few well placed layers...
Your style can be graphic, fun, elegant or even vintage...
It all comes down to the design...
Clean. And. Simple. 

But because I use the OLC CAS theme to enter the challenge, I thought of trying one with only a layer of cardstock base and stamping. Here you go my very first CAS card with song title inspired by Blink 182 - I miss you. I'm not use to CAS card and I will need more practice to make CAS cards, hopefully can enter more challenges like this.

Submitted to : CFC89

I'm using my fav bird stamp (I can't recall the brand), DewDrop Multi-surface Chalk Ink VersaMagic Midnight Black, Missing you by Ali Edwards, my newly bought ZIG Memory System Wink of Stella (Black), corner puncher and purple cardstock. The card size is 10cm x 16.5cm.

I tried to ink the bird stamp using DewDrop Brilliance Lightning Black at first but the ink wont stick on the stamp so I change to the Midnight Black. Then I add on the black Wink of Stella pen on the image and words. They look very sparkly and I love the effect. Here's the close-up not sure if you can see the sparkle effect but in real life, it looks pretty. Now I'm thinking to get the other colours from this range...Ohh my my..

 Close-up : Sparkle effect

 Close-up : I Miss You

Feel free to share if you have any designs using the ZIG Memory System Wink of Stella pen. 
Happy Crafting!

Wednesday 13 February 2013

QuicKutz Die : Dainty Doily

Hi All,

Just wanted to share my new cutting die I received from my happymail box few weeks ago. I came across this brand in Ebay and I never heard of it actually, but because I love the doily die design, I bought it. Tadaa... 


A short history of QuicKutz brand, in July 2010, QuicKutz sold all of its assets to an investment group that formed a new company called Lifestyle Crafts around the company’s product lines. The original QuicKutz, renamed legally as QK2015 because the QuicKutz trademark had been sold to Lifestyle Crafts....  (source : scrapbookupdate.com).

I use Sizzix BigShot Tab2 platform to cut this. Roll it and voila! The dainty doily paper with lovely intricate design. The cutting die is 4x4 and the doily paper (shape) size is approximately 3.5" x 3.5". Let's see what we can do with this. :)  Happy Crafting!


Hearts for the Valentine's day

Valentine's Day is just a few hours away and one of the many ways you can show your appreciation for someone is with a handmade card. So, let's celebrate the colours of love: red, pink, and white! Below is one of the cards I've made for Valentine's day and can be used for any other occassion. 

  
I incorporated different shapes of die-cut hearts from various cardstocks and patterned papers. I always wanted to try to make ruffled ribbons but I don't have a sewing machine to do so. So, I thought of doing it without one. There you go, ruffled polka dots ribbon with pink and white ribbons on top to embellish the card. Final touch to the card is the embossed sentiment 'with love'.

This card was made using high quality cardstocks (acid free & lignin free) with Bazzill Embossed White Cardstock - Polka Dot as the background on pink base card.

 Close-up: No-sew ruffled ribbon (polka dots) with pink and white ribbon on top 
and the embossed sentiment

Close-up: different sizes of heart shapes with pop-up hearts

Hope this inspires you! Happy Crafting! :)

Supplies used: 

  • Sizzix Bigshot Machine
  • Sizzix Die - Originals CutsHearts
  • Sizzix Die - Heart w/Wings #2
  • Pink Polka Dots Ribbon
  • Light Pink Ribbon
  • White Ribbon
  • Free Stamps from Simply Cards & papercraft magazine (Issue 105)
  • DewDrop VersaMagic Midnight Black
  • VersaMark™ Dazzle watermark stamp pad - frost
  • Tsukineko Embossing Powder #11 Iridescent
  • Foam tape
  • Bazzill Embossed White Cardstock - Polka Dot 
  • Pink Cardstock
  • White Cardstock (Inside) 
I'm always curious 'bout the cardmaking challenge happening around the globe, so I thought of submitting mine. It will be fun and you can see so many talented cardmakers out there. Here's mine. Will look out for more sites to submit for the next coming cards :)

Tuesday 12 February 2013

Happy ChineSe New Year!

To my dearest ArtsyOcean-ers,

Gong Xi Fa Cai! Xin Nian Kuai Le! 
{wishing you more prosperity in the coming year! happy new year!}

Wish that the Chinese New Year of the Snake brings 
peace, happiness, good health & fortune to you & your loved ones.

I have no internet connection few days ago and hence, my late wishes. Hope you all had fun playing, laughing, catching up with friends/family/relatives and not forgetting the joy of receiving 'ang pao' (red packets) for the singles.

I didn't manage to make any CNY cards but I did a small mini CNY card (a request by sis) and I bought tons of papers and craft supplies again. (will share with you all in another blog post). Ohh no, I'm about to become a Scrapping Hoarder. :) 

Below is my CNY blossoms card on red base cardstock, metallic copper background, and a patterned paper. I embossed the tree branches with copper embossing powder, I drew the black thingy in the blossom flowers and I embossed the 'Gong Xi Fa Cai'.


 Close-up

So, 2013 is thought to be a lucky year by many (because the snake resembles the dragon, and the dragon is the luckiest zodiac animal of all). *wink*  Let's hope 2013 be good and let us welcome 'cai shen dao' (the God of Wealth).

I hope that I can make and share more of my creations here in artsyocean and also contribute something to the cardmaking/scrapbooking industry.

Till then, Happy CNY!