Tinstar Designs

I’ve been watching a few YouTube tutorials showing how you can use your Stampin Blends with alcohol blending solution to make some awesome backgrounds. I thought I’d have a bit of a play and try this technique out.

First up is a card for:

• The Sisterhood of Crafters – Embossing – Heat or Dry ( I went with heat)
• The Paper Craft Crew #436 – Tic Tac Toe (I chose Trees/Vellum/Embossing)

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For this card I used the Stampin Up set ‘In the Pines’ and I die cut the tree after heat embossing in black over the Blends background.

Next is a card for Global Design Project #301.

For this card I used some silver glitter AI cardstock from Tim Holtz as the base for my Blends scribbled background. I then heat embossed in black the Picket Fences ‘Aeonoim African Succulent’ and popped up a sentiment from Uniquely Creative.

Next is a card for the Color Throwdown #652.

For this card I made a grass/sky background and then black heat embossed the ‘4 Leaf Clover’ stamp from Colorado Craft Company. It needed a little bit extra so I coloured in the leaves and mouse.

Lastly is a card for:

• ABC Christmas Challenge – N is for North Pole or O is for Off to One Side
• 52 Christmas Card Throwdown – Vellum on a Window Card

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For this card I made a green vellum background with my SU Blends and gold heat embossed the tree from Catherine Pooler Designs ‘Festive Trimmings’ off to one side within my window.

Well that’s it for today. I hope you give this technique a try. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Hello there, it’s time for another Fusion Challenge and do we have a great sketch and inspirational photo for you!

I love the colours in the photo and decided to use the hydrangea blue on a flower from Altenew ‘Precious Peony’ fussy cut out and popped up over a bit of lemon ink sponging.

Come join in the fun and make a card based on the sketch, inspiration photo or fuse them together and play with both! Check out the projects that the other artists at Fusion have created, take the challenge and link your creation to the challenge post. We’d love to have you join us.  You have until Wednesday, 4th August at 5pm Melbourne Time or Tuesday 3rd August 12pm US Pacific Time to link up your project.

I’m also entering this card over at Color Hues #22 – Lime green & Aqua.

Thanks for looking and have a great day.

I love that there are so many challenges with Christmas themes this month, it’s helping me build my stash for the end of the year as I tend to send about 100 cards out each year.

First up is a card for:

• Send a Smile 4 Kids – Christmas in July
• Less is More #447 – Christmas in July
• The Male Room Challenge #152 – Christmas in July

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I used a stamp and die set from MFT called ‘Jingle all the Way’ and coloured the images with my Stampin Blends.

Next is a card for:

• AAA Cards #194 – Twinchie – opt twist Christmas in July
• Happy Little Stampers – Christmas – opt twist Jingle Bells

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This card was super simple to make. I die cut a jingle bell from gold glitter paper and added the sentiment from the MFT ‘Jingle all the Way’ stamp set; popped it up with foam tape and added a bit of twine to the top and it was done!

Lastly I have a card for:

• Cardz 4 Galz #151 – Christmas in July
• Trimmies Craft Challenge #606 – Christmas in July

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For this card I used a new Stampin Up stamp called ‘Delivering Cheer’ which I coloured with my Stampin Blends.

Well, that’s it for today. Thanks for stopping by for a look. Enjoy your weekend and keep safe.

Well, this month we have another challenge over at Christmas Craft Creations challenge blog which is an anything goes theme.

For my card I used a digital image from Rachelle Anne Miller called ‘Christmas Ornaments’. I printed and used the koala ornament. I coloured him with my Stampin Blends, fussy cut him out and popped him up over a white die cut panel then onto a SU Pool Party card base.

Come join in our fun and add to your Christmas card stash. Visit the challenge blog to check out the inspiration the other CCCettes have made. Link up your card by 1th August 3am (Melbourne time) or 6pm (UK time).

I’m also entering this card over at:

• Shopping our Stash #449 -Christmas in July
• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies #52 – ATG opt twist Christmas in July
• Christmas Kickstart Challenge #52 – Woolly or Fluffy or Furry
• Merry Little Christmas Challenge #36 – July Anything Christmas Goes

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Thanks for looking and have a great day.

Hello there, it’s time for another Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and Dawn is our host with an all about occasions challenge this fortnight!

I made a card to send to a friend to let them know I was thinking of them during the 4th COVID-19 lockdown we had in Victoria (at the end of May). I used a new stamp set from Stampin Up called ‘After the Storm’. I used Catherine Pooler inks in Chiffon, Limoncello and Tiara for the sun rays and Basic Gray and Smokey Slate from Stampin Up for the clouds.

Come join in the fun and make a card for an occasion of your choosing. Check out the projects that the other artists at Watercooler Wednesday Challenges have created, take the challenge and link your creation to the challenge post. We’d love to have you join us.  You have until Tuesday, 26th July at 9:00 Melbourne Time or Monday 25th July 5pm US Mountain Time to link up your project.

I’m going to enter this card over at CAS on Friday #209 – Sunshine.

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Thanks for looking and have a great day.

Hello there, it’s time for another Fusion Challenge and do we have a great sketch and inspirational photo for you!

I decided to flip the sketch vertically and used the colours from the photo for my inspiration. I recently bought the CAS-ual Fridays ‘Flowery’ background stamp that I white heat embossed and then coloured just one flower with my Spectrum Noir tri-colour markers.

Come join in the fun and make a card based on the sketch, inspiration photo or fuse them together and play with both! Check out the projects that the other artists at Fusion have created, take the challenge and link your creation to the challenge post. We’d love to have you join us.  You have until Wednesday, 22nd July at 6pm Melbourne Time or Tuesday 21st July 12pm US Pacific Time to link up your project.

Thanks for looking and have a great day.

Well hello and welcome to today’s post. It’s time for another challenge over at Get Creative Challenges where its Anything Goes with an optional twist to to add snow or water.

Our sponsors for this challenge are:  

• Sweet’n’Sassy Stamps
• Pattie’s Creations Digital Images
• Oddball Art by Lizzy Love

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I used an adorable image from Oddball Art called ‘Sid the Silly Seahorse’. I created an ink blended background with SU inks in Pacific Point, Ptreey Peacock and Bermuda Bay. I then printed Sid twice onto the inked panel just tomake the lines darked. I then did a bit of pencil colouring of Sid and added some crystal lacquer to the bubbles and a die cut sentiment.

Check out the Get Creative Challenge blog for details on the sponsor prizes and links to the other fabulous projects from the DT and come join in our fun and share your anything goes project by 1pm Monday 2nd August (Melbourne time) or 11pm Sunday 1st August (US Eastern Standard time)

Thanks for looking and have a great day.

Well it’s Sunday here in Melbourne, the day is grey and uninviting; my friend who was visiting has gone home so I’m having a bit of a play in my craft room. It’s been super busy these past few weeks at work, so I’m getting ready for the new work week by resetting my mind with a bit of craft time.

I’ve made 3 cards today; the first one for:

• Just Us Girls #591 – Script
• Color Throwdown #649
• As you like it – Favourite way to add stitching and why

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I clear heart embossed the ‘Faithful letter’ background stamp from Unity Stamp co and then added Stampin Up inks in Tempting Turquoise, Berry Burst (I didn’t have a purple to match the CTD image) and Granny Apple Green over the Altenew ‘Layered dahlia’ stencil. I die cut the panel out with my stitched rectangle die (I’m not a sewer so this is my favourite way to add subtle stitching to a card).

Next is a card for AAA Cards #193 – Sketch opt twist critters.

I created a textured brick wall panel with some paste coloured with SU Old Olive ink, then added a watercoloured and fussy cut bird from the Stamping Bella ‘Oddball birds’ and a sentiment from Uniquely Creative.

Lastly is a card for:

• Less is More #446 – Monogram
• Addicted to CAS #201 – Christmas

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I used the tree from the Catherine Pooler Designs ‘Festive Trimmings’ stamp set. I coloured it in with my Stampin Markers using my MISTI and then made a stencil using some alphabet dies to make the MC monogram which I traced over my tree.

That’s about for today; thanks for stopping by for a look. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Hello there, it’s time for another Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and Helen is our host with a feminine challenge this fortnight!

Today I’ve played with another digital image from Gracielle Designs ‘Dreamy Girls’. I printed her on some Stampin Up white card stock and then coloured her with my Spectrum Noir Tri-Blend markers.

Come join in the fun and make a feminine card. Check out the projects that the other artists at Watercooler Wednesday Challenges have created, take the challenge and link your creation to the challenge post. We’d love to have you join us.  You have until Tuesday, 13th July at 10:00 Melbourne Time or Monday 12th July 5pm US Mountain Time to link up your project.

Thanks for looking and have a great day.

Today I decided to make some Christmas cards for my stash and was inspired by 8 different card challenges with only 3 of them being Christmas related.

First up is a card for:

• ABC Christmas Challenge – L is for letters & M is for mistletoe
• Paper Craft Crew #432

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I used the M is for mistletoe and decided to make a monochromatic card using the CAS-ual Fridays (retired) ‘Merry Kiss-Mas’ stamp set. I made 3 panels and stamped over them and then popped them up to soften the black and white theme.

Next is a card for:

• CAS Colours & Sketches #425
• Christmas Kickstart Challenge #51

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For this card I used the Uniquely Creative ‘Aussie Christmas’ stamp set. I loved that little possum in the stocking and decided to stamp 3 for the sketch and changed up the colouring of the middle one and gave hime some antlers.

Next is a card for:

• Happy Little Stampers – Christmas – ATG + optional Tinsel
• The Colour Hue #20 – Aqua & Black

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For this card I used my favourite tree stamp from Altenew ‘Sketched Evergreen’ which I inked up in Altenew Galactic Stream and Teal Cave, then heat embossed the final layer using Stampin Up Iridescent Ice over black ink. I think this looks like tinsel – don’t you? I love making Christmas cards in non-traditional colours.

Lastly is a card for:

• The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers #188 – W is for Watercolour
• Happy Little Stampers – Watercolour – ATG

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I used a stamp set from Stamps by Chloe ‘Bright & Breezy’ that came with a magazine and a sentiment from the Cat’s Pajamas ‘N-7874’. I made an ink smooshed background with a mottled cloudy effect, then stamped and watercoloured the bra and knickers before fussy cutting them out and attaching to the clothes line.

Well, I hope I’ve inspired you to make some Christmas cards. Thanks for stopping by for a look. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.