Pearl Effect

I've spotted a faux mother of pearl technique on a couple of blogs recently so of course I just had to try it after popping into my local craft shop for some pearlescent medium.  This was used as a resist by dabbing it onto white card and then sponging with two colours of distress ink.  I then cut it to size and put it into an embossing folder before using the resulting piece as a background for some swirls and flowers.  A small sentiment was added so that most of the pretty background was showing.  I can see lots of possibilities for this technique and will certainly be doing more of it.  I'm not sure the pearlescent effect comes over particularly well in a photograph but it is very pretty in real life as it catches the light.

 Background - made using Pearlescent medium and Distress inks
Flowers - Heartfelt Creations Sunkissed Fleur stamp, coloured with alcohol markers
Flowers - cut out with matching Spellbinders die
Flower Centres - sparkles from Hobby House
Swirls - Sue Wilson Grand Vinery dies
Sentiment - computer generated on Cuttlebug die cuts.

Floral Card

Today's card is well away from the Christmas theme and shows a flower which I think looks like a blue poppy (Icelandic??) - a stamp from a the Stampin' Up set Bloom with Hope coloured using Distress markers.  This is layered 3D style onto a shape from the Apothecary Accents thinlets die set in the centre of a 'create a card' die cut from Die-sire. This in turn has been layered onto an embossed piece of blue card. The sentiment is computer generated and cut out using Stampin' Up punches.

Challenge Time Again

I can hardly believe it is time for a new challenge on Pixie Snippets blog - yet another week has whizzed by while I wasn't looking!!  My snippets this week are a slight departure from my usual work because they are quilling strips.  This came about because a member of our craft group expressed an interest in quilling and while I am no expert, I do know the basics so agreed to show her how to get started.  We are a small group where it is all about sharing our knowledge and expertise - a great way of introducing people to different crafts. I feel that quilling is something which can develop with practice once the basics are learnt and then it is a case of using the various shapes to build up a wide variety of designs.

As we are rapidly approaching the festive Season I thought I'd make up a little robin for her to try and here he is incorporated into my card for Snippets this week.  The  background paper is from Craftwork Cards but all the other pieces are from my snippets boxes.

Background - Craftwork Cards paper pad
Circles - Spellbinder dies
Square layer - scrap of card embossed with Tim Holtz music embossing folder
Greeting - stamp from Stampin' Up on X-cut die cut tag
Robin and Holly - quilled with 3mm papers