Mystical Scene

 Dragged my gel plate out of semi-retirement for a bit of a play using Distress Oxide inks and Brusho powders mixed with water - enjoyed the exercise and have coloured fingers to prove it 😀.   The results were a bit variable and of course pretty unpredictable but I selected one to use with some stamps to make into a card.  I started off by stamping a silhouette image and then using a circle mask to give the impression of a full moon, sponging ink carefully around; also torn paper masks were used to ground the image.  Next I chose a selection of suitable stamps from several sets to do the rest of the stamping to make a pleasing scene, finally sponging around the edges and mounting onto a piece of toning card.  I have a few more gel plate backgrounds to use and it made a break from the making of Christmas cards.

Main Image - from Serene Silhouettes Stampin' Up
Trailing Foliage - from Wisteria Lane stamp set Chocolate Baroque
Ground plants and grasses - various stamps by Chocolate Baroque
Sentiment - computer generated using Word

Tall Card

Apparently tall cards have come into favour so it is just as well I have a supply of most sizes of card blank including these.  Decided to have a little play with some inking and stamping for this latest Christmas card - quite enjoyed it although it does take a bit of time to get the ink off my fingers afterwards..  The moon was suggested by masking off the area; tall trees a stamp which I've had for many years and may no longer be available. First and second generation stamping here. The ground was formed with torn paper masks and the deer stamps I've also had a while.  Think I may follow this up with some more inky play to gather a few interesting backgrounds together.

 Blue used - Distress ink Faded Jeans and Chipped Sapphire
Trees - Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz stamp set
Deer - Stamp set from Card-i-O

Still in Christmas Mode

 I'm still ploughing on with Christmas cards and I'm going back about four years to a set of stamps which I came across recently in my stash - an A4 set and I'm pretty sure that some of them haven't ever been inked so I've remedied that and made a few cards using the set, or at least four of them.  The image was stamped on cream card using Versamark and then embossed using a very old pot of embossing powder which is red with tiny flecks of gold.  I then cut it out using an octagonal die set, also cutting  larger ones in cream and gold to layer up and make for a bit more interest.  The larger cream octagon has been embossed and background paper was printed from a CD which I think may well no longer be available but it is definitely a favourite of mine and gets used often.  Sentiment was stamped and then cut out with banner dies.

Background - printed from Season's Greetings CD Chocolate Baroque
Image - from Fat Robin A4 stamp set Chocolate Baroque
Embossing Powder - Antiquities Chinese Red from Ranger
Octagon dies - Daisy Mae from Craftstash
Banners - dies from Creative Expressions stitched banners
Embossing - folder from Creative Expressions