Finishing off Christmas!

Well I am still catching up with posting some of my Christmas makes. These three cards are variations on a similar theme for my three special Craft Stamping Quartet friends Jo, Judith and Lesley.

Firstly the green version for Lesley.



This uses a K & Co backing paper, the Quietfire sentiment embossed in gold, small and large Marianne poinsettia die cuts and some Crealie leaves (courtesy of Judith - thank you!). The flowers are cut out of gold pearl paper, greeny gold pearly vellum and two shades of green card. The flowers on all the cards are finished off with little gems. 

Next the purple version for Judith. This was really difficult to get a good photo of because it is so reflective. The background paper is purple and silver, the flowers are cut from four shades of pearl and metallic purple and lilac card and the sentiment is embossed in silver detail powder on a matt purple background. This card has silver leaves cut with the McGill Pine Bough punch. During the making of this card I managed to break the punch by standing on it!



Last, but not least a blue and burgundy version for Jo. This also uses a K & Co backing paper, including as the background for the sentiment panel which is embossed in Ruby Obsidian Moonglow Powder. The flowers are cut from burgundy velvet paper, a bluey, purple pearl vellum and blue and green card, inked slightly aound the edges. The lovely ribbon is actually a piece Jo bought for me, but it seemed to work so well, so I hope she didn't mind me giving it back to her!

These cards were a bit of a labour of love because each flower layer had to go through the Cuttlebug twice, once to cut and once to emboss, plus the centres had to be cut out, so that that's 60 journeys through the little green machine for each card! I don't mind really though because these lovely girls are definitely worth it!

Happy Christmas!

Happy Christmas everyone - hope you are enjoying the festive season with you and yours.

Those of you who follow my blog know that I have to move my crafting indoors in the winter because my shed is too chilly. Well my house clearly isn't much better in this very cold weather because this was the scene that greeted me in my temporary craft room this morning!

I am pleased to say it melted very quickly, but it was really pretty while it lasted!!

I cannot take much credit for the card design above. It is almost an exact copy of a card I saw demo'ed at the Excel Centre show way back in February. If I remember correctly it was on the J & C Crafts stand. Thanks for the inspiration anyway which made me buy this set of two wood mounted stamps - an extravagance I rarely get drawn into these days! Not sure of the brand as I have put my Christmas stamps back in my freezing shed! (EDIT The main tree is a Penny Black stamp - Before the Snow and the other is the Creative Expressions Dotty Tree stamp). The tree and snow effect tree work perfectly together. The card was shaded in ink with a mixture of Distress Ink - Tumbled Glass - one of my current favourite colours and Adirondack dye inks in Pool, Stream and a tiny touch of Denim around a moon mask. The trees were inked in Lagoon Versafine and embossed in a Kaleidoscope EP. Branches of the tree stamp were used to frame the design. The sentiment is from the Waltzing Mouse Vintage Christmas set. The snow tree stamp was then added slightly offset over the previously stamped trees and embossed in white EP. Finally I added some little dots of stickles and added some extra Glamour Dust glitter.

Enjoy the rest of your holiday and keep cosy!!

Elaine x

I've finished my Christmas cards!

I started off with such good intentions of keeping on top of making Christmas cards this year. I did actually start on Christmas cards in the summer for Elusive Images Design Team samples, but my own had to be put on hold. The cards in this picture were made in a big batch, with all the components stamped ready to assemble when I went on holiday in France in October. The deer on the red card design is a Papermania stamp - I just love this design. I added the greeting from the same stamp set on a tiny tag, tied on with red paper string. I finished the design off with punched snowflakes and a little red gingham bow. The green design has misteltoe corners, decorated with self adhesive pearls for berries. The sentiment is from the Waltzing Mouse Very Vintage Christmas set, a really useful set of small sentiments and labels, and the flowers are cut with a small Marianne poinsettia die.

The next card was a birthday card for my brother. I wanted to use the lovely Quietfire Walt Whitman quote stamp again and masked a sun and inked a shaded background before adding stamping. The birds are from a Tim Holtz set. the vine, from Lavinia and the plants are from Crafty Individuals

I really enjoyed making these cards, although they are quiet different in their approach, the second card is closer to my preferred style.

Hope your Christmas preparations are going well and you get some time for some creative escape.

Elaine

My first exploding box!

Earlier this month it was my crafty friend Judith's birthday. I wanted to make something special for her as she had been feeling really poorly with a horrible virus. I decided to have a go at making my first ever exploding box card. I have been really inspired by the work of another Elaine on her Magic Boxes blog and in particular, this amazing Indian inspired box which was commissioned by a chap for his wife - lucky girl.

I started with this lovely Persian Shrine stamp from Lost Coast, available from Happy Daze. I embossed the arch in fine silver EP and then cut out the shape and inked panels to go underneath in my favourite Adirondack dye inks over little stars stamped with a Lavinia stamp embossed in clear EP and a Viva clear flourish stamped in archival black ink. I mounted these panels on dark blue and turquoise card layers.  

I made a lid from more blue card and decorated it with the beautiful Elusive Images Indian Flower mandala stamp, glittered in shades of blue, with self adhesive jewels added. I decorated the edges of the box with glitter card and a phrase from the gorgeous set of abbey stamps CI 286 from Crafty Individuals, embossed again in silver.

I decorated the inside of the box with panels stamped with a tree stamp CI 209 from Crafty Individuals,  this gorgeous vine leaf and tiny slender mushroom stamps from Lavinia. Once again I shaded with the Adirondack dye inks in various shades of blue applied with Cut 'n' Dry foam. The central panel was stamped with the vine stamp, decorated with dark blue fabric flowers, with an oval panel with the delight stamp which is from a Hero Arts set. I added a couple of little stamped dragonflies whose wings had been painted with Opal Dust paint.

As always I love this kind of inking, building up the depth of colour and getting a sort of glow in the centre of the panels. I have to say it took me ages to put this together, but I was quite pleased with the end result and felt it had been worth the effort.

Last but not least, if you haven't already seen it, do pop over to the blog of the very talented Lynn Brown of LB Crafts where she has a very generous Tim Holtz giveaway going on until the New Year - someone is going to be a very happy bunny!

Elaine

A White Christmas

I saw a beautiful all white card on the blog of the very talented Christine Dark . I have seen Christine demonstrate a number of times at the brilliant Craft Barn Extravaganzas. She is a truly talented crafter, her skills in watercolouring with Distress Inks are awesome. Anyway, I loved Christine's white card immediately and wanted to try and do a version for rmyself. I did think my version is a rather pale imitation of Christine's perfect card, then I wondered if it is possible to make a pale imitation of an all white card anyway? !

I don't have any large Cuttlebug embossing folders, so I made four square panels using the Divine Swirls folder. I used this gorgeous sentiment which is one of my new stamps from Quietfire. I embossed the sentiment onto another circle of white card in silver detail powder. I love the crispness of this stamp. I still can't get over my childlike wonder at the magic of the embossing appearing this beautifully from under the heat gun!

I made a wreath of snowflakes using a set of Marianne dies, stuck it all together with silicone glue and added some self adhesive gems and pearls.

Not sure who is going to get this card yet, but overall I am pleased with it and loved making it more for pleasure than pressure which is unusual at this time of year.

Hope you are keeping up with your own festive crafting!

Elaine

Feeling seasonal!

Well the snow has finally reached the south of England. Here is one of our squirrels running through it to get to the feeding table. I wish I could put a video on of the way they are bouncing, it is hilarious!!

I have had quite a few cards to make lately. Last week I received an order from a Canadian company Quietfire Design. I have been wanting some of Suzanne's beautiful calligraphy stamps for some time and finally got around to ordering them. It was my Mum's birthday this week and I made a card using this beautiful quote from Walt Whitman on a nestie shape edged with Caramel Adirondack dye ink and Vintage photo Distress Ink and a couple of copper brads. I mounted it onto a piece of Masterboard stamping I did ages ago. I used a whole A2 sheet of brown card from Paperchase and overstamped with leaves in brown and gold. I sprayed the whole thing with Autumn Leaves glimmer mist it has been so useful for several cards. I must try and get some more of that card when I am in London next week as it is a perfect colour for this kind of work. For this card I added some copper embossed leaves which used the same stamp, painted with H2O paints and a piece of brown ribbon.  



We have definitely left autumn behind now though! I am off to make a pot of veggie stew and dumplings later!

Whatever you are doing keep warm!

Elaine 

Elusive Images Design Team Christmas Cards

Well it's a busy old time of year at the moment. Loads to do, not enough hours to the day and as card makers we are on guilt trips about sending shop bought cards too! I thought I'd share a couple of the cards I made as Design Team samples for the gorgeous and versatile Family Christmas stamp set from Elusive Images. I fancied making a card in monochrome and silver. It doesn't show that well in this picture, but the images on the tree are all glittered in three different colours of extremely fine glitter. The flowers are cut using a small Marianne Poinsettia die, the leaves use a McGill Pine Bough punch that gets good use all year round, even if I do have to stand on it to cut through card! The border at the bottom is cut with a Crealies die set from the Netherlands. These are new to me and cut beautifully. The whole thing is matted on silver.

The second card uses a rocking horse image. I felt this needed a vintage look., so I stamped this image and embossed in burgundy on some cream card, watercoloured with some Distress Inks and Inktense pencils and edged with some Vintage Photo DI before distressing the edge and matting onto burgundy. The image is backed onto an Artylicious holly DP and then added the cotton gingham ribbon, edging cut with the Martha Stewart Garden Trellis punch, with some whopping big flowers and very nice metal flower brads. The sentiment is also from the Family Christmas plate and I embossed and coloured it the same way as the main image. I always manage to take pictures that make things look wonky but I am sure the sentiment did not have that list IRL!

Go and have a look at the Graphicus website for these stamps through the link above and click on the gallery link to see all the amazing work the girls in the design team have come up with. While you are there check out their sale too!

Thanks for popping round!

Elaine xx

More playing cards

Well, so much for my weekly posts of my altered playing cards! Life seems so hectic, but today I have been doing a little catching up, being creative and doing some baking too!
 

Here are cards 2 and 3. Card 2, uses a lovely image of a lady - this is available from a number of companies. This is a Cherry Pie stamp. This stamp got me e mailing the very talented stamper Paula Whittaker who also loves this image, when I wanted to know who made it. I love Paula's work and she has been very generous with her patient answers to my questions about stamps, papers and techniques - thank you! The words are from Artistic Stamper. I used a mask to create the background and added a chipboard bird and a little bling!.

Card 3 uses a word stamp - I think it might be a Cat's Life stamp possibly, the child image is from  Joanna Sheen. This is stamped in plum archival ink, coloured in pink sherbert and coloured gently with Coloursoft pencils. I think these words are very apt, sometimes when I am at work, dealing with something very challenging, wondering how I ended up doing what I do, when really all I want to do is craft these days, I think of these words!

Lastly, I posted my latest project on the blog I share with the lovely Jo, Judith and Lesley.

Do pop over and have a look at our projects this month (I think we might just have stretched the month again!). Judith's project really sums up our special friendship perfectly.

Thanks for stopping by.

Elaine x

Lovely ladies

Elusive Images have released some new stamps that are a little different, three A5 plates of ladies in dramatic evening dresses . The girls on the Design Team worked on these designs last month and the results of all the hard work helped to launch the stamps last weekend. The stamps can be used to make beautiful wedding cards, to send a message for someone going to their prom or for any occasion where a posh frock is the order of the day.

For one of my submissions, I did something a bit different. Using the skirt from the main Belle Dame image, I stamped it 6 times in black archival ink to make huge petals. Then I coloured the images with Adirondack dye inks, Coloursoft pencils and an orange Copic Spica pen to add some sparkle. I added jewels in amber and yellow to highlight the design. I mounted the petals onto an 8 x 8 card covered in black velvet paper and added a flower from the very useful Big Flowers plate in the centre, coloured and bejewelled in the same way.  I think I am stuck in a little groove with these autumn colours!! Some people have described this design as looking like a kaleidoscope, which come to think of it, it does rather. Maybe not suprising as I was always fascinated by them as a child (and even an adult if I am honest!).

To see the stamps in all their detail, go over to the Design Team blog and you can see what the other girls have been up to. Glenda is doing a random giveaway of all three of these new stamp sets so leave a comment on the post on the Design Team blog (rather than just here) to have a chance of winning one of the sets. It's a random draw, so everyone has an equal chance of winning.

I will be posting playing card number 2 in a couple of days.

Elaine x

Back again!

I have been a bit quiet for the last couple of weeks as we were away in Brittany for a week's holiday and I have been playing catch up since.

Apart from rather mixed weather we had a great week and saw some great places that gave me lots of artisitc inspiration too. The highlight for me has to be the Abbey on Mont St Michel. I had visited before, but not been into the Abbey, it is an amazing place, on a huge scale, even more impressive because of it's location and how difficult it must have been to build. My favourite thing though had to be the gorgeous cloister garden. I have already mentioned my love of cloisters and they inspired one of my projects on the blog I share. I just wish there hadn't been so many people there! I would have loved to just soak up the peace!

We also saw some dramatic coastline.

Near Cap Frehel lighthouse people had built lots of little cairns out of the rose granite. Some were 2 - 3 feet high .....

......while this one was only about 4 inches high!

I also spotted some rather lovely shop and restaurant signs ....

........... some interesting shop windows ............ had Tim Holtz visited maybe?

and some great srchitectural details - this has shades of Harry Potter I thought!

While I was away I made a start on a new project I had the idea for a while back when I saw some giant playing cards in the 99p shop! Stupidly I didn't buy them at the time, so ended up finding some on line.

My idea was to make a set of cards with positive and affirming messages for myself. I liked the idea of using playing cards because it gave me 52 cards, one for each week of the year. I have had a difficult summer one way and another and need to focus on the positives on life whenever I can. I keep meaning to try journalling, but am so critical of my work it sort of defeats the object. This approach felt like a great alternative and a chance to do a manageable craft project just for me. I also decided that I am going to allow these cards to be less than perfect, so if the odd mis-stamp or blob or blotch happens, I have given myself permission to let it go for once!!

The first card uses the Don't Worry, Be Happy from the Words of Wisdom stamps from Elusive Images and the wonderful bees by Jo Capper-Sandon, which are a complete joy to use. The message seemed very appropriate for the first card in my set. The images are stamped in black archival ink, shaded with Colourosft pencils and the wings made to glimmer with a Sakura Stardust pen. The card is then finished off with shading in Wild Honey Distress ink.

Let's hope I manage to keep up making one card a week!

Thanks for popping by!

Elaine x

Still here!

Well, it's been a bit quiet round here - I have been busy on Design Team projects and can't show those to you. Here is a card I made at top speed yesterday.

One of my work colleagues has just bought a plot of land to build a house in Cornwall. I promised her if she got her plot I would make her a card.

I only had an hour to spare and unfortunately I think this shows. I used Distress Inks and Adirondack pigments for the background and every sort of inks you can think of for the trees and plants. The stamps are Arboretum and Wild Meadow from Elusive Images, a Nigella seed pod from Lavinia Stamps, a fern from Beeswax and the flight of birds from Clarity Stamps. The sentiment is computer generated.

I am not entirely satisifed with the end result, but then I rarely am!

Thanks for popping by

Elaine xx

Another little girl with butterflies

A while back I posted a card made with this beautiful little girl stamp - Gabrielle - from Imagination Crafts and some sparkly butterflies. I knew I could do it better and last week I had the chance when I needed to do a card for another little girl in our family.

I stamped the image in black archival ink and then sponged Spun Sugar distress ink and then Pink Sherbert Adirondack dye ink across the whole card with cut n' dry foam. I then used a mask, flower frenzy template also available from Imagination and used another Adirondack dye ink - in raspberry I think - to pick out the pattern all over the card avoiding the face. I shaded the edges and corners with wild plum ink and I think a tiny touch of Eggplant.

I mounted the panel onto an 8 x 8 card blank, added the sparkly butterflies, this time a more subtle white and added some tiny silver dots in each corner.

This card came together in less than an hour and I was really pleased with the end result, even if I do say so myself!

Have a great crafty weekend!

Elaine xx

What's in my gift bag - is it a trick or a treat?

Well today's the day for the big reveal - is it a trick or a treat? Is this where you win the lovely Elusive Images Halloween blog candy?

Well ................... the answer from me is ........................


that......................


I am a .....................

Sorry, but keep hunting on the other DT blogs before tonight!

Elaine xx

Trick or Treat gift bag!

Well I was a bit mean earlier in the week and only posted a sneeky peak of my halloween project as part of the Elusive Images spooky blog hop. Here it is in its entirety! It's not a great one for any arachnophobes out there!!

Here is what I used:

A plain black gift bag
Some white card
Twilight Zone and Spookylicious Elusive Images stamp sets
Ranger black archival ink
Adirondack dye inks in sunshine yellow, cranberry and eggplant
Distress ink in spiced marmalade
Cut and dry foam
Non stick craft sheet
Purple mirri card
Wide decorated Halloween ribbon
Narrow orange ribbon
Double sided tape

I stamped the house onto white card in the black ink and cut the panel to just outside the stamped image. I cut a small tag from more white card, punched a hole and stamped the Trick or Treat words in black ink. Using the cut and dry foam, apply the different colour dye inks. The aim is to build a glow on your panel and tag, I love this effect, it must be one of my most favourite ways to use ink. Firstly apply the yellow ink right across the panel and tag, working with the foam from the outside in pulling the ink onto the card from your non stick craft sheet. Next add the orange ink working across the panel and tag again. Add some cranberry ink, keep this colour nearer to the edge leaving a glow in the centre, work your way around each edge. Finally add tiny amounts of eggplant ink in the corners and the very edges of the panel and tag - be very careful not to be too heavy handed with the darker inks.

When you are happy with your inking, mount the house panel onto a slightly larger panel of purple mirri card using double sided tape. Use a strip of the wide ribbon and mount it across the gift bag using double sided tape, folding the ends round into the fold of the bag. Stick the house panel onto the centre of the bag on top of the ribbon. Add a strip of the narrow ribbon onto the tag and stick this near the top of the bag with double sided tape.  That's your bag finished and ready to be filled with Halloween treats!

Dont forget to visit the Elusive Images Design Team blog to see all the stamp sets in their full glory. You can click in the side bar to find your nearest Elusive Images stockist. For those people ordering more than one set of these stamps, you can recieve a great inspiration leaflet, giving pages of ideas of how to use these spookylicious stamps. I've seen this leaflet and it is really great.

Happy stamping and happing hunting for the spooky Halloween blog candy.

Elaine xx

Elusive Images Blog Hop

Well it's that time of year when the nights draw in, I get out my hot water bottle, watch the trees turn beautiful inspiring shades and think of making pumpkin soup!. As crafters our thoughts turn to Christmas - noooo - not yet - first it's Halloween, a great excuse to use my orange and purple ink pads. 

All this week me and the other EI Design Team girls are hosting a Halloween themed blog hop. You can see the link to the DT blog in my side bar. There you will be able to see the Halloween stamps in their full glory and find out about special offers on the stamps. You can also see links to all the girls' blogs. Follow those to see what spooky projects we have all been working on and somewhere this week, on two of our blogs, you will have two chances to win some gorgeous Halloween themed blog candy from Elusive Images by leaving a comment.

I'll be back later in the week with the full reveal of my project.

Have fun and good luck!

Elaine x

Catching up!

Well it's been a busy old week for me. I managed to post my latest overdue project for our Craft Stamping Quartet blog, while the other girls were off galivanting at the Graphicus Retreat. Please pop over and see what we have been up to here.

While the lucky Retreaters were away, some of the other Graphicus Guild members decided to do some green projects because we were green with envy - here is my effort!! I used the Arboretum Stamps from Elusive Images to make another overdue birthday card for my friend, I used Adirondack dye inks in Citrus, lettuce and Pesto for the background, Olive Archival ink for the tree itself and all sorts of green inks for the leaves. I edged the stamped panel with different stamps from the Wild Meadow set from Elusive Images - another of my favourites. I used my leafy technique in the background and finished off with some ribbon and paper leaves. Even my OH was postive about this card - wonders will never cease!!

I managed to finally finish the project we started at the brilliant workshop we did with Linda Elbourne at LB Crafts during our mini-Retreat break in Bedford in June - I loved the workshop and the colours of this hanging are just gorgeous. My OH noticed this one too and said the roses looked like chocolate. Maybe he was feeling a little peckish! This project is based on three little canvases, covered with stamped tissue paper and decorated with various Tim Holtz die cuts from Grungepaper, some lovely TH metal embellishments and some Grungepaper roses coloured with Distress Ink and sprayed with Glimmer Mist. I must admit I didn't enjoy the assembling of the project with all the jump rings. Judith did a sterling job of teaching us how to do it properly on our break, but knowing what a fan Linda is of songs, I think I just want to sing I don't like jump rings to the tune of I don't like Mondays by the Boomtown Rats!!!!

I also taught my first ever craft workshop at a another retreat, a weekend for carers, to give them a break from their caring responsibilities at home. We made flag books and it went really well, I can't believe what they managed as they were all non-crafters, the big smiles at the end made it all worthwhile - even the ink up the wall, but I'll make a post about that on another day!


Thanks for popping over

Elaine xx

A late birthday card!

It was my dear friend Jo's birthday earlier in the month and I was so bogged down with other things I knew I didn't have time to devote to making the sort of card she deserved so I had to give her an IOU. The good thing was Jo was coming to spend a few days with me, so I could give it to her in person!! I just managed to finish it in time for her visit.

This card uses one of my favourite stamps - Molly from Beeswax stamps. The picture has a slightly weird effect on the lines of the engraved image for some reason.

I stamped the image in Olympia Green Versafine on white and slightly distressed with Antique Linen DI. I assembled a selection of papers, some sheet music, the script paper is Prima and the green flowers is a gorgeous double sided paper from Graphic 45, both sides are so beautiful, it is virtually impossible to decide which to use and which to hide!

I added little paper daises in her hair, a laser cut butterfly, some cream cotton lace and green ribbon and a metal key embellishment which is K & Co. The fern is cut with a Little Claire die and the sentiment is computer generated. These are words from a lovely Sandy Denny song from my youth, I thought they were very suitable for a belated card!!  

Thanks Jo for being such great company!

Elaine xx 

Another DT application card

I thought I would share another of my Elusive Images DT application cards.

One of the briefs for entries was a project in the Elusive Images signature colours of teal and brown. I decided to use a peacock theme, and used a DP from my Graphicus Guild pack from the Peacock Summer Party CD set and a stamp from the Peacock Fan themeplate. I embossed the image in gold detail powder on brown card, cut the panel out with a nestie scalloped rectangle die and matted the panel on gold card. I did the sentiment in the same way using a greeting from the Birthday Words stamp set. I added a turquoise ribbon and some large bronze brads.  

On a more frivolous subject, anyone who knows me knows I love bunnies. I even seem to be growing them in my vegetable patch now!

I just had to share this cute vegetable (well I know its technically a fruit!).

An anniversary card

I recently made this card for a special friend and her husband. It was a silver wedding anniversary, but I decided to go for a more general approach. The silver hearts are my symbol of the occasion!

This card is rather a cheat, as the main elements came from a money envelope that I doctored inked and stamped on! I found a backing paper that blended well, once I had inked it with Antique Linen Distress Ink and shaded the edges of panels with Weathered Wood DI. The main words were printed, but I so love them, I cut them out with a Nestie die and mounted them on a dusty red backing.

I stamped the word "Cherish"  with one of a gorgeous set of Hero Arts stamps that I finally knocked off my wish list recently. I adore their flowing script. I finished off with a little wooden heart, the lovely grey and cream gingham cotton ribbon, cream cotton lace and the silver hearts. I matted the whole panel on Whitewash card.

Hope you have had a good weekend.

Elaine x

One of my Elusive Images Design Team entries

One of the reasons things got a bit slow on here for a while was that I couldn't show the cards I made for my DT entry. This was one of my favourites, using - surprise, surprise a nature theme!!

The main panel is made by using a real fern leaf as a mask, with colour added with a shaving brush. I then overstamped with an EI fern stamp from the lovely Wild Meadow set - one of my absolute faves! I then stamped the moths from the Daisy Collage sheet onto green vellum in black perfect medium and embossed in what I think was Angel Wings Gold Moonshadow EP. I cut out the moths and placed them onto the panel using adhesive microdots. I also stamped the EI sentiment onto more of the fern background and then mounted the whole thing onto a green Artylicious paper from my Graphicus Guild pack, adding some gorgeous lime green lace, deep green ribbon, green flowers embellished with metal charms and lime green jewel centres. I do love green!!

This is how I did my fern leaf panel.

I started by choosing a nice fern leaf. I chose three green dye ink pads, in this case Willow, Citrus and Lettuce. I started by sponging the two lighter colours over the white card with Cut 'n' Dry foam, more or less covering the background.

Then I added the darkest colour with a shaving brush to stipple around the fern leaf. Placing the leaf in the centre of the panel and working around either full or part leaves working across the card to fill the background.

The end result is a panel with varied depth and texture. I chose the best part to make the panel for my card and overstamped with the fern stamp.

I am thrilled this card was judged to be good enough to get me on the team - now I hope I can live up to expectations!!