Star Birthday Card

Just  finished this card for my nephew who is about to turn17. The blended technique with Distress inks was easy but trying to measure the gaps to fit the standard card and allowing for matting was melting my pain brain :) I have used  an embossed piece of white cardstock with the star pattern. I love the way the blended inks give such great highs and lows. Using Wild Honey, Faded Jeans and Chipped Sapphire just around the edges in Distress Inks. 

I Love Free Stuff!

Super Excited when I opened my issue of Australian Simply Cards and the free item this month was this gorgeous stamp! SCORE!

Steampunk Birthday Cards

Time to shake things up a bit. I had big ideas for an embossing folder that I hadn't used a lot.  I don't think I am the only one but I do find making mens cards challenging. I always put my cards together like a jigsaw puzzle without sticking anything down.  I find that with mens cards I always have to try and keep it relatively simple. It's very easy to add to much. I have painted black cardstock with Tim Holtz Distress Paint in Brushed Pewter but making sure that I was leaving some of the black coming through as well.

I really love trying new techniques so these cards were loads of fun.
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Butterfly Trifold Card

One thing I really try as a relatively new card maker is to not fall into making the same type of card but somehow the most common theme for me is pink and butterflies.  I love how pretty it looks.

This lovely Marianne Butterfly Die is attached to the belly band that keeps the card closed.

When I made this card I was only just starting to use inks a little more. I really noticed the difference adding some pink shading around the edges of the sentiment panel - it really seem to add another dimension.

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My First Mixed Media Project - Fayes Book

At the beginning of the year there was a really nice idea circling Facebook. It was called Random Acts of Kindness. The idea was that you would make a post stating that the first 5 people to respond would be sent something nice just one day during the year.  It could be something handmade, a movie ticket, something grown out of your garden the ideas are really endless. Something random and out of the blue to make their day. Put a smile on your dial. In turn the recipients would then continue the love to 5 of their friends and so on. For 4 of my recipients, I made a lovely handmade box with a clear lid displaying 5 cards and envelopes that I had made for them to use as gifts. As for my 4th recipient it was really difficult to find something I wanted to make for Faye as she is an incredibly talented craft teacher - you know...no pressure.  Finally I decided to try a Mixed Media Piece.  I seemed to be spending a lot of time on YouTube watching demonstrations by Gabrielle Pollacco  and this is what I came up with.

Gathering bits and pieces. I have used some lovely pieces of Maja paper, Tim Holtz Tissue tape across the middle (butterflies) and used some texture past to make the Sunray on the righthand side and the bricks on the top left. Dabbing Distress Ink Victorian Velvet through the Chicken wire and also later using this as an accent to give a deeper colour in patches combined with Prima Color Bloom Cotton Candy.

I have used Stampendous Encrusted Jewels in Pink on the white looking splatter in the corner. This was about the last thing I did and it just made the whole design come together.

I used Ripe Persimmon Distress Ink on this lovely corner chipboard. I am now understanding how great ink is to use to exactly match you elements.

The back of the book. Just with some nice flat matching elements to tie into the front design.

And of course there had to be a matching tag too!

Products used:
Distress Ink in Ripe Persimmon, Victorian Velvet and Shaded Lilac
Viva 3D Stempre Paint (On flourishes...I love the sparkle of this product)
Tattered Lace Victorian Border (top of book)
Prima Color Bloom Spray in Iris and Cotton Candy
Tattered Angels Valencia
Tim Holtz Sunray and Brick Stencils
Heartfelt Creations Sunkissed Fleur Die and Posy Patch
MFT Chicken Wire Die
Memory Box Catalina Wreath Die
Cheery Lynn Burlap Die
Tim Holtz Tissue Tape
Stampendous Encrusted Jewels in Pink
Strip of Plastic Pearls along the bottom of the book
Various plastic Pearl Centres in the flower and tiny pearlised flowers along the base of the book
Lace
Diamond Bling
Cheesecloth
Phew! I think that's it!
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Floral Blended Ink Birthday Card

I am really starting to enjoy blending inks with the circular sponge. My Pinterest account seems to be full of the most amazing stampscapes. This one I used Clear Embossing to stamp this Hero Arts Stamp and then used Distressed ink pads in- Worn Lipstick,  Mustard Seed, Ripe Persimmon, Shaded Lilac (I love this colour!) Peacock Feathers and Faded Jeans.

I also was excited to finally use this lovely Heartfelt Creations die I have had for a little while.

Butterfly Dylusions ink Birthday Card

I would like to thank lindekesblog.be for the inspiration to create this card. I do remember Dyan Reavely mention once in a tutorial I watched that she only choses 3 colours at a time so I must remember this in the future because they do make their own beautiful blends.

I haved used Dylusions Ink Sprays in:
London Blue
Squeezed Orange
Bubblegum Pink
Lemon Zest
Crushed Grape

I love this beautiful Memory Box Die in which I diecut the black and traced around some yellow cardstock to leave the yellow background.

Housewarming Card

One of my favorite people in my life is my beautiful cousin and her and her beau have bought a house. I am over the moon for them and decided to make this card. If you open the door I found a sticker of a puppy which she is dying to have when they eventually move.

Best wishes Dylusions Ink Spray Card

I am still finding my feet with the Dylusions Ink Sprays but the colours are just so amazing. I have really just been teaching myself via YouTube videos. I have decided that darker colours like purple should go on first. I have found that the mixing of colours can be looking fantastic and then I quickly ruin it by adding purple making batches of muddy brown. I did also start just trying to use just Bazzil cardstock and it seems to leave a mouldy spot so it looks like watercolor paper is the go.

I also understand that it is better to start with a larger piece of watercolor paper as some of this initial paper may not be the blend you are after and you may just take a smaller piece to work with.

Today the colours I used were: Calypso Teal, Sqeezed Orange and Bubblegum Pink

Playing with Mixed Media Elements

Welcome to Pretty Girly Stuff.

Here I am my first post. I was drawn to start my own card making blog because I love using Pinterest and I love that many great card posts are linked back to a clever persons blog and I loved the step by step tutorials 

After watching many many YouTube videos I decided I wanted to have a play myself with some mixed media products. I started with some beautiful Maja paper and and finished with  Stampendous Encrusted jewels kits in Pink. I absolutely loved using this product which is a pack of 5 vials with glitter chunky 2 toned embossing powder and Micas.  I used gesso on the flowers for a lovely milky look and also Victorian Velvet Distress ink to highlight the flowers and the distressed edges.

I also used some Tim Holtz 

I also used some Tim Holtz Tissue tape horizontally through the middle of the card. I must admit I found using the tissue tape quite difficult to use without tearing so I might look into the Tissue Tape Dispensers. I have had a heap of fun playing around with this card 

Pretty Bling!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope to see you again!