Sunday 6 November 2011

Steampunk and distress inks

Well, taking a break from the Christmas cards one day this week I had a sudden urge to work with my favourite subject - steampunk, and my favourite media - distress inks! So here is the first of three men's cards:

"Enjoy the journey"

The background for all these cards was made by dipping white card into drips of distress inks & sprayed water on a craft mat to make a stormy sky.

"Side view"

The images were all formed by stamping onto white card before heat embossing for added dimension, cutting out, and shaping from behind with an embossing tool. The images were then attached to the card using dimensional glue. This gives a "roundness" to all the hot air balloons and the globe.


"Side view"

The sea on the globe was coloured using watered-down distress ink and a paintbrush.

"Tempus fugit"

The flying clock on this card was stamped onto spare inked cardstock before diecutting into a circle. More distress ink was applied to the edges of the circle to make a frame. Pefrect Pearls were also added to the spray water on the background. It adds a lovely glittery gold shimmer, but doesn't show up well in the photos.

"You're my Top Priority Number One Guy"

This last card has a couple of dimensional features - there is a little owl charm in the top right, and one of the top-hatted gentleman has been picked out with a frame lined with acetate and decorated with some liquid pearls. Of the three cards, I am least happy with the layout on this one, I don't really like the way I have a line of images along the top, but I like the frames chappy so may use him again someday on a different project.

Entered for the following challenges:
Creative Inspirations
Dream Valley Challenges - Anything Goes
Fashionable Stamping Challenges - In Time Gone By
Let's Ink it Up - show us your favourite technique (at the moment, mine is this distress ink background)
Paper Sundaes - rectangles
Craft-Room

23 comments:

  1. Fab mens cards, love the steampunk theme, great technique. Thanks for joining us at LIIU, good luck. Hugs Suzanne x

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  2. These are all fabulous,love your backgrounds....Thank you for your visit,lovely comment and for becoming a follower...
    Mandy x

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  3. Such a fabulous card for our first entry. That stormy sky looks fabulous must try that technique and love all the stamping.

    Thanks for sharing with us at Fashionable Stamping Challenges.

    Hugs Shirley x x

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  4. Great cards, love your use of distress inks, I am just starting to use these and need a bit more practice I think, lol!
    Love Jayne. x x

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  5. Brilliant cards. Love the backgrounds.

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  6. Great cards I love them all!!
    Anne x

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  7. Fabulous male cards.
    Wendy xx

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  8. Fantastic card and the blogs looking fab too! Teresa xx

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  9. Thank you for entering into my candy and for becoming a follower.. Posh Cat Crafts
    Hugs
    Tamara

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  10. Wonderful steampunk cards and I love love that stormy sky you created! Thanks for joining us at Dream Valley Challenges.

    Hugs
    Carrie

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  11. I Love all your Chrismas cards but you can't go wrong with Steampunk!!!

    Thanks so much for posting my giveaway. I have put you in for the surprise as well as the bonus draws.
    Best of luck
    hugs Lynn

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  12. Cool card. Thanks for joining us at Dream Valley challenges.

    Liv

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  13. fab card love the background thanks so much for joining us at paper sundaes this week
    hugs sara x

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  14. Wonderful creations, love the blue backgrounds. Thanks for joining the Fashionable Stamping Challenges.

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  15. Fabulous card love how you stamped embossed and then shaped your own elements thank you for sharing with us at Craft-Room challenge XOXO Zoe

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  16. Absolutely gorgeous cards!!! Stunning creations.

    Thank you for sharing this with us at Craft-Room Challenge, good luck;-))m

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  17. fabulous card and colours, perfect for our challenge here at Craft-Room this fortnight. Good luck. hUgs


    Nikki DT

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  18. Fabulous cards, the backgrounds are wonderful. I love them. Thank you for joining us at Craft-Room Challenge.
    xxx Hazel.

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  19. These are three stunning cards! The backgrounds have turned out beautifully and I love the way you have rounded the balloons to give them some dimension! Good luck and thanks for joining in at the Craft-Room Challenge! Maria x

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  20. I love steampunk too. Great men's cards. Thanks for sharing your art in the Creative Inspirations Paints challenge.

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  21. That stormy sky is amazing...fab steampunk card...love the others too, Thanks so much for joining our craft-room challenge..Esther xx

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  22. these are ALL Fab!!! thanks for joining us at craft room challenge, Debi x

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  23. Fabulous cards and technique!! Thank you for sharing at LIIU and good luck!

    Hugs
    Hazel xx
    P.S. I have Christmas candy on my blog

    http://hazelshandmadecrafts.blogspot.com/2011/11/my-christmas-candy.html

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Thanks for leaving a comment, it's nice to know I'm not just talking to myself :)