Under the Lantern Light

 

Hello crafty friends! Ericka from Strangely Creative here, and today I’m sharing a card that was especially fun to make because it was created for my mom’s birthday!

My mom loves raccoons, so when I pulled out the adorable Tumble from Lavinia Stamps, I knew exactly who needed to be the star of her card. I decided to create a magical nighttime scene around him, complete with a glowing lantern, colorful sky, woodland foliage, and just a little sparkle.

Starting with Tumble

I started with Bristol Smooth cardstock and stamped the sweet little Tumble raccoon. I then added the Mini Lamp and Seed stamps to begin building the scene around him.

I wanted it to look as though Tumble was walking with a glowing lantern in the middle of an enchanted forest, so before adding my background colors, I masked him off to keep the image protected.

✨ Creating the Lantern Glow

To create the light around the lantern, I used the Lavinia Circle Masks and began blending Sundance ink closest to the lamp. From there, I gradually expanded the glow with larger circles of Russet Orange and Merlot. I love how layering the colors this way creates the illusion of warm light radiating from the lantern. It's such a simple technique, but it can completely change the atmosphere of a card.

Building the Night Sky

Once my lantern was glowing, it was time to create the night around it.

I blended Della Blue and Blue Atoll across the rest of the background, allowing those deep blues to contrast against the warm yellows and oranges around the lantern. Along the bottom of the card, I added Pine and Pixie Green inks to create the grassy woodland floor.

 

A few spritzes of water over the ink-blended background lifted some of the color and created beautiful little variations that reminded me of stars and texture in the night sky.

Creating the Enchanted Forest

To give Tumble a cozy place to walk through, I stamped several Lavinia foliage and forest images along the ground and around the edges of the card. Layering the silhouettes helped frame the scene and made it feel as though we were getting a tiny peek into Tumble’s secret woodland world.

I then used a little watercolor to add color and shading to Tumble himself, keeping it soft so he still worked with the dreamy background.

Finishing Touches

Of course, an enchanted forest needs a little sparkle! I used a sparkly gold pen to add small highlights throughout the background, giving the scene just a hint of magical light.

To finish the card, I added:

• A simple sentiment strip
• Gold details for a little extra shine
• My signature hand-drawn frame

 

And with that, Tumble was ready to wish my mom a very happy birthday!

Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope Tumble’s magical evening inspires you to pull out your stamps, experiment with light and color, and create a little story of your own.

Have a wonderful weekend and happy creating!

 

 

 Topflight Stamp Supplies

Lavinia - Foliage Shop at: TP	Lavinia - Forest Moss Shop at: TP	Lavinia - Tumble Shop at: TP	Lavinia Stamps - Mini Lamp Shop at: TP	Lavinia Stamps - Mini Seed Head Shop at: TP
Lavinia - Circle Masks Shop at: TP	Lavinia - Elements Dye Ink - Blue Atoll Shop at: TP	Lavinia - Elements Dye Ink - Della Blue Shop at: TP	Lavinia - Elements Dye Ink - Merlot Shop at: TP
Lavinia - Elements Dye Ink - Pine Shop at: TP	Lavinia - Elements Dye Ink - Pixie Green Shop at: TP	Lavinia - Elements Dye Ink - Russet Orange Shop at: TP	Lavinia - Elements Dye Ink - Sundance Shop at: TP
Tsukineko - VersaFine Clair - Nocturn Shop at: AZ | TP	Lavinia 5/8 Stencil Brush Shop at: TP

Magicals Butterflies with AALL & Create

Hello, Lisa Hoel here. This week at Topflight Stamps our theme is "Outdoors". I love seeing butterflies in my garden this time of year so I was inspired to make a card focusing on them. I used the AALL & Create die set Starflight to cut out the butterflies and arch shape out of heavy duty cardstock. I glued the butterflies down first, then, when dry, I spritzed it with water and Lindy's Magicals powders. I really like how it pooled in the nooks and crannies for some intense mica gleam.

The green background is colored with Emerald Isle PaperArtsy Infusions Dye crystals. I also used the Lavinia Laurel stencil to add the leafy texture.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out the Topflight Stamps store for a wide selection of different and hard to find stamps, stencils and other paper crafting supplies from all around the world! Also keep an eye here on the Topflight Stamps blog. There is new inspiration posted often!

Topflight Stamps Supplies Used:

AALL & Create die set - Starflight

Lavinia stencil - Laurel

Lindy's Magicals Pigment Powders - Enchanted Forest

Lindy's Starburst Spray - Autumn Maple Crimson (Autumn Leaves set)

PaperArtsy Infusions Dye crystals - Emerald Isle

Hunkydory Precious Pearls

AALL & Create stamp set - Everyday Sentiments

 

Vacation! with Chou & Flowers

Happy Monday, friends!  It's Walter on the blog with you today and this week's theme is the outdoors.  We're now in the last weeks of summer and I thought it was fitting to use this theme to offer the last of the beach scenes for the year.  I used some beautiful stamp sets from Chou & Flowers to create the scene.  It's an overall simple card created with just stamping, a little fussy cutting, and a lot of coloring.

I began by stamping my A2 background panel using the Summer Souvenirs - Beach Huts stamp set and Versafine Clair Nocturne ink.  The row of beach huts fits perfectly onto the panel to provide a perfect beach background.  I then took the sand detail stamp from the View of Paradise stamp set and repeat stamped it around the sand area of the scene using a medium brown ink.

I colored my panel starting with the sand.  I use Ohuhu alcohol markers as I find they blend nicely and are cost-effective alternative vs. other brands.  I used a darker tan color called Khaki to go around the edges and then used a lighter tan color called Sand to fill in and blend it all together.  I then used several shades warm gray, neutral gray, blue, and red to finish the scene.  I went over the areas that I left white with a white gel pen to add some texture and make them pop.

I then stamped my beach umbrella, beach chair, and beach accessories using stamps from the View of Paradise stamp set using Versafine Clair Nocturne ink.

I colored the images and then fussy cut them.  I adhered the beach accessories directly to the sand area with glue and the umbrella & chair with some double-sided foam tape.  Voila . . . a finished card to celebrate vacation!  As I previously said, it's a very simple card.  Sometimes it's fun to stick to the basics on just focus on scene rather than trying to incorporate lots of different techniques.  I love the vibrancy of the colors and all of the little details that tie it all together.

I hope that you enjoy this card!  Are you sad to see summer coming to an end or are you happy that fall is right around the corner?  Let me know in the comments below!  I'll see you again next week for some more creative fun.  Until then . . . be well!

Topflight Products Used:

 Chou & Flowers Summer Souvenirs - Beach Huts

Chou & Flowers View of Paradise

Versafine Clair Nocturne

Postage Butterflies with Crafty Individuals

Hello, Lisa Hoel here. This week at Topflight Stamps our theme is again Anything Goes. This time I used a beautiful butterfly stamp from Crafty Individuals. I was also still having lots of fun making ink powder backgrounds so used the Lindy's Magicals Pigment Powders set Enchanted Forest to make this one.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out the Topflight Stamps store for a wide selection of different and hard to find stamps, stencils and other paper crafting supplies from all around the world! Also keep an eye here on the Topflight Stamps blog. There is new inspiration posted often!

Topflight Stamps Supplies Used:

Crafty Individuals - August XXXI Days

PaperArtsy Seth Apter stamp set - ESA08

AALL & Create die set - Quirky Post

AALL & Create washi tape - 114 Priority Dispatch

Lindy's Magicals Pigment Powders - Enchanted Forest

Lavinia Elements Ink - Sahara

Versafine Clair ink - Nocturne

AALL & Create stamp set - Everyday Sentiments

watercolors

 

Gear Up - A Steampunk Card

 It's Tuesday which means you've got Kathi here today to share a project with you. It's an "Anything Goes" week, so I created a Steampunk card with the Faceless Time Clear Stamp Set 1456, the Papillons Clear Stamp Set 1462, the Frise Pendentifs Clear Stamp Set 1461, and the Time Tinker Clear Stamp Set 1374 as well as the Cog Engine Die Set 125 and the Frayed Frames Die Set 26 — all by AALL and Create. The background panel and die-cuts were created with Steampunk Soiree Magical Pigment Powders by Lindy's Stamp Gang.

Here it is!

Use Tuxedo Black Memento Ink by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko to stamp the focal image from the Faceless Time Clear Stamps 1456 by Autour de Mwa for AALL and Create onto a panel of Bristol paper. Heat set the ink, then color the image with Copic markers. Use a white gel pen to add highlights to the hourglass.

Use the largest die from the Frayed Frames Die Set 26 by AALL and Create to cut the image panel, mat it with black cardstock, and set it aside.

Cut a piece of 9" x 12" Bristol paper to a 4.75" x 6.75" panel (for the background panel) and a 2" x 12" strip (for the border and sentiment die-cuts). Place the strip onto a craft mat. Use a small spatula to place a pile of Yesteryear Yellow Magical Powder from the Steampunk Soiree Magical Pigment Powder Set by Lindy's Stamp Gang onto the craft mat. Fold a baby wipe and press the top part of it into the pigment powder. Drag the baby wipe vertically onto the strip of Bristol paper to start to a apply the Magical Pigment Powder, working from the outside edges towards the center. Dip the wipe into the powder and apply it again. Continue until the powder pile is gone and your Bristol strip is colored. Clean your craft mat.

Use a spatula to place a smaller pile of Canna Lily Burnt Orange Magical Pigment Powder onto the craft mat. Using a new baby wipe, press the top of the wipe into the pigment powder, then drag the baby wipe down the strip of Bristol paper to fill in the gaps. Continue to dip the wipe and drag it down the strip until the powder is gone. Clean your craft mat.

Repeat the above process using an even smaller amount of Tophat Teal from the the Steampunk Soiree Magical Pigment Powder Set to add some verdigris colors to the Bristol Strip. When the colors and blend please you, thoroughly heat set the panel and trim it in half.

Use the both dies from the Cog Engine Die Set 125 by AALL and Create to cut the colored Bristol paper strip. Flip the die-cuts over and color the back with a black Copic marker or sponge them with Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko.  This step will edge the die-cuts from the back.

Place the 4.75" x 6.75" panel and a small scrap of Bristol paper onto a clean craft mat. Use a spatula to add a pile of Pocket Watch Pewter Magical Powder onto the clean craft mat. Press the top of a clean baby wipe onto the pigment powder, then drag the baby wipe onto the Bristol paper panel and scrap, working from the outer edges towards the center. Dip the wipe into the powder and continue to apply color to the panels. When done, heat set the panels thoroughly.

Pounce an anti-static tool/pouch onto the background panel then place it onto the base of a stamping platform. Position the corner gears stamp from the Papillons Clear Stamp Set 1462 by Azoline for AALL and Create facedown along the top left of the panel. Ink the stamp with Morning Mist VersaFine Clair Ink and stamp. Remove the panel from the stamping platform, add Clear Gloss Embossing Powder by WOW to the wet ink, dump the excess powder back into the container, and heat set. 

Clean and dry the corner gears stamp. Place the background panel back onto the stamping platform and position the the corner gears stamp from the Papillons Clear Stamp Set 1462 along the lower right hand edge. Position the border gears stamp from the Frise Pendentifs Clear Stamp Set 1461 by Azoline for AALL and Create vertically along the bottom left hand edge. Ink the stamps with Morning Mist VersaFine Clair Ink and stamp. Remove the panel from the stamping platform, add Clear Gloss Embossing Powder by WOW to the wet ink, dump the excess powder back into the container, and heat set. Edge the background panel with Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink.

Use a nameplate cutting die and a small gears die to cut the grey-colored scrap of Bristol paper. Place a piece of low-tack tape on the back of the Bristol paper scrap die-cut to keep it in place and secure the scrap onto the base of a stamping platform. 

Position the "Gear Up" stamp from the Time Tinker Clear Stamp Set 1374 by Janet Klein for AALL and Create facedown onto the die-cut. Ink the stamp with Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink and stamp. 

Remove the die-cut piece from the stamping platform. Add Clear Gloss Embossing Powder by WOW to the wet ink, dump the excess powder back into the container, and heat set.

Use the nameplate frame die and a small gears die to cut a leftover scrap from the tinted strip. Use Nocturne VersaFine Clair Ink to edge both parts of the nameplate die-cuts, then adhere the sentiment die-cut onto the frame die-cut. Adhere the gears die-cuts to cover the holes of the nameplate.

Adhere the border die-cut to the right side of the background panel. Adhere the matted image panel onto the background panel as shown. Adhere the sentiment nameplate die-cut to the upper left of the background panel. Adhere the completed background panel to a 5" x 7" black card.

Please pop over to my blog, Kat's Tales of Stamping, for step-by-step instructions and complete supply lists.

Topflight Stamps Products Used:

Faceless Time Clear Stamps 1456 by Autour de Mwa for AALL and Create

Papillons Clear Stamp Set 1462 by Azoline for AALL and Create

Frise Pendentifs Clear Stamp Set 1461 by Azoline for AALL and Create

Time Tinker Clear Stamp Set 1374 by Janet Klein for AALL and Create

Cog Engine Die Set 125 by AALL and Create

Frayed Frames Die Set 26 by AALL and Create

Steampunk Soiree Magical Pigment Powders by Lindy's Stamp Gang

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko

Morning Mist and Nocturne VersaFine Clair Inks by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko

Clear Gloss Embossing Powder by WOW

Thank you for visiting today!