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Tuesday 20 March 2012

Fruit and Flowers hyacinths

Am I the only who thinks winter has flown by this year? I can hardly believe that spring is here - but it really is! My garden in bursting with life now and the bulbs are looking a treat. One of my favourite spring flowers is the hyacinth with its heavenly scent, and I like to have pots of them round the house. I was playing around with my Fruit and Flowers stamp set the other day and came up with a way of stamping hyacinths too! Come and have a look:


Actually these look more like grape hyacinths because I didn't want them to be so big they tipped over the vase!


Here's a close up. I used the smallest flower in the Fruit and Flowers set to layer up the flower and I love the different shades of purple you can get just by stamping more than once without re-inking.


And what do you think of the vase? It's made with the Christmas ornament punch! I know this isn't a new idea and I've featured these vases on my blog before, but this time I used vellum card stock which I think is very effective. Colouring 'water' on the back of the vellum with a Bashful Blue marker and wiping it away with a tissue gives a really subtle effect although it's difficult to photograph. I've found that the 2-Way glue pen makes a great job of sticking vellum fairly invisibly.

Now, just in case you'd like to give this a go, here's a mini tutorial:
First the leaf. It's just a simple masking technique.
Edited to add: I've just realised that this should go into the Less is More challenge where Chrissie and Mandi are looking for cards featuring Masking. It'll be my third entry this week so I hope you won't get fed up with me!


Fold a post-it note in half lengthwise and cut a narrow slit along the fold. Open the post-it note out...


... and lay it onto your card stock (I used Confetti White as I like using speckled paper for nature projects). Use the post-it note as a mask and draw long lines into the slit with a Certainly Celery marker.


Your leaf will look like this. I've also drawn some rough stems for my hyacinths. Hmmm - looking at them now, they're perhaps a little rougher than I intended but they'll do!


Use the tiny flower from Fruit and Flowers to start building up the flower. Use the stamp three or four times without re-inking to get a good range of colours. Keep adding layers of flowers working down the stems.


Hold the 'vase' in place so that when you come near the bottom of your flowers you'll know when to stop! Finish the flowers by dotting the centres of them with the Certainly Celery marker. I haven't done that in this photo but if you look at the finished card you'll see the effect.

I hope you'll have a go at this technique - it's great fun! Do let me know how you get on won't you.

Here's what you need to make today's card:
Stamps: Fruit and Flowers, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Concord Crush for the flowers, Baja Breeze, Bashful Blue, Crumb Cake to sponge the background
Card stock: Confetti White, Concord Crush, Baja Breeze textured, scrap of vellum card stock
Other: Markers, Ornament punch, paper snips, post it note, linen thread, stamp-a-majig
I'd be delighted to order any of these items for you (except the post it note!) and can have them delivered to your address in the UK. I'm committed to providing excellent customer service and am always happy to offer help and advice. To place your order, just send me an email or give me a call on 01280 820593.
As part of the Sale-a-bration promotion, here until 31st March, you can choose a free stamp set or set of papers with EVERY £45 you spend. Click here to see all the fabulous Sale-a-bration freebies.

I've been having to make all these trips to the dentist lately but today it's my husband's turn. He is not very happy and I think it's probably best not to plan anything too crunchy for dinner...

Thank you for visiting my blog and for all your emails and comments which I love reading. I'll be back tomorrow with more crafting fun and I hope to see you then.

Hugs,






36 comments:

  1. Vicky, this is stinkin' amazing! TOTALLY off to my craft area to try this--and I can't believe how talented you are! I hope you join in the fun at MMM--I was skeptical at being able to make a spring card, too, but it is quite simple and I've make 30+ more since then!!! HUGS! :)

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  2. This is really quite lovely Vicky. I've got grape hyacinths in my garden now and they look just like these!

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  3. Stunning card Vicky! I love your beautiful hyacinths and your vellum vase looks amazing!!
    Hugs, Victoria ~x~

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  4. THis is such a lovely card Vicky! I love how you created a stencil for the stems, and the vellum vase is a real treat! Such a great idea!

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  5. Thanks for popping in Vickey! And your kind words!
    this is a beuatiful enty as well!
    Have a great day!

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  6. Brilliant ideas, Vicky - both the hyacinths and the leaves/stems - love this - so pretty x

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  7. Gorgeous card Vicky and what a great way to make the leaves

    Anne

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  8. Your hyacinths look fab and a super use of that little flower. Love your "glass" vase too. x

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  9. Amazing Vicky - you are so creative! Nx

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  10. Love all your little details Vicky, this sort of stamping is easy to overdo and you've got it spot on for those hyacinths :0)
    Love how you made a leaf mask and those stems look great actually ....they even have the angle of refraction where they enter the water.....oo-er hark at me getting technical Lol
    Jenny x

    Congrats on your colourQ win too.... You're getting used to that crown now :0)

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  11. Superb Vicky
    Totally inspired!

    mandi x

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  12. Vicky I can only echo Mandi's comment,I only get original thoughts once a year, if I'm lucky, you have them in bucket loads!! I'm off to try this technique with a similar stamp:)
    Val x

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  13. Words fail me...you are so clever!

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  14. Brilliant card Vicky; this is not an easy thing to get right ! Lovely results and the vellum vase is ingenious ! You must dream crafting all night !!! Hugs Jane x

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  15. I am really going to have a go at doing something like this - it's fabulous. Great tutorial too. (Will have to get Louise to bring her set round one day!!) - Jacqueline xx

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  16. I LOVE your imaginative used of the stamps and that punch. I'm getting that punch next month . . .and all because of YOU! YAY! xxxx

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  17. What a genius idea! Absolutely love the masking, multi-stamping and the vellum vase. Wonderful!

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  18. WOW! Love the way you made this gorgeous card! So pretty.
    Lynn

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  19. Hello Vicky

    Absoloutely stunning and so beautiful.

    luv
    irene
    xxxx

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  20. This is lovely. Thanks for the tute on how you made it.

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  21. This is lovely Vicky and the idea absolutely ingenious!!
    M x

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  22. Wow... that`s great!!
    Lisa

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  23. Just wonderful!
    Your creativity is unending!
    Thanks once more.
    Chrissie
    "Less is More"

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  24. You're so inventive Vicky, would never have come up with that idea. Brilliant! x x

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  25. I'm predicting this is a winner! Stunning!

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  26. Oh, this is WONDERFUL! I love it all, but especially the creative way you made the vase.
    Cheers, Karen

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  27. Wow !!! Clever clever you. Great tips and ideas here as Chrissie says your creativity is unending !!! Love how you made this beauty and the vase is inspired !

    Marie

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  28. What a lovely technique, Vicky! Thanks for showing us how. I don't have that stamp set, but I'm thinking the Itty Bitty Bits set has a tiny flower.

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  29. This is a great idea love the use of the vellum it definitely works as a glass vase !x

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  30. Very clever stalks and leaves. I love the vellum vase too.

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  31. Lovely card! Great use of the vellum and bauble-genius as for the stamping....well just gorgeous. C U tomorrow!
    Carol xx

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  32. Vicky, I love seeing all your techniques! The flower you've created is AWESOME as are the leaves!!! Beautiful card this week!

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  33. Fab idea, that little flower works so well. Lovely to see how it all worked,thank you
    Diane

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  34. Fabulous card Vicky! Love all the little details and the tutorial is super :) Sarah x

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  35. Oh how very clever Vicky, great card & vase and leaves, thanks for the tutorial too :) Viv xx

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  36. That vase is genius and I love the way you stamped the flowers. :)

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I'd love to know what you think. Do leave me a comment - it always makes my day! Vicky x


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