Red and Pink ...

 Today's inspiration came from two challenges - the CAS Mix Up challenge that requires heat embossing with and stencil and the new challenge at Color Hues to use Red and Pink.  With Valentine's day this month I created with this in mind.

I used some distress ink to blend and colour a panel of card before die cutting the hearts.  I then took a stencil and using an embossing ink dabber inked up the background before covering in magenta embossing powder which I then heat set.  Finally die cutting the sentiment and layering up the elements.

The challenge details are:

CAS Mix Up Card Challenge February Stencil Challenge

Color Hues #11

Stay Safe and Keep Crafting!

New Year, new start ...

 As each new year begins I always reflect on the year just gone ... the highs and the lows!  There were not  many highs in 2020 but this is one of them ... I was chosen as a winner of the October challenge at the CAS Mix Up card  and I was invited to be a guest designer!!

How exciting is that!!!  The details for this month's challenge:

I like the effect that you get from splatters but I am a bit of a control freak and have not mastered the art of creating splatters freehand and controlled but I do own a collection of different splatter stamps (and even a die!!).  So here is my controlled splattered card:

It was quite difficult to photograph all of the detail but you can at least see the splatters!  I created some coloured card stock using acrylic paints, stencils and my gelli plate (one of my favourite techniques) to die cut the Tim Holtz splatter from to form the basis for the numbers.  I then stamped the background with different splatter stamps and distress inks focussing the activity to the middle of the card base.  I die cut the numbers 3 or 4 times from card stock before stacking and then gluing together to give more dimension.  I fussed around for quite some time deciding where to place the 'happy' but other than that the design came together quite quickly!

I hope I have inspired you to join in with the challenge ... if you need more inspiration then remember to check out the CAS Mix Up blog to see the design team makes and for links to more information about creating and using splatters.  I really look forward to seeing your projects.

The products used:

Dienamics High Rise NUmber dies

Sizzix Scribbles and Splats

Clearly Besotted Happy die

Stampin Up Gorgeous Grunge stamp set

STAMPlorations At Marks and Mixed Media Elements Stampsets

UNIKO Simply Said II

Distress Inks Fossilised Amber, Spiced Marmalade and Seedless Preserves.

I wish you all the very best for 2021.

Missing you ...

 ... I miss seeing family and friends ...

Inspired by the challenge at CAS Mix Up Card Challenge:

I used a brand new stamp set ... it only arrived this week so I'm impressed to be using it so quickly!!  So I'm going to enter the NBUS challenge a term coined by the lovely Darnell to cover all the crafty stuff that we all have sat waiting to be used!!

I used:

Visible Image - Creative Chaos

UNIKO - Simply Said II

Distress Inks for the water colouring - Chipped Sapphire, Tumbled Glass and Salty Ocean

Lawn Fawn - Stitched Rectangle nesting dies

Take care!

Autumnal Thanks ...

A dark and dreary day ... what else is a girl to do other than create and craft ... I've been quite productive today creating quite a collection of cards but I'm just going to sahre one with you this afternoon:

To start I used my gelli plate, stencils and acrylic paint to create the background panel - using autumnal colours.  I sponged paint through each stencil onto the gelli plate allowing each level to dry before lifting the whole print in one go using a buff coloured paint.  Once dry I die cut the panel and added it to a card base.  The sentiment was die cut 4 times and stacked and adhered together to achieve a chunky feel. 

I used:

CUTplorations - Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangles and 'Thanks' dies

ARTploration stencils - Leaf Print mini, Leaves I, Autumn Falling and Leaf Print 4

I'm entering the following challenges:

UNIKO #61

CAS Mix Up October Challenge

Stay Safe and Keep Crafting!

Christmas Stencil ...

Have you made all of your Christmas cards?  I always plan to have mine completed early and yet again I haven't!!  So my plan now is to only make Christmas cards ... I'm not sure how long this plan will last!!!

So today's contribution is:

I was inspired by the current challenge at CAS Mix Up card challenge:

I began by creating a water colour wash down one side and across - just a light wash with water colour paint in two shades of blue.  I then took a stencil of Christmas words and using some distress ink I selectively added just some of the words over the top of the wash.  I used an off cut of card and colour washed it with the same water colour paints - I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment and used the rest to die cut some snowflakes.  

I used:

Funky Fossil Designs - Festive Words stencil

UNIKO - Simply Said II

Distress Ink - Tumbled glass

Stay Safe and Keep Creating!

Another use for bleach ...

It seems that part of my lockdown routine is to create a card ... first find a challenge that inspires and then get creating ... sometimes it is not as easy as I would like, in fact sometimes I think my mojo is on lockdown somewhere else!!!

Today's card:

I began by stamping and heat embossing the flower on coloured card, I then used bleach to remove some of the colour from the petals before using polychromos pencils to add some detail and depth into the image.  I used bleach to stamp the leaves onto the green card stock - I was delighted with the resulting images and the fact that they were yellow and not pure white (I did wash the bleach from the stamp as soon as I had finished stamping).  It is interesting the way coloured card reacts to the bleach.

I used:
UNIKO Pure Florals: Chrysanthemum
Visible Image: Go to Words
Faber Castell Polychromos Pencils
Versamark
WOW Clear Embossing Powder

The challenge that inspired this creation:

CAS MIx Up April Challenge
- as well as bleach my project includes die cutting, heat embossing, colouring with polychromos.



Stay Safe!

Die cut stencil ...

The good thing about wet and windy weather is that I have all the excuse I need to stay inside and craft!!  This is the second weekend that the UK has been battered by stormy weather ... it is starting to brighten up so hopefully the storm has passed!

Today's project is inspired by the challenge at CAS Mix Up where they want you to use a stencil made from a die.

I created a stencil using one of the Tim Holtz Wildflower dies.  I used my small gel plate to create the panel layering a number of stencilled layers using a selection of purple acrylic paints ... I let each layer dry on the plate before lifting the final print with buff titanium.  I love the texture you can achieve when using this technique.

I used:
Sizzix Tim Holtz Widflowers
Gelli Arts Gel Press Plate
PaperArtsy paints - Amethyst, Bougainvillea
Ranger Dina Wakely Acrylic Paint - Eggplant
Daler Rowney - Buff Titanium
Visible Image - Go to Words

I'm entering the following challenges:
CAS Mix Up Card Challenge
 

TIME OUT #155


Enjoy!

A special card ...

Good afternoon from a very snowy Oxfordshire ... I hope you are all tucked up somewhere dry and warm!!  I've been trying to get the house straight all ready for Christmas ... something that I really shouldn't leave until December!!!  

I'm just taking a lunch break and wanted to share this card with you ... a very special card for a very exciting and positive event.  You see my daughter has just got engaged!!! I make lots of cards but this one is more special than ...

I ink blended a panel of card for the hearts and stick frames.  I created some washi tape using a mixture of stamps, tissue, distress inks and double sided tape.  I also die cut congrats four times and adhered them together to create a solid sentiment.

I used:

Sizzix Heart dies

Poppy Stamps Stick Frames die

Distress Inks - Salty Ocean. Mermaid Lagoon, 

STAMPlorations - Mixed Media Elements, Mixed Media Grunge

CUTplorations - Congrats die

Wink of Stella

Tissue

I'm entering into the following challenges:

CAS Mix Up - December Challenge - die cutting, ink blending, stamping, splatter, tissue

Addicted to CAS #126

STAMPlorations Never Ending Anything Goes Challenge

Enjoy!

CAS Mix Up Reminder ...

Back again on Guest Designer duties with another card for the May challenge at CAS Mix Up. A quick reminder that you still have time to join in - so get out your card and stamps and have a go.  This month the theme is:

I hope that my card will inspire you to join in:

I stamped, heat embossed and water coloured the three peonies.  Trimmed the images and added a small scalloped piece of card to one edge.  I then added splatters to the card base with pink and black before adding some washi tape.  I grouped the images and adhered them to the card - one directly to the base and the other two with different heights of foam adhesive to add some dimension.  

I used:

Hobby Art Clear Peonies Stamp set

Versafine Onyx Black Ink

WOW Clear Embossing Powder

Distress Inks - Spun Sugar and Picked Raspberry

I hope that you will pop along and check out the other designers cards they are amazing - and while you are there why not enter the challenge!!

Enjoy!

CAS Mix Up Guest Design Spot ...

Good evening and how exciting is this ... I'm guest designer over at the CAS Mix Up for the May challenge - this is just one of the joys for being the March monthly winner!  I'm hoping to delight and inspire you all to join in with the challenge ... and the theme this month is:

This is my card:

I began by die cutting a small panel which I then stamped and heat embossed these beautiful rananculus flowers (one of the stamps sets I was able to buy with my winners voucher from Simon Says Stamp).  I loosely water coloured the flowers.  I splattered the background before stitching the panel to the card, added a sentiment and considered the card finished.

I used:
Simon Says Stamp - Sketch Rananculus
Distress Inks - Mustard seed, Dried Marigold, Carved Pumpkin, Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn
UNIKO - Simply Said
WOW White Embossing Powder

It is a great challenge as it encourages the use of different mixed media techniques in a CAS kind of way.  Each month the designers create some fantastic cards to inspire us to join in ... why not pop along this month and have a look, even better why not enter!

Enjoy!

Patience and die cuts ...

Morning all!  I ran out of time yesterday to post this second card ... made during my day of crafting.  

I die cut the focal point using a Tim Holtz die designed to stay in the card.  I used the same die to cut up some scraps of card coloured using the faux mother of pearl technique (leftover from a previous project) and the inlaid the elements in to the focal point.  I can safely say that I am unlikely to use this die for this technique again - the pieces are just so small and fiddly!!  As you can see, I also used the die to cut the card base to echo the design and to add more interest.  I popped the panel on to the base and stamped the sentiment.

I used:
Tim Holtz Mixed Media #2
Distress Inks - Spun Sugar Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet and Salty Ocean
UNIKO - Simply Said
Dovecraft 3D Pearl Effects

I'm entering the following challenges:

CAS Mix Up April Challenge 


STAMPlorations CAS April Challenge


Enjoy!

Pastel ...

That's another week that has whizzed by and a new month begins ... it's hard to believe that a quarter of the year has gone and there are still New Year resolutions that I haven't even made a start on!!!  The upside is that Spring is here in the UK ... blue skies, sunshine and flowers blooming in the garden ... just what the doctor ordered!

A new month brings round the colour challenge at "Less is More" and this week it is ... Pastels!  This is a stretch for me ... so here goes:

Soft and gentle!  I began by stamping and heat embossing some of the images on a scrap of card.  I then stamped the images onto a panel of card using a mix of distress inks.  I die cut the embossed images and popped a couple onto the stamped image just to add some dimension.  I heat embossed the sentiment onto some vellum and added that to the panel.

Do you have problems deciding how and where to add a sentiment?  I always have problems deciding what to do so a lot of the time I just don't add one!!  Now I'm quite happy to create a card without a sentiment but sometimes wonder if that means my card looks unfinished.  Should I start with the sentiment and work out where it needs to go and then place the focal image? How do you decide what colour ink to use for your sentiment?  Which sentiment should you use?  What about the type face? ... questions but no answers!  Maybe I should just shut up about it!

I used:

Clearly Besotted - Simply Quilled Stamp set and matching dies
Distress Inks - Spun Sugar, Squeezed Lemonade and Dried Marigold
WOW White embossing Powder

I'm entering the following challenges:

"Less is More" #322


Stamping Sensations - April Challenge, Anything Goes

March ended on a high note for me ... I was Top Pick for the CAS Mix Up Card  Challenge. Thank you to the Team for choosing my card ... I always get childishly excited when I am chosen as a challenge winner ... thank you, it means a lot.  This is the card:



I'm off to do the ironing now ...

Enjoy!

Birthday leaves ...

Good afternoon!  Yesterday I coloured some modelling paste for a card I was making and coloured far too much - so I created another background using the same stencil.  I thought I would use it sometime and much to my surprise I used it today!!

Once I had created the background it just seemed to make sense to add a die cut flower and a small sentiment.  To make the flower I smooshed some distress ink onto a piece of card - I love this technique as it coloured the flower but with added texture and interest.  I also did the same with some distress ink to die cut the ink splat from.  I added a brad for the centre of the flower and popped some foam tape behind to give a little more dimension.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

CAS Mix Up Card Challenge - Loll and her design team are celebrating the challenges 1st birthday.  I love this challenge as it gives me an excuse to tip my toe into mixed media but in a CAS kind of way!  This month the theme is:



I used embossing paste, stencil, smooshing distress inks, stamping and die cuts.

Inkspirational Challenge #130



Enjoy!

Corrugated heart ...

Day two of the weekend and I've managed to find more time for crafting ... another card!

A very different colour palette for me - no sign of the rainbow!  It does look better in real life not quite as drab as it appears in the photograph!

I used:
STAMPlorations - Row of Hearts Stencil
                              Bloom Sketches Stamp set
Reeves Modelling Paste
XCut Heart Nesting Die
Distress Ink - Vintage Photo
Corrugated cardboard
Sewing Machine.

I'm entering the following challenges:

CAS Mix Up Card Challenge - as well as cardboard and stamping I have used machine stitching and stencilling with texture paste.



AAA Cards #83 



STAMPlorations



Enjoy!