More embossed metallic feathers.

Hi everyone, I had a couple of metal feathers left from my last card so thought I'd make another design.

The technique I used was from Lin Brown's post from 2010. Her metal flowers are stunning and she has some great tutorials on her blog. I can't believe this technique has been around for so long but I'm just discovering it!

I stamped the feathers with black Stazon onto some metal sheet and diecut them. The stamping was really just to add a layer of colour so perfect cutting didn't matter.

Then I used my paper flower veining tool, a small ball tool and mat to emboss the details on the feathers. 

To add colour, I dabbed on some ground espresso distress paint, then rubbed some of it off. Next I added alcohol inks - stream, stonewashed and denim. A thin layer of dimensional magic was painted on top to seal the alcohol ink.

I've used a pin from a clothing label and a brad to secure the feathers to the tag. Love recycling!

I'm linking up to these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday - heavy metal.

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes.

Addicted to Stamps & More - anything goes.

The Male Room also has an anything goes challenge theme with the option of using technology.

Seize the Birthday also has an anything goes birthday theme, or you play along with the script or text background option.

Supplies:

Stampin Up feathers stamp and dies; MFT pierced tag stax die; Lifestyle Crafts metal sheet; stazon ink; ground espresso distress paint; alcohol inks-stram, stonewashed & denim; Modge Podge dimensional glaze; Glossy Accents as glue; Susan's Garden Sizzix flower shaping tools and mat; sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Embossed metal feathers.

Hi everyone, I've been playing with some metal sheet that I've had for ages.

It isn't adhesive and can be tricky getting glue to take but it was great for these feathers as the glossy accents sat along the ridge at the back of the feather and adhered perfectly.

The challenge at Paper Artsy is metallics. There are so many gorgeous pics and design team projects for inspiration. I especially loved the metal flower created in the tutorial by Lin Brown. 

Aren't these flowers stunning! 

I stamped a feather image on the metal with Stazon ink then diecut it. Here's a pic of how they started out.

The ink was really just to add a layer of colour so perfect cuts didn't matter. I used my paper flower tool for veining leaves and mat to emboss the details on the feathers. A tiny ball tool was used to make dot impressions too. (Hard to see in the photo but you can see them on the real thing).

Next I added some colour by dabbing on some ground espresso distress paint then after 30 seconds or so rubbed some of it off.

The final colours were alcohol inks in stream, stonewashed and denim. I painted on a thin layer of modge podge dimensional magic to seal the alcohol ink.

This challenge was so much fun that I've ordered some tools so I can try some of Lin's flowers!  

Supplies:

Stampin Up feathers stamp & die and petal burst embossing folder; black Stazon ink; ground espresso distress paint; stream, stonewashed and denim alcohol inks; Modge Podge dimensional magic; Stamplorations Trendy Feathers 2 sentiment stamp; versafine ink.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Hello cat!

Hi everyone, I just love this grumpy cat!

He's fussy cut and coloured with prismacolor pencils, and I've used a couple of NBUS goodies...never before used schtuff as Darnell would say!

The hello die and the sentiment stamp are both new to me, so I'm linking up to Darnell's challenge  where she encourages us to use NBUS,  our stash of stuff we had to have, but haven't got around to using!

I'm also linking up to the challenge at Inkspirational where the word prompt is hello!

It's an anything goes challenge at Word Art Wednesday,

and since I've layered 2 of the hello bubble diecuts together to add dimension, I'm also linking to the pop it up challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday.

Supplies:

Katzelkraft cat stamp; Stamplorations Trendy Feathers 2 sentiment stamp; Poppystamps hello word balloon die; prismacolor pencils; versafine ink and clear ep; black tombow to define his whiskers.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Indigo butterfly.

Hi everyone, I'm finally on holidays and hoping to catch up with some challenges and increase my stash of cards!

I love purple and I love blue, and this indigo colour is a combination of both! I layered Kuretake Gansai watercolour paints in dark blues and purples together and added some Finetec gold paint to get this combo.(Here's a closer look at the shimmer.)

I'm racing in to the Butterfly Challenge where the theme is to use a silhouette and the optional colour of indigo on a butterfly card. I'm hoping this solid diecut will count as a silhouette.

At Seize the Birthday I'm choosing the anything goes birthday option.

My butterfly is popped up on some foam squares glued close to the body so it gives lots of dimension. The theme at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday is to pop it up.

I'm also linking up to the anything goes with dies challenge at Happy Little Stampers.

Supplies:

Kuretake Gansai and Finetec watercolour paints; Memory Box Lucienne Tile and Moonlight Butterfly dies; sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Take Flight.

Hi everyone, I thought I'd get another card made before the weekend's over. It'll be school holidays in a week or so and I am really looking forward to the break!

I really wanted to play along with the theme at Less is More this week where the theme is take flight.

This butterfly is perched on the edge of the circle just waiting to do that.

The coloured centre is a watercolour wash with blue and green Stampin Up reinkers so I'm also linking to the CAS Mix Up Card Challenge.

 My other elements are fussy cutting, diecutting, stamping and collage. I stamped and embossed the sentiment onto tissue paper and then cut the words apart as I wanted to space them differently. The tissue paper is glued down with Multi Matte Medium. Here's a closer look.

At Simon Says Stamp Wednesday, the theme is clean and simple.

and it's also clean and simple at Addicted to Stamps & More.

Supplies:

Stampin Up brocade blue & pistachio pudding reinkers; Inktense pencils; Spellbinders circle dies; Indigo Blu butterfly stamp; versafine ink & clear ep; Technique Tuesday Take Flight stamp; tissue paper; multi matte medium.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Watercolour & sparkle.

Hi everyone, I'm back with another card as a guest designer with

 CAS Mixup Card Challenge for this month.

The theme is to use a watercolour wash with stamping and another element or technique on your card.

I used  green and blue Stampin Up reinkers to create my wash. I added a drop or two to an acrylic block and blended onto watercolour paper with lots of water and an aqua brush.

I added some glass bead glitter gel through a stencil to give some texture and sparkle. The butterflies are fussycut and coloured with Inktense pencils and the sentiment is from a Hero Arts set that I've had for ages. I've used other stamps from the set so it was good to finally use this one!

I'm also linking up to the clean and simple challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday.

The theme at AAA Cards is to use a creature on your card.

At Addicted to Stamps & More, it's also a clean & simple theme.

Supplies:

Stampin Up reinkers pistachio pudding and brocade blue; Darkroom Door butterfly stamp; Hero Arts Find Joy sentiment stamp; versafine ink & clear ep; Tim Holtz dot fade layering stencil; glass bead glitter gel; Inktense pencils.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

You're out of this world!

Hi everyone, I was so excited when Bonnie recently invited me to be a guest designer at Cas Mix Up Card Challenge! I love CAS cards and I also love trying different mixed media techniques. The video tutorials Loll and Bonnie linked to the site were a great help too, as this is still a pretty new  technique to me.

The recipe for this month is to use watercolour washes along with stamping and at least one other component or technique. My extra components are distress inking, wet embossing and diecutting.

 I started by applying a wash to some watercolour paper using Kuretake Gansai paints. I didn't stop with one though!

 I added more blues and water and kept the paint moving by tilting the board the paper was taped to. While the flat washes looked ok I actually loved the texture created as the paint pooled and bloomed.

I added a spatter of silver Finetec paint to add a starry effect.

Next I applied some chipped sapphire and black soot distress ink around the edges. A spray of water helped the inks blend in to the watercoloured area.

(Here's a pic of the other half of the panel before distress ink was applied to the edges.)

I stamped one of the Altenew moon images and embossed it with liquid platinum powder. I diecut it with a small circle die, added some grey distress ink and used a mouse pad and shaping tool to add some dimension. It's popped up on a smaller disc of fun foam to keep the 3d look.

The stamped sentiment is embossed with fine detail silver powder and I diecut the Dad from a snippet of silver paper.

It's Father's Day here on Sunday, so I hope he likes his card!

I'm also linking up to the anything goes challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday,



and to the make your mark challenge at Addicted to Stamps & More.

Supplies:
Kuretake Gansai and Finetec silver watercolour paint; distress inks; Altenew to the moon stamp; versafine ink and liquid platinum and fine silver embossing powder; Impression Obsession alphabet die.

Thanks for visiting,
Cathy x