Giraffe baby card!

Hi everyone, the weekend has just started here, thank goodness!

I was asked to make a card for one of our teachers who is going on maternity leave, and this is it. Thank you to Lisa Addesa of I'm in haven whose design I cased!

I saw her card and had to buy the die from Simon Says Stamp. 

When it arrived I realized it was all cut outs, no solid giraffe so thankfully followed Lisa's instructions to create the giraffe peeking out of the heart.

I had some gingham designer paper that my sister gave me years ago, thanks Mo! It made the perfect backdrop. 

The stamp was a $2 bargain I picked up ages ago too from Imaginisce, 2011 on the packet. Stamped with versafine ink and clear embossed.

I dry embossed the top panel with a Papertrey Ink impression plate - burlap I think it's called.

I'm linking up to the tic tac toe challenge at Retro Rubber Stamp Challenges.

I've gone with embossing, patterned paper and baby.

At Simon Says Stamp Wednesday the theme is anything goes.

The giraffe was pieced with scraps of orange and brown card so I'm also visiting the snippets playground at Pixie's Crafty Workshop

It's also anything goes at Happy Little Stampers anything goes with dies challenge.

and at Word Art Wednesday .

Supplies:

Simon Says Stamp picture book giraffe die; Mpress heart die; Papertrey Ink burlap impression plate; Imaginisce little bundle of joy stamp; versafine ink & clear ep; scrap of ginham patterned paper; fun foam.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Relaxed kitten!

Hi everyone, I,m glad it's the weekend again, work has been so busy with new systems and lots of training, I definitely need to relax!

I've had this kitten stamp for a little while, and recently bought the relax die from Stamplorations. I thought when I bought it that the letters would be connected but then was glad they weren't so I could lay them out in a wonky line.

At Addicted to Stamps & More the theme is to make your mark.

The kitten is stamped with versafine ink, clear embossed and coloured with Prismacolour pencils. I've  also added some shading under the kitten.

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

and it's anything goes with a sentiment or given bible verse at Word Art Wednesday.

At Stamping Sensations this month it's anything goes so long as a stamp is the focus of your card.

Supplies:

Versafine ink & clear embossing powder; Nellie Snellen stamp ANI009; Stamplorations relax die; Prismacolour pencils.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Chickens on the farm!

Hi everyone, I wanted to play along with the challenge at CASology where the theme is Farm.

I've had the Stampin Up Hey Chick set for ages but this is it's first inking!

I've used an old Annabelle Stamps set for the little chick, and the greenery from a Flourishes set for the grass. The sentiment is also from an old Hero Arts set called Find Joy.

A few of these sets are over a year old, Find Joy is 2013 and so is the Annabelle Stamp set Easter Chickadee. Retro Rubber Challenge Blog has an anything goes theme so long as you use at least one stamp over a year old.

I scribbled tombow markers onto an acrylic block to colour the images with a water brush, so I'm 

also linking up to the anything goes watercolour challenge at Happy Little Stampers.

The optional theme is smile, I love chickens, their antics always make me smile!

At Word Art Wednesday it's also anything goes using a sentiment or a bible verse.

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin Up Hey Chick: Annabelle Stamps Easter Chickadee; Flourishes Kids Play; Hero Arts Find Joy.

Other: Archival potting mix and versafine onyx black inks; clear ep; Stamplorations wonky border die; Tombow markers.

Thanks for visiting, Cathy x

Gelatos and bloomtangled diecut.

Hi everyone, I've been playing with a new card sized die that arrived not long ago. It's called Bloomtangled coverplate #1 by Stamplorations. I've been having lots of fun with it!

For this card I thought I'd diecut part of the panel and back it with a scrap of card I'd smooshed gelatos onto. It has a shimmer that's hard to see in the pic.

The base card has a hammered impression on it which gives a subtle texture. It's getting harder to find this cardstock in Australia, which is a shame as I really like it.

The sentiment is 2 stamps from an old Darkroom Door set called Simply Circles. The circle is what picks up the ink so the sentiment is whatever colour card you stamp on. I embossed the circles with clear ep, then fussy cut the words out. The date on the stamp tin is 2011, so since it's over 1 year old, I'm linking up to the anything goes challenge at Retro Rubber Challenge Blog.

Stamplorations have a massive 5th birthday celebration happening, and there are lots of ways to win prizes. One is to CASE one of the DT cards. I've chosen Jessica's card here. She partially coloured the card using this die, so I thought I'd just use part of the die.

I'm also linking up to the challenge at Less is More where the theme is friendship.

At Cuttlebug Mania the theme is to frame it.

I've framed the diecut with a white mat and then a black mat to tie in with the stamped sentiment.

I needed to use a metal plate with this die in my cuttlebug and cranked it slowly as it's so big.

The layered mats were from my snippets box, so I'm also visiting the playground at

Pixie's Crafty Workshop.

Supplies:

Stamplorations Bloomtangled coverplate #1 die: gelatos; Darkroom Door Simply Circles stamp; versafine ink & clear ep.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Birthday Star!

Hi everyone,

It's a long weekend here for the Queen's Birthday, so I'm making the most of the break and getting some cards that I need done.

I was inspired by the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches for this card.

I'm not very good with sketches so this one is a literal interpretation lol!

The star was diecut from a leftover piece of acrylic paint scrunched with clingwrap from an earlier project. The sentiment diecut was covered in versamark ink and then aged black frantage embossing enamel was sprinkled on. I love how you never know what the colour of it will be until you finish heating it!

I'm also linking up to the 4th Birthday challenge at AAA Cards, congratulations on reaching that fabulous milestone!

I've left blank space on the edges of my card so I'm hoping it's CAS enough.

I'm also linking up to the anything goes option at Seize the Birthday,



 the embossing challenge at CAS on Friday, I've used both wet and dry embossing,



and the anything goes dies challenge at Happy Little Stampers.

Supplies:

Papertrey Ink star dies; Stamplorations birthday die; Cuttlebug star embossing folder; versamark ink; Stampendous aged black frantage enamel; acrylic paint; sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Anniversary butterfly.

Hi everyone, I thought it was about time I cleaned a stencil I had used with oxide inks a while ago!

Instead of wiping it clean I spritzed it with water and pressed some card stock onto it. I was happy with the muted colours that came out.

I used the same colours on the mat panel and the butterfly, just blended inks on some card, spritzed  with water and blotted some colour away before diecutting.

I'm linking up to CAS Mix Up Card Challenge where the theme is layered embossing powders.

I inked up my coloured butterfly with versamark, sprinkled on extra thick clear embossing powder, heated it, then added more powder and heated it for a glossier look. I sprinkled on some blush perfect pearls, to add some shimmer then more clear ep, then heated again.

 It seemed to work ok, although some of the mica blew around when I turned on my heat gun! I don't have a frypan or griddle to try melting the powder with, and that may have worked better.

Here's a closer look.

My elements are layered embossing, stamping, diecutting, reversed stencilling.

I'm also linking up to the wedding/anniversary challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday,

and to the bright and beautiful challenge at Simon Says Stamp Monday.

It's anything goes at Happy Little Stampers die challenge,

and anything goes as long as you use a stamp at Craft Stamper Magazine's

 Take it Make it Challenge.

The theme is summer at Work it Wednesday,

 These colours remind me of citrus, perfect for Summer!

Supplies:

Memory Box Lunette and Oriel butterfly dies; vellum; fossilized amber; spiced marmalade and abandoned coral distress oxide inks;

 Tim Holtz scribbles stencil; Ranger extra thick clear embossing powder; versamark ink; perfect pearls in blush; Stampin Up Together Forever stamp; versafine ink & clear ep.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Embossed seahorse with gilding flakes.

Hi everyone, I managed to finish a card just as the weekend is ending.

There's a fun new theme over at CAS Mix Up Card Challenge which is to use layers of embossing powder. 

The diecut seahorse was covered in versamark ink, then embossed with bronze powder. While it was still warm I stuck on pieces of gilding flakes. Then I stamped on more versamark ink and sprinkled on some extra thick clear embossing powder, adding more powder and heating a few times until I got a smooth shiny surface.

The starfish had similar treatment but with aged ochre frantage enamel and then the bronze powder. When I heated the bronze it made the white in the frantage show up more. Lots of fun!

I used the Gradation stamp from Impression Obsession to create a sandy look and embossed this with bronze powder too.

Here's a close up of the shimmer.

My elements are layered embossing, stamping, masking on the sentiment stamp; gilding flakes and diecutting.

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

and to the masculine challenge at Simon Says Stamp Monday

It's anything goes as long as you use a stamp at the Take it Make it Challenge at

 Craft Stamper Magazine.

I've used stamps from Lavinia, Visible Image and Impression Obsession.

At CAS Watercolour card challenge, the theme is ocean.

I've used distress oxide ink heavily spritzed with water and smooshed a few times to get my background.

 

Supplies:

Distress oxide inks; Stamplorations wonky stitched border die; Sizzix seahorse and sand dollar dies; versamark ink; bronze ep; Ranger ultra thick ep; Aged ochre frantage enamel powder; 

Cosmic Shimmer mulled wine gilding flakes; Impression Obsession Gradation stamp; Lavinia tendril stamp (there's no name on the packet!). Visible Image Imagine dream inspire sentiment stamp; versafine ink & clear ep.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x