Purple & silver baubles.

Hi everyone, I'm back with a card for the 

CAS Mix Up Card Challenge where the theme is emboss resist.

I love this technique and you can do it with so many colouring mediums.

My elements are emboss resist, stamping, sponging inks and diecutting.

I stamped the Gradation stamp in silver versacolor ink then embossed it with silver embossing powder. It's a large stamp so I only inked the area where the large dots fade into smaller dots.

I always find it easier to lay large stamps face up on my table then press the cardstock over the top, although a stamp press would help to get good ink coverage too.

Next, I sponged on a few distress inks with a finger dauber. I've added an extra diecut layer to give the baubles dimension and popped the top one up on some foam dots.

I'm also linking up to the challenge at Simon Says Stamp Monday

where the theme is b is for? I've gone with baubles.

At Addicted to Stamps & More it's anything goes.

For Stamplorations CAS Challenge it's anything goes, I'm not doing the optional colour twist.

At Inkspirational, it's anything goes Christmas.

At Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge, I'm taking the anything goes option.

Supplies:

Stamps: Impression Obsession Gradation; Annabelle Stamps Gifted Swirls sentiment.

Inks: Versamark; versafine black; versacolour silver.

Other: Elizabeth Crafts ornaments 2 and Crafts 4 U stitched rectangle die; Wow extra fine silver and clear embossing powder ; bling and silver paper and cord from stash.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Sparkling white snowflakes.

Hi everyone, I hope you are enjoying the weekend.

I'm behind with my Christmas cards so needed a quick and simple design to try and catch up!

I diecut the snowflake from a cereal box, inked it with versamark and then heat embossed with Wow white twinkling embossing glitter. So sparkly in real life!

 I diecut another snowflake from white card and glued them together for dimension then popped it up on a foam dot.

The sentiment is from a set I've had for years and never used!

Inked with versafine black then embossed with silver fine metallic powder.

I'm linking up to the mostly white challenge at AAA Cards..

At Addicted to Stamps & More's an anything goes theme.

I'm also linking to Happy Litle Stampers anything goes with dies challenge,

and to the Happy Little Stampers CAS challenge inhe theme is embossing.

I've used wet embossing.

Andn Says Stamp Work it Wednesday its Ho Ho Holiday!

At Outside the Box the theme is holiday sparkle and shine.

Supplies:

Memory Box Lindeman snowflake die; MFT Seasonal sentiments stamp; versamark and versafine ink; Wow silver metallic fine and white twinkle glitter embossing powders; hammer card base.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

More alcohol ink on yupo.

Hi everyone, I'm using up the leftovers from the AI and foil tag I made a little while ago.

The tag used the positive of the fern and this is using the negative. I diecut a white fern to fill the gap.

There are a few challenges I'm linking to:

At Simon Says Stamp Wednesday it's anything goes,

At Simon Says Work it Wednesday they are celebrating the holidays.

The Stamplorations CAS Card Challenge closes soon,

 I've gone with anything goes CAS, although there is an optional twist to use rainbow colours.

At CAS on Friday the challenge is to make a CAS christmas card.

The Card Concept has a holiday treats pic for inspiration.

I've gone with the colours red and green and my card is CAS style.

Supplies:

Penny Black framed fern die; yupo paper; alcohol inks; gold foil; sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Mixed media floral Thank you.

Hi everyone, I hope you are having a restful weekend.

I'm catching up on some more challenge cards, although I'm running out of time!

I wanted to play along with the CAS Mix Up Card Challenge, where the theme is to use an embossing folder.  I use them a lot so wanted to try something different.

 I embossed some blending card, then inked over the raised design with peacock feathers  and weathered wood oxide inks.

Next I spritzed with some home made gold shimmer spray, to blend and soften the colours.

I knew I wanted to use some paper flowers, but at this stage I was a bit stuck so googled the folder I was using and saw this gorgeous tag by Tammy Tuterow.

I wanted more shine, so I followed her idea and painted on some clear rock candy crackle paint.

Next, diecut some rolled roses from scraps of watercolour paper, coloured them with distress inks and shaped some leaves.

I love the look of the embossing, it reminds me of a vintage wallpaper! My elements are embossing folder, stamping, diecutting and ink blending.

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

At Cuttlebug Mania the theme is thank you. I've used an embossing folder and dies, (details below ) with my trusty old Cuttlebug!

The theme is to give thanks at Work it Wednesday on the Simon Says Stamp blog.

(This card is for one of my son's friends who gave me the most beautiful painted owl rock.)

I've used snippets of watercolour paper for the roses and a scrap of green card for the leaves, so I'm visiting the playground at Pixie's Crafty Workshop.

Supplies:

Sizzix Tiny tattered florals and Impression Obsession small rolled flower and twig dies;

Sizzix regal flourishes embossing folder; distress ink and oxide ink; gold shimmer spray; clear rock candy crackle paint; Happy Little Stampers doodled flowers sentiment; versafine ink & clear ep.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Alcohol inked Christmas tag.

Hi everyone, I wanted to play along with Loll's twelve tags of Christmas

challenge and am only just scraping in!!

There have been so many beautiful tags put up by Loll and friends, and other entries that it is definitely worth a browse through the gallery.

This die has been on my wishlist for ages, so even though it's not a traditional Christmas one I wanted to use it.

I dropped some alcohol inks on yupo,  and spritzed with isopropyl alcohol (in a well vented room!)

I then rubbed some foil over the sticky parts. 

In a couple of spots I used a tiny amount of flake and glitter glue to get foil onto some areas that were too dry.

I diecut the framed fern and kept the negative pieces so I could inlay them onto the embossed tag.

I'm also linking up to the challenge at Paperartsy where the theme is foiling,

there are lots of fabulous projects and ideas for inspiration on the blog.

Supplies:

Yupo paper; Ranger alcohol inks; thermo web mixed media foiling sheets; Penny Black framed fern die; Papertrey ink woodgrain impression plate; PoppyCrafts stitched label die; Kaisercraft sentiment stamp; Wow gold embossing powder.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Unicorn and an opal rainbow.

Hi everyone, I've had this card done for a little while but have had internet issues again!!

Anyway, here it is lol.

I stamped the unicorn onto some card that had been painted with a few different art alchemy opal magic paints. Embossed it with silver powder and fussy cut it.

I diecut the magical sentiment from similar painted card, added a stamped sentiment and a birthday sticker.

I'm linking up to these challenges:

Happy Little Stampers CAS where it's a fantasy theme.

At Inkspirational the theme is magic.

At Stamplorations CAS

 I'm playing along with the optional rainbow theme, although mine is a subtle opal rainbow of colours.

I'm also joining the Stamplorations never ending anything goes challenge, since I've used a cutplorations die.

At Seize the Birthday 

I'm playing along with the anything goes birthday option.

Supplies:

Indigo Blu jewel unicorn stamp; Kaisercraft friends sentiment stamp,( I masked off the rest of the sentiment); versafine ink and Wow silver metallic embossing powder;  Stamplorations magical sentiment die; Art Alchemy opal magic paints; sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Best wishes butterfly.

Hi everyone, I needed a card in a hurry and had a few butterflies in my stash just waiting to "land"somewhere lol!

This is for a friend who loves purple.

The butterfly is fussycut and coloured with prismacolour pencils. Love how this embossing folder has a band for a sentiment, this one is from Annabelle Stamps.

I'm linking up to the  Doube D Challenge where the theme is wishes are possible.

At Craft Stamper Magazine's take it make it challenge,

 it's anything goes as long as you use a stamp.

Supplies:

Hero Arts Antique Engravings butterfly stamp; Annabelle Stamps sentiment from Fanciful Flowers; versafine ink & clear ep; Couture Creations petal pleasures embossing folder; Prismacolour pencils and zest it oil; diamond stickles.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Brushos and fairies!

Hi everyone, been a bit quiet here due to some sad family stuff happening!

I managed some time in the craft room today though.

This was quite a simple card to make, just sprinkled brushos on some watercolour paper and spritzed with water for the background. Used my misti stamp press to stamp the fairy in versafine ink, stamped the sentiment and that was that!

I'm linking up to the challenge at Simon Says Stamp Monday where the theme is to make your own background.

At Addicted to Stamps & More, it's a make your mark theme. I've used brushos.

At Happy Little Stampers CAS challenge the theme is fantasy.

It's a clean and simple toppings option at Seize the Birthday.

Supplies:

Lavinia stamps; versafine ink; brushos; watercolour paper.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Sausage dog or daschund?

Hi everyone, needed a few quick birthday cards and had some of these Katzelkraft cats and dogs fussy cut and coloured in, ready to pop on a card.

I'm linking us to the challenge at Less is More where the theme is dimension.

I've popped the speech buble up on foam dots and didn't glue the tail down at the top to give the look of some movement.

At Simon Says Stamp Wednesday it's anything goes.

It's also anything goes at Addicted to Stamps & More.

I've gone with the anything goes birthday option at Seize the Birthday.

Supplies:

Katzelkraft dog stamp; Memory Box Dog Gone stamp; versafine ink & clear ep: Stampin UP Just Sayin stamp and die - I masked the sentiment on the stamp so that I could add a birthday sentiment sticker; Prismacolour pencils.

Googly eyed spooky birthday!

Hi everyone, the weekend's nearly over and I've finally had some time in the craft room.

Housework and taxes are done, whew!

I wanted to play along with a few challenges, and since we don't celebrate halloween here, I've gone with the scary or spooky option!

I've used the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches.

At Poppystamps the theme is falling leaves or scary things, cobwebs are on my list of scary things!

I've used the Poppystamps jumbled boo die and layered it 3 times for dimension.

At Simon Says Stamp Monday it's halloween or spooky.

And it's also halloween or spooky at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday.

I've gone with the anything goes birthday option at Seize the Birthday.

Supplies:

Dies: Sizzix cobweb decorative strip; Poppystamps jumbled boo; Spellbinders oval die;

Other: Darice googly eyes embossing folder; googly eyes and sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x