Birds...Twofer!

Hi everyone, I've been playing with some new to me stamps.

Aren't these ducks sweet!

I thought they'd be perfect for Darnell's Twofer Card Challenge where it's a bird theme.

Use the same stamps or dies and make 2 different cards for different occasions.

My themes are friendship and love.

For the smile card, I stamped the ducks in versafine, clear embossed and fussy cut them.
The bodies are coloured with white pencil, not sure that I needed to, although it gives it a different white look I suppose. They are popped up on foam dots for dimension.

I used my misti to stamp the sentiment as I didn't want to cut it into two!

I've layered the smile diecut for dimension, from scraps of purple and white card.
Using snippets means I can visit the playground at Pixie's Crafty Workshop, been a while since I've caught up with Di and the playmates, and the adorable pup Dudley!




The theme at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday is clean and simple.



Cuttlebug Mania has a new theme, perfect for my new stamps.



At Addicted to CAS, the theme is friends.

For this card I diecut some tags and smooshed the white one in some gelatos spritzed with water.

I stamped the ducks and then stamped them again and fussy cut them to paper piece over the top. This gave a little bit of dimension.

I cut up the sentiment that came with the ducks and layered each piece onto scraps of black card.

I'm linking this one to theses challenges:

Uniko where I'm playing along with the optional love twist.

Mix it Up Challenge where it's anything goes with the option of a sentiment as the focus.

Supplies:

By your side Card : Crafty Individuals Favourite Ducks stamp; gelatos; versafine ink & clear ep; white and grey  Prismacolour pencils and orange Neocolor II crayon; MFT pierced and stax tag dies.

Smile Card : has the same supplies as card 1 with the addition of Impression Obsession Smile stamps and Penny Black smile die.

Thanks for visiting,
Cathy x

Colourful Chameleon!

Hi everyone, have you had a chance to play along at the new CAS Stencil Card Challenge yet?

If not there are lots of new ideas from the DT to inspire you. There are also some video tutorials on the challenge blog with some great tips and tricks.

The technique for this challenge is sponging, nice and easy!

I used a burlap layering stencil for this background. I put a light pencil mark on the base card so I knew where the opening would be, then used an artist sponge to dab on some white gesso.

 When it was dry I sponged on some bundled sage distress ink with a finger dauber. I wanted to keep it subtle and just have a textured look behind the chameleon.

My son said it looked like lizard skin so that was a bonus lol!

The chameleon is a new to me stamp from Carabelle Studios, inked with versafine then embossed with clear powder and fussy cut. I cut off the stamped branch as I wanted him to sit on a diecut.

I used inktense pencils to colour "him", love how vibrant they are.

I thought this sentiment fit the bill, then layered the top card over the stencilled base, popped the chameleon up on some foam dots and balanced him over the diecut branch.

I'm linking up to a few challenges:

At Simon Says Stamp Wednesday it's clean and simple.

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

Make My Monday, it's use words or a sentiment.

Mix it Up Challenge Blog has an anything goes theme with the optional twist of a sentiment as the main focus.

Supplies:

Tim Holtz burlap layering stencil; gesso; distress ink; Carabelle Studios chameleon stamp; Paper Smooches Word Salad sentiment stamp; versafine ink and clear ep; inktense pencils; Spellbinders circle die and Memory Box twigs and berries die.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Birthday cat & Balloons!

Hi everyone, it's time for a new challenge over at Seize the Birthday!

There are lots of fabulous ideas for inspiration from the design team, so I hope you can play along.

The topping option this time is stamping only,

or, play along with the anything option, so long as it's a birthday theme.

I've gone with the anything goes option since I've used diecut balloons in addition to stamping, I don't think I have any balloon stamps, might need to rectify that lol!

I've seen a few variations of this Katzelkraft cat with balloons, the tail is just the perfect anchor for them!

The cat is stamped in versafine ink, clear embossed, fussycut and coloured with Primacoloue pencils.

The balloons are diecut from some colourful card scraps and I drew the strings attaching them to the tail with a fine point sharpie. The cat and some of the balloons are popped up on foam dots for dimension.

I'm also linking up to these challenges:

Show us your pussycats , a new to me challenge,

 where a cat has to be the focal point on your project.

Die Cuttin Divas where the theme is birthday, and you need to use at least one diecut on your project.

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday where the theme is clean and simple.

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

Supplies:

Katzelkraft cat stamp: Happy Little Stampers sentiment stamp from doodled flowers; versafine ink & clear ep; Paper Smooches balloons die; Prismacolour pencils.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Not stalker love!

Hi everyone, I've been playing with some new to me goodies.

This sentiment is from So Suzy Stamps and is very tongue in cheek!

I used my misti and some post it notes so that I could stamp the text in 2 colours.

The glasses die was a gift from a friend and I thought it went well with the googly eyes.

I'm linking up to the sketch challenge at AAA Cards, without the pastel option, although if I've changed the sketch too much by shortening the lines I do apologize.

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

and to the Stamplorations CAS Challenge, I think my burgundy looks more red in the photo, so I'd better play along without the optional colour twist.

At Simon Says Stamp Monday, it's use something new, or new to you.

Supplies:

So Suzy stamp, versafine and versacolor inks & clear ep; glasses die gift from friend; Craft Concepts stately embossing folder; googlt eyes; hammered card base.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Butterfly & Bokeh.

Hi everyone, I finally managed to try the bokeh technique.

First time for me and it was lots of fun, I do think I need to get a new white inkpad though as what I have was no longer very white!

I blended some antique linen, bundled sage and shabby shutters distress ink together then used a finger dauber to sponge some white pigment ink through a bubbles stencil. I wanted some larger circles so also used a retro circles stencil.

The butterfly was inked in versafine, clear embossed, fussy cut and coloured with Inktense pencils.

I'm linking up to the CAS Mix Up Card Challenge.

My elements are bokeh, stamping, fussy cutting, wet embossing and watercolouring with Inktense pencils.

Since I've used sponging and a stencil I'm also linking to the CAS Stencil Challenge.

The theme is sponging, nice and easy!

The Paper Players has a crazy about critters theme.

At Simon Says Work it Wednesday the theme is to try something new.

I'm also linking to the challenge at Craft Stamper Magazine, where it's anything goes as long as you've used hand stamping on your project.

Supplies:

Distress ink, versafine ink & clear embossing powder; Darkroom Door butterfly stamp; Nellie Snellen bubbles stencil; Stamplorations retro circle stencil; Inktense pencils; Versacolor white ink;

Happy Little Stampers sentiment stamp from doodled flowers set; hammered card base.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Birthday cat!

Hi everyone, I've been colouring in as stress therapy today lol!

These Katzelkraft critters always bring a smile to my face.

The challenge at Inkspirational is to CASE a card from 2018, I chose to do one by Maaike

who is an amazing colourist and card designer. Love her Katzelkraft creations!

Here is her card.

At Just Us Girls the theme is leftovers.

I've diecut the birthday sentiment from a scrap of card coloured with brushos.

It's party time over at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.

 birthdays and singing = party!

I'm also linking up to the Stamplorations CAS challenge and am going with the anything goes option.

Supplies:

Katzelkraft cat stamp; Prismacolour pencils; Stamplorations birthday die; brushos; Impression Obsession happy trails stamp; versafine ink, clear ep; Visible Image Music on world off musical note stamp; versacolor ink, clear ep.

Thanks for visisting,

Cathy x

CAS stencilling with a butterfly.

Hi everyone! Happy New Year and I hope it's a great one for all of us.

I'm starting off the new year with some exciting news! Loll has asked me to part of the new CAS Stencil Card Challenge design team. I was thrilled and honoured to be asked, although quite nervous too lol!

I am so looking forward to learning lots and having heaps of fun along the way. Loll and the rest of the team are so super talented and a great source of inspiration.

The first challenge is to use a sponging technique with a stencil. There are some great videos on the blog site if you need some inspiration.

I bought this leaves stencil quite a while ago, (there's a die in the same design which is on my wishlist, but the stencil was more affordable!) This is it's first inking. It was a little bit tricky as there are so many openings but using small pieces of low tack painter's tape really helped keep the stencil in place.

I used peeled paint, forest moss and a touch of vintage photo distress inks and applied them with a finger dauber.

My favourite Hero Arts butterfly was stamped in versafine ink, clear embossed, fussy cut, then coloured with Inktense pencils. There's a touch of crystal stickles on the wing spots although it's a bit hard to see in the pic.

The sentiment is from the doodled flowers set and I used a stamp press to get the positioning I wanted, too afraid to cut the sentiment in half lol!

I'm linking up to a few challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday where the theme is something new, my stencil.

and to Work it Wednesday where the theme is to try something new, my stencil.

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

and to the Stamplorations CAS Challenge where it's anything goes with the optional twist of using burgundy.

Supplies:

Simon Says Stamp leaves stencil: distress inks; versafine ink & clear embossing powder;

Hero Arts Antique Engravings butterfly; Happly Little Stampers Doodled Flowers sentiment;

Crafts 4 U stitched rectangle die; Inktense pencils; Crystal stickles.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Birthday Confetti!

Hi everyone, I have some exciting news to start the new year off with.

 Nancy from Seize the Birthday has asked me to join her design team!

I was thrilled to be asked as I love making birthday cards and am excited to be playing along with such an inspirational team!

The first theme for this year is confetti,


 or as always you can play along with the no toppings option of anything goes as long as it's a birthday theme.

This is my first shaker card!
I thought punching out tiny stars from scraps of cardstock would make great confetti. There's not a lot of room for shaking but for a first attempt I'm pretty happy lol!

I diecut a circle from a piece of card slightly smaller than my base card, then embossed it with a stars folder. The sentiment circle fits snugly around the opening and then I glued a circle of acetate to the back of the opening.
Used lots of thick foam tape to create a wall to hold in the confetti and to make the top layer sit evenly on the base.

I'm linking up to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where the theme is something new. Sheker cards are a new technique for me.



It's try something new at the Work it Wednesday Challenge.


Supplies:
Cuttlebug stars embossing folder; star punch from stash; happy birthday circle die bought from a craft fair; Spellbinders circle die; scraps of silver glitter and coloured card.

Thanks for visiting,
Cathy x