Brushos and glimmer mist.

Hi everyone, I had a few hours spare today and needed a few cards.

Checked through my stash of backgrounds and found a watercolour one that had prussian blue brushos and diamond glimmer mist on it

I wanted to use this new die and decided to add a bit more colour, so sprinkled on some turquoise and lime brushos, spritzed with water and was happier with the coverage.

Here's a look at the shimmer.

I'm linking up to these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday where it's anything goes.

Die Cuttin Divas'where it's all about your favourite colour combination.

One of my fave's is blue and green, I'm sure crayola will keep some shades of these crayons!

Watercooler Wednesday, where it's occasions.

Supplies:

Paper Rose Blooming Flowers die; brushos; dazzling diamonds glimmer mist; Thanks die that was a gift from a friend.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Spring Birthday Milestone!

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

The toppings option this time is Spring, which is a long way off here in Australia, although it's my favourite time of year!

If flowers aren't your thing, then you can always play along with the anything goes birthday option.

A colleague at work asked me to make a card for her Mum who was turning 80 and said she loved flowers and the colours pink and purple.

I laid down some distress oxides in pink and purple on a craft mat, spritzed with water and patted some watercolour paper into the puddles. I dried that off with a heat gun, then sprayed the paper with some glimmer mist. Love the splotchy look!

The large and small flowers were punched out, the black stamens and leaves were diecut.

I diecut the numbers, inked them with versamark and heat embossed with black sparkle powder.

The textured background is from a Simon Says Stamp embossing plate. I would have liked the texture to be a bit more prominent, but couldn't get it anything better with my cuttlebug or big shot plus.

I'll have to keep experimenting with the sandwich!

Here's a close up that shows the shimmer.

I'm linking up to these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday where it's anything goes.

Happy Little Stampers Anything goes with Dies

Watercooler Wednesday All Abot Occasions.

Retro Rubber has a tic tac toe challenge and you must use at least one stamp that is more than a year old. I've used a sentiment stamp from Happy Little Stampers Doodled Flowers set, which dates from 2016.

My row is sparkle, leaves and heat embossing.

Supplies:

Punches: Stampin Up Pansy punch and EK success small flower.

Dies: Memory Box cherry blossom and Parker numbers; Elizabeth Craft curvy leaves; Spellbinders Circles; 

Other: Simon Says Stamp Cora embossing plate; distress oxide inks; versafine ink, clear ep; black sparkle ep. Dazzling diamonds glimmer mist.

Stamps: Happy Little Stampers doodled flowers sentiment.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Retirement would be awesome!

Hi, no I'm not able to retire yet, sadly, lol!

A former work colleague is retiring though and I was asked to make him a card. I had this bird in my stash and loved his nonchalant look!

The bird is stamped with versafine on watercolour paper and from memory, is coloured with Inktense pencils.

The stamped sentiments are from 2 different sets, and the diecut is layered up 3 times for dimension, inked with versamark and embossed with black sparkle powder.

I'm linking up to these challenges:

AAA Cards has a CAS theme using one image.

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday has a cute theme. I think these crazy birds are quirky and cute!

Happy Little Stampers anything goes with dies. I used Memory Box awesome jotted script and the matching die for the bird crazy stamp.

Watercooler Wednesday Challenge has an anything goes masculine theme.

Stamplorations CAS Challenge, it's anything goes with the optional use of coral pink.

Supplies:

Tim Holtz Bird Crazy stamp and die; Memory Box awesome jotted script die; Woodware retirement  and Lawn Fawn reveal wheel sentiment stamps; Inktense pencils; versafine ink & clear ep; versamark ink & black sparkle ep; Stately embossing folder.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Ghosted greenery with oxide inked butterfly.

Hi everyone, have you had a chance to play along with the CAS Stencil Challenge

ghosting theme yet? There is still plenty of time and lots of inspiration on the challenge blog, as well as some video tutorials if you are new to this technique.

I inked some cardstock with distress oxide inks in a few shades of green, then laid a leafy layering stencil over the top. I spritzed this with water, removed the stencil and then laid a piece of paper towel over the card to absorb the excess moisture. I love the subtle pattern and the shades of green it created.

My butterfly and flowers were diecut from some glossy photo paper that had been inked with distress oxide inks, then wiped with a baby wipe. Love the vibrant colours .

Here's a closer look.

I'm linking up to these challenges:

At Addicted to CAS the theme is green.

Die Cuttin Divas has a green or gold theme. I've used both Memory Box and Spellbinders dies.

At Mix it Up Challenge, it's anything goes with the option of an inked background.

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

Supplies:

Dies: Memory Box side drifting butterfly and blushing bouquet; Spellbinders circle dies.

Other: Tim Holtz leafy layering stencil; distress oxide inks; glossy photo paper; Annabelle Stamps sentiment; versafine ink & clear ep.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Spots and stripes!

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

This time the optional toppings theme is spots and stripes,

or, as always, you can play along with the anything goes birthday theme.

The Design Team and special guest have some wonderful ideas to inspire you, so I hope you can play along.

I struggle with patterns, whether it's designer paper, or layers with different patterns on them!

So I revisited a CAS design I used a couple of years ago that used striped washi tape and some dotty sequins. I combined that with some diecuts embossed with aged black frantage powder, and my Stepdad's birthday card is ready!

I''m linking up to these challenges:

The numbers and strip of black card are cut from scraps, so I'm visiting the snippets playground at

Pixie's Crafty Workshop. You only need 1 scrap or snippet to play along and as well as playground antics there is the adorable pup Dudley to catch up with!

The theme at CAS on Friday is embossing wet or dey. I've used wet embossing with versamark ink and frantage enamel powder.
.

 Happy Little Stampers anything goes with dies.

Supplies:

Dies: Poppystamps jumbled birthday; Memory Box Parker numbers.

Stamp: Simon Says Stamp Happy stamp set.

Other: Stampendous aged black frantage embossing enamel; versamark ink; washi tape and sequins from stash.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Ghosted stencil flower.

Hi everyone, it's time for a new challenge at CAS Stencil and the theme this month is ghosting!

There are some videos on the blog to help with this technique and the design team has some wonderful cards for inspiration, so I hope you get the chance to play along.

I inked up some blending card with distress oxides in shades of pink and coral with a blending tool.

Then I spritzed some water on a stencil, laid it on the inked card and pressed over it with some paper towel. The stencil was a very fine one (Memory Box Modern Flower) and the water seeped quite a lot, even after a couple of goes!

So, instead of using it as a background I decided to use it as my diecut petals.

I layered a white flower outline on top and left the petal ends unglued for some dimension.

Here is a closer look at the petals.

I will be trying this again perhaps with a more substantial stencil, but I'm still happy with how this flower turned out, just had to make sure I inlaid the petals in the correct order.

At Outside the Box the theme is to use a flower on your project.

I've used a Memory Box die and stencil.

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

and to Inkspirational where it's use your stash.

I've used things that have been lurking in my stash for ages, the flower die, the stencil and the sentiment stamp!

Mix it Up Challenge Blog has anything goes with the option of using an inked background.

Supplies:

Memory Box modern flower stencil and tilth floral die; abandoned coral, picked raspberry and worn lipstick distress oxide inks; Happy Little Stampers doodled flowers sentiment stamp; Crafts 4 U stitched rectangles die; versafine ink & clear ep; hammered card base.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy

Crazy bird birthday.

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

The toppings theme is something to make us laugh,

or, as always, anything goes birthday.

I've had these bird crazy stamps for ages, and have paired this one with a cheeky sentiment stamp borrowed from my sister (yep I've still got them Mo!) 

I blended some distress oxide inks for the backround and spritzed it with water to add some texture.

The bird is perched on a birthday stamp from Happy Little Stampers.

The design team has some wonderful inspiration for you, so I hope you get the chance to play along.

I'm linking up to these challenges:
At Simon Says Stamp Wednesday, it's anything goes.



At Watercooler Wednesday, it's an all about occasions challenge.



At Word Art Wednesday it's anything goes with a sentiment or the scripture provided.

Supplies:

Tim Holtz bird crazy stamp & die: HLS birthday stamp; Art Impressions sentiment stamp; versafine ink & clear ep; Zig clean colour markers; distress oxide ink; Crafts 4 u stitched rectangle die.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x