Experimenting with infusions!

Hi everyone, I'm trying a new to me technique inspired by

this this tutorial by Ruth at Argeum Blogspot. 

I spread clear embossing medium through this leaf stencil onto watercolor paper and before removing it, sprinkled sage infusions powder on to it. Removed the stencil and waited for it to dry.

I wanted to colour the background and instead of shaking any excess powder off (I think it had dried on anyway) and painting with glaze, I spritzed the leaves with water.

This created puddles of colour galore lol! Blotting with paper towel cleaned it up ok.  

 I need to practice this more but it was so much fun!

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

This is the first time I've played with my Stamplorations leaf stencil so I'm also popping over to Darnell's NBUS challenge. It's a great incentive to pull out all of those goodies that have yet to used, so thanks Darnell!

I'm also linking up to the anything goes Stamplorations challenge,

and the Stamplorations CAS card challenge, 

Supplies:

Stamplorations leaf print stencil; MFT pierced tag stax die; Simon Says Stamp hello die; clear embossing medium; Paper Artsy Infusions; Papertrey Ink woodgrain texture plate; square brad.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Mixed Media Seahorse Panel.

Hi again, it's Father's Day here next Sunday so I thought I'd better try a few designs out.

This scrap of cardboard had gesso applied then some distress ink. I wanted more colour so I tried some of my new Infusions on it, but wasn't happy. Luckily it wiped off ok because of the gesso I think. There's a bit left in the nooks and crannies which is fine.

The starfish and seahorse are cut from scraps of chipboard, covered in versamark ink, then sprinkled with aged taupe or aged aqua frantage embossing enamel. Gives a lovely metallic look, which fits in with the theme at

 Happy Little Stampers Mixed Media Challenge 

Bizzy Bec's Store Blog has an anything goes theme.

I've used the Sizzix mini sea & sand dies and sketchy rings from Memory Box, so I'm also linking up to the Happy Little Stampers anything goes with dies challenge.

Snippets of chipboard means I can visit the playground at Pixie's Crafty Workshop, you only need one scrap or snippet to join in the fun!

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge has a go fish theme,

 so I'm hoping starfish and seahorses are ok.

Supplies:

Sizzix mini sand & sea dies; Memory Box Sketchy rings die ; gesso; distress ink; Royal Blood Infusions; Aged taupe and aqua frantage embossing enamel; versamark ink; metalic gold rub on paste; sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Blended crackle background.

Hi everyone,

I was inspired by one of Tammy Tuterow's Beautiful Blends tutorials to try these

 distress ink colours together.

 Peacock Feathers, Blueprint Sketch and Ground Espresso.

Tammy has some amazing combinations that look great together!

The background Stamp is one I've had for ages and this is it's first inking! 

So I'm entering Darnell's latest NBUS challenge where using your never before used schtuff is all the go!

At AAA Cards the theme is blending.

Simon Says Stamp Monday has a Go Fish theme. 

I'm hoping starfish and seahorses count as fish!

Supplies:

Impression Obsession craquelure stamp; versafine ink & clear ep; distress inks; Sizzix mini sand and sea die; versamark ink; aged taupe and aged aqua frantage embossing enamel; sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

The best Dad!

Hi everyone, I've had fun making a few cards today and thought I'd post this one that uses some of my new goodies that I've been accumulating!!

I fussy cut this Katzelkraft dog stamp and coloured him with Prismacolor pencils, french grey 10 and 30%, and tombows for the black spots. I love the goofy expression he has!

I've used a few diecuts, the brick wall, the speech bubble and the DAD text, so I'm linking up to the anything goes diecuts challenge at Happy Little Stampers.

I sponged my background with pumice stone distress ink, then spritzed it with water to add more texture. Using ink, stamps and sprays is the theme at the CAS Mixup Card Challenge, (it's ok just to use water as your spray element too). I've also used fussy cutting,sponging and heat embossing.

It's anything goes at Word Art Wednesday.

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

At Cas-ual Fridays it's time to colour.

Supplies:

Stampin Up Just Sayin stamp and die (retired); Katzelkraft dog stamp; versafine ink & clear ep; Sizzix alterations mixed media die set #3; Impression Obsession alphabet die; distress ink; prismacolor pencils; tombows.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Gum leaves and blossoms

Hi everyone, I hope you are having a great week! I'm looking forward to a crafty weekend as things have been a bit busy lately. Here's hoping anyway lol!

I was asked for an Australian themed birthday card and thought of this Kaszazz stamp I've had for a while. It's a similar design to previous cards I've made but I tried to get a better green for the leaves this time, and left off the flower soft on the blossoms. I've fussy cut and separated the leaves and blossoms to arrange on this twig, cut from a snippet of brown card.

One snippet is all you need to visit the playground at Pixie's Crafty Workshop.

The challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday is fabulous florals and I'm just scraping in before it closes!

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



Supplies:
Kaszazz large gum leaves stamp; Memory Box twigs and berries die; Prismacolor pencils; Sizzix woodgrain embossing folder; distress ink; sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting,
Cathy x

Irish blessing with butterflies!

Hi again, I was looking for an Irish blessing for a colleague and found this one.

I typed it up and printed it onto some light cardstock and it seems to have blended up ok with distress inks.

The challenge at Simon Says Stamp Monday is to add some texture.

I've used an embossing folder to add some interest to the background.

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday  has an anything goes theme.

Supplies:
Distress inks; Darkroom Door butterfly stamps; inktense pencils; birds and swirls embossing folder; quote from the internet.

Thanks for visiting, Cathy x

Dreamy Floral

This is another simple sympathy card I made for a colleague.

I think this dreamy flower is useful for so many occasions!

I used antique linen, tumbled glass, broken china and weathered wood distress inks to create the inky halo effect with an applicator tool.

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



I'm also linking up to Word Art Wednesday where it's also an anything goes challenge.



I'm also linking up to the challenge at Penny Black at Allsorts where it's anything goes with a stamp.



Supplies:
Penny Black Dreamy stamp; versafine ink & clear ep; distress inks; sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting,
Cathy x

Fuchsia Floral

Hi everyone, I was inspired by the colours at this month's Scrapbook Boutique challenge where they have this great mood board for inspiration.

I tend to repeat the same colour schemes and have only made yellow cone flowers but I think I like these fuchsia and deep rose ones just as much. I coloured them with Inktense pencils.

At Seize the Birthday the toppings challenge is pink and brown, I might be stretching the pink with my purply pink, if so then it's anything goes birthday.

At Word Art Wednesday it's anything goes.

Supplies:

Stampers Anonymous Flower Garden stamp; grey vesafine ink; inktense pencils; Stampin Up text embossing folder; sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Spring blossom

Hi again, I was asked to make a couple of sympathy cards recently. They wanted somthing simple and I thought this Memory Box flower would suit.

I coloured the stem with distress markers and used distress inks and a dauber for the blooms.

The challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday is anything goes.

At Addicted to Stamps & More the theme is CAS.



At AAA Cards the theme is to use one favourite from your stash. I've used distress inks which I love! (in addistion to my other favourite, dies!)



Supplies:
Memory Box Honeyblossom sprig; distress markers and inks; sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting,
Cathy x

Brushos butterfly & border

Hi again, a friend asked me to make a couple of thank you cards and left the design up to me, so, of course it has butterflies in it!

I sprinkled orange and prussian blue brushos onto some watercolor paper and smooshed it around to create this 2 tone effect. I spritzed it with blue patina perfect pearls too, though it's hard to see the shimmer in the pic.

I scored a couple of lines either side of the border die for more definition.

I'm linking up to the things with wings challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday.

It's anything goes at Bizzy Becs Store Blog.



Happy Little Stampers  has an anything goes with dies challenge.
I've used 2 Memory Box dies and a sentiment sticker.



AAA Cards wants us to make a CAS card with one favourite thing from our stash. I love using diecuts!



Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday - use wafer thin dies or stencils.

Supplies:

Dies: Memory Box Fairytale Flower Border and Moonlight Butterfly.
Other: brushos; sentiment sticker; bling.

Thanks for visiting,
Cathy x

Something old, but new!

Hi everyone, I'm so glad our internet is fixed! It was good in some ways as I got more cards made instead of perusing pinterest and new products to buy lol!

I managed to find this very old Stampin Up stamp called En Francais, so it's old but new to me!

I stamped and embossed the text then applied distress inks to give it a sort of parchment feel.

The butterflies are coloured with Inktense pencils, I couldn't quite get them the same colour!

The background layer is recycled chipboard from a notepad with gold metallic paste rubbed on the edges.

The tag is diecut from a snippet of white card and I distressed it before deciding to add the metallic paste as well.

I'm linking up to these challenges:

Pixie's Crafty Workshop where you only need to use one scrap or snippet to join in the fun!

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

Bizzy Bec's Store Blog where it's anything goes.

Word Art Wednesday, also anything goes.

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday where the theme is things with wings.




Supplies:
Darkroom Door butterfly stamp; versafine ink, clear ep. Stampin Up En Francais stamp; distress ink; Jim Allred metallic rub ons; Inktense pencils; MFT label die; sentiment sticker. Kaisercraft pearls.

Thanks for visiting,
Cathy x

I'm back!!!!

Hi again, it feels like ages since I've been here!

A technician arrived today to replace the faulty power box in our set up so I'm hoping to be posting again real soon :)

Cathy x

Sorry it's been so long....

Hi everyone, I have no internet at home at the moment!

 We had the long awaited NBN skymuster satellite hooked up and have had no internet since. Technicians will get back to us with a solution, soon I hope.

Until then stay safe and happy, Cathy x