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

Purple twinkling H2Os.

Hi everyone, I used a technique that is still pretty new to me to create this image.

I painted the stamp with twinkling H2Os and then stamped it, so that it gives a watercoloured effect.

By using my misti, I was able to go back in with a lighter colour and stamp again to give the colours more depth. The colours are darker in real life, and here's a closer look at the shimmer from these paints.

I'm linking up to these challenges:

AAA Cards  has a nature theme.

At Crafting with dragonflies it's the colour purple.

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday says use more than one stamp.

I've used 2, the flower by Rubernecker and part of a tiny Stampin Up sentiment stamp. I coloured the sentiment part with a black tombow, amazingly it worked!

At Simon Says Monday, the challenge is to be inspired by a song. Purple Rain by Prince is one of my faves!

The scrap of dark purple matting ine flower came from my stash of snippets, so I'm also linking up to the snippets playground at Pixie's Crafty Workshop.

and the theme at Happy Little Stampers Watercolour is anything goes and I've gone with the option of CAS.

Supplies:

Rubbernecker blossom stamp; Stampin Up sentiment from My Little Valentine set; twinkling H2O paints; black tombow marker; fun foam for dimension and purple linen card base.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Gelato background with flowers.

Hi everyone, I've been out of the craft room for quite a while. My Mum was very ill in hospital for a week or so. She is on the mend and back home again now, whew! 

I wanted to play along with a few challenges.

At CAS Mix Up Card Challenge, it's a gelatos or crayons theme.

I used lemon, metallic blueberry and cotton candy for this background, scribbling them on a craft mat, spritzing with water and smooshing onto regular cardstock. Here's a pic of the shimmer from the metallic one.

My elements are gelatos, stamping, heat embossing and diecutting.

At Less is More it's a colour challenge.

 I've used blue, yellow and grey neocolour pastels in the centre of the flowers. The mat is also a grey greeny colour. Hope that's enough grey?

At Craft Stamper Magazine's Take it Make it Challenge, it's anything goes as long as you use a stamp.

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

and at Penny Black Saturday Challenge, it's anything goes using PB.

Supplies:

Penny Black Constellations stamp; So Suzy sentiment stamp; versafine ink & clear ep; gelatos; neocolour pastels II; white paint pen; tissue paper and ranger glue n seal; Crafts 4 U staitched frame die.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Blue bird for Mum.

Hi everyone.

 I've used these dies in a similar design before, but my Mum loves birds, so I wanted to make this for her Mother's Day. (She doesn't look at my blog!!)

One embossing folder, 4 dies, vellum and twinkling H2os for the flowers, distress inks for the bird

 and a sentiment sticker. Job's done! Although it does take a few passes with the cuttlebug to get enough leaves and flowers lol.

Quite a few snippets of green card and vellum used up, so I'm visiting the snippets playground at 

Pixie's Crafty Workshop.

I'm also linking up to the animal magic challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday,

and to the Simon Says Work it Wednesday Challenge where Mum is the theme.

The Flower Challenge has an acetate or vellum theme.

At Stamplorations the Cutplorations Challenge has a things with wings theme, and you must use a diecut.

Supplies: 

Memory Box, woodland branch, tender leaves, fancy blossoms and perched reed bird dies; distress inks; vellum; twinkling H2os; liquid pearls for the flower centres; stately embossing folder; sentiment sticker; hammer card base - has a subtle texture.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x

Aged silver frantage butterfly.

Hi everyone, it's a while since I embossed a butterfly with frantage.

 I've used aged silver for this one and have diecut the butterfly base from vellum.

I'm linking up to these challenges:

At Make My Monday, the theme is embossing, wet or dry. I've used both here.

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday where it's anything goes.

Simon Says Work it Wednesday has a Mother's Day theme.

Outside the Box has a butterflies, insect or dragonflies theme, and you must use a Memory Box product on your project. I've used the Lunette and Oriel butterfly dies.

Supplies:

Memory Box lunette and oriel butterfly dies; veramark ink and aged silver frantage embossing enamel; Ultimate Crafts mosaic constellations embossing folder; vellum; sentiment sticker.

Thanks for visiting,

Cathy x