Squeezing In A Quick One

Hi all you lovely people.  I hope you are all having a great weekend, and for those of us having a bank holiday weekend, doesn't it make a change to have a sunny one!  Which, of course, is typical, as we are off to Spain, and we have been told that for the day of our arrival and beyond, they have forecast torrential rain and heavy thunderstorms . . . in fact, they have had a severe weather warning!  

So, we will be leaving behind the sunshine and heading into our usual UK weather in Spain, where we go to get away from it!  Oh well,  C'est la vie!

I just had to squeeze in a quick one before we go and enter a quick challenge.  And what better challenge to get in on, but my good friends Loll and Bonnie's CAS Mix Up challenge which this month calls for

I'm afraid I don't have a great deal of Alcohol Inks, but I have done what I can with what few I have, my choice is a die-cut.

Here are the pictures.

I must get some more in different colours!

**EDIT**

Just been over to link up, and guess what . . . it ended on the 24th August!!

Thank you so much for your visit today and especially if you have left a comment.  You are all appreciated more than you know! 

If you have a question, please be sure I have a way to contact you so I can answer, as a lot of you are 'no-reply' bloggers, so I am unable to reply via e-mail.

A Two Challenge Card

Today lovely people, I have a card for two of my favourite challenges!  Freshly Made Sketches and this is the lovely sketch.

As you will see, I turned the sketch on it's head . . . more of that later.  The other challenge is CAS Mix Up where they want to see, stamping, splattering and 'your choice', again, . . . more of that later!

Here is my card . . . explanations below!

First, I took a panel of white card-stock the same size as my base card and partially die-cut the top with a (very old) die from supplies.  Then I stamped a flower arrangement in Versamark ink and heat embossed it using platinum embossing powder by WOW.  Then, I water-coloured the flowers using my Inktense pencils and a water brush.  Next, I splattered it with some red paint on a paintbrush.

When the panel was dry I attached a piece of vellum longer than needed for the card front and folded over the excess and attached that to another panel the same size as a card front, so I had a see-through bit.  Next, I adhered a sheet of patterned paper to another panel and sandwiched the whole thing together, so you could see the patterned paper through the vellum, lost yet? . .  I am! 😜

To finish, I added a strip of patterned paper that was actually a strip of scrap card-stock covered with some washi, and a stamped sentiment that I mounted with foam tape, adhered a few sequins in matching colours and, of course, the obligatory, lick of Stella on the flowers and vellum panel!  Phew!

I do hope that all made a modicum of sense, any questions, don't ask me, ask Jennifer McGuire, who came up with the design some months ago, that I remembered (kind of). 😉

Thank you so much for your visit today and especially if you have left a comment.  You are all appreciated more than you know! 

If you have a question, please be sure I have a way to contact you so I can answer, as a lot of you are 'no-reply' bloggers, so I am unable to reply via e-mail.

CAS Mix Up Challenge - Splattering

Hello lovely crafters and friends!  Today, my card is for the CAS Mix Up Challenge and their challenge this month is 'Splattering'.

This is my card and I will explain the techniques and products used, below.

First, I took a plain white panel the same size as my card base and gave it the 'faux wood' treatment.  I scored some lines for the 'planks' then I dragged some distress inks down the front to represent the 'grain'.  Then I splattered it with some water, to make it look even more worn and weathered.  I let it dry and then adhered it to my card base.

Next, I stamped my image with Versamark ink and heat embossed with Platinum embossing powder.  I coloured the flowers by sponge blending and fussy cut it out.

Next. I took a plain white panel and cut it at an angle and edged it with black card-stock and adhered that to the wood panel.  I then mounted my image with foam tape for dimension.  Stamped the sentiment in black and added some dots of enamel accents in black to tie it all in.  A lick of Stella to the flower and called it done!

So, techniques are, stamping, distressing, water splattering, heat embossing and ink blending.

Thank you so much for your visit today and especially if you have left a comment.  You are all appreciated more than you know! 

If you have a question, please be sure I have a way to contact you so I can answer, as a lot of you are 'no-reply' bloggers, so I am unable to reply via e-mail.

A Five Hour Retrospective For CAS Mix Up

Hello again my lovelies!  I don't know if you caught my post earlier HERE
where I mentioned that I was going to enter the card to two challenges, until I realised there was no stamping on it, so I was unable to enter it in to Loll and Bonnie's 'CAS Mix Up Challenge'

Well, I was still kicking my self a few hours later (as I loved the way the smooshed panel had turned out), when I had a light-bulb moment and I added some stamping in the form of a partial sentiment - I hope it isn't classed as cheating, as I do think that it was actually crying out for that addition anyway - so, I stamped 'sending' on a tiny snippet of card-stock and adhered it just above the word 'Hugs'.  I hope this is allowed, as it was only made hours ago!  

Anyway, here it is now, let me know if you think that that was what was missing earlier!

Well, there you have it!  Details are as previous post!  HERE

Thank you so much for your visit today and especially if you have visited twice and left a comment.  You are all appreciated more than you know! If you have a question, please be sure I have a way to contact you so I can answer, as a lot of you are 'no-reply' bloggers, so I am unable to reply via e-mail.

Another Entry For CAS Mix Up Challenge

Today, I have another smooshed entry for Loll & Bonnie's CAS Mix Up Challenge for their first Blogaversary!  Which asks for stamping, 'smooshing' and your choice.

A really simple one this time, 'smooshed' Starlight Paints on a small panel of card-stock, a 'new' (never used) die-cut panel mounted on foam for dimension and the whole thing adhered to a white base card.  Finishing with a silver heat embossed sentiment on a snippet of black card-stock and a few drops of black enamel accents.  There you have it, smooshing, stamping & die cutting (my choice).

Well, my lovelies, I can't believe it's Friday already, so, have a great weekend whatever you are doing and wherever you are.

Thank you all so much for your visit today and especially if you have left a comment.  You are all appreciated more than you know! If you have a question, please be sure I have a way to contact you so I can answer, as a lot of you are 'no-reply' bloggers, so I am unable to reply via e-mail.

CAS Mix Up - 1st Blogaversary!

Hi lovely friends!  Today, I have a card for Loll & Bonnie's CAS Mix Up Challenge  which is calling for 'smooshing', stamping & your choice.

It is also, their first Blogaversary!!   Oh, my, how time passes by so quickly!  Well, I couldn't let such an auspicious occasion go by without a contribution (up until my mother got so ill, I entered every one of my friend's fun challenges, but of course, was unable to do so for so long).  Even now, I am late to the party - literally - but, better late than never eh ladies?

As always, photos first, explanation after.

First, I took the 'smooshed' panel and cut it with a stitched rectangle die, stamped it  using an old Stampendous stamp set and heat embossed it with platinum embossing powder, next, I cut a vellum panel with a stitched, scalloped rectangle die and adhered it to the back of the 'smooshed' panel.

I embossed another panel with an embossing folder - which I can't remember who's it was,  as it had no manufacturer's mark on it - and cut it diagonally for interest and adhered that to the front of the base card.

To finish, I mounted the focal piece on to the card front with thin foam, to show the vellum better against the white of the card.  Finally, I heat embossed 'Happy' on a piece of black card and stamped 'birthday' on a piece of white card, adhered them together and mounted on to the panel - again with thin foam - so, 

Smooshing = panel ✓
Stamping   = panel & sentiment ✓
My Choice = heat embossing, dry embossing, die-cutting ✓

I had fun and hope to participate a lot more often now that Mum is a lot better!   Fingers crossed!

Thank you so much for your visit today and especially if you have left a comment.  You are all appreciated more than you know! If you have a question, please be sure I have a way to contact you so I can answer, as a lot of you are 'no-reply' bloggers, so I am unable to reply via e-mail.

First Cards & Two Challenges!

Hello one and all.  I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that the new year in 2017 is kind to us all, with health and happiness in abundance!

The new year has started off better than the end of last year for us, as Mum is so much stronger than she was, she will always need a lot of support (well, she is 91 years old in a few weeks and with a dodgy heart), but thankfully, she is as good as she is going to get and more like her old self.  I owe so much to all of you my friends for your words of support and thoughts and prayers during her ordeal, and she has asked me to thank you all on her behalf . . . so, thank you, thank you!

This is the first cards made of 2017 and I have neglected some of my usual challenges, so here are two that I made today for two of my favourites.

The first here is for the challenge that gave me my first shot at being in a design team, it is for the Happy Little Stampers CAS challenge that requires the use of a stencil this month.

This is the card . . . a shaker for next Christmas, as I don't intend to get caught out this year!

The second card is for another of my very favourites and that is my dear dear friends Loll and Bonnie's CAS Mix Up challenge  which asks for, Stamping, Liquid Colours + Your Choice.

I wanted to try this technique that I saw on You Tube HERE however, I couldn't find my alcohol inks (and may never do so again, due to the appalling state of my craft room!)  So, instead I improvised and used Stampin' Up re-inkers.  I got a piece of watercolour paper and wet it liberally and then I dropped drips of  'Island Indigo' in spots and moved it around a bit.  Then I spritzed with more water and repeated the dripping.  I finished the piece, by laying it face down, once it was dry, in the residue on my mat and mopped up.

I wanted to make the piece the 'star' of the show, so I just dry embossed the top left corner with a die (my choice) and stamped the sentiment on a piece of white card-stock  and punched a border, then mounted it to the front of the card base.  Here it is.

Thank you so much for your visit today and especially if you have left a comment.  You are all appreciated more than you know! If you have a question, please be sure I have a way to contact you so I can answer, as a lot of you are 'no-reply' bloggers, so I am unable to reply via e-mail.