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.

Happy Little Stampers CAS Challenge - Faux Mother Of Pearl

Hello all my lovely blogging buddies and welcome if you have stumbled across my little part of the internet.  I hope you are all well.

Another new month is upon us already and it seems like only five minutes ago, it was Christmas!  Where does the time go?

Anywho, it is time for another fun challenge over at Happy Little Stampers CAS challenge and this month, it is for the technique, 'Faux Mother Of Pearl' . . .  if you do not know this technique, Kylie has links to a number of helpful videos showing you how to do it.  It turns out really beautiful!

Again, HLS is sponsoring the challenge, so there are prizes to be won, an added bonus, besides the fun you will have!

Without further ado, here are the rest of the pictures - explanations, below - and list of supplies.

Unfortunately it is difficult to see in the photos the beautiful, shimmery effect, you get from this technique.  It really is quite stunning!

I first took a piece of white card-stock and embossed it with my Linen embossing folder for a little, subtle texture.

Next, I took a piece of glossy card-stock and used a scrunched up piece of cling film, and dipped it in some iridescent acrylic paint  and pounced it gently over the piece of card.  I put it aside to dry and cut out my flower spray, with a Wild Rose Studio, 'Woodland Posy' die and gave it some form with an embossing tool.

When the iridescent paint was dry, I sponged some Distress Inks over the focal piece, the colours used were, Milled Lavender & Mermaid Lagoon.

I finished by mounting the 'Faux Mother Of Pearl' piece up on foam tape and finished, by adhering the flower posy to the front.

I left it without a sentiment as I am going to keep it in my card stash, until an unexpected card is needed, then all I have to do is add a sentiment and it's done!

Thank you for visiting today, do pop around to my fellow DT members blogs to see what they have come up with, and then join us in the fun and show us what you have come up with.  I can't wait to see them!

Apologies & Happy Little Stampers CAS Challenge

Sorry for my absence these last few days, only I had an operation on Wednesday and my face is swollen, my jaw is aching like a good un, even my tongue is bruised, so I haven't felt up to much! 

I'm sorry for my lack of comments too, I have so gotten behind with everything!  It's a long story that I won't bore you all with in detail, but I had a tooth infection start, about three years ago and I had antibiotics prescribed, which didn't do the trick, and subsequently I had three root canals, none of which worked!

So I ended up having this operation, whereby they cut into my gum, cut away a part of the jaw bone, removed the infection and bottom part of the nerve and stitched the gum back up.  However, I have only been able to cope with Ben & Jerry's Blueberry Cheesecake Frozen Yoghurt . . . so, not all bad then ;)

Today I decided to use something from my enormous collection of NBUS . . . I have also decided that I must stay away from all the new releases until I have used more of my NBUS.  It will be difficult, but I thought if I write something down that I fancy getting and then leave it for a while, if I still want it when I look at it again, in say, a month, then I will get it.

What usually happens with me is, I see a fabulous card made with a new release and think that I need to get that stamp set/die etc., and when it arrives, I put it to one side, then later, when I see it in my stack, I can't think what I can do with it!  Are any of you the same, or do you use your new stuff as it arrives?  So, my mantra is going to be, use more and buy less . . . Hmm, I wonder how long that will last?

Anywho, on to today's card, it was made with my, Waffle Flower 'Perfect' stamp set.  Not one of my best attempts I know, but they can't all be perfect, can they?  I must hold my hands up and say that I have never been very good at flower arranging, real or virtual!

This is it.

As it is stamped, I thought I would link it to our Happy Little Stampers CAS challenge

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Why not join in the fun!

Thank you for visiting today and for any comments, you are all appreciated very much.  Have a lovely weekend all you lovely people.  Hazel xx

Happy Little Stampers CAS June Challenge - Sprays

Hello dear friends, today I have made a quick card to squeeze in with the Happy Little Stampers CAS June Challenge - Sprays

I know I'm pushing it, but I should just make it!  First I sprayed a panel with two colours of home made sprays, one a bluey colour and one a pinky one - technical details on this site ;) - then I heat dried it - I had no time to wait - and then cut another panel out of vellum and stamped a sentiment in matching (almost) inks and used a sticker that I have had knocking about for years and never got round to using.

Finished off with some pink sprinkles (I wanted to use blue and pink, but had no suitable blues) and that's it my dear friends, one challenge under my belt since returning home.

Thank you for stopping by and for any comments . . . you really make my day!  Have a lovely week.  Hazel xx