Blue Valentine

Those of you who know me will understand why I could not resist the latest Color Throwdown challenge:

A friend asked me to make her a few Valentine cards and blue is also her favourite colour so I thought I'd do one of them in blue:

I used Karen Dunbrook's technique of smooshing by applying the ink with a scrap of acetate.

I used quite a small piece of acetate as I wanted to limit where my ink went. I lightly penciled lines on my mixed media cs to indicate where I wanted the ink to go.

I started with the lightest blue, patted it on my craft mat, misted it, picked some up on the acetate, and pounced it between my lines. Then dried with my heat tool and repeated with the medium blue and darker blue.

The hearts are die cut out of white shimmer cs. I popped them up on foam tape.

I added a sentiment (on a lttle punched label as my attempt to stamp straight onto the card ended up crooked so restamped and punched it out.

The panel is trimmed with a stitched rectangle and taped onto a blue shimmer card base.

What do you think - is it okay to step away from red and pink for Valentine's Day?

Supplies:

Stamps - SU sentiment

Ink - Distress Oxide Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean, Faded Denim

Paper - mixed media cs, blue and white shimmer cs

Size - A2

Accessories - heart dies, SU label punch, foam tape, Lil Inkers stitched rectangle die

Blue and Silver Reminder Card

January is flying by!  Can't believe I'm already here to remind you about the CAS Christmas Card Challenge:

I've stepped out of my comfort zone with this card:

First of all, I used Pan Pastels on the card - a product I rarely use, and secondly, I tilted the focal panel - something I rarely do as I'm much more comfortable with my layers being level!

To create the snowflake panel, I sponged blue Pan Pastel all over a piece of cs, then stamped the snowflake background stamp on it, and then reapplied the blue Pan Pastel - the Versamark grabs it and makes it more intense.

I trimmed the panel and bordered it with silver glitter cs.  And die cut the sentiment once from the same cs and twice more from scraps of white cs.  I layered the three to give the sentiment more dimension, glued it on the background, and then attached the panel to the card base.

Please come and join us with a blue and silver card.  There's more inspiration over at CAS Christmas from the Design Team and our wonderful Guest Designer, Kaja (Kajcyika Crafts).  The deadline is January 24th, and your card must be clean and simple, and must use the blue and silver colour scheme.

Supplies:

Stamps - snowflake background stamp (brand unknown)

Ink - Versamark

Paper - white cs, silver glitter cs

Size - A2

Accessories - Memory Box sentiment die, blue Pan Pastels

Winter Fir Trees

We're already midway through January!!!  Time to remind you about the CAS Watercolour Challenge:

I decided to use some wintery trees with a light snowfall:

For the trees, I tapped Distress Evergreen Bough and Bundled Sage on my craft mat, spritzed generously with water, and smooshed / splashed a piece of watercolour paper into it.

When dry, I die cut the three trees.

I tore some strips of cs for the snowy hills, ran my Versamarker along the torn edges, and heat set with Frantage Chunky White embossing powder. 

I put together the scene, then die cut it with a circle.  For the lightly falling snow, I sprinkled with the Frantage and heat set from underneath.  Finally popped it up on fun foam on a square card base.

Head on over to CAS Watercolour for more inspiration from our Design Team and this month's fabulous Guest Designer, Janet (Swanlady Impressions).  You only have until January 24th to link up your clean and simple winter-themed card.  I can't wait to see what you create!

Supplies:

Stamps - Penny Black sentiment

Ink - Distress Evergreen Bough and Bundled Sage

Paper - watercolour paper, white cs

Size - 4.75" square

Accessories - Impression Obsession fir tree dies, Spellbinders circle die, Versamarker pen, Frantage Chunky White embossing powder, fun foam

Brown and Black Sympathy

Squeaking in under the wire at the Color Throwdown challenge:

They seemed ideal colours for a masculine sympathy card:

I love silhouettes on backgrounds I create so decided to do another one for this challenge.


I masked a rectangle on some coated cs and brayered with Frayed Burlap ink. I flicked some water on it with my fingers and got one very big wet droplet that lifted all the colour where it landed and a few other nicer splats.

Then I stamped to silhouette of wildflowers and grass with Staz-On ink. I trimmed the panel down, leaving a narrow white border, and popped it up on the card base with fun foam.

Supplies:

Stamps - SU Just Believe, Great Impressions sentiment

Ink - StazOn Black, Distress Frayed Burlap

Paper - white and coated cs

Size - A2

Accessories - fun foam

Blue and Silver Peace Dove

Christine is hosting the first CAS Christmas challenge for 2019:

I love this colour combination - blue is my favourite colour and I think silver sets it off perfectly.

Every year my best friend asks me to make several Christmas cards with a peace dove theme so this one was made for her.

The background was created by spraying starch on mixed media cs, sprinkling with blue brushos, and then scrunching cling wrap over the top.   I left it to dry and then removed the cling wrap.

I die cut the dove and the frame from silver shimmer cs, and added a sentiment, heat embossed in silver.  Here's a closer photo:

We'd love to have you join us!  Check out CAS Christmas for more inspiration by the Design Team and our wonderful Guest Designer, Kaja (Kajcyika Crafts).  You have until January 24th to link up your cards.  Please keep them Clean and Simple, and follow the "blue and silver" requirement of the challenge.

And don't forget to check out the new CAS Stencil Card Challenge:

Its first challenge will be up and running on January 4th!

Happy New Year to everyone!

Supplies:

Stamps - A Muse sentiment

Ink - ColorBox silver

Paper - white and silver cs, mixed media cs

Size - A2

Accessories - Impression Obsession dove die, MFT pierced frame die, silver embossing powder, blue Brushos, spray starch, cling wrap

"Hiver" is French for Winter

I'm hosting the January CAS Watercolour Challenge:

Nothing says winter to me more than a blue and white cards with a snowy tree.  I used a stamp I bought recently.  For those of you who don't speak French, "hiver" is winter in French.

I sprinkled a couple of shades of blue Brushos on coated cs and spritzed with water.  I allowed it to dry naturally overnight.  Then I put it into my MISTI and stamped with Versafine ink and heat embossed with super fine white embossing powder.

I trimmed it down and framed it with a triple-stacked pierced frame die cut, mounted it on fun foam, and put it on a white card base.

Please head on over to CAS Watercolour and check out the rest of the cards by the Design Team and by our wonderful Guest Designer, Janet (Swanlady Impressions).   You have until January 24th to link up your card - we can't wait to see your clean and simple winter creations!

And don't forget to check out the new CAS Stencil Card Challenge:

Its first challenge will be up and running on January 4th!

Happy New Year to everyone!

Supplies:

Stamps - Lime Citron "Texture Hiver"

Ink - Versafine grey

Paper - white and coated cs

Size - 5.25" square

Accessories - blue Brushos, white embossing powder, MFT Pierced Square Frame die, fun foam