Blue Dove

Time for February's CAS Christmas Challenge!

I always make several different cards each year using the theme of peace and doves, so this is one of my favourite challenges for the year.

I used blue alcohol inks on coated cs to create the piece from which I die cut the dove.  I stamped the sentiment in navy and bordered the panel with navy cs, then popped it up on fun foam.  It would be a wonderfully easy card to mass produce if you needed to.

Please head over to CAS Christmas and check out the other inspiration from our Design Team and our wonderful Guest Designer, Linda (Scrappin', Stampin', & Singin').  You have until February 24th to link up your card.  Please be sure it is clean and simple, and includes the theme of "peace".

Supplies:

Stamps - Paper Smooches sentiment

Ink - Vivid Inky Blue, various blue alcohol inks

Paper - white, navy, and coated cs

Size - 4.75" square

Accessories - Penny Black dove die, fun foam

Watercoloured Stencil

Time for February's CAS Watercolour challenge and our host, Marcia, has picked "Red and Pink" as the theme.

Perfect for Valentine's Day!  I did something a little different and watercoloured through a stencil for my card.

I used a TCW stencil called "Confetti".  Here's a picture of it:

It seems I had it flipped over the other way but I don't think it matters.  I taped it down onto watercolour paper and just used the top section.

I took plain old watercolour paints and a small flat brush (a flat brush seems to work better with the stencil than a round one).  I dipped the brush in water and then dabbed off some of the water so it wouldn't run under the stencil.  I drag the flat brush head on an angle over the stencil openings, rather than painting into the openings (if that makes sense!).  I did all the blotches and dots in pink and the hearts in red.

To finish it off, I added an encrusted jewel heart out of my UFO box and a simple stamped sentiment.  The panel is popped up on fun foam on a red card base.  Here's a close-up of the heart and surrounding watercolouring:

We have wonderful examples of red and pink watercolouring from the Design Team and our fabulous Guest Designer, Darnell (djkardkreations) over at CAS Watercolour.  You have until February 24th to link up your cards.

Supplies:

Stamps - Tim Holtz sentiment

Ink - SU Real Red

Paper - watercolour paper, red cs

Size - A2

Accessories - TCW "Confetti" stencil, watercolour paints, encrusted jewel heart from my UFO box (heart die, versamark, red embossing powder, clear UTEE, various tiny beads and sequins, glitter), fun foam

Heat Embossed Cardinal

Squeaking in under the wire for the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown "Heat Embossing" challenge!

I used an older Inkadinkado stamp that works really well for solid heat embossing.

I stamped with Versamark and then heat embossed with a mix of copper and sparkly gold embossing powders.  I fussy cut the image.

I had a piece of copper sprayed cs in my UFO box so stamped and heat embossed the sentiment on it and trimmed it down into a square for the background.

I taped the fussy cut image onto it, and added a border of copper glitter cs.

Now it's finished I'm wondering if it is too monotone.  What do you think?

Supplies:

Stamps - Inkadinkado bird / ornament, PTI sentiment

Ink - Versamark

Paper - white cs, copper glitter cs

Size - 4.75" square

Accessories - copper spray, a mix of copper and sparkly gold embossing powder

Looking Back

I don't do vintage style very often, but I do have one stamp I love and it is perfect for the Double D Challenge "Looking Back in Time".

To go with the old-fashioned image, I used vintage colours and some lace.

I stamped the image on watercolour paper with Distress Oxide Vintage Photo - I used the Oxide ink rather than the regular Distress ink as it gives a sharper image.

I pressed a few colours of mini Distress inks on a palette and watercoloured the image with them. The Vintage Photo from the original stamping blended in with them a bit, making the colours seem even more vintage.

I pressed some Vintage Photo on my mat, spritzed it with water, and ran some lace through it. It came out darker than I wanted but I went with it anyway.

I went over the snow on the umbrella and in the sky with a Quickie glue pen and then added Rock Candy glitter for a bit of subtle sparkle (sorry, I couldn't capture the sparkle in my photo).

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:

Stamps - Crafty Individuals

Ink - Distress Oxide Vintage Photo, various Distress mini inks

Paper - watercolour paper, tan and PTI Vintage Cream cs

Size - A2

Accessories - SU lace, Distress Rock Candy glitter

Snowflake Patterns

I live in Vancouver, Canada, where our winters are mild and often completely free of snow, but my sisters live near Toronto - they just had a huge snowfall and it's -30 Celsius today.  So this card was made with them in mind!

And for these two challenges:

Christmas Cards All Year Round where the current challenge is "Let It Snow".

12 Months of Christmas - "Anything but a Rectangle".   I love square cards so it's a great challenge for me.

I used three different snowflake embossing folders. The different patterns are subtle but they are there!

I cut narrow strips of white cs and embossed them. Then cut the bottom edges to make banners. Spaced them out evenly on the card base, and added a silver die cut sentiment.

It's also perfect for two SCS challenges:

CAS518 = Pattern Mash Up - use three different patterns

SCSCCJAN19 = It All Starts Up North - snow, ice, north pole

Supplies:

Paper - silver glitter and white cs

Size - 5.25" square

Accessories - Darice, Cuttlebug, and Sizzix snowflake embossing folders, Penny Black "winter wishes" die

Santa Brought Me a Snowflake

The Jingle Belles challenge is "Look What Santa Brought Me".  I got a new snowflake stamp I've been wanting for awhile.

On coated cs, I created a blue background with blue Brushos and a bit of silver Magicals spritzed with water.  When dry, I stamped and heat embossed the snowflake in white.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

I trimmed the panel and popped it up on fun foam.  I added a small heat embossed sentiment banner and embellished with a few sequins.

It's a very quick and easy card that would work well for making multiples.  And I do love that new snowflake stamp!

Supplies:

Stamps - Visible Image "Snow is Falling", A Muse sentiment

Ink - ColorBox white

Paper - coated cs, white and black cs

Size - 4.75" square

Accessories - various blue Brushos, silver Magicals, white embossing powder, sequins, fun foam