CAS Mix Up February Challenge

It is Stencil month at CAS Mix Up and our host Nancy chose one of my favourite techniques - Stencil Heat Embossing.

Condolence cards are something that sadly at some point we all need and I found that my little supply was a bit low so have made a card for the type of occasion we hope we don't have to use too often.

I used two stencils for this card.
First I used Versamark ink through the trailing ivy stencil and a tub of Lilac embossing powder. Was a little concerned about this powder as it is literally YEARS old and never used! But it actually worked fine and it gave a really nice gloss finish.

The background stencil is from Lavinia  called 'Crackle' but it reminds me of a stone wall and I thought it would be a good backdrop for the ivy.

Lightly inked it with some make up brushes (which I find don't give as deep a coverage and I like it!) in Wilted Violet which was a good match.
Stamped the sentiment in Smokey Gray.

 Arlene (Sundaystamper Papercrafts) is our Guest Designer this month and you can check out her lovely make along with all the others from my talented DT buddies over at the CAS Mix Up blog.

Look forward to seeing your makes in our gallery too! x

CAS Stencil - Mid month reminder

It's time for my CAS Stencil little mid month reminder!

Julia set the challenge of using Baby Wipes with your stencils - a simple technique but really effective for backgrounds!
My first DT card this month (if you haven't seen it) is here - and here's my reminder card!

One for a rather sad occasion but there's no getting away from it - we all need sympathy/condolence cards at some time.

Watercolour card inked with Peacock Feathers DO.

The leaf stencil ( a bargain buy from The Range), placed over and the baby wipe used to reveal the design.

A simple die cut frame for my leaf sprig die cut and a sentiment stamped in Smokey Grey ink.

There's lots of lovely ideas and inspiration  on the challenge blog and also a couple of links to video tutorials.
Hope that you will join us this month - we love to see our gallery full of amazing creations!

By the time you read this I will have just arrived on Day 1 of my holiday - warm sunshine and a complete relax -and no doubt the odd long cool drink on occasions!! (Purely to be sociable 😇😇😁)

Thanks for looking today - whatever you're doing and wherever you are, I hope your day is a good one. x

England and Wales

Been a little while since the last blog post - I had my final two celebration matches in the middle of last week then a couple of days spent with some friends, before travelling on to South Wales - where I had a lovely (if occasionally damp) weekend with our talented Under 18's squad who played against Wales U18 in their annual test series.
Am home now for a couple of weeks  - an odd day where I am needed here and there but am hoping to get back into a proper routine as the winter approaches!
I did a quick stock take of my stash and found that I was quite low on a couple of different themes - New Homes, Thank You and Condolences/Sympathy. I intend to out that right over the next week or so (then I suppose I should make attempts at Christmas??)

I had inked this background panel (without the black bottom) some time ago for a 'fairy' card but it just got left!

The poppy stamp was the result of a little Inkylicious  spendie some months ago and never inked.

Once I'd stamped it, I didn't like the bottom stems just lying there on top of a salmony pink sky so used some Black Soot DI and made the bottom black.

The sentiment stamp I think was a freebie.

Matted onto black card before layering onto a white base and done.

I made a few sympathy cards yesterday and will share as we go along. They are the kind we hope we never have to send but inevitably there are occasions when we need them.

I hope you are all happy in your own part of blogland - am taking dear husband to the dentist but once back this afternoon I will come and visit for a catch up! x

Joining in at
CGCC - A/Goes
Flower Challenge - A/Goes
Creative Crafters - A/Goes
CFTH - A/Goes
Crafts Galore Encore - A/Goes

Sunshine!

My worst fears were not realised thankfully and yesterday was a lovely bright and sunny day - even though it was cold!
 My blog followers will remember me saying that I didn't have any sympathy cards in my stash when I needed one and I have made quite a few since my tiled effort here.

Sharing another one today and I have now got a small obsession with white embossing and watercolouring - so there's likely to be a few more in a similar vein!

There was something quite therapeutic in making a card which I hope is all about serenity and simplicity.

The stamp is one of the very first sets I bought and am not sure if the company is still in existence.
It's seen ink only rarely which is a shame as it could be used for lots of occasions not just condolence (note to self - make a batch of CAS note cards with this stamp set!)

I used Dusty Concord Distress Ink for the SU sentiment and watercolour pastels for the flower.
Can I say that I like it? I do like it! (Although my watercolouring of the leaves mightn't be the best!!!)

Challenges
CAS on Sunday - Flowers
CASology - Key Word 'Sprout'
Just Add Ink - Sympathy
Allsorts - Purple Passion
Stampin Boutique - Flowers
Simply Create Too - Purple + Green

Thanks again to everyone who visits and leaves comments. Really appreciate you all! x

Sponging and Stamping

I went to the card stash this week and found that I didn't have a single sympathy or condolence card - you can't believe it can you - all the cards I make and not one sympathy one left when I need one.
To be fair, I DID have a few but I suppose people take them to have in 'just in case'.

I don't often use grey backgrounds for cards but having seen something similar on Pinterest thought I would give it a go. I think the card that inspired me was done by girlgeek who uses a lot of inchie tiles in her projects.

I am quite happy with the way this turned out - using grey pearlised cardstock gave a lustre  and more interesting finish instead of a flat one.

The 3 'tiles' were odd bits of white card and I sponged Tumbled Glass, Squeezed Lemonade and edged the bottom of each tile with a little Peeled Paint before cutting them to same size rectangles.

The stamps are mostly from SU's Silhouette Sentiments. I used Versafine Smokey Grey ink as I though black may look too harsh and I wanted a softer effect.
The sentiment (also from an SU set) simply embossed with silver.

Challenges -
Addicted to Stamps - Make Your Mark
CCC- CAS
Crafty Gals Corner - Anything Goes
The Crafty Addicts - Anything Goes/Springtime
Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes

We've had quite a nice day here for a change - the lawn got a haircut this morning and so did I! Have a great day whatever you're doing. x

Spring has disappeared!

We've gale force winds and heavy rain this morning - what a contrast from Wednesday when it was such a beautiful warm Spring day - my poor daffodils in the tub outside are being battered to death in the wind!

It's a while since I have managed to submit anything for the Less Is More Challenge but during the week I promised myself that today I would enter the challenge - Mr Mojo has stubbornly refused to be co-operative this week so have made very little, although thankfully there are a few in the drafts folder made for the Macmillan day which I've not yet shared and this 'case'd' card was one of them.

We could choose 3 previous challenges so mine are

Week 212- Wings, Week 194- Little Creatures and Week 173 - Add a Die Cut

The stamp is from SU's Simply Sketched coloured with Distress Inks and the dies are from the fancy rectangle set.

I love this little bird - and have used it a lot! 

Sympathy Cards are those kinds of things we hope we never had to send but I always have some in my own stash box.

Other challenges -

Whimsy Stamps - Use a Die Cut

Time Out - CAS

Addicted to Stamps - Make Your Mark

Hope the weather is being kind to you - have a great weekend. x

Inky things

Have just sat and watched the bronze medal curling - How good was that?! Always great to see Team GB doing well - which is more than can be said for me. Still feeling grot but hopefully I will shake it off in the next few days.
Haven't really felt much like doing anything and so my share is something that was finished just when the 'dreaded lurgy' came calling!

My brain wasn't up to layouts so decided to make an 'inky' card.

The stamp set is from Inkylicious.
I stamped the lighthouse first , clear embossed and then masked it off.
Just made messy with DI's after that then overstamped the 'sand dunes' and grasses.

I made a bit of a mess of the sky I think - the darker blue shade in the middle is perhaps TOO dark but I'd already made my mind up on where the sentiment was going to be put so ignored the darker blue colour and stamped it anyway!
I used a piece of acetate to  give me the straight line for the sea instead of my usual post-it notes.
Finished with some twine and a few shells.

Challenges -
Digi Darla - Sympathy
Divas by Design - Rubber Stamps
Cards & More - Non Cute
Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
TTCRD - Anything Goes
Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes

Off for a quick catch up through blogland to see what you've all been up to. Have a great day.x