Flowers for CAS Watercolour

It's time for another challenge at

CAS Watercolour

Here's the challenge for this month.

When I was a little girl, I remember picking wild violets from the yard
and proudly taking a bouquet to my Mom for Mother's Day.
This die reminds me of those little violets.

After die cutting the violets, I sponged ink on them and spritzed with water,
then moved the ink with a brush to get the shading I wanted.

While the violets were drying, I smooshed the piece I'd cut from
into some watered down Tumbled Glass and Salty Ocean.

When it was all dry, I fit the violets back into the out cut
and finished the card.

We have an awesome Guest Designer this month, Mac Mable (Sweetest of Peas).

She and the Design Team have some awesome inspiration for you.

On a sad note, we are saying a fond farewell to Harriet, who has
added so much to our Design Team.  We are sorry to say goodbye, Harriet,
and hope you'll come back to visit often.

It just so happens that the Poppystamps Challenge is
FLOWER POWER

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps: French Script (retired SU) 

Ink:   Lavender Lace (retired SU), Wilted Violet, Mowed Lawn, Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean (Distress)

Paper:   Neena (110 lb.), Lavender Lace (retired SU), Watercolor (Arches 140 lb. cold press)

Other:  Darling Viola (PS), Die-Namics Double Stitch Oval Die (MFT)

Splattering for CAS Mix Up

It's CAS Mix Up time.

Welcome to Adventures in Splattering!

My dear and very talented friend, Loll is hosting the challenge this month.

I used stamping, splattering, watercoloring, Distress Crayons, die cuts

Now splattering can be tricky.
And it's lots of fun to see where some of those splatters land!

But first I stamped these pretty blooms with archival ink.

I was playing with Nance (Soul Stampin') that day
and I had taken my Distress Crayons.

I scribbled the yellow crayon on a fancy palette (the stamp case)
and added a little water with my Aqua Painter.
The crayon doesn't dissolve in the water like paint,
but eventually it was in liquid form.
And what a gorgeous shade of yellow!!!!

I added some orange (colors below) toward the center of the flowers
and finished off  by coloring the stems and center with Distress Markers.

I did the wash after I got home.  I was so busy yakking that I was
afraid to do that there.

After everything was dry, I smooshed some black paint on
another fancy palette (laminated cardstock),
held my breath and splattered.

I actually hit the paper in a few spots!

My table was covered in lovely black spots too.

Fortunately I'd moved most everything off the table.

I probably should add that I masked the flowers while I splattered.
Knowing how splatters fly, I was hesitant to take a chance
on my aim.

I've been told that the best way to splatter is to use a cardboard box.

Doesn't sound as exciting to me.  But maybe I'll try to find one next time.

I do love the look of the splatters though.  At least this time!

Do check out the CAS Mix Up challenge site.
The Design Team and our Guest Designer Elaine,
have awesome inspiration for you.

There's some links to good splattering tutorials too,
in case you're interested.

Penny Black Saturday Challenge:  SPRING OR EASTER

Simon Says Monday Challenge:  THE GREAT OUTDOORS

  

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Stitched Flowers (PB), Painted Butterfilies (Altenew Sentiment disected, ouch!) 

Ink:   Versa Fine Onyx Black, Tumbled Glass, Broken China

Paper:   Neena (110 lb.), Mixed Media (Strmr), Daffodil Delight (SU)

Other:  Distress Crayons (Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade), Distress Markers Peeled Paint, Gathered Twigs), Acrylic Paint (Licorice), Aqua Painter, Paint Brush, Baker's Twine (Darice), Stitched Rectangles Dies (LI)

Playing with Oxide Inks

I had an opportunity to play with my new Distress Oxide Inks (DOX) last week.

Here are two samples of smooshing with them.

I used the same technique on both of these samples.

The one on the left was smooshed on cardstock.

The one on the right was smooshed on Tim Holtz Specialty Paper.

For each sample, I applied the ink to my craft sheet one color at a time 

and smooshed the paper in the ink WITHOUT spritzing with water.

Then I spritzed the inked piece with water as I dried it.

It moved a lot more on the specialty paper.

I thought the colors were more vibrant than when I spritzed the inks with water before smooshing.

It looks more like smooshing with Distress Ink with the

advantage of the colors layering.

Here's a card I made from the sample on the left.

That bit of pink made me think of a flower.

I framed it with a NBUS Stitched Hexagon Layers.

There's a piece of die cut foam underneath.

I don't know if you can see the background or not.

It was a piece that had been dry embossed with a stencil.

It adds a very subtle embossing.

It's a good thing it's subtle, because the embossing is crooked.

The more I tried to straighten it, the worse it got!

This is the card I made with some of the piece done on Specialty Paper.

It's a shameful CASE of Jennifer McGuire's card.

I love this NBUS Poppystamp die!

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: ANYTHING GOES

Pixie's Snippet Playground: Used snippets for my butterfly.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Beautiful Butterflies (PTI)

Ink:   Memento Tuxedo Black, Fossilized Amber, Twisted Citron, Worn Lipstick, Spiced Marigold DOX (TH)

Paper:   Neena (110 lb.), Specialty Paper (TH), Basic Black (SU)

Other:  Stitched Hexagon Layers, Kaleidoscope Butterfly, Texture Mesh Stencil (MB), Floral Stem Collage Poppy (PS), Candy Dot

Cigar Box

Hi ya'll!

I hope you are having a wonderful day!

I'm not going to share a card today but instead another kind of project.

I am in a craft group that meets once a month and we always swap something.

This month each of us was given a cigar box and told to decorate it.

After a panic attack lot of thought, this is what I came up with.



My box had a very rough, ridged top.

After struggling with a coat of gesso, I asked my DH if he still had the electric palm sander.

Wonder of wonders, he found it and there was one piece of sandpaper.

So we went to work trying to smooth the top some.

After another coat of gesso and two  coats of white acrylic paint, I was forced ready to start decorating.

I thought of some beautiful vellum pieces that our dear friend Darnell had given me
and pulled them out.

I used Modge Podge to adhere the vellum pieces to the box.

Much to my dismay, some of the pieces didn't seem to want to hold.

I tucked a bit more Modge Podge under the corners of the pieces and weighted them down.

Still not great.

I think my Modge Podge was too old.

Does that stuff have a shelf life?

So I switched to TH Distress Collage Medium.

Thinking that if I gave it a good coat over the top, it would help stick it down,
I slathered it on!

And then the orange started to appear.  Ackkk!



I'm not sure what that is.

Could it be stain from the wood that hadn't been coated with gesso?

Whatever it was, it didn't disappear.

So I'm calling it distressed!

I added some fancy feet and a little pull for the top.

I'm hoping the "jewelry" will make it more appealing.

So that's my swap for this month.

I'm so relieved it'd done and can't wait to see what the rest of the gang did.

I'll try to remember to take a picture of the one I get.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  

Ink:   

Paper:   

Other:  

A Star for Merry Monday

Hello friends.

Today I have another Christmas card for the stash.

This week's Merry Monday Challenge was chosen by Lori.

I used an old SU set, stamped on Crumb Cake, heat embossed, 

and die cut the star.

I pulled out a snippet that had been dry embossed with the Woodgrain EF,

popped the star on it and matted it with more crumb cake.

A little bow from linen thread and a sentiment and it's done.

I'll take this over to Scrappy Mo's Rudolph Days, where it's anything Christmas goes.  

This challenge is every month from the 25th through the end of the month. 

Always wonderful inspiration pieces over there from the design team and gallery!

And it's a good feeling to have a stash of Christmas cards put aside.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Many Merry Stars (retired SU)

Ink:   Whisper White (SU)

Paper:   Neena (110 lb.), Crumb Cake (SU)

Other:  Stars Dies (retired SU), White EP, Linen Thread (SU)