Smooshing fun

 Hello lovely crafters. 

I've worked on getting this card finished so I could join in with Mrs A's Butterfly challenge. 

A few weeks ago I had a stamping session where I used this watercolour canvas and smooshed ink on and then stamped in black when it was all dry. It did take a while to dry properly, I should say. 

So this is my card. The canvas panel is mounted on purple with a pink swirl stamped onto the base card. I think the pink swirl is a bit too bright and I perhaps should have stamped off first for a lighter look. What do you think?

I used an acrylic block to stamp the watery colour onto the canvas. 

The current butterfly challenge is:

I haven't used any fancy folds but I have used French Pink, Fabric ( I hope it counts) and a butterfly. 

Krafty Chicks Challenge #534 (CAS Clean and Simple)

Thanks for visiting, enjoy your day. x

Watercolour Christmas

 Hello lovely crafters. I hope everyone is well and still smiling. 

I like a traditional Christmas card and that is what I've created today. 

I used a NBUS fir branch stamp and tried out a new (to me) technique. I'm sure I've seen it on a blog or on You Tube but I have no idea where. I doubt I've invented it. 😄

Now being the proud owner of a stamp platform (I'm always late to the party) I put in a piece of  creamy watercolour paper and placed the branch at the top. 

Then I inked the stamp by tapping with Espresso and Mowed Lawn ink pads. One was easier than the other, being a mini stamp pad but I just used the corner of the large one on the fir cone. 

Then I stamped, then misted the stamp with water and stamped again in the same place. Voila!

I've always been a fan of water colour and am excited to get that effect without any artistic ability. 

Obviously, I moved the stamp down the card, inking and misting as I went.

One note: when I tried this out and attempted to make a wreath, the lid became very wet and the stamp started to slide around. Stamping all the ink and then all the water would work for a wreath but for this one I dried it off as I moved it down the card. 

I toyed with some sparkle but they didn't look right and, to be honest, it doesn't really need it. I do like a bit of sparkle though. 

So I'm joining in with the following challenges:

CAS Mix Up November Watercolour Challenge

NBUS Challenge #20

I've realised I can pop in again to Pixie's Snippets Playground - due to an extension of the deadline. 

I used two large snippets. Yeay!

Thank you for visiting, enjoy your day. x

Starry Twofer

 Helloo lovely crafters. 

I've amazed myself by making two cards, which both went to plan, and in plenty of time to enter:

I like to enter this but, in spite of the long window for entries, I often miss the deadline. Two different cards using the same stamp, die or stencil, for two different occasions. (This month only we are allowed to make two holiday cards).

I picked a die which I've had for a little while but not used as often as I should have. 

For the first card I made a watery Brusho square using only Ultramarine ink. I used the star die to cut away part of the card front and fixed the blue panel inside. I knew I had a starry sentiment somewhere so fished it out and it was perfect. 

I used a few of the cut out stars, coloured them with the same ink and fiddled about covering them in Glossy Accents. Messy but fun. 

Card two. I wanted to use Vellum 

1. as I have it in my stash and don't use it and 

2. so I could join in with 

It came upon a Midnight clear - a holiday card with a see through element. 

This card is not pink, as it looks here! It is vellum over silver. In fact part of a silver, saved envelope glued over a card. The vellum is embossed with the sentiment and then trimmed with the same star border.

The vellum is folded over the top and fixed using double sided tape on the back so it doesn't show. I found the silver cord in my exploding ribbon box so it helps hold the vellum in place as well as looking cute. 

I did have a quick look on You Tube for inspiration with Vellum and ended up with this very elegant card. It is a bit fragile, especially the cut edge but I will persevere with trying to use it.

So I managed two cards for two different occasions. I'm not sure what the first one is for but hopefully someone soon will need encouragement or a pat on the back.

Thank you for visiting, enjoy your day. x

A bit of pink

 Hello lovely crafters!

Here I am with another Christmas Card to join in with CAS Christmas Card Challenge Non Traditional Colours.  You can't go wrong with pink.

I started by making the bauble. It's stamped and embossed in bronze and then coloured with inks. When it was dry I clear embossed over the whole thing using Versamark and clear embossing powder. I completely forgot that I'd intended to add a little glitter. 

I used an embossed panel to mount it on which I thought matched the swirls on the bauble. 
I was about to go in with black in for the border then at the last minute reached for pink instead and I do like it. 

What do you think? You can't have enough pink?

Thanks for visiting, enjoy your day. x

Daisy, daisy

 Hi everyone, I hope you are bearing up, smiling and stamping.

Here is a card I made with a flower die I just couldn't resist. It turned out to be fiddly and annoying to use so that will teach me to buy cheap dies, or will it? No, it'll be just the same the next time I see one I just have to have!

It is very pretty and I do love a daisy flower. I cut out all the flowers from white (snippets, of course) and just touched the edges with a pink ink pad. Coloured Candi circles finish off the flowers. 

One of the reasons for buying this was the lovely, realistic leaves included. These were cut from white and coloured. I think I'll use them a lot. 

The pink spotty paper makes the perfect background to attach it all to. 

I'm paying a long overdue visit to Pixie's Snippets Playground, It's all made from snippets, possibly even the spotty background but I can't quite remember. 

I'm also linking to a couple more challenges:

Watercooler Wednesday:

A bit more time to craft

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper challenge

Now I've just bought some Christmas stamps so I'd better get on and make something Christmassy. 

Thanks for visiting, enjoy your day. 

x