Christmas in July....

I was inspired to make a one layer Christmas Card today

for the One Layer Challenge .... Christmas in July....

Here is my card....

Lots of masking and thinking about the layers but I got there in the end...

Lets just say this wasn't my first attempt!

Not as CAS as first envisaged but if you could see the red as white that may help.....

I die cut a tag and used this for a mask.

I then sprayed several different colours of reds and gold.....

Boy do these look rich and shiny in real life.

After stamping and embossing the lines, still with the mask on, 

I had a fun time playing with colouring the tag.

I finished with stamping and embossing the bow on top of the tag and the sentiment.

The card held up well to all the water but I would use a heavier water colour card next time.

If it hadn't been a one layer challenge I would have just used the die cut tag,

but hey where's the fun in that?

Thank you so much for stopping by I really do appreciate it.

Crafty Hugs x

Challenges I would like to enter with my One Layer card....

One Layer Challenge - Christmas in July....
Update-My card was hi-lighted in this challenge, thank you so much

Happy Little Stampers - Christmas Challenge - Gold
Update - I was lucky to get a Favourite for this card - Thank you x

The Mixed Media Challenge - Sparkle

Addicted to stamps and more - Holiday
Update-Honourable Addict for this card..Thank you x

Make My Monday Challenge - Sentimental
AAA Cards - One Stash Favourite
I love my sprays as they are so very pretty

Explore....

Today's tag was inspired by .....

the theme of Travel at Art Journey...and Stamplorations - Mixed media challenge

I wanted to make the tag with a friends theme...

their travels, their journey, their exploring and their memories...

I have used distress inks, stencils and stamps on the background.

I have also stamped with white gesso and used clear embossing paste with a stencil.

I have used a white gel pen for hi-lighting

and heated copper frantage, which adds gorgeous texture and dimension.

Thank you for stopping by today, 

I have changed back to Blogger today (from Google+), so that I am no longer a no-reply blogger...

however...... as a result I have lost my google+ followers.......

So I will see what tomorrow brings.....

Need to think about this!

Crafty Hugs xx

Challenges I would like to enter....

Art Journey - Travel theme

Stamplorations - Mixed media challenge - Anything but a card and using a stencil 

Colouring on Kraft.......

Second post today.......Deadline approaching......

Having fun with Camp Create and the MFT Challenge

and another challenge for me is Colouring on Kraft......

I wanted to try a few different techniques whilst using the same stamps....

I don't have coloured pencils so I have used the mediums that I have......

Stamped and heat embossed the flowers in white EP.

Used a brush and white pigment ink for the first layer.

The flowers where coloured  using acrylic paints.

The Hello sentiment has been die cut and raised up onto foam.

Finished off with stripes of silver washi tape stuck to CS and trimmed,

flicked with white ink and doodling around the edges.

I liked how artsy the white pigment 'played' with the acrylic paints....

Stamped with black archival ink.

Used a brush and white pigment ink for the first layer.

The flowers where coloured  using Zig water-colour pens.

The Happy sentiment has been die cut and raised up onto foam.

Finished off with stripes of silver washi tape and flicked with black ink.

I wanted to see if I could use water-colours on Kraft 

and by using the white pigment ink first it worked...

Stamped and heat embossed with clear EP.

Used a brush and white pigment ink for the first layer.

The flowers where coloured  using acrylic paints and Zigs.

The Thanks sentiment has been die cut and raised up onto foam.

Finished off with stripes of gold washi tape,

dotting/doodling with a white gel pen on the flowers and a gold pen in the corners.

Interesting effects with pigment, Zigs and acrylics.

I will be trying coloured pencils next....'when' I get them!

Sorry the post is so long today.......

I have enjoyed participating in the MFT Camp Create Challenge and for me this is the final card...

This is a photo of the 5 cards for the challenge...

I am also entering the CAS Mix Up Challenge and The Paper Players CAS/Watercolor challenge..

with today's kraft card......

Thank you so much for stopping by.

Crafty Hugs x

Challenges I would like to enter....

Hello Blue Card......

MFT Camp Create - Coloring on Kraft

MFT funky flower stamps and Hello die cut sentiment

Happy Little Stampers - Anything using Dies

Thanks Pink Card......

CAS Mix Up Challenge - Stamp-Colouring-Plus Die Cutting-Doodling

Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge 14 - Top horizontal line

Embossing/Doodling/Add Dimensional

Heat Embossing/White gel and gold pen doodling/Sentiment raised onto foam and glitter washi tape

Happy Blue Card.......

The Paper Players - Water-colour - CAS

Masking......

Today's card.......

Having fun with Camp Create and the MFT Challenge

and today's challenge for me is Masking......

After die cutting the London Skyline out of masking paper 

I attached it to CS to use as a mask.

I have blended a few shades of blue inks for the sky and reds for the Moon.

I edged the skyline with red to give a 3D effect.

I removed the mask and again blended the same colours at the bottom.

The hello sentiment was also die cut and used as a mask.

I finished with stamping and embossing the I miss you sentiment and

flicking water to represent water...The river Thames.

The card ended up being on one layer.

I enjoyed using the die cut as a mask instead of using the actual die cut.

I am enjoying participating in the MFT Camp Create Challenge 

and chose the colours to enter The MFT Color Challenge too.

Thank you so much for stopping by.

Crafty Hugs x

Challenges I would like to enter....

MFT Camp Create-Magnificent Masking

MFT London Skyline Die and Hello Die and I Miss you stamp

MFT Color Challenge.....I chose the colours so I could also enter the color challenge

Dotty Foiling........

Today's card.......

I had a fun and fiddly time doing this card.......

I started by foiling CS with four different colours of foil.

The foiled card was cut using the dot cover plate die.

I die cut another one out of black CS and 

then spent a little while popping them in to give an in-laid effect.

I also popped on a few black dots onto the black sentiment strip.

The Hello sentiment has been die cut and popped up onto foam.

The gold surround has also been foiled using double sided tape.

I continued to have fun and now have a few backgrounds at the ready!

I am enjoying participating in the MFT Camp Create 

and today's challenge for me was 'Foiling'...

I choose the colours to participate in The Male Room colour challenge

I have used Purple as my other colour because the gold and black are neutrals.

Thank you so much for stopping by.

Crafty Hugs 

x

Challenges I would like to enter....

MFT Camp Create-Fantastic Foiling

MFT cover plate and sentiment die

The Male Room - Colour challenge - Use Red and Blue and one other colour......

Happy Little Stampers - Die cutting-Anything Goes

Flower Background....

Today's card.......

I have never used stamps in this way to create a background before and I enjoy it!.....

I started by water-colouring the background with Sprays, that I dipped a brush into 

and wet the water-colouring card first.

I used five different colours and had fun.

After it had completely dried I stamped and white heat embossed the flowers and the leaves.

I enjoyed using the same colours to enhance and paint the flowers.

Because some of the 'sprays' I used had mica in them some of the flowers 

have a really pretty shine to them.

The wish sentiment has been die cut and layered onto foam.

I finished off with a few sequins and silver washi tape down the side.

This is why I love to enter challenges as it takes you out of your comfort zone...

I am enjoying participating in the MFT Camp Create 

and today's challenge for me was 'Backgrounds'...Stamp and colour.......

I chose the colours to participate in The Sevenhills Craft Challenge...

It is a colour challenge and I have chosen the first colours..The pinks and the green.

I had lots of fun playing with stamps and colours today 

and produced something out of my comfort zone...

Becca from Damsel of Distressed has a special birthday so I am linking up to her birthday blog.

She creates the most amazing colourful and fun projects and I wish her a very Happy Birthday x

Thank you so much for stopping by.

Crafty Hugs 

x

Challenges I would like to enter....

MFT Camp Create-Background Bonanza

Sevenhills Craft - Monthly Challenge - Colour Challenge

Flower and leaves stamps from MFT and the Wish Die

Craft Stamper - Anything goes using a stamp

Becca from Damsel of Distressed has a special birthday so I am linking up to her birthday blog

I am always inspired by her use of colours xx

Wish Big.....

Today's card........

I have used a stencil for the fluffy clouds, distress ink and glitter embossing paste.

I have die cut a stitched rectangle, popped up onto foam 

and inlaid the die cut balloon, wish sentiment and Little girl to appear that they are floating.

The little girl and balloon have been water coloured and hi-lighted with wink of stella.

I liked the scale of the large balloon against the 'big' sentiment.

The Wish sentiment has bee die cut and dry embossed with a small circle embossing folder.

The little hearts have been heat embossed with silver.

I was inspired to inlay the die cuts by MFT Camp Create-Inlay made easy Challenge

and I used the sketch from Stamplorations

Thank you so much for stopping by today.

Crafty Hugs

xx

Challenges I would like to enter....

My Favourite Things - Camp Create - Inlay Made Easy

The Wish die is MFT

Stamplorations - Sketch Challenge
My inspiration came from this wonderful card by Suchi...Here

The Mixed Media Challenge - Cards Only - Sparkle

And Happy Bornday to Sherry...

I was waiting for my Kathryn Stamps and dies to come to link this up to your birthday

Happy Little Stampers - Die cutting-Anything Goes

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Create a Scene

Masculine Tag....

I have made a tag today.......

Please let me apologize for the tag balanced on my plant......

I just couldn't get the photo I wanted!

I used a re-cycled tag from an on line delivery that I received.

I sprayed a few different matt colours onto the tag.

Once it was dry I stamped the thistle, flowers and the gentleman with plum archival ink.

I used bleach on the gents face, shirt and cuffs to lift the colour.

The white in the top left has been done with a stencil and bleach.

Another stencil was put on top and black dots added with black embossing paste.

I used the same dots stencil in the bottom right and gold embossing paste.

The splats have been done with black and gold paints.

The edge has been stamped using a mixed media stamp 

and black archival ink as a border around the tag.

I finished by stamping the the two sentiments, hi-lighting with a white pen 

and a cocktail stick with gold heat embossing on the edge, 

tucked into the scrunched black ribbon.

Thank you so much for stopping by.

Crafty Hugs x

Challenges I would like to enter.....

The Male Room - Theme Challenge - Make Flowers Masculine

I think the Thistle is a very masculine flower-

Update-Thrilled to be chosen as a winner for my tag-Thank you

City Crafters - On The Border

I have stamped a border all around the tag

Craft Stamper Take it Make it - Anything goes - Take a stamp

Flowers, thistle, sentiments, the gentleman and the border are all stmaps

Happy Little Stampers - Mixed Media - Recycle

Stamplorations Mixed Media Challenge - Use a stencil...Anything Goes
I have used two stencils