Merry Christmas.....

I thought I would share a Christmas Card with you Today.........

I started by using Bistre Noir powder on gloss card, starch and the wrap technique.

I wish I had taken a photo of the card before cutting it up, as the effect of using just 

the one colour of powders produced just a unique effect.

 The die cut flower has been cut and layered many times.

I also die cut lots of the foliage part of the flower die and snipped away...

Popping on Perfect Pearls and glitter gel onto some of the leaves.

The texture on the background has been done with a stencil and embossing paste 

and a little glitter paste in places.

Finishing off with the layered die cut Merry sentiment 

and stamping and heat embossing the Christmas sentiment.

Thank you all so much for finding time to stop by my blog

and always leaving such kind, generous and encouraging comments.

I always appreciate each and every one of them x

It's a busy time of the year for us all and I didn't want to miss the opportunity 

of letting you all know how much I value your blog friendship x.

Wherever you are this Christmas and whoever you are with
I wish you Peace, Happiness and Health x

Challenges I would love to enter.......

Take It Make It Challenge - Anything goes but must include stamping.

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Anything goes and going with the option of Christmas

Stamplorations Mixed Media Challenge - Which now includes cards and must include a stencil

CAS Mix Up December Challenge

The theme for December is Emboss Resist....

Lots of scope for this fun technique.

The challenge is hosted by the wonderful Loll.

For more information and video links please pop over to the CAS Mix Up Blog.....

Please Note .....

The challenge will run  until December 15th to provide two weeks off for the Design Team......
Winning post will be on December 18th.....Thank you x

Here is my card.....

I have used Stamping, the resist Emboss Technique and my choice is Water colouring and die cutting.

I started by stamping the seahorse, using distress markers and the Misti quite a few times.
Once it was dry I stamped it with Versafine and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder.
I touched it up with a Versafine pen to preserve the white parts of the seahorse and heated it again.

I then had fun with Lindy powders and water and blowing through a straw.
I was quite light headed when I finished!
I do have a puffer but I wanted a little more control over the splats....
The bubbles have been die cut and some white Frantage to finish.

The technique worked really well with this intricate stamp,
as it gave me a really good emboss resist.
It allowed me to use lots of water and  no leakage into the stamped and coloured seahorse
and it preserved the white inside the seahorse.

Pop across to the CAS Mix Up blog for fabulous inspiration from my team mates
and BozenA (Artbox) our very talented guest designer.
Say Hello too to the amazing Hideko (Papercraft Boutique),
who is joining the team this month........
Have fun with the challenge and I am looking forward to seeing your
wonderful creations in the gallery.

Challenges I would love to enter.....

Happy Little Stampers - Watercolour challenge - Anything goes without the optional twist

Fabulous Foiling....

Playing with Foiling to join in the PaperArtsy's challenge this fortnight......

The theme is 'Foiling'

This is my card......

The leaf is a real one from my garden, which I have stuck down, 

vein side up onto a texture piece of card.

When it was fully dried I stuck a piece of silver foil on top 

and painted a light coating of black acrylic paint, cover the whole piece of card.

When this was dry I rubbed it back carefully to expose the leaf 

and it's veins and some of the textured board and the silver foil.

I have edged the topper and card with a silver chrome pen.

The 'Fabulous' sentiment has been layered many times, with different colours 

of embossing powders and frantage, using my trusty pancake maker as the heat source.

Using what was left and a toothpick to move the molten powders around I made a vertical shape for the left hand side of the card, which I thought looked like a very withered tree trunk.

The silver tree ring has been stamped and heat embossed, keeping the tree theme going...

 On the introduction post for the theme I was inspired by VanDun's Design (left hand side) and made my piece on the right hand side, which I will make into a journal cover....in due course.
I missed the tissue theme at PaperArtsy and entering the challenge, so I have used it on the top .....
I also used the die cut frame for my last post.....to make a CAS Christmas card

I also tried foiling onto embossing paste and onto alcohol inks, again inspired by the blog posts.

I really had fun and enjoyed the theme this fortnight....

The PaperArtsy blog has wonderful and very creative ways to use foil and 

the blog posts have been fabulously inspirational and I have learnt lots...Thank you x

Challenges I would like to enter....

PaperArtsy's challenge Topic 20 - Foiling
Thank you so much for the Lucky and random win 
The Craft Stamper - Take it Make it Challenge, which must include stamping
Watercooler Wednesday - Kath's Masculine Challenge-Anything goes

I rocked the Watercooler challenge with my card - Thank you so much for the shout out x

Foiling and Christmas Greenery

Happy Thanksgiving day to my American Blog friends....

I was inspired by two challenges to make today's Foiled Christmas card.....

PaperArtsy's challenge this fortnight has been Foiling....

Tons of inspiration to be had, from very creative crafters over on the blog.

I have enjoyed learning different ways to use foiling and I am enjoying the posts.

CAS Watercolour  challenge this month is Christmas Florals and/or Greenery,

which inspired me to make a Christmas CAS card.

The gold frame has been die cut several times to add dimension .

I crumpled up the foil first to add a little vintage look to it, before adhering it 

to the frame, with a double sided sticky sheet, which I also die cut.

The foliage in the background has been stamped onto the card base 

and the holly in the foreground die cut and water coloured.

I used the die cut shown and snipped into it for the holly.

I finished off with some white acrylic splats, little red novo drops for berries 

and stamping the sentiment in black ink.

The die cut holly and the gold foiled frame has added depth and dimension 

and I so enjoyed making the card.

Thank you for finding time to stop by 

and for all your kind comments, which I really appreciate.

Challenges I would love to enter.....

PaperArtsy's challenge Topic 20 - Foiling

CAS Watercolour  challenge - Christmas Florals and/or Greenery
Stamplorations CAS Challenge without the optional twist

CAS Mix Up November Challenge Reminder.......

Half way through the challenge and time for some more inspiration.
Bonnie is hosting the fun challenge, which is Embossing Folders.

For more information, videos and inspiration pop across to The CAS Mix Up Challenge.....
Thank you too to the very creative Cornelia for being our Guest Designer this month.....

Here is My Card.....

I have used an embossing folder, Stamping and my choice is Layering Embossing, 

Stencilling, Pearl glue and Die Cutting.

The relief on the left has been done with a stencil and modelling paste.

The dry embossed rectangle has been hi lighted with pearl glue around the edges.

The Sentiment has been die cut and heat embossed with many layers of embossing powders.

I then used the pearl glue to fuse the Love sentiment onto the rectangle to look as one....

The rose has been stamped and lightly water coloured in pink and then fussy cut.

Finishing off with the pearl glue around the stamped edges.

I Loved the challenge of using an embossing folder 

and hope to see your wonderful creations in the gallery, which is open until the 24th x.

Challenges I would love to enter........

Stamplorations CAS challenge without the optional twist

12 Tags Of Christmas.....

I am thrilled and Delighted to be asked to Guest Design for this Fun yearly event, 

organised by the lovely and creative Loll......

Why not hop across and join in the Fun.....

12 Tags of  Christmas Challenge

Your Christmas Tag can be 

Mixed Media or CAS Mixed Media

Mixed Media is defined for The Challenge as Stamping.... 

Plus two Mixed Media elements....

Techniques and/or Products........

Here is My Tag.....

The tag has been crackled, painted, die cut, stencilled, stamped and heat embossed.

I had fun discovering you can use quite an intricate snowflake stencil, 

over hessian with modelling paste and get quite a clean result.

For The Die Cut Poinsettia's I used crinkle paper and wax paper....

Stamping and heat embossing in white and using up my hoarded stickles and perfect pearls.

The Die Cut sentiment has quite a few layers of heat embossing on it 

and I stamped the ribbon with the sentiment in brown, a first for me.

Finishing off with heated Frantage white embossing around the edges.

I am so looking forward to being stunned by the gallery 

and being inspired by the other amazing guest designers.

Thank you so much Loll for inviting me to play along with this fun 

12 Days of Christmas Tag Challenge.......

Come and join in The Fun too......

I would love to enter the following challenges.....

Stamplorations Mixed Media - Which now includes cards too.

You must use a stencil in your project and mine is the snowflake stencil.

CAS Mix Up November Challenge.........

The Theme for November is Embossing Folders
hosted by the wonderful Bonnie

For more information, videos and inspiration pop across to The CAS Mix Up Challenge....
Cornelia from Stempel Spass, Fun Stamping Blog is our wonderful guest designer this month.....

There are lots of ways to use your Embossing Folders.

Here is my Card.....

I have used an embossing folder to dry emboss and then used it with modelling clay.

I have stamped and my choice is heat embossing and making an embellishment from clay.

The background has been dry embossed with a wood embossing folder

and then using modelling clay I pushed the clay down into the folder with my hand,

 to create the impression, which gave me added texture and a 3D relief.

I waited overnight for it to dry then covered it in white gesso to match the card stock.

The dragonfly has been made with a mold and modelling clay 

and when it was dry painted with platinum glittery paint.

I finished off with stamping the sentiment onto vellum 

and heat embossing in platinum embossing powder.

Another fun challenge and there is so much you can do with your embossing folders...

Have fun and I am looking forward to seeing your amazing creations in the gallery x

Challenges I would love to enter.........

Stamplorations CAS Challenge without the optional twist....

CAS Mix Up October reminder post

Time for the reminder post at The CAS Mix Up this month.

This Months Challenge is technique based and is Metal.....

Metal can be Real or Faux.......
or even a Metal looking technique.....

You are only limited by your imagination.

Have fun and I am so looking forward to seeing your wonderful creations in the gallery.

There are video links over on the blog too, to inspire you further....
Along with the amazingly creative DT and our wonderful guest designer Pat 

This is my card..... 

I have used Stamping, Wrap Technique, Stencilling, and Heat embossing

The Wrap Technique has been used with Brusho's and water

and produced a metal looking background. 

I used a stencil and some crackle paste, through a leaf stencil for texture.

The die cut Leaf sprig has been heat embossed several times with silver.

The little die cut heart has been layered and embossed with frantage powders.

Finishing off with die cutting the background and adding a black strip 

and stamped sentiment at the bottom.

The edges of the background have also been heat embossed with silver.

The detail photo shows the wonderful effect from the wrap technique 

and the texture from the crackle paste and stencil. 

Lots of Faux Metal on this card and I had so much fun making it.

Looking forward to your creations and wonderful creativity in the gallery....

Have Fun.....

Crafty Hugs x.

Challenges I would love to enter......

Stamplorations CAS Challenge - Anything goes with the twist of Black

Stamplorations Mixed Media Challenge - Using a stencil

Addicted to CAS - Foliage

Take It Make It Challenge - Anything goes and must include stamping