Hello

There's a new challenge out over at CAS Mix Up

This time it's to use Gesso together with a stencil

Hilary, one of the designers, is hosting this challenge and here is her message.

Hilary's Message

Gesso is primarily a surface primer that gives a uniform surface and is often used in mixed media projects, but in reality it can be much more than that. This month we would love to see you use gesso on your card along with your stencils. I have included some video links below to help inspire you.

Video Tutorials:

Creative Ways to Use Gesso by Tiffany Sorlario (7:04)

Distress Oxide Gesso Resist with a Twist by Gerry van der Velden (11:35)

Gesso Resist by Kim Schofield (6:11)

Gesso Resist Background by Eileen Godwin (31:02)

Lavinia Stamps and A Gesso Resist by Eileen Godwin (first 12 minutes)

Stencil and Gesso Technique by Club Scrap (6:02) 

I have to admit that I'm a little in the dark as to the use of Gesso. I bought some many moons ago, meaning to get to grips with its use, but so far haven't really done so. When searching for the Gesso I found a pot of Micro Beads in the same drawer. They may well be banned now as I'm not really sure that they are environmentally friendly, but I just used some of them for this card. I cut a stencil from Mylar using my Silhouette Portrait cutting machine and applied some Gesso through it, sprinkling on some micro beads whilst it was still wet. In the pot they looked just translucent, but once on the gesso took on a silvery look. I don't suppose that this is a recognised technique, but I thought it looked ok!

The Gummiapan butterfly was cut from a piece of card on which I had used this tissue paper technique.

The sentiment is by Poppy Stamps, with a little silver gilding wax added to match the butterfly.

Do join in the fun if you have some gesso, if you don't there are recipes that you can use to make some for yourself. I'm going to try out some and I'll report back!

So have fun, have a go and come on over to CAS Mix Up for this fun challenge!

 

Hello

It's time for another challenge at CAS Mix Up, which this time is to include Emboss Resist!

Hosts Message

Emboss Resist is an old technique using different Heat Embossing techniques.

I highly recommend you watch one or more of the videos that have been 

provided by our design team.  I guarantee that you will be inspired to play along!

We can't wait to see your Clean and Simple Mixed Media cards:-)

Video Tutorials:

2 Ways to do Emboss Resist by Kristina Werner (10:52)

Emboss Resist with Stencils by Lydia (6:01)

Emboss Resist WITHOUT Embossing by Natasha Foote (5:25)

Black Embossed Resist by Jennifer McGuire (9:08)

Heat Emboss Resist with Watercolour Wash by Debby Hughes (5:11)

Faux Batik Cards by Channin Pelletier (7:13)

Welcome to our wonderful Guest Designer

 Brenda (Inkspired to Stamp)

I thought that this small Stamplorations bubble wrap stamp looked rather like honeycomb, so I stamped in Versamark, embossed with clear embossing powder and inked with a few shades of Distress Oxide Inks, applied with blending brushes. I'm not sure of the origin of the bee die cut, but it was coloured with marker pens and then glazed with Nuvo Crystal Glaze. The hello is from a long string die, but I chopped off the ends.

 

On your Special Day

CAS Mix Up has been taking a break for a while but we are back again with a new fun challenge, which this time is to use pastes or gels.

Some time ago I discovered how to make embossing paste after being faced with a solid lump of the stuff when I wanted to make a card. Being a creature of impulse I wanted to do it straight away, so after tossing the dried up pot of the stuff, I made my own. Here is a video I made, demonstrating how I made it.

For this card I used two stencils, the Paisley type one, and a circle one over the top. I spread the embossing paste through it using a palette knife and sprinkled it with Gold Glamour Dust when still wet.

The twiggy die cut is stacked a few times to add dimension, the heat embossed sentiment is by Personal Impressions.

 

Just Because

Here is another card using the Faux Cloisonne technique. It's the challenge this month at CAS Mix Up. For this one I used an old calendar from Guide Dogs for the Blind. When I first started contributing to this charity, the dog I was sponsoring was a German Shepherd with a floppy ear, called Monty, but after about a year or so, he didn't make the cut as he was too nervous in traffic and so now lives with a family. My new puppy is a black lab called Niko. Anyway enough of this, this stamp is from Rubbernecker, which was stamped onto a calendar page and embossed in gold.  They are cut out and mounted over a strip of hessian and given a sentiment by Memory Box.

Why not join in the fun with this terrific challenge! 

Here is a video I made showing the process

 

Thank you

This is the card which evolved after making my video yesterday on the Faux Cloisonné technique. It’s strange how things happen… I decided to put a ‘thank you’ sentiment on it and thought it might be suitable for a chap. Last night I was presented with the perfect opportunity to use it. I have a friend whom I met through card making, whose son is now a respected and acclaimed crime novelist. Last night my daughter informed me that he had taken the trouble to write to my 13 year old granddaughter to encourage her with her writing. It was an amazing letter and Daisy was absolutely thrilled.

Co-incidentally, the stamp I used was one I bought on an occasion when I met up with my friend at Ally Pally. This card was obviously meant to be! I was introduced to the technique through the challenge CAS MIX UP, so I thought I'd add this there, although I am on the DT and have made another couple of cards using the same technique already!

https://youtu.be/d7nIE5wXPls

This link will take you to my video

 

Thanks

If there's one thing that I have always loved about  the CAS Mix Up Challenge, it's the fact that there are always lots of different techniques to try. This time it's Loose Watercolouring.

If you are unsure of what to do, here are some terrific video tutorials.

Video Tutorials:

Watercolouring Stamped Images by Sanketi (5:58)

Photo tutorial on Loose Watercolouring by Verity Biddlecombe

Photo tutorial on Watercolouring by Jennifer McGuire

Watercolouring Outside the Lines by Yana Smakula (5:40)

Photo tutorial on Watercolouring by Tattered Nest

Loose Watercoloured Poppies by Joanne Boon Thomas (11:11)

Our Guest Designer this time is Karen (Random Reflections) 

For  my card, I began by spritzing the surface of the card with water before stamping the grid stamp by SU, then over-stamping with the Penny Black Butterfly and spritzing a little more to allow the colour of the Distress Oxide ink to move around. I stamped a little more card for the sentiment  and die cut the (Pink Fresh) Thanks.

Happy New Year Everyone!

 

Thanks

The new challenge over at CAS Mix Up is a Stencil Monoprint

Loll's Message

Stencil Monoprint is my favourite stencil technique.

You start by inking the stencil, spritzing with water or shimmer spray.

You turn it over onto a clean piece of card that can take water, pressing down with a paper towel to absorb any excess ink.

This gives you a negative image of your stencil.

Instead of colouring the design or image on a stencil, you are colouring the background.

I hope you enjoy this technique as much as I do.

Video Tutorials:

Stencil Monoprints - Lee-Anne Cross (6:50)

Stencil Monoprints Backgrounds with Distress Inks (8:28)

Welcome to our wonderful Guest Designer

Steph (My Paper Corner)

I have done this technique before but not for quite some time... and having just done it again I can't think why it's been so long! It's great fun and gives a terrific effect.

I used a stencil from the Crafter's Workshop and inked it with Villainous Potion, Dusty Concord and Milled Lavender Distress Oxide inks before spritzing it with water and then taking a print from it. I love this tiny dot stencil and it makes for successful prints every time.

The butterfly is from Memory Box and with a few random pearls was finished.

It would be great to see lots of you joining in with this fun technique!

 

Thinking of You

For my card I grabbed a bunch of different flowers and leaves from the garden and using my old Cuttlebug, I placed the flowers between pieces of watercolour paper and ran them through the machine. I have to say that a lot of gubbins comes out of the plants, as picked straight from the garden, there is a lot of water content in them, so this time I put a piece of paper towel under the lower paper and it happily absorbed much of the juice. This particular plant was a montbretia flower. Once dry and all the detritus of the plant scraped away it was simply mounted behind a peek a boo window, adorned with a butterfly and given a simple heat embossed sentiment! Lots of pressings are more random but this flower came out particularly clearly.

It's my DT card for the challenge at CAS MIX Up

 Host - Bonnie

Bonnie's Message

This month I'd like to find leaves, flowers, ferns, etc. from the yard and bring them into the craft room to use on a card.  You can put them between 2 pieces of watercolor paper and run them through the Big Shot, or use them on a gel plate, or even paint a leaf and press it onto cardstock.

I can't wait to see what you do with what grows in your space!

Video Tutorials:

Gel Print Leaves by Heather Telford (9:11)
Golden Leaves by Olga Direktorenko (6:30)

Stamping Real Leaves with Distress Oxide Ink by Gina K. Designs (8:22)

Press Leaves with Big Shot with France Martin (6:11)

Press Flowers with Big Shot with Karen Titus (3:53)

Welcome to our wonderful Guest Designer

 Izzy (Izzy Scrap)

Please ensure your card is CLEAN AND SIMPLE

Thank you CAS Mix Up

It's time for another challenge at CAS Mix Up

Host - Leslie

We'd like to welcome  

Ros (Mikey's Mom) as Guest Designer.

Leslie's Message

I've always felt autumn colors are some of the most beautiful in the way nature combines them, so I would love to see a gallery full of these rich, watercolor hues.  Whether in the background, foreground, border or more, whether a technique or a simple watercolored image let's get autumn off to a fabulous start!

Global Design Project - Thank you

  

For this card I used an embossed die cut and coloured it with Distress Oxide inks. To help blend them I wanted to use some water, but didn't want to use too much as I wanted to keep the intensity of the colours, so I spritzed a small amount of water in the air and just wafted the die cut through the mist! Once dry I over stamped with a splatter stamp and then added just a little Gold Gilding Wax with my fingertip.

The frame for the leaf is slightly raised, I used really skinny dimensional pads under the square and once adhered, popped the leaf into the space.

Come and join us with your watercolour renditions of Autumn Colours!

 

New Home

There's still time to join in the stencil challenge at CAS Mix Up

There is so much inspiration and examples on the blog so do head over there to take a look.

Here I used part of a honeycomb stencil, inked through with Wild Honey Distress Oxide Ink using a blending brush. With the stencil still in place I stamped with an old splatter stamp from SU using the same ink.

The two bees are really fiddly to assemble but once coloured with alcohol markers and covered with Nuvo Crystal Glaze I think they look really effective. I believe they are from Memory Box, but I can't find the packaging and I can't see them on the internet. If anyone could tell me definitively I would be grateful!

Craft Rocket Challenges Clean and Simple

 

CAS Mix Up August Challenge

The other day I had a lovely surprise! I received an email from Loll Thompson, inviting me to join the Design Team at CAS Mix Up. I had decided that I would step down from all Designer obligations for a while as I seemed to have been involved with them for many, many years. However.... could I resist joining the team of my favourite challenge?  No, I could not. SO here I am with my first challenge as a designer with them.

This month it's Jenny's Challenge

Jenny's Message

I love this technique because it adds so much interest and depth to your stencilling. I personally find it easier to use a fairly open pattern to make it easier to get a good impression.

I can't wait to see what you create.

Video Tutorials: 

Crafting While Caffeinated  with Lindsay Adreon

Jennifer Mcguire

 Guest Designers 

Bobby (bits & pieces)

&

Michele (I Card Everyone)

 

The thing that appealed to me so much with this challenge blog is the variety of techniques and  mediums involved with making cards for the challenges. This month's involves something which I have never done before... stamping through a stencil.

The stencil I used is a homemade one which I cut from acetate with my Silhouette Portrait. I used just a portion of it and inked with Distress Oxide ink in Salvaged Patina ink, using a blending brush. With the stencil still in place,  I stamped some splatters from SU's long retired French Foliage stamp set, using Memento London Fog ink. The sentiment, from Clearly Besotted, has been in my stash for quite some time, but must have been NBUS, as I had to condition it following several unsuccessful attempts at getting a decent image. I have always found Loll's method of wiping a new polymer stamp across one's forearm to be the most successful!

The die cuts are from Simply Graphic, a wonderful French company which I recently discovered.

I am grateful for the warm welcome to the team!

Why don't you head over to the CAS Mix Up blog and join in the fun!

 

Sending Prayers

 

This is another card for the challenge at CAS Mix Up

After I had coloured the vellum by dropping on various colours, plus a little Ranger mixative, I allowed it to dry before die cutting. I couldn't decide whether the butterflies would look best with the vellum as the filigree layer or the under layer, in the end I decided to use both versions on the same card. My friend, who is a priest, said that sadly she needed some bereavement cards. I thought that this sentiment would be fine for either illness or bereavement.

The background panel is dry embossed with a Cuttlebug folder and the butterflies are from Simon Says Stamp.

Today I have been working on some 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration invitations and I've developed a real crick in my neck, I could do with a massage!

With Love

I just love how I really am challenged to either try new, or revisit old techniques for the challenges at CAS Mix UP!

My fingers now are a rather unpleasant shade of algae! A mix of the blues and greens I used for this card. In fact this is not my first attempt at this challenge today, there were quite a few abortive tries with a few ideas, none of which was particularly successful. The bin has had a generous donation or two! Anyway there's not a lot to show for the technique here but I dropped some small amounts of  alcohol inks and  some surgical spirit (rubbing alcohol) onto some vellum and just swished it around a little until it dried, which took just a moment or two. From this paper I cut the bases of the butterflies, plus some in plain white card. I also cut out the filigree sections from the white card and stacked the three together with the vellum in the middle.

I cut two pennants, shortening one slightly and stamping the sentiment on the other. It really is simplicity itself, but I kinda like it that way!

The butterfly dies are from Memory Box, they're part of a set of three.

 

Thanks

I was wondering what I could do as a second contribution to the challenge CAS Mix Up and loved Bonnie's DT card, so thought I would do something along the same lines. I wasn't incredibly successful at the  Splash technique, which is why there is selected portion on show in this card. However, having said that, I do like the bit I can see!. I was more successful with regular card than with watercolour paper, which may not have been heavy enough.

The sentiment is from SSS, I thin k the birds are Memory BOx, but I'm sure someone will let me know if I am wrong.

This evening we are to have a choir rehearsal in a barn! Socially distanced of course, but it looks as though there will be no chance of any sort of concert this summer as Mr Johnson has delayed the lifting of restrictions for another month!

Let's hope for better things in the autumn term!

 

Bee birthday

It's always exciting to see what the challenge is going to be each month at CAS Mix Up. This month the topic has been chosen by Viv, whom I have 'known' for many years since becoming acquainted at 'Less is More'. She produces amazing work which never fails to inspire.

As you may see from the prompt, watercolour must rate really highly in the cards. All the colouring in my card used watercolour techniques. 

I began by stamping some patches of Distress Oxide ink using an acrylic block, then spritzing with water to diffuse the colour. I then over-stamped with a grunge splatter stamp with the same ink, adding a little water in the process. 

I coloured the honeycomb by dragging the ink pad over it and then once more spritzing with water. I cut the infill parts of the bee from some card that I had stamped with the ink pad and then wetted.

I decided to add an extra layer to the wings by cutting in white card and using some Black Soot Distress Oxide ink to drag some colour over them with a rough paste brush. It brought out some of the veining.

I had to put the card under a heavy weight to try to flatten it out somewhat as it had become rather bent with all the spritzing.

I made the sentiment panel in Word, drawing a text box and filling it with black and then writing the sentiment using white. Once printed and die cut I gave it a couple of layers of clear embossing to intensify the colour.

 

Hello

Here is my final rendition for this month's challenge at CAS Mix Up!

I made another stencil from a heart trail die and a sheet of Mylar. I don't have all the colours of Distress Oxide inks, so used a mixture of Oxides and regular Distress inks to add the rainbow colours. I didn't really have a deep enough shade for the indigo and so I mixed a few colours to achieve the depth of colour I wanted. I used fine blending brushes to apply the ink. 

I found a scrap of card which was close to one of the shades in the hearts to add a mount for the image, In fact there's a die cut space in it but there was enough solid card around the edge to make the frame. 

I rummaged through my dies to find a suitable sentiment which would a)fit onto the remaining scrap of yellow card and b) fit into the gap of the inked hearts. This MFT Hello was just right on both counts.  I stacked it onto a couple of white die cuts to add a little definition.

I added a few random, tiny, pearl gems for a little interest. (They are really tricky to spot).

We were about to restart our choir rehearsals last Tuesday, but in the afternoon the government decided that no more than 6 people could meet, despite all the precautionary measures we had in place.

It was a great disappointment. Petitions have been signed, MPs lobbied, social media protests written... it will be interesting to see what happens next!

Have a lovely day

Here's another go at using a home made stencil. I made this one some time ago before I discovered Mylar sheets. I used acetate and cut the design with my Silhouette Portrait.  I kept the die-cut in the die before I used the stencil, so that I would have a narrow white border around the balloon. The first one I tried, had some of the long bars of the stencil right next to the die, which masked and gave an odd shape to the balloon, so I tried again and positioned the stencil so that there would be a little colour all around the edge, even if it was only a touch; it outlined the balloon more definitively.

CAS Mix Up

CASology - Outside

Fab Friday

Addicted to stamps and More

 

Happy Birthday

I have been making homemade stencils for quite some time. Often, my dies are just the right dimensions to make a stencil background and I have used a variety of things to create the stencil. These often comprised paper, card, vellum or acetate. However, recently I came across Mylar sheets. I don't know what took me so long to find them, but together with dies or my Silhouette Portrait, one can make simply terrific re-usable stencils. For this card I used a Sizzix corner die. and once the Mylar sheet was cut, I used Distress Oxide Inks, applied through the stencil, using blending brushes.

I made the card for the challenge at CAS Mix Up

I bought a set of cheap brushes from eBay, I think they were described as make up brushes, but they work so well with the inks, to create beautifully smooth colour and blend them perfectly.

The 'Dreamy Butterfly' die is from Memory Box and the tiny sentiment from Avery Elle. The stitched frames were cut with dies from SSS, although I have to elongate the cut slightly to fit with British dimension cards. The width works beautifully but I just have to add around 1cm to the length. For these cards I use a sheet of A4 cut in half down the length and folded to make a tall tent fold card.

AAA Birthday has a birthday celebration so many congrats to them.

These days we have to make appointments to make a visit to the local dump, and we have one this morning, so I need to start loading up the car with some of the detritus from the garage and garden.

Wish me luck!

 

Hello

No cards for ages then 2 in one day!

Here is my contribution for the challenge at CAS Mix Up which this time is Paper Piecing!

For this I used a chicken stamp from an Inky Doodles set.  I used to  buy from the designer at Craft shows at the NEC, but I don't seem to have been to one of those for a very long time! Although I've had it for years, I think that this is the first time that it has been used.

I stamped the image on to a piece of white card and then on to different areas on a piece of Christmas DP with poinsettias all over it! Even after carefully selecting the areas to stamp and cut out for the body of the hen, I still decided to darken the neck feather section a little more, using a marker. This image seemed quite appropriate for paper piecing as it is in three definite areas.

The sentiment is from Stampendous. A little sticking and die-cutting (I just had to shorten the sentiment cut a tad) and the card was done. I'm now about to set off for the tip to take all the packaging from our new kitchen tables and chairs, plus the old built in fridge from our last kitchen!

CASology Hello

 

Butterfly birthday

I have rather greenish tips to the end of my fingers, after having a lovely play making this card. I die cut the memory box butterfly and inked it with some Twisted Citron Distress Ink, then after spritzing both the cardstock and the butterfly, I used one to make prints on the other. After I had finished, the butterfly was quite a deep shade, so I decided that the colour was a little too far removed from the backdrop to be used as an embellishment, so I cut another butterfly and und gently coloured that with more ink and water.

I used the sketch from Fab Friday

and the technique from CAS Mix Up

Where they are celebrating their 5th Birthday.

Our new kitchen is progressing apace, however there have been a couple of snags but the boss man says all will be sorted... and I have every faith in him, he installed our last kitchen over twenty years ago and that has been great.

Outside the Box - Beautiful backgrounds

I think that the background made with this gorgeous Memory Box Butterfly is rather beautiful!

Stay safe everyone!