December STAMPlorations CAS Challenge - Anything Goes With Red and Green

And so we have entered the last month of the year. It feels like I hardly got used to writing 2016 and we are already speeding through the last remains of the year (to be fair, I still keep dating some of my documents 2015...). Another year coming to an end, another wonderful Holiday season just around the corner. Time off work, time with friends and family, and then that weird and wonderful New Year. A new start. But before we get to all of that, let's just enjoy the bitter sweet last weeks of the year along with a new STAMPlorations CAS challenge. You probably know the drill by now. We look forward to seeing your gorgeous CAS creations, you can link up to 3 cards each month and you can use whichever crafting supplies you would like but we would love to see you use STAMPlorations products if you have any. This month the optional colour twist is very Christmas-y: red and green. 

For my card I decided to use the gorgeous poinsettia from Framed Christmas: Peace, Love and Joy. I stamped the image onto watercolour card in black ink and heat embossed in clear powder. Then I used my Gansai Tambi watercolours to colour the image. To create the background for the card, I stamped the scripty text from Mixed Media Elements in Versamark and heat embossed in Gold. I did the same for the sentiment which I created using words from the Joyful stamp set. I then splattered a little bit of red watercolour over the background before attaching the poinsettia image. Quick and easy - if I already hadn't finished most of my Christmas cards this would have been perfect for mass production. Maybe next year!

Card: 250 gsm white card, 300 gsm Daler&Rowney Watercolour paper

Stamps: STAMPlorations Framed Christmas: Peace, Love and Joy, Joyful, Mixed Media Elements

Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Versamark, Memento Tuxedo Black, Gansai Tambi watercolours

Other: Gold embossing powder, Ranger clear super fine detail embossing powder

Hop To Stop

Starting today my friend Becca Cruger, aka Damsel of Distressed and the queen of gorgeous grunge, is hosting the third annual Hop To Stop Domestic Violence. Did you know that 1 of 3 women will experience domestic violence during her lifetime? I certainly did not. I'm sure we all agree this is not acceptable, and more awareness needs to be raised around the issue. You can find more information about domestic violence, it's impact and available resources on the National Resource Centre on Domestic Violence or if you are in the UK there is information on how to find help over on NHS Choices with links to resources for both men and women experiencing domestic violence.

Becca's Hop to Stop is taking place from October 15th to 30th and it's a wonderful way to play your part. You can share info about the hop on your blog, Facebook or other social media and also link up a card that *features* the colour purple, which is the domestic violence awareness colour. You can find more info over at Damsel of Distressed and over on the Hop To Stop event Facebook page. You can also send your cards to Becca who will donate them to the Community Violence Intervention Shelter in Grand Forks, ND. 



My card was inspired by the sketch over at CAS(E) This Sketch as well as the wonderful sentiment from STAMPlorations Fond Expressions 2. I stamped Mixed Media Elements randomly in the background in Versamark, then I stamped the sentiment in black Versafine and heat embossed all the stamped images. I used my beloved Gansai Tambi watercolours to create the background on watercolour paper, which I had die cut using a stitched die and used washi tape to mask the edges. Last, I matted the watercolour panel onto purple cardstock and added a strip of heart patterned paper from Lawn Fawn, cut to a banner using a Lawn Fawn die.

I'm also linking up my card over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge where the theme is Totally Resistible (use a resist technique), Daring Cardmakers where the theme is monochromatic and Just Add Ink where the theme is Just Add G (G is for grunge in my case). 



Card: 250 gsm white card, 300 gsm purple card from my stash, Langford&Hill 190 gsm watercolour paper

Stamps: STAMPlorations Fond Expressions 2 and Mixed Media Elements

Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Versamark and Versafine Onxy Black, Gansai Tambi watercolours

Dies: CUTplorations Crazy Double Running Stitch Nested Dies, Lawn Fawn Everyday Sentiment banners

Other: Lawn Fawn Let's Polka in the Dark paper, Ranger fine clear embossing powder

Quick CAS card in turquoise

I'm just popping in for a very quick post today. It's been all work, work, work this week (as usual) with no time to even look in the direction of my craft room. I made this card last weekend but haven't even had time to put together a post to show it to you yet. But I'm here now, and that's what counts, right!

I started by stamping the background using some stamps from STAMPlorations Mixed Media Elements in Distress Inks in various blues. Then I stamped the large Morning Glory stamp in Versamark and heat embossed it in silver. Last, I stamped a sentiment from Lotus Love in Peacock Feathers, die cut the panel using a stitched die and attached to turquoise card. Quick, clean, simple and easy with lots of fun stamping!

I am linking up with the following challenges:
Daring Cardmakers - inspiration image (inspired by the blue and teal colours against the white, and the silver and glitter)
CASology - Open (the way the large flower is open against the buds, as well as open white space)
Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
House of Cards - Embossing
Sparkle N' Sprinkle - Use loose glitter, embossing powder or flocking

Card: Stampin' Up Bermuda Bay card, Hobbycraft 160 gsm card
Stamps: STAMPlorations Morning Glory, Mixed Media Elements, Lotus Love
Ink: Tsukineko Versamark, Tim Holtz Distress Inks Blueprint Sketch, Cracked Pistachio, Peacock Feathers and Shaded Lilac
Other: Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle Dies, Papermania Silver embossing powder

Framed Rudolph and exciting news

How are you this fine evening (or day or even morning, depending on where you are)? Today I can finally tell you something I have known for a while, and wanted to shout from the rooftops. I am so very excited to announce that I am joining the STAMPlorations CAS challenge DT!!! As you read this, I'm jumping with joy. Seriously!! I can't believe the amazingly talented Shery chose me to be a part of this team, I can't wait to get started. I absolutely adore STAMPlorations products and I have enjoyed playing with them, you will probably have noticed this if you have been following my blog. I'm linking up a few of my favourites below (you can click on the images to get to the blog posts). Pop over to the STAMPlorations blog to see all the other DT members. If you enjoy creating CAS cards, keep an eye out for the CAS challenge and join us with your gorgeous creations. Coming to a webpage near you first thing in the New Year!

 

 

 

I think this will be my last Christmas card post, as I just managed to send all my Christmas cards and not only had enough of them, but even a few left over! I created the above Christmas card using several STAMPlorations stamps and stencils. I started by stamping the frame from Floral Bliss onto a piece of scrap paper, and cut it to make a mask. I picked some stamps from Mixed Media Elemenst and stamped through the mask I created in Rusty Hinge and Barn Door. Then I inked through the Christmas Reindeer stencil in Vintage Photo and Ground Espresso. Next I masked the reindeer and stamped the frame from Floral Bliss in Versamark, and heat embossed in gold. Last, I stamped the sentiment from Holiday Sketches in Barn Door. I love creating clean and simple designs, and it's always an added challenge to make it one layer as well. Perfect card for mailing (after I just had to pay a lot of extra as a rhinestone on a card made it too thick to fit into the letter category and had to be sent as a large letter instead).

I would like to link up my one layer reindeer over at the following challenges:

Craft Your Passion - Always Anything Goes

Addicted to Stamps - Christmas

That Craft Challenge - Christmas

The Corrosive Challenge - Merry Christmas

Fantasy Stampers - CAS Christmas

My Time to Craft - Christmas Animals

Color Throwdown - Any colours as long as it's Christmas theme

Card: 300 gsm white card

Stamps: STAMPlorations Floral Bliss, Mixed Media Elements, Holiday Sketches

Stencils: STAMPlorations Christmas Reindeer

Ink: Tsukineko Versamark, Tim Holtz Distress Inks Rusy Hinge, Barn Door, Vintage Photo, Ground Espresso

Other: Gold embossing powder from my stash 

Watercolour poppies

I'm back today with a brand new card, I think I must be slowly getting over my cold as I was able to create today. I didn't quite get through everything in one go, I had to take a nap halfway through, but at least I did manage to finish the card. This means it's back to work tomorrow, which is good as there has been a bunch of things that have piled up while I've been away. I do feel terribly guilty about taking sick leave. I know I shouldn't, and it's probably good that I'm not at work giving everyone my cold (although to be honest, colds are already contagious before you feel the symptoms, so chances are I have already given it to my colleagues...) and the truth is I probably wouldn't be very efficient in my current state, but I still feel so guilty just wrapped up warm in my bed or on the sofa.

Isn't it funny how some stamps become your favourites almost without noticing? I fell in love with the STAMPlorations Bloom Sketches stamp set because of the gorgeous daisy stamp, but somehow surprisingly and a little bit sneakily, the poppy one has been my most used stamp from this set (despite being quite a pain to colour, not to mention fussy cut...). As the theme over at Fusion currently is poppies, I couldn't resist to play along. I was inspired by the fun sketch over at Mojo Monday (which I interpreted very liberally) and the colours over at Color Throwdown. I also went to look for inspiration over at STAMPlorations CASEplorations. I was inspired by the stunning watercolouring of Deepti's card, and the cool stamping on Monika's card. Last but not least, I'm linking up with the STAMPlorations Anything Goes challenge.

Card: White 300 gsm card, 300 gsm watercolour paper, gold mirri card

Stamps: STAMPlorations Bloom Sketches, Mixed Media Elements 

Ink: Tim Holtz distress inks Abandoned Coral, Antique Paper, Peeled Paint, Tsukineko Versamark

Other: Gold embossing powder, gold sequins from my stash, Lawn Fawn Thinking About You border die