CAS Challenges September Reminder

Hi everyone.  We are half way through the month of September.  Today I'm sharing reminder cards for both CAS challenges.  First up, CAS Mix Up September Challenge - Embossing with Dies.

Joanna is our host.

I die-cut this lovely poppy Bodacious die (Penny Black) from watercolour paper and coloured with distress inks.  I then used the same die to emboss the poppy on my card front.  This give some dimension to the card.  I used Wink of Stella to add lots of sparkle to the poppies.  I didn't realize that I used the same sentiment (also done on black banner with white embossing) as I did for my CMU launch card on the 1st. :)

This is a fun way to stretch the use of your dies.  Thanks to Jo for a great challenge!

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Colleen is our host.

Here's the reminder card for CAS Christmas challenge - Christmas trees.  I used a large Christmas Glow (Penny Black) stamp off the edge of the page to keep some white space on my card.  I inked with distress inks,spritzed with water and stamped.  Repeated until I was happy with the results.  Once dry, I added a little shading with a medium green coloured pencil.  The sentiment in red finishes this CAS design.

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I hope you'll check out the challenge blogs to see the amazing cards from our Designers, Guest Designers, and participants.  If you haven't had time to play along, there's over a week left before both challenges close on 24th at midnight PST.  Come join us!

CAS Mix Up Reminder - Handmade with Love
Stamps:  Happy Snippets (Penny Black)
Paper:  Watercolour paper (Arches 140 lb. cold press); White card base (Neenah 110 lb.); Black card stock (SU!)
Ink:  Distress Inks:  Picked Raspberry, Pine Needles (Tim Holtz); Versamark
Accessories & Tools: Bodacious die (Penny Black), water brush, white embossing powder, heat tool, Clear Wink of Stella


CAS Christmas Reminder - Oh, Christmas Tree
Stamps:  Christmas Glow (Penny Black); Sentiment - Love Bug Christmas (Unity Stamps)
Paper:  Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:  Distress Inks:  Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn, Mustard Seed (Tim Holtz); Real Red (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories & Tools:  water mister, Green coloured pencil (Prismacolor)


Challenges:
CAS Mix Up - Embossing with Dies
CAS Christmas - Christmas Tree

Tumbling Shells

Hi everyone.  I'm back today with another summery card using a fabulous new background called Tumbling Shells (Simon Says Stamp).  This is a large 6"x 6" background that I coloured and then cut up into two smaller pieces to make two cards.  I find photographing pastel colours so difficult.  The background has a pearl sheen, which adds another challenge to photographing.

I started by wetting my mixed media card front and sprinking with perfect pearls.  Used a brush to brush over the whole surface of the card creating a lovely pearl sheen for the background.  Stamped the seashells in versamark and heat embossed in white.  Then used diluted deep colours of distress inks to paint some of the shells and starfish (salty ocean, wild honey, aged mahogany).  Cut up my card to create this rectangle panel and popped it up over a stamped sentiment (tumbled glass).

I made a second card using part of the same panel.  This time I framed it with a stitched rectangle.  Used a different sentiment for this one.

Had fun using this background as the main part of my card and just adding a sentiment.  This is a new-to-me stamp, so I'm heading over to add to the NBUS #18 gallery.  Hope to see you there!

Stamps: Tumbling Shells (Simon Says Stamp); Feel Sand - retired (Stampendous); Life's a Beach - retired (STAMPlorations)
Paper: Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink: Versamark; Distress Inks:  Salty Ocean, Wild Honey, Aged Mahogany, Tumbled Glass (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:  Perfect Pearls - Pearl; brush, water mister, white embossing powder, heat tool, water brush

Challenges:
NBUS #18 Challenge

Penny Black - Falling Leaves

Penny Black has a new release call "Autumn Extraordinaire".  It is full of beautiful autumn / thanksgiving images.  You can see the newest release HERE.

Hi everyone.  Today I'm using just one from a set of 12 dies called Falling Leaves Cut Out (51-680).  I LOVE maple leaves ... and maple trees, maple syrup ... maple anything. :)  I'm Canadian, eh??!! :)

Sorry about the poor photograph above, shiny cards are hard to work with.  This card is much brighter in real life.  See below close-up photo for more accurate colours.

I die-cut the leaf from copper metallic paper.  I ran it through my Gemini with a script embossing folder (unknown).  I then added drops of three different colours of alcohol inks and let them run together.  Once dry, I spritzed with a little blending solution, which looks like drops on the leaf.  Where the alcohol inks build up, the ink remains a sticky for a while.  I took a small piece of copper foil and burnished it over top of my maple leaf.  You can see just little bits of the coppery shine that stuck.  To finish, I stamped a very small sentiment (Million Thanks 30-680) and heat embossed in copper.

Close-up ...

I'm entering this card into the Penny Black Saturday Challenge for September - Your Favourite Colours or Anything Goes.  I do love these colours (pink and orange is my favourite combination of colours) ... and I've added in some purple as well. :)

Thanks for coming by for a visit.

Penny Black Products
Falling Leaves Cut Out (51-680)
Million Thanks (30-680)

Stamps:  Million Thanks (Penny Black)
Paper:  White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Copper Metallics (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Alcohol Inks:  Shell Pink, Terracotta, Eggplant (Rainger); Versamark
Accessories:  Falling Leaves Cut-Outs (Penny Black), Script embossing folder (unknown), Blending Solution, Copper embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool

Challenges:
Penny Black September Saturday Challenge - Your Favourite Colours or Anything Goes

Twofer Challenge #31

Hi everyone.  Today is the start of the Twofer Challenge #31.  I used some backgrounds that had been in my stash for a while.  Always great to have them handy to make some quick cards.

This first card is coloured with leftover inks from another project.  I don't want them to go to waste so always smoosh the leftovers with a piece of mixed media paper.

I have had this stamp for a very long time.  It's Pine Tree (Stampscapes) and it's so beautiful.  I stamped a few of the trees in black (1st and second generation stamping) and used a light gray ink for the background trees.  I have already sent this off to a dear friend who lost his mother recently.

The second card started with another piece from my stash - watercoloured tissue paper.  I love the colours and bit of texture from the wrinkled tissue paper.  Stamped Pine Tree (Stampscapes) again twice and then mounted my image on a black card base with circle aperture.  A simple "HELLO" finishes the card.

Edited to add:  Several of you have mentioned that these cards remind you of the fires burning in Oregon and California.  I made these cards a few months back, long before the fires started and did not intend on making cards to reflect the terrible devastation that is happening now.  Sorry if my post has upset anyone.

Card #1: Your in my Thoughts
Stamps:  Pine Tree (Stampscapes); Best Thoughts - retired (Stampin' Up!)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:  Black (Memento); Smoky Slate (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:

Card #2: Hello
Stamps:  Pine Tree (Stampscapes); Happy Messages (Stampendous)
Paper:  White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Tissue Paper; Black card stock (SU!)
Ink:  Black (Memento); Smoky Slate (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Circle Nestability die - retired (Spellbinders)

Challenges:
Twofer Challenge #31