CAS Challenges October Reminder

Hi everyone.  Time for the reminder cards for the October CAS Challenges.  First up, CAS Mix Up, hosted this month by Bonnie.

Bonnie is our host.

I went out and picked up a few maple leaves from my yard.  The card above uses a small leaf that I coated with Gold Liquid Watercolour Concentrate and then pressed it through my Gemini Jr. with mixed media paper.  I love how the gold paint shows all the veins.  It's very subtle, but still very pretty.  I added a soft suede card stock base, along with a gold splattered backing to my main panel.

Close-up ...

I did a second print using a large maple leaf.  Using Hot Press watercolour paper and my Gemini Jr., I got two prints, this is the side with all the wonderful autumn colours (see photo below of leaf), which translated to pale green, yellow and purple when pressed.

Maple Leaf

I created a frame from seedless preserves by sponging around the outside edge of a piece of Hot Press watercolour paper and then sponging with gold watercolour.  I splattered more gold watercolour over my botanical panel as well.  The panel was cut to size and placed at the top right corner so the frame is only showing on the two sides.  The sentiment (AliExpress) is stamped in more Seedless Preserves distress ink, but I had to stamp several times to get a clean image which means that it's darker than I wanted.  The colours of the print are subtle, but so pretty and even better in real life.

This is not a CAS design but wanted to share with you.

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CAS Christmas Reminder challenge

Marcia is our host.

Started with a basic gray card stock base (SU!).  Used the Christmas Wreaths stencil (STAMPlorations), off the page, sponging with the leaves with blending brushes in basic gray ink.  The berries were sponged in white pigment ink first, left to dry, then sponged again in Fired Brick distress ink.  Used a metallic silver pen to outline the leaves and berries.  Finished with a silver embossed sentiment (Art Deco Celebrate Christmas - Poppy Stamps - retired) and a few dots of white paint.

Close-up ... shows the silver outlining of the stenciled leaves and berries

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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!

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CAS Mix Up Reminder - Botanical Leaf (1)
Stamps:  For You (Cavallini & Co)
Paper: Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); Soft Suede card stock (SU! - retired)
Ink:  Gold Watercolour Concentrate (Blick Art Materials)
Accessories & Tools: sponges, splatter brush

CAS Mix Up Reminder - Botanical Leaf (2)
Stamps:  Beautiful (AliExpress)
Paper:  Watercolour (Arches 140 lb. Hot Press), Neenah white 110 lb. card stock
Ink:  Seedless Preserves Distress Ink (Tim Holtz); Gold Watercolour Concentrate (Blick Art Materials)
Accessories & Tools: sponges, splatter brush

CAS Christmas Reminder - Christmas Wreath
Stamps:  Art Deco Celebrate Christmas (Poppy Stamps - retired)
Paper:  Gray card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Basic Gray dye ink (SU!); Unicorn (white) Pigment Ink (Hero Arts); Fired Brick distress ink (Tim Holtz); Versamark
Accessories & Tools:  Christmas Wreath stencil (STAMPlorations), blending brushes, Silver metallic pen (Pilot), Silver embossing powder, heat tool, White Posca pen


Challenges:
CAS Mix Up October Challenge - Botanical Prints
CAS Christmas October Challenge - Gray and Red

The Flower Challenge #61 Reminder

Hi everyone.  Today is the reminder for The Flower Challenge #61 - Use a Shape.  It's also our 5th Birthday Celebration for our Challenge ... lots of prizes to win!

I rarely get freebies in the mail, but with my last on-line order I received this background.  Actually it was advertising the pad of paper for sale.  All the designs were on the back, but just one on the front, so I used it today. :)  I love the vintage look of this paper.  I stayed with the pink and brown to add my elements to the card.. 

I stamped a bouquet of peonies (Perfect Peonies - Clearly Besotted).  I love this stamp and have used it A LOT. :)  Looks awesome in pink and brown.  I used Ground Espresso, Kitsch Flamingo, and Picked Raspberry distress inks, mixing the pink and brown to get the colours for my blooms.  Stamped the peonies in dark brown ink and clear heat embossed.  Then watercoloured the image.  I die-cut the bouquet with matching die, but thought the white edging left from the die looked too stark so just added a light coating of pink.  The background is die-cut with a postage stamp die (Postage Stamp - Spellbinders retired).  I did a little stenciling in the top left and bottom right corners with Ground Espresso ink and Pebbles Stencil (Lavinia).  I stamped the sentiment (Happy Messages - Stampendous) in brown and then placed everything on a white 4 1/4" square card base.  Popped up the flower with pop dots for some dimension. :)

Close-up ...

Happy with how this card turned out ... I need to use patterned paper more often.  I have lots, but make so many of my own backgrounds, I rarely use them. :)

I hope you'll check out the reminder post for The Flower Challenge #61 to see the amazing cards from our Designers.  Then come play along.  Challenge is open until end of day Oct. 25th.  Hope to see you in the gallery.

This will be my last post for The Flower Challenge.  After a year of enjoying being on the team, it is time for me to step down and concentrate on running my own two challenges.  Thank you to Aileen and the team for making my time at The Flower Challenge so enjoyable.  A special shout-out to Viv, who works tirelessly to keep the team happy and well-informed as well as keeping the challenge running smoothly.  Thank you Viv for all the help you gave me over the past year!!

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Stamps:  Perfect Peonies (Clearly Besotted), Happy Messages (Stampendous)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Patterned paper 
Ink:   Distress Inks:  Ground Espresso, Kitsch Flamingo, Picked Raspberry (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   Clear embossing powder, heat tool, watercolour paint brushes, matching die for Peonies image, Postage Stamp die - retired (Spellbinders), Pebbles stencil (Lavinia), sponges

Challenges:

The Flower Challenge #61 - Use a shape

Penny Black - Gorgeous Grove

Hi everyone.  Today I'm sharing another new cling stamp from the Penny Black's Making Spirits Bright release.  This image is called Gorgeous Grove (40-804).

I started by inking up my image in dark gray ink (Stampin' Up!) ink.  I then heat embossed with clear embossing powder.  I stamped the image again onto a post-it note to create a mask for the snow.

Then I did a little ink blending using blender brushes.  First the sun (Mustard Seed and Wild Honey distress inks).  Second the sky (Broken China and Chipped Sapphire distress inks).

To finish the card, I first splattered with very diluted white acrylic paint and blotted.  Once dry, I used a white Posca pen to add snow to the branches of the trees, and then splattered more (larger splatters) with diluted white gouache ink.  The sentiment (Christmas Sentiments: 30-504) is stamped on black card stock and white heat embossed.

Close-up ...

I'll be back soon with more cards using the new Making Spirits Bright release from Penny Black.

I'm entering this card into the Merry Little Christmas Challenge #39 - Anything Christmas Goes.

And also adding to the NBUS Challenge #31.

Thanks for coming by for a visit!

Product Links

Gorgeous Grove (40-804)

Christmas Sentiments (30-504)

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Stamps:  Gorgeous Grove (Penny Black); Christmas Sentiments (Penny Black)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.); Black card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:   Basic Gray ink (Stampin' Up!); Distress Inks:  Mustard Seed, Wild Honey, Broken China, Chipped Sapphire (Tim Holtz); White pigment ink
Accessories:   Clear embossing powder, heat tool, blending brushes, white acrylic paint, White Posca pen, White gouache paint, splatter brush, white embossing powder

Challenges:

MLCC #39 - Anything Christmas Goes

NBUS Challenge #31

Penny Black - Merriest

Hi everyone.  Today I'm sharing a no-line watercolouring of one of the new releases from Penny Black's Making Spirits Bright collection.  This is called Merriest (40-794).

I stamped the image onto mixed media paper with smoky slate ink (SU!) and then watercoloured over top using distress inks:  Mowed Lawn, Rustic Wilderness, Candied Apple, Aged Mahogany.  

To finish, I stamped the Joy sentiment (Holly Days 30-869) in Candied Apple distress ink, followed by two layers of Fired Brick distress inks.  Happy how it matched the colour of the berries.  I added a few white dots using my Posca pen before framing the image using another new release from Penny Black, Semi-Circle Stackers (51-706).

Close-up ...

I'm sending this card to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge October - Anythings Goes.

And to NBUS Challenge #31.

Thanks for coming by for a visit!

Product Links

Merriest (40-797)

Holly Days (30-869)

Semi-Circle Stackers (51-706)

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Stamps:  Merriest (Penny Black); Holly Days (Penny Black)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:   Smoky Slate (SU!); Distress Inks:  Mowed Lawn, Rustic Wilderness, Candied Apple, Aged Mahogany, Fired Brick (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   watercolour paint brushes, white Posca pen, Semi-Circle Stackers Frame die (Penny Black)

Challenges:

PBSC October - Anything Goes

NBUS Challenge #31