Saturday's workshop .....

Happy Wednesday .....

I've taken a break from all my DT projects and magazine stuff to share with you Saturday's workshop ...... plus my head is about to explode, I can't think anymore!!!

It's been a while since the last workshop, what with holidays, and SU parties ...... so the ladies were all raring to go.

It was Christmas cards this week ...... quick and easy designs yet still stylish, great for posting too (not too many layers!)
We used simple heat embossing and stamping with coloured inks to create pretty snowflake designs.

I'm loving the new ink colour Fresh Fig from Stampin Up! ..... first and second generation stamping .....  such a pretty plum colour, looks great with gold or silver embossing.  Try using non traditional Christmas colours for a more contemporary look, snowflakes don't always have to be white!

Another embossing favourite .... emboss resist with Distress Inks.
More pretty snowflakes ..... and I love these large sentiments ...... Handwritten Holiday from MFT

it doesn't have to be snowflakes though .... why not try a pretty  poinsettia 

This was my favourite from the day ...... love the touch of sparkle

Use those large sentiments with a festive stamped image ......

Embossed in gold, or silver, and a touch of glitter for added sparkle

Here's a little tease of another version of this design ....... you'll have to wait until November to see this in full, it's for a Blog Challenge ..... sorry!

And I know I've done this design a couple of times but I think it's a nice way to use your sentiment stamps ......

So ..... as we had a little bit of time left at the end of the workshop the ladies had a play with this design

There's a few stamps in the new Typografia Christmas range from STAMPlorations that are perfect for doing this with ..... just add a star at the top and a cut little plant pot at the bottom ..... easy!

Well .... have you yet to start your Christmas cards? ..... or are they all done and ready to post like one of the ladies at the class on Saturday ..... organised or what!  At least I've got a few more to add to the festive box now.

Thanks for popping by .... enjoy the rest of your day.
Do you ever have that feeling you're being watched? ..........

This young seagull (at least that's what I think it is) has been on and off the balcony all day ........ he's very distracting!

Cheerio until next time .....

CAS Mix Up .....

Happy Tuesday afternoon .....

I hope your week's off to a good start.  I seem to be having one of those days today .... busy, but not really getting anywhere. The rubbish bin is getting full though (sigh!) Nothing seems to be going to plan.  Oh well .... there's always tomorrow!!

I am playing along with the CAS Mix Up Challenge again this month though ...... I'm a little on the last minute I know.

As you can see this month's projects need to include .....
Stamping  ...... check!
Layering Stencils .... check!
And my choice is ......... Texture Paste (or it could be heat embossing .....or glitter ...... or sequins) anyway ..... check!

The stenciled background is from my stash of leftovers ..... coloured using the technique of applying ink onto the stencil, instead of through it ....... then spritzing with water before turning the stencil over and laying it onto a piece of cardstock to transfer the design.

The colours I used look like Worn Lipstick, Cracked Pistachio and possibly a touch of Picked Raspberry Distress Inks but I wouldn't swear to that .... it's been a while!  The stencil I do know is  the Flourish from Tim Holtz.

I took another TH stencil (Roses), and used black texture paste through this, over the top. 

I also sprinkled the paste with fine glitter whilst it was still wet.  Nothing too sparkly, I was just looking to add a little more texture

I stamped and heat embossed my sentiment .....

And finished off with a few sequins and some Nuvo Jewel Drops

Not quite as CAS as usual but I think there's still enough white space for it to qualify ..... I do hope so.
Better link it up now ........ the deadline is today!

Thanks for popping by .... enjoy the rest of your day.
I'm hoping to be back later to share the weekend's workshop with you, but, to make up for not cooking a Sunday roast we're having it tonight instead ......  so blogging may have to wait! It's my favourite roast chicken (with lemon and chilli) with all the trimmings .... yum!!

Cheerio until next time

Are you playing along with the STAMPlorations CAS challenge .....

Happy Thursday ......

It's time for a quick reminder of this month's STAMPlorations CAS Card Challenge.  We're getting back into the swing of things after our summer break.

As always the theme is Anything Goes ..... anything CAS that is, and don't forget there's always an optional colour twist.  For October's challenge that colour is ..... Orange 

Here's a fun design for you that could be used for so many different occasions ...... big birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, baby cards or, new job perhaps.

I've used the CUTplorations Word Art Die ....... Congrats as my focal point on the card, it's a great size and it says it all!
I simply used the die and cut a piece of white card that would become my card front, and also cut it from a piece of coloured card from my stash.  This was a leftover piece from a previous project, coloured using the watercolour tissue technique .......

use Distress inks and water to colour plain tissue paper, once dry scrunch up the tissue, open out and stick onto a piece of white card leaving the creases in.  When the glue is completely dry lightly rub over the top of the creases with a Versamark ink pad, sprinkle with embossing powder and then heat set ....... I used gold on this piece

The coloured die cut was then inlaid into the white card and I finished off by adding a few stamped images from the STAMPlorations Balloons and Banners set

and a few dots of glitter glue

This is another of those designs that will look totally different depending on the colours you use .....  a great little die to add to your stash.

Speaking of stash ..... don't forget if you are shopping in the STAMPlorations store use my special code at the checkout ........ STAMPGIRLLINDA ...... and you can get 20% discount on your order.

Thanks for popping by ......... enjoy the rest of your day.

I must confess this is a scheduled post as I'm probably still out today with the girls.
We were meeting for coffee this morning, which will have probably run into lunch somewhere, followed by a little retail therapy.
It was also the big Christmas launch down at the garden centre last night too.  I couldn't make it so we may just have popped in there on the way home ..... finish the day with a little sparkle!

Cheerio until next time ...... 

Happy 1st Birthday CAS Watercolour challenge ......

Happy Wednesday ......

Middle of the week again .... and I'm playing catch up!  I spent most of this morning on the internet trying to get concert tickets ...... as if I've nothing better to do!!
The island has gone crazy because .....  are you ready for this ...... Gary Barlow is coming across to do two nights at the Villa Marina.  When ...... TT Practice Week next year ..... that's when!!!
Lauren wants tickets, my brother wants tickets ....... I wouldn't mind a ticket but .... I'm not paying £172.50 ..... each! ...... I don't like him that much!!
Tickets officially go on sale on Friday this week but I managed to get priority booking through Amazon. which started at 10am this morning.  I needn't have bothered!!
There was I all logged on and ready to go at 10am ..... by 4 mins past it was impossible to get tickets except the VIP ones of course.  I was curious to see if any of these were actually available so I put 4 into my basket.  Oh yes they were available ....... I could have had four seats, four rows from the front with an aisle seat, for a little over £700!!!!! including booking fees ...... no thank you.  Hubby would have had something to say if I'd have made that booking.  Never mind, I'll try again on Friday.

Anyway .... the real reason for today's post is, I'm joining in the fun with this month's CAS Watercolour Challenge and their 1st Birthday Celebrations

Whoop! Whoop! ladies ...... congratulations on a whole year of fun challenges.

This month the theme is Fall Leaves ......

We have a few of those in the square outside the house after ex-Hurricane Ophelia's visit on Monday .... there's hardly any left on the trees!

Here's my card ......

CAS with some watercoloured, die cut autumn leaves.

I smooshed various colours of Distress ink onto a piece of watercoloured card then spritzed with water to blend the inks together.
I then die cut the leaves and stamped onto each one to add a touch of detail

The sentiment is from a Stampin Up! set called Colorful Seasons, and has been heat embossed with a copper coloured powder

I couldn't resist splattering some more ink onto the background ...... I mixed each of the colours I'd used for the leaves with a little water, and then used an old paintbrush to flick the ink onto the card

Thanks for popping by .... enjoy the rest of your day.
I'm off to do what I should have been doing this morning ...... prepping for a workshop on Saturday.

Cheerio until next time

Boo! ..... time for another tag

Happy Tuesday .......

Thank goodness the weather is a little calmer today.  I think Ophelia has done her worst here. 
We had trees down all over the island, one of the hotels in Douglas lost part of its roof, and it was a little scary at high tide but .... it's now blue sky and sunshine .... at the moment!

Enough about the weather though ....... I'm here to remind you about the latest Blog Challenge from the STAMPlorations team ........ the new TAGplorations  Challenge .... have you joined in the fun yet?

The challenge is all about creating TAGS.  Your projects can be anything you like .... as long as there's a tag, or tags, on there somewhere.  The tags can be large or small and any shape you like. The DT will of course be featuring the CUTplorations tag dies but, the challenge players (that's you!) don't have to.  Go on ..... join in the fun.

As we're into October I thought it would be fun to create a Halloween Tag ...... I think this still comes under the challenge theme of 'All About Fall' don't you.  I've even used the optional twist of using red, gold and orange .......

I die cut my tag, using CUTplorations Manila Tag Nesting Dies, from a piece of cardstock in my stash that had been coloured using Distress Inks and a ghosting technique with a stencil ......

I splattered a little black and white paint onto the background to add a bit more interest, and a couple of strips of ultra tacky double sided tape across the bottom on top of which I put some gilding flakes

I then stamped the pumpkin from the STAMPlorations Oh, So Grateful stamp set, twice onto a piece of coloured cardstock from my bit box and heat embossed with a clear powder.

I added a touch more colour to the leaves at the bottom and a sprinkling of fine coloured glitters

The mouth was drawn on with a black marker pen and then I added fine black glitter over the top, and of course it had to have googly eyes!

Gold letters cut using the CUTplorations Uppercase Alphabet Die make up the greeting

Check out all the challenge details over on the STAMPlorations Blog along with lots more fabulous inspiration from the rest of the Design Team.

Thanks for popping by ...... enjoy the rest of your day.

Cheerio until next time

Book the sofa ..... Sweet Poppy are back!

Happy Monday .......

I think Ophelia has definitely arrived on the island .... it's blowing a hoolie out there!
The ferries have been cancelled, so have all the flights.  We've already got roads closed across the island because of fallen trees and even the shops have closed early.  Batten down the hatches folks, things are getting a little lively out there!

My advice is stay safe and warm ...... in front of the TV.  Grab the remote and book your front row seats because Lucy's back on our screens tomorrow. 
Yes .......Sweet Poppy Stencils are back on HOCHANDA (Sky channel 663/Freeview 85/Freesat 817) Tuesday 17th October ....... 11am and 3pm  with some gorgeous festive stencil designs

Here's a quick look at some of my samples I sent off to Lucy last week ........ warning photo heavy post coming up!

I love this beautiful Poinsettia ...... perfect for making CAS Christmas cards

All I've done here is used the largest flower (you do get three different sizes on the stencil) with the Glossy White stencil paste and then sprinkled some red fine glitter over the top

Nothing else needed except a festive greeting .....

It doesn't have to be a red poinsettia either .... gold looks gorgeous too!

With a little bit of white paint splattered onto the background to give that snowy look

I think white would look stunning too ....... might just have to try that one!

Use the whole stencil to create beautiful card fronts ..... would make a gorgeous background too don't you think

The paste and glitter again this time onto Kraft card, with a little bit of white heat embossing to add some detail in between

A few dots of glitter glue and a pretty ribbon add the finishing touches

Why not make a matching tag too ....... perfect for those special gifts

You can even use your stencils on some MDF to create pretty decorations

I've used the Sweet Poppy Crackle Paint on here too .... and then inked through the poinsettia stencil using Distress Oxide ink ..... the large one on the front ....

and the smaller ones on the reverse.
I added some sparkle embossing powder over the top and heat set and added some Christmas sentiments

A touch of fine crystal glitter around the edge gives an icy look

Another stencil I've been using is the Holly Borders ...... two pretty designs on this one

Use it to add a touch of colour to your black and white designs .....

Add it to the bottom of tags .....

It doesn't always have to be green either ...... how about white holly leaves to frame your stamped designs ......

White paste, crystal glitter on the top with just a touch of blue added in there

Use the borders to create CAS cards ...... top and bottom of your sentiment

or side by side to create a central panel for your greeting.

Don't forget ..... tune in at 11am and 3pm tomorrow (Tuesday) for more fabulous ideas on how to use these stencils, along with more beautiful festive designs.

Thanks for popping by .... enjoy the rest of your day.

Stay safe and warm ....... wherever you are.

Cheerio until next time