CAS Mix Up Challenge reminder.......

Happy Friday ......

It's the weekend! ....... and here's nothing in the diary for this one (yeah!!)  Time to put my feet up and relax.  Fingers crossed the nice weather continues.

It's also time for a quick reminder about July's CAS Mix Up Challenge.

I'm Host this month, and it's a Watercolour challenge with a little added twist ........ Things with Wings

So far we've had entries with beautiful butterflies, birds and bees, and also angels ........ can you think of anything else?

There's still time to play along, the challenge runs until July 24th.

I must admit Watercoloring is always a bit of a challenge for me ........ it's a little hit and miss as to whether I get the look I was after!  It keeps my bit box full though, you know I don't like to throw anything away.  All those pieces that didn't turn out quite like I planned go in there to be used at a later date!

For me watercolouring is all about keeping things simple ..........

You don't get any easier than this.  

I used Distress Inks to watercolour the background ....... simply smooshed the ink pads onto a craft mat then brushed the colours across a piece of Hot Pressed Watercolour card using a very wet paintbrush.  

I used Tumbled Glass for the sky, Salty Ocean for the sea, and Mustard Seed for the sand ..... easy!

Once this was dry, I stamped my images over the top using a black ink.  I do love these little birds from the old Wetlands stamp set from Stampin Up! 

I added a sentiment, and a little mat and layering ...... perfect!

Remember I mentioned all those pieces that end up in my bit box ....... well, a great way of using those up is to die cut them.  It's still watercolouring, and you can choose exactly where to put your dies so that you cut on the best bits and avoid the bits you don't like 

These pretty little Memory Box butterflies were cut from a piece of cardstock watercoloured with Brushos ......

I cut the full butterfly from the coloured card, and the outline from white and then payered them together ..... so pretty.

I embossed a piece of white cardstock and then cut this into circles.  attached the circles onto my card front and added the butterflies.

A simple two piece sentiment finishes off the card

Here's another one ..... birds this time

Again, cut from a piece of Brusho coloured card (I have quite a few of these pieces of card .... Brushos can be a little unpredictable!!)

A little bit of simple watercolouring in the background, and an embossed panel on the bottom to ground them

 A stamped sentiment underneath and a tiny strip of that Brusho card to finish it all off

I hope you've enjoyed this months challenge.  Check out the CAS Mix Up Blog for more Watercoloured Things with Wings inspiration from the rest of the Design Team.  

Hopefully I'll see you in the gallery ..... have fun!

Thanks for popping by ...... enjoy the rest of your day and have a lovely weekend.

Hubby's just been in to tell me he's checked the weather forecast for the island.  Apparently the next four days are just going to keep gettting warmer and warmer ....... sounds good to me!

This week has been all about school leavers.  Can you believe that Alex is going to high school in September!!!!!  It's been Awards Assembly and School Leavers Assembly this week, class photos and getting all their shirts signed by their friends ..... Lauren's needed the tissue box a couple of times bless her.

The official last day of term isn't until next Friday, when all the schools finish for the summer break but, Alex and his year are away next week on their school trip so it was all done early.

We're so proud of him.  He's growing up too fast though!

Cheerio until next time .....

Supplies

Card 1

Stamps: Wetlands stamp set (Stampin Up!); Sentiment from Simple Sayings (Tim Holtz - CMS155)

Ink: Versafine Clair - Nocturne; Distress Inks - Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean, Mustard Seed

Card 2

Stamps: Sentiment stamps from my stash 

Inks: Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Other: Brusho Pigment Powders; Floral embossing folder, Memory Box Butterfly dies, Circle punches, Gemstones

Card 3

Stamps: Happy Birthday sentiments (PinkFresh Studio) 

Inks: Distress Ink - Broken China; Versafine Clair - Nocturne;

Other: Brusho Pigment Powders;  For the Birds die (CUT-plorations); Brick embossing folder (Stampin Up!)