I'm back ........ for the CAS Mix Up Challenge!

Happy Sunday ......

Welcome to August!  I hope you're all enjoying the weekend. 

After taking July off from the CAS Mix Up Challenge ......... we should have been away in the motorhome but, we ended up moving house instead! ........  it's so nice to be back for this month's Stencil Challenge.

Jenny is our host for August, and she's chosen a fun technique for you.  Maybe it's something you’re already familiar with or, it could be that you haven’t tried this before ...... Stamping through stencils.  A great way of extending the use of your stencil stash, and your stamps too!

I’ve kept things relatively simple for my inspiration piece, using circle stencils to create the look of apertures, and then used my stamps over the top .........

With the stencil securely in place, I applied Distress inks through the circles using a blending brush.

Then, without removing the stencil, I stamped the little characters in place .......... so cute!

I then used coloured pencils (Faber Castel Polychromos) to colour them in.

I added a bit more interest by inking a few more circles here and there to create a bokeh effect, and then finished off with a stamped sentiment and a few sparkly gemstones.

This is such a fun technique to try. Experiment with your stencils, the more open the stencil design is, the more stamping you will see. It’s a great way to add design and texture, and give your stenciling a different look. I can’t wait to see your cards in the gallery.

You’ll find lots more fabulous inspiration from the rest of the Design Team over on the CAS Mix Up Blog, and this month we have not one, but two amazing Guest Designers.  Bobby (Bits & Pieces) is joining in the fun, along with Michele (I Card Everyone), so be sure to pop by and say Hello.

It’s been a crazy couple of weeks around here, as I said we should have been going away in the motorhome on our first adventure off the island, but plans changed and we ended up moving house instead.

We’ve spent the last two weeks packing and moving boxes (we have so much stuff!!!!!) but we’ve finally moved in to the new place!  It still looks a bit like a bomb site, I can’t find anything, and it’s ‘fun’ trying to find out how all the new kitchen appliances work but, we’re getting there slowly.  I've only changed my kitchen cupboard contents around twice since we moved in, and my desks in the craft room have be changed around a few times but, I think I'm happy now!

There is just one major problem ..... we have no internet yet (argghhhh)!!! There’s a problem, apparently, with the supply to the house and they need to do maintenance on the ‘pole’ outside. We found this out on the day they came to install it ........ last Thursday!!  The little man is not happy.

We’re having to hot spot our mobile phones and use the limited signal as and when we can, which is not good!  This blog post has been a challenge I can tell you!

They are on it ...... apparently.  Things will get interesting tomorrow (Monday) when hubby is back at work ...... he might just have to go into the office for the first time in months!!!

Because of all this things may still be a little quiet for the next few days here on the blog but I promise normal service will resume eventually!

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

We're off out for Sunday dinner with the family, the rest of the unpacking can wait!  

Cheerio until next time ........

Products used:

Stencils: Bokeh Stencil Set (multi layer design) (Newton's Nook)

Stamps: Jungle Friends (Creative Expressions); Critter Crowd (Simon Says); Happy Birthday from my stash 

Inks: Distress Ink - Broken China, Mowed Lawn; Versafine Clair - Nocturne; Delicata - Golden Glitz

Other: Faber Castel Polychromos Pencils; Small gem stones

Paper piecing for CAS Mix Up .......

Happy Thursday ........

We've reached the middle of April already ....... time to give you a little reminder about this month's CAS Mix Up Challenge.

I'm hosting this month, and the theme I've chosen is ..... Paper Piecing 

We've had some fabulous entries into the gallery already but there's still plenty of time left if you'd like to play along.

Paper Piecing is a really fun way of adding colour to your stamped images.  Quick to do, and it's a great way of using up all those off cuts of patterned papers that we all have in our stash.

I've been playing with some JOFY stamps recently ...... nice large images, perfect for paper piecing.

I love this pretty floral design, I think there's so many ways you could use this stamp.

Using a black ink, I stamped the image first onto my card blank, again onto a scrap of patterned paper, and also onto an old book page.

I then chose parts of the image to paper piece ........ the large flower from the patterned paper

I used the book page pieces to add some extra detail here and there, and then coloured in the rest of the image using coloured pencils 

Flowers will always work well with the paper piecing technique but, you can paper piece any stamped image.  How cute does this look ......

This set is from the JOFY new release ....... I love her!!

I stamped the background, watercoloured with ZIG markers and then added a few pink and gold splatters.

I stamped the little geisha girl onto a separate piece of white card and fussy cut around her.  

I coloured her hair and face using pencils and paper pieced her little kimono, adding in some detail with coloured gel pens

I even paper pieced her little top knot to match

She was attached with foam pads for dimension, and I finished with one of the sentiments from the stamp set

Just think, this little one could have a whole wardrobe of pretty kimonos ....... it's like playing with paper dolls all over again!

Don't forget to check out the CAS Mix Up Blog for more inspiration ideas from the Design Team, they've all been having fun with this challenge.

Thank you for popping by ..... enjoy the rest of your day.

Cheerio until next time ........

Products used:

Card 1

Stamps: JOFY 96

Inks: Versafine Clair - Nocturne; Distress Oxide Ink - Seedless preserve (for the sentiment)

Other: Faber Castel Polychromos Pencils; Patterned paper and book pages from my stash; Gem stones

Card 2

Stamps: JOFY 100

Inks: Versafine Clair - Nocturne; Delicata - Golden Glitz(for the splatter)

Other: Patterned paper from my stash; Faber Castel Polychromos Pencils; IG Clean Color Brush Markers, Coloured Gel Pens

Happy Birthday Nancy! .......

Happy Friday to you .......

The weekend is here again!

It's also a very special day today ...... the lovely Nancy (scandinancy creates) is having a birthday, and to celebrate the occasion Loll is hosting a surprise Linky Party ..... SURPRISE!!! 

Happy Birthday Nancy ..... I hope you have a very special day, and to help you celebrate here's a little card from me, full of love and best wishes just for you!

This gorgeous stamp from the Colorado Craft Company is having it's first outing to mark this occasion.

Stamped and then heat embossed in gold .....

and coloured using Polychromos coloured pencils.

The tiniest touch of shading onto the bottle, and of course the sentiment .....

I finished with a little touch of sparkle for a very special lady ........

The linky will be open for 2 weeks so, if you know the lovely Nancy, and I know a lot of you do, then why not join in the fun and wish her a very Happy Birthday!

Here's to you Nancy!

As it's the first time I've used this gorgeous stamp, I'm also linking this card up to the NBUS Challenge #18

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

We're all off home this evening, our family staycation has sadly come to an end.  

Roll on the next one!

Cheerio until next time .......

Products used:

Stamps: Big & Bold Perfume Bouquet (Colorado Craft Company)

Inks: Versamark; Versafine Clair - Nocturne; Delicata Metallic Ink - Golden Glitz

Others: Gold Embossing Powder (WOW!); Faber Castel Polychromos Coloured Pencils; Fine Crystal Glitter

New look CAS Mix Up .........

Happy Monday ........

Welcome to glorious June!

And welcome to the new look CAS MIX UP CHALLENGE!

For all you CAS challenge fans out there we've made things a little easier for you.  Three of the CAS Challenges have all come together ......... that's the original CAS Mix Up, CAS Stencil and CAS Watercolour have all joined forces and are now the new CAS Mix Up.

We've still got the same designers creating fabulous inspiration pieces each month,  and there will still be a regular Mixed Media based challenge, with the three required elements including stamping,  a stencil challenge where you must use a stencil on your designs, and of course a watercolour challenge in which watercolouring must play a big part.  The difference is ..... these challenge themes will be on a rotating three month cycle.

Don't worry ....... for all you CAS Christmas fans there's no change to that challenge.

So, we're starting off our new format with a Mixed Media Challenge .......

Susan is our host this month and wants us to use Embossed Vellum.

Check out the CAS Mix Up Blog for links to some useful videos on various ways to do this technique.

Vellum is one of those things I don't use a lot of but, when I do I always love the effect. 

I've used Heat Embossing here to create this pretty leafy design

I stamped my leaves onto a piece of vellum and heat embossed with a gold Embossing Powder (Thank you Loll .... I now have a new favourite!)

I added colour to the leaves using Polychromo Pencils, and coloured on the back of the vellum.  I love how you get this soft look to the colours. 

I do like it when stamp sets have matching dies ..... makes things so much easier to cut out!

A few ink splatters using a green and a gold ink add a bit more detail to the background before I attached the leaves to my card.

A simple sentiment banner was all it needed to finish off the card.

Check out how the rest of the Design Team have been using Embossed Vellum and also pop by and say hello to our lovely Guest Designer this month ...... Bonnie (Papercrafter at Large) is joining in the CAS Mix Up!

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

The sun is shining here so it's BBQ again this evening.  We're making the most of this gorgeous weather seeing as how we would have been in Florida now, if things were different!!  Oh well, there's always next year.

Cheerio until next time ........

Products used:

Stamps: Leafy Canopy (Altenew); STAMPtember Tiny Words (Simon Says Stamp)

Inks: Versamark; Versafine Clair - Nocturne; Delicata - Golden Glitzt; Distress Ink - Lucky Clover (Splatters)

Others: Leafy Canopy Die (Altenew); Princess Gold Embossing Powder (Ranger); Polychromo Pencils (Faber Castel)