The Perfectly CAS challenge ......

Happy Tuesday evening .......

I hope your week's off to a good start.
Fancy a blog challenge?  It's time to get the Perfectly CAS ..... (using only one third) Challenge started.  It's the first one of 2020 and the theme is ...... One Layer

 
One Layer cards ....... sounds easy enough but, that's not always the case.  These can sometimes be the hardest cards to make, more so when only using one third of your card.  There's no room for mistakes, you can't cover anything up, because that would make it more than one layer!

I've gone for a really CAS look, using the middle third of my card ..... top to bottom

I stamped my image using a black ink, and then coloured it with ZIG Markers and a water brush.
(it only took me three attemps ........ inky fingermark on one (arrrggh!), too much water on my paintbrush so my coloured marker bled outside the line (sigh!), but I got there in the end!

A few gold ink splatters in the background, still trying to keep within that middle third .......

and a sentiment to finish ....

Check out more inspiration from the rest of Design Team over on the Perfectly CAS Blog.  You'll also find all the rules and guidelines on how to play along.

Happy Stamping! 

We've already had one birthday this week ..... my mother-in-law yesterday. I forgot to post her birthday card at the weekend ..... sorry Mum!  I did arrange flowers though, and there's gin on the way, so I think I'm forgiven. 
We have another birthday coming up on Friday ........ my baby girl is 28 this year!!!!  This card was made with Lauren in mind .... it's definitely all about her this week!

It's also this little Blog's anniversary today.  Yes, Life in the Craft Lane has been around for 8 years ..... that's a lot of blogging!

Thank you so much for reading, commenting and following my crafty journey.  Without you it wouldn't be as much fun ...... mwah xx

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

Cheerio until next time .....

Products used:
Stamps: Uptown Girl Opal the Optimist (Stamping Bella); Special Sentiments (Penny Black 'T' for Transparent set)
Inks:Versafine Clair - Nocturne; Delicata - Golden Glitz (splatters)
Others: ZIG Clean Color Brush Markers

The secret is out! .......

Happy Friday .......

How's January going so far? 
Did you make any New Year's resolutions? ........  Have you broken any yet?
If you're like me, I've given up on all that ...... the diet never really starts, especially seeing as how there's chocolate left over from Christmas.  Dry January can't last, because we have too many events going on, and the other half is a bad influence on me!  And the exercise bit never really gets going! Although we have got a treadmill on order ....... I do need to loose a few pounds and get in shape just a little bit because ..... not only have we got the motorhome arriving soon but, we also have a big holiday coming up at the end of May.  We're off to Disney in Florida with the little man ..... whoo hoo!!  I need to get in training for all that walking around the theme parks!

It was supposed to be a secret for a little while longer but, the travel guide arrived this week and the Disney park tickets are on their way plus, Alex has been asking about where he's going on this years holidays so, we told him! ........ he totally freaked out!
He's now reading the travel guide cover to cover, watching YouTube videos of the parks and rides, and he has a notebook to make a list of all the things he wants to do ..... I think he's going to need more than one!! 
I don't know who is more excited though ..... Alex or Lauren!  She's downloading apps and maps and goodness knows what!  It's a good few years since we've been to Disney, everything has changed so much.  Only 20 weeks to wait ...... not that I'm counting!

Things have been a bit busy in the craft room this week, trying to get back into the swing of things.  Blog challenges have all started up again, and there's new product releases on the way. 
I'm also trying to catch up on an art journaling course that I started at the beginning of December.  Everything was going so well until we went away for the weekend, then I'm afraid it got put to one side.  I am determined to finish it though ....... I have all the prompts and videos and I made a whole load of notes and ideas. I just need to make time to settle down and do it!!

Here's a quick look at a few of my finished pages .........

I've also signed up for Wanderlust 2020 from Everything Art ....... a year long, online, Art Journaling Course.  I have done one of these before, about 3 or 4 years ago, and it was so much fun.  I want to do more art journaling this year, learn to understand it better and be happy with my finished pages.  I'll keep you posted on how I get on.

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

We're off out tomorrow ..... first time this year!!  Then we have a busy two weeks coming up ..... two birthdays to celebrate and Burn's Night.

Cheerio until next time ......

Happy 1st Birthday CAS Stencil Challenge ........

Happy weekend ......

I hope your New Year has got off to a great start.
I've spent the last couple of days putting all the Christmas decorations away.  No more twinkling lights, the Christmas trees and baubles are all packed away, well nearly ....... the rooms look so much bigger!

Back to normal now ....... and it's time to get the first CAS Stencil Challenge of 2020 underway.
It's a special one this month ...... it's our 1st birthday!

Our first year has been so much fun, with some great challenge themes which you've all loved.  The gallery looks amazing every month. 

We're kicking off 2020 with Nancy as our host, and as it's a new year the theme for this month is ....... Use A New Stencil

Now that could be ..... a brand new stencil design,  a stencil that's been around a while but is new to you or, one that you've had in your collection for a while but hasn't been used before .... we've all got a few of those!

I've used a stencil that I bought just before Christmas, and this is it's first outing.
I love this fun design and I think it's going to be perfect for so many occasions!

I simply inked through the stencil using different colours of Distress Oxide inks ....... I love how they blend so easily

The speach bubbles are all different sizes, so its a great excuse to use all those little stamps that come on sentiment sets ....... you know, the ones that don't get used very often.  These are from vrious stamp sets from Simon Says Stamp, Mama Elephant, Happy Little Stampers, Penny Black .....

I've kept to a birthday theme but, as I've said, this stencil could be used to say all sorts of things. Would look great in any colour too!

I die cut a stitched rectangle and then cut my stenciled panel to fit inside .......

and finishing off my card with a sentiment stamped on the bottom.
I can see me using this stencil quite a lot I think!

Check out more inspiration from the rest of the Design Team, and also pop by and see our lovely Guest Designer ..... Arlene (Sundaystamper Papercrafts) who is joining in the birthday fun.

As it's our 1st Birthday there's some prizes up for grabs this month.  Check these out .....

 Challenge Winner - a $25 Gift Certificate for Simon Says Stamp

Random Draw from all the eligible entries - a $25 Gift Certificate for Simon Says Stamp

So ... get those new stencils out!

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

Cheerio until next time ......

Products used:
Stencils: Let's Talk (Funky Fossil Designs)
Stamps: Various sentiment stamps
Inks: Distress Oxides - Picked Raspberry, Mustard Seed, Twisted Citron, Broken China
Others: Wonky Rectangle Dies - CUTplorations by STAMPlorations)

Let's get 2020 started with a Blog Challenge ......

Happy New Year! .....

Welcome to 2020 ..... I think this is going to be a great year!
There's so many things to look forward to already ....... we pick up our new motorhome in a few weeks .... hubby's so excited! 
I'm off on a craft retreat in April ..... really looking forward to that one.  Then there's our annual girlie trip across to the Happy Stampers Festival at Port Sunlight, that's also in April. 
And ...... this is the really exciting one ...... we have a BIG holiday in Florida coming up.  We're taking the little man, but he knows nothing about it yet.  He's going to freak out big style when we tell him.  I'm hoping to hold out until Easter, then we're having an Easter egg made big enough to hold a small Florida travel guide, that's the plan anyway, then the egg is going inside a new suitcase for him.  I'm not sure who's going to be more excited ...... Alex or his Mum!!

Anyway ....... back to the main reason for this post. 
The start of a new year means new Blog challenges, and the first one up for me is ..... the CAS Mix Up Challenge.  Yes we're back! 
We have a great challenge theme to start the year ....... Partial Die Cutting

Hideko is our Host this month, and we also have a fabulous Guest Designer ...... Tristan (from Tinstar Designs) is joining in the fun.

So .... partial die cutting, another fun way to use your dies.  Check out the CAS Mix Up Blog for links to some fab videos showing different ways of using this technique, to get even more out of your die collection.

As it's New Year's Day I made a card to celebrate ........

I had a piece of leftover black cardstock on my desk, that had been splattered with gold and silver metallic inks ......

I cut it down to fit the front of my cardblank to make the backdrop for the numbers.
I then took a piece of white card and partially cut the 2020 along the top edge.

I added a few more ink splatters and then attached this to the bottom of the black card.
I die the numbers again from glitter cardstock and attached these over the top, slightly offset to give the shadow effect

A sentiment stamped on the bottom .... and we're done!

Happy 2020!  See you in the gallery.

Thanks for popping by ..... enjoy the rest of your day.
Must dash as we have the family round for dinner, and I'm cooking!  Another meal where the table groans under the weight of all the food.  I'm making the most of it, as the diet starts on Monday!!

Cheerio until next time .....

Products used:
Stamps: Winter Wavy Sayings (Lawn Fawn)
Inks: Delicata inks - Golden Glitz & Silvery Shimmer; Versafine Clair - Nocturne
Others: Large number dies (Stampin Up!); Gold & Silver Glitter card

Out with the old and in with the new ........