CAS Christmas - Sant's Sleigh

Hi everyone, it's time for CAS Christmas card challenge. Our host this month is Julia, and Julia wants us to pull out Santa Sleigh and give it a bit of a clean up before Christmas.

For my card, I've used an old stamp from High Hopes with Santa pulling Rudolf in the sleigh and stamped him on Watercolour paper. I did a thin watercolour wash around Santa and Rudolf, let it dry and then watercolored using the darker colours. I painted all the white parts of Santa's outfit with White ink and then re-stamped the image. The white ink is solid enough to cover any watercolour contamination on the main image. I used some pencils to add a little shading to the watercolouring and finally I die cut the frame using a Memory box die.

While I was thinking about Santa's sleigh I pulled out another stamp which I've had for many years and never used it. It was free in a magazine which I picked up in the UK. I think this is my favourite, I managed to accidentally create some clouds in the sky which is something I fined really difficult. I used the same technique to colour the image.

Card Recipe
Stamps: Card 1 High Hopes, Sentiment Rubbernecker, 

              Card 2 Free set from a magazine (main image and sentiment), Impression Obsession -tree tops

Paper: 110lb White, Black, Watercolour
Ink: Versifie Clair Nocturn
Accessories:Memory box die (card  1), watercolours, Pencils
Techniques: Watercolouring, Die Cutting

Can Christmas - Snowman

Hi everyone it's time for CAS Christmas card challenge,  this month Smowman is our theme and Linda is our host.

My Snowman is one of Kate Crane's cute little stamps. I embossed the background and stamped the snowman on watercolour paper and fussy cut the image.

Hi Everyone, I was asked about my Embossing folder-

It's a Stamps by Me Signature Embossing Folder -Snowflake Frame (010223P).

❤️

Card Recipe
Stamps: Paper Artsy (Kate Crane) Paper Smooches sentiment (no longer available)
Paper: 110lb White, Watercolour card.
Ink: Versafine Clair Nocturn
Accessories: Embossing folder (Stamps by Me- Snowflake Frame
Techniques: Dry embossing, watercoloring.

Group of Cardmakers - Acrylic block stamping

Hi everyone it's time for the Group of Cardmakers monthly technique. This month we are doing some acrylic block stamping

There are a few videos for you to watch so you can see how easy this technique is.

Videos: 

Acrylic Block Stamping by Jo Rice (15:50)

Acrylic Block and ink Background by Jo Rice (11:58)

Acrylic Block Stamped Background by Annabelle Stamps (5:39)

Distress Oxide inks

Distress Oxide inks and sprayed some shimmer paint mixed with water.

Second generation from the above ink but spritzing with a little more water before placing the block on the paper

I had a lot of fun with this technique

CAS Christmas - Cardinal

Hi everyone, I have another card for the CAS Christmas card challenge

this time it's a pretty red cardinal.

I used a Katzelkraft (no longer in business) cardinal and coloured him with alcohol ink pens the berries were coloured then I used stickels to give them a little sparkle.

Card Recipe
Stamps: Katzelkraft (no longer in business) Sentiment Chocolate Baroque
Paper: 110lb White
Ink: Memento Black
Accessories: Alcohol pens, Stickles
Techniques: Stamping, Markers

CAS Christmas - Birds

Hi everyone, it's so exciting to have CAS Christmas back with the monthly Christmas challenge. 

I definitely need incentive and inspiration to add to my Christmas card stash, what about you?

For our first challenge we are looking for som Birds on your cards

Just a remind of how we interpret CAS

This month our Guest designer for this month is Bobby of Bits and Pieces, don't forget to stop by and say hi.

My card is a quick CAS card using the Grumpy birds from Unity. I stamped the image using memento ink and quickly coloured it using alcohol markers. I left the stamp in the positioned as I painted the white parts of the hat with a white ink, let it dry and then re stamped the image. I die cut the image using a decked edge die and layered it onto a card base. The sentiment is from Stamping Bella.

I love using these guys because the have such wonderful grumpy expressions on their faces.

Card Recipe
Stamps: Unity (Grumpy Brids), Sentiment Stamping Bella
Paper: 110lb White
Ink: Memento Black
Accessories: Alcohol pens, Deckled Die cut
Techniques: Alcohol pens

Group of Cardmakers - Direct to Paper inking

Hi everyone, it's time for Group of Cardmakers technique for May. This month we are doing some direct to paper inking

Videos:  Serene Forest Cards by Kristina Werner (13:22)

I swiped distress inks to cover the card and also blended to get rid of any hard edges. I splattered some white ink and water onto the background and also used my white gel pen to add some extra stars in the sky. The trees are a die cut and Santa and his sleigh is a stamp. The sentiment is a BetterPress sentiment.

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Stamping up Santa and Sleigh (retired)
Paper: Mixed Media, White Card 110 lb,
Ink: Distress inks
Accessories: BetterPress Sentiment, Die cut trees
Techniques: Direct to paper inking

Group of Cardmakers - Split Card Design

Hi everyone, it's time for the Group of Cardmakers technique for April. This month we are trying some split cards. 

Split cards work better with large images which can be divided up to cover your card, it's fun to make two cards out of the stamped images.

 I must admit I prefer the cards with a small section of coloured card andI think my first card is my favourite.

Here are some videos so you can see how the cards are made.

Videos:

Split Colouring by Jennifer McGuire (11:29) - Jennifer creates 2 cards with one image.

Split Card Designs by Mindy Eggen Design (11:56) - Mindy shows how to create 2 card with one large image.  

My first and second card are made with an AAL and Create Tracy Evans stamp, I added a little colour to the flowers and the bottle and went with a bold colour in the side panel.

My third and fourth cards are to add to my Christmas stash and I used a Tim Holtz Christmas stamp and Sentiment. Again I prefer the card with the bigger white panel.

Card Recipe
Stamps: AAL and Create, Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous
Paper: 110lb white, Red
Ink: Versafine Black
Accessories: Pencils
Techniques: Split card Design, Pencil colouring

Group of Cardmakers - Bleaching

Hi everyone, it's time for the Group of Cardmakers monthly technique. This month we are playing with some bleach either in the form of Kitchen bleach or water.

Here are some Videos for you to check out:  

Using Bleach:

Coloring with Bleach - Jennifer McGuire (13:07)
Watercolour card with bleach - Andrea Kidman (6:16)

When using bleach remember to leave it dry thoroughly before painting over it otherwise it will pull the colour out of the new paint.

If some bleach does move out of the lines then just add a little water to your brush and re blend the ink around the area.

Bleach is also really helpful for removing colour if it has spread too far in your regular watercoloring. I find it's wonderful for those red seepages you really don't want 😂

Here are my examples of using bleach to remove colour.

My first card is a penny black stamp which has been heat embossed, the colour removed with Bleach and then re watercolored.

Card number 2 is a Carablelle stamp, sadly they're no long in business. I pulled the inky background from my stash, it was sprayed with ink sprays. I stamped the image and then used the bleach on the magpie.  Because the colour was so strong I did add a little white acrylic paint and then re stamped again. 

For my third card, I used a Magenta Stamp on coloured card stock and stamped the image using bleach.  I poured a little bleach in saucer and used a folded piece of paper towel soaked with bleach to apply it to the stamp. You have to use a stamp positioned for this. The bleach pulled colour out of the card which gave a gold colour print. This does take a few attempts, you can watch the colour change and add more bleach where it's needed. I used pencils to colour the image. I think this is my favourite of all the cards, it looks so much nicer IRL.

My final card is a Magenta stamp  I smooshed different colours of blue ink on to the card then stamped and heat embossed the image. I removed the colour from the image using bleach and re coloured with water colours. I splattered some bleach over the background for interest.

I hope you get a chance to remove some colour and paint over your images either with bleach or water.

Card Recipe
Stamps: Penny Black, Magenta BetterPress Sentiments.
Paper: Watercolour, 110lb white, Red
Ink: Versafine Clair
Accessories:  Stamp Positioner, Better Press, Pencils, Watercolours
Techniques: Bleaching, watercoloring, pencil colouring, smooshing

Group of Cardmakers - Faux Cyanotype

Hi everyone, it's time for the Group of Cardmakers to try a new Technique. This month we are playing with Faux Cyanotype. 

Cyanotype is a photographic technique using photographic chemicals and sunlight to create a negative image. The images produced have a blue to green colouring with light areas where items have been placed on the paper or fabric. this can be replicated by using blended ink and either the same ink to stamp or by using white ink.

Here are two videos showing how to create a card using the technique

1. Faux Cyanotype using White Ink By Tracy Evans

2. Faux Cyanotype using the same ink as the blended background By Understand Blue - Lydia Fieldler

Both techniques mask off a border then blend a blue colour over the whole area. If you use white paint the blending will need to be much darker. The blue stamping or same ink can be a lot lighter.

For my first card I blended the background and used an old Serendipity stamp.

My second card I used the ink pad direct to paper to give me a deep blue and then stamped in white, Again I used and old Serendipity stamp. I did mask of the edges but the ink pad worked its way under the mask. I don't mind as I like the rougher edges in the darker ink.

My third card I blended a very pale blue ink and then stamped the image using the same ink. The circle was embossed using a circle die and a mask cut out of the centre of some copy paper to blend inside of the embossed area. I'm not sure who makes the bird.

My last card I again used a direct to paper technique with the ink pad but this time I didn't use a masked border. I decided to try the technique with another colour other than blue.  I actually like the rough more organic edges from the ink pad. and the colour. The leaves are a Magenta stamp.

I hope we have inspired you to try Faux Cyanotype stamping.

Card Recipe
Stamps: Serendipity, Magenta
Paper: 110 Lb White, Black, Pale Blue
Ink: Ranger Distress Inks, Hero Arts White
Accessories: Stamp Platform
Techniques: Cyanotype, ink Blending

Group of Cardmakers, Layered card scene.

Hi everyone, it's time for the Group of Cardmakers technique. This month we have layered scene as our design theme.

I need to get a start on my Christmas cards so sorry if you aren't ready for a Christmas reminder yet but I need close to 100 by the end of the year 🤣

Layered scenes can be done in a couple of ways, the idea is to add depth to your scene by adding foam tape or using folds in your card. It's amazing how much dimension you get with both.

I created a tunnel card using die cut apertures similar to the one on Caroline Paton of KISS (keep it sweet and simple) blog and some foam tape behind each layer.

I used a Hexagon die and cut the layers out of white cardstock, the reason I used white was I wanted the edges to be white from the sides. I coloured the apertures with alcohol pens and used a scrap of black card with a cling wrap print on it as my sky. The die cut snow scene was cut from an old Stamping up Die set (now retired). I added some tiny sequins to the sky as stars. I really enjoyed making the card as it was fun creating the layers. I think I'll be giving this one out in person as it's little bulky to mail.

I hope you check out the technique and perhaps try one of them.

Card Recipe
Stamps: Unity Christmas Sentiments
Paper: 110lb White, Black
Ink: Versafine Claire
Accessories: Alcohol pens, Hexagon Layering Die, Stamping Up Christmas die (retired), Sequins
Techniques: Die Cutting, Clingwrap background