Oh I do like to be beside the seaside

This post is a little mixed media art board with memories of home during those unpredictable summers by the sea in Wales.  The tea shops along the promenade and the beach huts lined up at the edge of the sand, even when it was blowing a gale the beach was always a fun place to be.

The art board was gesso'd and once dry pan pastels applied.  I stamped a script text background using Versamark and used the pan pastels again to make the stamp stand out. The water is glass bead gel which I Versamarked and added white embossing powder for the surf.  The beach huts and sand castles are from a JOFY (Paper Artsy) stamp set, the bubble floating through the sky is texture paste stencil from Carabelle Studio. I used a spray fixative on the pan pastel background and then adhered the fussy cut images using gel medium. Just a fun whimsical scene 😏

This is a close up of all the texture on the surface, I hope you like the fun image and might try and art board yourself one day.

I'm entering this for 

Craft stampers magazine Take it Make it anything goes challenge.

Paper Artsy March challenge Nautical colours.

Mixed media monthly challenge #46, stencil and 3 other mediums (pan pastels, glass bead gel and texture paste)

Card Recipe
Stamps: JOFY beach huts, Penny black script
Paper: 110lb white, 8X8 canvas art board
Ink: Versamark
Accessories: Gesso, Pan pastels, Spray fixative, Glass bead gel, white embossing powder, alcohol markers, texture paste, stencil
Techniques: mixed media, pan pastels, fussy cutting

CAS Christmas Mid month reminder

It's time for our CAS Christmas Card Challenge mid month reminder, our theme for this month is Holly.  Remember it CAS, Christmas and Holly what more could you want.

For my card, I've watercoloured this pretty Chickadee on Holly from Impression Obsession.  After I watercoloured it, I masked and then splattered with black and stamped the sentiment in Ranger Archival Carnation Red.  I seem to be doing that a lot lately, I think it's because I picked up some of the mini archival inks. They're awesome for small sentiments.

While the stamp was out I stamped a second image again on hot press watercolour.  the second is a little less CAS with lots of smooshing of Distress Oxide inks and a black border.

Card Recipe
Stamps: Impression Obsession, Paper Smooches sentiment
Paper: Hot press watercolour, Red, 110Lb White, Black
Ink: Ranger Archival,
Accessories: MISTI, Watercolours
Techniques: Watercolouring,splattering, smoosing

Texture Paste Holly UFO

I went on a rummage through my UFO box and found a some mixed media paper which had been embossed with texture paste and when the paste dried the stenciled area and watercoloured. The stencil is replaced to watercolour.
The swatch was quite big so I cut it down and added a black border to create more of CAS image.  I used another stencil to to the background for a hint of colour.

I'm entering this for 

CAS Christmas Card Challenge

ABC anything goes

Happy Little Stampers Anything goes optional Reindeer

The holly and the Ivy Christmas Challenge-anything goes

Card Recipe
Stamps: Rubbernecker Sentiment
Paper: 110lb white, black, mixed media
Ink: Ranger archival black
Accessories: Stencils (Tim Holtz Christmas, Stamplorations Holly), Distress Oxide inks and blender
Techniques: Stenciling, watercolouring

Red Poppies in the garden

I've been playing with watercolouring die cut images as it's a great way to stretch your dies. I tried with a penny black holly branch a few weeks ago and loved the image.  These small poppies from Memory box were a little more difficult and and I need more practice.

The background is meant to look like a wooden fence and the grass is watercoloured and then die cut using an old My Favorite Things grass die.

I'm not sure what I'll use the card for, so I'm not going to put a sentiment on it quite yet.

I'm entering this card in for the following challenges

CAS Watercolour March challenge "Garden"

and

The Flower Challenge #18 Anything Goes

I'd love to hear from you 😏

Card Recipe
Stamps: None
Paper: Watercolour, 110lb white
Ink: None
Accessories: watercolours, Memory box Poppy die, My favorite things grass die, Embossing folder (SU)
Techniques: watercolouring, die cutting.

Alcohol inks on Acetate

It's CAS Mix up's 2nd birthday this month so Happy Birthday Loll, Bonnie and the Design team.

As a part of their birthday celebrations Loll and Bonnie have  some great prizes so head over and play along.

Susan is your Host for this month with Acetate, Stamping and my choice of Alcohol inks. If you aren't sure what to do with Acetate, the group have put together some great tutorials for you to check out as added inspiration.

For my card I used an alcohol ink removal technique which I found on Paper Wings Productions. I spread blues greens and a touch of gold around using a felt pad and a blending tool on the acetate.  Once it had dried I stamped the images using Ranger Archival ink, I did use a blue but black may have worked on darker colours.  Give the Archival ink a few minutes to dry and buff with kitchen roll. I did find it took a couple of applications of the inked image in my MISTI to remove all the ink. Once I was happy I backed the image with white card stock layered it with a black frame and then popped it up on some fun foam.

A few people mentioned they had some problems with the ink not removing.  I think the key is to use a stamp re-positioner and add more Archival ink, but remember to leave it dry for a few minutes before removing.

I'm going to wait to put the sentiment on, I'm not sure if this will go in my Christmas stash or perhaps a Winter Birthday.

Card Recipe
Stamps: Tim Holtz, Joy Crafts grunge basics for the moon
Paper: Actetate, 110lb white, Black
Ink: Ranger Archival cornflower mini
Accessories: Blending tool, felt pad, Alcohol inks, Misti
Techniques: Alcohol inks on acetate

Christmas Poinsettia

I just love this little poinsettia stamp from Recollections.  It comes with the die so that's a bonus and the die cuts really close.  For this card I didn't use the die but I did use the sentiment and border stamp

 I stamped the image is Pink Pirouette and watercoloured the image,  Once I finished the watercolouring I used Ancient Page (Flamingo) waterproof to re-stamp the outline.  I used perfect pearls for the stamens at the centre.  The whole image was layered on black with a thin outline for the border,

I am entering this for the following challenges
Merry Monday Christmas Challenge 279
The Merry Christmas Challenge #9 Anything goes
Christmas Card Challenge all year round
Watercooler Wednesday challenge #159 all about Christmas

Card Recipe
Stamps: Recolections
Paper: 140 lb Hot press Watercolour paper, 110 LB cream card stock. Black
Ink: Ranger archival,  Ancient Page Waterproof ink (flamingo)
Accessories: Watercolours, Gold Viva Decor pearl pen, Penny Black die Holly and Berry Branch 51-404
Techniques: Watercolouring

CAS Christmas Kick off

Hi Everyone, there's a new challenge in town, Loll and Bonnie are hosting a CAS Christmas Card Challenge.  I'm sure you all want to get your Christmas cards done before December so stop in and check out the challenges each month.  The design team has some great inspiration for you, and we want to see your cards.

Our first challenge is Holly, so for my card I used the Penny Black holly die cut and watercolour card stock.  The die cut is perfect for watercolouring as it has some impressions for the colour to pool.  I die cut some black fun foam and popped it up, the black gives some shadowing and emphasizes the shape.

I went over the berries with glossy accents to make them pop and stamped the sentiment (paper smooches) in red to match the berries.

I hope you join in with the new challenge it's going to be so much fun 😀

Card Recipe
Stamps: Paper Smooches sentiment
Paper: 110lb white, 140lb hot press watercolour
Ink: Ranger Archival Carnation Red
Accessories: Penny Black die cut, glossy accents, watercolours
Techniques:  die cut Watercolouring