Well, Speckle Me an Egg

The crafting world has been all a-buzz this past week since Tim Holtz and Ranger released a brand new distress colour called Speckled Egg - the first of twelve new colours we'll see between now and the end of 2021.

Isn't it a gorgeous shade? Sigh! Love it.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on it yesterday in my fav distress oxide ink and almost immediately upon returning home, sat down in my craft room for a good ole' play. Here's what I ended up with:

Materials used:

• stamps - You've Got This, Very Versailles
• card - whisper white, basic grey, watercolour
• distress oxide inks - speckled egg, weathered wood
• other - Copic markers, Stampin' Blends, texture paste, speckled egg re-inker, spatula, water spritzer, distress collage medium matte (Tim Holtz), Flourish stencil (Tim Holtz), paintbrush, Big Shot, Alphanumeric Tiny Type Lower thinlits (Sizzix), blending brush, Dimensionals, craft foam, distressing tool

I began by laying down the background using my two distress oxide colours, then once that was dry I stamped the script from Very Versailles with speckled egg ink. I stencilled the flourishes using texture paste coloured with speckled egg and while that was drying, stamped and coloured my flower. That was fussy-cut and adhered with Dimensionals. The last touch was the die-cut sentiment, which has two layers of card for extra depth. Because there's no matching cardstock I sponged some speckled egg ink around the edges of my whisper white base.

I'm not 100% happy with it - something about the design doesn't quire sit right with me. It feels like it still needs something but I also don't want to overwhelm it, so I just have to accept to live and learn and move on, lol. We're always our own worst critics, aren't we?

Thanks for calling in. Stay safe.

Cheers

Kez 

G'Day Mate - CAS on Friday Challenge #181

Welcome back to another CAS on Friday challenge.

This is challenge #181 and the theme is ANIMAL/S.

So many possibilities here but I couldn't resist these adorable native Australian animals for my card. I sponged some blue sky and red dirt and added a small Southern Cross constellation for fun. Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi!

Materials used:

• stamps - Plushies Down Under (Clearly Besotted), Star of Light (SU)
• card - whisper white, terracotta tile
• SU inks - seaside spray, terracotta tile, cajun craze
• other - post it note, blending brushes, Copic Markers, Stampin' Blends, Dimensionals, craft foam

Do pop over to the CASOF blog to see more gorgeous animals from my fellow DT members and don't forget to leave us some comment love. If you feel like taking part in the challenge, we'd love to have you.

Thanks for stopping by. Stay safe. 

Cheers

Kez

A Rich Tapestry

As is often my habit, I've been browsing Pinterest and YouTube for card inspiration, particularly in the area of mixed media, which is a different direction from my usual style. One project in particular by Shari caught my eye and this morning I went to my craft room to attempt something along similar lines using what materials I have on hand.

What I ended up with is a rich tapestry of colour in turquoise, orange and green with hints of brass, copper and bronze, and I have to say that although it's a departure from my norm, I absolutely love it. It may not be to your taste, if you like my usual style, but that's okay. Even more importantly, I had sooooo much fun making this and can't wait to play again.

Take a lookie:

There's sparkle from shimmer mist on the butterflies and the copper ink which looks stunning when they catch the light, trust me. Here's a close-up to give you a better glimpse of those. The darker filigree pattern is the distress paint while the brighter patterns are the copper ink.

Materials used:

• stamps - Butterfly Gala, Timeless Textures, Short and Sweet (all SU)
• card - very vanilla, watercolour
• distress oxide inks - spiced marmalade, ripe persimmon, pine needles, peacock feathers
• other - stitched rectangle die, Big Shot, butterfly duet punch, Hodgepodge Hardware, blending brushes, water spritzer, heat tool, champagne shimmer mist, Delicata celestial copper ink, antiqued bronze distress paint (Tim Holtz), sponge dauber, Dimensionals

Here's the card that inspired me:

If you're into mixed media, I'd love you to leave a comment on how you think I'm progressing. Don't be shy to offer constructive criticism and suggestions - I'm open to learning and trying. All I ask is that you're nice when pointing out my faults, lol.

Well, I'll let you get back to your regularly scheduled programme! Thanks for calling in and stay safe.

Cheers

Kez

A Little Hello

I'm back with another sneak peek for you!

This is a new stamp set in the upcoming 2020-2021 annual catalogue (only 9 sleeps to go!). It's a two-step set and there are lots of bird bits and branch bits for you to create all kinds of lovely nature cards. I've kept mine pretty clean and simple and while I'm not sure if birds with this colouring do actually exist, I loved the colour combo and couldn't resist using it, lol.

Materials used:

• stamps - Birds and Branches, Itty Bitty Greetings
• card - whisper white, soft sea foam
• other - Stamparatus, stitched rectangle die, Big Shot, Dimensionals, Copic markers, craft foam

Anyone seen birds like this in their garden? Do let me know!

Thanks for stopping by. Stay safe.

Cheers

Kez

Short Putts

My challenge this week for my ladies was a male card and as an added extra, one of them suggested we try to use stamps we either hadn't used before or for a long time. I've hit the double, as this is the first time I've inked up this golf set.

Because the lower half is very busy, I kept the upper half uncluttered. 'Less is More' is not just a saying, lol. The layout was inspired by Kate Morgan, who did it as an example of partial die cutting - I haven't done that, but I liked the layout idea.

Materials used:

• stamps - Clubhouse (SU), Perfect Plaids (Tim Holtz)
• card - night of navy, granny apple green, whisper white
• other - golf club dies, Big Shot, white gel pen, Dimensionals, Stamparatus, Stampin' Blends, white embossing powder, heat tool, embossing buddy

My dad played golf throughout my younger and teenage years (and won a few tournaments too) and I would sometimes caddy for him, always bored by the 9th hole but looking forward to the glass of lemonade I knew I'd get at the 19th, lol. This set reminds me very much of him and I guess will probably end up sent to one of my brothers, who both play. Makes me miss him though.

Thanks for stopping by. Stay safe.

Cheers

Kez

Speckles of Gold

I was watching Tim Holtz on YouTube last night - I know, I know, he's a major enabler and I was playing with fire, lol - which had a twofold effect: (1) to make me want the new product he was demonstrating (no big surprise there 😉) and (2) in the absence of those new goodies, I had a craving to play with my distress oxides (come to think of it, that's not surprising either!). At any rate, once I'd done some ink smooshing and had this scrummy panel of gorgeousness (in my humble opinion), of course then it was a matter of 'what am I going to do with it?' Choosing a gold accent was a no-brainer (as you'll soon see what you get to the card du jour) and after placing them on my card base I decided I wanted a sentiment that fit perfectly underneath. Upon discovering an appropriate stamp in the Butterfly Gala set, I then realised I had the perfect entry for this week's Just Add Ink challenge:

Here tis:

In the light this sparkles beautifully but it's a wet and dingy day today, therefore not great for photo taking. I really need an inside set-up with good lighting (strikes thoughtful pose, strokes chin and muses).

The gold outline leaf is a new product in SU's 2020-2021 annual catalogue - isn't it gorgeous? There's a whole range of stunning gold shapes to pick from, you're going to love them.

Materials used:

• stamps - Butterfly Gala
• card - whisper white, Forever Gold specialty DSP
• distress oxide inks - blueprint sketch, wilted violet, peacock feathers
• other ink - Delicata golden glitz
• other - stitched square die, Big Shot, blending brush, craft foam, Stamparatus, paint brush, water spritzer

It's a very minimalist card for me but I have to say, each time I look at it I like it more, lol.

Thanks for stopping by. Stay safe.

Cheers

Kez

Fragrant Blossoms

Today's card is very simple - one stencil, one stamp. I inked the rose first with so saffron then went back in with daffodil delight and a much finer brush to add some shading. The sentiment was done in basic grey which has a softer effect than black. It's the first time I've used this rose stencil and I just love how it turned out.

Materials used:

• stamps - Grace's Garden
• card - whisper white
• other - stitched rectangle die, Big Shot, Stamparatus, blending brushes, craft foam, clear enamel dots, rose stencil, Pixie spray

That's all there is to it! Hope you've had a chance to create today, simple or complicated. Thanks for calling in. Stay safe.

Cheers

Kez

Spread the Word - CAS on Friday Challenge #180

Hi and welcome! I’m here with another CAS on Friday challenge for you.

This is challenge #180 and the theme is to USE A DIE.

I picked a die that has sat sadly neglected in my stash for some time and paired it with a much more recent stamp purchase and some bright colours for a touch of fun.

Materials used:

• Stamps - Tiny Words Birthday (SSS)
• Die - Die-namics Smart Phone (MFT)
• Card - coastal cabana, whisper white, real red, retired papers, basic black
• Other - Big Shot, Dimensionals, craft foam

As always, we’d love you to join in the challenge. You can see more inspiration from my fellow DT members by clicking on this link to the CAS on Friday blog.

Thanks for stopping by and stay safe.

Cheers

Kez

Hugs to You

This week I gave my ladies a sketch to play with, one I borrowed from FMS:

Naturally, I had to come up with an example of my own and it wasn't until this morning that a solid idea formed in my brain and drove me into my craft room. I turned the sketch on its side for a landscape orientation and did a bit of fussy cutting, then found a die cut piece on my desk and decided to use that too.

Materials used:

• stamps - Hugs with Shelli
• card - crumb cake, whisper white, Bird Ballad DSP, so saffron patterned paper
• other - linen thread, fancy scallop rectangle die (Scrap Dragon), Big Shot, Dimensionals, Subtle embossing folder, craft foam, stitched rectangle die (Scrap Dragon)

Lots of dimension on this one and some subtle texture in the background gives a huge lift to the overall impression. To give the dsp more strength, I adhered a rough cut piece to some white card then fussy-cut through both layers. I'll be sad to see these papers go (though I've got plenty in my stash, lol) but look forward to some more birds in the new catty. 

Thanks for dropping by. Stay safe.

Cheers

Kez

Sunflower Sneak Peek

I was sitting at my craft desk yesterday, busy making the card in my previous post, and wondering if my pre-order goodies from the new 2020-2021 annual catalogue might arrive before the weekend. I'd had the shipping notification and although I know AusPost is run off their figurative feet at the moment, still there was hope in my heart...

Each time I heard a large vehicle out on the road (my craft room luckily looks directly on to the street) I looked up...suddenly, there it was! A white van! I held my breath as he got closer, wishing him to turn into my driveway...wishing...wishing...then sagging when he went right on past.

Damn.

Ah, but...wait! Not five minutes later, just as the sequins were about to be glued...here it was! The trusty white van, coming from the other direction and turning into my drive! Yee ha!

Needless to say, I was at the front door before the postie even made it half-way up the stairs, lol.

Now, I always, always order all the new in-colour bits - card, ink pads, markers and ink refills. Unfortunately, due to shipping delays (damn coronavirus!) the ink pads, markers, Blends and ink refills weren't available for the pre-order, so we've got nothing to ink with or colour with that matches the card and designer paper until the catty goes live next month. Ho hum. So I sifted through my stash of Copic markers and was very happy to find colours that are a close match to two colours, at least (haven't tried the others yet), so I could satisfy the extremely strong urge to create with NEW STUFF!!!

Here ya go:

Materials used:

• stamps - Jar of Flowers
• card - cinnamon cider, whisper white, bumble bee patterned paper
• other - stitched rectangle and oval dies, Big Shot, jar punch, Copic markers, linen thread, Dimensionals, foam mounting tape, Subtle embossing folder

Gorgeous colours, yes? They are cinnamon cider and bumble bee. This stamp set has four bunches of flowers in total to go with a full jar and half-jar, so there's plenty of variety. More to come, I promise! 

Thanks for calling in and stay safe.

Cheers

Kez

A Rose By Any Other Name

I wanted to have another run at the mixed media card lesson (see yesterday's attempt in my previous post) and brick wall was my stencil of choice this time around. When I saw Just Add Ink's colour challenge this week includes two greys, I decided to go for broke and combine the two.

I got a bit carried away with spritzing ink on the background so it's ended up a touch grungier than I was hoping for, but ah well, them's the breaks. Take a lookie:

My first step was to colour my texture paste and do the stencilling, then added the ink background, spritzing and paint splatters. The leaf image was stamped firstly in rococo rose ink and coloured using Stampin' Blends, then overstamped with Versamark and embossed with silver. It's the first time I've tried that technique (apparently embossing powder is not good for alcohol markers) and I was very pleased with how it turned out. The last two steps were the stamping of the sentiment and adding a few metallic sequins just for a smidge more silver.

Materials used:

• stamps - Leaf Canopy (Altenew)
• card - basic grey, whisper white
• other - silver embossing powder, heat tool, brick wall stencil, texture paste, spritzer tool, paint brush, Stampin' Blends, Stamparatus, metallic sequins, Big Shot, stitched rectangle die

I love the rose over the greys - what a great colour combo the ladies at JAI picked this week!

Thanks for stopping by. Stay safe.

Cheers

Kez

Edited to add: I was lucky enough to be picked as the winner for this challenge - many thanks to the ladies at JAI. 

My First Foray...

In complete contrast to my CAS cards, today's sample is pretty much all that is NOT clean and simple, lol. I've signed up for some online classes with Altenew in Demystifying Mixed Media and this is my 'homework' for the first lesson, incorporating techniques taught in that lesson.

It's not perfect, nor is it exactly how I pictured it before I started, but I'm reasonably happy with it. My first mistake was choosing a piece of card that was too small for my stencil - or a stencil that was too big for my card, depending on how you want to look at it, lol. Then the only embossing paste/texture paste I had on hand was shimmery rather than matte, but that's okay - in the lesson, the tutor had a matte background but added shimmer to her focal image, and I've just done the opposite.

So, here's my first go:

Materials used:

• stamps - You've Got This (SU), Itty Bitty Greetings (SU)
• card - whisper white, basic black, watercolour
• distress oxide inks - cracked pistachio, wild honey, ripe persimmon, black soot
• SU inks - crushed curry, calypso coral, shaded spruce
• other - white embossing powder, heat tool, shimmer white embossing paste, spatula, paint brush, aqua painter, Dimensionals, word window punch, Mesh stencil (Memory Box), craft foam

It was lovely playing with embossing paste, inks and watercolouring and I'm really looking forward to seeing what I get to try next in lesson two!

Thanks for stopping by. Stay safe.

Cheers

Kez

Beach Dreaming

This week I'm encouraging my ladies to try a silhouette card with some sponging/ink blending in the background. The good thing about silhouettes is that if you don't have an appropriate stamp you can just use an outline stamp, then fill it in with black ink/marker. We did this in class BC (before coronavirus) using the cute meerkat image from The Gang's All Meer - click here to see that card.

It's always a good day when I can play with inks, most especially distress oxides, which blend so beautifully. For today's card I decided to try some tropical colours and though I love it, I have to admit to being just a wee bit jealous - because yes, I'd love to be in the tropics somewhere, just lazing by the beach looking at the sunset and sipping on drinks with fruit and little umbrellas in them, nothing to worry about other than whether to go snorkelling or lay in a hammock and read a book. Just kidding - I'd read the book - but hey, snorkelling would come a close second, lol. The last time I went snorkelling was in Vanuatu with my two girls...and that was more years ago than I care to remember.

Le sigh.

Well, nobody's going anywhere for a while, are they, but heck we'll get through this and then who knows? Here's my Beach Dreaming card - sorry about the photo; the sun decided to come out and cast glare all over the white card. Grrr.

Materials used:

• stamps - Beach Happy
• card - whisper white
• distress oxide inks - dried marigold, abandoned coral, worn lipstick, peacock feathers, mermaid lagoon
• other - purple masking tape, blending brushes, basic black marker, craft foam

Have you gotten inky lately? I hope so!

Thanks for dropping by. Stay safe.

Cheers
Kez

I Smile - CAS on Friday Challenge #179

Hello and welcome to another challenge for CAS on Friday.

This is challenge #179 and the theme is to USE YOUR FAVOURITE FLOWER STAMP.

I have always loved roses, particularly rose stamps that have layers, so my favourite stamp has to be Altenew’s Build a Flower Rose set. You can stamp up to six layers for the large rose and four for the leaves (though I only did two) so there’s plenty of opportunity to get wonderful depth in your stamping. I used Altenew inks too and paired them with a touch of retired SU paper.

Materials used:

• Stamps - Build a Flower Rose (Altenew)
• Card - whisper white, perfect plum patterned paper 
• Altenew inks - Sugarplums set, Green Fields set
• Other - Build a Flower Rose dies, Big Shot, Dimensionals, Stamparatus, epoxy dots

We would love it if you’d join in the challenge, so hop on over to the CASOF blog to see what the rest of the team have to inspire you and feel free to leave us all some comment love!

Thanks for calling in and stay safe.

Cheers

Kez

Feathered Friends

I think the brand of stamp I've used for today's card is a wonderful coincidence because I do seem to be quite besotted with 'Things with Wings' this week, lol. Here's another card featuring some feathered friends.

Materials used:

• stamps - Some Birdie Loves You (Clearly Besotted), Itty Bitty Greetings
• card - pool party, whisper white
• Altenew inks - mountain mist, volcano lake, lagoon
• other - Stampin' Blends, Copic Markers, Dimensionals, blending brushes, craft foam, masking tape

For the background I masked off the outside edges with purple tape, then blended three Altenew inks in an ombre effect. The birds were coloured with a combination of Copic and Stampin' Up markers and fussy cut before being attached with Dimensionals. A clean and simple card but I love it. Pool party is one of my all-time favourite SU colours.

I hope you're not sick of 'wings' yet - just in case I come up with any more before the week of the challenge is over, lol. 

Thanks for calling in. Stay safe.

Cheers

Kez