There's 'No Card' Today

 The heading says it all!

However there is something else.

I am hosting our Wild Card Week

over at Just Us Girls 

and looking for Anything But a Card

With five Saturday's in the month we have our

Wild Card where the Host has free range to choose!

There are so many ways you can use your creativity

as you can see below. 

I thought I would share a little 4x4 Mixed Media Canvas

in a fairly simple way. 

The canvas has gesso added which makes everything

you add after that 'stick'.

I textured/coloured up my canvas and 

some paddle pop stick for the fence

 then started adding bits and bobs.

These include bits of bark from the yard,

dried flowers and seeds from a bouquet I was given,

The centre of the blue flower (from my stash)

is actually the centre from the seeds.

Added some cheese cloth, 

a few leaf dies and  art stones.

So you see Mixed Media can be

fairly easy by adding things you may have

around the house. It's fun just to experiment.

My kind of relaxation while others

love to dabble in colouring images.

Pop over and see how everyone

chose to play this week.

We also say good bye to our lovely Guest Chrissie

who inspired us greatly with her talents. 

Thank You for joining us this month.

Thanks for dropping in today

The Ocean is Calling!

It's time for our New Challenge over at 

The Sisterhood of Crafters

and our theme is

'The Ocean is Calling and I Must Go'

chosen by Sistah Birgit.

I went a bit overboard here after I had a few

attempts that didn't turn out however had a lot of fun

with this one adding lots to the ocean floor.

Products used are 

Lindy's Magical Sprays/Powders

Nuvo Shimmer Powder, 

Art Alchemey Metallic Paints/Waxes/Art Stones

Little Birdie Embossing Texture Paste,

Bauxite Bits, Glitter, Glossy Accents.

Seahorse and sentiments - 

 AALL&CREATE Underwater Wonders.

Pop over and see what my Talented Sistah's created

and be inspired to create your own

Underwater Magic.

Love to see yours in our Gallery.

Till next time - Cherrio from

tis the Season - Christmas that is!

 We are back after after having a wee break at

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge.

Our Challenges are always Anything Goes Christmas.

I so love Tim's Mini Holiday Green's Dies

and I have cut a few of them after inking up

my watercolour paper with a few Lindy's Magical

Sprays and Powders.

I also cut three different sized paper pieces

as a backing.

Found some cotton and attached that

adding coloured beads.

Flicked some splatters, added my sentiment,

corner rounded

and added to my card base.

The paper is Metallic Galaxy

which has a lovely silver shimmer.

That's another Christmas Card to add

to my growing stash.

So good to not be panicked late in the year

with NO Christmas cards ready to send.

How about you - Have you started yet?

Christmas in July is a great starting point.

Pop over and see what the Team have chosen

to share and add yours to our Gallery.

Thanks for dropping in.

Till next time it's Cherrio from

Love You in Red White and Blue.

It's Saturday and time for our new challenge at

Just Us Girls and hosting this week is Nancy.

You are right - you have seen these flower dies

just a wee while ago and for a JUGS Challenge -

however this card was done quite some time ago.

Just didn't realize this challenge was so far down the track.

Going with the bottom left hand side image

I stenciled my heart background with texture paste

 from ARTplorations, Love Heart Die is  CUTplorations

 and sentiment - STAMPlorations

Coloured die cuts are a mixture of Lindy's Magical's.

Added a red pearl to finish.

Pop over and see what everyone chose to showcase

from the super photo choice by Nancy

and add yours to the Gallery.

Love to see you there - 

till next time - Cherrio from

It's Just Us Girls Colour Week

Today's post is for our Colour Week at Just Us Girls 

and our Host Angie chose these pretty colours.

After my full on recycled project from last week

I thought CAS was in order for this weeks Colour Challenge.

I used two shades of grey card stock.

Inked the STAMPlorations Celebrate Artsy

in the three colours, adding some splatters,

a die cut flourish and butterfly from Gina Marie Designs.

Sentiment  from STAMPlorations Bloom Happy

and I am done. Easy Peasy!

Pop over and see what our Guest Chrissie and the Team

created for your pleasure and

come join in this week's lovely Colour Challenge.

Thanks for dropping in

You're so very Special.

It's time for  our New Challenge over at

The Sisterhood of Crafters and Sistah Debbie has chosen 

Embossing - Dry or Heated.

You will have seen the stamp I used above

quite some time ago HERE

as I made both cards at the same time not knowing

which one I would use, but looking down our 

List of Themes Challenges this one fitted perfectly.

I used both dry and heat embossing here.

I heat embossed my Full of Glee stamp by Penny Black

with Nuvo Gold Enchantment Powder using

Canson Cold Press Watercolour Paper

colouring it with several 

Lindy's Starburst and Moonshadow Sprays

and touching up with Ken Oliver Copper Powder

I lightly misted with a mix of Gold Perfect Pearls

 which gave it a shadowy effect.

Centre flower has roughed up glossy accents

and Art Alchemy Wax brushed on.

The floral spray was cut from MFT oval die.

My dry embossed Kaisercraft leaves background is on

cream paper and die cut from SU Botanicla Blooms.

Adhere to Bazill card base.

Sentiment is from STAMPlorations Fond Expressions 2

heat embossed in the same Nuvo Powder above.

Added a tiny waffle flower bow to finish.

This is a fabulous challenge I am sure will have

loads of lovely entries in our Gallery.

Hope to see yours there.

Be sure to check out what my Sistah's created

as again they have Amazing Makes for your pleasure.

Thanks for dropping in.

Till next time - Cherrio from

Tea? Coffee? How about Both?

It's Trend Week at Just Us Girls

and our Host is Sue choosing to go

environment friendly with Recycling.

So many choices here.

I did start off with something else but 

got carried away in the process so

 decided to keep it for another day.

Searching for something 'a bit out of the ordinary'

I came across This on YouTube and just had to try it - 

and it was 'so fun'  rather messy but that is 

what happens with Mixed Media.

Here is how it started using gesso then

adhering the torn stained tea bags.

Stenciling with texture paste and tea leaves.

Unfortunately  the stencil wasn't quite right

and lost its effect.

If you clicked on the link you will have seen the

tea water added here and there then getting the darker colour

with the coffee water. I did sprinkle some coffee

around the edges also.

For a bit of shimmer I added Ken Oliver's Liquid Metallic Copper

To keep with the recycling I attached

(don't laugh) some real chicken feathers.

Thought they would blend in nicely with

the perfect heat embossed sentiment from 

STAMPlorations Feathery

This was added in front of a bit of dry wall tape.

And there you have my mixed media feathery recycling project.

Check out what our Talented Guest Chrissie and the Team

chose to recycle and have some fun with yours

adding to the Gallery. Excited to see what's there this week.

Thanks for dropping in.

'Because' you inspire me...

Hello and Welcome to my Saturday Post for

Just Us Girls 

with another month of Great Challenges.

We start off with - 

Our Host Bobby choosing Script!

for our Word Challenge.

We also start our month with a new Guest Designer 

and I am excited to have Chrissie Stokes joining us.

Welcome Chrissie!

There are times when you start on a card and in the end

isn't just how you want it to be.

This happened here after a couple of failed attempts

and still not happy with how it looks.

I have a scripted background as well as my sentiment.

The floral Uniko image is a gift (Thank you Mac)

 and I chose the wording on this card

because it is exactly how I feel.

Your creativity really does inspire me!

The background is inked with

Lindy's Salt Water Taffy

(the lightest pink I could find)

and script in black

Also backed with the same pink

although hard to see.

The lovely floral stamp is heat embossed with

yellow glitter powder.

Adhered to black card base.

I have some other ideas for this lovely stamp

so you will see it again to show it off as it should be. 

Pop over and see what our Talented Guest Chrissie 

and Team scripted then come join in

with yours in our Gallery.

You could be our Chic of the Week

and in the running as our Guest in September.

Thanks for dropping in

A Little 'Art' for Creative Artiste Mixed Media

Today I have a 'little mixed media piece' for our

New Challenge over at Creative Artiste Mixed Media 

They are monthy and Anything Goes

using multiple mediums. (so fun)

Lots of things happening here - 

Started with a 4x4 inch canvas, gessoed

and stencilled. 

Painted with Art Alchemy Metallic Emeral Green

Added some slightly shredded packing paper, tag

white washing and waxes.

Other products used are 

Metal objects, cotton, art stones,

metallic embossing powders, coloured domes.

Art was die cut from an old Cuttlebug alphabet set.

Some photos taken along the way.

Hope I inspired you with my mini canvas and you

have a  play and add yours to our gallery Here

Thanks so much for popping in to see what I have been 

messing around with.

Till next time - Cherrio

Happy 8th Birthday 'STAMPlorations'

 

How special and priviliged I am to be part of

Celebrating 8 STAMPloration Years

and being one of the STAMPlorations Family.

Most of you will know that

 STAMPlorations is a family owned business

with amazing products, challenges and

prizes to be won by being a follower, participating 

and leaving comments - how awesome is that!

Have you subscribed to the Store's mailing List too?

Here goes!

My first card was fun to create. 

Using products from the second  8th Birthday Bundle 

Front view standing up --------------------- and inside view.         

I heat embossed the floral image with clear powder

and coloured the flowers with SU Calypso Coral. 

The DP's behind them are also SU. Front has been

stenciled with Fairy Tale Forest Stencil

using VersaFine Ink then embossed with 

Ranger Frosted Crystal Powder.

That DP goes to the back to enable a score line to

help stand the card up.

Sentiment is inked and heat embossed onto vellum,

torn and attached to card front.

Finished the inside by adding angled die cuts for interest.

Here is the stencil I used.

*****

On to my second card which is really CAS.

I inked up the Blossom Sprays #5 stamp

again from the 8th Birthday Bundle

a few times to create a floral side panel.

Adding the sentiment, die cutting the

Art Border 2 to the side and partially to the top.

To give it contrast I dug out some 

sparkly washi tape to adhere behind them.

Adhered to white card base and my CAS card is complete.

Did you check out all the fabulous projects created for Day 1 Bundle?

There are more amazing makes today using - Day 2 Bundle

and check back tomorrow for more on the Day 3 Bundle.

Now it is your turn to comment and join in

for a chance to win some fabulous goodies.

Don't forget you can get this - 

Thanks for stopping by.

Photo Week at Just Us Girls

 It's our Photo Week at Just Us Girls

and here is the photo our Host Vicki has chosen 

I wasn't sure which direction this photo would take me

so I started with my Lindy's Magical's as I do

and loaded up my watercolour paper to replicate the colours.

It sat on my desk for an age before I decided to go for a

Christmas card showing of the heat eembossed

STAMPlorations sentiment, framed and

backing it again with Magical's

and adhered to card base.

The paper I used has a metallic greeny tinge

which blended nicely with the green in the background

which doesn't show up in the photo.

Pop over and see how our Guest Fran 

and the Team chose to showcase 

this fabulous photo and add yours to our Gallery.

You could be chosen as our Chic of the Week 

and in the running to be Guest Designer for August.

Thanks for dropping in

Anything Goes at The Sisterhood

Anything Goes for our New Challenge at 

The Sisterhood of Crafters

Always a popular one but with so many choices

it took me quite some time to decide

just what I would make.

and a close up - 

I went with a CAS card using a few die cuts

a friend sent me after I had seen so many

lovely simple ones in blogland.

How lucky I was as she had bought that set

from Simply Graphic which is a French site

and got a relative to post it to her. 

Again I have made this card 

casing another one from Cecile Ribon Here

You will have seen two others I cased recently Here

I inked up the two dies with Lindys Magicals

much heavier in colour than the soft background.

Added a simple third die in white.

Splatters in grey and gold blending in with

the washi tape.

Simple sentiment is in grey from SU.

Popped on to white card stock and card is done.

Pop over and see what my Sistahs created

and I am sure you will want to add your AG creation

to our Gallery. Hope so.

Thanks for dropping in - 

It's 'Merry' for The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge

It's time again for our New Anything Goes Challenge at

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge 

I am really enjoying getting a head start on my Christmas Cards

with Anything Goes - it makes it easy as and just go with

whatever takes your fancy.

The background on this card has been cut in half

and the other piece you will see pretty soon!

It is also a Christmas Card Shh!

Lots of different Lindy's Magical's colours

which look super IRL.

I seem to be in a blueish colour mood as my last card

for our challenge was blue too.

Next tme I will make sure it is different.

I die cut my background and added

silver glitter paper to the back.

This was then framed in red.

The silver snowflakes are from Spellbinders

heated with Wow Midas Touch Embossing Glitter.

Merry die is from Memory Box cut with the same

metallic paper as the card base.

Finished with red pearls.

Pop over Here to see what  my Team Mates created

and join in the fun and get those Christmas cards in the ready.

You are never too early to start and after all we are nearly

half way there. 

Thanks for dropping in -

Case-ing Host Cècile

 Welcome to my Saturday post for Just Us Girls

 and Host this week is Cecile.

While 'trolling' her amazing blog

I decided to case one or two of her cards - 

just which ones though as there are so many

amazing artistic ones to choose from.

Those that follow us at JUGS 

know what I am talking about!

So here goes...

Cecile chose - Orange Poppy Red and Hot Pink

for our Colour Week.

 

The Happy Die is from Heidi Swapp

Birds - Crafts4U

DP is an oldie from SU

Word Dies another old die set from Cuttlebug

Card front is leathergrain but too hard to see.

Hearts - punch.

Card stock using chosen colours.

Background is Nuvo Shimmer Powder

Dies cut flowers in two colour and shadowed

Splatters from Tim's Stencil

Sentiment is Crafts4U

These are the two 'Cecile Cards' I cased.

Aren't her cards just gorgeous?

Our CAS QUEEN!

Hope Cecile likes my take on them and you do also.

I look forward to seeing yours in our Gallery this week

after you checked out what our Guest Fran

and my Amazingly Talented Teamies made.

Thanks for droppin in -