April CAS Stencil Card Challenge - Pastes and Gels

Wow - how did April get here so fast -  although isn't it great to be coming into spring and saying goodbye to winter?!  

It's also time for the April CAS Stencil Card Challenge!  Barb is our creative host this month and she would like us to use pastes or gels with our stencils! 

I was excited to get out my recently purchased Nuvo Expanding Mousse paste and try it out for this challenge.  When you dry it with your heat tool, it puffs up!  If you leave it to dry naturally - it's still thick but flat. 

I decided to make Easter cards since I will be needing them to send out in a couple of weeks!

I used my old Nestability Egg die to cut a Pale Peony egg.  I laid it under the Abstract Petals Stencil (older from MFT) and spread the Worn Linen Expanding Mousse over the stencil with a plastic spatula.  Here's how it looked when I lifted off the stencil.  (wash your stencil and spatula immediately!)

I dried the mousse with my heat tool and it puffed right up, see below (if left to dry naturally, it dries flat, pretty much like it looks above.)   I sponged the edges of my eggs (I cut another one out of Blueberry Sky) with the matching inks to give them a little depth.

I added 2 thick (3/16th") foam dots just to the center of the back of the eggs and I curved the edges of the egg down a bit.

I adhered the die cut frame (Papertrey Ink) flat on the card base, then added the egg (with just the foam dots as shown above)  I stamped and die cut the sentiment banner (Waltzingmouse retired) and layered it over the egg with regular thin foam dots.

And here's the blue one!

So please join us in April - and show us how you use paste or gels with your stencils.  Link up your CAS designs at CAS Stencil - where you will find links to technique videos and wonderful inspiration from the creative Design Team!   

You have until April 24th.

We also have a wonderful Guest Designer joining us this month:  Bobby (Bits & Pieces)

I'm also linking my cards to:
Country View Challenges
Easter/Spring

Stamps:  Good Egg - Waltzingmouse (retired)
Paper:  White, Blueberry Sky, Pale Peony - PTI
Ink:  Pale Peony, Blueberry Sky - PTI
Accessories:  Nested Eggs - Nestabilities, Good Egg Dies - Waltzingmouse (retired), Pierced Feature Frames: Rectangles - PTI, thick foam dots, foam dots, plastic spatula, heat tool, Nuvo Expanding Mousse Worn Linen, Abstract Petals Stencil - My Favorite Things (retired).

Morning Glory

Today I made a card using the colors for the Color Challenge over at Splitcoaststampers - 2 purples and a green.

I used lots of recently purchased items from Altenew -  the Layered Plaid Cover Die A, Build A Flower: Morning Glory and the Morning Glory die set.  I love when I use something new right away!  So often I put new purchases in a drawer and then forget I bought them!

I brushed the flowers and the leafy stems with Clear Glitter Wink of Stella which you can hopefully see in the photo above?!

I'm also linking my card to:

Country View Challenges - Easter or Spring

Words to Craft by

Happiness held is the Seed

Happiness Shared is the flower

Altenew is celebrating it's 5th Anniversay with a give away

and I'm linking my card to their blog.

Stamps:  Build a Flower: Morning Glory - Altenew
Paper:  White - PTI
Ink:  Wisteria, Hydrangea Ultraviolet, Bamboo, Olive - Altenew 
Accessories:  Layered Plaid Cover Die A, Morning Glory Die - Altenew, foam dots, Clear Glitter wink of Stella Brush.

A Vintage Journey - March Tag Friday

Whenever there is a 5th Friday in the month, we celebrate with Tag Friday over at A Vintage Journey!

I'm already in Easter mode so I decided to make Easter Tags!

First I gathered supplies I wanted to use to create my tags.  Critters Dies, Tag Sale Quilted die, Nestability Egg die (discontinued), Wall Flowers Paper Stash, Gold Gansai Watercolor paint, Happy Easter sentiment stamp and die from A Good Egg by Waltzingmouse (retired), Distress Inks in Gathered Twigs, Spun Sugar and Weathered Wood.

 To create an aged vintage look, I sponged the edges of the patterned paper and tags cut from Rustic Cream with Gathered Twigs

I die cut the bunny head from both blue and pink Kraft Core-dinations, sponged the edges with Gathered Twigs and assembled the pieces. 

I die cut eggs out of Rustic Cream card and sponged them with either Gathered Twigs, Spun Sugar or Weathered Wood.  I sponged the edges of the eggs with Gathered Twigs then flicked water on them.  They look so pretty - I love just looking at them!

 I loosely painted the edges of the tags and patterned papers with Gold paint, then splattered some on the eggs and papers by flicking the paint brush over them.

So then I adhered all the pieces together - popping up the bunny head and sentiment banner on foam dots.  I brushed over the bunnies and the sentiment with Clear Glitter Wink of Stella - so there is a little shimmer IRL (doesn't show in photos)

I added bright satin ribbons to the top and a square of patterned paper to the back to give it a finished look.

The most time consuming bit was putting all the pieces of the bunny heads together!

They look so pretty all laid out!

 

I made a total of 11 tags and will hopefully sell most of them at my church Easter sale.

The tags can be tied on the handle of a basket, placed inside a basket, or given as a card by itself!

So please hop over to A Vintage Journey and be inspired by all the beautiful tags the Creative Guides have created this month!   We'd love for you to link up a tag that you've created recently as well!

I'm linking my card/tag to:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Stamps:  A Good Egg - Waltzingmouse (retired)

Paper:  Rustic Cream - Papertrey Ink,  Kraft Core Core-dinations, Wall Flowers Paper Stash - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology.

Ink:  True Black - Papertrey Ink, Ranger Distress Gathered Twigs, Spun Sugar, Weathered Wood.

Accessories: Critters Side Kick Dies - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Nestability Egg Die, Good Egg sentiment strip die - Waltzingmouse (retired), Tag Sale Quilted Die - Papertrey Ink, Gold Gansai Water color paint, foam dots, Tombow Glue, blue and pink Satin Ribbon, Clear Glitter Wink of Stella.

Spring Tulips

Well, we can always hope for Spring right?!!   I do have two little crocus' blooming in my front garden and my daffodils are coming up in the sunny spot near my side door!  I also have spring on my card today!  

I hit 4 of the weekly challenges over at Splitcoaststampers with this design  - 

Ways to use it: Something to plant in your garden, 

Free 4 All - use some of your favorite colors,   

Wednesday sketch and 

Mix-Ability Challenge - use tulips, daffodils or pansies with at least 2 mixed media.

I stenciled my background with a FABULOUS stencil from Altenew called Weave Builder - I sponged over the stencil with one color - flipped the stencil over - lined it up with what was already colored and sponged with another color and it actually looks like 3D cubes (do you see them?)!

I put 4 1/2" wide Dotted washi tape from Altenew over a panel then die cut the oval from it. I die cut the tulip, stem and leaves, also from Altenew - Exotic Tulip - then stamped them. The tulip stamp set comes with three layers to stamp and the leaves come with 2 layers - I just used one on my tulip today but I did use 2 layers on the stems.

I put it all together layering a lot of it on foam dots. I white embossed the sentiment from PTI on black. I brushed over the tulip and leaves with Clear Glitter Wink of Stella - which I hope you can see on the close up below?!

I'm also linking my card to:

Happy Little Stampers

 The Flower Challenge

Stamps:  Exotic Tulip - Altenew, Sentiment Staples: Thinking of You - PTI 
Paper: White, True Black, Lavender Moon - PTI 
Ink:  Purple Wine, Bamboo, Olive, Puffy Heart, Rose Quartz - Altenew, Versamark  
Accessories:  Weave Builder Stencil - Altenew, Exotic Tulip Dies - Altenew, Pierced Feature Frame: Ovals - PTI, white embossing powder, Dotted 4 1/2" wide washi tape - Altenew, foam dots, white embossing powder, Clear Glitter Wink of Stella

Easter Daisies

I'm madly making Easter cards to both sell at my church as well as send out to relatives and friends.  Today I have a floral card (rather than eggs or bunnies) with an Easter sentiment, since in my part of the world, Easter comes at springtime!

I used a watercolor technique to stamp my Dancing Daisies onto vellum.  I placed the stamp in my Stamp Platform, colored over the stamp areas with 4 colors of Ranger Distress Markers (Victorian Velvet, Aged Mahogany, Shabby Shutters and Forest Moss), spritzed with water lightly (as I was stamping on vellum that obviously won't absorb the water!) and pressed it onto the vellum. 

I let the vellum panel dry, then I die cut the vellum panel as well as a white panel using Scallop Stackers: Small from PTI.  I adhered the two die cuts together using 1/8" Scortape just around the outside edge and adhered that panel to a white card base.   I stamped the sentiment from Easter Alleluias from PTI onto a punched oval and adhered that directly onto the panel.

I'm linking my card to several challenges:

CAS Watercolour Card Challenge

 The Flower Challenge

Simon Says Whatever the Weather Wednesday Challenge

Sunday Stamps 200th challenge

my sketch fits accept for the one daisy that goes off to the right!

Stamps:  Dancing Daisies - Penny Black, Easter Alleluias - PTI
Paper:  vellum, white, Lavender Moon - PTI
Ink:  Autumn rose - PTI
Accessories:  Ranger Distress Markers Victorian Velvet, Aged Mahogany, Shabby Shutters, Forest Moss, Stamp Platform - Tonic/Tim Holtz, water mister, 1/8" ScorTape, oval punch - SU.

Mid Month Reminder - March CAS Stencil - Ghosting

I'm here today to remind you there's still time to join us in the March CAS Stencil Ghosting Challenge!  Mr. Linky is open until 3/24!

I am happily hosting the challenge this month so I really hope you will join us and show us how you create a CAS card design using Ghost Stenciling!

For my reminder card I decided to use Ranger Distress Inks for my base. 

I sponged Salty Ocean, Twisted Cintrol and a little bit of Hickory Smoke over a 4"x 5 1/4" panel of watercolor paper.

I laid my Intersecting Brick Circles stencil from Stencil Girl over the panel - taping the edges to hold everything in place.  

The stencil is bigger than the panel so I could decide what design I wanted on my panel - I set it slightly off center.  I thought it would be a little more interesting that way!

I took a baby wipe and rubbed over the stencil removing some of the exposed ink.  Be sure your baby wipe isn't too wet - or it will remove all the color as well as soak the paper!

And here is my Ghosting of the stencil.  I dried the panel with a heat tool and that actually made the colors look a little brighter when it was dry.

I cut my panel in two horizontally and was able to make two cards.  

I added a die cut balloon that I stamped with stars (die and stamps from Birthday Balloons PTI) and tied a piece of black jute around the base of the balloon.  It's interesting to see how different a look you get just by the curve of the jute! 

The sentiment is from Penned Elegance II from PTI

These will work well for all those guys we need birthday cards for!

You will find Mr. Linky, lovely inspiration from the Design Team, as well as links to technique videos over at the CAS Stencil blog here.

Please join us!!

I'm also linking my card to:

Fusion Card Challenge 

I was inspired by the colors

 Happy Little Stampers

 The Male Room

Stamps:  Birthday Balloons,  Penned Elegance II - Papertrey Ink
Paper:  watercolor paper - Canson, white, true black, Tropical Teal - PTI
Ink:  Hero Hues Black, Ranger Distress Salty Ocean, Twisted Cintron, Hickory Smoke
Accessories:  Intersecting Brick Circles Stencil - Stencil Girl, Birthday Balloon Die - PTI, black jute, foam dots, Baby Wipes.

A Galaxy Christmas

I work on my Christmas cards all year long so I have a box full when the season rolls around - one less stress right?!  

So today I made a card with Santa and his reindeer flying through interstellar space on Christmas Eve!  

I used a wonderful 4 1/2" wide Galaxy washi tape from Altenew for the background.  I adhered the washi tape to a 4 1/4" x 5" panel of white card and then die cut it with Pierced Feature Frames: Rectangles.   

I find that sometimes washi tape will peel off if it's not wrapped around the edge - so cutting it with this die with the stitched edge holds it on to the panel! 

I adhered the outside of the frame to the card base with foam dots and adhered the inside piece recessed inside the frame.  The Santa in his sleigh is from the Make it Market Kit Fairy Tale Christmas from PTI and is layered over the galaxy with foam dots.  Then I added the sentiment - a Metallic Sticker/Holiday Talk from Idea-ology. 

I'm linking my card to:

CAS Christmas Card Challenge

The Holy and Ivy Christmas Challenge

anything goes

Paper:  White - PTI
Accessories:  Pierced Feature Frame Dies - PTI, Santa on sleigh from Make it Market Kit Fairy Tale Christmas - PTI, Galaxi Washi Tape - Altenew, foam dots, ScorTape, Metallic Stickers/Holiday Talk - Idea-ology.