CAS Christmas Challenge - September

Welcome to a Saturday afternoon CAS Christmas Challenge post. The theme word for September is Wreath and I have loads of wreath stamps, for one thing, because I have always loved these images. So I wanted to try very hard to join in this challenge. Have you ever worked on a card that it just seemed as though it didn't want to get made? Well this one today, falls in that category. Get a cup or a glass of something cold, and join me for a couple minutes!

Recently got an order from Hero Arts and got 4 of the new glimmer metallic inks. After using DI markers on the wreath with the Misti helping, had the image die cut, matted and adhered to the card front, when I decided to try using the red glimmer on the berries. The glimmer does indeed shimmer, but.....Look at this:

See all those smudges? And guess what? They wouldn't be scratched off with a pick tool or erased off with the TomBow sand eraser. Thought it had dried ok, but evidently had not. I was very unhappy when I saw what I'd done! Back to the drawing board, as the saying goes; did the same stamp again, same DI markers, same die shape...thought I'd just adhere it over the top of the messed up image - which I had removed to photo, messing up the first card front (that also had smudges on it, but not so bad as this image!)

On the 2nd effort, things were going good, and I had decided to forget about the metallic ink on the berries...as I didn't want to mess it up again. Then went to stamp the JOY with versamark & misti. Forgot to insert misti's black foam, (the image is cling, so I removed the black insert to get a good inking)...The J didn't stamp well. No problem... hey, with the misti you can restamp. Well, something must have moved, cause it didn't stamp 'just right on top'. Oh I thought, I'll just take a cloth, buff it out. Tried and I couldn't see the versamark ink; dropped on the gold EP. WRONG! Looked awful.

Once again, inked up the wreath, did all the same procedures, and kept that black insert right there with the clear JOY stamp so I wouldn't forget again! This time things worked ok. Here's that result.

- Stacy Stamps image, inked with DI markers Twisted Citron, Shabby Shutters, until I got the depth of color I wanted. Then used a regular brush, wet with water, to move the color around. It was a small round brush. I'm trying to learn how much water to use, without making blobs of color. Once the water coloring was finished, reinked the stamp with Mowed Lawn to crisp up the image. Cleaned the stamp, inked with versamark, and heat embossed with Clear Detail EP. Candied Apple and Barn Door on the berries. 

Hero Arts clear sentiment, heat embossed using Brutus Monroe Gilded Gold. S/B die for the circle shapes.

PTI impression plate for the texture on the card front.

Here's a picture of the stamp and what happened with the image that I messed up on the sentiment stamping. Decided to stamp the sentiment on a separate piece of c/s, add some dimensional tape under it to cover up the EP boo-boo. Added a S/B pinking circle mat. Spattered a card front with red & green Lindy's (I need to work on my spatters too!) and said "If I need an extra card, this is it". Ha!

So that's my CAS September Wreath card! You still have a few days to join in. 

Thanks for visiting, and have a great evening. Hugs & Blessings.