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Friday, March 26, 2010

Blooming Balloons


This post should be labelled "blooming computer" not "blooming balloons"!!  Everytime I try to load something here I seem to have major internet problems.  Grrr!!  :(

Anyway, this week Makeesha gave us another great challenge image to work with (here it is).  From the image I was inspired to create a big billowy, bloomy, bunch of balloons!!  


A very simple card using a black Bazzill base, an oval of white glossy cardstock to highlight the bunch of balloons & lots of purple & green balloons, highlighted with gel pen & dimensional glaze.


Card Components:
Cardstock:  Old Olive, Kiwi Kiss, Elegant Eggplant, Lilac Lace, Orchid Opulence, Lovely Lilac, Glossy White, Black Bazzill Linen
Inks:  Basic Black
Stamp Sets:  SU Sock Monkey
Punches:  Large Oval, Scallop Oval
Other:  Dimensional Glaze, White Gel Pen, Kitchen String, Satin Ribbon, Dimensional Adhesive


Thursday, March 18, 2010

More Choc, Teal & Rose


As I said in a previous post, these are three of my favourite SU colours.  So, I thought I might enter Makeesha's challenge a second time, using a bag & a bunny pattern that I created to cut on my Robo cutter.  Chantelle is hosting the challenge this week, you can check it out here.

Here is my little bag:-


& here it is again, with the little bunny:-


Sorry, the photos are a bit ordinary - I suppose I shouldn't be trying to take them at night!

The bag is all one piece of cardstock.  A flap tucks into a slot on the back to keep it securely closed.  The bag holds six small solid Easter eggs or three of the slightly larger filled ones (eg caramel, etc).  The bunny holds three solid or a single filled egg.


The flowers have been cut & layered & highlighted with dazzling diamonds.

I have created a PDF version of these files that you can print directly onto your cardstock & cut out. If you would like a copy, please leave a comment on my blog (make sure I can link back to your email address somewhere) & I will be happy to share the files with you.  There is also a small bag (same size as the bunny).

Bag Components
Cardstock:  Whisper White, Glossy White
DSP:  Sweet Always
Stamp Sets:  Always, Good Friend & Something Sweet
Inks:  Regal Rose, Taken with Teal, Chocolate Chip
SU Punches:  Large Oval, Scallop Oval
Other:  Dazzling Diamonds,  Small Round Punch, Tiny 6 Petal Flower Punch, Dimensional Adhesive, Brad, Nylon Thread


Wednesday, March 17, 2010

JAI Challenge #8 - Just Add Easter


Hithere, I thought I might join in the Just Add Ink challenge this week.  The challenge is to "just add Easter".

I decided to make up my own pattern for some little Easter bags:-


With a little tweaking, I turned the smaller one into a bunny.  He is cut from white glossy cardstock, with a hint of sponging in his ears & for his cheeks:-


The bags are made from a single piece of paper & don't need adhesive.  There is a flap at the top which tucks into a slit on the back.  Here's the little bag open:-


They work beautifully with double sided DSP, or you could make them in cardstock & stamp your own design.  This is what they look like side on:-



You can fit either three of the little solid eggs in the small bag/bunny, or one of the slightly larger filled eggs.  Yum, the pink ones I have here are strawberry filled!   :)

You can fit either six of the little solid eggs or three of the filled eggs in the large bag.

I thought they would make really cute little Easter class gifts for school, or obviously the bags could be used for all sorts of occasions.

So, if you would like a PDF version of the patterns, so you can print them out straight onto paper to cut out, please leave me a comment somewhere on my blog (make sure there is some sort of link for me to your email address) & I would be happy to share them with you.

Hope you like them!  I enjoyed making them (& sampling the eggs).....

Bag Components
Cardstock:  White Glossy, Almost Amethyst, Pretty In Pink
DSP:  SU Tea Party
Stamp Sets:  Yummy, Sock Monkey, Something Sweet
Inks:  Close to Cocoa, Pink Pirouette, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue
Punches:  Large Oval, Scallop Oval
Other:  Hodgepodge Hardware, Pink Brads, Ribbons, Dimensional Adhesive, Nylon Thread, CHOCOLATE EGGS!


Monday, March 15, 2010

Shell Trifold


This week Chantelle is hosting Makeesha's colour challenge. Here are the colours:-


These are three of my favourite SU colours, but I never would have imagined all three together!  Here is the card I have created for the challenge:-


It is a trifold, with the top layer being smaller to reveal the layers underneath.  I discovered a problem with this type of card - they are really hard to photograph!! lol

The image was stamped on watercolour paper with chocolate chip & versamark inks & then clear embossed.  The image was then coloured using stamp pad inks & an aquapainter.  Once the inks were dry, I coloured in the shells & starfish with a versamark pen & clear embossed them to get a nice shiny finish.

Here's a close-up:-


The card opens like this, with a spot in the middle of centre panel for sentiments:-


Inspiration for a trifold card came from Kay's site, but I made mine from a single sheet of cardstock to my own dimensions.  If you are interested, they are:-

Chocolate Cardstock: 6.1/4" x 11.1/2", scored at 3" & then at 7.1/4" (Trim away 1" from top & bottom of outside 4.1/4" wide panel
Teal DSP: 2.3/4" x 6" (x2, 1 for outside, 1 for inside)
Chocolate DSP: 4" x 6" (x1)
Pink DSP: 4" x 4" (x2, 1 for outside, 1 for inside)
Sentiment Panel Mat: 3.1/4" x 3.1/4"
Sentiment Panel: 3" x 3"

Once I had finished the card, I turned it around & discovered it would look quite effective with these dimensions as an easel type card.  Something to try for next time!  :)

Card Components
Cardstock:  Chocolate Chip, Taken with Teal, Regal Rose, Whisper White, Watercolour Paper
DSP:  Bali Breeze (retired), Sweet Always, Choc Chip Patterns
Stamp:  Shell Quartet by Stamp-It
Inks:  Chocolate Chip, Taken with Teal, Regal Rose, Versamark
Other:  Rub On

Friday, March 12, 2010

Just Breathe Mermaid


This is my entry for Makeesha's challenge this week.


To keep the sentiment at the top, I rotated the design by 90 degrees.  The wonderful image I have used is a digital stamp by Michelle Perkett.  I have coloured the mermaid using my trusty Derwent pencils & a mineral blending solution.  I have applied a layer of dimensional glaze to her tail & used metallic gel pen to add copper highlights to her hair.

I have "fussy" cut around the mermaid & popped her up on dimensionals. Here's a close up:-



Edited to Add

I decided to change the two components in the corner from handcut flowers from the stamp image to half-pearls, I then added one of the flowers to the bottom of the mermaid panel.  I think it looks much better.  :)



Card Components
Cardstock:  Basic Black, Tempting Turquoise, Cartridge Paper
Stamp Sets:  Digital Image "Just Breathe" by Michelle Perkett
Other:  Derwent pencils, mineral blender, teeny, weeny rhinestones & half-pearls, organza ribbon, dimensional glaze, dimensional adhesive

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Spring Scooter


The challenge on Michelle Perkett's site this week is for a Side Step Card with a Spring theme.  Well, this entry is maybe a little late(?) but I thought I would play along anyway as the image is so ADORABLE (& no-one else seems to have used him yet).



This is a digital stamp by Michelle named Scooter.  I decided to give Scooter a spring theme by placing him in a in a field.  To do this, I made steps on either side of Scooter.  When I added the "grass" strips, I cut them in a single piece the entire width of the card, so that there is not a big gap in the grass behind Scooter when you view him side on.


If you're wondering, this is how the steps looked before I attached everything.

 

This is only my second digi image.  This time I printed the image on good old cartridge paper (the type of paper in artist's sketch pads - like the kids have for school).  I coloured the image using my Derwent pencils (which are 30+ years old) & blended the colours using a mineral solution.  It's very different to my favourite method of watercolouring with inkpad inks & an aquapainter, but I think the look of the colouring suits Scooter.

Card Components
Cardstock:  Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, Pretty In Pink, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White, Cartridge Paper
Ink:  Pretty In Pink
Stamp Sets:  Michelle Perkett's Digital Image "Scooter", SU Short & Sweet 
Punches:  Scallop Oval, Large Oval, Small Flower
Other:  Derwent Pencils, Mineral Blender, Chalks, Ribbons, Rhinestones, Dimensional Adhesives

Sparkling Butterfly


Makeesha set another great challenge this week.  Here is the challenge image:-

 

I love the fresh colours with the crisp white & I really liked the proportions & layering of the colours in the photo, so I pretty much stuck to them.   Here is what I came up with.
 


The butterfly image is from the Priceless stamp set.  The top pair of wings were stamped with regal rose ink & then rock & rolled in purely pomegranate.  Then they were cut out & covered in dazzling diamonds.  The butterfly body was stamped in purely pomegranate, coated with dimensional glaze & attached over the wings.



The Rose & Turquoise strips are stamped with images from the Trendy Trees stamp set.  These strips, as well as the rose red, have been paper pierced & the edges have been distressed.  The greeting is a rub-on.

The panelling in the bedends inspired the dry embossed lines & there is a feint (really feint!) random stamping of the butterfly image all over the pale pink panel.  Can you see them???



Edited to add:

I was really chuffed  to discover that Makeesha had chosen my card as the winner for her challenge this week.

It was a lovely image to work with & I would just like to say a big "thank you" to Makeesha for all the time involved in setting up the challenges, taking the time to acknowledge everyone's entries with lovely comments & then setting up a slide show of all the wonderful entries.  I would also like to say thanks to the design team for the time they take to provide inspiration to us all & to everyone who takes part in the challenges & shares their work, & to all the sharing, caring people in blogland who take the time to leave some comment love.

THANK YOU  :)

Card Components:
Cardstock:  Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Regal Rose, Tempting Turquoise, Rose Red
Ink:  White Craft, Regal Rose, Purely Pomegranate, Pink Pirouette
Stamp Sets:  Priceless, Trendy Trees
Other:   Silver Hodgepodge Hardware, Dazzling Diamonds, Dimensional Glaze, Chit Chat Rub-Ons, Grosgrain Ribbon