The Wedding Couple

Phew, this was a hard one to do.  You know when you think you have a good idea and it does not work and so you modify you plan and end up with a challenge and a half, that is what happened to me.  Yesterday I planned this card in my head for the Aurora Wings May Challenge - Joyous Occasions, something a bit 3D with lattice type doors on the front using a die cut and the image showing when you open the doors.  Well I set to this morning and all the dies I have which would have worked were to small for my 6" card.  What a bummer grrrrrr.  Off the cuff I thought this image would be rather cool to colour with water colours.  Now I am no water colour painter, at school we only ever use blocks of poster paint and then I gave water colouring a go when I was in my 20's and got on pretty well with flowers but never people or landscapes so this was a first for me.  Yep blood and sweat with this one, coffee used instead of water on some occasions too!!!!!

Using the 'Wedding Couple' image by Aurora Wings I removed the white background using Photoshop then added an image 'Mission San Gabriel conceptual elevation by Rexford Newcomb 1916.' from Wikimedia Commons Public Domain where the copyright usage has now expired, to create the background.  I printed the final image on water colour paper and set to with my paints.  Once done I then cut and mounted the image on silver card, then white which I added a decal edge to and finally onto the silver card base.  A simple die cut of leaves and hearts was cut twice using the same silver card, one die cut for the outside of the card and the other for the inside.

I am pretty pleased with the end result and it certainly kept me quite today.  Certainly need a lot more practice with this medium but hay ho, it is all about having fun and that I sure did :)

I am entering this card in the following challenges:-

• Aurora Wings Challenge #67 Joyous Occasions

A Splash of Brushos

Another quick post.  It has been a busy day, two cards made and lots of procrastinating hahaha but I am done and feeling like I have accomplished something today.  Feeling like making a mess, and I sure did, ink, Brusho powder, glue, soggy patches everywhere but boy it felt good.  I do making cards like this but somehow they don't turn out as free flowing as I want but I am happy with this one.

Brushos were used for the backgrounds - Violet, Grass Green and Sandstone.  I used a Sheena Douglas stamp and heat embossed it with Verdigras as I thought it would look rather cool.  I then used Brushos again to paint the flower.  I stamped the sentiment which is from a Fiskars set I have and mounted the card front on black sparkly paper I picked up very cheaply in the Range.  I had a boo boo with the back of the card with all this ink lying around so raked out my Distress Inks and using similar colours to the card front covered up my errors lol.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:-

• Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - #110 - I is for Inky
• Dare 2B Artzy Challenges - M, 1st Sunday, E3 - (May) Flowers
• Fashionable Stamping - M, 2nd Sunday, 3E, must use stamp, no digi - (May) Floral
• Pattie's Creations - M, 2E, SIO, include an image – MAY - No. 146 - FLOWERS

My Beloved Africa

Just a very quick post to share a card I have made with a wonderful Africa theme.  I was born in Africa may moons ago lol, in Nigeria, later I moved to Zambia and then the final country I lived in was Kenya where I met my hubby and had our two wonderful daughters.  We, as a family, returned to the UK back in 85 but Africa lives deep within our hearts, such a wonderful experience I have truly had the privilege of experiencing.

For this card I used Distress Oxides for the background and stamps from the Creative Stampers magazine and also from the Africa set by Sheena Douglas,  There really is a bit of Africa on this card as the backing paper behind the image layer is some hand made paper I picked up in Kenya on our last visit a couple of years ago and is made from elephant poo and the local newspaper.  It is the first time I have used the paper as it is a bit special :) :) :)

I am entering this card into the following challenges:-

• Die Traumfabrik Dream Factory - Challenge #56 - Nirgendwo in Afrika / Nowhere in Africa
• Stamping Sensations - M, 3E, Winner + Top 3, must use stamp (no pre-colored digis) Stamp must be focal point of project – (May) Close to Nature
• A Gem of a Challenge  2W   - #220 - Use 3 of something (W1 of 2) 3 TREES
• 4 Crafty Chicks W #404 Masculine Birthday

Lilly of the Valley

 International Art & Soul, a challenge which has been put together to incorporate any type of craft, paper, wood, flowers, recycling, glass - the world is your oyster :).  Come on over an join us with you artwork :)

Challenge #34
Nothing Square or Oblong 

This fortnights challenge theme has been chosen by DT sister Jennie and it gave me a chance to make an easel card which I have not done for ages as seem to be hooked on 6" square cards at the moment :).

For this card I cut my card circular base and top circle using Spellbinders Grand Circles.  I then used a die but I can't remember who it is by, how typical of me is that.  The die consists of three lattice circles varying in size and I would normally cut these and mount each layer on foam tape to give some great height.  However, this time, as this card will be going through the post to the recipient I just layered them with double sided tape.  Before mounting them I blended the outer edges of each circle with Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distress Ink.  Have to say, I am a bit disappointed as I love dimension on my cards.  I then used the Sheen Douglas 'Bluebell' stamp which also included leaves and flower heads for Lilly of the Valley which is the option went for as I wanted a cream and white card with touch of green.  The flower heads were stamped with an embossing stamp pad and embossed with white embossing powder.  The leaves were coloured with Promarkers.  To complete the front of the card I added some gauze and cream flourish and butterflies from The Works and cream liquid pearls to each of the cross over sections of the lattice.  The theme of the circular lattice and Lilly of the Vally were carried to the base of the card too and again blended with Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distress Ink.

Thank you for stopping by and hope you will come along and join in our fun challenge :) xxx

Challenges entered:-

• Allsorts  W,3E  - #469 - Insects, Bugs, Bees and Butterflies
• Fussy and Fancy - 2W, E3, C10 - No. 212 - FAVORITE FLORALS (W2 of 2)
• As You Like It Challenge 2W,E3  Flora or Fauna (&why) (W1 of 2) - Oh so hard to choose between flora and fauna, both play a large part in making happy times in my life.  For this card I have chosen Flora and in particular 'Lily of the Valley' as I was thinking about my Gran the other day and the smell from this flower always reminds me of her :) 
• Always Happy Birthday (M, P1, E4, must be birthday)- May - Birthday + option of Flowers
• Die Cut Divas (M P1, E4, die cuts) May - Flowers
• Do-Al(l) Kreatives (M, P1, E3, no pure digital projects) - #17 - Not Square or Rectangle

Woodland Eclipse

 International Art & Soul, a challenge which has been put together to incorporate any type of craft, paper, wood, flowers, recycling, glass - the world is your oyster :).  Come on over an join us with you artwork :)

Challenge #33
All About Boys or Men

This fortnights challenge them has been chosen by DT sister Sue, a super challenge theme as we all need to have some of the 'men' cards in our stash but they are often not the first we turn to to make when we feel creative.  I am rather lucky as it is my brothers birthday very soon and this was the perfect opportunity to make his card.

I have seen quite a few cards around recently using the eclipse method which I think looks to cool and uncluttered, with that in mind I thought I would try it our on my brother's card.  I first used Distress Oxides to create the background and then stamped a woodland scene using stamps from the Creative Stamper magazine.  Next came the tricky bit where it could so easily have all gone wrong.  i don't have the large letter dies so used my Silver Bullet and SCAL software to create the text and do the cutting.  Phew, I all lined up perfectly and I could breathe again lol.  To finish off the card I mounted the card front on black and then copper papers.  Back to the Distress Oxides and I used the colours of the card to colour both the card front blank and the inside of the card.

Challenges entered:-

• A Gem of a Challenge  2W   - #219 - It's A Man's World (cards for men and boys) (W1 of 2)
• Crafting with Dragonflies 2W,1E, No rude/sexy or Halloween/witch, cards only - #104 Birthday Card  (W1 of 2)
• Brown Sugar – M (First Friday of M), E2 - APRIL - No. 278 - MASCULINE OR FATHER'S DAY
• Fab 'n' Funky - W,1E, #391 - Garden or Outdoor
• Simon Says Wednesday - W, 5E -For the Boys

Time Machine

I just couldn't resist but make a steampunk card today, a far better idea than doing housework lol.

I started off distressing the background, oh how I love playing with these inks, so much fun.  I then embossed the background, a really bad idea as it made it impossible to stamp the sentiment directly onto the card as I had originally planned.  Oh well, lesson learnt.  I then used bronze guilders paste to life the embossed areas a bit more.  The stamp is Time Machine by Sheena Douglas which I stamped on card, coloured with Promarkers and then used the perfect partner die to cut it out.  Not very successful on that so a bit of trimming here and there was needed.  The sentiment which is part of the stamp pack was stamped onto a background which had the same treatment minus the embossing lol and attached to the card with foam tape. Once the creating was done I matted the card front onto black card and then the card base which I had covered with dull gold paper.

The inside of the card was finished off very simply with Distress Oxides.

Thanks for stopping by and hope you have a great day :)

I am entering this card in the following challenges 

• Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - #109 - E is for Engineering
• Aud Sentiments Challenge 2W,E5  #202 Masculine + A Sentiment (W2 of 2)
• Fab 'n' Funky - W,1E, #390 - Wet or Dry Embossing
• I love Promarkers - 2W,3E Must use Promarkers, #358 - CAS (W1 of 2)
• Artistic Stampers (M, P1, E3, must use rubber stamp) May - Backgrounds

Stitchy Cats

IKEsWORLD

Challenge 108
Monochrome May

Welcome back to the IKEsWORLD challenges :)  do pop on over to IKEsWORLD to join in the challenge, it is always so much fun and  Ike produces the most amazing stamps, everything from off the wall to cute and fluffy :) :) :)

For the Monochromatic challenge this month I have taken myself right out of my comfort zone by using yellow as my theme colour, I tend to head straight for blues and purples and avoid red, orange or yellow lol.  Somehow, yellow seemed to be the right colour for these adorable stitchy cats, just looking at the wonderful smily faces made me think of summer sun :) :) :)   The cats were coloured with Promarkers for a change, have not used them in a long time as have a passion for my pencils at the moment.  They were then fussy cut and added to the circle layer with foam tape.  I was a bit stuck on the background so designed a footprint stencil and cut it with my Silver Bullet, I also made the fish bone circle in the same way.  The background was coloured with Distress Inks in a couple of shades of yellow and then the paw prints and fish bones in a darker orangy yellow shade.  I kept the off cuts from the fish bones and coloured them with Promarkers and added them as an embellishment in the top right corner.  To finish off I added the sentiment and attached it with a couple of brads.  I had so much fun with the Distress Inks I decided to colour and stencil the envelope too hahahaha.

Ingredients:-

• image - Stitchy Cats, by IKEsART
• colouring medium - Promarkers
• other items - hand made stencils, Distress Inks, brads

I am entering this project into the following challenges:-

• Allsorts  W,3E  - #465 - All About Pets
• Di's Digis Designs 2W, 3E,SIO  Include an animal (W2 of 2)
• As You Like It Challenge 2W,E3  Favourite Animal (&why) (W1 of 2) - favourite animal - cats.  After many years overseas and not having a pet live in our home with us we are now retired and have completed our family with 2 Russian Blue kittens - bliss in our home now :) :) 
• Show us Your Pussies - M, Cat Only Challenge, April -  Furrything Goes