Crafty Cardmakers #142 - Sentiment

Hello Everyone!

It's time for another challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers and More! This time around our lovely hostess Jackie has chosen the theme SENTIMENT, so she wants to see your creations where the sentiment is the focal point of your design.

Have you ever met anyone with OCD? Welcome to my world of 'obsess much?'. This card here is not the original card, nor is it the second version...what you are looking at is version NUMBER THREE!!! I knew what I wanted but I just couldn't seem to get it right, so I kept starting over and over again like some sort of lunatic! Truth be told, if I had time I think I would have done it just one more time...turns out I think I would have preferred silver accents instead of gold. Like I said...lunatic!

The first version got thrown in the garbage before it had even dried, I had used some Liquitex inks but it was so dark and I just couldn't get it to look right. This image below is the second version. This time I tried some Brusho crystals. It was photographed and even uploaded before I decided it still wasn't right, the colours were too scattered. Back to the drawing board - AGAIN!

For version number three, I used just a dribble of Distress ink spray Cracked Pistachio for a uniform and more subtle colouring in the background. THANK HEAVENS!! My main experiment for this card was some home made glass bead gel which I used to create the texture. It's a mix of Super Gloss Gel from Liquitex and some clear microbeads. It's so much fun!

The sentiment here is from a Fiskars stamp set called Make a Wish, it was stamped with Jet Black Archival ink.

 

In the background is some stamping using an Inkadinkado stamp set and black Archival ink. The roses are made from hot glue and a silicone mold. I coloured them with Brusho Crystals, some white DecoArt paint and then highlighted them with a bit of gold gilding wax.

The butterfly was made from Crafter's clay and a silicone mold. I hope you can see all the fabulous texture that I created with my home made glass bead gel. I dabbed some of the areas with white paint and rubbed a little gold wax onto some of the other areas.

UPDATE 
My card won awards from the following wonderful challenges:

- Glitter n Sparkle Challenge Blog - Challenge #143 - Sentimental
- Southern Girls Challenge - Classy Colour Combo

   

That's it for today. Thank you for stopping in and for all the amazing comments. I read and appreciate every single one! If you have any questions, please let me know.

Butterfly Delight - DecoArt and Brusho

Hello Everyone!

I think one of my favourite things to do is line up a bunch of new products on my desk and then just see where the products lead me. Today I have put together another technique for wood planks with some new DecoArt products, had a play with my new Brusho crystals and I also designed a new flower! HAPPY DAY!!

For my new flowers, I cut the petals using Joy Crafts Flower 4 out of a light off white paper and then I softly added a little distress ink Gathered Twigs to the ends. I think they need to be a bit more squishy, they're a little too perfect for me. The Chloe stem is from Memory Box. The leaves are from Joy Crafts and are coloured with Peeled Paint.

The bottom butterfly is cut from vellum and embossed using the Tim Holtz Sizzix Butterfly Duo set. I edged it with Coffee Archival ink and dabbed a little white paint. The top butterfly was stamped with Coffee ink and a Kaisercraft butterfly stamp, I fussy cut it out and threw on a dash of Brusho crystals. The panel was done with a combo of Brusho crystals and Cracked Pistachio ink spray.

I think this might be one of my favourite wood plank techniques so far!! It requires a little bit more time than my other techniques, but totally worth it in my opinion. I won't go into detail today because I am working on a video tutorial on how to make these planks as well as an easier technique for the speedy crafters.

Hopefully you can see all the microbeads that I have scattered throughout the cheesecloth and on the wood planks. I dabbed a little white DecoArt Titanium paint on them so they would show up a bit more. The ribbon was coloured with Cracked Pistachio, Broken China and Crushed Olive. The sentiment is from Heartfelt Creations. The small vellum flowers are punched with a Martha Stewart punch.

UPDATE: 
My card won awards from the following wonderful challenges:

- Ooh La La Creations - Challenge #183 - Happy Birthday

- Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Stamp and Mist

- Use Your Stuff Challenge Blog - Wood

- Addicted to Stamps - Challenge #150 - Photo Inspiration

    

That's it for today. Thank you for stopping in and for all the amazing comments. I read and appreciate every single one! If you have any questions, please let me know.

Try it on Tuesday - Tea Cups

Hello Everyone!

It's time to start another challenge over at Try it on Tuesday. This time around our theme is TEA CUPS so we want to see some sort of tea cup or coffee mug of some sort on your project.

I think the timing of my decision to start using some digital images has worked out perfectly. I thought I was going to have to duck out of this challenge because I do not have any stamps or dies in my craft room that could pass as a tea cup or coffee mug, so I printed off a couple of images I had in my collection.

I used a postcard stamp and carefully used the border around the edge of my image to make it look like a little postcard. I added the little stamp in the corner as well as the 'by air mail' for a more authentic look. The flower isn't hand made, but I did colour it with some Tim Holtz distress inks Aged Mahogany and Picked Raspberry so the colour matched a little better.

For the background, I ripped a page out of an old book and antiqued it with distress ink Gathered Twigs. I used my Magenta Ecoline ink to add some splashes of colour. The flower stamping on the fishtail banner is from Impression Obsession. The doily is from Cheery Lynn.

I have to admit, this is my favourite style of card. Shabby and messy with lots of layers, pink, flowers and butterflies...I would make them all like this if I thought I wouldn't bore everybody, and myself! haha!

The fishtail banners are all cut out by hand and coloured with Ecoline Magenta ink and distress ink Gathered Twigs. Some splashes of water to create some interesting stains. The corner stamp is from JustRite and is stamped using Archival ink Coffee from Ranger.

UPDATE:
My card won awards from the following wonderful challenges:

- Card Mania - June Challenge - #69 Use a Metal Embellishment

- Open-Minded Crafting - Challenge #39 - Vintage

  

That's it for today. Thank you for stopping in and for all the amazing comments. I read and appreciate every single one! If you have any questions, please let me know.

Video Journal Series 102 - 20,000 Bubbles Under the Sea

Hello Everyone!

I'm here today with my second video in my journal series. This one didn't go quite as smoothly as the first one did. I hit quite a few bumps in the road that I had to correct off camera and even with clipping, the video ran longer than I wanted it to.

I was inspired by a video done by Einat Kessler as well as some wise words by Marjie Kemper, who says lots of layering is the key to a good journal page. I layered up lots of products, but I think there's a fine line between beautiful and busy...I'm not sure what side I landed on this time. It was still lots of fun though and I learned a ton, so I still look forward to my next journalling adventure.

 

I thought I would try a calligraphy style black brush pen to outline my "sea", but it did NOT work, so I am on the search for a new black pen to use in my journal pages. As for the white pen, I purchased several very expensive name brand pens from the art store that were complete garbage...the one I ended up keeping was the cheap $3 Michaels house brand pen! What the...!

The sand was an experiment that that I shall never repeat! It started out as some re-harvested plastic from Pete and some Texture Sand from DecoArt...but then it got out of hand. There were sprinkles and sawdust and glitter and the proverbial kitchen sink!! When it dried (which took all freaking night) it looked like some alien mud/tar combo and I had to rip it all off, repaint the bottom of the page and start from scratch! Yipes!

Here's the video, enjoy!!
Mixed Media Journal Series 102 - 20,000 Bubbles Under the Sea

FULL LIST OF SUPPLIES

Strathmore Mixed Media Journal

Liquitex Super Heavy Gesso - Mod Podge Matte - Liquitex Super Heavy Gloss Gel
DecoArt paints - Americana Titanium White, Neutral Grey and Crafters Acrylics Tan
home made texture paste with DecoArt paints - Hunter Green, Bluegrass Green & Leaf green
Pete Re-Harvested Plastic, DecoArt Texture Sand, Distress Glitter Antique Linen

Prima Bubbles stencil, Mod Podge Sea Life mold and Martha Stewart Crafter's Clay
Lindy's Magicals Autumn Leaves - Tibetan Poppy Teal
Tonic Paper Distressing tool, Distress ink spray Gathered Twigs, Picket Fence distress paint

Tim Holtz Small Talk stickers -  Ranger Archival ink Jet Black
Recollections Opaque white marker, Pigma Archival ink brush, water brush

Ecoline water soluble inks #522 & #506, Liquitex inks #317 & #561
Derwin Inktense pencils #1200 & #1300, Faber Castel Gelatos - Metallic Mint and Blueberry

IndigoBlu Bubbles stamp, Inkadinkado Shell Trio and a Seahorse stamp borrowed from Cec

acrylic stamp block, heat gun, pipettes, paper towels, various paint brushes, small water bottle, glue gun, bubble wrap

***

UPDATE:

My journal page won awards from the following wonderful challenges:

- Inky Impressions Challenges - #214 Summertime

- The Crafter's Cafe - #121 - At the Movies ( 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea)
- Frosted Designs Friday Challenge - Summertime Blues
- Lulupu Craft Lounge - Challenge # 50 - Summer Splash
- Love To Create/Pan Pastel - Challenge 12 - Anything Mixed Media/Creative

    

  

That's it for today. Thank you for stopping in and for all the amazing comments. I read and appreciate every single one! If you have any questions, please let me know.