…she in thee, calls back the lovely April of her prime

I’ve been in a shabby chic mood of late and have another project, a card this time, in that style featuring the gorgeous new Mother’s Day Betty image from Simply B Stamps.

To make up my card I’ve played along with my favourite sketch challenge over at Outlawz, this week’s sketch was just perfect for a shabby chic style card.  I had to swap out the rectangles for ovals though as I didn’t have anything in my stash (dies or chippies) that were rectangles of the right dimensions.  I tried to keep my flowers in a sort of oval shape but they ended up a bit bigger than the bottom oval, again I was limited by what was in my stash.

To help me select my shabbilicous elements I used the tic tac toe board at Sugar Creek Hollow.  I actually couldn’t decide which row or column to use so I used two (lace, ribbon, pearls and embossing, ribbon, distressing), I also have some flowers in there too for good measure.

Hiding in My Craft Room has a Mother’s Day challenge on at the moment so I am also entering my card over there.

Ingredients:

Copics

Skin E50, E51, E53 (E02 cheeks)

Eyes E33, Y26, 0

Lips R81, R85, R89

Hair E21, E23, E25, E27, E29

Outfit RV91, RV93, RV95, RV99, V09, V91, V93, V95

Flowers G03, G05, G07, RV 63, RV66, RV69, YR23, YR68

Chalks & Powders etc

Fran-tage Embossing Enamel ~ Aged Rose & Chunky White

Pebbles Chalk ~ Pearlescent Mauve

Embellishments

2Crafty ~ Tiny Kathleen’s Fames

I Am Roses ~ Mini Roses & Small Flowers (coloured with Various Inks V91 & V93)

Marianne Designs Charms ~ Vintage

Mulberry Flowers from stash (coloured with Various Inks V91 & V95)

Twiddleybitz ~ Fancy Oval Frame

We R Memory Keepers Eyelets ~ Purple

Inks & Paints etc

Spica ~ Lilac

Tim Holtz Distress Ink ~ Tea Dye & Walnut Stain

Papers

Core’dinations Cardstock ~ Mystic Grey

Magnolia Sweet Crazy Love ~ Paris Pink Peony & Vintage Plum

Ribbons & Trims etc

FabScraps Bead Ribbon ~ Pearl
Live & Love Crafts Venice Lace ~ Rose Round Edge (coloured with Various Inks V91)

Mauve Satin Ribbon from stash

Stamps

Simply B Stamps ~ Mother's Day Betty 2014

Challenges

Hiding in My Craft Room #147 ~ Mother’s Day!

Outlawz Sketch

Sugar Creek Hollow #85 ~ Tic Tac Toe

Thanks for stopping by!

The sun was shining on the sea...

I’ve got a fun card to share today featuring the summery sweet Sand Castle Betty from Simply B Stamps.

As per usual I coloured up my image without any plan in mind for my card, I also printed it with a few others so it was rough cut from a bigger sheet of card.  Luckily I had a Nestie that fit round it but I did end up with sand on the embossed border so I just went with that and filled in the gaps and coloured up my sky to the very edge too.  I used chalk for the sky to give a more subtle finish and although I usually fussy cut my images I’m glad I had enough space left to not have to with this one as I actually like how it’s been framed.

To make up my card I followed the sketch at Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2, it was full of layering goodness and I really went to town with them to help create a beachy feel to my card.  Now I did swap out one of the four embellies on the bottom as I have an aversion to the number four and it would have left me with only one of the embellies I used and what would I have done with just one.  Also, it let me add in the cute die cut lighthouse.

The current challenge over at Simply Create Too is for at least two layers, I have no less than six (not counting the base card) so I’m also entering this over there.

Ingredients:

Copics

Skin E50, E51, E53 (E02 cheeks)

Eyes B23, B28, 0

Lips R24, R29

Hair E21, E23, E25, E27, E29

Bikini RV52, RV63, RV66, T4, T6, T8, 100

Sunglasses T4, T6, T8, 100

Towel B23, B26, B28

Drink BG11

Sand E30, E31, E33

Chalks & Powders etc

Pebbles Chalk ~ Basics

Dies, SVGs & Templates etc

Marianne Designs CreaTables ~ Light House

Spellbinders Nestabilities ~ A2 Curved Matting Basics

Embellishments

Freckled Fawn ~ Gold Resin Asterisks

Inks & Paints etc

Tim Holtz Distress Ink ~ Broken China, Chipped Sapphire, Mustard Seed & Tumbled Glass

Papers

Core’dinations Tim Holtz Distress Cardstock ~ Faded Jeans

Fancy Pants Down by the Shore ~ Anchors Away, Dock, Sunshine, Wave Rider & Whale

Stamps

Simply B Stamps ~ Sand Castle Betty

Challenges

Simply Create Too #60 ~ “Stack ’um up”

Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 #12

Thanks for stopping by!

…most softly lulling to my soul

This is my second and sadly last post as a guest DT for Through the Purple Haze where this week’s challenge is a sketch one sponsored by Aurora Wings and Delicious Doodles.  Here is the awesome sketch designed by one of the talented DT members, Lucy.

And I got to play with the gorgeous White Poppy image from Aurora Wings, although as you see I decided to colour her red.

She was certainly a challenge to colour, especially as she is printed fairly small, just under 3.5” and it isn’t actually clear where she finishes.  The background is a bit dodgy, I wanted it black but didn’t want to use my Copics to colour it and my Distress Markers weren’t going to work either as my image is printed on an inkjet so I’d get runs when I hit the outline so I had to go with chalks.  I trimmed down the applicator ball but it was still impossible to get into all the small places without going over the image a bit and I got some contamination in the red frame with the black from the background.  It is what it is now though as no way was I going in and recolouring it.  As I have several methods of making my mark (chalk, Copics and Distress Ink) I am linking this up at Addicted to Stamps’ current challenge.

With such an elegant image and poppies being red and black I decided to go with that colour scheme for my card.  I’ve never used my Marianne Design Petra’s Oval dies and I’m glad I broke them out for this as the one I used is just beautiful and is the perfect frame for the image.  The current challenge at Crafty Bloggers’ Network is for either a die cut or embossing, I’ve got both covered so am entering this over there.

I knew I wanted to swap the bow element for a poppy but I didn’t have one in my enormous (we’re talking a couple of draws full) stash of flowers but that’s OK, Mr Google came to the rescue.  Or should I say Martha Stewart did, as it was a pattern from her that I used to make my poppy.  I had to hunt out the one and only sheet of Mulberry Paper I own for this but I eventually found the little sneak hiding among some patterned papers.  Some Lindy’s Stamp Gang Starbursts in the appropriate colours and I had a pretty decent poppy.

The background embossing is also from a folder I’ve not used before, the lovely and appropriate Poppy from Anna Griffin.  I used a piece of red paper but then highlighted the flowers with some Distress Ink, I think I should have done the centres with some wet embossing but I only thought of that after I stuck the sheet down.  No matter, one form is enough to qualify this in the current 4 Crafty Chicks’ challenge.

Hopefully my little card has inspired you to come play along at Through the Purple Haze.  I do love a sketch challenge, they give you structure to work with but still allow for amazing creativity, don’t believe me, just go look at all the different ways the DT have interpreted Lucy’s sketch!

Ingredients:

Copics

Skin E50, E51, E53 (E02 cheeks)

Eyes G21, G28, 0

Lips R29, R46, R89

Hair & Wings T4, T6, T8, 100

Poppies G21, G24, G28, R24, R29, R46, R89

Chalks & Powders etc

Lindy’s Stamp Gang Starburst ~ Black Orchid Satin & Rhododendron Red Rose

Pebbles Chalk ~ Metallic Cream

Dies, SVGs & Templates etc

Cuttlebug Embossing Plate ~ Anna Griffin Poppy

Marianne Designs Creatable ~ Petra’s Large Ovals

Inks & Paints etc

Tim Holtz Distress Ink ~ Black Soot & Festive Berries

Papers

Echo Park Playground ~ Rubber Ball

Kaisercraft Cardstock ~ Liquorice & Scarlet

Mulberry Paper ~ White

Ribbons & Trims etc

Krafty Savers Satin Ribbon ~ Red

Lace from stash

Stamps

Aurora Wings ~ White Poppy

Challenges

4 Crafty Chick s#191 ~ {Embossing!}

Addicted to Stamps #92 ~ Make Your Mark

Crafty Bloggers Network ~ Die cuts or embossing

Thanks for stopping by!

…the oyster’s autobiography

Have you seen the Tuesday Solos over at Simply B Stamps?  If not this beauty is sure to tempt you to go look, she is Octopearl Betty.

Now I’ve cropped her down to work with the sketch I followed from Sketch n’ Dies, which was just perfect for showing Octopearl Betty off and also allowed for the sentiment, which comes with the images, to be framed just so.  For the frames I’ve used my Nesties, I also used them to cut around both the image and sentiment before distressing the circles.  With all my distressing I’m entering this over at Make My Monday for their current challenge.

There’s loads of distressing and shabby chic goodness on this project so I’m also entering it in the current Inky Chicks’ challenge.  Showcasing this beauty from the deep with her precious pearl I had to embellish with some pearls and I couldn’t go past some lush lace also.  I coloured up the latter with my Copic Various Inks to match the purple and blue colour scheme.  The current challenge over at Fussy and Fancy is for both pearls and lace so I’m linking this up there.

Being a shabby chic project I couldn’t help but get out my sewing machine to stitch my layers together.  Unfortunately I was a bit wonky with my second row of stitching so to help hide the fault I’ve Fran-taged over the stitched lines a bit but you can still see the stitching (real) so I’m also entering this at Deep Ocean.

Now I’m sure you can see this isn’t a card at all but a box.  It actually started life as a biscuit box which I’ve decorated up to fill with crafting goodies for a gift.  I think it turned out looking beautiful and I love the shape of the box and the slightly rough texture to it.  Nothing better than turning a bit of trash into a treasure and I’m entering my altered biscuit box in the current challenge at Altered Eclectics.

Ingredients:

Copics

Skin E50, E51, E53 (E02 cheeks)

Eyes B91, B95, 0

Lips RV91, RV93, RV95, RV99

Hair V91, V93, V95, RV99

Dress BV02, BV04, BV13, BV17

Oyster BV20, BV23, BV25

Chalks & Powders etc

Fran-tage Embossing Enamel ~ Chunky White, Shabby Blue & Shabby White

Dies, SVGs & Templates etc

Spellbinders Nestabilities ~ Grand Circles, Grand Stately Circles, Standard Circles & Stately Circles

Embellishments

Flourish with a Bling Pearls ~ Pearl

Mulberry Flowers from stash

Inks & Paints etc

Tim Holtz Distress Ink ~ Tea Dye & Walnut Stain

Tim Holtz Distress Paint ~ Picket Fence

Papers

Magnolia Sweet Crazy Love ~ Calla of Paris, Vintage Plum & Vintage Turquoise

Studio 75 Special Moments ~ 03

Ribbons & Trims etc

FabScraps Bead Ribbon ~ Pearl
Lace from stash

Stamps

Simply B Stamps ~ Octopearl Betty

Challenges

Altered Eclectics ~ April Challenge

Deep Ocean # 76 ~ “Stitching True or False”

Fussy and Fancy #112 ~ Pearls and Lace

Inky Chicks #27 ~ Shabby Chic

Make My Monday ~ Distress It!

Sketch n’ Dies #5

 

Thanks for stopping by!