The Sketchy Challenges DT - Karen's Sketch

Morning!  It is time for another sketch at The Sketchy Challenges and this fortnight it is Karen's turn to provide our sketch, and a gorgeous one it is too!  I've been having a play around with some photo editing recently, in particular black and white photos with a touch of colour.  I just love the effect and am so glad I finally have a program to do it with.  This photo of me on my 40th birthday last year was a very grainy colour photograph taken in bad lighting - really not worth printing out at all.  After playing about with various black and white techniques and then colour picking my dress it was transformed into a great photo!  The papers and some of the embellishments are from Webster's Pages.

 I made the blue flower with some Webster's Pages trim topped with a Prima pebble.

 The gorgeous cream lacey flower was a gift and the black crochet doily is from Webster's Pages.  I've even plucked up the courage to use my Prima Rose Crystal Flourish that I've been hoarding for a very long time lol!

 The black trim has a velvet feel and is from Webster's Pages too, as is the crystal border.  The red flower was recycled from a broken hair clip!

 The gorgeous metal embellishments was also a gift.  I've rubbed some white acrylic paint around the lettering to make it easier to read.

 The butterflies, hydrangeas and white flower are from Prima and the rolled rose, pink rose and red berry are from The Ribbon Girl.

I hope you like my layout and I've inspired you to join us this fortnight at The Sketchy Challenges.  Pop over to the blog to see the rest of the team's stunning creations.  Thanks for looking! x

Magnolia Down Under Challenges DT - Flowers and Lace

 Woohoo!!!  It is time for another Magnolia Down Under Challenge and this week we would like you to use lace and flowers on your card.  I've actually used die cut lace - you can use die cut lace or the real thing :).

 I just love the pose of Indian Tilda #274!  I've coloured her with copics and used a white gel pen for the dots on her cheeks.  I've also used the Cocoa label stamp from the With Love collection on the tag behind Tilda.

I've used the  Vintage Box Lacing Coffee #82 Doohickey for my die cut lace.  The flowers are from The Ribbon Girl with the exception of the gorgeous peach chyrsanthemum which was a gift from my lovely friend Louise.

 I've used the Dragonflies #9 Doohickey for the small dragonfly and the leaves are a Doohickey die too.

 I've made some pine cones with a Tim Holtz die, the hydrangea is from Prima and the rest of the flowers are from my stash.

 The butterfly was cut with a Tim Holtz die out of a recycled drinks can which has then been Frantaged with Shabby White.

I hope you like it and I've inspired you to join us this week at Magnolia Down Under!  Pop over to the blog to see the rest of the team's stunning creations!  Thanks for looking! x

Enjoy Time Together - Prima May BAP

Good morning!  Today I have my entry for the May Build a Page sketch at Prima.  All the papers and almost all of the embellishments are from Prima.  I started off by painting randomly over the background paper with Gesso.  Next, I took some bubble wrap and used it to stamp some home made texture paste over the top of the Gesso.  While the texture paste was still wet I sprinkled micro beads in clear and gold over the top.

 I used part of a Prima vine in pink and topped it with a stunning metal flower with a pebble in the centre.  I used a Typo Bulb for my title, "enjoy".  The gorgeous pink flower is from Prima and the rolled rose and green flower are from The Ribbon Girl.

 Here's a close up of the lush vine.

 The heart was cut with a sizzix die and then I've doodled around the edge of it and also doodled an offset heart over the top.  The flowers are from Prima except the green one which is from The Ribbon Girl.

 You can see the bubble wrap stamping and micro beads in this close up.

 The gorgeous lace was a gift and the tiny heart buttons were recycled from some clothing.  The butterflies are from Prima and the cabachon is from Webster's Pages.

 I created some torn areas around the edges and backed the larger ones with more Prima paper.

 The journalling was created with Tim Holtz stickers and the frame around the photo is from Webster's Pages.

 More sizzix die cut hearts adorn the bottom of the layout and again I've doodled over the top of them.

 In two of the corners I've used flocked rub ons from Prima.

I hope you like it and thanks for looking.  It's nearly the weekend - yay! x

Open the Door to My Mind - May Prima PPP

Today I'd like to share with you a canvas I've wanted to create for a few months after being inspired by this amazing canvas by the incredible Ingvild Bolme.  When I saw the new palette for May's Prima Product Pick it gave me just the incentive I needed!  I've cheated somewhat though as I have not painted the portrait of myself - I printed a photo onto some Claudine Helmuth Sticky-back Canvas before mounting it onto the 8"x8" canvas frame.  To integrate the photo a little more and give the illusion of a painting I then dry brushed gesso around the edges and onto the image. 

 The idea of the canvas (as you'll guess from the title of my post) is that the Prima door represents the door to my mind and with it open you can see my mind busy creating, and the iconic representation of an idea depicted by the light bulb.

You can see I added some wings to the light bulb representing my idea taking flight and developing!  The wings I have made from a recycled drinks can.  After cutting the butterfly with a Tim Holtz die I have embossed it with a Tim Holtz embossing folder and then given it various treatments with alcohol inks, stamping and Frantage to achieve the final look.

I have filled the gap underneath the Prima door with various flowers and berries, some are from The Ribbon Girl and the rest are from Prima.

The clock element in particular you will see is taken from Ingvild's canvas.  It is what inspired me the most from her canvas to make one of my own.  The clock is also made from a recycled drinks can using the Tim Holtz Weathered Clock die and walnut stain alcohol ink.  The gears are all from Tim Holtz too.

On the clock face is another butterfly.  All of the butterflies are made from recycled drinks cans but I have given each one a unique treatment.  This one is stained with alcohol ink and then Frantaged.

On top of the canvas, to the left of the clock is a pair of scissors from The Ribbon Girl.

 Moving down the canvas you can see more of my mind at work with the little washer from MME that says "imagine" on it.

 The stunning flowers are from Prima.  I cut up pieces of a Prima vine to dot here and there on the canvas.

 The stunning lace is from The Ribbon girl too and I have also added a Tim Holtz pen nib which says "thoughts".  The pen nib is dribbling a drop of ink ready to write down an idea.  I created the ink blob with my glue gun.

 Here's a close up of another of the butterflies.  This one has been embossed with a script stamp before inking with alcohol ink and again has been Frantaged.

The final butterfly was coloured with alcohol ink, then stamped with various stamps, splashed with turquoise paint, embossed with distress embossing powder and finally Frantaged! 

 The bottom left corner of the canvas is adorned with flowers and buttons.  The metal button was recycled from a pair of jeans and the sparkly one is from Webster's Pages.

 The pearls along the bottom are some ivory pearl string from The Ribbon Girl.

 I have even decorated the sides of the canvas by sprinkling it with some Shabby Green Frantage!

 One final peak of the door to my mind - you can probably tell from all the photos that I'm really pleased with how it turned out!  It is now hanging on the door to my craft room to show what goes on in there!

I hope you like it and thanks for looking! x

Magnolia-licious and Wee Stamps Challenge DT - Weather Ways

 Good morning!!  It is time for another Magnolia-licious and Wee Stamps challenge and our theme this time is "Weather Ways".  Lots of possibilities here with so many different weather themed stamps by Magnolia!!  I was looking through my stamps thinking I would use Tilda in the Wind and Rain when I found this one before I got to her and thought it would make a gorgeous bright card to cheer someone up!

 I coloured the scene with copics and added stickles to the rainbow - I love seeing rainbows don't you!?  I'm always still just as amazed as I was when I saw them as a child!

 All the gorgoeus flowers are from The Ribbon Girl and the butterfly is a Spellbinders die.

 The sentiment is also from Magnolia #701 and I have cut out the flag freehand.  See the Frantage around the edges!?  I am so in love with this gorgeous powder!!

 The gorgeous seam binding and cheesecloth are also from The Ribbon Girl and I have used the Lovely Fence Doohickey #12, the Sprawling Fronds #68 dies and the Slender Firs #37 dies.

I hope you like it and I've inspired you to join us at Magnolia-licious and Wee Stamps.  Pop over to the blog to see the rest of the team's stunning creations!

 Diana is sponsoring the challenge with a fabulous prize from the Magnolia-licious store for the lucky winner!  Thanks for looking! x

The Sketchy Challenges DT - Sandy's Sketch

 
 Good morning!  I hope you're enjoying your weekend.  We have a new sketch up over at The Sketchy Challenges by our lovely Sandy who is also sponsoring with a £10 voucher for Live & Love Crafts!  If you have some crafty time this weekend I hope you can join us, it is a gorgeous sketch!  Shock horror...another card without stamping from me lol!  I have used a Go Kreate die for the card base and Magnolia papers from the Easter Collection.  I managed to cover up all the Easter sentiments on the paper with some frantage!!  OMG I only just got some of this and wish I'd succumbed sooner, love it already lol!

Some of the butterflies were cut from Pion Design cut out paper and then I used them as a template to cut out some more from the reverse of the paper.  I've also added some smaller butterflies with a Martha Stewart punch.  The tree was cut with Tim Holtz Branch Tree die and I 've embossed a Hero Arts stamp onto it with some more Frantage.  The butterflies have all been edged with stickles.

 The "70" is also from a Tim Holtz die and ooooh that's been Frantage'd too lol!  It is framed with Spellbinders Gold Labels 4 which I've also used for the image mat.

 The stunning lace, rose and button twine are from The Ribbon Girl and I've added a touch of stickles to the rose too.

 I've used the Magnolia Doily Doohickey for the circle element of the sketch.

 I know I'm so behind the times but here's a close up of the Frantage - so pretty!!  The brads are from Whiff of Joy.

 I added some curlicues either side of the image mat cut with Tim Holtz Festive Greenery die - I'm really trying to use my dies more...I have all these dies and just forget about them once they're stored away!  Tut, tut!

I hope you like my card and I've inspired you to join us at The Sketchy Challenges.  Pop over to the blog to see the rest of the team's stunning cards!  Thanks for looking! x