Baking Girl for OCC and Unscripted Sketches

This is easily one of the most time and effort intensive, technique loaded card I’ve made in a very long time. Hope you think it was worth it!

The OCC challenge this week is a supply challenge: 1, 2, 3, 4!

USE 1 patterned paper, 2 layers, 3 stamps and 4 embellishments. I used the focal image and my sentiment as my 2 layers (I thought at the time that mats didn’t count and the card base doesn’t count). My 3 stamps are the sentiment, the girl and the damask stamp for the wallpaper background. I used the flower as one embellishment, the center as another (I’m not counting them separately because I was trying to mimic the look of a vintage button which had the pearl look already on it.) and the ribbon and white button each as one. It took some brain power but it was really fun so I hope you will play with us at the OCC blog!

I rarely describe my thought process while making a card and this one required a LOT of thought so it is perfect. I started with the image. After choosing it, I immediately went on a hunt for some patterned paper to go with it because I with so many colours needed, I wanted all my markers to coordinate with the paper and some to match the paper. I choose the cupcake paper from Basic Grey’s Nook and Pantry pack. I stamped the image twice, coloured and cut out my images.

I meant to take a picture and forgot but when doing paper tole, you don’t always have to use the entire bottom layer if it doesn’t make sense. Behind this gal is the table only except where she overlaps the table, I left her torso in. But below the table and for her head, I cut away all the excess. I only left her torso in because her arms overlap things on the table and from the side it would look weird if there was nothing behind her, like a partial jar of sugar!  But the rest of the image looks more realistic because there is nothing behind her. I colour only the edges of the image underneath to save time and ink.

Normally, I would just airbrush in an indistinct background and shadow but I ran out of ink so I decided to go all techniquey! I drew in a horizon line and flooring lines and masked off the wallpaper area. I sponged in the planks in one at a time hoping I would get variegation in colour by mixing two inks; since the ink blend would never be the same, I figured I’d get differently shaded planks. Unfortunately, I should have used traditional inks, not Distress inks because they blended so well I neither have distinct colours nor darker edges and lighter centers for each plank.

Then I used the faux batik technique (SCS) for the wallpaper and sponged in my wall colour. I’ll let you look that up rather than describing it as this post is already way too long but use tinted embossing ink if you have it, just saying ‘cuz this gal is covering up some weirdly patterned wall paper! This time Distress ink was perfect as it gave me a smooth finish. I was so proud that the background techniques worked so well together; I agonized over which to do first in case I messed one up!

Now I started thinking about my card layout and chose this sketch from the ones I save on my iPhone. But when I layered the focal image over the cupcake paper, it overwhelmed the delicacy of the image even when matted. Back to the drawing board. Remember, I have to keep in mind the 1, 2, 3, 4 challenge at the same time! Couldn’t decide what to do and briefly started working on a recipe file for my kitchen, covering the front with another paper from the same pack. But the front was too small for one sheet of DP and I thought now the cupcake paper would work because it would cover the excess areas on the edges and be far enough away to not overwhelm. But I just couldn’t mess up the OCC challenge with 2 sheets of DP!

So I settled on this THIRD piece of DP and started back on a card. I made my favourite type of home made flower which turned out how I wanted it to and I was happy again. Here I describe how I made it: Scalloped Scrunch Flower. This time I used the 4 smallest shapes. I found a button to match the center and coloured the pearls with my Copic. I already had Baked Love in mind for a sentiment, I just chose one that worked with my image and space I had left. I always leave the journaling until the last minute when I scrap too and have to find space! Whew! Finally, all requirements were fulfilled! Total? About 5 hours! Yep, crazy right? A couple hours of that was figuring what to do!

Click on sketch for link to Unscripted Sketches.

I hope you will play with us at the OCC this week. We love having lots of players and don’t forget! We now award prizes to the top 4 cards choosing a Top Talent and a Talented Trio! And you just HAVE to visit the blog to see all the talented designers in our awesome team!!! Click on their blog names to visit their sites and leave ‘em some love!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: image-Sarah Kay Whiff of Joy, sentiment-CHF, damask-Gel-a-Tins
Ink: Victorian Velvet (flower), Scattered Straw, Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap, Vintage Photo, Embossing Distress Inks, chocolate chip-SU!
Paper: Basic Grey DP, chocolate CS-SU!, white CS-Taylored Expressions, natural white CS (flower, sent layer)-PTI, blush CS (flower)-PTI
Accessories: Buttons-stash, yellow ribbon-Masterstroke, Perfect Pearls (made into spray for flower), foam dots-Jody Morrow, scalloped circle and labels 8 Nesties, twine-PTI, clear EP-SU!, brad (centre of flower under button)-stash, Copics Rv95, V91,95, R00,11,20,27,59, YR23, Y21, G21,24, BG10,15,72,75, B45,91,93,95,97, E00,08,11,21,31,33,35,37,40,47,49,71,77,93, W1,3, C3,5, 00, corner chomper

Winged Matchbox

Another Swap-Bot swap to make a matchbox with a focal point that has wings.

I just love this little bear. And don’t those wings look so cute stamped in gold embossing?

There isn’t too much to say that isn’t answered by a recipe.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: TE Beary Special
Ink: Antique Linen and embossing Distress inks
Paper: brown DP-SU!, Aqua DP, pink CS-PTI, kraft CS (sleeve base)-SU!, tracing paper (wings)-stash
Accessories: gold EP-SU!, Brown EP-stash, foam dots-Jody Morrow, heart brad-TE, Copic E71

Twinkle Team Blog Candy! Spring Shaker Card

I decided to do three challenges in one! OCC had a Clear Thinking challenge to use something clear on your card. I immediately thought of an acetate window, then thought of Miss Madelynn's sketch for the Twinkle Team. SCS had a Limited Supplies challenge 200 to make anything but a Christmas card & no green, no red so this works for that too. COOL {{GRIN}}!! Very easy for me, not really owning any X-mas stamps or sentiments, though it was hard to not use celery on this card. The colour, not the vegetable!! HEHE

This week, if you play along with the Twinkle Team and try out Madelynn's sketch, you can be entered to win blog candy!
So upload your version of the sketch to SCS or PCP with the keyword MTTSC3 or to your blog, then leave a comment at The Whimsical Butterfly to enter (leaving a note as to where she can find your card). Be sure to visit the entire TWINKLE TEAM to see more inspiring versions of this week's sketch. Links on sidebar.

This card is pretty easy, the pale plum CS layer was embossed using the d'vine swirls folder. The shaker box was made using special foam squares from Jody at Confessions of a Ribbon Addict. The banana and pale plum layers over the shaker are cut with Nestabilities dies. Inside the shaker are two sizes of punched flowers, glass micro beads and glitter. The base of the shaker is white CS stamped with a flower and leaves from  stamped in Adirondack ink coloured with Copic colours V 04, 09, 12 and YG 67 and G 21. The little flowers are actually from a daisy chain fibre but two nipped off the end quite nicely; I'd been afraid they would unravel.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps:   SU!
Paper: pale plum, perfect plum, banana, white CS - SU!
Ink: Adirondack pitch black
Accessories: shaker box foam - Jody Morrow, daisies - unknown, Nestabilities - Spellbinders, punches - EK Success, Glitter and micro beads - unknown, Copic markers, embossing folder - Cuttlebug, ribbon - basic grey

Hero Arts Sketch Contest - Snowflakes

I WANT to WIN! The Hero Arts Contest has a $50 prize! Cool! I am starting to love doing challenges, especially ones that may result in candy - I have such a sweet tooth! {{{LOL}}} You can see the Hero Arts Sketch here. I also included a Limited Supplies Challenge for Splitcoast Stampers LSC 197 - Let it Snow, let it snow, let it snow. The rules were to make the card monochromatic, use glitter or bling and snowflakes, not snowballs, snowforts, snowdrifts or snowpeople! ONLY snowflakes. Alrighty then! Snowflakes it is!

The snow swirls are embossed with white, blue and iridescent ice embossing powders (EP). The snowflakes with white and iridescent ice; the letters with silver and iridescent ice. then I added stickles to the middle of every snowflake and to all 6 points of each larger snowflake. Both the circles and scalloped circles were cut with Nestabilities. I love that you can actually see the sparkles from the glitter in the lettering (click to enlarge if need be) and even in the swirls! The circles were harder to photograph for some reason and didn't show the glitter {{sigh}}. The brocade blue cardstock is also stamped with a snow swirl and snowflakes using Versamark ink for a subtle pattern. I wish I had edged the card base and brocade blue panel with a silver paint pen, oh well, it would be too hard to take apart now. Off I go to enter! Wish me well...

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE:
Stamps: All Decked Out and Chocolate alphabet by CTMH
Paper: whisper white, night of navy, brocade blue CS
Ink: Versamark
Accessories: silver, white, blue, iridescent ice EPs in various combinations, silver ribbon, foam dots. All products SU! unless otherwise noted.

Fall Hope

Three challenges in one card! Thing about these challenges, they encourage me to try things I might not otherwise think to try. I'm sure I will come up with some non-challenge cards but since I am having so much fun doing these, I am in no hurry. Now I just have to get around to posting them to the right galleries, not just here.

The Limited Supply Challenge 191 was: Use a leaf image as a focal point and use pink for breast cancer week. I hope coral is close enough to pink. Ways to Use it 189: Choose one word as a sentiment, in recognition of Breast cancer week, make it something inspirational like courage, soar etc. The last challenge was for a sketch challenge SFYTT at I heart 2 stamp (see link on sidebar). I love using these little words, I know I used mine more than once but the challenge was to choose one word, it didn't say you couldn't use it repeatedly! It also helped offset my crooked stamping. I would have stamped first and used the Coluzzle to cut it out after, except I was using a scrap and cut the oval out first.

The card base is Cameo Coral  stamped with a little leaf, I forget which set it is from, in the same ink. The squares are a retired SU! designer paper matted with chocolate chip CS. The oval is confetti white CS edged with chocolate chip ink. The leaf is from Natural Beauty stamped in Staz-On ink and watercoloured in with Ruby Red, Cameo Coral and Chocolate Chip. The ribbon is threaded with a buckle from Copper Hodge Podge Hardware.

You Cured Yet??

I made this little piggy card for a couple of Challenges on Splitcoast Stampers. I am really enjoying making cards for challenges. So often I sit down to make a card and unless I have an urgent need for something specific, I am at a loss. Not that I get a lot of time to sit down and craft with two little boys, Jameson age 7 3/4 and Spencer 17 months. This really inspires me and strangely enough, I have gone back to supplies and techniques I haven't used in ages. Sketch Challenge 199 and Limited Supply Challenge 190 called Single Blue Eye! The goal of the latter was to use one (single) patterned paper and ribbon, the colour blue and no embellishments other than eyelets. Since I tend to go with fewer embellishments and layers, this suited me just fine. I love other artist's work with multiple layers so I am trying this out myself, just not with this card.

The card base is Bashful Blue 4.25x5.5" with a retired SU! Designer Paper for the panel on the left. The yellow panel is So Saffron and I'm not sure if you can see it well but I stamped 'Hugs' from the fancy Flexible Phrases set several times along the bottom because it just looked too plain otherwise. I am loving the effect so I will use this as a border on other cards. I always felt guilty that I didn't use this set much so I am glad to now be inspired by it. The edges of the saffron panel were distressed with my Heidi Swapp distressing tool. It is the little one that looks like a pink  pacman! You can see it in the bottom right of this page. LOL! It is so easy to use and I get quick results without ruining my fingernails.  The piggy from Farm Fever set was stamped with black Ranger Adirondack Ink on whisper white CS and coloured with Copics. I was happier with the results this time, could I possibly be getting better at this? WOOHOO! Originally, I coloured the pig with RV markers and I wasn't happy, he looked too perfect and clean, not very pig-like. So I tested my colours first, not wanting to make it worse but I likes it so I coloured over with a YR marker (sorry,I didn't make note of the colour numbers, I will for the next post) and it made him more peach and less perfect looking. I edges the white panel with chocolate chip ink to grunge it up a bit more. I used my BRAND NEW Crop-a-dile Big Bite to set the eyelets in the corners of the white piggy panel; that thing is awesome! The punch went through the lower left 4 layers like it was tissue paper. Last step, add the ribbon. Now I have a card in my stash for the next time someone is feeling crappy. Usually, by the time I get to making a card, especially one with colouring, they are feeling better. Come one, I know it has happened to you, be honest! Be sure to subscribe to email updates from Feedblitz to be notified of my future postings! Sorry for the less than stellar photography. I am taking the photos with my iPhone so they could be better but I think you get the idea.