Creative Card Crew Challenge #84 Handmade Flowers

The current challenge for Creative Card Crew is to make a card/project with handmade flowers.

This challenge is sponsored by:

A Day for Daisies

Prize $12 Gift Voucher

Now for my Design Team contribution to this challenge.

I used the Wind in My Hair image for my for my card.

I colored the image using Copic markers. Lately I have been practicing shading and highlighting my images using markers from different color families. The dress uses markers from the BV, V, RV, BG, and G families. Another goal is to get better at coloring pastel images. I this was the perfect project for both.

After the image was colored, I used Sakura Stardust gel pens in rose and pink to add sparkle to the flowers in her dress and the ones blowing around her hair and skirt. I added a few dots with my white gel pen for interest.

I used my new Zig Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors to add a background to both the image and the panel under them image. I matted my image on Dark Chocolate cardstock from Papertrey Ink. Added lace from my stash and adhered the layers together, using dimensional adhesive for the image panel.

Know, onto the challenge feature. I wanted to create a simple flower that flowed well with the image, yet would standout. I started with two Hydrangea punches by Martha Stewart. I used an inexpensive 110lb white cardstock for these. I wanted the paper to have tooth, as I planned to watercolor them, but water color paper was too thick.

I used Radiant Rain in Apple Blossom and Periwinkle because they have a beautiful shimmer that I can't really get from just watercolors alone. I watered them down quite a bit to get the perfect shade of pint and purple. I wet my flowers first and then just added drops of Apple Blossom to the edges of each flower, letting it wick to the center. I then added Periwinkle to the centers and let if blend with the Apple Blossom. I was so pleased with the outcome. It is exactly want I wanted.

I shaped each flower using my ball stylus tools, stacked them and added pearls to the centers of each flower. I finished off the clusters with small leaves from Wild Orchid Crafts.

This was such a fun card to make. I really challenged my self to step outside of my comfort zone and I love the results. 

I hope you join in the fun over at Creative Card Crew. You have two weeks to create a project. Hope to see yours there.

Thanks for stopping by and happy crafting,

Dana

Creative Card Crew Challenge #83 - Easter Critters

Happy St. Patrick's Day, I hope everyone is wearing their green. My husband's family is from Ireland, so St. Patrick's Day is one of our favorite holidays. We love to show our Irish pride around out house.

Today's card was created for the Easter Critters challenge over at Creative Card Crew.

Challenge Details

Our challenge for this fortnight (for us Americans, this means two week challenge, LOL) is Easter Critters. We want to see all those lovely bunnies, chicks, ducks, and sheep. No animals such as cats or dogs will be accepted. 

The sponsor is This challenge is sponsored by:

QKR Stampede

and the prize is 3 Digi's Images

For this card, I wanted to challenge myself to use products new to me. They have been out there for a while, but I just have not been brave enough to try them. 

I started off with a piece of Tim Holtz water color paper and my new Zig Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolor set (Yes, I was lucky enough to get my hands on one of these beauties). I created a sunrise and clouds. I have to say this was so much easier than I thought it would be. I set this aside to dry.

 

I then started coloring my images using my growing collection of Copic markers. I used the E series to color the Bunny with Butterfly image from QRK Stampede. Using my Colorless Blender and my white Signo gel pen, I added texture to the bunnies fur.

To add a little "Easter" to the card, I stamped this Easter Egg image from Stampendous, colored it with my Copics and add Glossy Accents and Stickles. I cut it out and set it aside to dry.

By this time the water colored background was dry. I pulled out my unused texture paste and my Tim Holtz stencil. I added Gold Metallic Folkart paint to the texture paste, placed my stencil, and held my breath as I began to slather it onto my beautifully painted sky. I peeled the stencil off and began to breath as I realized it was exactly what I wanted (I think texture paste may be my new love).

Once that was dry, it was assembly time. I wanted the card to have tons of dimension (Let's face it, after stepping out of my comfort zone, I wanted the card to say, "Here I am!) Again I used my Fiskars grass punch (I know I used on the last card, but I swear I don't use this punch as it may seem. LOL)

I tucked the eggs and bunny into the grass, heat embossed my sentiment using Ranger's Liquid Platinum embossing power and added that to the card.

I love how this card turned out. I got a bit worried in the middle of the process. I had a vision, but I just wasn't sure it would work, but it did and I couldn't have asked for a better outcome.

I hope you join us in the Creative Card Crew challenge. You don't have to make a card to participate, but it does have to be some type of paper craft. Hope to see you there.

Thank you for stopping by and happy crafting,

Dana

Creative Card Crew Design Team Member + A Challenge

I am so excited to participate in my first challenge as a Design Team member for the Creative Card Crew. 

As you may know I first started my crafting as a cardmaker. In the last year, I have been exploring other types of crafts. But one thing always remains. My love of cardmaking. Each is a small piece of art intended to make someone else's day a little brighter. 

Challenge #82 Use Green as the Main Color.

The sponsor this week is Marianne Designs

Prize: Surprise!

The images are from Dragon's Lair Designs 

Prize: 5 lb. Gift Voucher

I used the Meet Snitch digital image. I colored the image using Copic markers, which have been quite neglected over the last year. I really enjoyed picking them up again, as they are my most favorite coloring tool.

I used the vintage car as an inspirations for my paper selection. I pulled out my stash of Tattered Times paper stacks from DCWV and pulled out all the green patterns and solids.

I printed the sentiment as the same time I printed the image. I used an MFT tag stack to to cut the sentiment block. I popped that up on foam squares.

I then took the green pearlescent paper from the paper pack and my Fiskars grass edge punch and created a layered grassy area. Using an EK sucess punch and my McGill stylus tools, I created the flowers and added pearls from CTMH.

You can participate in this week's challenge too. Details can be found on Creative Card Crew's web page. Be sure to look at all of the other design teams' inspirational projects while you are there.

I want to thank everyone at http://creativecardcrew.blogspot.com/ for making me feel so welcome. I can't wait to work with you to bring the love of cardmaking to others.

Thanks for stopping by and happy crafting,

Dana Desmond

Million Ways of Crazy...

I love this man. He has an awesome sense of humor. He picks on us constantly and we act like it drives us crazy, but we would miss it if he didn't. Ssh, don't tell him that.

This layout was created using the Bright Days digi kit by Violet Irisovna. This bundle can be found at pixelscrapper.com.

Thanks for stopping by and happy crafting,
Dana Desmond

Country Music Hall of Fame

On our way to Florida in 2011, John just had to make a detour through Nashville, TN. He had always wanted to go to the Country Music Hall of Fame. I think this was the only part of the trip he truly enjoyed...other than the rest of us leaving him alone in the hotel room with sole control of the remote. LOL

This layout was part of the "Roll the Dice" layout challenge. I used the Birthday Wishes kit by Sheila Reid . This kit can be found on pixelscrapper.com.

I used the layout template. I love starting with the templates and then allowing my creativity to go to town.

For this and other wonderful digital scrapbooking kits, Visit pixelscrapper.com.

Thanks for stopping by and happy crafting.

Dana Desmond