I'm finally well!!!

Oh, my gosh, the cold that I got last week really knocked me on my behinney! Today is the first day that I have actually felt normal(which is a relative term I use loosely). Here is a card I made in honor of feeling better using Melanie Muenchinger's A Charmed life and also her A Year of Flowers tulips. Double whammie of my favorite stamps :)

I colored the tulips, stems, leaves and ladybug from A Year of Flowers and cut them out and adhered them to my Top Note Die. I used 2 Adirondak ink pads, lemonade, juniper to sponge around the edge of the die panel and added a final light sponging of Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink on the farthest outside where I wanted it the darkest.

The sentiment, which I absolutely love, is from A Charmed life. I have used the wine glass a lot and decided that it was time to expand my visions as this set is so versatile and can be used for about a million occassions.

I created my own designer paper for the back panel by taking a piece of yellow cardstock and stamping the crackled finish stamp, from Bold Flowers ( a stamp set included in the Floral Frenzy StampTV kit). I stamped it in the Adirondak Juniper ink all over and then I took the Charming stamp from A Charmed Life and stamped all over the paper as well going in all different directions. I then sponged around the edge with the same Juniper ink.

I cut strips of Blue bayou cardstock and used my corner punch to create a pretty scalloped strip which I cut into four strips and matched the corners to frame the main image. I tied a piece of white dotten swiss sheer ribbon through a large grey-green button and tied it in a knot and then adhered the ribon to the main image,

The main image is popped up on strips of foam mounting tape but you can't see the dimension in the photo

The designer paper behind the main image is from the Ocean Glass paper pack I picked up at Michaels before Christmas.

It feels good to be back coloring and making cards again. I have missed making projects to show you and hope you missed it too.

Be sure to add a comment to the Blog Candy Theme frame for a chance to win it. I will honestly say that it looks so much better IRL. The post is at the very top of my blog postings until April 16 when I will draw the winner.

See you all tomorrow and thanks for stopping by.

Cathy

Charming Flower Bowl and Tutorial

When I sent Melanie Muenchinger this photo she wanted me to include a tutorial to show everyone how to make the flower bowl from the wine glass. This will be my first tutorial, be kind! Here is the card:

I really like the way this card turned out, the soft colors, the elegance added by using the crackled background stamp from Bold Flowers from the Floral Frenzy StampTV kit and the dainty heart charm adds a sweet touch.

Here is how I created the flower bowl from the wine glass stamp from A Charmed Life by Melanie Muenchinger for GinaK Designs:

The supplies you will need are Momento Tuxedo Black ink, flower stamp, wine glass stamp and sharpie permanent marker.

Step1: Stamp flower image on piece of scrap white cardstock

Step 2. Ink right half of wine glass bowl only

Picture on the left shows the stamped image from step 2

Step 3: Ink left half of stamp making sure to only ink the glass bowl
Step 4: Shows positioning of stamp to line up with first image stamped

Step 5: Ink base and stem of glass
Center picture shows image after all stamping is complete

Right Photo shows Black sharpie pen that I use to draw in the missing lines

Left photo shows the lines drawn in. Tip: draw in a continual motion for a smooth line

Center Photo shows image colored without thought of water line and ready to cut out

Right Photo shows flower cut out and positioned in the bowl to decide where to mark water line

Left Photo: I colored in the water with copic markers. I used B000 and C1, grey over blue

Center Photo: basic shading completed on water, draw in water line by holding the flower image in place and matching the stamped lines.

Right Photo: These are the copic markers and sharpie pen used to complete this project.

If you have any questions please ask, I love it when people think I actually know something.

I just completed the card as usual with shading and sponging, two pieces of ribbon and a Happy Anniversary Sentiment tag.

I would love to see if anyone liked this tutorial enough to try to create this flower bowl. Would you please send me a link to your image or blog if you try one.

Thanks for looking and making it through my first tutorial.

Have a great rest of the week-end. See you tomorrow night!

Cathy

Sunday is Challenge Day!

Sunday is usually the day that I try to catch up on a few challenges. Today I was able to complete two challenges. The first is the sketch challenge on Dog Gone Stamps. I had colored the image last week but used it to make the card for the challenge.

I colored the black lab with copic markers and used the copic airbrush for the grass and sky. The card is a 5X5 square to fit all of the pieces in. I mounted the SU kiwi kiss cardstock (cs) onto the black and white polka dot designer paper (dp). I mounted all of the squares onto white cs and then the white cs panel onto another piece of kiwi kiss cs.

I tied a piece of black ribbon with white stitching around the center panel of the squares. I wanted the card to have an I Miss You sentiment because the little pup looks like he misses his ball throwing buddy. I cut a piece of shrinki dink and stamped the sentiment on with my brushed stroke alphabet stamps from SU. I then melted and shrunk the shrinky dink with my heat gun. It is so fun to watch the shrinky dink melt and shrivel up in wierd shapes before laying flat. I almost had a disaster though, the shrinky dink was larger than some I have worked with and it started to melt onto itself. I had to use a tweezers to get it unstuck and finish heating it. Worst case senario I would have had to make another one but it came out just fine.
My second challenge was for GinaK Designs, StampTV. Melanie Muenchinger hosted the Potluck Friday Challenge which was to do a split screen project. Basically you just needed to cut an image into three sections and mount it.

My first card was really pretty but there was just something about it that I didn't like in the middle band, so I made another that I liked much better here:

Don't fall out of your chairs, but I did not use any copic markers to make this card :O. Before I became addicted to copic markers my favorite medium was watercolors. I used my SU water color crayons directly onto the Elegant Flowers stamp, from the Floral Frenzy Kit, and stamped onto a damp piece of white water color paper. I stamped the flower three times and when it was dry I stamped the crackled background stamp from Bold Flowers, also from the Floral Frenzy Kit.

I sponged the edges with Tim Holtz Weathered Wood Distress Ink and mounted my main image pieces on blue bayou cs. I had stamped the kiwi kiss piece of cs with the crackled background stamp using SU mellow moss ink.

I wanted to add a sentiment so I created a tag using my tag punch for the scalloped ends. Gotta thank my friend Theresa for that tip which I have used so many times since she showed it on her blog. I had a piece of organdy ribbon that I had dyed Not quite Navy that I tied onto the green cs panel and mounted it all on a piece of Not Quite Navy SU cs. I had some irridescent beads that matched perfectly to I glued them 3 on the top panel and 3 on the bottom panel. My second challenge card was done.


In case you want to judge my rejected card and see why I didn't think it was the best here it is: I really like the pinks and greens but something about the center panel just isn;t quite right, I will figure it out and redo it when I have time. I used the same water color technique on this card as the blue one.


I have also been working on a big DT project that I can't show you yet.

Well, I have been windy enough. I guess that happens when I don't post for a day because unless I am sick or out of town I am always creating something.

See you tomorrow night with a sexy giraffe card.... think about that one!

Cathy