Bloomin' Challenge

Well, I've been very adventurous over the weekend: I decided to have an attempt at the Just Add Ink colour challenge and combine it with the Mojo Monday sketch challenge! At least it meant half the work was done for me, LOL!

I combed through my stamp sets to find one where I could use all those very strong colours and not end up with something overpowering. Finally I settled on an old favourite, Bloomin' with Beauty. Haven't used it in a while, but the flower is soooooo pretty and I was sure it would look stunning in Melon Mambo.

I flipped the mojo sketch sideways and have used two of my favourite techniques - watercolouring (the flowers) and brayering (the teal and eggplant background) and I muted the melon background so it isn't too "in your face"! I am very happy with the result.

Thanks for dropping by today. Have a great week!

Cheers
Kez

Bloomin'

I mentioned on Sunday's post that Bloomin' with Beauty is one of my fav sets, so while I had it out I just had to make another card. Tried a new colour combo for this one, which I am quite happy with (and it has DD17's approval too!).

Created by Kez. Stamped images © 1990-2009 Stampin' Up! ®

I stamped the Sanded background stamp on the crushed curry first, then overstamped with the blossom definition stamp in old olive. I couldn't be bothered using my Stamp-a-ma-jig, so I am pretty pleased with how almost straight I got the writing! (Mind you, you can't see the boo boo I've hidden behind the bee! LOL!) Sponged the edge with old olive too, then mounted it on very vanilla and old olive base. The flower is stamped on watercolour paper and coloured with melon mambo, crushed curry and old olive; the bee is crushed curry with a touch of soft suede on his legs and bermuda bay on the wings. Bloom is stamped in melon mambo. Shapes cut with nestabilities and circle punches.

That's it! Thanks for dropping in; hope you have a great day.

Cheers
Kez

Purple Feast

My good friend and fellow papercraft addictee, Anne, just loves purple (in fact, I think of her every time I make a purple card! Hi Anne!), so I know she will adore this card as it is a veritable feast of purple.

I've used the Stained Glass technique as a sample for my Marker Club ladies. It's the first time I've done one and I am quite happy with the results, so will be giving it another go soon! The stamp set is Bloomin' with Beauty, one of my all time favs from SU and one I've used plenty of times.

Here tis:

Created by Kez. Stamped images ©1990-2009 Stampin' Up! ®

Materials used:

• stamps - Bloomin' with Beauty
• card & paper - pale plum, perfect plum and whisper white cardstock; perfect plum patterns DSP; vellum
• markers - pale plum, perfect plum, elegant eggplant, summer sun, sage shadow, creamy caramel, always artichoke, going grey and close to cocoa
• other - basic black ink, clear embossing powder, Veramark ink, dimensionals, ribbon from stash, Cuttlebug embossing folder Swiss Dots, sponge dauber, scallop edge punch, nestabilities and Big Shot, heat tool

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kez

Seven Year Itch

Never mind the seven year itch, what about the seven day itch? It has been a whole week since I have made a card! MAJOR WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS! I have had some card designs whirling around in my head (and there's not alot of spare space up there, ya know!!! LOL) but have been busy with other things and too dog tired at night to sit and create.

And this morning I should have been marking assessments (not to mention laundry and housework) but that itch was simply irresistable! I just had to "scratch", I couldn't help it, I tell ya, honest!!! I tried and I tried to resist (alright, you got me, I didn't try too hard!) Anyways, the marking will get done later in the day, so my halo can sit tight (choke, choke!!!)

I thought you might be getting sick of tri shutter cards by now :) so I decided to try a side-step card instead. It's a similar concept of scores and cuts, but makes for an entirely different shape. Here's my first attempt:

I've left a blank space for a message to be written.

Materials used:

• stamps - Bloomin' with Beauty, Oval All
• card & paper - Rose Red and Kiwi Kiss card; watercolour paper; Raspberry Tart DSP
• other - large oval punch, scallop oval punch, dimensionals, rose red and cameo coral markers, nestabilities and Big Shot, crystal effects, Dazzling Diamonds
  

For my second try I thought I'd use my favourite Frenchman, otherwise known as Chef Henri the little fat chef. Just for something different. You know how it is. Don'tchya? I made the side panel a little wider to accommodate his girth (he he). Once I got going I had to decide what to put on the tray and as DH and I are having an anniversary next week, I went with that. I discovered to my horror that I don't own ANY stamps of ANY brand that say Happy Anniversary. Hmm, will have to do something about that ... so I die cut lettering instead.

Here's Henri:

Materials used:

• stamps - Voila, Voila a la carte, Wonderful Favourites
• card & paper - chocolate chip, baja breeze and whisper white card; Parisian Breeze SDSP
• other - adhesive pearls (Kaisercraft), Big Shot, Cuttlebug alphabet dies, dimensionals, stamp-a-ma-jig
  

All right! All right! I'll go and do that marking now. Boy, you sure are a hard taskmaster!

Cheers

Kez