I'm a GUEST DESIGNER for Digitally 'Sweet' Challenges... Challenge #62

Well, Well, Well, isn't it funny how things just..... happen???

A couple of weeks ago, I entered one of my creations in to the challenge at Digitally Sweet who had the offer to become a GUEST DESIGNER for their challenge blog.
I woke up one morning to a lovely email from an even lovelier lady called Karen, who offered me a chance to be a GD. 
I immediately said yes..... as I love a new challenge.

Here it is... the logo for DSC - click on the logo to have a toot around the challenge blog.

So, I got started on my 1st challenge. 

As many of you know, I am completely in love with all things vintage and I adore old fashioned postcards and vintage photographs. And my 1st challenge for DS was just that - a gorgeous vintage photograph with the most beautiful colours... my heart melted when I was given the opportunity to use this image... just stunning. 

The photograph was from Lunagirl - which I must admit, I had never heard of - but I am now completely and utterly in love. This website has some of the most gorgeous images I have ever seen. 
The theme was: use ribbon/lace or both. Any kind of ribbon and lace are my main crafty weakness. I have thousands of yards of the stuff but always need more!! There are so many things that an be done with ribbon/lace. It can be manipulated in so many wonderful and creative ways...
Soooooo, what could be better - a beautiful image and an fabulous theme!!


Here is my 1st creation for Digitaly Sweet.

Isn't that photograph just gorgeous??
So, I started with gathering a selection of ribbons and lace concentrating on the colour palette in the photograph. I chose a silky turquoise green, a rich burgundy, chocolate brown, white, cream and gold range of ribbons and lace.

I cut around the photograph leaving a 0.5 cm border. I wanted to add some texture along with flashes of colour. I laid out some of the ribbons flat and ruffled different ribbons over the top.

I also added a large piece of bronze/gold lace fabric to the bottom corner and added crochet ribbon over the top. 
I made a ribbon rose from the turquoise ribbon and placed it in the centre. 

I layered a piece of lace ribbon along the top then cut single flowers out of another piece of the lace and layered them on top. I inked the flowers with Distress Ink (see, got to sneak my DI's in somewhere!!) and added gold Stickles to the center of each flower. 

I added cream pearls and gold cord around areas of the photo to frame it.
To finish, I added white feathers around the ribbon rose.

I adored doing this project and it just shows - when the primary image is so stunning - the creative possibilities are endless.

I think I am going to have an amazing time working with the ladies at DS and I am so excited as I have already seen some of the images for the next few challenges and can't wait to work with them.

Thank you so much for looking and I hope you leave a comment to share your thoughts. I read each and every one and they are kindly appreciated. 

Hope you visit again soon - Lis xxx 

'DON'T POUT, JUST KISS' - The Stamping Chef - New Release

Hello all and welcome to another new release from The Stamping Chef.




*** This is 'Don't Pout, Just Kiss' and is available in the 'New Release' section of The Stamping Chef store with 20% off for this weekend only. 

click HERE to go direct to the stores New Releases.*** 

Here is my creation using this weeks new release and just happens to be one of this years 1st festive creations...  and a fabulous image to work with I must say.

Of course, I used my trusty ProMarkers to colour in the image and then cut it out.
I used festive colours - red and green and chose a range of festive papers in similar colours. 

I chose a red/white stripy paper, green patterned paper and a holly patterned paper. I matted and layered then added a strip of red textured ribbon down the side. 

I mounted the image on the opposite side.

I then made two pom-poms from white wool and inked them with distress ink to add some colour. I attached them to the ribbon and added a bow using the same textured ribbon.

I then stamped the sentiment using individual alphabet stamps, cut up each word and mounted it on to the stripy paper and inked round the edges with distress ink. 

Ingredients:

* ProMarkers

* Patterned paper

* Red textured ribbon

* White wool to make pom-poms

* Distress Inks - Victorian Velvet, Peeled Paint.

Thanks for looking - hope you join us in The Stamping Chef Kitchen. 

*** You can also click HERE to go direct to The Stamping Chef Store and have a look at the amazing selection of fun quirky designs available.***

Have a look at The Stamping Chef Facebook Page @ www.facebook.com/TheStampingChef and join in with The challenges @ www.facebook.com/groups/TSCRecipes/

'MIRROR MIRROR' - The Stamping Chef - New Release.

Welcome to this weeks new release from The Staming Chef.


*** This is 'Mirror Mirror' and is available in the 'New Release' section of The Stamping Chef store with 20% off for this weekend only. 

click HERE to go direct to the stores New Releases.*** 


Here is my creation.

I coloured the image in using ProMarkers. I wanted to keep the colour palette quite 'sweet' so chose to work with pinks.

After I had coloured the image, I worked on the background. I cut a piece of card slightly bigger than the image and embossed it using a swirl pattern embossing folder. I then inked over it using distress inks and an inking brush to create a softer look. 

I then cut out the face area from the frame, inked the background with Distress Ink and stuck it flat to the embossed background. I then stuck the frame part back over the top with double layered foam pads to create a raised effect. I wanted the image to have the effect of someone looking at someone, looking in a mirror. (If that makes any sense, ha ha?)

I wanted the raised frame to be effective and didn't want to take the focus off it by adding lots of other embellishments to the card. So I decided not to add any 'extras' and decided to use a scalloped edge card rather than a straight edge card. I added some inking around the edge of the scalloped card before adhering the embossed background and main image.


Ingredients:
* ProMarkers
* Victorian Velvet, Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink
* Swirl embossing folder
* Scalloped edge card blank
* Foam Pads

Thanks for having a toot - feel free to leave a comment - always appreciated. Toodles. 

*** You can also click HERE to go direct to The Stamping Chef Store and have a look at the amazing selection of fun quirky designs available.***

Have a look at The Stamping Chef Facebook Page @ www.facebook.com/TheStampingChef and join in with The challenges @ www.facebook.com/groups/TSCRecipes/

'KEEP CALM AND CRAFT' & a BIG happy birthday to The Stamping Chef!!!

HAPPY, HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY TO THE STAMPING
CHEF!!!! 

To celebrate this fabulous occasion we have some amazing goodies planned for you over at the blog. 

And welcome to November's Challenge over at TSC Recipes. The image is free for one whole week but you MUST be a member of The Stamping Chef Recipes Facebook group to join in. Click on the link above to go there direct. You have until 8th November 12pm CET to request the image for free, after the date above, it will be available in the store.
. 
This weeks a-maz-ing image is 'Keep Calm & Craft'. It was so much fun to have this image to play with as I think we all need one of these in our craft room - and every other room in the house!!!

And here it is.... this is my creation using 'Keep Calm & Craft'.

Now, how many 'Keep Calm...' phrases have we seen over the past few months? But how many have been as fabulous as this!!!!???? 

This is such a fun, playful image that every crafter will love!!

To do my creation, I chose my fav colour to work with.... purple! I am definitely a purple freak... 

I coloured the image in using ProMarkers, using different shades of purples in my collection then bringing in a couple of pinks.

I cut out the coloured image and mounted it on to black and cut round it. 

I used my DYMO embossing machine to write the phrase "Journey of a Lifetime" which I though was quite fitting as that is what crafting is - to me and I presume a lot of other crafters out there, a journey.... sometimes the best journey, the journey of a lifetime.... 

I then chose map-themed paper to co-ordinate with the phrase then layered on to a piece of purple textured card.

I wanted to add more words to describe how I feel when crafting. I chose to use Tim Holtz Adage Tickets. I first planned to only use a couple, but when I read them all, each one had a true meaning and a place on my creation.

I think I have come across every feeling on these tickets during one time or another whilst crafting - live, hope, dream, wish, giggle, play.......

To finish, I added my fav embellishments, an assortment of buttons and ribbons.

Ingredients:

* ProMarkers -

blossom, amethyst, lilac, lavender, heather, sorbet, rose pink, dusky rose, pastel pink.

* Tim Holtz Adage Tickets

* buttons

* ribbons

* assortment of paper/card 

Thank you so much for looking - please leave a comment if you wish, all comments are kindly received.

Hope you come back soon. Toodles for now xxx

I would like to enter my creation in to the following challenges.

OSAAT - Challenge #188

Welcome to another creation for One Stitch At A Time DT. 

This weeks challenge is sponsored by Stitchy Bear Digi Outlet and the winner of this challenge wins the entire digi set of images used by the Design Team on challenge #186. Runner up prize of $3.
*** To win the main prize, you MUST use a digi from the store! ***

Here is my creation.

This week I wanted to try something different instead of using my ProMarkers. I decided to colour the image using Distress Inks and a waterbrush. 

However after deciding this, I came up against the first problem - my printer won't take 350gsm watercolour paper! So I had to my super smooth 250gsm paper which doesn't take ink as well as the watercolor paper, but thought I would try it anyway.

After printing off the image, I stamped ink on to my glass craft mat with  Old Paper, Vintage Photo, Dusty Concord and Pumice Stone Distress Inks to act as my palette. I coloured the images with the inks using a waterbrush. 


I then cut the image out and covered it with clear embossing ink and sprinkled it with clear embossing powder then heated it with the heat gun to create a glazed effect over the image.

For the background, I cut music sheet paper in to 1cm strips then weaved them together using a simple under and over weaving technique. I then added a thin layer of PVA glue over the top. When dry, I brusted it with Wild Honey Distress Ink.

I decide I wanted the card to have a 'secret' greeting message. I made a tag shape from black card and added the greeting using letter tiles. I arranged them on the tag, inked the tag and added ribbon to the top. 

To make the message 'secret', I mounted the image on to the weaved music notes background paper with double layered foam pads so it was raised enough for the tag to slide in and out. I then 'hid' the message under the image with the ribbon sticking out the top.

I adhered the weaved music notes background to a black card blank and added purple gems to finish.

Ingredients:
* Distress Inks, Pumice Stone, Vintage Photo, Old Paper, Dusty Concord, Wild Honey.
* clear embossing ink.
* clear embossing powder.
* letter tiles.
* purple ribbon.
* purple gems.

Check out the challenge blog @ 
www.onestitchatatimechallenge.blogspot.co.uk

Thanks for looking, hope to see you soon, toodles.

'SCREW YOU' - The Stamping Chef - New Release

Welcome to this weeks new release.

*** This is 'Screw You' and is available in the 'New Release' section of The Stamping Chef store with 20% off for this weekend only. 

click HERE to go direct to the stores New Releases.*** 

And here is my creation.

First, I coloured in the image using ProMarkers. 

Once coloured, I cut it and used the 'Grid' mask from Stamps Away and brushed over it with Distress Ink to create a faded out look.

I created the metal background by embossing two pieces of gold and two pieces of silver metallic paper with the 'Metal Effect' mask from Stamps Away. I cut them in half diagonally to create trianges then put them back together to create a rectangle. I then mounted it on to black card.

For the embellishments, I found some tool shaped brads in my stash which I added to three corners. For the bottom right corner, I wrapped a length of jute string around two fingers then tided it in a big knot. I then cut the loops at each end. 

To finish, I added the phrase, "Have A Bangin Birthday" using my Dymo embossing machine. 

Ingredients:

* ProMarkers - 

Skin - vanilla, dusky rose.

Hair, canary, sunflower, mustard.

Outfit - dusky rose, rose pink, blossom. black

Tools - vermillion, ruby, cool grey 4 

* Pumice Stone Distress Ink

* Masks - Grid and Metal Effect

* Tool brads

* Jute string

* Dymo embossing machine.

*** You can also click HERE to go direct to The Stamping Chef Store and have a look at the amazing selection of fun quirky designs available.***

Have a look at The Stamping Chef Facebook Page @ www.facebook.com/TheStampingChef and join in with The challenges @ www.facebook.com/groups/TSCRecipes/

Thanks for looking - hope to see you soon. 

Comments as always are kindly appreciated. 

I would like to enter this creation in to the following challenges:

Paper Creators Crafts - Pink and/or blue
My Creative Moments - Anything Goes 
613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes 
Creative Inspirations Paint - Anything Goes 
Craftin Desert Divas - Anything Goes

PaperArtsy #3Up Challenge - Part 4 - TEASER

OOOOOOOOOOOHHHH!!! 
With a whole lorra, lorra, lorra stuff going on recently, I have still not had chance to post Part 4 of the PaperArtsy #3Up Challenge. This is the project that actually appeared on their website. 

Sssssooooooo, here is a little teaser...

As you can see, this is a very blown-up image and I've added a sepia tint to it!!!!

I am (hopefully) going to post this tomorrow but as tomorrow is an extremely busy day (like the rest at the minute) I will get round to it I'm sure.

Toodles for now.....