Blackberries

Flourishes Timeless Tuesday #175 Challenge 

The challenge over at Flourishes this week is hosted by my pal Silke and her challenge was to pick your favorite Flourishes set to use. To this I say... Silke, Are you NUTS? One favorite set?? I have way too many! So I picked a set that I love and had not inked up in awhile. I chose to use the Berry Sweet set.

I stepped out my coloring in pictures below...  

I break the Copic rules all over the place on this one! 

 B0000 in the background for a little light blue glow. 

Blender pen to soften the edges of the blue. 

V99 is the start of color on the berries.

 Continued with R56 on the berries.

 I wanted to add a small amount of a blue undertone in the berries.

 Another layer of R56.

 I used Y17 to lift darker color and add in a subtle green tint. 

 One more layer of the R56 to finish the berries.

 The first color on the leaves is G46. 

I added more blue around the image... I wanted it a bit darker. 

G43 to finish the leaves. 

E23 on the stem. Y32 and Y28 in the flowers, using the 0 Blender to bleed the color to the edges. 

• Stamps by Flourishes - Berry Sweet, Sweet Days of Summer 
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black
• Paper: Black, Bravo Burgundy SU, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Misc. Blue
• Other: MFT Mini Monarch Border Die, Spellbinder's Lacey Circles, Spellbinder's Circles, Bravo Burgundy Ribbon SU, Bow Easy Tool, Perfect Layers Tools, 

Conque....

This is another beautiful image, Shell Collage that Dina designed for Impression Obsession. Super easy to color this shell it has so much detailed shading already that it hides any coloring flaws.

 On the darker pink layer I also used a Cover-a-Card Stamp CC063 Map.

  I stamped the image in Memento's Espresso ink... hooked on that color. I used Spellbinder's Labels 21 to frame the image...   

 This is all one panel, not layered. I stamped first and cut out the complete shape. Then I placed a smaller nestie inside to "frame" the shell, taping it in place and then only embossed it. I left both of the Nesties in place as masks and I sponged a little of the Espresso ink on to the exposed areas. On the outer exposed area I also airbrushed with R30. On the inside Nestie I used the grey fine tip marker to outline the inside of the die, adding little dots as well. I added a little color to the shell using the other four Copics shown above. The little dots were a result of a my pen bleeding and leaving a dot where I started to draw in the frame... so I just made more dots! 

I popped the shell layer up with foam tape. I wanted the shell to stan out a little more, so I used Ranger's Crackle Accents to accent the shell. I kind of followed the shell's lines and added the Crackle Accents in a line pattern. THe card is 4" x 5/12" opening tent style at the bottom. I added a bow along the top to finish it off as well as a few small little peach pearls with a Viva Decor Pearl Pen. 

• Stamps by Impression Obsession: Cover-a-Card CC063 Map, 13024 Shell Collage
• Ink: Memento Espresso Truffle
• Paper: Both pink papers are from Authentique's Freebird Blush Collection, Neenah Classic Crest Natural White (ivory), Grey
• Other: Ranger's Crackle Accents, Bow Easy Tool, SU Grey Ribbon, Gray Fine Tip Pen, Copics/ABS, Spellbinder's Labels 21, Viva Decor Pearl Pen Salmon, Foam Tape

Red, White and Blue....

The IO Design Team is sharing creations today based on the color theme of Red, White and Blue. 

You can always play along in the challenges with IO, just hop over to the Impression Obsession Blog to read the how to and link up your card..... as always there is a $25 gift certificate up for grabs!

Check out what the ladies cooked up for this week... 

Dina, Jeanne, Laura, Vicki, Daniela 

 Red, White and Blue.... patriotic of course would be the obvious choice. I went a different direction, creating this very simple card! I can easily see this fence die turned in to a ribbon border die as becoming one of my favorites!

 Simple coloring... no blending. Coloring the background with the blue and adding the red center on the flowers. I added a 1/16 border around the cut out flower squares. The stamp is shown below and it actually has four panels... Mixed 2 Square Item # F1275. I think this stamp has unlimited possibilities! 

 This is a new Fence Die from IO it also has a coordinating Fence Stamp available. Other DT Members have been using it not just as a fence... but as a ribbon border. I had to copy cat them! Too clever! You can attach two or more together easily for a longer border. 

I also used one of the new Cover-a-Card Stamps - Small Quatrefoil to create my own pattern paper behind the flower panel. 

• Stamps and Dies all by Impression Obsession- Fence Die, Cover-a-Card Stamps - Small Quatrefoil, Mixed 2 Square Item # F1275
• Ink: Versafine Crimson Red, Memento Tuxedo Black
• Paper: Red, Blue, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White
• Other: Perfect Layer Rulers, Embossing Folder by SU, Adhesive Pearls, Ribbon by SU, Bow Easy Tool

Serendipity Color Challenge

This week the Serendipity DT has a color challenge to inspire their projects. 

Also, we were to incorporate borders or corners.

SHOPPING SPECIAL OF THE WEEK...

Buy 3 items get a 4th one free!

This sale ends June 25, 2012.

CLICK HERE TO SHOP SERENDIPITY NOW.

Check out what the ladies came up with this week...

Amy -  Miriam -  Sue - Jeanne

 So these are outside my normal colors for sure.... and I have to confess as I got the colors of card stock together the only thing I could think of was Neapolitan Ice Cream or Easter M & M colors! So needless to say I am craving something sweet! 

 When I went through my stash of stamps, I realized that somehow I did not have any corner stamps that would work for this challenge from Serendipity. They have a whole section that you can find HERE. I had to get creative and I used the heart die to make some corner pieces.

 I stamped the sentiment in Memento's Rich Cocoa. I used the two Copics to airbrush the color over the sentiment. I left the paper in the die as I airbrushed giving me the white border. I added piercing around the edge to help frame it. 

I finished things off with a loopy bow using some multi color twine I found in my stash. the sentiment panel is popped up with foam tape. All of the layers were created using Perfect Layer Rulers. 

• Stamps and Die Cut by Serendipity - Joy you Give #309D, Heart Die 
• Ink: Memento Rixch Cocoa Brown
• Paper: Regal Rose (SU), Misc. Brown, Misc. Mint, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White
• Other: Embossing Folder, Perfect Layer Rulers, Copic ABS, Twine, Bow Easy Tool, Adhesive Pearls, Foam Tape, 

TIME to HOP with IO and Julie Fei-Fan Balzer!

The Crafter's Workshop/Impression Obsession/Balzer Designs BLOG HOP! 

Yep... that is a mouthful... but it simply means that these guys all came together to design NEW products, like stencils and stamps that all coordinate together featuring the creative designs of Julie Fei-Fan Balzer! 

What's new and different about this release?

Each stamp set works independently.

Each Stencil works independently. 

Each Stencil has a matching stamp set, which of course means that each stamp set has a matching stencil... and they can all work together!

Of course, what's a blog hop with out a prize? 

Julie will be awarding one lucky commenter one set of ALL SIX STENCIL AND STAMP SETS! 

The Hop Stops are as follows.... 

Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

Mitra Friant 

Jeanne Streiff

Daniela Dobson

Laura Fulcher

Vicki Garrett

Jenny Gropp ----you are here!

Dina Kowal

Julie Koerber

I chose to work with the stamps and stencils independently for my project. 

Using the Beads Stencil

and also the Butterflies Stamp set

Here's how it came together....

 To start I taped the stencil down to the paper and airbrushed RV19 and RV14 to create the design on the white paper. I used a fine tip black pen and also outlined the inside of each circle giving it a neater polka dot feel.

 Loved this butterfly with the tell your story script in the wing. I felt the open side to the butterfly as well as the large circles were bold, and I guess that influenced my choosing the bold colors of my card. Normally... my cards are not this bright! I used Copics to add color using rough streaks rather than going for a smooth blend.

 I assembled the card putting the a center strip in the middle at an angle, combining the embossed paper and the polka dot stencil paper. Then I used the side of the stencil to create the half circle border edge.... I used the stencil as a guide and traced the design using a fine tip black pen. Coloring it in using a black Copic.

 When I added the butterfly, I kept the black side of the butterfly flat and popped it up with foam tape. The pink side of the butterfly I curled the wing and used dimensional silicone under the wing to keep the bend in place. 

The finishing touch was to use a clear Viva Decor Glass Gel Pen to add some shine. I created random streaks over the pink side of the butterfly and random swirls over the polka dot areas. 

--------------------------------

Keep on hopping

Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

Mitra Friant 

Jeanne Streiff

Daniela Dobson

Laura Fulcher

Vicki Garrett

Jenny Gropp <-----you are here!

Dina Kowal

Julie Koerber

here is the full line of the coordinating products that link to the Blue Moon store where you can purchase them....

Clear Stamp Bird Set 6x6 Layered Bird Scene Clear Stamp Flowers Set 6x6 Layered Flowers Stencil Clear Stamp Circles Set 6x6 Layered Circles Stencil Clear Stamp Butterflies Set 6x6 Butterflies Stencil Clear Stamp Tickets 6x6 Layered Tickets 6x6 Rubber Stamp Circles 6x6 Layered Beads Template

Magnolias

I adored the Magnolia Set that Flourishes released a few months ago. I finally had a chance to sit down and color this up. I've seen so many cards using this stamp that have colored the magnolia flowers a pinkish color. Here in the south they are more white/beige. I googled it (love google) and there are pink magnolias, they are beautiful, but I don't think I've ever seen one around here. Beautiful tree but the large leaves drop and make such a mess! 

I used BG90 to add a very soft shadow around the flowers, it's so light it does not show in the picture. I added a lot of color to the flower petals YR30, YR31 and Y28, then I used the blender pen to blot at the edges of the color pushing the color back toward the edges and lifting color in the center of the petals. I used Y17 in the center of the flowers only. The greens on the leaves are G94 and G99. 

I added a mat to the inside using a sentiment from Flourishes Life Lines set.

I started with a white card base, A2 sized. I added an embossed panel with a 1/16" black border (using the Perfect Layer Rulers). Then I added the lattice die cut over that. The die cut is exactly 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" so it fits the A2 card front exactly. I cut the image out with Spellbinder's Labels Four. I hand cut the skinny layer around the image. The image is popped up with a little foam tape. Not a lot of fussing up on this card, I thought the pretty image with the clean black and white in the background made for a simple and striking card.

• Stamps: all stamps by Flourishes - Magnolias Set, Life Lines Set
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black
• Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Black
• Other: Spellbinder's Labels Four, Copics, Cheery Lynn Lattice DIe Cut, Foam Tape, Perfect Layer Rulers, CB Embossing Folder