Friendship Grows in Rainbow

Spellbinders has a new monthly challenge, and January is 'January Glam' - and I just happen to have a brand new Glimmer Hot Foil machine!  So far I've had really good results, as this is only my second foiled image.

I am using the rainbow foil that came with the kit, and wanted a large plate that would show off the entire rainbow, so this is the November Betterpress Society plate, Friendship Grows.

After foiling, I used the included dies to cut out both edges, then adhered it to my card base with 3D foam adhesive.  The sentiment is from the It's Your Day Sentiment Strips press plate, pressed on the wonderful Brushed Gold Treasured Cardstock.  A few gold pearls finished it off.  As always, it's hard to photograph metallics - but I think you can get an idea of how pretty this is in real life.

 

Simple Pattern Play

If you follow me, you'll have seen this die set appear several times on my blog - it's one of the favourite products that I purchased last year.  These are the Pattern Play dies from Concord & 9th:

It's my husband's birthday later this week, so I was in need of a masculine card (I made two of these!).  I have a jar with 'extra' bits and pieces that I've die cut using this set, so I pulled it out, and was able to get about 80% of what I needed for two of these from my stash.

Every time I pull these dies out, I've used a different pattern/layout, and different colour combos - keeps it feeling fresh every time.  The sentiment was done with my Betterpress on Brushed Gold Treasured cardstock from Spellbinders.

Glass Container & Birthday Journal Set

 I am on the Art Impressions blog today for their Watercolour Weekend post!

Welcome to a whole new year of watercolour painting!  I have two projects today featuring older products.  After all of the holiday crafting over the past few months, I'm always needing to replenish my stash of cards in the New Year, and birthday cards top the list.

I stamped the sweet pup from 5722 - Birthday Journal Set in Tombow #N45, masked him, and stamped the stack of presents beside him, and the banner across the top.  I am using the 5742 - Easter PP on both projects today, and choosing my pretty background paper was the starting point for picking my colour palette.  I painted the pup in #947, keeping the undersides a little darker, and the face area almost down to nothing.  The florals are from 5258 - WC Flower Set 4, painted in #703 & #636, surrounded by the small green from 5009 - WC Mini Flower Set in #312.  I took a damp brush to my bouquet, softening everything.  

The packages were painted with #761/703/312/N45/636 in various washes & patterns, and the banner was washed with N45.  565 was used as a wash in the sky, and to darken up a few shadowy areas.  I used my grey Twintone marker to darken up some of the lines of my scene, and to draw a bow on either end of the banner.  I used the 5061 - Square Double Stitched dies to cut out my scene, and mounted it on a larger square of dark grey textured cardstock.  I cut the hello from 5718 - Mini Journal Template in the grey cardstock, and adhered it across the top.  I added 3D foam adhesive and attached it all to my card base - the finished card is 5 1/4" square.

I have never painted a glass container before!  It was time to give it a try.  

Using Bonnie's examples as inspiration, I stamped the largest vase from 5921 - Glass Containers Set in #N45, then masking the rim only with a tiny sliver of paper, I stamped in the flowers and foliage from 5920 - Long Stem Foliage Set and 5919 - Long Stem Floral Set using #312/177/636/N45.  I picked up all of the colours from my palette, and painted in the foliage softly.

Most of the stems were stamped inside the vase, but for a few that weren't, I painted the stems using the green shades.  I used tones of #451 and 565 to paint in blue lines suggesting the inside of the vase and the waterline, adding a few streaks of green for the reflection of the stems.  #565 was used as a wash in the background, and around the base of the vase.  To add a little glimmer, I used my silver Gel Pen to paint the flowers of the baby's breath - to echo the silver cardstock.

The scene was cut out with a decorative rectangular die, and mounted on some silver cardstock.  Everything was adhered to the card base with 3D foam adhesive, and a few iridescent jewels added more sparkle.