Thursday, June 7, 2012

Ducks, Dinosaurs and Butterflies

I must say, my opinion of Summer Starfruit is beginning to change a bit.  I wasn't enamoured with it when I first saw it, but as I'm working with it, it's growing on me! 
The sketch for the duck card is from Create with Connie and Mary.  I decided I wanted to use the "Cherish Friendship" set because it's been neglected - and then I wanted to find an idea for colouring the duck.  Stampin' Connection (a website available to Stampin'Up! Demonstrators with loads of ideas and inspiration) came to the rescue and I took some inspiration from Sandy Mathis who had bleached the duck last June.  
So - I used the same Crumb Cake paper, stamped the image with Black Staz-On and then took an aqua painter dipped in bleach to colour in the duck.  Once I die cut the image with one of the Apothecary Accents Framelits, I took a sponge dauber with bleach to go around the edges and added some Cajun Craze after that.
The "gingham" piece is Very Vanilla put through the Stripes embossing folder in two directions - the embossing folder was brayered with Crumb Cake first each time.

Since I had the brayer out, I decided it was time for me to try out one of Michelle Zindorf's tutorials.  

I've cased her card pretty much exactly as she created it - except I need a WHOLE BUNCH of practice using the brayer so that I don't end up with straight lines.  
I learned two things making this card - 
1 - if you're real quick, you can add (clear) embossing powder to Classic Ink.
2 - In order to keep the dinosaurs' "true" colours while you brayer the background, you colour him with VersaMark Pen and add clear embossing powder so that he becomes a embossing resist.  Duh!!!  Fantastic idea.

Since I was on a role, I cased another of Michelle's cards.  I saw this card a couple of weeks ago, and thought it would be a good tutorial to start with.  She gives such fantastic, step by step, instructions.  The images were coloured with the AquaPainter using ink from the lid of the Ink Pad.  I think what I learned most - which I need more practise with - is the use of different colours to produce shading.  Next I'll have to create something of my own using the new things I've learned.

So - it was a productive afternoon - on top of doing 3 loads of laundry - and folding it....on the SAME day...WOW!

Hope your day has been filled with inspiration.  Thanks for stopping by!
Joan

5 comments:

Lisa Martz said...

Your card for the Create with Connie & Mary Challenge looks like a country kitchen! I really like it! Great use of new products. Thanks for playing the Create with Connie & Mary Challenge this week!

Deb said...

All three cards are great! I love the way you colored the duck image! I had forgotten about that technique and it is such a great way to 'color'! Thanks for playing the challenge at Create with Connie and Mary!

Debbie Henderson Debbie's Designs said...

Wow, you've been a busy girl. So neat how you used your brayer. Summer Starfruit is starting to grow on me too! Thanks for playing with us this week at CCMC!

Mary Brown said...

All your cards are fantastic! I really like how you colored your 'goose'...VERY cool! Thanks for playing along this week in the Create with Connie and Mary Thursday Challenge!

Connie Babbert said...

The goose fits in that medallion perfectly for a focal image! Thanks for playing along with the sketch challenge this week on Create with Connie and Mary!