Goth Boy in Purple

Hi, How are you today. On this Saturday morning here in Nairobi it is a rather overdrawn kind of day weather wise, pleasant temperature, so on the whole pretty good. The night before last we had a massive surge to the power lines into the Hotel and quite a few rooms were without power for a while. Kenyan Power is somewhat volatile and apparently these things happen on a major scale every couple of years. The hotel has a massive generator so this kicked in and saved the day/evening for most!

My card today is similar to one I have made before:
Here it is:- I have called it "Goth Boy in Purple". Not very imaginative I know!

I used DCWV bright card stock stack as my base and a sheet of plain purple paper for the contrast. (From my stash).

The metal gears and brads that look like screws are a nice touch (I thought) to the look and feel of the card.

I used Copics to colour the digital image from Spesch Stamps printed on white "X-press it blending card" as follows:

Hair: C7, C5, C3 (also Marvy 1122 Le Plume II Black 

Bracelets: E13, E15, E17

Skin: E50, E51, E11

Shirt: V17, BV11, BV00

Trousers and the ground: C5, C3, C1

Boots: B97, B95, C7, C5 B(also Marvy 1122 Le Plume II Black 

Eyes: B0000

Background: B0000

I added a few drops of Stickles Crystal Glitter for a little interest in the background of the image.

The Top of the card in more detail.

I used a white Peel Off for the sentiment - they are so effective!

This is the inside of the card!

Here are more specific details of the items I used:

DCWV Bright Mat Stack Pad 12 x 12	Copic BLENDING CARD X-Press It Paper Pack of 10	Spesch stamps Goth Boy with Ring Digi Stamp	COPIC Sketch Markers	Marvy 1122 Le Plume II Black Pen
At You Spica Pens - set B	Stickles - Crystal	Gear Brads	Brads that look like screws

InLinkz.com

I hope you are having a great weekend. Thanks again for stopping by.

Such a "Handy" Dad - Happy Father's Day

Hi, How's your weekend going? I am briefly catching up on some admin for the business as well as spending time relaxing looking at crafting web sites and getting excited about growing my "Wish List"!
The card I have today is another Father's Day Card.

Here it is:

I began by using white card for the base of the card and then added a layer of Kaiser Craft Moss weave card stock and a sheets of DP from a Kaiser Craft 6" x 6" pad called "Konstrukt Collection".

Onto this I added some lovely Green Really Reasonable Ribbon - from the February 2012 Subscription pack.

I stamped the image twice (a Funstamp - FR55 called DIY Frame) with a Memento Bamboo Leaves ink pad and cut out the tools to decoupage them for some depth.

I coloured the image with Copics:

Paint: C32, C34

Handles of Tools: YG11, G0000

Metal of Tools, Screws etc: N1, N2, N4, N6

Wood of frame: E09, E13, E15, E17, E47, E97

Saw Handle: E50, E51, YR24

Shading: W1, W3

The sentiment is from Flourishes, the "What a catch" stamp set which I stamped in the middle of the frame, also using the same Bamboo Leaves ink pad. I added a few flourishes with a Mint coloured Spica Pen and there you have it.

Here are more details of the items I used:

Copic BLENDING CARD X-Press It Paper Pack of 10	Kaiser Craft Moss Weave Card Stock	Kaisercraft 6 x 6 paper pad Konstrukt Collection	Really Reasonable Ribbon February 2012 Ribbon Club	Funstamp F-R55 DIY Frame
Memento Bamboo Leaves Ink Pad	COPIC Sketch Markers	At You Spica Pens - set B	Flourishes Stamp Set - What A Catch

InLinkz.com

I hope you liked this card, it was quite easy to make and I think looks really effective.
Thanks for dropping by take care until the nest time you drop by . . . .
  

The "Hush Hush" Commission for Dave's Birthday

G'day, how are you today?
Today is July 11th and the day I can show you the card that has been hush hush until now. You may recall that the brief was for a Red and Black card. I can now tell you why.

The story starts in December 2011 when I received my first commission from Gail (Dave's Wife) to make him a Christmas card; and more critically that this would be a key component of her gift to him.

OK no pressure!
I thought about what I would do for a while. Then I happened to be in the Reject Shop in Coffs Harbour and they had some Fabulous Gift boxes on sale - - - and I found the perfect box.

It inspired the card. Let me show you . . . .

It was a BIG box about 12" tall and 9" wide and about 3" deep. I placed it on our Lounge floor to photograph the lid and the base together.

In the bottom of the box wrapped in red tissue paper would be Chocolates, Sweets, Christmas Cookies etc. the card would sit on top as shown here.

My next pictures show this in more detail
. . . . Take a look . . .

Here is a close up view of Dave's Christmas card.

So, the reason for his Birthday card being Red and Black was because "THE BOX" was to make its appearance again.
My card would need to be another large one, if it wasn't to look lost in the box. The finished card size of his Birthday card is 81/2" x 9". 


Here it is:

How did I construct it?
I began by creating the card base by matting and layering DCWV Black card-stock, on top a red card-stock layer (from my stash bought at Office Works).

Then on my computer I used the small (and FREE) program that you may have come across called Wordle - word clouds.
By entering a whole heap of words you generate a word cloud.

This is a reiterative process until you are happy with the look. You can change the orientation and font (to some extent).

Once I got the layout I liked, I printed off Two copies. I intended to do some colouring and decoupage.




I adhered one of the printed sheets onto the top of the card ensuring I cut it out with a white border. On the bottom of the card I added a black piece of card stock. I used a piece of diagonal striped black and white ribbon from my stash and covered the join.

Next I coloured the second printed sheet using my red Copics: R29, R27, R24. Then I cut some of the words out and decoupaged them onto the card in the appropriate place. I used Spica Clear and Red pens to add a bit of shine to the words I had coloured.

It's amazing where you get your inspiration from isn't it? I saw a card made by one of the Blogsters I follow and she had used the New Wild Rose Studio - DIY Legend A7 Clear Stamp Set and I knew it would be a stamp that I would use, so got myself one. NOW was when it was exactly what I needed. I coloured it with a variety of "N" and "C" type Copic pens. As it was a bit like a James Bond image and I thought I would add 0054 not 007. (Can you guess why???).

I looked on Google and came across a copyright free Drill Bit image. Then I made some quick pennants by hand, using red card-stock and added the numbers using gold peel-offs. The white lines were made with a Motolow paint pen. I placed these pennants over red and white bakers twine and attached them to the Drill bit image I had printed off.

To finish off the card I added a couple of Antique Silver Franchecille metal charm embellishments. Then used Xmas Red and Crystal Stickles to add a bit of glitter.

For inside the card I used Word Art on my computer and played around with colours and layouts to make the image you see here. I printed out the words and fussy cut them out; sticking them onto red card-stock which created the matted layer on the inside of the card.













Here are the details of most of the ingredients I used to make this card:

DCVW Bright Mat Stack Pad 12 x 12	Scor-Pal Tool	New Wild Rose Studio - DIY Legend	At You Spica Pens - set B	COPIC Sketch Markers
Google searched Image - Drill Bit	Stickles - Crystal	Stickles - Xmas Red	Really Reasonable Ribbon - Bakers Twine	Francheville metal charm embellishments: Antique Silver
Molotow White Paint Marker 127HS

InLinkz.com

Thanks very much for stopping by to read about the "Hush Hush" card. I certainly enjoyed making it - once I knew what the main concept would be! Hope your day is going well.

Fireman Luka Card

Hello, I hope your Sunday is going well. My (hush hush) commission card was picked up today and was very warmly received which all bodes well for the eventual receiver.
My card today uses another La La Land stamp that is a particular favourite of mine - Fireman Luka.

Here it is:

On a white card stock  base I added a piece of teal design paper from HOTP, on top of that I added a striped sheet from Crafter's Block 1.

I cut a strip of the teal paper and used a Martha Stewart Deco Fan punch on the edge of a piece of check patterned yellow design paper also from Crafter's Block1 which I then adhered to the strip of teal paper. This strip was then stuck to the card base (slightly to the right of the card).

I printed my Fireman Luka Digi stamp onto white Neenah Solar card stock and coloured him with a variety of Copics, Prisma Color pencils and a clear and gold spica pens. I then cut him out.

Here is a closer image of Luka,

Having cut Luka out, I layered him on rectangles of teal, gold and teal patterned paper from my stash and used a corner punch (on my Clevercut 5-in-1 paper trimmer) to round off the corners.

I glued a piece of "Bayleaf" seam binding to the card before mounting my Luka medallion using foam pads to the card base too.

Lastly I cut and layered 2 sets of stars from Red, Teal and Gold card stock, and on top placed a single pearl cut from a pearl ribbon strand.

The "Happy Birthday" sentiment is from JustRite stampers - Fleur De Lis Labels Twenty - CL-02210, stamped onto a piece of patterned paper layered on silver Mirri card.




Here are more details of the ingredients I have used:

La La Land Digi stamp - Fireman Luka	White Neenah Solar Card Stock	COPIC Sketch Markers	Prisma Color Pencils	At You Spica Pens - set B
Provo Craft Paper Symphony Crafter's Block 1	Hot Off The Press Pizazz Jewel Papers	Martha Stewart Deco Fan around the page punch	Clevercut 5-in-1 Paper Trimmer	Bayleaf seam binding from Really Reasonable Ribbo
Pearl Ribbon White Large - Craft Queen	JustRite Stampers Fleur De Lis Labels 2

InLinkz.com

Thanks for popping in to have a look at my card for today. Hope you are having/were able, to relax and have a soothing Sunday.