Journey through an exotic reef

A short post this time, as I’m tired. No interesting text this time, so just sit and relax and watch the aquarium. Uh photo’s.

 

(Was also made for the Vandicrafts Artistry challenge: birthday, but I am too late for that one. Hmm maybe I am on time for anything goes?)(Oh too late for that one too, but the current theme fits as well: make your own background.)

The reef is printed. The origin is a background I made earlier. (See the post about marbled pearls). I scanned it and edited it digitally, then printed. This will be available in my shop too.The fish is from Designs by Ryn, the seaweed is a crafter’s workshop stencil, and the text is Stampendous. (could be wrong there).

After printin the background I stamped the fish with Stazon Pumpkin or Crimson red. Then I took my distress inks (ripe persimmon, wild honey, dried marigold, rusty hinge, and maybe a few more), dabbed them onty an acryllic block and took a waterbrush to colour the fish. I also went over the edge of the reef and a bit in between the stones with that brush – the ink of the printer is watersoluble so the colours brighten a bit.

I then masked off the fish and coloured the water around her, using a distress marker and a waterbrush. Then I placed the stencil and coloured it with various green/red colour distress inks. Only after that did I remove the mask from the fish.

To finish it off I added paper/gloss/perlen pearls to the overhanging of the reef. (Now that I look at it, next time I should make bubbles from them!). I did some marbling in them. The eye of the fish is made with the gloss/paper pen first, then let it dry and cover the pupil with glossy accents.

Last, I stamped the sentiment. To make it stand out more I outlined the text with a white pen.

Ink the edges a bit and glue onto a card – this could be quite a fast card! Looks lovely, doesn’t weigh too much (to keep the postage costs in check) and looks cheerfull.

I’d like to enter this card into the following challenges:

• Designs by Ryn – October Challenge
• Vandicrafts’ Artistry Challenge #13: Fashion Your Background

 

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Spring and rarely used or hard to use stash

This is a card I made a while ago. It is a strange card. I don’t praticularly like or dislike it. It seems there is something missing and there is too much. But at the same time, it’s good. I guess it just needed the right occasion, and the right occasion came up :).

I’ve had this embossing folder since I got my Cuttlebug, I thought it would be a great folder. But I’ve never managed to use it – I just can’t seem to make cards with this folder. This card has started out as a project to use that folder. Once in a while I tell myself I have to go make something with something I’ve had for a while (like unused inked/stamped die-cuts or hardly used tools, or coloured or patterened paper like the green cardstock in the card below), which can be a frustrating challenge and brings me out of my comfort zone. Or rather, it brings me in my messy and not-quite-right zone. Like this card. I wanted it to be fresh, with spring colours, happy, joyful.

The dancing group is the joyful part, they’re ok. I love the banner with “spring” on it (lente) – I love those colours! I think what would have been better for this card is a different background, not the green (but I still have so much of that green!!) and something different with the treebranches.

Still, it was a happy, good humoured, light card. I just didn’t know what to do with a card that said spring and is a bit… cheesy? But, as said before, the right occasion came by. I had set myself the goal of sending a card every week to a friend who needed it, and when FINALLY a bit of spring showed up I sent her this one. (Although the day of sending and arriving was very rainy and cold and not springlike at all.) It still feels like spring here. Maybe our calender raced forward while nature took it slow?

Last thing I want to show you is some nice background papers I made (I think on the pink cardstock). Don’t they look interesting? I just love blending colours! So I’ve made this about..more then 2 months ago, and still haven’t used the backgrounds, haha! I just don’t know what to do with them just yet. Probably the first three are suitable for a card, and the last one will be teard up to be used in pieces. I’ve got another order from Chocolate Baroque stamps coming in soon, and the stamps from Designs by Ryn are awesome as well, I bet I can work something out with those stamps and these backgrounds.

One last question: Do you have any suggestions on how to use the green and pink cardstock for cards? What are the materials you have but find hard to use in a project?

Windmills, snow and trees

I’ve been a little quiet after my posting spree – it’s been very busy with work and I had to catch my breath from that cardmaking spree! I’m slowly working on another card for the FrenchKissed challenge Love me Two, but I’m still working on the first card and want to make 2 more.

During some walks the past few weeks I took pictures, with cardmaking or just “backgrounds” in mind. These images could be reworked into a card or collage very nicely. If I’d had the time I would edit them a bit for you and show some possibilities, but time is one thing I haven’t had the past week and next week doesn’t look much different.

If you have any questions about the pictures just ask away. Clicking on the image will take you to the bigger sized one, then right click and choose save as. If you do download the images, please let me know, I’d love to know how you are going to use them 🙂