Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 194

Our theme this fortnight is Under the Sea/At the Beach.

As you can see, I've gone for the under the sea option here, using an image and paper from the Joanna Sheen/Josephine Wall CDRom Enchanted Dreams. I took the image and a cropped version of the image and combined them in Photoshop Elements, adding some bevels to the images. I completed the effect with a fish embellishment. The paper comes from the CDRom, but I added a mosaic effect to it which I felt lifted the paper a bit. While I love the images on this CDRom, I tend to find the papers rather underwhelming and often a bit drab compared to the gorgeous images. I know, not everyone loves bright, but I like to see a bit more balance between the background and the image.

After printing, I matted the background and image, and added dimension by using sticky pads to adhere to the background.

I hope you can join us this time.

International Art and Soul Challenge 15

The challenge at International Art and Soul this fortnight is layers. We want to see lots of them. Doesn't matter what you make, what theme, colour, material - just so long as it's got lots of layers.

It won't surprise anyone to discover that I made a card. It might be a surprise that it's a Christmas card.

My base layer uses some pearlescent white card that I embossed using a Crafter's Companion folder. Before embossing, I dusted the folder with some Versacolor ink, so there's a little colour on that layer. The next two layers were stamped (again using Versacolor ink) using background stamps from Creative Expressions. All three background layers were matted. finally, I added a layered sentiment (I think that's a Tonic die, but I'm not sure) and the snowflake (Marianne die) is itself made of three layers connected by foam tape. I make that a maximum of ten layers, but it'll still go in an envelope, although I'd have to use a 'large' stamp if I end up posting this one.

I hope you can join us with your layers!

International Art and Soul Challenge 14

This fortnight's challenge at International Art and Soul is to make a box or bag. It can be for any purpose and design, colour etc is entirely up to you.

After almost 17 years working in a special school, I took the decision to leave at the end of the summer term.  During that time, I've worked with many wonderful children, but those same children often presented with very challenging behaviour, and consequently, good teamwork among the adults was essential. I decided to make a little gift for all those women I've worked closely with at the school with whom I still had contact, and the starting point was a gift box. For some of them, I used a die set from Tonic - the Kensington handbag die. I do like these, and I especially like how there are variations on a theme which stop them from looking too samey.

This is one variation of the bag. The paper is from Joanna Sheen's Pamela West CDRom. The chain was from a pack I bought via Amazon which just seemed to work better than ribbon or twine for the purpose.

A more standard version of the bag, with paper from the same CDRom.

And another ...

And another.

And again - this time with gorgeous paper from the Mehndi Peacock paper pack by our own DT Co-ordinator, Jane, here at International Art and Soul!

And the same combination with a different colour base.

And for a bit of variety, I've also made some using the Chelsea die set, again from Tonic. While I prefer how this design looks, it's an absolute pain to get it to close in a non-permanent way. I've used hook and loop fastener, but there's enough tension in the closure that means that the sticky side peels away from the card or from the plastic of the fastener. I ended up having to add some hot glue to keep the fastener attached to the card. There is a tab arrangement in the lacy over layer, but I've struggled to get that to work, and it's not there if you choose to use patterned paper. I notice that, in the Tonic demonstration video, the demonstrator uses hot glue to close the bag on a one-off basis. Anyway, enough moaning from me.

This time I used one of the gorgeous marble effect papers from the Crafty Image Emporium CD Rom from Crafty Computer Paper.

And the same paper with a contrasting card base.

And finally, another Chelsea design, this time with paper from the Pamela West CDRom.

I've cross stitched a coaster or handbag mirror for each of the recipients, each with their name and the symbol of the class we worked in together. 

So, that's that. I hope you'll have time to join us this fortnight.