Couture Creations Design Team Application Round 2

A very good evening Blog friends!

Last week...in the nick of time, I send my application in for the Couture Creations Design Team Call. Not having a great many of their Dies and Embossing Folders, I did not have many projects showing their products, so imagine my utmost surprise and delight when on Wednesday I received an e.mail stating that I have made it to Round 2!!! Jubilations, for I really love working with Cutting Dies and Embossing Folders and knowing that Couture Creations carry a wide and beautiful variety of both...I would be most honoured to be on their Design Team...

For Round 2 I was asked to create a new project using at least one Embossing Folder and Die. I am also using Core’dinations Card stock, for they are one of the partnering companies and go together well  with the Embossing Folders.

I will have some step-by-steps at the end and also included close up photos...If you are new to my blog, please double click on my photos to zoom in...

This then my entry for this second Round. The photo is of my Husband and our three kiddies taken during a holiday in 1993...Taken in the woodlands of Tzaneen, a place were I can get close to nature again and refuel myself...

I used the Constellations Embossing Folder in an unusual way on the background paper, also made

the small tab with it and embossed the brown matting. From three colours of Core’dinations Cardstock, I cut foliage from the Sophia Collection Dies. I used the following Dies; Bossa, Missoni and Stella.

This is the Missoni Die, I find it a very versatile motive, for one can use it as is, or cut it and use pieces tucked away...can you guess yet how I created the background???

In this cluster I have used all three the Cutting Dies, layering them to form a natural looking arrangement.

I love to make my paper flow by distressing and folding it. I hope this photo gives you an idea of the dimension I have given these pieces.

If you zoom into this photo, you will see how effective it is to add crackle paint to the de-bossed area...I will explain the steps later on.

Another cluster with the floral Dies...The stamping was done with my new stamps from Kaisercraft; Chevron, Edges and Film Edges. The paint work is Distressed Paint; Rusty Hinges and Victorian Velvet.

Another shot of the bottom flourish.

Had to add some stitching, Washi Tape and masking with Texture Paste. Yes...I even masked on my photo...very, very carefully!!!

~~~~~

Now for some step-by-steps... 

I wanted to use the folders a little different to show how versatile they can be...I laid my Whitewash Core’dinations Cardstock onto the raised area of the Constellations Folder and using a sanding block, I removed the top layer if white to expose the brown core...Such an easy and effective way of adding interest to one's background...

The edges were misted with water and folded and curled. I used an iron to get them nice and flat again.

Showing the Bossa and Missoni Dies after cutting and embossing.

I use a ball stylus and foam mat to curl my flourishes. The secret is to start from the outside, or the point of a leaf, moving in...that will make the paper curl on it's own.

To make it look natural, I will curl some from the back, and some from the front of the flourish.

To create the small tab, I embossed a piece of green Core’dinations Cardstock, and sanded it with the sanding block.

With an old credit card, I applied a thick layer of Crackling medium, lightly scrapping it of in order for it to remain in the de-bossed areas, but not on the raised areas.

Once dried and crackled, I inked it with some Walnut Stain Distress Ink. Here you can see clearly that the crackles are inside the de-bossed area...Pretty isn't it?

I usually create beautiful texture and interesting scenes ... just to cover them up with photos and embellishments!  This time I took some photos just in case...

This was a rather long post...hope you are still all with me??? Thank you for visiting me and thank you as well for leaving me a little message...it truly means the world to me and I always enjoy reading them.

I also invite you to like and follow Couture Creations on Facebook , subscribe to their e.mail group on the Couture Creations Blog and also visit the Store to see all the different Folders, Dies, Tools ect that they carry...

"Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love,

 the things you are,

 the things you never want to lose."

Once Upon A ... Sketch ~ February 2014

... A Cup of Ambition ...

It is the second half of the month meaning group B at Once Upon A ... Sketch have revealed their work done with the sketch by Nadia Cannizzo...

Our journalling theme for the month is "Totally Addicted to..." I did not need to think twice to know that I had to scrap my addiction to coffee...GOOD coffee....Decent coffee...Beautiful coffee... You get my drift?

I am in total awe of a beautiful presented coffee, be it a Latte, Cappuccino, Espresso...Love the foam art presented at some restaurants and when I am spoiled with a beautiful and interesting cup and saucer...I'm in coffee heaven!!!

I tried my hand at the amazing style of Georgia Heald as per her tutorial at Pop and Colours 2 that I am following. I had so much fun at layering and texturing with different mediums... could get used to this kind of work!

I am sharing some close ups just to show all the different textures on the page...If you would like a closer look...just double click on the photo and you will have a much closer view of all the 'messiness'...

I used the following inks and mists. From Lindy's Stampgang: Cape Coral Cod,  Gregasious Grey and Steampunk Sepia. Distress Paints: Wild Honey. I used the Mini Tiny Circles mask from The Crafters Workshop with Black Embossing Paste. For the white masking I use Bubbles from the Tim Holtz Collection.

A piece of Wood Icon from Prima coloured with some stains.

The strip of paper was punched and rolled to add some interest and dimension to it.

A few strips of distressed lace and some stitching...

The resin key from Prima was distressed with Wild Honey, Antiqued Bronze and Black Soot Distress Paint. The large baubles are also from Prima.

Thank you for your visit...keep me in mind the next time you are having a delightful cuppa!!!!

I judge a restaurant by the bread
and by the coffee.

~Burt Lancaster~

A Card for Scrap Africa

And in the blink of an eye it is the middle of February already and time for another Scrap Africa challenge!!! Challenge 26  is "Chipboard with a Difference" and it means you need to use some chipboard on your layout, card or altered piece, but it cannot be left raw and must be altered. This challenge is hosted by the lovely Ada Nicholls.

This of course is a challenge to my heart as I absolutly love working with and altering chipboard! We also have some beautiful projects from our guest designers and for this month have the talented girls from 7 Dots Studio visiting us, sharing their take on our challenge...just go and have a look at the gorgeous projects they share with us!

I opted for a card this month using some papers From FabScrap, Marie Antoinette: Garden and Perfumes. My chipboard is from Dusty Attic, Rose Vine.

I layered and punched several of the paper sheets. I achieved the effect of the top one by embossing it with an embossing folder from Couture Creations: Waterfall. Before placing my paper, I inked the folder with clear embossing ink. After embossing, I covered the inked areas with Sticky Embossing Powder from Ranger. After heat setting, I sprinkled the sticky embossing with Pralines & Cream Fairy Dust Glitter from Clearsnap. This resulted in the embossed, raised areas being clear of glitter and the de-bossed areas being glittered...

Layering my chipboard pieces must be one of my al time favourite ways of altering my chipboard...and this is super easy to do! All it takes is to wet the chipboard, let it sit for a few minutes and gently separate the layers, now you can either form them by hand, or as in this case, heat the layers with a heat gun and have the petals curl naturally! Once completely dried I painted with several colours of Distress Paints, stamped and added some Crackle Paint on the flowers and leaves and a little Clear Rock Candy Stickles on the stems.

I added two layers of Tulle that I distressed with my Heat gun and added a little Bisque Liquid Pearls to...

I am looking forwards to seeing what  different techniques our entries will use to alter their chipboard's!!!

~~~

Flowers don't worry about how the're going to bloom. 

 They just open up and turn toward the light 

and that makes them beautiful.

 ~Jim Carrey~

Reflections of Die Cuts and Embossing...

Isn't it amazing how one can sometimes discover techniques or products that have been lurking on the background, not being used for awhile, and then realise that you have been missing out on using them?

This has happened to me whilst going through my blog posts, and I realised that I need to take out and use my cutting-dies and embossing folders again!!! I discovered some of my favourite works done with my Dies and Embossing folders and would love to share them with you...

Please join me for a walk down Memory Lane...I have linked the pages if you would be interested in a more in depth visit...

Because of you...I am                                                                                                             

On this page I have used some of my newer Dies from Couture Creations...

(Please remember to double click for zoom)

 Card for Scrap Africa

This is my newest work for Scrap Africa...Here I have used an embossing folder from Couture Creations and glitter to achieve a very interesting background...

Going Nowhere, slowly                                                                                                          

One of my favourite techniques is to emboss chipboard pieces as I have done on this page...

Card 

I love layering and movement of my papers, even die-cuts get layered and distressed to add interest to my page.

Our Boy

Another example of embossed chipboard.

Something about you

Another technique that I often use is to ink my embossing folder before placing the paper in...always a way of getting astonishing effects!

I am Happy to Play                                                                                                                  

       

This page is worth a visit to see how I transformed a plain white card stock into this beautiful background piece...

 Carpe Diem 

Once again inked the folder before embossing my chipboard pieces.

I can not find the link to this page...but this was a piece of foil covered card stock that was embossed and inked with alcohol inks...

Mask                                                                                                                                               

This was such a fun project to make, using several die-cut pieces and punches...

Thank you for taking the time to visit some older works of mine...keep an eye out, for I am certainly going to use my embossing folders and Dies much more in future.....