* Vera Lane Studio Accordion Booklet

Hello!

After a beautiful, albeit a humid week of weather we've just had the most dismal, dull and rainy weekend. It's just as well as I've been in my craft room most of the weekend making my project for today's DT post at Vera Lane Studio.

I decided that I needed to use some of the beautiful pre-coloured collage sheet images that Janet has here in the Etsy shop. 

I settled on making an accordion booklet.

 

I spent most of Friday evening fussy cutting the images. Then on Saturday I made the backgrounds and place the images and sentiments in position. That left Sunday to construct the booklet and make the 'How to' video from the still photos I took as I worked each stage.

The booklet, made out of kraft card, measures 9 cm x 9 cm x 2 cm.

The background papers are made from shaving foam and Distress Oxide re-inkers (Picked Raspberry, Spiced Marmalade and Twisted Citron) through stencils. This gives a lovely marbled pattern. Each background measures 8.5 x 8.5 cm.  In all there are 16 pages and a cover with a simple twine closure. 

The video below explains the step by step process.

Here are the pages:




















And the whole book spread out:

I hope you'll come along and play on Vera Lane.
It's such a friendly, fun place to be!

  

Here's all the info you need:

Vera Lane Studio Blog

Vera Lane Studio Facebook Group

Vera Lane Studio You Tube Channel

Vera Lane Studio Etsy Shop

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* Brown Sugar #291 AG 30/07

* Get Creative #82 AG 01/08

* Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #110 AG 03/08

* Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Bright & Cheerful 05/08

* Double Trouble #34 AG Sunshine & Happy 06/0(also linked with Brown Sugar) TOP 3

* Creative Inspirations July AG 06/08
* Crafty Creations #395 AG 13/08
* Love 2 Create #8 AG 21/08

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* Seahorses

Hello!

I have been adding to my Rubber Dance stamps and last week this awesome set of Textured Sea Creatures arrived along with the Doodle Borders Set 1.

Over at the Rubber Dance blog and Facebook group they have a monthly colour challenge and I thought I would make a card for that with these new sets.

 Here is my card:

I tried several backgrounds before I settled on this one. It was so easy to make - just a stencil, some Prussian Blue and Lime Green Brushos powders and a spritz of water. When it was dry I added a spritz of iridescent gold Glimmer Mist for a bit of sparkle.  I stamped the leafy Doodle Borders in shades of blue and green, opting for both distress inks and archival inks. White paint splatters were flicked over the entire background, then I edged the background with a touch Cracked Pistachio Distress Ink and then the tiniest amount of Faded Jeans.

The seahorses, sand dollars and star fish were coloured with Copic markers and given some white Posca pen highlights. They were glued directly onto the background.

That's all from me today.

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* Crafty Cardmakers #238 Here Comes Summer 28/07

* Lavinia World Challenges AG 29/07 Honourable Mention

* Addicted to Stamps #351 AG 30/07

Rubber Dance Colour Challenge 31/07

* Cardz 4 Galz #101 Sun Sea and Sand 31/07

* Moving Along With The Times #102 Splish Splash 31/07

* QKR Stampede #358 AG 01/08

*A Place to Start July AG 03/08 TOP SPROUT

* The Library Craft Challenge Gift from the Sea 10/08

* Crafty Creations #395 AG 12/08

Vera Lane Studio: Flower Lover

Hello!

It's my DT day over at Vera Lane Studio today. Janet has a new released out today called Flower Lover. It comprises of two adorable girls and one lovely sentiment.

I used the girl with the bouquet and the sentiment to create my project and I teamed her with some of the Floral Burst images that were released last Tuesday. Here is my card:

As usual, I coloured my images with Copic markers and added some white Posca pen highlights. I fussy cut the images and ran a black marker around the edges.

The background is brayered with PaperArtsy chalky acrylic paints in Butternut, Candy Floss and Mermaid. I added some Snowflake to tone the colours down, then spritzed some Glimmer Mist over the entire background.  Modelling paste was added through an AAll & Create Stencil (#59) and some Flanel Grey stamping added mainly to the edges of the background. The edges were inked with black archival ink.

I tore some polka dot washi tape to ground the images, then glued the orange flower directly onto the background, leaving the petals free. I popped the pink flower head on foam pads. The bouquet girl is also raised on foam pads. I used one of the Flower Burst flower head images as a sun. Finally, I cut the sentiment into strips and glued to the background. 

Flower Lover                Floral Burst
      

I hope you'll come along and play on Vera Lane.
It's such a friendly, fun place to be!

  

Here's all the info you need:

Vera Lane Studio Blog

Vera Lane Studio Facebook Group

Vera Lane Studio You Tube Channel

Vera Lane Studio Etsy Shop

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* PIP Challenge #1929 AG 29/07

* Lemon Shortbread #98 AG 29/07

* Polkadoodles #29 AG 29/07 DT Favourite

Creatalicious #167 AG 31/07

* Love to Scrap #123 AG 31/07

* Love to Craft #36 AG 31/07

* Get Creative #82 AG 01/08

* Cutie Pie Challenge #137 Girls Just Wanna Have Fun 06/08
* Creative Inspirations July AG 06/08
* Crafty Creations #395 AG 13/08

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Gecko Galz: Dreamy

Hello!

It's my DT day at Gecko Galz and I have made 3 cards following this month's theme of Midsummer's Dream.

My cards are of simple design using background papers and focal images from the collections at Gecko Galz (links to the products I used are listed below the photos). I added matting and layers to add dimension and interest to the cards and distressed the edges of papers to give a worn appearance.

Card 1: Dreamer of Dreams



Focal Image: Midsummer Night collage set
Paper: Pixie Dust paper pack (no longer available?)
Sentiment: Charming Words
Own Stash: Lace, paper flowers, leaf die, dark blue shimmer paper, Stickles

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Card 2: Midsummer Night's Dream

 

Focal Image: Midsummer Night collage set
Paper: Indigo Nights paper pack
Sentiment: Charming Words  (coloured altered)
Own Stash: Lace, pearl gems, light background paper, Stickles

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Card 3: Fairy Toadstool

Focal Image: Midsummer Night collage set
Paper: Indigo Nights paper pack
Sentiment: Charming Words (colour altered)
Own Stash: Pearl flower trim, cream paper, Stickles, Glossy Accents for toadstool top

Here are links and thumbnails of the Gecko Galz products I used:

Midsummer Night                                    Indigo Nights

  

          Charming Words

And here are the two projects I made for our Customer Challenge inspiration. For more details about these projects please look here.

Altered Notebook:



Card:

That's all from me for now!

I hope you'll join our Midsummer's Dream Challenge where the Winner will get 

$25 shopping spree 
at the Gecko Galz shop.

The only rule is that you must use at least one Gecko Galz product 
(this can be one of the freebies or, of course, you can buy at the Etsy store!) 

Also if you sign up for the Gecko Galz newsletter, you'll be able to claim a free collage sheet each month and get first claim on the weekly $1 deals!

Please pop over to the Gecko Galz blog to see the fabulous designs by the very talented DT.

We also have a Private Facebook Group where there are 4 monthly challenges, each with a collage sheet prize. 
Do come and join us!

I'll be back on the 1st August with more Gecko Galz projects.

Here's all the info you need:

Gecko Galz blog

Current Gecko Galz Challenge : "Midsummer's Dream"

Gecko Galz Etsy Shop

Gecko Galz Facebook group

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Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

I'd like to play along in the following challenges: 

Card 1 Dreamer of Dreams
Creatalicious #167 AG 30/07
* DragonflyDreams Things With Wings 31/07
* Love to Scrap #123 AG 31/07
* Cardz TV #94 AG 02/08
* 613 Avenue Create #223 AG 02/08
* Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #110 AG 03/08
* Creative Inspirations July AG 06/08

Card 2 Midsummer Night's Dream 
* Crafty Catz #471 AG 25/07
* Crafty Friends #114 Use 2 or more patterned papers 26/07

Card 3 Fairy Toadstool
* The Happy Craft Challenge July AG 31/07
* Love to Craft #36 AG 31/07
* Creative Fingers #168 AG 09/08

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

* Colour Crazy: Knitty Kitty

Hello!

Today sees the start of a new colouring challenge at the Colour Crazy Challenge Blog. The challenge is always Anything Goes, but of course your card must feature some colouring. You can use any colouring medium you wish. 

This week Knitty Kitty Digis (also known as Eekers) is the sponsor.

I was lucky to receive a digi stamp to work with and I chose Knitted Kitty No 64.
Here is my card:



So, as you can see I had a go at colouring a knitted jumper for the kitty. I read Annabel's brilliant instructions and followed along with her step by step, photo tutorial which can be found here. What can I say ... I found it extremely tricky and you'll notice that I dropped a few stitches along the way and had trouble keeping my tension even!! But overall I'm happy with my first attempt - it's something that takes lots of practice to perfect.
I started by colouring the jumper with Copic markers, then used pencils to get the knitted design. Once my kitty was coloured I fussy cut him and ran a black marker around the cut edge to conceal any cutting imperfections.
The background is Distress Oxides in Dusty Concord, Wilted Violet and Seedless Preserves through a new-to-me, Honey Doo Crafts Mesh Stencil (it's one of those optical illusion images - can you see the non-existent dots at the crossroads of each line?). The edges of the background are inked in black. I cut a white doily to rest the kitty upon and to make him stand out from the background. I added a strip of black and white washi to ground the kitty.
I stamped the sentiment and matted it on to black card. The background too was matted onto black card and adhered to a white card base.

Many thanks to Knitty Kitty Digis for sponsoring this challenge.

I hope you'll find time to share your hand coloured projects at the Colour Crazy Challenge! 
We'd love to see what you make!

That's all from me for today!

xoxo

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* Simon Says Stamp Make Your Own Background 24/07
* Cute Card Thursday #591 Bright Colours 24/07
* 2 Crafty Critter Crazies #28 AG 26/07

* Crafty Catz #471 AG 26/07
* Simply Create Too #151 AG 26/07
* Craft Rocket #61 Animals 27/07
* Polkadoodles #29 AG 28/07
* Cardz TV #94 AG 31/07
* As You Like It Favourite Bird or Beast 31/07
I love Kitty Cats - always had them as family pets.
* SUYP #44 AG 05/08
* Creative Fingers #168 AG 09/08



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