Seize The Birthday - Fall items

Hi folks, it's time for a new challenge at Seize the Birthday - in fact, it's our last challenge until the New Year.

I've gone for chrysanthemums.  My dad used to grow them in the garden, and I always loved the bronze coloured ones.

The diecut flowers are Tim Holtz, as is the mica-sprayed background.  I only made this in October, but for the life of me I can't remember how I coloured the chrysanths!  I can see that I dipped them into something on my craft mat, so I'm guessing it was probably Jack o'Lantern and Bubbling Cauldron mica stains, then Flickering Candle painted on the centres of the daisies.

Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog for some more fabulous inspiration from our surprise party guests and the rest of the design team, and play along with us!

Visible Image - Purple Snow

Well, if it's good enough for Prince, it's good enough for me!

Hi there, it's my turn for a design team post for Visible Image, and I wanted to make a colourful snowflake card using the Snowflake Grunge stamp.  I already had a batch of half-snowflakes stamped out, so I looked for a stencil that I wanted to use, and settled on Scribble.

I used Wilted Violet Distress Oxide for a smooth blend.

Then softened the top section with Milled Lavender Distress Oxide because it looked a little too bold.

For a bit of contrast I stamped some of the Grunge Tones stamps around the edges and added the Snow sentiment.

Now for the snowflake.  I used Jane Davenport Glitz-Sea Sparkle Paint Marker in Southern Ocean (purple to you and me), and added a few random dots.

It's got a lovely shimmer to it when the light catches it.

Here's the finished card with the Visible Image products used.

Pop on over to the Visible Image shop because they've got some fabulous Black Friday offers, and you can pick up some real bargains!

Happy Sunday!

Seize The Birthday - Neutral Colours Only

 

Hello, it's Ashwini's turn to choose a topping at Seize The Birthday, and she's gone for Neutral Colours Only.

I went for a chocolate coloured chocolate cupcake - let's not talk about the lemon :)  But you can use metallics, so I did!

I painted the case in Gansai Tambi Yellow Gold.  And added a few gold splatters, as you do.

Pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog for some more fabulous neutral inspiration from the rest of the design team and our surprise party guests, and play along with us.  If neutrals aren't your colours, you can still play along with any birthday-themed project.

See you in the gallery!

Visible Image - Two Cheers!

It's my turn to share a Design Team blog post with you, and I've gone for a masculine card using the Bring On The Beers set.  Most of the menfolk I know prefer clean and simple cards rather than lots of layers, colours and detail.  So, a CAS card - I'm all for that!

I started by stamping the glass just off the edge of the card, angled towards the centre.  

I masked that, then stamped another glass overlapping as though they were clinking for cheers.

Here's the card with the mask removed.  I could have used the coordinating dies, which would have been quicker and easier, but I wanted to mask and layer the images.

Then I set about watercolouring the glasses with Rusty Hinge Distress Ink, and Lost Shadow for a hint of shading on the glass top and foam.

I positioned the Happy Birthday sentiment so that I could add bubbles above and below it.

The first inking of the bubbles with Rusty Hinge was too dark and sharp, so I stamped it off and spritzed it to give it a more watery, beery look.  Much better!

I mounted the panel onto shimmery bronze card and called it done.

Varying the shading on the glasses adds to the translucent effect.

Uneven spritzing of the bubbles gives them an organic look.

Stamping off the edge invites the eye into the card and implies movement, as if the glasses are being raised towards you.  If the glasses were full images in the centre it wouldn't have the same impact.

Cheers!

You'll find these, and other fabulous stamps, in the Visible Image store.  Go on, treat yourself to an early Christmas present!

Seize The Birthday - Add A Sky

Hello, the new challenge for Seize The Birthday is up, chosen by Vicki, and it's Add A Sky.

Every once in a few years, I get out all my encaustic waxes and craft iron, and have a session.  It's not the kind of process where you can just make one card, so I sit there and iron a batch of images while everything's out, then put it all away again for a few more years.  I end up with several scenes ready to make into cards.  Here are a few more that I've just made up from my last ironing batch:

Anyway, enough of my encaustic wax cards, why don't you pop on over to the Seize The Birthday blog for some more fabulous cards with skies from the design team and our surprise party guests, and play along with us.  If you don't want to include skies, you can play with any birthday-themed project.

See you in the gallery!

Visible Image - The Right Direction

Hi peeps!  I've been playing with The Right Direction stamp set, which has a couple of fabulous Ford Capri images.  So retro, and perfect for masculine cards.

I wanted to make it in a modern, graphic style to include the skyscape so I went with Warholesque primary colours and repetition.  

Then decided on the placement.

I didn't want the skyline to be central behind each car so I alternated the position as I stamped.

But it didn't look balanced, so I stamped in the gaps to make a continuous skyline behind each car.

Much better!  Here's a close up.

Loving the private plates!

Pop on over to the Visible Image store where you can find loads of fabulous stamps, coordinating dies  stencils, with loads of inspiration for each set.  There are some brilliant offers on too!

Seize The Birthday - Hot Pink and Lime

Hello peeps!  Today we've got a new challenge for you at Seize The Birthday, and it's my pick!  I've gone for hot pink and lime.  Why?, you ask.  Well, I had a background piece sitting on my desk, staring at me and I'm thinking, 'how on earth could I use this piece in a card?'  Well, this is how!

I used Twisted Lime and Crushed Olive on the base, with a bit of Walnut Stain round the edges, and Picked Raspberry Oxide for the numbers.  All the stamps and stencils are Tim Holtz.

Pop on over to the Seize the Birthday blog for some more fabulous inspiration from the team, and from our surprise party guests, and join in the fun.  If hot pink and lime don't float your boat, you can still play along with any birthday-themed project.

When you're reading this I'll be in sunny Sicily.  See you in the gallery when I get back!