Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Card Design: Delightful Inspiration April Challenge

It is time for me to post my card for the Delightful Inspiration progressive stamp of the month challenge.  In order to enter this challenge, you must either have received the latest image by having participated in the previous month or you can buy the stamp for the current month's challenge.  Everyone who enters and follows the rules is a winner because you automatically get the stamp for the next month's challenge.  Stop by the site and check out the rules for yourself.  While you are there, have a look around.  They have some really great images.  This is the card I'm entering for the April challenge.

Front of the card...


Here is a close up of that cute image...

 
Here is the inside...


 Here are the card details, I hope I haven't forgotten anything...

General Notes:
  • It has been a rather involved 12 days card-wise. Remember that time off I was supposed to be having?  Well it has hardly been that I'm afraid.  In the last 12 days I have had to create at total of 10 cards.  Now since I normally take at least two evenings to work on one card, you can well imagine the frenzy I've been up to over here in my small corner of the world.  A few too many nights sitting downstairs until 3:00 am working by myself.  Thank goodness this card marks the last of those posts.  I'm definitely going to need to manage my time better for May. 
  • OMG.  While I was basically able to put the card together in a reasonable amount of time, well, reasonable for me, when it came to figuring out how I wanted to embellish it, that was a whole other story.  It took me about two and half hours to colour up the image.  Pretty good timing for me actually.  I had cut out and put all the pieces together previously over the course of a couple nights.  So, it was 12:30 am on Friday night, well Saturday morning technically, and here I am just staring at what I have.  For the life of me I just couldn't figure out what to do.  Originally I had wanted to follow one of the sketches that Delightful Inspirations had put up for the month but where the embellishments were supposed to go on the sketch just didn't work out for the size and shape of my image.  It ended up taking me TWO HOURS JUST TO EMBELLISH!  I played around with a bunch of ideas, a bunch of different types of flowers and a bunch of different ribbons.  I finally ended up with what you see above.  It's ridiculous that it took me so long to come up with something relatively simplistic in nature.  Sheesh!
Digital Image:
  • This image, Flower Pot Chick is available for purchase over at Delightful Inspirations.  Click HERE to go to its location in the store. 
  • Coloured with Copics.   Flowers:  RV00, RV02, V13, V15, V17 (petals); Y15, Y17 (stamens); YG61, YG63, YG67 (leaves/stems).  Pot that I am really, really not happy with my colouring:  B32, B34, B39.  Foreground and background were added using chalks.
  • I digitally fussy cut out the chicken and added it to the top of the sentiment to work as line art to give the inside that extra little something.
Digital Sentiment:
  • 'Just Chicken In' text:  This sentiment is a bonus in the file download.
Paper Products:
  • Card base and shadow for image is Crafts Brand Cardstock, pastel pink, available from Dollarama.
  • Both these Digital papers are from scrap pieces used in other projects.  The Damask (front & inside) is Michael's open stock scrapbook paper. Pink and white hatched paper (front & inside) is Recollection's Bright & Basic Paper Pad.
Lace:
  • Craft brand pink lace is from Dollarama.
Embellishments:
  •  Half pearls and flowers are also Craft brand from Dollarama.
Including Delightful Inspirations (link up top), these are the other challenges I hope to enter:
Thank you so much for stopping by.  As I've now added to my comment section, whether you are a regular, here for the first time or popping over in your official capacity as a DT member, please know how much I appreciate the words that you leave behind.  Your encouragement helps me to become a better designer.   I try my best to reply to your comments (when an email address is available) but that is getting more and more difficult as my plate fills up with new responsibilities, new roles, and new obligations.  If I don't get the opportunity to thank you personally, know that I don't take a single comment for granted. Thank you for your understanding.

Until next time,
  

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Bit By the Bug Tuesday: Sick Lolly

Hello everyone!  It is Bit by the Bug Tuesday! If you are new to the blog it is that day of the week when I share with you all, the latest freebie available over at Creative Bug on the Loose.  Now if you happen to follow Naomi or just take advantage of the wonderful freebies she has available every Tuesday, you may have noticed that she is MIA.  Unfortunately, her medical condition has really flared up leaving her in a place where she is unable to craft or post right now.  However, I've stepped in to help her out so for the next few weeks, you'll still be able to take advantage of her weekly freebie.  Keep reading to find out how to nab it.


Now this image is certainly appropriate.  Sick Lolly is need of some tender loving care just like his creator Naomi.  In fact I've created a get well card for her using her adorable new image.  

Here is the front of the card...


Here is a closer look at that precious image...


Here is the inside....


Here are the card details, I hope I haven't forgotten anything...

General Information:
  • I took some time and had fun working with this image.  Thanks to the lovely Charlene from Crystaldolphins' Blog who lead me in the right direction to learn how to make the background of an image transparent in Photoshop Essentials and the ever wonderful Vicky from Crafting Vicky, who taught me how to make segments of an image transparent in Gimp.  I played around in both programs to do my first ever real digital paper piecing (see below to find out what papers I used and where they came from).  Thank you ladies for your notes that lead me in the right direction and yay me for figuring it out.  We all need to pat ourselves on the back sometimes.  Go ahead, it will lift your spirits.
Digital Image:
  • Sick Lolly (front):  As mentioned, this image is available as a freebie this week over at Creative Bug on the Loose.  Get it while you can because it will be gone by next Tuesday.  
  • I was lucky enough to find some amazing free for PUO fur brushes on line.  Now I've never worked with different kinds of brush textures before and didn't do the best of jobs but it is a start.  It can only get better from here right?  First I dititally coloured in the whole area of the dog with a lighter colour and then brought the fur in with a darker colour.  I also made the spots darker.  The pillow was also coloured digitally.
  • I came in with Copic markers to create shadows and also add the fore and background. Colours used to create shadows for dog: E21, E31.  Colours used to create shadows for the doggie bed:  W1.  Colours used to create shadows for pillow: E00.  The background was created using E000 and E00.  The background is a bit washed out due to the lighting in the close up but you can get a better idea of what the colouring looks like in the first image.  The floor was created using BG70 and the shadow was put in using the tip to tip marker method with BG70 and BG72.
  • The doggie blanket and the doggie bed were digitally paper pieced.  You can find out the details of the papers used below.  I had some fun here too because not only did I have to bring separate layers in but then had to make sure that I cut out areas of each so that there would be no overlapping of papers in the wrong spot.  There was probably an easier way to do it.  One of these days, I just may figure out how. 
Digital Sentiments:
  • Front sentiment:  One I created.  Hee, hee I thought it fit perfectly with the image and of course the inside sentiment.
  • Inside Sentiment:  Once again, I find the absolute perfect inside sentiment from my stash of Create With TLC freebies. Thanks again Paulette!
Paper Products:
  • Card base: Michael's Recollection's Cardstock, white.
  • Designer Papers:  All the DP's used in making this card are from Recollection's Bold & Basic Paper Pad.
  • Doggie Blanket Digital Paper:  The absolutely awesome and totally appropriate paper I used for the doggie blanket was a freebie I also picked up from Create With TLC.  Not only does Paulette offer up fabulous sentiments every day she also lets us get our hands on many of her wonderful papers. Then of course there are all those vintage graphics she shares too. If you haven't found Create with TLC yet, you are missing so many goodies. I'm hoping to convince her soon to let me do a Saturday Showcase on her amazing blog. Keep your fingers crossed everyone that she says yes!
  • Doggie Bed Digital Paper:  While you can't really see it due to its small size, the paper I used for the doggie bed does have a bit of texture.  I wanted to use something that was light with a bit of texture that would blend well with all the colours and I found it in a folder I have of some free papers from Karen's Scraps and Graphics.  While this particular paper is PUO, Karen often offers up items that are commercial use (CU) and commercial use for commercial use (CU4CU).  She often has freebies too so you should check her out. 
Challenges I hope to enter include:
Some more challenges may be added to this list later this week and/or month.


 Now Naomi, if there is a chance that you are up and about today and you are reading this, STOP RIGHT NOW or it will spoil the surprise.

 Okay, hopefully if Naomi popped in to check out my post, she will have stopped reading.  If not, boy oh boy...

 I would like to do a card drive for Naomi to send her some feel better soon wishes.  I will be creating a special post over on Naomi's blog on May 12th to showcase the cards of everyone who participates.  If this is something you might be interested in participating in, please click HERE.  This will take you to the post I created on Naomi's blog today and will provide you with all the details you need in order to participate.

In order to take advantage of this week's free digi stamp, Sick Lolly, head over to Creative Bug on the Loose and follow the instructions on how to grab it.  While you are over there, don't forget to check out all the great digis Naomi has available in the store for purchase and don't forget to leave her a little love too.  She could definitely use some right now.



I've caught the bug,
have you?





Until next time,

Note: I apologize if there are any formatting issues.  This is a scheduled post and we all know Blogger has a mind of it's own.  If it turns out that something looks wonky, i.e.--part of the sentence is a different size, font, or colour than the rest, I'll fix it as soon as I'm able to.
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Monday, April 29, 2013

Card Design: Digi Darla's Challenges #60--Let's Celebrate and Some Special Freebies

Welcome to my second post this wonderful Monday morning!  Hope you have all had a marvelous weekend.  Time for this week's challenge over at the dynamic Digi Darla's Challenges Blog. This week for Challenge #60 the theme is "Let's Celebrate".  It is time to show us your projects that cover any type of celebration, i.e. birthday, graduation, or the event that I am focussing on today, anniversary.

Now it just so happens that today's celebration challenge actually falls on our 24th wedding anniversary so it is fitting that I showcase the card I created for my husband.  On April 29th, 1989, at 2:30 pm I married my soul mate.  We have most definitely had our ups and downs.  Unfortunately, a lot of downs BUT we have stuck through it thick and thin only to emerge stronger out the other side.  I'd be nothing without this man by my side.

If you are reading this hubby, I'd recommend that if you would like your card to be a surprise, you might want to avoid reading any further and just come back to this post sometime tomorrow.

Don't forget one person will be the lucky winner of FIVE Digi Darla (DD) images!  AND any entries using a DD image get entered into a SECOND drawing for THREE images. So, you could technically win eight images! Imagine the fun you could have with all those digis!  If you do use one of Kim's fabulous images make sure you write DD after your name.

I've used the following digis:
Here is the front of my card...

Here is the inside...


Here are the card details, I hope I haven't forgotten anything...

General Information:
  • Our wedding colours were peach and ivory so I though it fitting to use all the peachy coloured paper. 
  • I have used this sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches.
  Digital Image:
  • Valentine Bears (front):  The image on the front of the card is Digi Darla's Valentine Bears.  It was coloured using Copic markers.  Bears:   E31, E33, E37, E39 (fur); R22 (ears); BG10, BG15, BG18 (bow).  Flowers:  Y11, Y13, Y15, Y17 (petals and stamen); YG61, YG63, YG67 (leaves).  Balloons:  YR000, YR00, YR02 YR04, YR07.  Clouds:  Colourless blender, N0, C1, C3.  The image was then fussy cut and adhered to the front.
  • Now aren't those two of the cutest little bears you've ever seen?!  That's me there on the left and hubby on the right.  Now we're both quite a bit lighter in skin tone but the roundness definitely fits me.  The boy bear should have been slimmer though, but all in all, a pretty good representation of the two of us.  Kim has certainly captured the love in our expressions!
  • The balloons were fussy cut and then I added charcoal cross stitch thread to act as balloon strings.  I duplicated the right balloon, coloured it up and used a 1/8th inch 3D adhesive dot to give it added dimension.  
  • Clouds (front):  I came up with an ingenious idea for the two additional clouds I used.  I wanted them to have the same basic shape as the cloud "we're" sitting on.  So, you know how you can make conversation bubbles in a lot of graphics programs?  Well, in Microsoft Publisher I used this feature.  I made them the length and flatness I wanted and then created a white square to cover up the little circles that emanated from them so they'd look like clouds.  Then I fussy cut the shapes, coloured them up with the same colours I used on the main cloud and adhered them with three dimensional adhesive tabs to pop them up a bit.
Digital Sentiments:
  • 'I Love You' sentiment (inside):  The first part of the sentiment on the inside of the card is a combination of two different Digi Darla images.  The first and third 'I Love You' solid word art can be found HERE, and the middle open word art can be found in the store HERE.
  • The rest of the sentence, "Three words I will never get tired of saying!" is one I created and is available as a freebie below in honour of this special occasion.  I've also included the sentiment from inside the card I created for the San's design blog hop and a couple other treats too.  
Paper Products:
  • Card base: Michael's Recollection's Cardstock, white.
  • Designer Papers:  The cloud paper comes from the Recollection's All Seasons paper pad.  The rest of the DP paper comes from Recollection's Bright and Basic paper pad. 
Challenges I hope to enter include:
Some more challenges may be added to this list later this week and/or month.

So, why not come and show us what you've got by entering in our current challenge this week over at Digi Darla's Challenges?  While you are there please check out the wonderful creations from the rest of the design team.  We always look forward to seeing the delightful creations you come up with.

  Now for the reason the other 300 of you are here...

Six freebie love related sentiments in honour of this special day:



















 Please see below for font information, download instructions and usage summary.  Remember that I would love to see anything you create using one of my images.

Well that is it for this post.  Have a wonderful day everyone!

Thank you so much for stopping by.  As I've now added to my comment section, whether you are a regular, here for the first time or popping over in your official capacity as a DT member, please know how much I appreciate the words that you leave behind.  Your encouragement helps me to become a better designer.   I try my best to reply to your comments (when an email address is available) but that is getting more and more difficult as my plate fills up with new responsibilities, new roles, and new obligations.  If I don't get the opportunity to thank you personally, know that I don't take a single comment for granted. Thank you for your understanding.

 Until next time,

Fonts Used: 
Click the font names to take you to a download location.  All fonts but Luvable are commercial use.  Luvable is unknown so be careful if you sell anything you create using this font.

If you are not sure how to copy the image, check out the download instructions page.   If you haven't already, please become familiar with my terms of use found in the copyright tab at the top of this page.  Quick summary of Terms of Use:   

  • Do not claim the image as your own.
  • Credit 'Decosse's Dynamite Doodles' somewhere on your creation.  You may sell handmade creations using one of these sentiments.  Just be sure to become familiar with my full terms of use.
  • Do not share my images with family, friends, etc.  Additionally, do not post any images to file sharing services like Pinterest®, 4-Shared®, etc.  Instead, please direct people to my blog so they can grab the image for themselves.
  • If I have signed an image, do not delete my signature.
  • Leave a comment on my blog.  It is currently the only way for me to know if any of my freebies are being nabbed.  Additionally, it will help to inspire me to continue to create and offer future freebies.

Note: I apologize if there are any further formatting issues.  This is a scheduled post and we all know Blogger has a mind of it's own.  If it turns out that something looks wonky, i.e.--part of the sentence is a different size, font, or colour than the rest, I'll fix it as soon as I'm able to.


 
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