Digital Design: New Challenge Over at Fresh Brewed Designs

Hello everyone.  It is time for the newest month long challenge over at Fresh Brewed Designs.  While I don't normally post for the challenges, I took the time this month because the challenge theme is Mermaids, Fairies and Fantasy.   There is an optional twist to this challenge which is to make a box card (you can find that tutorial HERE).  We all know I am not so skilled at trying to make different folds, although I'm hoping with practice that I'll not be quite so frustrated with those types of projects.  So, I opted instead to go with a digital design.  Since this is digi month over at FBD I thought, why not.  So I armed myself with a digi stamp, digi papers, digi embellishments and even a few digi alphabet letters...it's very much becoming a digi world so why not get some more practice in that arena.  Besides it is much easier to measure and get things right on the computer that is for me to measure and cut in the real world.  Most times, I'll measure twice and STILL manage to cut my piece the wrong size.

Anyways, back to the challenge.  I was hooked when I saw the word fairy.  Heather has a really incredible butterfly fairy that I have used in my design.  I love this image.  So much in fact, that it will be making an appearance again in a card on Saturday during my regular monthly DT post.  For today though I concentrated on a digital design to match a really great quote (author unknown) that I have.  Before we continue though I do want to apologize to Heather and all of you.  As I mentioned above, I'm new to the challenge aspect over at FBD.  For some reason I had the start date of the challenge down as tomorrow.  I only found out when I got up today so this post is rather late going out.  Oopsies!  Hmmm...there have been a few too many oopsies lately haven't there?....okay, back to the design...
 

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

• Okay so first stop was to grab the gorgeous butterfly fairy.  You can find her in the store under the section, Girly Things and then Fairies and Mermaids.  Click on the watermark below to head straight to the page she is on in the store.  She is located at the top on left hand side.

•  I talked with her for a little while since she had been a bit lonely in the shop.  She doesn't really have  a lot in common with her neighbour the mermaid and the tenant below, Holly, is so consumed with Christmas, it is all she ever wants to discuss.  So Butterfly Fairy, I call her BuFfy for short, and I had a chat about what is like to be able spread your wings and fly.  Of course there was also the standard gossip of what the other fairies were up to as well.  Finally she whispered the type of setting that she wanted me to design for her.  I knew if I was patient enough with BuFfy we'd finally get moving in the direction we needed to head.  It was our discussion of spreading one's wings and being able to fly that lead me to the great quote I used.  See, sometimes it is important to spend time with your digis.  If you listen reeeaaalllly closely, you can learn an awful lot and go in directions you never thought possible.
• So my next step was to find some papers to use in the colours that BuFfy preferred--peaches and greens.  I have to admit, I am kind of partial to them myself, the majority of my house is done up in those same colours.  I decided that my best bet was to go looking through the amazing kits that I got for free from {Computer}Scrapbook.com.  Oh my gosh, when I went over there to grab the link location and take a peek around I found that there were still many, many kits I still hadn't picked up yet.  25 in fact, along with 10 alphabets and 59 fonts although for now I only added seven to my cart since they are probably all PUO and you know I love to be able to offer you guys the option to sell the stuff you make when I can but am unable to when the terms of the items I use to create my designs happen to be PUO. However, I am digressing here on a serious level.  The point I'm trying to make in my long winded way is you really need to go and check this place out if you ever use items that are common to digital scrapbooking.  Okay, time to get back on track...
• After perusing the kits I currently have, BuFfy decided she really liked the one called "Celebrate Summer", not only for the name but also for the goodies inside.  
• Credits:  Patterned background paper, metal floral spray, edging around the digital image and the alphabet items to create the words 'wings' and 'fly' are from the Celebrate Summer kit created by Rachel Dickson available at {Computer}Scrapbook.com.  This kit is currently available for free HERE.

• BuFfy was mostly coloured digitally.  While it is hard to see in this smaller format, I even managed to add a bit of a shadow to her skin and hair.  If you bring the image up in the lightbox it might help you see it better.  Of course I just realized that I completely forgot to add the shadow to her wings and outfit.  Take a lesson from me, you shouldn't still be up at 4:30 in the morning working on the computer.  Maybe one of these days, this lesson will start sinking in.  How many times this week alone have I screwed up because I'm up so late trying to get things done at the last minute.  Okay moving on...
• I did manage to sneak in a glitter paper from the 'Merry & Bright Bundle' created by Marisa Lerner over at Pixel Scrapper.  What is a fairy without some glitter.  Even if it is just digital glitter!  It is the darker green area of BuFfy's wings.
• The larger petals were made transparent so that the background papers would show through.
• The smaller petals, centre piece and stem of the flower along with the butterfly were also coloured digitally.  I even made an attempt at adding a gradient on the centre piece of the flower and the butterfly.  Of course I did it in a half-ass way by lassoing the area and then applying the gradient.  I'm sure there is a better way but since it has taken me this long to figure out even one way to apply the gradient to anything but the overall square, I suppose that is progress in itself.
• Unfortunately I ran out of time to figure out how to create a layer in which to add clouds using a brush so I had to use a pattern instead. 
• Digital Credits:
• Sky/Background Clouds (patterns):   Webtreats
• The sentiment was created in Inkscape and then imported into Photoshop Essentials 5 to add it the rest of the design.  Part of the quote was created using just a standard font (Angel Tears) but as I mentioned earlier I used elements from the Alphabet portion of the 'Celebrate Summer' kit.  This is the first time I have ever used letters from an alpha kit and combined them with writing.  I think it turned out okay for my first attempt.  Just think of all the neat things I could create for my own work.  Unfortunately though, I won't be able to share these for download with all of you because of the terms associated with the alphabet. Hmmm...I wonder if there are free alpha kits out there with CU terms...looks like another investigation to add to the current eight mile to do list.
• I added a rectangle with a darker peach in behind the quote so that it would show up the writing better.  Then I tore the edges to give it an interesting look.

Challenges I am hoping to enter:

• Digitally Sweet Challenges -- actually not sure whether this qualifies or not.  The theme is 'Tell Me a Story'.  It is an awfully short one, but it is a story in a sense.

I think I am finally done. Jeepers, and this was going to be an attempt at a shorter post!  I don't know whether I'm physically capable of shutting up enough to ever do so.  

I am hoping to be able to create some goodies to start the Wonderful Wednesdays, June kit a bit later on but that isn't a guarantee.  Right now I need to go and lie down because my eyes keep going crossed and I've been struggling not to throw up for the last 2 and 1/2 hours that I've been creating this post because I woke with the beginnings of what I thought was a sinus headache but have managed to progress into a full blown migraine.  I'm not even going to be able to proof this properly so I REALLY apologize for any spelling or grammar issues.  As soon as I get up, I'll make sure to come back and check it out properly.  Update:  I did it again, I was so green by the time I finished this I didn't even realize I had some ridiculous schedule date of Saturday so it didn't even publish at 4 when I thought it had.  I'm back but still haven't proofed it properly, Oh my gosh, it is even going out so much later than I hoped. Second update:  Okay, I think I am finally, finally done.  I HOPE.  If there are any glaring errors that you can't stomach, you know how to contact me.

AND just a reminder....

Fresh Brewed has some exciting things going during the month of June!! So, make sure to stop by FRESH BREWED DESIGNS or the FRESH BREWED DESIGNS BLOG to check it all out!

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my project.  I hope that you will pop on over to the Fresh Brewed Challenges Blog to see some more fantasy filled, fun inspiration from the FBD DT.  So get that mind thinking and come up with a great idea for a fantasy themed card.  We'd all love to see them.

At Fresh Brewed Designs we always have a fresh pot of creativity brewing. So stop by and join us for a cuppa whenever you want!

 Until next time,