Saturday Showcase: June 1, 2013

Update:  Ah man.  I wondered why I didn't have any comments yet on the showcase.  I usually get at least a couple over the weekend, only to realize that it never went out.  I worked so hard to get this done on time to post yesterday but apparently the schedule got all screwed up and it never went out.  So sorry about that!  Good thing I just checked. Now back to our regularly scheduled program...


It is a brand new month and time for a brand new showcase.

If you are new to my blog, it is time for the Saturday Showcase where I highlight other artists' work (whether it be stamps, cards or otherwise), a blog post offering a great technique, or I might even just pick a whole blog to showcase. If you are new and would like to find out why I created the showcase, you can go HERE.

This week I am showcasing a woman who is incredibly talented.

My top pick for this week are some... 

Card/Project Choices
The incredible creations displayed below were created by

SHEA MARSHALL

Her blog is called

Glitter and Bonbons

Don't you just love the name of the blog?  Trés chic!  Just like everything you will see when you take a tour of Shea's incredible blog.  I met Shea when I started on the Tuesday Alchemy team.  She was always there to lend a hand to me, the newbie with a billion questions.  Something I will be eternally grateful for.  Then we ended up coming on to the Digi Darla's team together at the same time.  While Shea has had to step down from her role on Digi Darla's and of course Tuesday Alchemy is no more, Shea remains a very important close bloggy friend.

Every single time I go to visit her blog, I am completely blown away by the incredible works of art I see before me.  The majority of what Shea creates truly are works of art; they are just disguised as cards and other projects.  I know you will agree with me when you see some of the goodies I am going to share with you today.

Another wonderful thing about Shea is that she always lets you know the products she has used and what steps she has taken to create her project.  Even when she makes mistakes, she shows you how she recovered from them.  If she didn't point them out, none of us would be the wiser.  I love it when someone is confident enough to share the mistakes right along with their successes.  It shows us they are human.

Now I was under the impression that Shea has been making cards and blogging for quite a number of years.  However, that is not the case.  In fact, she started her blog exactly one month and a day before I started my own.  On September 23rd, 2012, Glitter and Bonbons was born.  When I realized this I thought to myself that surely she has been making cards for much, much longer.  As it turns out, Shea didn't start making cards until shortly after Christmas in 2011, whereas I started in November of 2011.  Apparently, some are just born with the card making gene because it will take me easily another five years just to get to the level that Shea was when she began her new crafting journey.  Just take a look at one of her first cards...

I won't dare to show you one of my first cards in comparison but I think you could visualize the difference.  On one hand there would be the beautiful creation you see above.  Can you believe she coloured the rose with varying strengths of instant coffee?  Then on the other hand there would be a childlike one sitting next to it.  Yeah, not going there.

This woman learned the craft over an eight month period before starting to display her creations on her blog.  During that time she had no lessons, no classes, no crops, no friends who crafted.  Now while since that time she has learned from other sources, in the beginning there was just her, some magazines, and the Internet. As she put it,

"Thank God for the Internet. It fuels my need to learn and allows me to shop for many of the supplies I can't find in local craft stores. I'm happier with my finished products but am constantly trying to learn more and more. Why, I'm not sure, but the desire to create in most of us is strong, and so is the desire to share."

And share she has done for a little over eight months now.  How about we see some of her other creations.  Let the 'parade of pretty' begin...

When I looked at her cards I actually had about 22 set aside as what I would call my favourites.  Then I managed to narrow it down to ten but was rather sad that I had to leave so many that I wanted to show behind.  Do you have any idea how difficult it was to narrow it down to the choices I have included below?  I just couldn't go under eight and once you see them, I think you'll understand why.

All cards are linked to go to the post they originated in.  I've decided to start with the one below, well...no reason really, just because...

Hee, hee.  Sorry that was just too good to pass up.  Isn't this incredible?  I really have to find better descriptive words.  I think I must use incredible and wow in 85% of the comments I leave on Shea's blog.  Probably on some of the rest of guy's posts as well (okay grammatically that doesn't sound right but I don't have time to dwell on fixing it right now--you at least get the meaning of what I am saying...I hope).  She also used a number of different techniques in creating this card.  I just love the ornate dies she used for the corners and the flourishes.  Aren't those flowers amazing as well?  Actually, it was this exact card that sent me off on a three hour tangent one day learning how to make tissue paper and other paper type flowers.  I did a bit of practicing that day, managed to drive a floral wire through the side of my finger, then put everything aside for awhile.  I can't wait for the day when I am able to create my own flowers.  I'll be happy if they turn out half as gorgeous as Shea's.  In all respects, she is a tall order to live up to.

Okay, next card is a lovely birthday card...

Don't you want to just eat it right up?  At first I had thought that Shea had used a pre-coloured digi for her image but nope, it is just a testament to what an phenomenal colourer she is.  Her shading is so, so good and I really like how she used the colourless blender tip to add texture to the cake.  I love all the dies and punches she used, especially the one for the blue layer and I just adore the soft pink/blue colour combination.  Finished off with another gorgeous flower, pin and birthday sentiment, it makes this one sweet card anyone would be happy to receive on their birthday.

 It is time to show you a darling baby card...

Isn't this just precious?  A darling image, beautiful layout and just the right amount of glitter all work together to make this an incredibly endearing baby card.  In fact, as far as I am concerned it should actually be framed and up on the wall in designated baby's room.  It is just too good to be stuck in some keepsake book never to see the light of day.

Now here is something neat...

 This is a set of four coasters or trivets or decorative pieces for the wall.  The ideas of what to do with these are endless.  They have a wonderful old world feel to them and I love that they are all unique in their own way but similar enough that you can still call them a set.  What a great gift idea!

What would a collection of cards showing a wide range of ideas be without at least one Christmas card...

I love the CAS look to this card.  Of course don't let CAS fool you.  Shea put a lot of effort into creating this deceptively simple looking card.  Granted not as much effort as she puts into her other artistic endeavours but effort regardless.  The gold, white and red all work together to create an elegant Christmas card.  Now if only some of that elegance could rub off on me...

The main reason I'm showing you all this next card is give you a bigger, clearer idea of how gifted a colourer Shea is...

 The fact that she achieved this with her markers just blows my little mind.  I knew that when I used this exact same stamp on a recent project that I couldn't attempt to create anywhere near the right effect for the wood.  Still need lots of practice, which is why I cheated and used digital patterns.  I really do hope to aspire to colour one day with this kind of skill.

Another baby card made its way into my list of favourites...

 Such an adorable piece.  She used some angel dust to give the flowers sparkle.  How appropriate since the card is meant for a little angel.  The bow and pin also add that special little touch as does the inclusion of the tiny little pearls around the (here we go again) incredible blue doily and even to the centres of the smaller flowers and on the little booties.

Last, but certainly not least, I present this stunning creation...

This card was created for her official start with Creative Inspirations Paint.  She had been a huge supporter and user of their products and then become lucky enough to be chosen to be part of the Design Team this past April.  

Once again it has confirmed to me how varied and eclectic my own tastes are.  While I love more elaborate projects, I keep getting drawn back to the more CAS looks which I can't seem to achieve very well on my own.  I just love the sentiment she used and the way she displayed it.  It is a perfect accompaniment to that gorgeous flower. When I first saw that flower, I was stunned to learn that it had started out as paper.  To me it looks like a molded piece of perfection.  All the pieces were diecut, sprayed with water, scrunched, painted and manipulated into the stunning piece you see before you.  Shea lays out exactly what she did to make this flower if you are interested in creating one of your own.  I know I am.  I figure I will be ready to tackle it in around three years time.  At least I'll still have the link when I do.

So, I've decided that given that I couldn't show you all the amazing creations I wanted to, I'll definitely be showcasing Shea again in the future.  Only problem is there will probably be 50 more that I'll want to add to the list! Maybe the more time I spend over there, the more her skill will rub off on me.  Well, a girl can dream, can't she?!  It is more than fitting that Shea has won or placed in the top tier in over 55 challenges since her start in September.  55!  I've managed what, 13 in the same amount of time.  Thou shall not covet thy friend's crafting ability...Thou shall not covet thy friend's crafting ability... Thou shall not covet thy friend's crafting ability...

I am so grateful that Shea allowed me to share her projects with all of you.  I hope that you have enjoyed this tour through her work as much as I have liked presenting her amazing creations to you.  The artists that I showcase work very hard to provide the inspiration that I bring to you.  Please go and check out some more of Shea's (wait for it...) INCREDIBLE designs and while you are there, leave her a little bloggy love if you can.

Until next time,

Note:   *Thanks to Nikki from Limited Runs Stamps for creating my Saturday Showcase badge.