Koi - Sketch Style

It is that time again, when thoughts turn to the incredible sketches that Kathi, our fearless Bombshell leader, challenges us to use. This month she chose a simple beautiful sketch, and honestly, this ended up being one of my favorite cards I have EVER made.

This card was made a little bit differently - in that I worked different than I usually do. I first decided which way I wanted the sketch to be. Kathi challenged us to use this sketch, and I decided it needed to be flipped. Then I chose my stamp. I looked through all the Bombshells I had to figure out which ones went best with this layout.

Then I chose my paper. I found this Best Creations paper with a dragon flying up, but the great thing about it was the water at the bottom. And it coordinated with the other sheet of paper (the back paper). THEN I chose my colors to coordinate. I say this was different because I typically color up an image and then try to find paper that matches, then come up with a layout... so this was reversed almost.

I colored the Koi up with YR21 and then started layering from the inside edge of all of the scales with YR23, R22, 24 and 27, then I went back over with YR21. On the fins I layered the same way and added in R39 at the base to make it darker. I then added shading with the R22 along the scales. The "water" I tried to match some of the water splashing on the paper and used the W4, 6, 7, 9 series to try to match it.

 I used crystal stickles over the water colored to add some shimmer to match the paper, and also used crystal effects to make the fish all shiny. The  I used some charms from the jewelry section at JoAnns to anchor the top.

Ok... Now that I have bored you all to death, I really hope you pop on over to the Bombshell Stamps blog and take part in the Sketch Challenge this month. And if you don't have any Bombshell stamps, take a look at the "Anything Goes" special challenge, for a chance to win some of these super fun stamps.

Talk to you soon!!!!

Floating a Sketch by you!

Yay verily it is that time again... time for the Sketch challenge over at Bombshell stamps. Kathi, as usual, has come up with a delightful sketch, and I am ever so thankful for it this time as it helped me get my mojo on this month.

I chose the LOVELICIOUS Mermaid Treasure stamps to make this card.  For the sentiment I masked off the Last two words and just stamped the first two... then I masked off the first two words and stamped the second two below the first. So it FITS!!!

For the mermaid, I want to tell you a little bit about how I get the colors. I REALLY enjoy combining colors on different thing. For example - The base coat of the Mermaid tail was YG11. I colored the tail COMPLETELY. Then I added deeper colors with B12 and B14. I blended back with the B12 to lighten it a bit, but I then colored over all of it again with the YG11. This gives the colors some really pretty depth and you get an overall feel that is different than either of the two color palettes alone.  YAY.

So... The remainder of her was colored with Y000, 11, 13 and YR14 for her hair. And the skin tones are E00, 11, 13. Also the Flower is R11, 14, 17.

I was so excited to find the paper... It was in a stash of old Sizzix little sizzlets paper I had that I had so completely forgotten about. I squeeeeed when I saw it, it works so well for water!!!  Ok now - go on over to the Bombshell Stamps blog and CHECK IT OUT!!! There is some seriously beautifimus schtuff going on over there.

See you again soon!

Sketchy Time!

It is the Bombshell Stamps Sketch Challenge Time! WOO HOO. Bombshell Sketch Goddess and our Glorious DT Captain Kathi has prepared this wonderful sketch for us to be challenged with.

I usually try REALLY hard to follow the sketch to the letter, but the stamp kept screaming at me to use it. "USE ME - - ME, ME, ME, MEEEEEEE!!!!". I tried to use another stamp... and it never worked right. I kept coming back to this one. It would NOT be quiet. Since the stamp already had the sentiment in it, it insisted that I keep it solo. Make it the shining star (which I guess the sun is... so it works out great)!

I used Bazill cardstock and cut 1.5 and 1.25 inch squares out of them. I alternated those, and then added a double circle of the same colors. The image was stamped in black versafine on white Hammermill Color Copy Cover and then clear embossed. I then used Spicas to color in the image and make it all sparkly. I topped it off with the red and black polka dot ribbon and the red and black sparkly gems.

OK... here are the pesky rules - really easy and simple:
• Feel free to flip it, flop it, and make it your own.
• Use Bombshell Stamps!
• Upload your take on the sketch on the Bombshell Blog by May 31st for a chance to win a fabulous prize.
• Also, you can check out today's Bombshell Blog post. Upload your take on the sketch there and double your chances to win!!!
• Have fun!!! 

Today is the day it is being posted on the Bombshell Blog!!! Go check out what all the other gorgeous Bombshell's have for inspiration on that post there. They are truly WONDERFUL.

Hope to see you all back here soon!

Ballerina Bombshell

Hey there all you people! Hope you had a great weekend. I love this Bombshell stamp but wanted to try something a bit different with her. I started this doll on Friday, but had to wait for her to dry so I could finish putting it together.

The Bombshell was stamped with Memento on Hammermill Color Copy Cover. I colored her with Copics, but wanted it to appear like she had on tights and a leotard, so I only colored her arms, face and chest with the E0000 and E000, E00 series. I added a bit of R20 on the shoulders and her chest, as well as her cheeks for blush.  Her tights are RV0000, RV000 and RV00. Her leotard is RV000, RV00 and RV02 with a LITTLE bit of RV06.  Her hair is E13, 15, 17. 

Once I finished coloring her, I mixed baby pink and white flower soft together and glued down a shape of a tutu. After I was happy with the tutu, I added a bit of Crystal Stickles over it to make it shimmer.  Once the flower soft and stickles dried, I used some pink VersaMagic ink, and smudged a bit at the edges of the cut image. I also sponged some on the inside of the fancy tag after which I stamped Sparkle in Versafine. The ribbon I decided to use had silver edging, so when I put it down, the edge of the image and the edge of the pink looked a little plain. So on the edge of the main image, and the edge of the pink, I clear embossed and used silver tinsel Zing with heat embossing to have a rough silver edging. This was all mounted on the Silver Bazzill Bling paper as cardstock.

For all you who love challenges, you should check out the Bombshell stamps website. They have a monthly theme challenge, and a monthly sketch challenge. They give out a different prize each month!

See you all later. I am off to try to be crafty before all the benadryl kicks in from the wonderful grass allergies!

~~ Alaine