Haute Coutoure

Something a lot out of my comfort zone for today's post. A card needed to be made for a work colleague's birthday. The image was one of those I had coloured previously and seemed to be the most apt for the birthday girl. All it needed was a home.
The image is called Haute Coutoure by Rick St Dennis. Coloured with Graph-It pens. I really am falling in love with these!

 I used the sketch at Tuesday Morning Sketches as my inspiration. Turned slightly to fit in with my image.
Unfortunately that challenge has closed so they won't get to see me using this.

Even the twist of lace and pearls - these fitted with the image so well.
The pics were taken in a hurry before going to work today - my apologies. I left it in the box I'd made I was in such a rush.

 The feathers in pale pink, mint green and cream to match the outfit stuck into a metal bead that was coloured with pale gold pan pastel and sewn onto the card for security.

The cream lace was threaded through with pale pink and mint green satin ribbon with some pearl sprays to decorate. You can just about see the text that was added to the main BP - a background stamp by Paper Artsy - stamped with versamark and brushed over with pale gold Pan Pastel.
The two panels are core-dinations - both dry embossed and matted onto the same dark pink that was used to mat the BP and image.
The sentiment is on the card insert - oops no pic ..... I was in a rush as I said

I'd like to enter this card into the challenge at
Digi Choosday - Fashionable Fun
Ooh-la-la-creationschallenges - Fashionista
Through the Purple Haze - Embossing

Our Anniversary Comes Round Again

Morning all, today makes two occasions. The first and most important is that of our sixth Wedding Anniversary. I still count my blessings each day, for many reasons I won't bore you with. Romantic I'm not, appreciative and grateful that he is in my life.... yes.
The second occasion - this day marks the start of the Smeared & Smudged Bloody Valentine Hop.
I have the honour of representing Rick St Dennis' Airless Chambers today.
The pics - sorry about the glare. Taking pics when the only daylight I see is while I'm on my breaks at work is trying, to say the least, at this time of year.
This is the card that will be given to hubs to mark this momentous day in our lives. Before you ask, yes he will appreciate the image *wink*
I chose Rick's "Handcuffs" image. Coloured with Graph-It pens. (Loving these)

Saucy, isn't she!

The wings are die cut and painted with luminarte paints. There is more of this mica loaded paint spattered over the card, applied before attaching my gal. For those that didn't realise, my married name is "Angel" and it's a little joke between us that I am the "Fallen Angel" - hence the wings falling off. Take what ever symbology you like from the handcuffs and chains but there is a get-out there with the key.
The crackle is a Sheena Douglass stamp, The {Naughty or Nice}from hobbycraft.

More gorgeous projects over the next two days from my RSD EDT teamies over at Airless Chambers. Please stop by and show some love.

I'd like to enter this into the challenge at
Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - Although it was given as an Anniversary card, he is also my Valentine

Love is in the Air

Just one more week and that day that the romantics among us look forward to will be upon us.  I must admit,  I am not one of those souls but, hubby is. Me? I think it is just an excuse for those florists to put up their prices and card companies seem to forget there are February birthdays as the shelves are bowing under the weight of over-priced cards for those wanting to declare their adoration to another. So a simple card from me. I am not without feeling and a card will be expected, especially as I do make one or two.
This week it is Team A's turn over at Delicious Doodles' Challenges to host. The theme is

LOVE (Good or Bad)

I thought I'd bring out some of the older images that Teri has drawn for a change and made an easel card.
Made from an ordinary 5" square card blank with an extra fold - simple.

 The base was painted first with "radiant rains" "egyptian gold" and "persimmon" then a light dusting of black DI. A text stamp using stazon stamped on the "front".
The images are all from Delicious Doodles of course. The Swirly Heart Square Frame, Swirly Heart Corner Set and Swirly Heart

 The standing panel was attached to a piece of coredinations cardstock before attaching with shaker tape.

The stops are formed from paper mache shaped using a fondant mould then painted with more of the radiant rains paint.
Now that you've looked at mine - go check out the rest of my teamies projects - they are just gorgeous. Then get that project made and linked up so we can come and admire.

Rotten Romance with HDH

It's week two of our little challenge over at Haunted Design House. Our sponsor for this challenge is Delicious Doodles, owned by a fellow minion, our very own Teri. Loads of images suitable for this challenge are available in the shop here and the sister shop Delicious Darkness,  but I chose to use one of the newest. That of Grotesque Cupid.

Five layers of the image on the front, decoupaged, and one on the reverse so that if the heart were to be seen from the reverse, the image could be seen through the cane latticework. Some red thread as the bow string tied on to complete.

The heart, itself, was altered from a shop-bought whitewashed state using acrylic paint in shades of teal and purple with just a smattering of red here and there. How many hearts wouldn't bleed when pierced by a sharp object such as Cupid's arrow? I was trying to achieve that colour when meat is past it's prime - ie rotten hence that slight sheen.
The heart was then fitted with some mouldy green organza ribbon and black seam binding with our little fella taking pride of place.
Well this is my little offering, now you just have to go see what the other Minions over at Haunted Design House have created to show their interpretation of "Rotten Romance"

A Mixed Media ATC

Having signed up for the Creative Jumpstart 2014 I have had a little play with new things and some new techniques (to me). The mixed media video by Anna Dabrowska was the inspiration behind this little canvas. My canvas is actually only 2"x3" but I mounted it onto an ATC base and used it as one of the ATCs swapped in the recent Haunted Design House swap. My partner now has it and therefore I can blog it.

First I gathered a load of likely candidates for sticking down

Then with extra heavy gel got down to sticking bits on. First layer dry - I used white gesso to paint all over. Still more needed. More sticking and gesso. Yep done.

To colour I used a mixture of perfect pearls in the crevices and Pan Pastel over the raised bits.

As I have already said - I needed this to be a bit bigger. Some more "bits" (broken jewellery and odd beads) to the ATC sized base. More Pan Pastels to colour, a length of fibre to "meld" and this is the final result

I am entering this into 

the Pan Pastel give away in CJS 2014 - use the sponsors product and/or household items

Happy Heart Day with Rick St Dennis

Morning peeps. Overcast here today again, we've been really lucky with the winter weather this year, (touch wood), no snow to speak of and only a few days cold enough to frost. I hope it keeps up until the spring and the warmer days. Another couple of winter months still to go so I won't count my chickens just yet. February tends to be the really bad month. There is Valentine's day  smack bang in the middle. A day when those romantic souls declare their undying love to another and the card, flower and chocolate companies make a fortune. Me, cynical? I'll let you decide.
Anyway, for those of you that keep the tradition alive, Rick St Dennis has drawn a cute little guy to help spread the words of love. Until the 15th of February he will be sent free with any purchase from Rick, thereafter he will be available to purchase from either the Zibbet or the Etsy shops. His name is "Happy Heart Day". He is the image that is to be used in the February challenge over on the Sparkle and Glitter blog. Anything Goes - as long as the little fella is featured.

 Coloured with promarkers in a jester type garb

and an AJ page using luminarte radiant rains paints, hence the mica sheen and corrugated card.

The stamped sentiments are from Visible Image.

Don't forget to visit the blogs of the rest of the EDT and see what they did with "Happy Heart Day" and get your project linked in.

I am entering this project into 

the Creative Jumpstart 2014 Luminarte giveaway