FREE N EASY

That's this weeks challenge over at the Allsorts Challenge blog.
I seem to be making a few ATCs this week whilst 'T' is recovering from his operation, and as he has just gone for a lie down, I thought I would pop on here and enter this #113 challenge.

I just love the gown this lady is wearing. A few gems and a bindi enhance it's beauty. I coloured the roses with Copics, the butterflies were painstakingly cut from a free download and everything is stuck to a pre-inked ATC-sized piece of mount board.
I had fun with this one.

ANYTHING GOLD STITCHING SKETCH

Wow, what a heading. It will make sense when I tell you that this card is for 4 challenges as follows:
Allsorts #51 - follow a sketch
Totally Papercrafts #15 - stitching, real or faux
Sunday Stampers #102 - Gold (see the link at the top of my sidebar)
Dare U 2 Digistamp ~37 - Anything Goes
All the links to these challenges are in my blog list.
This was fun to make yesterday but I didn't get the chance to post it because I couldn't get the Sunday Stamper photo to load. To be honest, I couldn't follow the notes I took down when the fabulous Dave, who I am in love with, showed me how to load photos into my sidebar. So Dave, a great big thank you for coming to my rescue - again!!
Had an interesting day today. It's my DH's birthday and our wedding anniversary so we've been out into Bridlington. However, we ended up at the hospital because I have developed a rather nasty ear infection and needed some antibiotics. Oops! I'm ok or at least will be when they kick in.
Must go though now. Thanks for looking and remember my blog candy day - 24th May.

AND THE WINNER IS.....

ME!!
I've won last weeks Allsorts challenge - Animals. How happy am I?
All I have to do now is try and email Kirsten, not so easy with this mobile web link, but I'll so it some how.
Dearest Dave, will you please put the blog candy photo for Hels' challenge this week on my sidebar. Her blog is http://pinkleart.blogspot.com. Pretty please and thanks.

ALLSORTS CHALLENGE #50 - ANIMALS

Another quick card, this time for the Allsorts challenge which this week is Animals.
Their sponsor is Digi Boutique who produce some cute digi images. If you enter this challenge and use a DB image, you will be entered twice. Have a look at their blog:
http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com
I've used some Debbie Mumm papers, a few Prima leaves and Digi Boutique image Mikey Monkey. I coloured him with Copics, cut him out and mounted him on the card using a mini spring.
Don't forget my blog giveaway on May 24. All you have to do is leave me a comment on any post between now and midnight on the 23rd. The candy will be a surprise but plenty, and I don't mean a roll of that kitchen paper either!!LOL. Check out my previous post for more details.

WITH A LITTLE FLOURISH

There are 2 challenges this week that I can enter one of my chunky book pages into.

1) Sunday Stampers - Lace (check out the link to Ink on my Fingers in the sidebar)

2) Allsorts - #46 No patterned paper (again, the link is in the sidebar)

I used distress inks over Tim's flourish mask then stamped a swirl stamp using another distress ink and then brushed over it with perfect pearls. I then spritzed with water and by doing this the ink 'bleeds'. As soon as the required effect is achieved, a quick blast with a heat gun sets it. I then made a chunky tag in the same way.

I die cut some flowers out of material and grungepaper, inking over the grunge one, gluing one of the material ones to a grunge flower and inking over that too. I again, inked a grungeboard swirl and then assembled the whole thing adding embellishments and some LACE.

I love the effect of distress inks, perfect pearls and spritzing. The lovely shine is amazing.

'MEN' TAG

This piece satisfies 2 challenges - and me 'cos I had a ball again!

1. http://pinkleart.blogspot.com/ aka Sunday Stampers challenge #92 is MEN and

2. http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/ challenge #40 is a tag, a ticket or a label.

I used one of the labels that Mario, Tim Holtz's assistant sent me (a request I made at Christmas so I could have the proper base for the 12 tags). First of all, I stamped the pocket watch with Versamark embossed with clear powder. This formed a resist when I used distress inks to colour the tag all over. I stamped the writing with aged mahogany distress ink and then attached the spinners and die cut watch hands with a brad. The chain is simply held at the back with tape. The image is Personal Impressions P1333P and was advertised as 'Odds On' when I bought it, but I've seen it called other names on various projects. Anyway, I've used it in the context of a man in a betting shop hence the numbers and word 'evens'. I stamped him on grungeboard with Archival black and simply cut him out. A bit of distress inking took the grey away before I used 3D foam to add him to the tag.

The whole thing could make a topper for a man's card, but I may just add him to my ever-growing stash.

3 CHALLENGES - 1 CARD

Following on from the Copic workshop I went to last Saturday, I've had a go at colouring with red. It seems that together with black, red is one of the hardest colours to blend. Any colour is hard for me just now until I get in more practice, but the worse bit is judging where the light is angled and therefore where to shade. Funny really that I am struggling with this because in art at school, drawing still objects and getting the shading right was the only thing I could do with any success and even had a piece of art on the wall!!! Mind, it's a wonder I can even remember that far back!

This little card is for 3 challenges:

The Copic Colour challenge #51 - R29 - lipstick red, RV23 - pure pink and B12 - ice blue

The Totally Papercrafts challenge #3 - buttons and bows

The Allsorts challenge week 39 - A recipe with a difference - 3, 2, 1 - I've used 3 papers, 2 flowers and 1 image

Check out the links on the R/H side of my blog for all these challenges.