Glendas Challenge - Jan 08

Firstly I must keep up with this blog thing !
Ok so Glendas DTP Challenge, I have used two different methods for the Direct to paper, the traditional one with ink pads and also one using the Spray inks. Both results below. Just click pictures to see larger versions of them. Hope you like them.

Direct to paper using pigment inkpads.

The idea for this card was the gorgeous Sweetpeas that grow at the back of my garden. I've no idea where they came from, they just grow every year along with the wild Ivy.

Along with Butterflies we get the occasional Dragon flies.
The teals and turquoises are my representation of the foliage and purple the hues of the Sweetpeas.

Base card A6 off white semi sheen, using just Petal Point ink pads and Catseyes ink pads - first layers blending turquoise and teal, then blending the lilacs and deeper purples.

I used a single line diamond style border stamp on an angle for the netting / trellis effect, repeating using various colours to highlight where needed.

I stamped some twirling vines randomly over the background to replicate the leaves and tentacles of Sweetpeas.

Finally came the Dragon flies, again randomly stamped in a deep blue, coloured in with a dry paintbrush just dabbed on the various ink pads that I'd used for the background. I will eventually finish the Dragon flies with either some shimmer or acetate wings - not sure and no doubt when the time comes to it I'll probably do something completely different !

Direct to paper using Spray Inks

Nowadays with Spray inks so readily available I find them so versatile for backgrounds and really easy to work with. The Spray inks I used for the background are available from Graphicus which are the fabulous Glimmer Mists, these have a fantastic lustre and as the name says - they Glimmer ! Mmmmm yummy ! I need more !!!
I used the Golden Terracotta, Denim Blue and Lemon Zest ( Spring Fever Kit ) for this card.
The idea of this card was an old writing desk with it's worn leather, you know - the type that has the gold tooling around the edges.
TIPS: The card may get quite damp so I always use a little repositionable tape under the centre just to stabilise the card and stop it curling as much - I don't want that Glimmer mist running off !

I do apologise in advance but the Glimmer does not show up too well in photographs.

Shown in picture above: To make the background is completely random, this is why I think the spray inks are so good, with the ink pads you are placing colour where you want it, with the sprays you can never be too sure of what you may get but it will always look fantastic. I used 10cm square cream card.
I took the Lemon Zest and sprayed centrally, I could have now just used the Honeydew green mist around the edges but it's more fun experimenting. I know blue and yellow make green so I sprayed that more towards the edges.
Using a brush I just swirl and blend some of the puddled mists together, now I have a golden centre with an outer hint of green fading out to blue. I need some reds and browns.
Again red and green make - brown or some sort of shade of brown ! so I spray my Terracotta randomly around the edges and using my brushes I can now blend where I want deeper colours and using a stroke brush I pulled some of the blue back towards the centre.
As I had only used a little repositionable tape under the centre of the card it will still curl slightly but this will allow the mists to settle at the edge of the card - similar to creating an inked edge.
I'm impatient - want it now - so out came my heat gun, as I was drying it I used my brush in the areas I wanted more effect just to build up the colour. Finished result on the left.

Next the first stamp layer. This is a repeating damask background stamp, I used my Petal point ink pads - in a soft caramel.
( Sorry about picture but I'm still trying to catch that wonderful Glimmer effect ! )

My next stage was to replicate the effect of the tooling used on desk leathers, out came my border stamps and using a Versafine sepia I stamped the scrolling leaves on the left hand edge and the ornate corners on the right.
The pale damask background can still be seen under.
For my top layer I used a collage stamp which has a writing theme to it - letters, ink pen and ink pot, I used the Versafine sepia again but added hints of Versafine red to lift areas.
To add effect, shadows were used under the top letters and ink pen, I just used a dry brush and dabbed it on my ink pads and brushed gently where I wanted the shadows. You could also use pencils to do this effect.
Please definately click this picture as You can see the various colours in the background that were achieved just by the simple use of 3 Glimmer mists. ( Ideally and if you know what stamps you will be using - I would have stamped the top layer before the edge layers and masked it off ) So that's the topper as it stands now, it will go in my drawer and I will no doubt add more to it in time or re stamp the top layer so I can decoupage it !

Now I need to clean up and get a coffee !!!!

Close up of the shadows applied to the top letters and pen to add a feeling of depth. You can also see the hues of the blue mist in the left corner.

BELOW: Here's the GLIMMER - WOW ! I had to tilt the card in the sun ( yes we did have an odd ray of it today so off I rushed - camera in hand ).