01.31.09
12 x 12 double layout – water-logged
Here’s the layout that I was working on when we had the power failure the other night.
And a closer look at each individual page:
I’ve used Spring Break Designer Series Paper (DSP) as a starting point for my colour combinations (Not Quite Navy, Pumpkin Pie, Soft Sky and Old Olive), and added the following embellishments; Soft Sly double stitched ribbon, pewter jumbo eyelets, pumpkin pie & not quite navy brads and I just love the Crystal Effects used as water droplets to mimic the droplets on Ronan’s face!
(The title stamps and metallic feature that is threaded onto the soft sky ribbon are non-Stampin’ Up!)
I just LOVE this pack of DS Paper – it’s so… boyish, yet because it has flower images all over it, it’s very cute too. It really lends itself to being used on ‘little boy’ layouts. The other thing I LOVE about this particular sheet of paper, is that it matches (to my mind, anyway LOL), the stamp set called Live Your Dream. So, I’ve coloured the small flower stamp from Live Your Dream with Markers (Not Quite Navy, Old Olive and Pumpkin Pie), and stamped it onto the Very Vanilla Cardstock to create an all-over background image.
I’ve coloured and stamped the main flower from Live Your Dream and used it as a feature on the page. I stamped it again on a separate piece of paper and cut out the flowers and leaves to adhere with pop up foam pads.
This set of photos makes me laugh – Ronan was absolutely SOAKED! He couldn’t have got any wetter. LOL. He was having a blast spraying his dad with his soaker gun but in return was getting drenched! It was so funny. He thought it was hilarious to ’sneak’ up on dad, trying to get as close as possible to squirt him, only to be saturated with the hose. Oh happy days!
I think I’ve used too much Crystal Effects for the water droplets… but it was fun making them. I’m still learning ‘when to stop’ in regards to embellishments, so bear with me. 
)
Thanks for looking! (Please don’t be shy about commenting and saying “hi!”)
01.22.09
Another CASE of my own card…
There’s something very pleasing about using a loved design or layout and experimenting with different colour combinations. (It also saves the headache of trying to think up a new design – LOL!) I’ve copied my own card again, (the original is here ) and used darker, more mellow colours – I’ve been using these colours for a couple of days now.
I love this combo of Bravo Burgandy (such a great colour!) and Always Artichoke – in fact any green goes beautifully with Bravo Burgandy. I’ve used some Brocade Background DSP down the left hand side, and covered the edge with Bravo Burgandy Grossgrain ribbon. I’ve randomly stamped the small butterfly from Live Your Dream in VersaMark on the right hand side.
I added some Crystal Effects to the petals of the flowers; here’s a close up picture for you to see how it looks when dry.
It looks as if there’s dew on the flowers; such a cool effect. I find I need to leave the Crystal Effects to dry overnight at least, so give yourself plenty of time to let it dry before you send it to anyone. 
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01.21.09
Using Elements on cards
I don’t know about you, but unless a stamp is a picture of something (flower, person, animal etc…), I find it extremely difficult to us as the sole feature of a card. When looking back at my cards, I see that most of them havea picture of something as the main focal point, and elements are there only as a background or a minor feature.
I thought I’d try to make a card using an element (defined by Stampin’ Up! as “Borders, Backgrounds and Shapes”), as the main focus of a card.
I quite like this card and could see it easily adapted for a wedding card with different colours and saying. Baroque Motifs is just an amazing stamp set and I’m so glad that I bought it. I’ve used it so often, and have acheived quite different ‘looks’ with each card. I added Crystal Effects to the element of this card too – for that added shine.
The colours I’ve used are; Bravo Burgandy and Always Artichoke cardstock, Brocade Background DSP, Bravo Burgandy Grossgain ribbon, Vintage brads, Always Artichoke ink (swirls and for smudging ink around edge of Always Artichoke C/S), River Rock ink also for smudging around the edge of the DSP (Designer Series Paper). Oval punch, and Bravo Burgandy ink for saying.
