We have a blog candy winner!!!!  The Random Number generator picked number 193 out of 392 entries, from the post on August 19th, and that entry is:

Mary Strauser who left this comment “Great tutorial. I love trying your tutorials. Wish I could do my braying the way you do. I have tried different things and nothing works for me.  My favorite stamps is lovely as a tree or delight in life
thanks for giving me the chance to win that set.”                             

Mary, please e-mail your address to mzindorf@aim.com so I can pop this in the mail to you.  Congratulations!!!

Thanks to everyone who played along.   I wish I had blog candy for each of you.

Until my next post. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hugs,

Michelle

It’s FRIDAY!!!  On Fridays Split Coast Stampers.com has the limited supply challenge.  Today’s challenge is to use the supplies you have not used in quite a while, you know the ones that have all the dust on them, lol.  Well I went way back and dug this Stampin’ Up set “See with the Heart” out.  It’s a beautiful set that dates back to 2004 and has only seen ink once since I got it.  I also used my poor neglected Prismacolor pencils and Odorless Paint Thinner today.  This card is not my usual style, but that is why I like the challenges.  They make you stretch and when you stretch you grow. 

FYI, my brayer workshops at Marco Paper in Dayton, OH on September 6th have sold out so we have add a Brayer workshop on September 13th.  So if you missed out on the 6th sign up for the 13th of September and we will take the mystery out of using that brayer.  To register, please contact Marco Paper at 937-433-7030 or 1-888-433-5239 or website at http://marcopaper.com/index.html 

Let’s get going on the tutorial. 

Supplies:

I started out by stamping the main image on a 4.5″ x 4.5″ piece of Whisper White card stock with Palette Noir Black ink.  I used this ink because I will be coloring with a solvent based medium and this ink won’t smear with this technique. 

I say the coloring medium is solvent based because I dip the tip of my Prismacolor Pencil in Odorless paint Thinner before coloring so the color melts on the paper like butter and you can blend so well with this method.  I don’t use blending stumps, I just start with my lightest color and blend with the pencils as I go.

I picked a light blue (Sky Blue Light) and a Darker Blue (Slate Grey) to color her dress.  I colored her dress in completely with the Sky Blue Light an then colored the dark areas of her dress with Slate Grey.

For the Roses I pick a light Peach (Peach) and a dark Peach (Pumpkin Orange).  I colored the roses in with Peach and then the darker areas of the roses with Pumpkin Orange.

Colored her skin with Light Peach.

Note:  I left the small flowers uncolored so the white would draw the eye into the image by being such a contrast to the colored image.

Colored the leaves with Celadon Green.

Colored her hair with Dark Brown.

Colored the background area to the right of her with Cream.

Sponge Distress ink Antique Linen around the edge of the card stock, up to the image.

Randomly sponged Distress ink Frayed Burlap around the edge.

Got a bit darker by randomly sponging Distress ink Brushed Corduroy on the edge of the card stock.

Adhered the main image panel to a 5″ x 5″ panel of Soft Sky card stock.

Stamped the rose image around the edge of the card-stock.  Note:  when you stamp over multiple layers of card stock you will have gaps in your design where the card stocks meet.

Filled in the gaps with a Faber Castell Fine Point Black marker.  This marker is made of Indian ink and and works well (doesn’t smear) with solvent based coloring mediums.

Colored the Roses the exact same way I did on the main image panel by using the same colors.

Sponged Distress ink Brushed Corduroy right on the edge of the Soft Sky panel.

Cut out 4 corner pieces using my Cuttlebug.

Assembled card, added brads and here it is finished measuring 5.25″ x 5.25″.

I hope you enjoyed this coloring tutorial and will be inspired to get out those stamps you have been hording and not using.  They are just longing to see they light!

May your day be filled with the smell of a Victorian garden.

Until my next post. . . . . . . .. . . . . .

Hugs,

Michelle

I’m feeling a bit foggy today, not enough sleep, allergies kicking in.  That could be why I picked to do a foggy scene, lol.  In real life, this looks a bit more foggier (is that a word?). 

Photographing cards in the wee hours of the morning, when it is pitch black out, is a little difficult, but that is when I do my stamping and posting to this blog, so the photos are what they are.  Thanks for understanding!

Well let’s get on with this foggy tutorial.

Supplies:

Stamped tree image by first loading my stamp with Versamark and then loading it with River Rock ink before stamping.  Stamped it on a 4.5″ x 6″ piece of Whisper White card stock.

Heat embossed it using fine detail clear embossing powder and a heat gun.

Stamp the tree again using Versamark only, no ink.

Heat embossed it using clear embossing powder and a heat gun.

Stamped the tree a third time by loading the stamp with Versamark and then Lake Mist ink before stamping.

Heat embossed it using clear embossing powder and a heat gun.

Brayered on River Rock ink at the bottom of the card stock.

Brayered on Bordering Blue at the top of the card stock, leaving a light area showing between the River Rock and the Bordering Blue ink.  This gives a foggy look to the piece.

Stamped Flourish with Bordering Blue ink at the right and bottom sides of the card stock.

Sponged Not Quite Navy ink at the top and right side of the card stock.

Sponged Always Artichoke ink at the bottom of the card stock.

Assembled card from and stamped the flourish again, only this time stamping it with Not Quite Navy ink.   Note:  When stamping over layers of card stock you will get gaps in your image.  Be sure to stamp in a color that you have a matching marker for so you can fill in those gaps.

Filled in the gaps in the flourish image with a Not Quite Navy Marker.

Assembled card and here it is finished measuring 6.5″ x 5″.

Hope your day is filled with sunshine to take away any fog that may be around. 

Until my next post. . . . . . . . . . .

Hugs,

Michelle

It’s time for the Split Coast Stamper’s Dirty Dozen Present & Alumni monthly challenge.  This months challenge was to make a birthday card using numbers in the design and not use the word Birthday. 

This is what I came up with for my husband Russ’ birthday in October. :)  Good thing he doesn’t read this blog, lol.

To see all of the Dirty Girl’s creations for this challenge check out this link:   http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/showgallery.php?si=DCB808&x=8&y=8

The Dirty Girls will be posting their creations throughout the day, so check back at that link often.

Here is the tutorial for mine:

Supplies:

Stamped Fisherman on a 5″ x 5″ piece of Whisper White card stock with Palette Noir Black ink.

Colored his hat and pants with a Prismacolor Oatmeal marker.

Added Khaki to his jacket and the creases on his pants.

Colored his skin with an Eggshell marker.

Colored over the fisherman with a Versamark marker and heat embossed the image with fine detail clear embossing powder and a heat gun.

Put a post it note over the bottom of the card-stock to mask it and then Brayered on Apricot Appeal ink.

Brayered on Baja Breeze ink at the top of the sky.

Brayered on Not Quite Navy ink at the top of the card stock not covering the Baja Breeze ink entirely.

Removed post it note mask.

Put a clean Post it note mask on to cover the sky area of the card stock.  

Brayered on Baja Breeze ink at the bottom of the card stock.

Brayered on Not Quite Navy ink at the top of the water area, by rolling over the post it note.

Colored in just the hook of the lure stamp with a black marker.  Huffed on it to moisten the ink and stamped it.

Cut the numbers 47 from a piece of Kiwi Kiss card stock with my Cuttlebug.

Glued the numbers on so they look like they are on the hook.

Extended the fishing line to reach the hook with a fine point black marker.

Colored the trees with a Prismacolor light Olive Green marker.

Made dashes in the water with a white gel pen.

With the fine tip end of a Prismacolor Light Olive Green maker, made a shadow on the right sides of the “47″.  Did this to create depth.

Sponged Night of Navy ink around the outside edge of the panel.

Used a ticket corner punch on the main image panel and the Apricot Appeal panel.

Punched 4 corner punches from Baja Breeze card stock and adhered them to a 5.5″ x 5.5″ piece of Night of Navy card stock.

Assembled the rest of the card front.

Here is it finished measuring 5.5″ x 5.5″.

I challenge you to make a creation today using numbers.  If you accept this challenge, please leave a link to your card in the comment section of this post.   I would love to see them!

May your day be filled with cool lake breezes. 

Until my next post. . . . . . . . .

Hugs,

Michelle

Before I start the tutorial today, let’s spice things up a bit with some Blog Candy.  The Blog Candy today is a brand new, current, set of Stampin’ Up Stamps “Frames with a Flourish”.

So to enter for a chance to win this great set of stamps, please leave me a comment on this post telling me your all time favorite stamp.  You know, the stamp you grab when you just don’t know what to make.   I have several dragonfly stamps, but that’s what I get out when I have a creative block. :)  If you are getting this blog update by e-mail you will need to click this link to leave a comment on this blog post:

 http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/2008/08/19/marbled-dragonfly-tutorial-and-blog-candy/

I will use a random number generator to pick the winner on the morning of Saturday, August 23rd. 

A little about today’s tutorial:  I like to make my own interesting backgrounds by layering colors of ink.  I try to start my backgrounds with a bright light color and work darker as I go.  This creates a glow by the light color showing through. 

Let’s get started! 

Supplies:

Stamped Dragonfly on a 3.25″ x 3.25″ piece of Whisper White card stock by first loading my stamp with Versamark and then loading it with Really Rust ink before stamping it.

Heat embossed image using fine detail clear embossing powder and a heat gun.

Readied my Adirondack Willow ink pad for watercoloring by squeezing the ink pad when it is closed to create a pool of ink on the inside of the ink pad lid.  This is what I will use to water color with. 

Watercolored the wings and body of the dragonfly using an Aqua Painter and Willow ink.

Watercolored the edge of the wings with Lettuce ink.

Traced right on the inside edge of the wings with a Lettuce marker.

Colored over the entire dragonfly with a Versamark marker and heat embossed using clear embossing powder and a heat gun.

Used the Stampendous “TC01 Marble Texture Cube” with Willow ink and stamped all over the card stock with side “A” of the cube.

Stamped all over the card stock with side “B” of the Marble Texture cube with Close to Cocoa ink.

Using a circular motion, sponged Willow ink all of the card stock.

Sponged on some Close to Cocoa ink randomly around the card stock.

Stamped side “C” of the marble texture cube with Chocolate Chip ink in 3 places on the card stock.

Let the ink dry a moment and then wiped the embossed image off with an old rag to remove the ink from it.

Sponged Chocolate Chip ink around the outside edge of the card stock.

Starting a larger panel of Whisper White 5″ x 5″.

Rubbed the Willow ink pad directly on the White card stock in a circular motion almost covering it entirely.

Stamped side “A” of the Marble Texture cube around the sides of the card stock using Lettuce ink.  Then used side “B” and stamped Chocolate Chip ink around the edges, sorry missed the photo :(.

Sponged Lettuce ink around the sides of the card stock using a circular motion.

Sponged Chocolate Chip ink in a circular motion on the inside of the card stock work outward and then sponged some of the Chocolate Chip in around the edges of the card stock.

Sponged Basic Black ink on the very edge of both panels of card stock.

Assembled card front and toned down the bottom panel of Really Rust card stock by sponging on the very edges of it with Basic Black ink.

Here is the finished card measuring 5.25″ x 5.25″.

Why don’t you give a try at making your own background paper today?  I think you will be pleasantly surprised. 

Hope your day today is pleasant in every way.

Until my next post. . . . . .. . .

Hugs,
Michelle