Too simple for my taste - here is OWH sketch 171:

I had a photo - taken years ago in either Nebraska, Tennessee or Virginia - that has never been just right for using on a card until now. I cut it down for the three panels and backed that with blue to work with the sky.

A light woodgrain paper served for the card background.

I had one moose left on a sheet of gold Dazzles but he did not stand out enough when applied directly to the photos. So I stuck him on some golden paper and trummed him out with a craft knife. He was facing the wrong way to use on the sketch where they have the circle element so I placed him in the lower right facing inward.

This left me the opportunity to punch two circle elements in the same solid papers and use a gold sticker greeting inside. This was popped up on foam tape.

I used a gold gel pen to add a doodle line around the perimeter.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Some sketches just tell you if they want to be feminine or masculine. I got a masculine vibe from OWH sketch 170.

I immediately knew I wanted to use that stamped dragonfly again and I already had it colored in the file of stuff I did on the day with no power. It was not quite the specified size and the orientation was landscape instead of portrait. But it worked well in this layout anyway.

I selected papers from the scrap bin and trimmed the dragonfly with a thin white border. This meant I needed a thin white border elsewhere so I cut the background down to allow the card base to show on the edges.

More white was called for so I used a single word from a sheet of rubons.

What appears to be three brass brads are actually sticky-back dots.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

Updated: Wednesday, 21 January 2015 5:13 PM PST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

I jumped back into the sketches for a bit. Here is OWH 169:

I had an image stamped on white cardstock where I had used masking with my handcarved roses. I colored these with Copic markers and then selected papers and cardstock to complement the illustration.

Some of the papers were table scraps including some that were trimmings from my stencil projects a few months back.

I used Spellbinders dies to cut the circle and a border punch for the scallop.

The white text is rubons and the butterflies are stickers. I used warm grey Copic markers to add drop shadows unter the roses and the butterflies.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

I was flipping through the channels on the TV last month and stopped to watch Anna Griffin on one of the '24-hour-we-can-sell-you-anything' channels. She was showing some new Cuttlebug folders she had designed. I didn' want any of them but watched just to see what new techniques she was using.

Only one thing really caught my eye and that was her use of a gold paint pen traced over the raised embossing.

Well, I HAD to try that!

I pulled out some glossy cardstock with a color-changing blue/purple/green finish. It reminds me of the look of oil on water.

I ran this through the Cuttlebug with a folder from the 'friends' set and then used a gold Krylon paint pen to trace over all the dandelions. I put it back through the Cuttlebug with a text border folder and then used the gold paint pen on the words and the swirl.

A piece of shiny gold cardstock was embossed with the 'heart blocks' folder and I cut a strip of that to apply under the text.

I trimmed the embossed panel right next to the raised border and mounted on purple for framing.

I do like this style and may try it again.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Next up for a swap on a paper embroidery group is the theme 'cupcakes'. I have more than one pattern for them but this is one I have never used before.

I stitched it up on a textured blue cardstock using a verigated pink and a verigated purple. They ended up looking very much alike but I really don't mind.

I mounted this on a printed background cardstock and pricked out the text from another pattern. This got stitched in burgundy.

I added puffy acrylic heart stickers to be 'sprinkles' on the cupcake.

I selected a bright pink card base to go with the hearts.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Now here's a sketch I can get behind - OWH 168:

The illustration I had on hand was not the specified size but I decided to just go with the flow. I selected bordering and backing papers based on the stamped and colored image.

The assembly was pretty straightforward and I didn't even rotate the sketch. Woo-hoo! The image is popped up on foam tape.

I decided to add a sentiment and found one already stamped onto the same  green I had been using. Sweet, indeed! I bordered it with some of the dots from the background.

Ddd 

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Today I have another OWH sketch that is awfully simplistic for my taste - OWH 167:

Unfortunately, this time I did not have a giant illustration to use. What I did have was a colored stamp that would work for the round element so I started by cutting that and embossing the edges with the Cuttlebug and a Spellbinders die.

I selected orange for the border and punched it with a scallop. Then I chose a printed background to coordinate with the doily under the teapot and a lavender card base to go with the table under the doily.

When these were all assembled there was not enough contrast between the layers so I did some sketchy drawing on the circle and the printed background.

I thought there was too much white space so I selected and bordered a stamped sentiment with a banner end.

I used the pen again to add lines to the sentiment and across the top of the table.

Ddd 

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Simple Simon - that is OWH sketch 166:

Fortunately I had an image already colored that was large enough for the center panel.

I  selected color blocking and bordering papers based on the colors in the illustration - pink and blue from the hearts and brown from the bunny. I used a little of the brown border around the image even though it was not in the sketch.

To fit the picture I needed to rotate the sketch to a vertical format.

I cut apart a stamped sentiment and bordered the words separately. These took the place of the dots in the sketch and they are popped up on foam tape.

Then I covered the main heart with Glossy Accents. You can see the shine of it in the photo.

Ddd 

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

After a lengthy break I'm back with another OWH sketch for my self-challenge.

I did a few calculations trying to decide how long it might take me to finish up this project.

There are currently 247 regular sketches plus 36 bonus sketches - total 283. I finished have finished 164 leaving 116 to do. New sketches are being issued twice a month so there will be 22 more by the end of 2015. That is a new grand total of 138. Since I did 164 in 13 months, I should be able to finish up by the end of the year.

Now, on to OWH sketch 165:

I had an already colored floral that I wanted to use but it was vertical instead of horizontal. So I rotated the sketch to suit its use.

I drew colors for the background and scalloped borders from the flower and played it pretty straight on design.

The stamped piece was not as long as the sketch so I extended it with black at the ends.

In place of the ribbon and bow I used a sentiment strip and a punched butterfly.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

Updated: Thursday, 15 January 2015 6:25 PM PST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

On challenge to create a paper embroideried card with the theme of 'music' I decided to use my pattern for a dancer. For this I used four metallic threads on a paper with music notations.

I used a stamp positioner to add a stamp of a musical score below her feet.

I backed the stitched panel with black and purple. Then I layered a purple butterfly with a black layer and balanced it on her upraised hand.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

I had a part of the dry embossing layers left over from yesterday's project and decided to use it right away instead of stashing it to work with later.

The treatment was very simple. I bordered the embossing with pink, selected a pre-stamped sentiment on blue and bordered that with pink as well.

I made a blue folded card base and overlaid it with a blue dotted paper.

I popped up the sentiment on foam tape and added two shimmery heart stickers.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

One of my groups issued a challenge to make a 'winter' card. I immediately thought of the snowflake embossing folder but wanted to do something different with it.

I first laid out together on white cardstock the Swiss Dots folder and a border with a cabin in the woods. These were embossed using the Cuttlebug. 

I then used a foam dauber to color these raised parts in blue.

Then I ran the whole thing through with the Snowflake folder and used another foam dauber to color all the snowflakes - including those that covered the cabin border.

I then placed the cabin folder back over the blue coloring and ran it through the Cuttlebug again. This was colored again with blue to enhance its definition.

This was mounted on a pink card base, leaving a border all around it.

I embossed a frame on another piece of white and trimmed it to the widest border and removed the inside section. This was mounted over the colored piece using foam tape.

Exactly as I envisioned it!

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

We have a new little buddy at the squirrel feeder! I'm not sure what kind he is but he is smaller than a chipmunk.

The ones we have in spades are reddish brown on the back and white on the belly. They are about 7 inches. 

This guy is dark brown on the back and redish on the belly. He is about 3 1/2 inches tall.

He can't seem to figure out the other feeder that requires lifting a lid with the head to access the seeds. But he is all over the jar feeder. He pops inside, grabs a seed, scurries out to sit on top and eats the treat there.

Adorable, huh?

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Sometimes you come across an idea that seems really neat even though it serves no earthly purpose. Such was the case when I surfed from one blog to another and came across this studio picture from www.madiganmade.com.

I guess it does serve the purpose of hiding all the junk stuff contained in the iris carts - and, besides that, it just looks cool.

I decided to spiff up my studio the same way and set to work selecting some colorways for my 'paint chips'. I have a LOT of iris carts in a variety of sizes and I also have some clear plastic bins that contain supplies.

Fortunately I had my bins marked with printed labels already so it was just a matter of measuring, cutting and installing. Each of the colored cardstock pieces is tacked to the inside front of the bin with doublestick tape.

Each drawer 'set' is in a separate colorway.

The stacked drawers on the far right are in sets of 4 drawers instead of only 3 so I had to expand the colorway by one step.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

For the second paper embroidery group I belong to the second swap of the year is 'circles'.

I was intrigued with this pattern that overlaps a color run of threads to create a gradation. I stitched it out in five colors from purple to yellow and back to purple, using graph gridded cardstock as the base.

I mounted it on a purple folded card base and used a punch to round the corners.

Then I punched dots in three colors and mounted them over and under the edges and drew in stitching lines on them.

Two sizes of circle cutouts were traced onto the backgrounds and then clear bubble stickers in three sizes were used to decorate the front.

I believe there are enough circles to satisfy the theme.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

For a day that started out with an extremely foggy sunrise...

...yesterday turned into a stunningly sunny and warm day. In fact, the weather is so unseasonably warm that one local station coined the term June-uary for it. Clever!

We took advantage of it for some outdoor recreation. First we went to a local park to feed the ducks...

...and the geese

and then took a stroll down by the river where we watched some band fishermen pull three large fish out. Good Job!

Some river views were too good to let pass without recording them

Now, this was the strangest thing we saw all day...

At this shelter in the park there must have been over a dozen individuals in cobbled together 'medevial' costumes: shields, wooden swords, a lance, a bow carrying arrowl that looked more like plungers, robes, capes, a variety of headdresses, and one guy with a beard down past his waist made out of bright pink yarn! When we first spotted them they were just assembling here but later, as we were leaving the park we spotted them out in the open area of the park having a battle. We laughed till our sides hurt!

On the way back to the car we stopped at the skate park and watched the youngsters doing tricks on razor skooters, skateboards, and bikes. Quite impressive, really.

After a trip to the library we trundled on home and finished the day with a barbeque of hamburgers on the grill.

Yep, it's January!

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

In a total departure from the three previous ATCs I did not begin this one with tissue paper. Instead I glued down a background of handmade paper with dried flower inclusions. To do this, I applied clear matte medium to the chipboard and the paper and pressed them together.

I used three other handmade papers and hand tore shaped bits to create flowers and buds. Each piece was glued on with the matte medium. This was all  built up one piece at a time, sealing the fronts and edges so there would be no loose bits.

After drying overnight I used a fine permanent marker to sketch in some outlining.

Silver Krylon paint pen was used to cover all the edges of the card.

So, now that I have done the required four ATCs you may expect to see some again...never. (well, maybe someday - but not soon)

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

Share This Post

Post Comment | View Comments (1) | Permalink

For the third ATC I required to fulfill my swap I again started with printed tissue over chipboard. In this case it was a multi-toned yellow with some black fine line swirls.

Over this I applied some rose stickers in the upper left and lower right corners. These were overlaid with vellum rose stickers to create a more dimensional effect.

I added torn bits of tissue tape to the top and bottom edges then used Glossy Accents to adhere two gold etched plaques.

I sealed the whole piece with clear matte medium and allowed it to dry overnight.

I used a black soot Distress Marker to outline the gold plaques and smeared the ink.

To finish it I used gold Krylon paint pen on all four edges.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

I didn't mention mention in my post the other day how much I do not like making Artist Trading Cards. To me they are rather pointless as they are not a greeting card, are rather too small to work comfortably upon, and since their sole purpose is to trade them to someone I generally get back some art that I really do not care for.

That said, I discovered after I had committed to the ATC swap for florals that it was a 4-for-4 swap and that I had to make three more. Drat!

Since they will all go to the same person I really coudn't duplicate the one already done so I dragged out some supplies and set to work on new designs.

The first of these began with some brown printed tissue over chipboard. I used some distressed stripes black rub-ons to finish the background.

I arranged two layers of three vellum pansy stickers (two layers so the background would not show through) and added decorative vellum letter stickers at the top.

The whole piece was sealed with clear matte medium then the alpha letters were traced over with black permanent marker.

I finished this off by covering the edges with silver Krylon paint marker.

Finished size is 2.5 x 3.5 inches.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

I really laid back on the 'alphabet swaps' on a paper embroidery list last year. I'm jumping back in at the letter 'I' which is designated for 'insects'.

My favorite insect, as you probably know, is the dragonfly. I selected a bunch of stitching stickers and applied them to a subtle blue background. Then I stitched with a light aqua thread.

I used point-to-point stitches, french knots and a few chain stitches to enhance the bugs.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink