Today is the second of three Gina K Designs team blog hops to showcase the newly released April stamp sets that are now available in the store! So we hope you’ll sit back, relax and enjoy! Make sure you visit and leave a comment on each of the design team members’ blogs because we're giving away some stamps! Two lucky readers will each win two stamp sets of their choice along with a surprise embellishment pack including ribbons, buttons and more!
First today is Branching Out by Melanie Muenchinger:
I love this fresh idea for pretty frames in any shape you could need! I still have lots of ideas for this set to get onto paper and I hope to do that before the month is over!
I stamped the round frame with white ink onto GKD Pure Luxury Heavy Base Weight Cardstock Kraft cardstock and die cut it with Spellbinders Classic Circle Nestabilities dies. Green solid paper from Prima’s Madeline 6x6 patterned papers was die cut with Scalloped Classic Circle Nestabilities and then framed with Fleur De Lis Motifs die cut from GKD Ocean Mist cardstock (this is quickly becoming my favorite color!):
I made this card for Jimmi’s April Release Pretty Paper Triple Play Challenge 2 (to use three patterned papers on one project), so I adhered 1-1/2” x 6” strips of patterned paper leftovers (Prima Madeline again) on a piece of Ocean Mist cardstock and then die cut them with Spellbinders Grand Labels Four die. We hope you'll come over and play in Jimmi’s challenge, too -- you could win a free stamp set of your choice! But you only have until 7pm Central tonight to enter, so hurry!
I accented the white leaves with Star Dust Stickles and cut apart the birthday sentiment from Garden Silhouettes (free with purchase of 3 sets), stacked it and stamped it in Memento Rich Cocoa ink. Aqua seam binding and a Spellbinders Foliage die cut finish this card.
Next is Follow Your Dreams by Theresa Momber – What a great set this will be for summer scrapbook pages and ANY kind of masculine card you’ll need for upcoming Father’s Day, men’s birthdays, graduation, or general inspiration projects -- I love the fonts!
Since I adore anything associated with the water -- lakes, oceans or streams, I decided to make this scene for my May calendar. It reminds me of the lake we live near, with all the boats on it and these cranes are everywhere -- even in the pond and drainage ditches one street over from my house!
The calendar is my Downloadable 2011 Grid 2-Pg Calendar, printed onto Gina’s Pure Luxury Layering Weight Ivory Cardstock, but you could also use Tami Mayberry’s Calendar Stamps and Grids. Here are the Copic markers I used:
Here are the steps for coloring (click on any photo for a larger view):
Left-E31 on the lighest areas (tops of seats and side facing viewer). Right-E33 on darker and more receaded areas (bottom of boat's side facing viewer and upper inside of boat) and to shade some of the E31 area.
L-E35 on darker lower insides of boat and front outside bottom (and to shade E33 areas). R-E57 on darkest recessed areas -- inside bottom of boat and bottom of outside boat nearest water, and shading for some E35 areas.
L-Use lightest E31 to lightly blend the shaded areas and then 0-Colorless Blender to remove a little color from the lightest areas that would naturally be more sun bleached or worn (seat tops and upper widest part of outside of boat). R-Mask off lower portion and create sky by hand cutting cloud shaped mask from sticky note. Starting at the top, working downward, place sticky note and airbrush B91. Keep moving sticky note around and airbrushing, until desired effect is achieved.
L-Mask off sky, R-Mask boat and shoreline; with lighter BG53, airbrush water.
L-Airbrush edges of water with darker BG49. R-E30 used on shoreline.
Grassy areas airbrushed with YG63. Not photographed is BG10 used to soften up the horizon line a little. Then Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink was sponged on all edges of the cardstock and the scene matted with GKD Pure Luxury Heavy Base Weight Kraft Cardstock.
The sentiment was stamped onto GKD Pure Luxury Heavy Base Weight Ivory Cardstock and die cut with Spellbinders Grommet Tags. The sweet little dragonfly was colored with YG63 and BG53 Copics and accented with Copic Clear Atyou Spica Glitter Pen, to give him pretty sparkle!
Whew, I think that's it -- sorry for the extra long post!
Remember, we will choose the winners from all of the blog comments combined so the more blogs you comment on, the better your chances! Enjoy today's hop and good luck! We'll be back again tomorrow with another inspirational April Release blog hop, so we hope you'll join us!
- Gina K
- Giovana Smith
- Janice Whiting
- Jimmi Mayo
- Jennie Harper
- Lee Murphy
- Melanie Muenchinger
- Michelle Woerner
- Sharon Harnist <== You are here!
- Suzanne Dean
- Tami Mayberry
- Theresa Momber
- Tina Gilliland
- Valerie Stangle
- Vicki Dutcher
- AJ Otto
- Carolina Buchting
- Cathy Tidwell
- Deb Felts
- Donna Baker
- Emily Giovanni
{Birthday Wishes Card}
Stamps: Gina K Designs-Branching Out by Melanie Muenchinger & Garden Silhouettes (free with purchase of 3 sets)-sentiment
Tools: Spellbinders Grand Labels Four, Classic Circle & Classic Scalloped Circle Nestabilities-Sm, Fleur De Lis Motifs & Grand Calibur
Paper: GKD Pure Luxury Heavy Base Weight Cardstock-Ocean Mist & Kraft, Prima Madeline 6x6 patterned papers
Ink: Tsukineko StazOn Opaque Cotton White, Memento Rich Cocoa, Ranger Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink,
Accessories: Ranger Ink Blending Tool & Star Dust Stickles, Bow Easy, aqua seam binding, foam tape
{Follow Your Dreams Calendar}
Stamps: Gina K Designs-Follow Your Dreams by Theresa Momber
Tools: Copic Airbrush System + Air Compressor, Spellbinders Grommet Tags
Paper: GKD Pure Luxury Heavy Base Weight Cardstock-Ivory & Kraft, Pure Luxury Layering Weight Cardstock-Ivory,
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, Ranger Tim Holtz Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink,
Copic Markers: B91, B95, BG49, BG53, YG63, E30, E31, E33, E38, E57, 0-Colorless Blender; Clear Atyou Spica Glitter Pen
Accessories: Sharon’s Downloadable 2011 Grid 2-Pg Calendar, KaiserCraft green rhinestones, foam tape