"Beautiful" Paper Flowers.....

Even if I do say so myself!!!!

Hello!  Me again... look what happens when I take a few days off work to sort things out ....... I seem to live in Blog-Land instead! LOL

I have joined an on-line group who are dedicated (and dare I say slightly addicted) to making paper flowers, and the ones they have been posting are STUNNING!!!!  They have also been very helpful and posted loads of How-To videos, so I thought.. why not!  I didn't have the CD they were using (only cos the postie hasn't delivered it yet!!!!  Shhhh.. I didn't say that!!) but in my rather healthy CD collection I do have the wonderful Little Big Tree Wings and Flowers CD... not used it for ages.. in fact not used it since I bought the new computer.. so not installed...  well.. that was this morning accounted for... finding the CD.. luckily it was in the 4th place I looked, so I didn't give up in a raging temper, but sat and played

(which as an aside is a miracle in itself as I was up till 4 last night cos it was too hot and sticky to sleep, so when the alarm went off at 6.30, I said some very very rude words and have been so crossed eyed all day I can actually see out of my opposite ears!!!!)

Anyway... I played and played and played... and am actually rather impressed....  can't wait to see what I make when the proper CD turns up!

Not bad for my first attempt eh! LOL  And the first one I made, the blue one was made using the kitchen scissors cos I was too sleepy to drag my craft cupboard open to get the snips out!

Going to make some more.. I am having sooo much fun... and I might be a big brave girl and......
get the glitter out!!!!!

:-)
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I am actually organised!!!!!

and proudly presenting my entry for CD Sunday Oriental ....  On Sunday!!!!  Normally I get round to posting this on the Friday or by the skin of my teeth Saturday... that is if the papers ever make their way out of the printer that is! :-)

Seeing as the theme was Lets Go Oriental... and I had so much fun last week with my new stamps.. I decided to bring the Oriental Tilda back into play.. but this time with a bit of a difference!

My main "gripe" for want of a better word with stamps.. is what you stamp is what you get, unlike digi stamps that you can re-size etc etc... I wanted Tilda to face the other direction..... soooooo.. I stamped her onto parchment with Staz On and when totally dry (very good of me to be so patient.. normally I rush and smudge everything!) I turned the parchment over and traced her again in permanent black ink.  I then coloured her face and robes on the back.. which used to be the front  (LOL) with my trusty ColourSoft pencils, and blended them with Zest it.  I then turned to the front (which used to be the back!!) and put the detail on her robes and face, and coloured her hair... I am pleased with her hair.. getting the hang of this now!

I used a circle Pergamano grid to pick out some detail and make the parchment fit in a larger flower circle using Marriane dies, and then die cut some flowers and a butterfly (not because there was a mistake.. but cos I wanted one!) and finshed off with a few gems and some Card Candy

And here she is......

Quick tip.. which I am sure you all know anyway!  But if you don't... tis a handy one.

When I went to put the coloured parchment image on the patterned paper, you could see the pattern through her face and robes.... sooooo, I stamped her out again onto plain paper and cut it out just inside the outlines...

I then put a TINY bit of rolled up magic tape behind Tildas head (which was coloured on the front so no colour on the back to lift) and positioned her onto the  turned over cut out image....  this was then firmly glued to the middle of the circle I was putting her in, and removed the tape....

I was then able to repostion the coloured images and glue it down using the flowers around the edge so that no glue needed to ruin the colouring.....  as you can see... I managed to line it up again pretty well!

Right.... thats it from me.. and my entry.... need to go and get things sorted for the morning.. have a great evening all and thanks for reading!
xxxx

Oh.. nearly forgot.... I wanted to do this Tilda in Lilacs... so the papers I used were from Springtime Butterflies and Lace xx

Getting the hang now...

of this pencil sharpening lark..... I still feel really guilty cos I am hurting them... but can do it with less apologies and fewer tears! :-)

Been having a play today with some new stamps... and dragged the Big Shot out to use some of the bigger dies I have....  here are the results.....

Using Oriental Tilda, various papers from the humongous pile I have, coloursoft pencils and Marianne dies

Another Tilda....  the flash has made this one come out very very bright.. so Sunglasses alert!!!  Coloured her with Derwent InkTense pencils then blended them with Zest It... I knew the InkTense were vivid... but I was surprised how vivid... love them....  the papers are from a stash of PaperMania ones I bought the other year.. an Easter pack.. all citrussy (?) yellows and greens, and again the much loved Marianne dies

Right.. off to stamp up a few more

hugs .. xxxxxx

Final Installment of the Pencil Mutilation Saga!

Well.. until I start the next pattern and mutilate them all over again!!! :-)

Ok.. last instalment ended with the leaves done... so on to the roses... I was dreading this bit.. cos me and flowers Do Not Get On!   But... I was brave.. and had a go......

So far... so good.....   onto the second rose.......

and starting to feel a bit smug.. this is only my second try at this... and no Kanni to help/rescue me!

With the roses as good as they were going to get... I dared not fiddle... that is when it all goes wrong... onto the gridwork....

Lots of crosses to cut out.. and all the middle bits and the four "windows"  oooooo so much scope for it to go Very Wrong....

But it didn't!!!!!!  Yayyyy Me!!!  Have to say I am feeling a bit smug and pleased with myself.....  LOOK!!!

Really really happy with how it turned out....  even if it did kill a couple of my pencils! LOL

The pattern is by Kanni .... details here ... some truly stunning designs.. she is so talented it is untrue.  The pattern was traced onto black parchment and was coloured in using Derwent Coloursoft pencils...  I think they are fabulous... I know people swear by Faber Castels, but on parchment I much prefer the Coloursoft becasue they are so.. well, soft!  They blend beautifully and because they are so soft, you can use a fair bit of pressure without accidentally embossing the parchment as you go!

Right.... off to get some work done.. coffee break over.. then this evening I can decide which pattern to start next!

Have a great day.. and thanks for reading
xxxxx

Pencil Mutilation.. part two!

Wellll... I still haven't messed it up... but there is still plenty of time to do so, so no worries! LOL

Have got a seriously wounded White Pencil though.... poor little thing.. little being the right word... I think I will have to buy it a Very Special Present to make up for the abuse....  and the Green too.. He has been wounded above and beyond the necessary! :-)  But you do neeeeed Very Very Sharp pencils to do this....  Will just have to buy me some more then!!!!

 OK...  who stole part of my pencils???

Ahhhh.... Found the missing bits......

That is a Very Painful Picture for me to look at..... Proof of the mass mutilation of my Pencils!!! :-)

Anyway... quick picture diary of what I have been up to since 7 this morning....

And that is where I am at... oh... I have just coloured the stems.... so... can put it off not longer... onto the Scary Roses....  Just as I was getting the hang of the leaves!!!   LOL

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Pencil Mutilation!!!!

:-)

Hi there... had a lovely couple of days... blubbed myself silly all day yesterday through the Royal Wedding, so beautiful and perfect... loved it!

Today, I shed a tear again..... because I had to ........  I hardly dare say it...... sharpen a pencil!!!!   I am still in shock... my poor poor pencil!!! But I did apologise profusely as I went along!!  :-)

Loooooook... it is all little.. and hiding in shame at the edge of the tin.... (it is actually much shorter now, but I couldn't bring my self to capture further humiliation for it!!)

OK OK.. I am a bit sad when it comes to my pencils, can't help it.... but I am hoping I put my poor little white pencil through the agony of being sharpened for a good reason......

Halfway through the first layer of white......  I am attempting a beautiful pattern by the wonderful Kannikar Sukseree, whose fabulous Colouring on Black Parchment Workshop I was incredibly lucky enough to attend earlier this month.  It was a real mind blowing day for me...  I loved the effect of colour on black.. and have finally found time to have another go....  not as easy though without Kanni within helping/rescuing distance!!!

This is how I have left it for tonight... I am Very Pleased with it, and stopped before I pushed my luck and ruined the whole thing!  Tomorrow I will be attempting the colours.... with baited breath!

Wish me Luck!
xxxxxx

Frantic week....

Don't ya love school holidays!!!  Made this card for a very special friend of mine for her birthday this week, and finally managed to get it uploaded in time for the CD Sunday Birthday week challenge....  I made a Parchment card for the occasion, and to follow the CD Sunday rules, the butterfly and the flowers all come from a CD (Springtime Butterflies and Lace)

Sorry this is such a short post... but I am heading out the door shortly with the kids on a "day out"  Beautiful weather...so should be a great day

Right.... off to feed the wallaby's....  Taking my camera... so hopefully an update later
xxxx