Saturday, February 11, 2012

Sexy Sirens Blog Hop

Welcome to Day One of the Sexy Sirens & Vixens Blog Hop! You should have arrived here from  Michelle's Blog . If you are just joining us and want to start from the beginning, please visit Dena's blog  Miss Dena's Blog . The complete blog hop lineup is listed at the bottom of this post.

We are a group of fifteen fun, sexy gals, most who met on Facebook with one common connection: our love of card making and other paper crafts! This weekend, the "Sexy Fifteen" will be sharing Valentine's Day projects using some of the sexier images from our awesome sponsor: Kenny K. Downloads!
 http://www.kennykdownloads.com/ 






If you are not yet familiar with Kenny K. Downloads, what are you waiting for?! Kenny K. has the cutest digi's, from cute images suitable for kids to sultry images perfect for a card for your man! *WINK* Whether you want to try out one of their images for the first time or add to your existing collection, this could be your lucky weekend! Our sponsor, Kenny K. Downloads, will be awarding one commentor FIVE Kenny K. digi's of their choice ! Be sure to read the contest rules below!

 Now, on to my project :


Looks like the beginnings of any other project, right?  This project has definitely taken me out of my comfort zone. Not, because of the digi I got to use, no, but because I had to color this image.  I'm terrified, yes TERRIFIED of correctly coloring in images. Getting the hair just right,  highlights, low-lights, shimmer effects. Skin coloring, shading, shadows...UGH! SCARY stuff!  I wanted to use Copic  Sketch markers, but I only had 3=not enough to work on an image like this. So, I resorted to my colored pencils I also used the Stampin' Up pencils, not pictured here).

Here are the items I used for this project.
  • Blue card stock and black card stock (the blue depends on your preference, I wanted mine to enhance my digi's eyes).
  • Damask Decor, Opposites Attract and Art Philosophy cartridges
  • Black bling
  • Stickles: Stardust and Black Diamond as well as Distress in Fired Brick
  • Water based blending pen
  • Helmar's Scrap Dots
  • Most importantly: Kenny K's digi image of "Bodacious Bev"


We printed up Bodacious Bev to be 9.5".  Her hair was colored with: black, dark brown, red and burgundy. Using the water pen, I blended the hair coloring so the strokes are less visible.  Stickles are added to add shimmer to her high lights.  The skin is a bit harder, pink, orange, white and yellow were all used VERY lightly to get her this way.  I added an extra stroke or 2 of pink along her decollete. Pink, fuschia and black were used to give her a smokey eye.  Blue was used for her eyes, tear (tattoo) and her cross earring; Stardust Stickles was added to the "shine" in her eyes as well. Red on her lips, heart tattoo and nails. Red Stickles was added to her lips for a glossy effect.  Pink Stickles are added to the beads of her corset and underneath is "Black Diamond" Stickles.  The same pink Stickles was used to enhance the laces up those sexy thigh high boots. "Gunmetal" was added to the shiny parts of the boots.  The boots were colored black, but the tongue is grey.  The fuschia on the corset comes from the Stampin' Up pencil collection, whereas her leg is colored from the pencils pictured above.


The huge heart Bev is sitting on comes from the "Damask Decor" cartridge found on page 67, using the "layer 1" button.  This was cut at 10.5" and placed at an angle. Black bling was placed on just the true round ends.  I finally got to use my Scrap Dots for the first time. I applied the dots on the back of the heart and then let them dry for a while, then came back and added another level/layer before placing down on the blue background.  I wanted that depth that pop dots can't really give.  However, between Bev and the heart, I used the pop dots.  For her bottom/extended boot, I used 3 pop dots piled on top of each other.

The "Opposites Attract" Cricut cartridge was used for the letters.  They were cut at 1" with the exception of the "l" which was cut at 1.5".


This corner piece also comes from the AP cartridge found on page 58. Using the "font layer" key it was cut at 3.5" and also Stickled with the vlue color

The vines (3 in total) are cut from the "Art Philosophy" cartridge (my go to cartridge).  It is found on page 59 of the handbook and were cut at: 2", 1.5" and 1", using the "font layer" key.  The 1" was flipped so that I could create a heart shape with the swirls, pretty cute, huh???  The blue and pink Stickles were added for a little pop of color.

Here is a close-up of Bev's face and hair.  My daughter says everytime she looks at this image, she gets drawn to Bev's eyes.  

Here is a close-up of those sexy boots with the shiny pink lacing. (DH suggested the lacing feature.)

I really like the way "Bodacious Bev" turned out.  I am "tempted" to get my hands on more images and get coloring. (pun intended)


Thanks for stopping by. Your next hop lands you at Amber's Blog.

Thanks so much for stopping by. If you like what I did with "Bodacious Bev", please be sure to visit Kenny K. Downloads to purchase your own digi or check out what else they have in their extensive collection of digital images (some already pre-colored too!).   Don't forget about the blog candy. To be eligible to win, you must, comment on each of the blogs in the hop.



You will get one entry per day if you comment on Day One's posts as well as Day Two's posts.  Please note, that not all participants will have a second project up, but a lot will!   You do not have to become a follower on each blog, but it sure would be nice if you did ! You MUST include an email address where you can be contacted should you win. The winner will be notified by February 20, 2012 via email. Winner must respond no later than 3 days after being notified. Otherwise, a second winner will be selected.

Thanks again, and be sure to hop on over to  Amber's Blog  to see what she has to share with you today! Below is the complete blog hop lineup:

1) Dena : http://missdjones.blogspot.com/
2) Lynne : http://slasewcraftiness.blogspot.com/
3) Ashley ; http://theglamoroussideofscrapping.blogspot.com
4) Zenita : http://www.scrappinwithz.blogspot.com
5) Gill : http://creationsbygillm.blogspot.com
6) Jamie : http://myamusinglife.blogspot.com
7) Jen : http://www.expressivelyme.blogspot.com
8) Jill: http://craftwithanangel.blogspot.com/
9) Sherry: http://patternsbysher.blogspot.com
10) Clare: http://cricutcraftyclare.blogspot.com/
11)Haidee: http://created2bunique.blogspot.com/
12)Michelle: http://craftychelle.blogspot.com
13) Lisa L: http://craftylam.blogspot.com 
14) Amber J: http://pixiperfectcreations.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Valentine's Decor & Gifts Blog Hop

If you happened here by chance you're in luck! There will be 20 stops full of great ideas, so grab a beverage and head over to the hostess' blog. Staci's blog is at http://preciousmem.blogspot.com/. The sponsor for this hop is Designs on Cloud 9 at http://designsoncloud9.com/ and she has offered us a $20 gift voucher for the GRAND prize. Head over to her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Designs-on-Cloud-9/189551027737837 and show her some love. One lucky person who comments on this hop will be the winner of this generous prize. (One person from each stop will be chosen at random and we will then hold a random draw with those 20 people and one lucky person will win the grand prize).

Valentine's Day is just around the corner!  With that said, how much fun is it to decorate your house with items to help set the mood?  I have 4 kids and I LOVE to make decorations for the upcoming holiday or season.  Here is my "LOVE Is In The Air" project.

Ingredients for this project:
  • Twine or ribbon
  • McGill Heart punch
  • 3" Scallop punch
  • Circle cutter or punch for 3" circles
  • Ranger Distress ink in Victorian Velvet
  • Printed cardstock from the "Ka-Zoo" paper pad by K &Co
  • Pink, red and white card stock sheets
  • Pop dots and glue dots, ATG glue glider
  • Hannah Montana cartridge for the font/letters


Cut/punch 24- 3" circles/scallops for each ball.  Score each disc, using a ruler, to where the edges of your disc measure 2.5" across.  You want to do this 3 times, forming an equilateral triangle scored within your circle shape.  See the picture below for an example.  (This design is originally based off of a mathematical sphere my daughter had to make in 5th grade, I hated it then.)  Once, scored, fold the edges and grab your adhesive.  First, attach 6 of the triangular circles together forming the top (circle). You can do another 6 together to form the bottom/circle.  However, the next 12 are done attaching the triangles with one tip up, then one tip pointing down, going back and forth in this pattern.  Once you get the 12 adhered, one side at a time, start applying them to one of the 6 you put together for the top or bottom.  Before adding the bottom, run your ribbon or twine through the center point of the top. Use a strong glue dot to adhere it to the underside tip of one of the top triangles to keep it secure and in place.  Now, start gluing the bottom 6 to the 12 sides, making sure every side gets glued down together.  Allow the bottom of your twine or ribbon to flow out of the center point at the bottom so you can hang your letters.


After your ball is completely glued together, you'll need to work on the drop down circles and letters.  Using your circle/scallop punch, cut 4 circles at the 3" size from the pink card stock, edge both sides of these discs with the Distress Ink.  Then, cut 8 circles at 2.5" from the white card stock using your circle cutter and edge those with the Distress Ink on one side.  Next, using the Hannah Montana cartridge cut 2 of each of the letters "L O V E" from red card stock at 1" each using the "Pop Princess" function key.  (I set my machine at P-high, S-med, and the blade at 6.)  Using a fine/thin liquid glue to adhere the letters to each white disc.  (Spell out LOVE twice.)  Attach the first set of "LOVE" letters to the pink discs/ scallops with pop dots.  Now, to ensure that you can read "LOVE" from both directions, rearrange your first set (already attached to the pink) to spell out "EVOL", flip them over for the blank pink side to be up,  then attach the second set of "LOVE" letters in order using pop dots.  Make sure you attach your ribbon/twine to this second side so the letters actually get to hang.  


Here is the 1st ball assembled close up.


Here is the "O" ball close up.


Here is the "V" ball close up.


Here is the "E" ball close up. (Note, I only did one ball in the scallop shape, because I found that trying to match up the scallops took more time than I had with my 4 kids needing me every 5-10 minutes.)


Here is my "LOVE is in the Air" hanging ball decoration that is visible from my front door and from the main living room.  I attached the punched out hearts to the top (one on each side of the twine using strong glue dots) and then attached them to my wall using the glue dots.  Also note, I deliberately hung the balls at varying points on the twine to give it character, even though the twine is the same length for all the balls.


Below is the line up of fellow blogger ladies participating in this hop.  Remember to leave a comment on all blogs for a chance to win the grand prize for Designs on Cloud 9!  Happy hopping!

Your next stop is: Janet

Staci: http://preciousmem.blogspot.com 
Ashley Glamourous:  http://theglamoroussideofscrapping.blogspot.com
Lisa Peters:http://handmadewithlove-lisa.blogspot.com/
Audrey Dickinson: http://scrappyemt.blogspot.com 
Anita Meadows Cannon:~ http://www.anitaandbugs.blogspot.com
 Lucy Kelleher:  http://love2createitall.blogspot.com
 Michele Eickholt:  http://chelescrafts.blogspot.com/  
Sylvia Solorio: http://bellascrapbookdesigns.blogspot.com 
Darla Haverstock:  http://stampingunderdoctorsorders.blogspot.com/ 
Kimberly Pate:   http://scrappingrookie.blogspot.com
 Liz Mullen: http://scrapiliciouslife.blogspot.com 
Lisa Marie Lam:http://craftylam.blogspot.com 
Janet Nagai: http://createatdreamscrapbooks.blogspot.com  
Dena Jones:  http://missdjones.blogspot.com/
 Daisy Collins: http://tsunamirosedesigns.blogspot.com
Amanda Youlkis: http://a-prata-design.blogspot.com/ 
Nancie Brungard: http://alittlepieceofmebynancie.blogspot.com/ 
Tricia Colon : http://www.mycrazybubble.blogspot.com/

Saturday, February 4, 2012

You ARE Loved-Black/white & a splash of color

We are celebrating Ashley's Birthday!  How fun!  Ashley was even able to score a sponsor with "Blog Candy" for one lucky winner!

Blog candy is sponsored by:  3 Girl Jam
"Bundles 1-6" which consists of 48 total yards of ribbon in 12 colors, a $24.99 retail value.
Must "like" their Facebook page-   https://www.facebook.com/pages/3-Girl-JAM/129045323859706
Follow the 3 Girl Jam Blog-  
3 Girl JAM
 
Paper Piecings By Nikki-$25 gift certificate
http://www.paperpiecingsbynikki.com/ 
Must "like" her Facebook page-
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paper-Piecings-by-Nikki/210135505721726
Follow her blog- http://www.paperpiecingsbynikki.blogspot.com/
 
 
Decade Of Scrap-4 valentines digis
http://zibbet.com/beautydecade 
Must "like" her Facebook page-
https://www.facebook.com/DecadeofScrap
Follow her blog-
http://decadeofscrap.blogspot.com/

MB's Treasurista-$10 gift certificate
http://www.zibbet.com/MBsTreasurista
Must "like" their Facebook page-https://www.facebook.com/https://facebook.com/pages/MBs-Treasurista/167767899982066
Follow MB's Treasurista Blog-http://mbtreasurista.blogspot.com


Even if you are not the lucky winner of their candy, go check them out to see all the cool items they carry and for more inspiring project of theirs.

Today, we are creating a project with the theme "Black, White & A Splash of Color". Below is my project. I was inspired by the song "Jar full of Hearts" by The Band Perry.  I had an empty jar sitting on my desk I just had no idea what to do with, but knew I needed to keep it to craft with.  I am glad I did. Enjoy the project.

Here is a picture of all the items I used to create this "jar full of hearts", minus the adhesives because I didn't know exactly which ones I would be using.

Ingredients List:
  • Scissors
  • Any size jar desired, or that you have on hand
  • Xmas Red Stickles
  • 36" of red ribbon
  • Black and white card stock sheets from Reflections
  • "Scarlet Red #118" PITT artist pen big brush, Faber-Castell
  • Studio G stamp set (VS4911 Series 61)
  • Heart stamp,from Close to My Heart, the Celebration set
  • Inkpads used: "Moonlight White" by Tsukineko/Brilliance; Stampin' Ups "Real Red"; and Stampology's "Onyx" Clear stamp ink pad


First, I stamped hearts onto the right edge of the black card stock. Then, folding the card stock to the left of the hearts, I cut them so that they would be mini- card hearts. See image below. Repeat until you get enough hearts cut out of each color of card stock.  Don't forget to do ONE heart in a different color!


Here are all the hearts after I stamped & cut them all. Notice, I made sure to add 1 red one, hubby's favorite color (it's my splash of color).  At this time, I added stickles to the red heart & let it dry, before placing in the jar.  Next, you can add notes like: hugs, kisses, I love you, massage..... Just little love notes that the recipient can pick and maybe get something from you. Not sure if you can really tell, but I cut most of the hearts with the fold at the top, these will flip up instead of open like a book.  Next, fill your jar with the hearts dropping them in one by one so they won't catch on each other.  Once you get it pretty full, start placing hearts in the jar so that they are facing outwards. Ensure that your special heart (in my case the red one) is facing outwards in the front of your jar for presentation.

Using the lid for reference, trace it to cover the top.  Cut it just a little smaller than the top (my jar is a canning jar) because it will be smooshed between the top & the ring and you don't want it bulking up.  I stamped a white heart on my cover and stickled it with "Frosted Lace".  Next, stamp the "you are loved" sentiment in black but redo the heart with red (here's where I used the scarlet red pen brush and then stickled the heart). Cut out & hole punch the sentiment and attach it to the jar with your red ribbon.  All done!

Here is the finished project.





Happy Crafting!

Your next stop is over to Liz to see her fantastic project.

Here is the blog line-up just in case you missed someone...