Guest Designer mid-challenge Inspiration

So last week I was honored to be the guest designer for the Creative Belli Challenge. Well I am honored again this week to post some mid-challenge inspiration. In case you missed the original post last Wednesday, the challenge is to use butterflies or dragonflies on your project. The twist with this challenge blog is to use items you either haven't touched in awhile, or stuff you have laying around. You know we all have it! How many times have you gone to the store and purchased papers, stamps, or embellishments that you just HAD to have, and never touch them once you get home? I do it all the time...lol. Well my card for this mid-challenge inspiration uses a few of those kind of purchases.
The stamp I used for this card is seriously 13 years old! I purchased this when I first started card making during college and high school. I pulled it out the other day, and thought this would be perfect for this challenge. I stamped the image and colored it with watercolor crayons...which I also haven't used in awhile either. I trimmed it, and rounded the corners. I then added some butterfly brads...which I have had for a few years now...lol. I layered the image onto some PP from PaperTrey, which I purchased this past summer at CHA in Orlando, and really never use...but I HAD to have it! The sentiment is from TAC, which I stamped on white CS, and again rounded the corners. You can see I rounded the corners on the card base and PP too. Well that is it for my card. There is still time to play along with the Creative Belli Blog this week. Be sure to stop by for some great projects created by the design team, and don't forget to link your card or project too!

Twinkle Twinkle Little Butterfly...

Happy Wednesday! Hopefully this posts correctly...I have only done scheduled posts a couple times. Well, today I have the honor of being a guest designer this week for one of my favorite blogs...The Creative Belli Blog. I was so excited when Chris and Robin asked me to be a part of the challenge this week. The challenge this week is to use butterflies or dragonflies on your card/project. Remember, the fun part of the Creative Belli Blog is to use things you already have, or things you haven't touched in a long time. Well, here is what I came up with.
I started with a yellow CS base. I added the background paper, which has pretty yellow butterflies. The PP is from Basic Grey (Urban Prairie), and I purchased it forever and a day ago...lol. I was shopping at my LSS one day and the pad of paper was on the counter, and of course I thought it was so pretty and I just had to have it...and well...I am sure you have all done this too. So the paper has been in my stamp room FOREVER, and I just never used it. So what a more perfect time to use it then for this challenge. The main image is from the TAC set butterfly swirls. I stamped the image in old olive onto white CS. I restamped the butterfly 2 more times so I could layer the butterfly.

Next I wanted to color in the image using some of the colors in the background paper, but I also wanted to use a new technique I learned recently. I will try my best to explain the "how-to". Using a gloss finished ceramic tile, I pressed some ink from an ink pad onto the tile. Then, add a drop or two of liquid pearl. Using a mister bottle, spray the ink/liquid pearl combo and mix, to make it like a watercolor paint. I then used a fine tip paint brush to paint on the ink. Because the liquid pearl is mixed in, it gives the paint a shimmer look. The effect is similar to using twinkling H2Os, but I think it has a lot more sparkle to it. I used this to paint the butterfly, and some of the accents on the flourishes. I wanted some sparkle on the background too, so again using liquid pearl...I put a few drops into a mister bottle. Fill the bottle with water, and shake vigorously. I then sprayed a light mist over the background. The CS will be wet, but dries pretty quick, or you could use your heat tool to dry it quicker. How cool are these tricks???!!! Just another way to use some of those liquid pearls. Both of these techniques I learned at my LSS's Hero Arts release party back in December. Here is a close up so you can see some of the sparkle.That is all for now. Be sure to stop by the Creative Belli Blog to check out the other samples from the awesome design team this week.

Jessica