Bloody Valentine Blog Hop

I hope you are all warm and ok on this wet and cold day. Looking forward to the snow?

Today sees the start of the 'Bloody Valentines Blog Hop', over on the
 Smeared and Smudged Challenge Blog

This hop is dedicated to the dark side of valentines, rather than the cute and cuddly.
The wonderful Left Of Centre Creative Challenges Blog are taking part in this brilliant hop.
As I am lucky to be on the Left Of Centre Design Team, I jumped at the chance to contribute to our efforts.


As you know, I really enjoy making alternative/darker cards, as well as normal ones. This was something I really enjoyed making....so I best show you what I've made lol

I started off with two black and white images. I coloured them with colouring pencils and added glossy accents, to areas I wanted to stand out. 

I distressed the edges with Tim Holtz distress ink and a shaving brush. I love the stippled look that the brush gives. 

The backing is made with a stencil and many layers of Tim Holtz disttess ink, in many colours. 

Backing and images have been matted with kraft card.

I finished the card with some red flat backed gems both round and heart shaped. 

I hope you will explore your dark side and join in this wonderful event. Simple click on the Smeared and Smudged link above for more details, prizes and instructions of where to visit first. 

Thank you for all your continued support and compliments on my work.

My Fantastic News and a New Challenge

I have been eager to share this news with you, however I have had to keep it under my hat for a while..... I was asked in December, to be a guest Designer for the brilliant 'Left Of Centre' Challenge Blog, to which I said YES YES YES straight away!

 

I then had the best start ever to a new year and was asked to join the Left Of Centre Challenge Blog Design Team as a permanent member....wooohoooo and happy new year!!!!!

 

 

The challenge is the First challenge on 2014 which is:

 

http://leftofcenterchallenges.blogspot.ca/

 

Challenge 22: Sponsored by Delicious Doodles - NEW BEGUINNINGS

 

 

 

Here is what I made

 

 

I was given the most gorgeous Delicious Doodles Image to work with and coloured this with my Water Colour Pencils. The image was brilliant to colour as you could make it as basic or intricate as you desire.

I found as many different shaded/patterned purple papers and matched them up with the colouring in the image.

I added some black lace tape as well as actual purple lace, with a ribbon runner.

Finished off with a lovely sentiment and lots of different shaped and colour flat backed gems.

 

 

This card was so far out of my comfort zone as I thought it has to be very 'alternative', however I think I found a level that I was comfortable with.

Yes I am known for making cute/girly/colourful cards, but that isn't all I am about. I am looking forward to exploring this side of my crafting, and seeing where I can take it.

 

 

I hope this make has inspired you to pop over and see my new fellow Design Teams projects, and join in with the challenge. Please don't think that you have to be a specific type of crafter to join this challenge....you don't!

 

 

Thank you for your visits and your wonderful words.