What are you working on (in April)?

[AprilDawn]

Rae, your pages are  great  and really suit the farm theme.

 

Dawn.

[Michele]

I'm going to need some time to digest everything I learned this weekend from the free Lab tutorials. Felt like I was cramming for finals, but in a subject that I really love.

 

In the meantime, I had some fun with the kaleidoscope effect for the background of my gaming group's theme today. The face is from my avatar in the game. I used a circular selection to crop her and turned her into a sticker thanks to Cassel's tips and tutorials section of the blog. (It's very helpful when she includes the tips in her newsletters.) I used a preset shape for the "petals" around her face then duplicated and resized each subsequent copy by 105%. They all started out as white until I changed the blend mode on every other one to overlay. The font is Mister Froggie. Finally, the framing was made by increasing my image size several different times and alternating flat thin white layers with increasingly larger layers that I filled with the background pattern to which I applied an inner bevel. Whew. Sometimes I can't believe what can be accomplished in just an hour or two while watching TV if I get inspired. Other days, I can't come up with any new ideas. Then again, today's theme, Festival of Colors lent itself to inspiration.

 

~ Michele

[AprilDawn]

Hello Michele, your page is very colourful, I like the way your background turned out with the kaleidoscope and the petal shape you have created around her face... a nice effect.... thanks for sharing how you did that .....  inspiration can come from many areas... I also can be watching TV and all of a sudden get an idea for a card and feel the need to go and make it ...thinking I leave the TV on in the background but soon forget it is on.... I get so involved with my project....

 

best wishes,

 

Dawn.

[Cristina]

Hi, Michele, your layout is very nice, colorful and I like very much the kaleidoscope effect for the background. The whole page with different techniques came out great

 

The Lab tutorials, not mentioning the webinars, are really great. They always bring something new and creative... I learn a lot with them and also with the tips shared here in the Forum.

 

I guess all of us have days that we struggle to come up with something... and like Dawn said, other days the ideas come from nowhere. :)

[Michele]

Thanks so much, Dawn and Cristina. <3

[AprilDawn]

Purple Card....Once again I have used one of my hand painted flowers that I scanned into computer. I used a line art drawing I had purchased in a collection a few years ago and used watercolour pencils to paint it..... also used the flower to create soft misted flowers in background..... Cassel's Corner Brushes and Butterfly script were also used.. I altered the butterfly to have both wings  stand upright... Sentiment is a purchased digital stamp..... used a leaf brush I created to add into the background paper.

 

Rose Card....I made the background paper with the help of a free texture paper from thecoffeeshop blog and the rose was free from the graphic fairy....Cassel's Corner brushes and Chain Bead tubes were also used.... roses were made with a script from Joannes Digital Design.... the fancy topper is an element I  made in another software program a while ago but comes in handy for my projects. the sentiment was a suggestion from my hubby, who as always, takes a great interest in my craftwork.... These cards  are made for emailing as I like to send cheer cards to friends and family... just to say hello.

 

Dawn.

[Michele]

Simply gorgeous, Dawn. I could go on and on about every detail, but suffice it to say I love your work, always.

 

~Michele

[AprilDawn]

Hello Michele.... Thank you for your kind comment on my cards.  I have  really been enjoying making cards lately whether they are for print or email greetings.

 

best wishes,

 

Dawn.

[Michele]

Here is your queen of clipart with the pic for my gaming group for Earth Day. The font is Thisay that I just got for $1 from Creative Fabrica; it's got some great glyphs. I added the Earth and erased parts of it so it appears to be held by the hands. What I did was duplicate the hands, move it above the Earth, and lower the opacity. Then I could see exactly what parts of the planet I had to erase. The frame is a tube I made with free watercolor flowers I got from the Hungry JPEG. Then a few free butterflies for good measure.

[AprilDawn]

Hi Michele, a lovely, creative project for your earth day theme.... you achieved a great result with the planet and hands.. very effective. Your flower tube is so pretty and makes a lovely frame.... love the butterflies...

 

best wishes,

 

Dawn.

[Cristina]

Dawn, your cards are just lovely. The hand-painted flowers, the fancy topper, the creative way you used the corner brushes with the chain bead tube and many other details... just beautiful.

 

Michele, it came out very good the way you blend Earth with the hands, the technique and also the meaning. Nice work.

[Cristina]

The page below I created to practice some of the tutorials from the LAB 8 Modules 3 (March) and 4 (April).

 

I would not have that many scrapbook layouts if it were not for Cassel's challenges and tutorials. It is always fun to be able to create something following them... and if they demand too many steps and time, we always have the scripts, picture tubes etc.

 

I made the tag (Cassel's tutorials) and from the LAB 8...

 

Module 3: Threaded Stitch, Circle of Shapes and Outlined Text.

 

Module 4: Star Pattern and Pinked Edge

 

I also used Seed Beads 2 Opaque and Layered Flowers Cassel's Scripts. The staple on top of the layered flowers was also made following Cassel's tutorial!

[AprilDawn]

Hello Cristina,  you have done nice work with the Lab 8 modules 3 and 4 tutorials.... they are very effective...  the whole  page looks great...  you have inspired me to have a go at those tutorials  ....... Thank you also for your kind comment on my cards I appreciate it very much...

 

best of wishes,

 

Dawn.

[Michele]

What a lovely layout, Cristina. I'll bet those babies are just as beautiful as your page.

[Cristina]

Dawn and Michele, thank you so much for commenting on my page. I do appreciate. <3 :)

 

Michele, these two young ladies are indeed lovely and very sweet... It was a joy to be together with them and the rest of the family in March... they grow so fast!

[Teri Cleaveland]

I am so impressed by everyone's work! So much talent and creativity!

 

Thank you for the comments about our babies.  We ended up with 8 kids. The problem is that I am outside so much that I don't get any scrap booking done!

[AprilDawn]

I have been meaning to do some of the tutorials from Lab 8 Modules 3 and 4.... and when I saw Cristina's page I decided it was time to give it a go  rather than just think about it.... thank you for the inspiration Cristina !........... I chose to use one of the photos I used in last years travel tale challenge it is King Leopold Ranges in the Kimberly region of Western Australia... my sister and brother in-law went for a holiday and gave me some of their photos.... I started out with the template from Module 4 and changed it up a bit.... the tutorials I chose to do for this page  are Threaded Stitch...Circle of Shapes.. Pinked edge....outlined text. the pinked edge paper doesn't look perfect but I felt it added a handmade touch. The map of Australia was created with the help of Cassel's Hammered Metal script... and the background was made using Cassel's Lino tutorial.... although I have made a scrapbook type page I will modify it a bit  more by changing the text and turn it into a greeting card.

 

Dawn.

[Sheila Hogg]

Lovely layout Dawn.

 

 

 

 

 

Sheila x

[Michele]

Dawn, that is absolutely perfect! I love the softness of the elements against the sharpness of that gorgeous picture showing through the panels. Really great job.

 

~ Michele

[AprilDawn]

Sheila ... Thank you for your kind comment on my page... hope all is going ok with the wedding preparations. .. look forward to seeing your projects again.

 

Michele.... Thanks so much for your comments, they give encouragement  and are always appreciated.... I will never get to see these beautiful places of my country in person... but I think it is still ok to Dream about it...

 

best wishes,

 

Dawn.

[Cristina]

Dawn, this is really a very nice layout! The photo is stunning and I like this way of showing a single photo divided into several parts... I have to try this one day... I also like the background paper and the way you included the map of Australia to complete the sentence. Great work!

 

What I like in the Forum is how we learn and inspire each other. We see one's layout and think "what a nice way of using/doing this or that...." I loved how you mixed the Beads Tube with the Corner Punches Brush in the Crimson Rose Card... Next time I use the Brush I will think of it ;)

[AprilDawn]

Cristina, Thank you .... your comments also  give encouragement and I appreciate it. ...  I agree totally with your comment on the Forum .. it is a place to learn from and inspire each other, as everyone's style is different and we can always learn new ideas.

 

best wishes,

 

Dawn.

[Michele]

This is one big Love Fest!