.....come enjoy some handmade creations and heartfelt experiences. I'm glad you're here & hope you'll come back often.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Sparkle N Sprinkle Girly Girls and Macho Mania Blog Hop

Welcome to my stop on our hop this month! If you're arriving here from Shanna's blog; you're in the right place.  If you just "happened" to arrive here; you may want to go to the SNS Home Blog to start from the beginning of our hop so you don't miss any great ideas and details about the prizes up for grabs!


Today I have a little bit of Girly Girls AND Macho Mania for you!  For this guys and gals hop; I thought it might be fun to take a look a the same card done up for either a guy OR a girl.  

 
Let's face it; lots of us struggle with doing "guy" cards.  But if you modify a few simple details; any card design can take on a masculine feel!  So....here's a look at a card using the same basic layout, the same basic formula (saying as main image, all-over print, decorative strip), and also using the same saying - but one is decidedly masculine and one is definitely "girly".  Take a look at both versions - let me know what you think!


Masculine Version:
  • dark & neutral colors
  • straight, sharp lines (decorative strip & saying cutout)
  • natural elements (woodgrain & rope)
  • simple metal studs accents




Full supply list & instructions for this design can be found in the SNS Art gallery here.

(click any photo for better view)






      Feminine Version:
  • light / pastel colors
  •  soft, rounded lines/ shapes (decorative strip & saying cutout)
  • sparkling elements (glitter accents & stripes on decorative strip and on saying piece)
  • pearl accents

Full supply list and directions for this version can be found in the SNS Art Gallery here.



Both cards use a saying from the great new Set 498 - Horses.  I've been having a lot of fun playing with this new set.  Did you see the colorful card I did from this set in my previous post?   Be sure to check that out below or here.   (Don't forget to come back here to finish off the hop though!)   I think you're really going to love this set as much as I do!

Here's a peek at the whole set.  Isn't it great?!





So, what do you think about my masculine and feminine versions of this card?  Doesn't this make it seem so much easier to make any design appropriate for a guy or a gal?  Let me know your thoughts before you hop on by (& that qualifies you for prizes too)!  I always love to read and appreciate all your comments!!


Now hop on over to Shona's Blog for even more inspiration (yep, you arrived here from Shanna & are now headed on over to Shona's - no, that's not a typo lol!)  Have lots of fun on the rest of the hop and I hope to see you again soon!

Until next time,
***Julie***

PS - If you liked what you saw today (or on any of my posts), I'd love for you to become a follower.  I really enjoy sharing  my designs with fellow enthusiasts and would love to have you follow along too!

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Horses & Patriotism

Hi again!  Hope everyone had a great 4th of July!
We actually just worked around the house on the 4th and didn't do anything special.  But we did  have a super busy post 4th weekend.  The highlight was attending the Taylor Swift concert in Pittsburgh with my daughter & sister -  my 1st concert in about 20 yrs. and my daughter's very first concert!  It's not something we usually get to do because we're about an hour from the city (& concert venues) and tickets are sooo expensive (not in our budget!)  But this was a special treat as my sister & family bought us tickets for our birthday & Christmas gifts last year.  My daughter & I both have birthdays in November & with Christmas only a month after that; it was a special combined birthday/christmas present.  I have to say we both really enjoyed it.  It was a great show & who knows when we'll ever get a chance to do that again!  Many thanks to my sister & family for that really special treat!

In any case, I kind of have a patriotic card for you today.  But I specifically saved it until after the fourth because I didn't really intend it to be patriotic.....per se.  How's that for a wishy washy explanation!
Actually, I thought this card would be good for a patriotic card OR a general multipurpose (note card, thinking of you, birthday, etc.)  I have lots of friends with horses and I know any of them would love to get this card any time of the year.  So, I guess that's where I'm reluctant to say it's only a patriotic card. 


 I have to say I'm ecstatic with how this turned out.  One of those exactly how I saw it in my head cards!  The horse silhouette, the bold red, white, & blue combined with the soft watercoloring.  Love it!  Love it! Love it!

(click any photo for a better view)


The inspiration for this card actually came from two places.  I actually have a t-shirt with a similar design and thought that it would make a really great card idea.  And the second inspiration.....if you've ever watched horses run; you can't deny how beautiful and free they look when they're running.  So combining them with an enduring symbol of freedom is such a perfect combination!

The running horse is from the new SNS Set 498 - Horses.  LOVE this set!!  The flag background & the word freedom are sold individually or on  SNS's Set 434 - Patriotic Background.   Everything was colored with Inktense watercolors. With these, I was able to achieve the rich vibrant colors and yet still be able to control the opacity.  I did one version with the horse silhouette very dark & opaque and a second lighter one (below) where the detail lines were still able to show through a little bit.  Different effects, but I liked them both.




The lighter version of the card was also done without the Freedom saying at the top.  After seeing the card with freedom at the top; it probably looks a bit plain without it.  But I thought omitting it made it look a little less like a card for a patriotic holiday & more for use anytime of the year for a note card, birthday or something else for a horse lover.

Hope you like this card as much as I do.  Full instructions can be found in my SNS Art Gallery here. 

Don't forget to stop back Friday or Saturday for SNS's Girly Girl and Macho Mania Blog Hop!  Always some great inspiration and great prizes to be won too!  Let me know what you think of today's card and I hope to see you again at the hop!

Until next time,
***Julie***

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

SNS Creative Challenge & Are You Ready for the 4th?

Hi Everyone! It's time for another Sparkle N Sprinkle Creative Challenge!  And the July challenge is a fun one!  For the month of July; you're challenged to create something, anything other than a card.  So many fun possibilities!  (And don't forget, if you use a Sparkle N Sprinkle regular or digital stamp that you purchased - you'll receive an adorable free floral digital image from Beccy Muir!)

So, here's what I came up with.....


I've been on a bit of a medallion streak recently - once you start making those fun things; it's really kind of hard to stop!  (You'll be seeing some of my other medallion projects soon).

And I also happened to be working with some of SNS's Patriotic Stamp Sets for another project.  So....the idea just popped into my head - why not combine the two and make a Patriotic/Summer Table decoration?!  What a perfect addition it would be to anyone's picnic or home decor!



Wouldn't this just be great for your 4th of July festivities?!



Personally, I just love patriotic decor and I think it would look awesome sitting out around the house all year round too.

The stamps all came from the Patriotic Icons - Set 433.  And of course, every patriotic design needs lots and lots of sparkle and POP.  So for my sparkle & pop, I've used embossing powders and sparkling embossing powders for the sayings and lots and lots of glitter all around!  I wish you could see it glistening in person! So colorful, sparkly and FUN!



Here's some close ups of the individual medallions and the sparkly stars I included.








(Click any photo for a better view)




I had so much fun with this piece.  And I love how it turned out so much that I'm already working on a birthday version of it!  So many decorative possibilities with this - how about for a wedding or baby shower, a graduation party, 25th or 50th anniversary - so many possibilities!  And Sparkle N Sprinkle has all the stamps and "glitz" to make yours just perfect!





Hope you liked this fun "anything but a card" project.  I always love to know you stopped by and I also love to hear what you think; so don't forget to leave a comment before you leave.  (If I've inspired you to create one of your own; be sure to leave me a link so I can see what you created!)




And don't forget to make an "Anything but a Card" creation for your entry into the SNS Creative Challenge this month too!  Hope you have a wonderful, Happy and Safe Holiday!!

Until next time,
***Julie***