Embossing

Hello and welcome to the newest challenge over at the Alphabet challenge blog, and our newest theme that says "Embossing"" Feel free to use the wet or the dry form of the technique, and show us the results. If you need some inspiration first, please do have a look at what the DT has created for you. I was quite busy in the past weeks, I'm feeling better and trying to catch up with so many things alongside with managing everyday's chores. In the end, I'm putting things aside again, but well, that's life I guess.

However, I managed to prepare some DT inspiration for you, and by doing so, I used some scraps I never thought would come handy. And I think at some point, every crafter has said something like that, righth? 

Since we'd like you to feature embossing on your projects, that's what I was looking for at first. I did find some pretty embossed backgrounds in my stash, but I couldn't come up with how to use them. And I kept coming back to this unusual shade of green, a green that looks like a light emerald. It came in a booklet of embossed papers, and while I love the floral pattern with bugs and insects, I could never, ever wrap myself around the colour itself. How on earth do you create a colour scheme around that one? 

In other news, I'm getting glasses. The signs of aging became obvious a year or two ago, when I was getting new sunglasses, and while doing so, I made an eye test because why not. With a couple of lens adjustments I could suddenly realize that the world around me is much clearer that I thought, but it wasn't a major difference, so I let it be. In the past months, however, I could find myself having trouble focusing on signs, especially when light conditions ween't ideal. Got another eye test, and yup, definitely glasses this time. I picked them out last week and will have another fitting next week. And all this time, my thoughts were circling around that one patterned paper... The one I got ages ago on a crafting workshop. We learned to create explosion boxes, but since I didn't find a chance to use mine, I cut it into pieces. What was left, were squares of glasses-themed papers: pink and green on one side, black and white on the other. And then, I figured: why not try THIS green with THAT green? 

Unfortunately, the green embossed paper was a bit too short to fit on a kraft card base, so I decided to extend it by using another paper scrap: a white embossed paper with swirls, which was already decorated with a punched border. Believe it or not, I only needed to cut it by 4 mm to make it fit. 

I then wanted to use a ribbon to mask the transition between white and green paper before placing the glasses on top of everything. To my disappointment, I couldn't find a ribbon that would fulfill my imagination. I switched to my paper stash again, and amongst the scraps that are too pretty to be thrown away I finally found the missing piece: a strip of paper with roses, which combines all the colours of my card. It comes from a box of napkins, and I kept it for years - literally (and yes, when IÄm looking for napkins for my running nose in winter, I'm definitely thinking about what I could do with the box later on). I'm glad those pretty roses found their place after all. 

Once everything was done, I used a piece of soft pink paper to frame the glasses, trying to create a centerpiece from what was meant to be a background paper. I thibk it doesn't look too bad in the end. I can't help feeling the card would need a bit of bling in form of pearls and/or gemstones, but on the other end, I keep telling myself that flat cards are easier to be shipped. Under the bottom line, I'm torn between whether my card is finished or not, so I will gladly accept your opinions and ideas on the piece.

challenges:

- 613 avenue create: ATG with optional twist "May flowers"

- a place to start: ATG

- allsorts challengeblog: ATG with optional twist "birds, bees and blooms"

- classicdesignchallenge: ATG DT 

- crafty catz: ATG

- crafty gals corner: ATG

- do-all kreatives: ATG

- inkspirational: leftovers (white embossed paper, rose paper, patterned paper with glasses)

- lil patch of crafty friends: ATG handmade

- nachteulen: ATG

- try it on tuesday: in the garden (rose paper, embossed papers with swirls, flowers and bugs)

- unicorn challengeblog: flowers

- vesela hiska: rose

- wortartwednesday: ATG

Circles

Hello, and welcome to the current challenge over at the Alphabet challenge blog! The challenge has is in full swing already, but my traditional delay has a very untraditional reason this time: my great aunt has decided to spoil me with a getaway of my choice, and I spent some wonderful days in northern Spain. Yes, it was quite a challenge, but since it was an organized tour I didn't need to worry about anything. I did rest a lot in between our stops, as well as during the transits, but I could also fill my heart and soul with loads of positive memories... enjoy land- and seascapes... get to know lots of lovely cities and lots of yummi food, and even dip my toes into the ocean every now and then. 

For my DT inspiration, I will therefore present a project I have created a while ago in one of my therapy sessions. Even though it's full of autumn vibes, it was made in spring, but as it usually goes with my crafting, I get stuck on an image or two and the rest just happens somehow. 

This time, it was the image of a lady sitting by the lake that caught my eyes. I decided to cut the motif from a magazine and save it in my stash, and pair it up with something of similar colour/atmosphere. 

To be precise, I cut some more circles with autumn motifs, but I didn't really know how to put them into use. I guess I just wanted to get used to my (currently) favourite tool, a circular cutter. I still have to get used to it, and I do usually mess up my circles towards the end when the paper slips away, but that't just one more reason to practise cutting circles (and arranging them in a way those mistakes can't be seen, lol). 

Then, in one of my crafting sessions, I went through a bunch of new magazines, and I found exactly what I was looking for: many different vintage botanical prints, from which I could pick motifs to embellish my collage. 

At first, I connected the circles. Unlike originally planned, the lady by the lake ended up on the bottom part of the trio. Under her, I placed a log of wood, which I decorated with a couple of pine cones. It almost makes it look like the girl is hiding behind some bushes. 

Then, I took a piece of dark green patterned paper from my stash - it was a leftover from another project, but it turned out I could use it up here. I liked the idea of it, because those tiny leaves look so pretty and I think it would be a shame to throw them away. Somehow, it also turned out that the circle I once cut from said patterned paper created a wonderful negative that would now allign nicely with the circles I used this time. I wondered whether I should fill the white halo between the three circles and the pattern in the background, but I decided against it. Instead, I connected the floral paper with my collage by using other elements: a yellow butterfly on top, and a daisy on the bottom. 

To complete my project, I added more butterflies: one sits atop some oak leaves and comes from the same magazine as the majority of my elements, and the other one is a sticker from my stash. I deliberately placed it in a way that would make the butterfly stand out from my art journal, which means it can double as some sort of bookmark. 

Looking back now, I would probably change the arrangement of circles: the heavy wooden pattern to the bottom, the lady by the lake to the right, and the dry foliage on the top left. I think it would make more sense this way, but I'm not completely unhappy with how this looks either. 

challenges: 

- 613 avenue create: ATG

- a place to start: ATG with optional twist "ATG but a card"

- as you like it: favourite season (I love the transitions between seasons actually, especially late spring/early summer, but even more so, late summer/early fall. I just love those warm days with colourful leafs and wonderful reflections on the water! Even though the early mornings might be cold already, there will be plenty of sunshine during the day - but without the unbearable summer heat. It's those days that allow you to layer your clothes, which leads to many combinations you'll be unable to wear otherwise. I love the autumn colours and the magical light, both of which makes up for the fact that the days are getting shorter.)

- card free zone: ATG but a card

- classicdesignchallenge: ATG DT 

- crafty catz: ATG

- crafty gals corner: ATG

- do-all kreatives: ATG

- lil patch of crafty friends: ATG handmade

- love to craft: ATG 

- moving along with the times: favourite stamp, die or tool (circular cutter)

- try it on tuesday: going round in circles

- wortartwednesday: ATG