Our April Leading Lady, Lydia Evans is back for her second performance! If you missed her smashing debut you must see it...CLICK HERE. Lydia shows her stellar technique with a bevy of celebratory projects today!
Wow, where did that week go? But I'm not complaining as that means I am back here on the Winnie & Walter blog sharing some more ideas with you lovely W&W fans! So today my theme is Distress Ink Techniques...(but looking back at the cards I guess it could also be 'The Party Stamp Set' or 'Touches of Gold' but the tags at the end don't fit with these so I'll stick with 'Distress Ink Techniques ;) ). We will jump in with the brightest card first and then work our way to the calmest project.... a little order .... and as I've warned you hopefully the first card won't shock you to much if it's early when you read this.
So for this bright and bold card , that fits in perfectly with this months theme 'Fiesta' don't you think?!?, I have used Picked Raspberry Distress Ink to create an ombre effect background. To do this cut your card layer to size (I have used the large dotted card layer from Essentials: Katharine Cutaways ), add ink using a blending tool but only add the colour from one edge and work inwards so the ink gets lighter. When creating this effect I press hard with my blending tool on the darkest edge and use lighter and lighter pressure when moving across.
For the subway art-ish sentiment I added two of the large sentiments from The Party to my acrylic block and then added in some smaller words from The Big, The Bold And Party above, below and in the gaps in between these two sentiments. To create a bit of dimension with the sentiment I cut 'party' using some Gold Add A Little Dazzle Metal from The Big, The Bold and Party Cutaways, I then attached this too a piece of acetate and added this to my card so that it would bubble outwards. A couple of gold ink slashes and some streamers cut using the same metal with The Party Confetti Cutaways finished this card off perfectly.
My next card is more chilled but still has a fiesta feel....
I firstly created the watercolour background before adding the gorgeous hanging lanterns from The Party in gold. To do this background I started with a piece of watercolour card, I added some Distress Ink in Peacock Feathers, Picked Raspberry and Mustard Seed to my craft mat and spritzed with some water and then placed the piece of watercolour card onto the watered down Distress Ink, and lifted off and left it to dry.
Once the piece was dry I set to work on the lanterns... I stamped two of the large pieces first into place (the middle lantern) and heat embossed these with gold sparkle embossing powder, I then added the small one to the top and bottom and heat embossed in gold again. I then masked this lantern off and stamped the two either side, stamping the larger pieces first, heat embossing and then the small ones. To finish the lanterns I stamped and heat embossed the small tassel onto the bottom of each one. For the sentiment I cut 'party' using some gold craft metal from The Big, The Bold and Party Cutaways and added 'let's' from The Big, The Bold And Party in gold ink. So this card doesn't have a Distress Ink background, I have used Distress Ink this time as a watercolour paint to add colour to the images with a paintbrush.
To start I took a piece of watercolour card and heat embossed in white the flower pom-pom shape from The Party and the small leaves from The Big, The Bold and Extras. I used Picked Raspberry and Spiced Marmalade for the flowers, Mowed Lawn and Crushed Olive for the leaves and the background is Peacock Feathers.
Once the piece was dry I added some splashes of gold spray and left to dry again. The sentiment, the 'wishes' is cut from gold craft metal from The Big, The Bold and Party Cutaways and the extra sentiment words are from The Big, The Bold And Party stamped in gold ink.
So these tags are like a little added extra today.....
I made a second piece of background that I used in the hanging lanterns card, but instead of it being a background I thought I could use it as a focal point instead. I took this piece when it was dry and cut from it In A Word: Cheers Cutaway, In A Word: Love Cutaway and In A Word: Happy Cutaway. I thought these watercoloured die-cut words would pop more if added to a clean white piece so I simply cut three of the large tags and hole re-enforcers using Essentials: Katharine Cutaways from white card and added the words with foam adhesive.... I really like how they overhang the tag giving a bit more interest to these simple tags.
Before you guys run off I would love to know what you think of my cards, your comments mean the world to me. Also as Julie and Shay are so generous they have given me a $30 gift card to the Winnie & Walter store over on my blog, so if you hope over there and leave me some love I will choose a random winner from all the comments left on my Leading Lady posts through April.
See you next week!
Hugs Lydia xxx
w&w supplies used:
Fantastic projects, Lydia ... such wonderful inspiration combining W&W with Distress Inks! Anita :)
ReplyDeleteVery pretty :D TFS!!
ReplyDeleteLydia, your cards and tags are classy, yet fun! They all evoke 'celebration' in such unique ways; and yes, definitely another round of Fiesta fabulous! The pink and gold of the first has me swooning; the watercoloured background of the second is a perfect canvas for the lanterns; your flowers are simply a burst of happiness, especially paired with the gold die cut and your tags...well, they're just smile-making in every way! You're an impressive "Leading Lady", indeed! Thank you for all the marvelous inspiration (and the longer wish list *grin*)
ReplyDelete~c
Awesome projects love them all. TFS.
ReplyDeleteThese are awesome! I love the colors and the gold accents.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous! Every one of them.....just gorgeous! Love all the gold and those tags with the soft colors....YUM!
ReplyDeleteWOW! Amazing creations. Love the trick with the acetate and all the gold accents. Those tags are awesome.
ReplyDeleteWOW! Amazing creations. Love the trick with the acetate and all the gold accents. Those tags are awesome.
ReplyDeleteWow! Love the dimension on that first card!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous watercolour cards and tags, Lydia!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous cards Lydia!
ReplyDeleteLove your watercoloring. I need to try your method. so far I can't seem to get a result I like.
ReplyDeleteWow! So much eye candy!! Love the watercolors, especially the flowers!! And that floating party on acetate... fab!
ReplyDeleteOh Lydia, your cards are so pretty, I had to pin them to try later. TFS! They are lovely!
ReplyDeleteI like all your festive projects!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely gorgeous cards Lydia ..Each one of them is so unique and amazing ..I am so inspired :) ..Totally in love with your last card !!!
ReplyDeleteThose are fabulous projects! I especially love the first card.
ReplyDeleteWow, beautiful cards
ReplyDeleteand wonderful techniques
used on them!
Carla from Utah
I'm loving seeing Lydia's work, she's a show stopper for sure!!
ReplyDeleteLove all the projects! Those lanterns w/tassels?!! In love! also loving those pompom flowers!! And the touch of gold on all? Yes love.
ReplyDeleteDELIGHTFUL cards & tags Lydia!!!
ReplyDeleteWOW - your 1st card is AMAZING - such an EXCITING design - LOVE IT ALL!!! REALLY appreciate your tutorial too, I confess that I'm still struggling with distress inks and need to practice more. LOVE your GLORIOUS golden highlights too, on ALL three of your cards. Your pom pom flowers are BEAUTIFUL, great way to stretch our stamps.
The "In A Word" cutaways are SO MUCH FUN too, I have some waiting on my wishlist, will have to check again, happy was out of stock.
THANK YOU for sharing your CREATIVE INSPIRATION, looking forward to seeing what you share next week :)
Beautiful cards! I'm loving the bold pink with curly cues, it's fun and party ready!
ReplyDeleteElegant! Love all the golden glitz :)
ReplyDeleteWOW! These cards and tags are sooo beautiful!
ReplyDeletewow what great great projects...the inking is amazing.
ReplyDeleteLove your cards but my most favorite is the one with the acetate and the Pompom flowered cards. Can you make a tutorial on how you made the acetate bubble forward?
ReplyDeleteAmazing projects! Love all the gold!
ReplyDeleteWOW... these are amazing cards and tags!!! The gold steamer is awesome!!!!
ReplyDeleteWOW! I love your techniques. The cards are fabulous.
ReplyDeleteLove the pops of gold on all your cards and the tags are awesome - what a good idea!!!
ReplyDeleteThese are fantastic! The colours and gold accents are stunning.
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