Try it on Tuesday GDT spot!!! a very musical card!

Morning!!! Happy Tuesday!

First of all, I want to welcome my new followers! thank you so much for clicking the "follow" button! it means so much to me! Hopefully I will be able to inspire you in some way or another!

Today's post is very special, because I'm the Guest Designer for Try It on Tuesday challenge this fortnight!!! I can't tell you how happy I am to have made a card as a GDT for this amazing challenge!  Thank you so much for having me!

When I was told about the theme this week, I just had to smile! It was perfect for a card I needed to make...(not telling you for who, a bit too early...!!! ). So the theme at Try it Tuesday challenge this week is.... 

MUSIC!!!

So start making your Music themed cards and join Try it on Tuesday challenge!

This is the card I made:

I used two clear stamps for this card. 

The first one is the "Grunge Music" clear stamp from Lili of the Valley, which I stamped with black ink.

The second one is a beautiful floral clear stamp with lots of roses from Fleur boutique stamp collection (it was a freebie in a magazine). I coloured the roses with my Promarkers. 

The colours I used are: lilac, lavender, blossom, pink mittens, buttercup, tulip yellow, Lime Zest, Leaf green.

And of course, I put a lot of layers! 

The papers are from: Crate Paper DIY shop paper pad (the music sheet paper in the background) and a freebie from a magazine (the cream paper).

I distressed all the edges of the papers with the Tim Holtz Distresser tool and Tim Holtz Distress Ink pad in Tea Dye and Tattered Rose. I bent the corners to give it a bit of a vintage/grunge look.

I also hand-stitched the bottom layer with white thread.

I used a pink doily and a piece of lace mesh as extra layers. 

Under the roses image I put a beautiful frame die cut from Marianne Creatables.

The butterflies are punched with the Martha Stewart punch and wet embossed using the LOTV grunge music stamp, using pink embossing powder.

I used a small musical note punch to add some pink notes on top of the music sheet.

The flowers and pearls are from Wild Orchid Crafts.

I created the sentiment on my computer.

The ribbon attached is from local shop.

I would also like to enter this card into the following challenges:

613 Avenue Create #63 - Anything goes with optional twist, use 2D or 3D flowers 2nd entry

 A gem of a challenge #115 - Mother's day/ female birthday/ special lady

Alphabet challenge - C is for country flowers

Aud Sentiments #102 - Anything goes

Everybody- Art challenge #270 - Non-cute card
Fan-tastic Tuesday #27 - Anything goes
Fantasy stampers #6 - Rose Garden (roses in the stamped image)

Hiding in my craft room #141 - Color it! 3rd entry

Lexi's Creations #112 - Use your punches and dies

Lili of the Valley Ideas to Inspire challenge - March Crafty bingo (ribbon, pearls, flowers)

Milk Coffee challenge - use at least 2 flowers 3rd entry

Papertake Weekly challenge - For Mum (or a Girlie)
QKR Stampede #79 - Anything goes

Savvy handmade cards - Spring flowers

Sister Act challenge #48 - Anything goes

Stampin for the weekend - Anything goes

Sweet Stampin - Mother's day or special lady

Sweet Stamps blog #161 - Anything goes
That Craft Place - Flowers and/or Mother's day

The Crazy challenge #167 - Flower Frenzy

The Rubber Buggy #17 - Spring flowers 3rd entry

The Shabby Tea Roon #210 - Anything goes

Tuesday Throwdown #187 - Tic Tac Toe (my line is: die-cuts, flowers, ribbon)

I really hope you like my GDT card for Try it on tuesday. Don't forget to check out the challenge!

I really appreciate your comments, they make me so happy! and don't forget to follow!

Until next time!

Tutorial for the Scribble and Scrap challenge: handmade Grunge/Vintage flower

Morning!!! Happy Monday!!! 

This is the tutorial that I have put together for the Scribble and Scrap challenge. 

I hope you like it and find it useful!!!

As you may know if you have seen any of my cards, I love embellishments, the more the merrier! And of course, my favourite embellishments are flowers! A while ago, I decided that I wanted to try to make a Grunge style card. But when the time to put some nice embellishments came, I realised that all my flowers were too pretty and “clean” looking for that card!

So looking around on the amazing world of the internet, I got inspired to make my own grunge/shabby/vintage flower. Since then, I've adapted the process to my own liking and way of working.

You will need :

I use watercolour paper as it tends to be stronger when wet.

You will need to die cut 16 single leaves for one flower. You can always put less leaves if you like flatter flowers.

(If you don't have a leaf die, you can free cut the leaves yourself)

Soak the leaves in water. I usually leave a few soaking for a few minutes at a time.

Then, roll the wet leaves. After rolling, I twist and crunch them as I want them to have a lot of creases when they dry.

                                                                              

                           

Once they dry up (after a few hours should be OK, but just make sure they are totally dry as they might break if still damp), start unrolling them, but still leaving the creases on, don't flatten them completely.

Some of the leaves will be flatter or less creased than others... don't worry, you can always crease them a bit with your hands... I also put the flatter leaves as a first layer for the flower, to make a base for the rest of the layers.

At this point, I use my distress inks to ink the creases and edges of the leaves.

Now, it's time to start building the flower.

I place a bit of double sided tape, with one side peeled, and place the first layer of leaves/petals. The thinner part of the leaf should go to the inside of the flower.

Afterwards, using glue, I'll keep on building the layers.

After placing the last layer, I will use the top side of a paint brush to push the petals all together and to shape the flower at the same time... the glue won't be dry yet, so you can slightly move the petals to get them in the right place.

Once the glue is dry, you can add a rhinestone (it should be a bit big to cover the middle of the flower).

You can also use shop-bought stamens, for a more realistic look.

As a last touch, I use the distress ink again, to give the flower a bit of colour depth. Sometimes I use a different ink colour, for a bit of contrast, like I've done in the flower at the bottom.

I really hope you have enjoyed my first ever tutorial and that it has inspired you to try to make your own flowers! You can always adapt this tutorial to your own taste and technique.

Thank you! Until next time!

Cute and Grunge!!!

Hi!
I hope you have all had a lovely weekend! Here in the Diaz-Kaleem household we are back to our post-holiday routine.... Alaia is back to nursery today and hubby is back to work. I'm just trying to get in the rut again.... (not happening yet...) I guess I have a bit of post-holiday blues... all the pre-Christmas excitement, preparations... it all went too fast!!!! And I've made the point of not taking my Christmas tree down yet..... In Spain today it is still Christmas!!! although we don't celebrate it here in the UK, in Spain The 3 Wise Men brought the presents to children last night... So I can't really take my Christmas down until at least tomorrow.... I say with a very very sad face..... I wish it could be  Christmas everyday! (this is now turning into a song...)

So on to today's card!!!!!

I really love the card I'm showing you today...

I've tried a new style for me, "grunge". I hope I have accomplished a grunge look! when trying to achieve a look, there are so many things to consider, and so many interpretations! I distressed a lot, I went a bit crazy!!! I got the Tim Holtz Paper Distresser for Christmas and I love it! and for me, in cardmaking, Tim Holtz = grunge! More Tim Holtz in this card: the Weathered clock die, and the Distressed Ink pads in Tattered Rose, Tea Dye and Old Paper. Some of my new crafty goodies! (not all presents, some I got on the sale)

I used a cute image... can you do cute grunge? I guess so...if not, too late for me!!!! It is Bunches by Mo Manning. I've had it for a while, used it once before, and I thought it was time to use her again....

And I am so proud! for this card, I only used scraps of paper! I didn't use a brand new sheet at all! for me, this is a big thing.... some of them are from my K&Company paper pad and from First Edition ....

I coloured Bunches with my Promarkers.

Raw Sienna, Sandstone and Buttermilk for her hair, flowers and boots.

Frosted leaf for the leaves in the bunch.

Vanilla, Almond, Ivory and Blossom for her skin.

For her clothes: Blossom, Pink Carnation, Cornflower, Powder Blue and blender pen.

Another first for me, which I am really happy I made and I will make again and again is the Grunge looking flower....  I followed a tutorial I saw on how to make a Christmas Poinsetta by Chelsea Le at Crafting Life Pieces. I adapted the tutorial to make my flower.

I used 16 leaf die cuts (I used the leaves from Marianne Creatables English Rose).

I cut them from Watercolour Paper. I soaked them in water, and rolled them. 

I left them overnight to dry. In the morning, I unrolled them, used some Distress inks at the edges and glue them together: 8 leaves at the bottom as a base, and then 2 layers of 4 leaves. I added a rhinestone in the centre... 

I'm really happy how it ended up! perfect for this type of card I think....

The sentiment is from a Ribbon reel I've had for years. 

The buttons are from Papermania and Gorjuss.

The brown dots ribbon and brad are from local shops.

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Mo's DP2 challenge - Anything goes w/Mo Image
Crafting Musketeers # 9 - Grunge
Moving along the times - Thank you
Crafty Catz #212 - Thank you
The Pink Elephant #232 -  Thank you
Brown Sugar #75 - Use ribbon or twine
Totally Gorjuss #217 - Ribbon
Alphabet challenge - X for xtra-ordinary (handmade flower is xtra-ordinary as it's first time I've made it!) (2nd entry)
Delicious Doodles #69 - Layer up
Left of Center #22 - New Beginnings (new craft dies and technique) 2nd entry
A Gem of a challenge #110 - something new (new craft stash - Tim Holtz die and inks)
Come and get it - Something new  (New style, craft tools and handmade flower)
Crafting from the heart #4 - Anything goes/use pearls of buttons
All sorts challenge #240 - Free and easy (2nd entry)
Incy Wincy - 3 favourite embellishments (ribbon, flowers and buttons)
Polkadoodles Digi Choosday wk 11 - Anything goes
Polkadoodles challenge wk 1 - Anything goes
Crafting by Designs - Anything goes (2nd entry)
613 Avenue Create #53 - Anything goes
Through the Craft Room door  - Anything goes
C.R.A.F.T. #240 - Anything goes (2nd entry)
Crafty Hands #5 - Anything goes
Sweet Pea stampers - Anything goes
Creative Craft Challenge #26 - Anything goes
Glitter n Sparkle #66 - Anything goes
Challenges 4 everybody #37 - Anything goes
Digi Sketch - Say it with flowers (T)
Crafty Boots - Anything goes
Creative Card Crew #52 - Anything goes (3rd entry)
Open-minded crafting fun #1 - New tools or new techniques (Tim holtz weathered clock die is a new tool)

I hope you have enjoyed my card. If you have, please leave a comment, I read and appreciate each and every of them... and don't forget to follow me! :)

Until next time!