Duo of Dragonflies' Digitalis Delight Alphatag

I was beginning to despair over a devilishly difficult "D" Alphatag for the Baroque Guild Swap. My dandelion doily was too distressed & dull so I abandoned that & after deciding that the diamante Damask was resembling a disaster I tried decorated diamonds which most certainly didn't fall into a decorative category. I'd abandoned some delightful digitalis (foxgloves) which were also proving dull but as I was  rapidly running out of time since I need to post the tags to arrive by the 23rd I tried adding some dragonflies & decided that would work. Deliberating over my title I realised that I had a duo of dragonflies - finally my "D" Alphatag was done & dusted. 

front of tag

close-up showing paper pierced scallops plus
 sparkle & shine of heat embossed dragonflies

close-up showing sparkly throats of coloured digitalis

back of tag

close-up showing paper pierced scallops &
 inked edges of theme panel

Recipe
Stamps Chocolate Baroque UA5SP0375 Honey Bee (digitalis flowers), UA5SP0347 Doodle Butterfly (large dragonfly) & UA5SP0346 Doodle Birds (small dragonfly).
Inks Memories Dye Black (digitalis flowers); Emboss Tinted Embossing Stamp Pad with Stampendous Rainbow Crystal Embossing Powder (dragonflies); Black Soot Distress Ink for inking various cardstock edges.
Colouring Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencils with paper stumps & Sansodor, Sakura Stardust Gelly Roll Pen, Memento Tuxedo Black Dual Marker.
Cardstock White, black & pink from stash.
Die Sizzix Movers & Shapers L Die - Tag & Bookplates.
Punches Woodware (scalloped circle & scalloped square).
The ribbon is from stash.

Challenges Entered
Allsorts Week 142 - Anything Goes
Simon Says.........Tag It!
Stampalot February Challenge - In the Garden (we have loads of dragonflies in our garden during the summer & although we have no foxgloves as yet they are a common garden flower or sometimes even a weed)

Colourful Collage of Crowned Chevrons Alphatag

This was somewhat of an  adventure but I had so many ideas for my “C” Alphatag (Baroque Guild Swap) that I decided to combine several  into my approximation of a ‘collage.’ I cannot begin to describe the excitement of seeing  this idea using techniques from my first two MCC stamping courses actually “work” in front of my eyes.

front of tag

close-up showing details of masked elements
& heat embossed crown

close-up showing sparkle of embellished
heat embossed crown 

back of tag

close-up showing texture & sheen of
heat embossed chevron pattern

close-up showing details & paper
piercing of theme panel

The chevron background was stamped & heat embossed with clear embossing powder & the tag then initially inked with a rainbow of Nick Bantock inks. The letter masks were then positioned & another layer of inks applied in the masked areas.  After taking the masks off I carefully ironed the whole tag to remove the clear embossing powder & finally stamped & heat embossed the crowns in black. 

Thinking about the back I thought I’d continue the “C” theme with black & white for Contrast  using the chevron background again & heat embossing with clear pearly embossing powder to achieve a tone on tone effect. I was grinning when I selected  the black & white Checked ribbon from my box but, by the time it dawned on me that I’d used Crystal gems to embellish my large crown, I was beginning to wonder whether variations of “C” were pursuing me.

Recipe

Stamps Chocolate Baroque UA4SP0371 Texture Fragments (Chevron background), UDLSP0205  Gold, Frankincense & Myrrh (large crown) & UA5SP0316 Royal Fleur de Lys (small crowns).

Inks Chartreuse Leaf, Chrome Yellow, Damson Plum, Prussian Blue, Rose Madder, & Vermillion Lacquer Nick Bantock Inks (background);  Emboss Tinted Embossing Stamp Pad with Stampendous  Embossing Powders (Detail Black - crowns, Detail Clear - chevrons on front, Satin Pearl - chevrons on back); Black Soot Distress Ink for inking various cardstock edges.

Colouring White Pentel K118 Hybrid Gel Grip Pen.

Cardstock White & assorted blacks in various finishes from stash.

Masks Tim Holtz idea-ology - Ransom.

Die Sizzix Movers & Shapers L Die - Tag & Bookplates.

Punch Woodware (scalloped rectangle).

The gems are Anita’s & the ribbon is from stash.

Challenges Entered

Allsorts Week 141 - Free & Easy February

Totally Papercrafts 103 - It's A Rainbow

MCC Colouring 101 Wk 4 - Negative Space & More Fantasy Colouring

Links: Previous Post i, Previous Post ii, Glenda Waterworth, My Creative Classroom (MCC)

from my sketchbook

It is about 5 months since I posted my last piece of work for the Colouring Course but I am determined to complete it & have been chipping away at the assignments whilst working on projects with deadlines.

Digital Image Glenda Waterworth; 

Cardstock WH Smith 220gsm edged with Aged Mahogany Distress Ink;

Colouring Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencils with a dry paper stump.

 Stamp Chocolate Baroque UDLSP0304 Christmas Decorations;

Inks Memento (Danube Blue, Paris Dusk, Bahama Blue & Summer Sky);

Cardstock Southfield Bright White 160gsm;

Colouring Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencils.

 Digital Image Glenda Waterworth;

Cardstock WH Smith 220gsm edged with Vintage Photo Distress Ink;

Colouring Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencils.

Digital Image Glenda Waterworth;

Cardstock WH Smith 220gsm edged with Black Soot Distress Ink;

Colouring Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencils.

Golden Dragon Scales 

Digital Image Glenda Waterworth;

Cardstock WH Smith 220gsm edged with Black Soot Distress Ink;

Colouring Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencils with paper stumps & Sansodor.

Cobblestones

Fluttering Floral Frenzy with Virginia's View

front of card 

close-up to show sparkle & detail of  flowerhead 

close-up showing sparkle of inked & shaped
dragonfly & butterfly plus shimmer of grey-blue cardstock 

close-up showing paper piercing & texture of
die-cut mounting frame 

inside of card

close-up of message panel showing
texture of die-cut frame

close-up showing paper piercing of corner
& shimmer of grey-blue cardstock

This came together as a result of 3 challenges & my wish to use one of the Penny Black stamps I found in this year's Sales. The colour combination is from Virginia's View Photo Inspiration at Lily Pad Cards  & the flowerhead fitted perfectly with the Penny Black Saturday Challenge this week. I'd not decided about anything else but when Make My Monday's Challenge was posted it made sense to let some butterflies & dragonflies have a feeding frenzy upon the flowerheads.

Recipe
Stamps Penny Black 3820K a touch.
Inks Memories Dye Black (image); Aged Mahogany & Spiced Marmalade Distress Inks (inking some cardstock edges).
Colouring Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils with paper stumps & Sansodor (flower petals); Sakura Stardust Gelly Roll Pen (centre of flowerhead); Stickles Glitter Glue (Orange Peel); Copic Multi Liner Pen.
Cardstock An assortment of colours in various textures & finishes from stash.
Dies & Punches Spellbinders Shapeabilities Sprightly Sprockets, Woodware (butterflies & dragonfly, circle), EK Success (corner).

Challenges Entered
Make My Monday 34 - Nature: Butterflies & Dragonflies
Penny Black Saturday Challenge 186 - Floral Frenzy
Virginia's View Challenge 1 - Photo Inspiration