Crafters Companion SWALK

My attention was caught by this:

"Crafters Companion will be releasing a brand new Collection of 12 Stamps and a CD, this new collection will feature as the Pick of the Week on Create and Craft from 11am On Friday 16th July .

This awesome SWALK collection is a bit different from our previous releases and features some of the cutest characters and wonderful sentiments that will appeal to anyone from 1 to 100. The CD has been designed to complement the Stamps perfectly and features our usual popular designs sets, borders alphabets , inserts, verse writer etc , we have also included 2 sets of co-ordinating papers plus the most amazing co-ordinating flowers that can be resized and layered to make awesome embellishments for your creations. but this time something quite different."   

I've started to look at the sneak peaks - the images are indeed different from previous Crafters Companion releases.  The links are listed below
Bev
Claire
Debbie
Jacqui
Leann
Lou
Wendy

There is also candy for those interested. The details are on the Crafters Companion News Views & Inspiration blog.

Spring Mouse with Glitter, Pearls & Distress Inks

easel card standing

card open showing base & personal message panels detail of image with sparkly yellow bows & green ribbon

close-up of floral embellishment & 2 checked patterns

This has been a week of discoveries with the paper bin becoming full of punched out flower elements & half painted mice as I worked until I was reasonably happy with the floral embellishments & Distress Inks watercolouring. I was rather taken by the subtle colours of the Distress Inks & I have to thank the A Spoon Full of Sugar challenge (Distress Inks, pearls & glitter) for prompting me to start using them. I shall need a lot more practice but the challenge deadlines are imminent!

I wanted to enter the Penny Black colour combination challenge but my Penny Black stamps are all Christmassy so I was particularly delighted when I found that the small snowflakes in the Giving & Receiving acrylic set are ideal for stamping on flower petals. Bev Rochester's Punched Flower Tutorial (http://bevscrafts.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-i-make-my-flowers.html) gave me the inspiration.

All the punches used for the flowers are Woodware except for the outer one which is EK Success. I used ColorBox Silk Green for the stamped yellow petals & also edging the outermost & innermost petals; then Brilliance Sunflower Yellow for the edges of the remainder. Pearls & Stickles glitter glue completed the flowers & I shall use this formula, or a variation, again as I'm really pleased with the effect.

The mouse is another of the Cute Companions (Crafter's Companion) watercoloured with Distress Inks except for the bouquet's ribbon (Sakura Stardust) & the yellow bows of the outfit (Sakura Stardust & Stickles glitter glue). The scalloped circle background was punched (Woodware) from cardstock. All the edges of the cardstock & patterned papers (floral - Nancy Watt Spring Florals Collection, yellow check - Provo Craft French Country Colors Bitty Scrap Pad) were inked with ColorBox Raw Silk.

I used the sketch from this week's Create 4 Fun challenge & the floral embellishment entitled me also to enter the Totally Gorjuss challenge.

Everything apart from that already mentioned is from my "stash" & I am entering the following challenges:

A Spoon Full of Sugar Challenge 92 - Distress Inks, Pearls & Glitter

http://aspoonfullofsugarchallenge.blogspot.com/2010/02/challenge-92-guest-designers-choice.html

Create 4 Fun Challenge Week 08 - Sketch

http://create4fun-challenge.blogspot.com/2010/02/challenge-week-08.html

Penny Black Saturday Challenge 89 - Colour Combo: Pink, Green & Yellow
http://pennybfriendssaturdaychallenge.blogspot.com/2010/02/week-89-colour-combo.html

Totally Gorjuss Challenge 18 - Flower Power
http://totallygorjuss.blogspot.com/2010/02/flower-power-challenge-18.html

Dazzling Green with Mouse Looking Towards Spring

easel card standing open card showing detail of base & panel for written message detail of glittered strip & floral embellishment

This was incredibly difficult to photograph. The bluey-green of the card on the floral embellishment I made (Woodware punch plus some sequins & a bead) immediately above is actually a brilliant emerald metallic green, more pearlised than mirror in effect but, nonetheless, so shimmery that the flash reflected back into the lens unless I also lit the area with a daylight lamp. The main easel panel, the scalloped circle on the left & the strip to the right are the same green so the whole effect with the strip of glitter & the shiny embellishments is actually quite dazzling.

I followed Hazel's Sketch at Moving Along With the Times intending to enter that challenge but missed the deadline. However, as the "cute" mouse with her floral bonnet (it could be an Easter one) looking up towards a blossom gem in combination with the floral patterned paper & predominantly green & pink colouring gives such a seasonal sense of Spring, this week's Spring time theme of the A Spoonful of Sugar Challenge is quite apt. I watercoloured the image using Derwent Inktense pencils & made the glittered strip by sprinkling a length of extra strong double sided tape with glitter. The embellishments at either end of it are again made from sequins & beads in my "stash". The circle & scalloped circles punches used are Woodware whereas the corner rounder punch used on the mouse panel is an EK Success one. The mouse stamp is one of the Cute Companions (Crafter's Companion) & the patterned paper is Dovecraft Retro Floral Prints. All the other items are from "stash".

I am entering the following challenges:

A Spoon Full of Sugar Challenge 91 - Spring is in the Air http://aspoonfullofsugarchallenge.blogspot.com/2010/02/challenge-91-spring-is-in-air.html

Fussy & Fancy Friday Challenge 4 - Dazzle Us http://fussyandfancychallenge.blogspot.com/2010/02/challenge-4-dazzle-us.html
My Time to Craft Challenge 79 - Green Plus One!http://mytimetocraftchallenge.blogspot.com/2010/02/challenge-79-green-plus-one.html

Stamp Something - Something Cute

http://stampchallenges.blogspot.com/2010/02/something-cute-challenge.html