Opus Gluei Challenges #50, #51, #52 and #53

If you fancy joining in with this weekly challenge blog you can find it here.
Run by two lovely and funny ladies Rosemary and Jana.

4 challenges in one post, nothing to brag about unfortunately, it just means I never got around to taking photo's and writing any blog posts for them. I can't even blame Spanky. Tut tut to me.

As I've said before I'm having a go at making layout cards.
Normally my idea of making a card is to make a picture and stick it onto a card blank. After the first time I did this, I started making the picture in the dimensions of the card blank which always helps matters.
I then see if I can fit a sentiment on it, if not, oh well never mind.
So this is exactly what I did for this challenge.
Click on any of the pictures to make them bigger.

#50 For the Birds





I drew all the pieces first on tracing paper and then cut them out of designer papers, K and Co and Basic Grey.
The bird ( his wing stuck on using a foam pad) and branch pieces are glued on a piece of designer paper using white PVA.
Then that was glued onto a card blank using double sided tape.
The crown is a woodware punch.
An unusual shaped googly eye for his peeper.
Sentiment is slapped on as an after thought. It's from a graphicus stamp set of Birds.

#51 Make a Set

Whilst these look quite plain, they took me ages and ages.
I was getting the hang of using nesties on my big shot and trying to decide on a layout and how to use a edge punch etc. So I worked out how much this first card would cost to buy if I based it on my day job's hourly rate.
For just time and not materials £46.30!
Well, I'd better keep the day job then.



I used a new out Dovecraft set of Birds stamps. Coloured with watercolour pencils.
An interesting thought about watercolour pencils.
20 or so years ago I bought a set of Caran d'ache Prismalo I watercolour pencils. Now they cost about £20 - 25 for 18 pencils.
I also recently bought 12 watercolour pencils from Asda for £1 to see how they compared.
I cannot tell any difference between them.
They are the same in blendability, colour density, sharpen-ability. They both give a smooth ungrained colour when blended with water. Something to think about.


For this next card I made up the quote, because really what else could it be?
Isn't he/she a brilliant little chap?
He's from the same Dovecraft set.
I used labels 1 and 8 and circles in nesties shapes all glued on a DL card blank with white PVA.
I coloured the eggs with cosmic shimmer watercolour blocks.
I used a Brilliance inkpad in Mediterranean blue.




#52 Happy Anniversary. Make something.

This is the only card I have managed to use some ribbon on. I have yet to get the hang of using ribbon on cards.
It's a Papermania sheep stamp. Stamped onto some designer papers with the head stamped again onto a purple spot paper and layer on the body with foam pads. An Inkadinkadoo Happy Birthday stamp, stamped on the same green paper as the sheep's body. Layered on to nestie cut card, all glued with white PVA to a piece of yellow card. The ribbon is stuck on with double sided tape. I put some glossy accents on his nose, the blacks of his eyes and the black of his ears and feet.




Can I just say something about Labels 10? It's one of the new Nesty releases.
It offends every single artistic sense I have.
It is ugly both set vertically and horizontally.
In fact I find it so ugly that it is FUGLY.
It is also everywhere on cards at the moment so it is obviously popular but to me it is like looking at the equivalent of a road crash on a card.


#53 Can I quote you on that?

Why, yes you can!
I think this is a quote from one of the Positively Pooh books. Although I can't quite remember.
I just love this colour scheme. Love it.
Light yellow, light grass green and cherry purple.
I have made a right hash of photographing it though. I tried all sorts of background colours and a darker green was still a poor choice.




I hand drew a flower template, which took ages to get right. I stamped one of the Julia faces from Cherry Pie stamps onto white card and used a nesty circle to cut it out. Used whispers brush pens to colour her in.
The petals are cut out from Dovecraft's Funky Vintage 6x6" paper pack.
An extraordinary collection of nice funky grunge designs and appallingly fugly '70's patterns.
I don't understand what is supposed to tie this weird collection together at all. Picky, picky today, but hey it's my blog!
I freehand edged the petals with a fine tipped felt tip in cherry purple.

I cut rough leaf shapes from an old book page, tinted them green with pale green watercolour paint, edged roughly with a green brush stroke pen. Glued onto a designer piece of paper with white PVA, Tim Coffey Daisy Pad K & Co.
I used pinking scissors to cut around the paper.
Edged using cut n dry foam, Adirondack dye ink in Wild plum to edge the pinking cut.
I used double sided tape to mount it on core'dinations vintage range of card and then onto mount board. I edged the cream mount board with a green brush pen.
I strung beads onto 20 gauge beading wire that I stuck onto the back using strong double sided tape covered over with magi tape.
I stuck the sequin ribbon on with thin strong double sided tape and used glossy accents to hold on the bling.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx