Well that's another magazine project on it's way, 2 down and 1 to go, although I do have a little time to do the next one. As I seem to be on a bit of a roll, I thought it might be time for another project. 

This is a simplified version of one of my favourite techniques, making stamped images into sketches. Really being restrained with the colouring and just adding a highlight colour as a counterpoint. Works great with simple or more complicated images. Just pick up your accent colour in the layers of your card and there you have a quick, sophisticated look with minimum effort.

Gin & Tonic Diet Sketched Card              

Timing   45 minutes

Materials List

Acid Drops & Whatnot Set AD24 Gin and Tonic Diet

Acid Drops & Whatnot Set ADFB4 Square Ornamental Frames

6” square card

 A4 white card

Black card/paper

Red paper/card

Black Memento ink pad

Letraset Pro Markers Cool Grey 1 to 4, Poppy Red & Satin

Large Post-it note

Zig Millennium pen 03

1cm wide Red Gross grain ribbon

1 x 7mm black square gem & 4 x 3mm black square gems

How to create

1.       Take the large frame stamp and stamp onto a piece of white card. Measure 3mm out from each side of the frame and lightly draw a line. Trim to this line, and rub out the pencil marks.

2.        Lay the post it note over the left hand side of the frame making sure that the post it note lines up with the inside line of the frame with no white card showing. Stamp the large lady at the bar into the frame, lining up the left hand side of the image so that it lays just over the post it note and stamp down firmly. Peel away the post it note.

3.       To get the monochrome sketched look, you are only adding shading to the white card not actually colouring. Start by using cool grey 1 and add shade to all the areas where this would occur, like sides of the body, around raised areas of the bar, under the stool, side of the hat etc. You can cover more area to provide a base for the darker shades but still leave plenty of white. Repeat this step with each successive shade, covering less of an area so that the light shades are still visible. Add a line of shadow around the inside edge of the frame and around the figure using the Satin coloured Pro marker first and then adding a narrower shadow of cool grey 1. This helps to add depth to the inside of the frame. To add interest and lift image colour the scarf and hat bow with the Poppy red Pro Marker.

4.       Stamp the first part of the ‘Gin’ quote to the right of the lady’s neck and the second part to the right of the shoe

5.       Cut a piece of white card 14 x 14cm, Layer onto the black paper and trim to leave a very narrow border. Take the piece of red gross grain ribbon and layer across the front of the card, 3.5cm from the bottom, fastening on the back. Layer this panel on to the 6” square card leaving an even border on all 4 sides. Mount the stamped panel onto black paper and trim to leave a narrow border on all 4 sides. Repeat onto the red card but leave a slightly wider border. Layer the stamped panel onto the front of your card over to the top left hand corner.

6.       Apply the large square gem to the bottom right hand corner of the white panel, 2 smaller gems above it and 2 smaller gems to the left of it.

TOP TIP     When colouring in a grey monochrome palette, don’t try and colour the skin, just add a minimum of shade, e.g. under a hat brim, or your figure will look very sickly!

The weeks seem to be flying by at the moment, our show schedule for spring/summer is well under way, with Port Sunlight ans Stamp Magic under our belt and Portsmouth,Newbury and Stevenage to go. I've also got 3 magazine project spreads that I'm working on at the moment including a Christmas one, Christmas, aaaaaaaar! Ok, deep breath, here are the last projects to accompany the free cover mount giverway.

Stepper Card                     

Timing   45 minutes

Materials List

Free Acid Drops & Whatnot Set cover mount set

1 Sheet  A4 white card

A4 pre scored scalloped 3 panel step card

AD412678 Le suh paper pack Paisley Vine

Black Memento ink pad

Black Versafine ink pad

Letraset Pro Markers

18 x 3mm self adhesive black gems

1 x 2mm self adhesive red gem

Sakura Sardust pen Dark Ruby Red

How to create

1.       Take the red/gold pearl sheet from the Le Suh paper pack and cut a piece 11cm x 9cm and 2 pieces 7cm x 5cm. Layer the large red panel onto the large centre panel of the stepper card and the 2 smaller pieces onto the adjacent side panels making sure that all the top edges line up, leaving an even border on the left, top and right hand sides.

2.       Cut a piece of White card 9.5cm x 7.5cm, stamp the lady with mirror image into the centre of the card using the black Memento ink pad and colour in with promarkers.  Stamp a further image onto a spare piece of white card and colour just the hand.

3.       Stamp an additional image onto the gold sheet from the Le Suh paper pack using the Versafine ink. Allow the ink to dry thoroughly and from the gold image, cut out the including  the fingers. Layer on to the main image. Cut out the hand and wrist from the additional white image and layer it onto the main image.

4.        Cut 3 pieces of white card 4cm x 2cm and stamp the quotes onto them.

5.       Take all the stamped panels and layer them onto the black/gold pearl sheet from the Le Suh paper pack. Trim to leave a very narrow, (1mm) border on the 3 wording panels and a narrow, (2mm) border on the image panel.

6.       Cut a 1cm strip of the red/gold paper and layer  it across  the front scalloped panel 1cm  down from the fold. Layer the image panel onto the centre panel of the card leaving an even border on all 4 sides and layer on the 2 part quote onto the side panels lining up the top edges with the centre image. Layer the greeting quote centrally over the red strip.

7.       apply 1 of the black gems to each corner of the main image, 3 under both of the quotes and 4 to each side of the red strip. Apply the red gem to the ladies ear.

8.        Fold the card at the pre scored folds. Apply glitter accents to lips and nails with sakura pen and allow to dry thoroughly to avoid smudging.

 Elegant Birthday Card                    

Timing  30 minutes

Materials List

Free Acid Drops & Whatnot Set cover mount set

Left over 12" x 12" coordinating light weight printed paper.

2 Sheets A4 white card

Silver Mirri Card

Tuxedo Black Memento ink pad

Letraset Pro Markers

Sakura Sardust pen Silver Star

Lilac 1cm wide ribbon

Manual die cutting machine

How to create

1.       Cut a piece of white card 25cm x 18cm, score and fold in half to make a 12.5cm x 18cm card. Cut a piece of silver mirri card 12cm x 17.5cm and a piece of the remaining coordinating paper 11.5cm x 17cm.

2.       Layer the coordinating light weight paper onto the silver mirri card leaving an even border on all 4 side and repeat layering down onto the folded white card.

3.       Cut a piece of the silver mirri card 10cm x 10cm and emboss it using the free embossing folder. Cut a piece of the white card 7.5cm x 7.5cm and stamp the lady in the hat image onto it using the Tuxedo black Memento ink. Colour with Pro markers.

4.       Layer the stamped image into the middle of the embossed silver mirri card frame and then layer onto the card leaving an equal distance from the top, left and right hand edges.

5.       Cut a piece of white card 3.5cm x 5cm and stamp the quote onto it and layer onto silver Mirri card. Trim to leave a narrow even border on all 4 sides. Layer onto the front of the card about 1cm up from the bottom.

6.       Tie a bow with the lilac ribbon and notch the ends, affix onto card between the 2 stamped panels.  Using the stardust pen add a glittering highlight to the necklace and the bow on the hat.