AAA Cards DT: 1/9th ± gnomes #225

A tough challenge this week at AAA Cards blog – 1/9th. The idea is that all the elements on the card fit into a rectangle only 1/9th of the card area. Up to now, I’ve met the challenge following the guide image on the blog, which is in a grid pattern. This time, I’ve used a rectangle across the page in a landscape format 1/9th the height of the card. Within it, I have drawn and coloured my gnomes along with trees – all of which together look suspiciously like a Christmas card. Given at the time of making and writing the temperature here in Leicester is a roasting 39ºC, it was the furthest thing from my mind!

gnomes in a row Continue reading

LIM DT: Silhouette

This week’s theme at Less is More clean and simple challenge blog is ‘silhouette’. I considered a traditional take on the profile of a person but wasn’t particularly excited by that. Then I worked through all my stamps and came across a silhouette dragon, various cogs, flowers, and flourishes. One of the other design team members had used a floral theme, so that was out. Finally, I came across my well-used, but long-neglected, Stampscapes stamps from way back in the 1990s and decided they were perfect for the challenge:

silhouette lake and boatman Continue reading

ProMarker Challenge: Retirement card

Over at ‘Passion for ProMarkers’ this week, the challenge is to create something ‘for grandparents or older people’. I don’t have any witty sayings or almost-insulting pictures to colour in, so I went for the traditional retirement card for gardeners. So here’s my challenge entry, coloured with ProMarkers:

I’ve left it as a topper for now, until such time as I find someone to send it to! I’ve used my aged stash of Art Impression stamps for the images. I stamped either with ProMarkers for direct colour (be quick else the ink dries) or inking with Memento Tuxedo Black and colouring in if there were outlines required. Extra lines (fence and watering can handle) and the text are drawn with permanent pigment pens (either Sakura or Unipin). Much of the colouring is tone-on-tone with the same colour ink layered to give texture and shading.