Monday 24 September 2012

Joanna Sheen Design Team Call.

Hi Folks!

Hope you're all ok?  I've been so busy this week...mainly playing around with the new Craft Artist 2 Professional.  Have to confess to hating the original but loving this one!  So, that's why I've been quiet, lol.

Anyway, today I have some very exciting news.  As most of you know, the wonderful Joanna Sheen (the lady with the meeces!) had a Design Team call a few weeks ago.  I entered and, amazingly, was chosen to be amongst the top 12 finalists!  Now, there are 3 available spaces on the team so the 12 of us were sent some elements to use to make a card with.  I don't know yet whether we were all sent the same or not, but I was sent 3 papers and a decoupage sheet from Joanna Sheen's From the Heart of the Garden CD.

I came up with two cards and I'm going to add them both to this post, but I sent in the first one as my entry.  It's an open book card which look beautiful made up but they don't photograph particularly well because of the curved pages.  I think this one's turned out ok, though:





(UPDATE:  I have added some more photos of the card at different angles to try to demonstrate the amount of layers (8 in total) to this card.  Unfortunately, it's one of those cards which look better when you have it in your hands than in a photo).

I did all the design work using CA2 which meant it was easy to do some faux matting around the edge of the open pages.  There are a lot of layers on this card already, so real matting would have turned it into a real book, lol.  So I've just colour picked from one of the papers and used that colour as the edging.  There are four layers of pages, though, each with the faux matting edges.  Then the topper layer (with faux matting) and then the decoupage layers. 

I printed out onto canvas paper which gives a really luxurious feel and look and makes the colours pop out more.

This card was entirely cut out by hand as it's such a lovely shape to cut out and the decoupage was so well designed that it was a dream to cut out just using scissors.

It's all layered together using Collal all purpose glue and pinflair gel, which gives you the time you need to be able to slide things about to position them correctly.

Once the base was made and the decoupage completed it was on with the embellishments, which was easy in this case as I'd already decided what to use on the other card.  I decided that the artwork was so beautiful that it called for the less is more look so the embellies didn't detract from it. 

I know that a lot of gardeners (especially men) wear really old clothes when they're doing some serious gardening, and their trousers are often tied up with gardening twine.  And now you know why...I've pinched their buttons!!!!  Lol.  So you'll find buttons on both my cards and faux raffia!  I made this by colouring a piece of Supersmooth paper with a promarker and then slicing it up with my guillotine.  I just used one of the pieces to tie the bundle together and then glued it in place.

So that open book card is my entry for the finals of the DT call and will be appearing at any minute over at http://joannasheenchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/

All the cards by the 12 finalists will be displayed on the blog for a week and all the comments made will (hopefully) help Joanna, Paula and the rest of the team reach their decision on who the lucky three will be!  So please head over there, have a good look at the cards and have your say on the cards and what you like about them, etc.

The very best of luck to all the other finalists!

Now onto the second card I made:


I think this card speaks for itself in how it was made.  Again, I have used canvas paper to print onto.  It's really lovely to decoupage using that stuff as it's softer and curves so nicely.

It's just basic matting and layering.  I've pinched another couple of buttons from some gardeners' trousers and also made some more faux raffia.  The Herbs embellishment is from the same CD as the other elements.  The inside is decorated to match.  

I really enjoyed the challenge of making these cards.  They're not elements I would usually have chosen for myself so it was a lot of fun doing what I could with them, and I'm pretty proud of the results.  Not sure if they're good enough to win me a place on the DT this time, but I've had a lot of fun rising to the challenge and may the best crafters win!

Don't forget to head over to Joanna Sheen's Challenge blog to have a look at the entries and please contribute to the comments to help the girls decide who to choose.

Take care everyone.
Happy crafting!
xx

17 comments:

  1. Who's a clever girl!!! These are fab and you deserve a place on the DT xxxxx

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  2. beautiful cards lexie, good luck with dt place. be carefull with that 'needs' list, its never gets any shorter! lol

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  3. Both are really beautiful cards Lexie! I love the open book style - so clever! Good luck with the DT position, and thanks for visiting my blog! Hugs, Jayne xx

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  4. Well done Lexie both cards are stunning. Got my fingers crossed for you as you deserve to have a DT spot.

    Carrie xx

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  5. Great cards Lexie, Thanks for the lovely comments on my blog, Good luck to you too, Lou x

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  6. Fabulous cards, Lexie. Congratulations on making the final three for Joanna's DT...I'm loving your entry and keeping my fingers crossed for you.
    Crafty hugs, Sheenagh x

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    1. Thanks Sheenagh! Everyone's support means so much to me. It's a tough one as all the other cards are so brilliant.

      I've not made it to the last 3, though...it's the last 12 and they have 3 DT places. Fingers are crossed but there's always next time if not this one.

      Hope you're well?
      xx

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  7. Well done Lexie, fab cards. Good luck with the DT position

    Helen xxx

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  8. Well done Lexie, both cards are lovely hard to choose. Fingers crossed with the DT position

    Helen xxx

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  9. wow always wanted to know how to make one of these and love how you incorporated all those required elements such a gorgeous creation and good luck
    Hugs Kate xx

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  10. Gorgeous cards Lexie! I wish you all the very best and will be keeping my fingers crossed that you are chosen.

    Big Hugs to you both
    Linda xxx

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  11. Truly amazing work Lexie. You deserve that place on the team. Fingers and toes crossed for you. Linda x

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  12. Good luck Lexie - both cards are fab but I think the book works really well for the elements you were given to use... oh yes.... great idea for the 'raffia'!

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  13. Both cards are lovely Lexie. Good luck with the DT position

    Andrea xx

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  14. Lexie, I can't believe that your matting is faux, it looks so real! Both cards are fab, lots of luck.
    Natx

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  15. both gorgeous creations Lexie and love the 'book' card, looks fantastic! best of luck,
    Kim x

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  16. Lovely cards Lexie good luck hope you get it xxxPauline

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