Saturday, February 20, 2010

Caardvarks (mojolicious) SRM Stickers Challenge!



It is completely unnatural how much I love these SRM sticker sentiments...

Caardvarks SRM Stickers & Hero Arts birds mel stampz

...I'm sure you're hearing this all over the place, but seriously people!...they're fabulous. I just can't tell you how happy I am that I can take a break from stampin' those stinkin' sentiments! LOL. (I'm really bad at that.) ;o) I love the quality madly & I was quite surprised at how they give can give ideas for cards that can take you out of a wee mojo rut.



1... Caardvarks Challenge!
2...SMR stickers (enabler alert)
3...images used here (Hero Arts Digi & my birdies)
4...freebie: birdies digital image or for use as a photoshop brush
5...Fred She Said flowers (a brief how-to)
6...Altered MFT digi paper (how-to)


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The fab sponsor of this Caardvarks
challenge is SRM stickers...

Click to visit the yummy store

Caardvarks SRM Stickers & Hero Arts SHINE mel stampz

This sentiment "It's Your Day to Shine" is a sticker is from the SRM sticker set "Thinking of You" #51006. I've coloured it with Copic Markers (that works so well with these! I've also shaded underneath it with Copics & stitched with a row of blue-green beads under the sticker.

(I quite like this saying, because like so many of the SRM ones, it let's you cheat & use this as a wedding card, graduation, birthday, whatever shiny day the recipient has. LOL.

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The images are all digital...

Caardvarks SRM Stickers & Hero Arts birds FSS flowers mel stampz

A...the bird cages (one image from Hero Arts Your bird can sing (digital kit)-$2.00, man! I pasted 3 times: I used the plain bird cage from the set as a Photoshop brush & made three cages (one dark in the foreground & two in a small & medium size (and in light colours) in the background behind the dark cage in the foreground.

There's a sweet solid black bird that comes in one of the Hero Arts cage images, but I wanted the birdies to have some colour (and fly free of their cages to suit the sticker sentiment) so I used these,with the plain cage, instead:



B... the birds I doodled, scanned, & used as a photoshop brush--(Birdies are linked below here as a freebie, if you think you might like to use 'em.) I re-angled them... (You can see the originals in this older Caardvarks post) ...and turned them into Photoshop brushes. It's SO handy to learn how to use PS brushes since it means your images can be used at different sizes & paler or darker and in all colours...quickly too.

I printed the altered image & chalked it, then coloured the birds with Copic markers & Prismacolour Pencils. After colouring, I used a Quickie glue pen to add glitter to them.

PHOTOSHOP LINKS: (There's a great tutorial for how to make PS brushes here by Dani & I have a post here if you want ideas for Photoshop brushes & homemade digital paper etc.)
After pasting the birds over the cages, I erased the sections where the bird cage showed through. Suzanne shows you how to erase properly in PS in her amazing tutorial on how to alter digital images here. (I learned a great deal that I can't wait to practice. Thanks Suzanne!)

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(birds for use a digital image/Photoshop brush)

Click the photos to go download the PNGs
(OR if you'd like other formats, please just let me know in the comment
section & I'll add them for you.) :o)


download #1 Birdy PNG



download #2 Birdy PNG



Download #3 Birdy PNG


(Personal use only please & if you use them please link back here,
so I can see your creations. Thanks!) :o)


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how-to

Caardvarks SRM Stickers & Hero Arts cages & my freebie birds mel stampz - Copy

The flowers are made by using Fred She Said's digital set Smelling Cherry Blossoms..

1) Paste many FSS flowers on a page & Print it out on 100# cardstock
2) Glue book paper on the back of that page (I used mod podge)
3) Paint the book paper thinly with white acrylic paint (no water)
4) Punching the round bits at the end of each cherry petal with small hole punches
5) Cut the flower out & shape it on a fun foam mat/mouse pad with a stylus
6) Stitch them on with beads & black thread
7) Make leaves from the scraps (Copics coloured & scored for veining)

They end up looking like old beat-up wallpaper. (Wait, is that a good thing?) ;o)


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how-to

The dotted paper (top of the card) is digital paper. I find making DIY paper is saving me money--saving me from being broke and from being bored by the same old papers, LOL. It's made by:

1...Opening MFT's Digital Paper Simply Spring Collection: Dots Gray Dots in Photoshop
2...Adding a fairly translucent layer of text (a photoshop brush of a scanned book)
3...Recolouring it (to have more yellow & green)
4...Printing on a light taupe cardstock (neenah classic crest 120# sawgrass/natural white)

The scallop-edged paper (bottom of the card) is store-bought & is from Creative Imaginations (it's Narratives #21891 Journal)

and there ya have it...

Click-able Blogger photos







Thanks for taking time to visit!


21 comments:

Valarie (vampme3) said...

OMG!!! Mel, this is soooooo fabulous!!! My husband is about ready to gag me because I keep oooooing and ahhhhing about this beautiful creation, and all the work you've put into it! He's trying to read news online, and I keep making him look at it! LOL You never cease to amaze me with your talent! Thanks for the cute little birdies, too! Big Hugs, Val

Dawn said...

another fabo job!! love your "doodled" birds...sheesh! and love doing brushes in PS... you're soooo schmart! you should be charging!!!

Anonymous said...

Lovely card Mel! You think of so many details that never occur to me! Sometime would you let us know how many hours it takes you to create one of your cards? mary

Shirley N said...

This is just beautiful Mel! Thanks for your beautiful birdies too!

Baukje said...

Mel, you continue to amaze me with the amount of work and thought you put into your beautiful creations.This one is fantabulous........thank you for the birdies.........hugs.........Baukje

Samara said...

LOVE this so much!!!! And I'm still cracking up over your comment about the SMR stickers!!! Heehee!!

CBH said...

Thank you so much for this Freebie. I want to let you know that I posted a link to your blog in Creative Busy Hands Cricut Freebies Search List, under the Cat(s)/Dog(s)/Bear/Bird/Butterfly/Any other Animal Theme post on Feb. 20, 2010. Thanks again.

* Lee said...

VERY Beautiful! Thank you. :)

Starla said...

your creations are so wonderful and I thought of you for this award (which I think you deserve more). At my blog at - http://refashionedthreads.blogspot.com/2010/02/happy-101.html

Anonymous said...

Thank you for freebies. Link on your post was added to Lori's freebie list

Gabriele said...

Hi Mel,
again one of your GREAT projects! I enjoy visiting your blog each time... Thank you so much for sharing and: thanks a ton for the birds' freebies! Btw: I am really happy that these are png files as imho this is the format which can be re-sized in any way you want to.

Wishing you a great Sunday!
Gabriele

Catherine Couch Doucette said...

Mel, I just had to pop over and tell you how very much I loved your cards for Caardvarks this week! Amazing :0)

Debra said...

Hi, thanks for the tip on SRM stickers! I suck at stamping with ink and love digi images. Now I have a place to get the sentiments! Thanks again

Terry said...

Okay, okay....now you have me hooked on SMR Stickers!!! Jeeesh Girl.
Thank you so much for the forgeous birds - you are too generous Mel as well as being too talented - ;o)

Elena said...

Wow! This look so amazing! Look at these flowers, birds, so many beautiful details! And I love everything about it!

Mary Rose Gurica said...

hi Mel reminds me of my budgies from the past,love Lady

Anonymous said...

HOLEY CATFISH BATMAN...Mel you are always doing amazing stuff! WOW- this is stunning! I have never heard of these stickers. Off to check them out! You are amazing :)

Kim Etherington said...

Love the detailed edges at the bottom of the card and the flowers are very pretty!

Crafty Carrie said...

I just downloaded your birdies and I am anxious to try you inkjet embossing tech, I am new to this and it sounds fun thanks so much

Anonymous said...

Absolutely beautiful!!!!

Ann said...

Great job love your thriftyness, I can make these no probs love the effect of the flowers and the sentiments of the card. TFS and creating x x x Ann