Bird and Butterfly Cards by Melissa and a Layout by Guest Designer Rashida

We have two designers up on the blog today.  First up is Melissa with two beautiful botanical styled cards to share.  Also on the blog today, we are happy to welcome back Rashida as a guest designer!

Hi everyone!  Melissa here with two cards using Gina's Lasercut Chipboard. I love these very elegant flourishes.  I used them as tree branches in my design.

I began by painting the flourishes with a coat of gesso.  I then mixed green and brown watercolors, and dabbed on a little green chalk ink to paint them.  I used a small paintbrush and water to take off a little paint from the centers.  I put a bit of white paint on and them and  blended it with the edges of the green.

On the chipboard birds, I also began with a coat of gesso.   I used birds from the Graphic 45 Botanical Tea papers as my color inspiration for the chipboard birds. I penciled in some lines to separate top from bottom, then I put a little of pink and  brown on the the top. On the bottom  I used a little blue, and a little green.

On the heart I used gesso followed by pearl Viva Decor paste.

Gina's Designs chipboard used:

Fantasy Frames & Flourishes

Birdwatching Shape Set

Hearts Background

Other products used:

Prima Fairy Belle paper

Tiny pieces of Prima Nature Girl and Botanical Tea papers

Dried moss, and lichens from my yard

Vintaj butterfly and bead caps

Prima flowers

Tim Holtz Big Shot
Sizzix-Tim Holtz-Alterations Collection-Sizzlets Decorative Strip Die-Tattered Flower Garland

Sparkling H20s

Winton and Lewis watercolors

Tsuineko chalk ink
Jolee's bling

Next up is Rashida with a layout featuring our Masquerade Masks in two different styles.

Hi Rashida here today! It's carnival time again in Washington, DC., and as a reminder of my Trinidadian heritage I made this wall hanging layout that I call "The Mask".

All of the Caribbean islanders in the area come together and unite as one. Participants and visitors can enjoy dancing, celebrations, good food and fun. One thing that always captivates me is the bright display of  colors  that are seen so frequently in the islands.

For this wall hanging I decided to use black for my mask base, because black represents unity and strength. Once I colored my mask with a black Sharpie paint marker, I highlighted the black mask with lime green and  silver stickles to give it a little pop and sparkle.

Finally, for the background, I added memento ink in lime green and gray to white textured cardstock. Once everything was dry I layered the mask on the page with pop dots and added a few flowers from my stash. For a finishing touch I added Dazzles silver strips and a few Jolees.

Supplies from Gina's Designs:

Masks Shape Set

Peacock Feathers Shape Set

Dreamcatcher

Other supplies

Jolees

Dazzles silver strips

Sharpie Paint Marker

Stash Flowers

Lime green Stickles

Silver Stickles

Momento Ink

Card Stock
Pop Dots