Lemonade and Tequila

Hey Friends!  It's EK and I am playing around with a fun new blend of Sparkle Blends from Doodle's Paper Playground. I just love the bold bright colors of the Lemonade Blend, and how perfectly it pairs with distress oxides.

I created this card by smooching four different colors of Distress Oxide onto some watercolor paper. I used Fossilized Amber, Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed and Scattered Straw. I also sprayed and splattered the paper with Fossilized Amber Distress Oxide Spray.

The die cut that created the shaker hole was from Ellen Essentials. The fun tequila sentiment was from Rubber Cottage. The beautiful lemon half was from Penny Black and stamped in Scrapberry Brown Stains Ink.

I seriously love how the Lemonade Blend looks atop this bold yellow ink. Let us know in the comments below what you think. Until then, happy crafting.

Neapolitan Delight

Hey Friends it's EK.  I am back with another shaker card featuring a bit of a treat with the new Neapolitan Shaker Blends from Doodles Paper Playground.

I started by stamping out a retired treat stamp set from Elizabeth Craft Designs onto some watercolor paper, masking where I needed to so I could layer the stamps.

Using my Polychromos colored pencils, I colored in the images, sticking to a Neapolitan coloring theme.

Using my Dylusions 'ruler' I created a window on the image to make my shaker.

Using my craft knife, I cut out the window, cutting along the edges of the images.

I then created the shaker element and filled it with the Neapolitan Shaker Blends.

I added a sentiment to the card and stamped out a few more ribbons around the edges to break up all the white.

I just love how this sweet treat turned out. It is so feminine and delicate.

Make sure you pop over to Doodles Paper Playground and check out the full new release. Let me know in the comments below which of the newest blends is your favorite.

Oh, and if you want to save 10% on your order feel free to use the code EKGORMAN10. 

Pretty Dragon Fire

Hey friends, it's EK.  So I've pulled out my blend EK's Dragon Fire from Doodles Paper Playground and played with it today. I have heard grumblings that this mix is just a little too dark and grungy, and I wanted to show that I could brighten it up and make it feel more main stream.

I started by stamping a Stamplorations floral image onto some watercolor paper with waterproof ink.

Using a combination of both black and red watercolor pencils I filled in the flowers, to help pull the colors in the Dragon Fire blend. Then using a water brush I blended out the colors.

Using a combination of both olive and a brighter pale green, I filled in the leaves trying to brighten the image up. For the little floral buds I used a dark red violet pencil to punch up the red tones a bit.

Using an xato knife, I hand cut the shaker window.

I built up the shaker element and filled the window with EK's Dragon Fire.

I adhere the shaker window to an A2 card frame, leaving the background white, hoping to keep the image light.

The flowers looked a little drab, so I punched up their color, still using just the red and black watercolor pencils. I also added a heavy shadow around the bottom of the florals.

Finally, I added a few extra sequins in the empty space to help the card feel fully fleshed out.

What do you think? Does EK's Dragon Fire Sparkle Blend still look dark and grungy? Can you see how bold this mix can be? Let me know in the comments below. Until then, happy crafting.

Hot Cocoa

Hey Friends! It's EK and today I am playing around with a coffee themed project using Doodles Paper Playground's Hot Cocoa Sparkle Blend Mix.

While DPP is not sponsoring the Coffee Lover's Hop this year, they have certainly sponsored it in the past, so I thought it would be fun to create a card using one of their newest hot drink mixes. And yes I know this blend was meant for 'hot cocoa' but I thought it went perfectly with my coffee themed card.

I started this shaker by blending three shades of brown over some watercolor paper. I used Distress Oxides in Antique Linen, Vintage Photo and Ground Espresso.

I then both sprayed and splattered the watercolor paper with Distress Oxide Spray in Vintage Photo.

Using coordinating dies, I die cut the watercolor paper into a clean rectangle and three circles in a diagonal across the paper. I saved the three cut outs and adhered them to the A2 card frame.

I built up the shaker element inside the card, and filled the three openings with the Hot Cocoa Sparkle Blend Mix.

I added an extra layer of acetate over the filled holes so I could easily place the shaker element over my card frame.

Onto some alcohol ink friendly cardstock, I stamped two coffee images from Gina K Designs and colored them with my copics, keeping the colors in a neutral brown color. I then fussy cut out the images.

I adhered the coffee cups onto the card frame, letting them over lap a little.

Using a sentiment from the same stamp set, I added a fun 'coffee' themed sentiment in Ground Espresso Distress Oxide.

Finally, I hand adhered a few more sequins onto the card frame front just to add a little more bling.

Let me know in the comments below what drink themed project you would make with this blend? Until then, happy crafting.

Budding Leaves

So I know I am not 'suppose' to have favorites, but I do. I know I am not 'suppose' to use old stamps and instead invest in new, but I don't. I know I am not suppose to reuse a stamp set for another project, but I do. And this is one of those stamp sets. I used it any time I need a think of you or sympathy card. And frankly it has become one of my favorite stamps when I want to show off a gorgeous blend of sequins from Doodle's Paper Playground.

I used this stamp set last June with a now retired blend to create a sympathy card, and today I am back to create with the same stamp to herald spring with a new blend.

I started out by stamping the basically retired Altenew Birch Land stamp set onto some watercolor paper in Onxy Black Versafine ink.

Then I stamped the 'leaf' stamps from the set in New Sprout Memento ink.

I finished the card by stamping the bird's house and birds.

Using my distress inks, I watercolored the image, keeping the colors muted.

I had adhered the sequins onto the branches, using a mix of the large and small sequins from Fawn's Budding Leaves Sparkle Blends mix. I love how this blend really looks like budding leaves against the tree.

I finished the card by adding a sentiment to the open space.

Let me know in the comments below, what stamp set, or even sparkle blends you use time and time again. Until then, happy crafting.

From Paris With Love

Everyone once in a while I come across something that just makes me want to create. The new line of Sparkle Blends from Doodles Paper Playground released last month is one of those things. Each design team member created a unique limited edition blend of sequins. The whole line is just the kind of things that make you want to create. Today I have pulled out Roni's From Paris With Love blend and created something that I wanted to feel vintage.

I started with two stamped images from a Gina K stamp set. I pulled out my tombow markers and started coloring them in.

After coloring in the images, I die cut them out with coordinating dies.

I created the shaker pocked creating a background Spectrum Noir Sparkle pens and filled the shaker with the Roni's From Paris With Love blend. Finally I adhered the images onto the card frame and stamped a sentiment.

What do you think, was I able to create that vintage Parisian look? Let me know in the comments below. Until then, happy crafting.

And don't forget to pick up your Design Team Collection blends before they are gone. Several of the design team's blends are already sold out.

Oh, and if you want to save 10% on your order feel free to use the code EKGORMAN10. 

Mardi Gras Princess

Hey Friends, it's EK.  So I know Mardi Gras was Tuesday, making me two days late, but I don't care, because any day is perfect for a boldly colored princess card. In all seriousness, the new sparkle blend Judy's Royal Shine from Doodle's Paper Playground was just meant to be blended with Mardi Gras colors.

I started by die cutting a piece of Green Metallic Foil cardstock with the Princess die set from Elizabeth Craft designs.

I added a sheet of acetate to the back of the foil cardstock and added the die cut outs of the 'princess' back into the 'e' and two 's's. I also added the gold crown using gold washi tape sheets.

I added foam tape to the back of the cardstock, using creative pieces to help keep sequins in certain areas.

I then filled the inside of the cardstock with Judy's Royal Shine sparkle blend. To help simply the flip of this large piece, I added a second sheet of acetate to help secure the blend.

On the card frame I added two strips of purple metallic foil cardstock and a blue metallic foil crown die cut. Then I adhered the shaker pouch over the card frame.

I finished the card by adding a few more sequins over the card frame plus the die cut metallic starts.

I love the look of the blend peaking through the die cuts.

I am sure this color palette was never how this blend was intended, but I just love how this one came out!

Let me know in the comments below what you think of the color palette. Until then, happy crafting.

Oh, and if you want to save 10% on your order feel free to use the code EKGORMAN10.