I won! I won!

German Phrase of the Day: Ich gewann! = I won! Gewann would be pronounced geh vahn. I'm so excited...I won another GinaK designs sketch challenge!! I was so surprised to have a pm from Erika Martin this morning at SCS when I woke up. I really didn't think I would win this time since I had so much trouble designing this card! Much more so than I usually do!! I cut out three different sets of paper before settling on the final card! WOW! Now I get to go shopping!! :-) Oh..and it was the second card with the stars that won.

I thought I would show you another GinaK card today...and I'm going to show you the before and after. This is one I submitted in my attempt at a position as one of Gina's guest designers back in December - using the set I won in the LAST launch party sketch challenge!! The first photo shows the original card. I spent a lot of time getting the colors right on the jeans, the shape of the pocket, and then coloring the phone, applying crystal effects to the screen and gray buttons, etc. I was happy with the quality of the work...but knew it was just so plain. I wanted to add something that wouldn't detract from the main image - and I liked the cuteness of having the phone in a back pocket. Then, early one morning while laying in bed I thought...rhinestones! Like the cute jeans everyone over here wears (and over there too) with the rhinestones on the pockets.

I also wanted to incorporate some ribbon somehow. There was TOO much blue for my taste, and it needed to be livened up some. I looked at different ways to add ribbon, making a Levi tag, a bow, something. Finally, I realized, a BELT! So with those two changes, the card became this! Suddenly, the card had come to life for me. It had more color, and much more pizazz! I loved it! What a fabulous Valentine's day card...especially for a tween!

Now for more details. I started with some Soft Sky, inked up my linen background stamp with Blue Bayou, then stamped off once before stamping on the cardstock. I did this to 2 quarter sheets so I could also make my pocket. Next, I sponged some white craft ink on the cardstock to fade the denim a little more. Once I was satisfied with that, I paper pierced the pocket and did the faux stitching with a More than Mustard marker. To attach the pocket, I used sticky strip along the sides and bottom, but I also put some dimensionals in, because I wanted to to stand up a little away from the card. When I added the belt loops later, I followed the same procedure for stamping and stitching. I just folded in the top and bottom edges and adhere the folded in part....just like on real jeans!

For the phone, I stamped it with Black Stazon on Stamper's Select white cardstock. Then, I watercolored it with Groovy Guava ink and my aquapainter. I made the number buttons a little darker, and tried to give them a little dimension with shading. For the screen and the gray buttons, I added some crystal effects to make them shiny. Then, I stamped the small flower from the Text Messages set with Purely Pomegranate and applied a rhinestone to the center after cutting it out. I attached a loop of silver cord to the back (since I don't have any wire over here, and no jump rings) then slipped it over the phone's antenna. It's not adhered at all...but easily could be with a dimensional or mini glue dot. I just like having it free to swing around - a little bling for my "handy." (That's what they call cell phones over here...funny, huh?)

For the belt, I used some Ribbon Originals ribbon, and the rhinestones are more of my wonderful self-adhesive rhinestones I buy over here at Pipoos. Think I'll have to stock up on those before I leave Europe...they are FUN!

It's amazing to me how little it takes to spruce up a plain Jane card. I am very pleased with the final product, and I hope you've enjoyed reading my thought process behind the whole thing.

Supplies: (all supplies are SU! unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Text Messages by GinaK Designs
CS: Soft Sky, Blue Bayou, Stamper's Select White from PTI
Ink: Jet Black Stazon, Blue Bayou, Soft Sky, White Craft, more mustard marker, purely pomegranate
Acc: sponge, aquapainter, dimensionals, crafter's toolkit, ribbon originals, crystal effects, sticky strip, rhinestones from pipoos

TFL