Monday, May 5, 2014

Time in a Bottle




Today I'd like to share another digi image exclusive to Sparkle N Sprinkle called Time in a Bottle and another tutorial using a variation on the Dryer Sheet technique.

I started off by printing the image twice (once in the complete version and once cropped, just showing the boy) as I knew I wanted to add dimension to the final project by fussy cutting the boy out.  As you can see from the photo, I sometimes practice my coloring/color combos on the portion that will be eventually hidden or not used at all.  The boy on the right doesn't have any shading or depth; he looks flat.  The boy on the left has been colored the way I want him to end up and I've already added Glossy Accents to the bottle before I fussy cut the image.  I practiced the colors of the water on the one on the left before doing a final version on the right.

Once the image was colored to my satisfaction, I began the Dryer Sheet technique process like you normally would.  I covered the image with a Super Adhesive Sheet and stretched a used dryer sheet on top of the adhesive.

Next comes the Cloud Nine Velvet glitter poured over the entire area.  This is where I deviated just a bit.  Instead of lightly rubbing the glitter into the dryer sheet, I burnished it pretty hard with my fingertip and then placed the excess glitter back in its bottle.  Then I kept rubbing the image with my finger to remove the excess dryer sheet.  It really didn't take long and was pretty easy to do.

The results are completely different than the traditional dryer sheet results in that you don't have the fuzzy material left behind.  (Click here to see my tutorial using the traditional version of the technique.)  What's left is lots of sparkle, but the glitter is more spaced out over the image (like a sun-kissed beach).  The dryer sheet has holes in the weave that the glitter penetrates and sticks to the adhesive below.

(without the addition of the fussy cut piece)
(with the fussy cut image)

Now I know what you're thinking, why do this extra step with the dryer sheet?  Well, if you just covered the image with a Super Adhesive Sheet and then covered it with glitter, the glitter would be much denser (like this image) and you wouldn't see as much detail.  It's like using a soft blur when editing a photo.
With this variation, I still get the sparkle, but not the soft blurring of the image.

To finish the card, I printed the sentiment on vellum and heat set it with Clear embossing powder.  The "sun" behind the focal point is the Lotus Pendant (from Spellbinders) and it was die cut from Sticker paper and covered with Tequila Sunrise embossing powder, and heat set.

The Distress Embossing technique was used around the edges of the card base, along with Mediterranean Star embossing powder.  A couple shells from Mudd Puddles completes the card.





17 comments:

rachel said...

this is very clever Anne - a great technique that will really have to be tried! Fabulous! Hugs rachel xx

Lisa said...

This is absolutely gorgeous, Anne!! The technique you used looks amazing!! I love the beautiful sparkle!! Have a great day :)

Lisa
A Mermaid's Crafts

Dawn said...

Great card & a super technique Anne! I do love that image!
Hugs
Dawn xx

Gerlinde said...

Love this, Anne! Will have to try that technique. It's gorgeous.

Linda Simpson said...

This is fabulous and such a clever technique too!
Hugs
Linda xxx

McCrafty's Cards said...

Gorgeous card Anne, I like the adorable image.
Kevin xx

Mayras Designs said...

What a wonderful card !!! I love the image , and sparkle !!!
Hugs,
Mayra
Mayrasdesigns.blogspot.com

jimlynn said...

Sensational!!! Love the way you used that technique and also love the dimension on this. Beautiful!
Lynn

Tammy said...

Gorgeous card and wonderful layout! The die cut you used for the sun is very clever!

Brenda said...

What a sweet card and just perfect for the dryer sheet technique! Awesome!

NanaConnie said...

Fantastic, Anne! I love the dimension you got with the fussy cut image. Love the glitter and really appreciate the instructions for getting the sparkle without the softening of the dryer sheet. I'm definitely going to try that. :-D

Eret said...

Fantastic technique, Anne. Thank you for sharing. The glitter looks so nice on the card this way. Your coloring is beautiful on this wonderful card.
Hugs,
Eret

Donna Ellis said...

Hi, Anne - thank you for such a fabulous step-by-step progression with before-and-after photos. I've linked your personal blog post with the technique post shown in the T&T page. Such great colors and wonderful shading, in addition to pretty card design! hugs, de

April said...

So cute! I love the layout and the technique!Great job.

Shirley said...

Anne, it is gorgeous and I saved for the technique! How pretty your water and sand are and, of course, he is just adorable too!

nwilliams6 said...

What a fun technique - I need to get the stuff to do this because the result is magical. What a sweet image too! Fun and very pretty card. Hugz!

Shelly Schmidt said...

Oh my stars- this is absolutely fabulous!!! The coloring is just gorgeous- love the dryer sheet technique and the fab glitter- and LOVE the sweet image too! WOW!