Circus Girl

I have seen these "pin up" girl images around on different blogs and projects, but didn't know where I could get a hold of them and, to be honest, not too sure what I would do if I had them to use. Then one day, I came across Paper Imagery Designs http://www.paperimagerydesigns.com/ and, HELLO, I found many wonderful pictures to choose from. So I got this delightful collection http://www.paperimagerydesigns.com/item/Pin-Up-ATCs-760-628. My package came with all of our mail that was collecting at the post office since we were on vacation (see below posting).

I was settling down with the family to watch a movie with inks in hand and trying to decide what to make when the mail just came walking in and with it was my package from Paper Imagery Designs. The pictures are bright, colorful and beautiful. I set out to cut one of the pictures out so I could make a card.

So I attached it to another paper and contemplated what to do next. And then it came to me. Something that I did a week or so ago. I mixed drops from Re-inker bottle of Tattered Rose Distress Ink with my new favorite from Ranger Ink, Acrylic Metallic Pearl Dabber Paint, and painted it across the background paper and image. I guess I was tired that night because I couldn't think what more I wanted to do with it plus it needed to dry so I put it down and picked it up the next day. From there I wanted to play with some more of my Distressed Inks and the metallic dabber so I made a couple of background cards with these products.

I then decided that the corners needed a little something so I pulled out my scallop corner punch from Creative Memories and punched away. The picture is quite beautiful on its own but I just wanted to add a dab of something so I added Crystal Stickles to her crown and Cotton Candy Stickles to her outfit. Now she sparkled too! I then remembered the beads that I had gotten awhile ago. They are pretty pinks and purples and wasn't sure at the time how I would use them but since these are colors that I tend to move towards, I knew they would be used, eventually. I tend to hold on to my things but really wanted to dress this up. So then I decided as I looked at it that it would make a great gift tag or small bookmarker. I then added thread from the Bastille company. I still wanted to add some more beads and then remembered my collection of beads that I rarely use and went to work stringing beads.

Hm, now for the next part. As I mentioned above, the night before I was playing with some Distressed Inks and the dabber. I had this pretty pink/peachy looking background which I thought would be perfect with the tag so I put the tag in the middle of it and was trying to figure out what to do next. I then noticed the small butterflies and it came to me to add butterflies from the Stampin' Up die cut that I got a few months ago. I took some other paper that had already been played with and rolled it through the Cuttlebug and punched out the butterflies. I also wanted to this to be versatile. You can either keep the tag with the rest of the card or pull it out so I made a pocket for the tag. I stained a smaller strip of paper, scored it a few times, stamped with a butterfly image and attached it. I wanted a pop of color so I took a blue shimmer paper and ran that with the butterfly die cut through the Cuttlebug. I liked it but it just seemed too much of a contrast with my pink/peach color card. I then decided to paint another card with pink and metallic pearl and once it was dried, I ran that through the Cuttlebug. I added a little Fruit Punch Stickles to highlight the butterfly. I placed this on top of the blue butterfly so that a little of the blue could be seen. It is like two butterflies in flight together.

Now for the final layer which is the actual card itself. Once again I added Spun Sugar Pink and Wild Honey around the edges. I wanted to give it a touch of Distressed Stickles and chose Tattered Rose because it gives it the slightest touch of pink stain with some matting. All in all it is a perfect combination.