Eileen Hull Art With Heart Challenge

New Year, fresh start and time for our first challenge of the year with Eileen Hull and the Art with Heart Challenge. This time around it is all about fresh ideas, a fresh start, so ANYTHING GOES.

I decided to use Eileen Hull's Flower, Petal Power die to create a dimensional blossom taking centre stage on my design. As soon as I thought of fresh starts I began to think of fresh flowers and longing for Spring already and those wonderful spring blooms, hence I used a flower in my design.

I began by applying Salty Ocean and Mowed Lawn Distress Ink to a non-stick craft sheet, spritzing with water and then mopping up the ink with my card. I repeated this process for several pieces of card which I will then use for die cutting. I dried each application of ink with a heat tool and then added more ink where necessary.

I die cut the petals from the coloured card and then applied Salty Ocean Distress Ink around the edges of each petal for definition.

Each petal was then placed into Eileen Hull's Starflowers Embossing Folder and run through a die cutting machine to emboss.

I love the added detail the embossing gives to the petals.

To add further detail I dry brushed white paint over each petal to highlight the wonderful texture and design.

The white paint really lifts the detail from the background.

It's then time to build the flower layer by layer. Once each layer was dry I then bent and added life to the petals.

To complete the flower I added one of Tim Holtz idea-ology pieces to the centre.

I used the Alcohol Ink Splatter technique in the background and then applied Crackle Texture Paste over a layering stencil to the background which I mixed with a touch of Juniper Alcohol Ink so that it blended with my backdrop. I used Sail Boat Blue, Juniper and Mermaid Alcohol Inks in the background. I adore the touch of crackle to each of the stencilled letters.

I die cut leaves using the Garden Greens die, adding just a touch of colour to the edges of the leaves which I then tucked behind my flower.

Thanks so much for stopping by, hope you enjoyed my first challenge piece of the year. We would love to see your creations and how you are inspired this time around.

Tracy x x x