When I get a new stamp set so many ideas flit through my brain. Get it - lady bug - flit?!? Yup, I'm tired again - so here goes one of those silly posts - I hope I make a little sense. :D
Being that I have been working in depth with the principles and elements of design one of the first ideas to pop in to my brain was totally influenced by repetition and alignment. It is so easy to see how these principles help you emphasize the focal lady bug. To create this pattern I drew a very light grid on the surface of the paper with a pencil. This was followed up with lots of ladybugs stamped on the grid :D
I experimented with a couple of different techniques first to get the ladies dressed properly. First I tried stamping the red wings and following it up with the black body and dots, I then tried my stamp-a-ma-jig, at last I tried a technique that Debbie Olson had tried which was stamping the body first and following it up with the red wings. I did find that eyeballing it and stamping the wings first/body last worked best for me, but it is worth while practicing on a piece of scratch paper to figure out what works best for you. The beauty of two-step stamping is definitely enhanced or made easier by being able to see right through your image. It is SO much easier then any other two-step stamping I have ever done.
Once the stamping was completed I heat set it being that I didn't want to risk making the ink bleed and then erased the lines with my kneaded rubber eraser.
There were a number of ways that I tried to draw your eye to the one special little lady - the most obvious is the twinkle stickers and the different antennae.
The sentiment was set off with some piercing and the sentiment "Little Things" was masked and stamped inside.
So if you too love lady bugs, you had better run (don't walk!) over to Paper Trey Ink and snap up one of these awesome sets. The other designers shared some awesome ideas as well - it is easy to see past the basic shape and turn this little treasure in to so many other forms - we have tulips, dresses, apples, and balloons - what other ideas do you have?
Very Nice I like the different antena(sp?)ugh... I think it is a subtle way to say you're special to someone thanks for the tip on drawing the grid.
Posted by: K Ostvig | May 17, 2007 at 10:45 PM
Ellen, this concept turned out beautifully! I also loved your balloon--very clever and out-of-the-box!
Posted by: Debbie Olson | May 15, 2007 at 07:07 PM
Too, too cute!
As always, I love your paper piercing!
Posted by: Pat S. | May 15, 2007 at 03:37 PM
Another masterpiece. I wasn't going to purchase this set because we sometimes get ladybug infestations and it gets eerie to me!!! After I saw what you and the other designers did with it I had to have it. TFS.
Posted by: Juanita | May 15, 2007 at 02:57 PM
What an incredible card! Love this!
Posted by: Michele | May 15, 2007 at 01:09 PM
Lovely work!
Posted by: Allison | May 15, 2007 at 07:36 AM
Thanks for sharing how you perfectly aligned the ladybugs. I love how you singled that special one out, and gave her some special treatment. So pretty!
Posted by: Rose Ann | May 15, 2007 at 06:06 AM
Ellen, I love how you can take Nichole's new stamp set and give us "just a little more." Great tips! I also like how you're adding those 3 lines of paper piercings (this and May Stamp card) --very nice, subtle touch to the cards!
Posted by: CMCAnne | May 15, 2007 at 03:55 AM
WOW! Love it! I just ordered my set! TFS!!
Posted by: Viv (VivLyn) | May 15, 2007 at 03:18 AM