Hola!

It's February 1st...which means a couple of things.  It's a new kit release and staff challenge at The Urban Scrapbook, where I teach classes...and it's time for a new Sketchy Challenge over at Canadian Scrapbooker magazine!

Today I'll post my Urban staff challenge layout and next week I'll show you my CS Sketchy challenge.

I promised myself to use some of my Mexico photos (WITHOUT the teenagers in them!)

HOLA!  and POW...how's that for colour???

Aren't those flowers gorgeous? I cannot believe they are real and growing outdoors there...amazing.

This month's Urban kit has the wonderful new Basic Grey "Kissing Booth" papers, alpha sticker sheet and die cuts package....plus a bunch of other lovely embellishments.  I'm usually not a big fan of large floral patterns, but this one I LOVED and knew right away I wanted it to be the background.

Here are some close ups....

Metal lock and key courtesy of Tim Holtz and Martha Stewart butterfly border punch.

Really cute tiny alpha stickers are on the Kissing Booth Alpha sticker sheet.

Banners are in the Kissing Booth die cut package and ANOTHER alpha from that sticker sheet!

The Prima "Say It In Crystals" have beautiful facets that catch the light. The green ruffle is ribbon tucked behind the paper layer.

I created a circle of yellow butterflies with another Martha Stewart punch.

I have a little tutorial on how I made the two pink flowers for the layout using 7Gypsies tape (a technique I saw Tim Holtz do).

I coloured the tulle flower below with alcohol ink and mist.

It is so easy to alter the colour of the tape to suit your project. I find that alcohol ink works best.

Here is what you need....

Tissue tape, Blending Tool and felt pad, Blending Solution, Snow Cap Mixative and Red Pepper Alcohol Ink

First you cut a circle roughly out of scrap paper...the size of the circle depending on how large you want you flower to be....

The Snow Cap Mixative (white) makes the alcohol ink more opaque. I also used it to change the Red Pepper to Pink Pepper!

You need very little Snow Cap on your felt to adjust the colour of the red.  The piece of tape should be MUCH longer because you will be pleating it (as shown below) but for the demo I used a short piece here.

Start anywhere on your scrap circle and just fold and pleat around the centre. 

For this flower, I put 2 layers of pleating, to make the flower fluffier (more dimensional).

The centre can be anything, a pearl, a gem....here I used a Prima light pink crystal.

So come on over to The Urban Scrapbook (or order online) and pick up your wonderful February kit! You'll also see all the layouts the Design Team has created....so many talented scrapbookers!

And remember....if you can't go to Mexico to see the beautiful flowers, then you can make some at home in your studio!