Friday, February 11, 2011

Just Us Girls #71 spotlight technique...2gether 4ever!

Hey friends!  Happy saturday!  Time for a new Just us Girls Challenge...this time it is a technique challenge called "Spotlighting".  There is a great tutorial over at Splitcoast Stampers on spotlighting.  As the tutorial shows, you can achieve amazing results with rubber stamps + spotlighting.  BUT, being that valentine's day was coming up and I had this special picture in mind for my hub's valentine's card, I decided to do spotlighting with a photograph!
This photo was taken in Florence, Italy along the walk of the Arno River near Ponte Vecchio.  It is a closeup of  some of the "Love Locks" we saw.  I used Microsoft word to turn my original picture black and white for the background.  I used a second copy of the color original to digitally crop the focal point into a circle with a black outline.  I could have printed them digitally layered from Word but I felt the need to do some actual cutting with scissors plus a scallop circle mat on my focal point.  The "sentiment" is my very own chicken scratch using a red permanent marker...I wouldn't go far as a graffiti artist eh?  LOL!

 How amazing was the sky and lighting the day we discovered the beautiful Ponte Vecchio bridge? 
So back to the love locks....apparently lovers lock their locks to this chain with their names written on the side.  They proceed to declare their eternal love and then throw the key into the Arno River.
Does that story not tickle your lovey dovey bone?

I made this trip to Italy with my very dear friend but I wanted to bring home this piece of the experience to my very dear husband :)  Somehow a padlock on a chain is sooooooo romantic in the city of Florence!
Thanks so much for stopping by this week.  I hope you'll join the JUGs in our spotlighting challenge this week.  For lots of juicy inspiration, check out our guest designer, Lori, and the rest of the JUGs DT!

Photobucket

10 comments:

Jo said...

Hey Dana! I love your card! It's wonderful, I had forgotton all about those locks. I used to live in Florence (well Fiesole actually), I have to say though I ended up avoiding the Ponte Vecchio if I needed to cross the river as it was always so manic!!! Gosh I miss Italy...

Andrea M said...

Dana, what a BRILLIANT take on the spotlight technique!!! I LOVE the black and white photo with the color spotlight - absolutely brilliant!!!! WOW! I pretty near fell out of my chair when I saw your card! The story behind the pic makes it even better and more romantic! And your handwritten sentiment is just the perfect touch!!! Great inspiration!

Lisa Kind said...

Oh Dana, what an amazing story! And to turn that picture into your Valentine for your hubby is just so sweet! LOVE how you used the spotlighting technique on this photo...so clever and original! LOVE it!

Anne Marie Hile said...

Dana, I just love your card! What a cool way to show off that technique with your photo. Fab-U-lous!! I absolutely LOVE Florence and can't wait to go back again. Your photos are beautiful! :)

AKiteFlier said...

Omgosh I love love love this Dana - what a great tribute to your hubs! I love that tradition in FLorence - how romantic - and to do spotlight with a photograph - well I'm just going to try that myself girlie! You are SO creative - thanks for sharing this unique take on a great technique,

Kathryn B said...

Love your Valentine card Dana! That's a clever idea using the photo like that! I should try that for some scrappin' pages! The love locks what a cool story! If I ever go there I'm definetly gonna do that! TFS your photos!

Monique said...

Dana your card is sooooo Unique... Love the story on love locks. I would love to go one day.. What amazing pictures too... Really enjoyed your post :)!! Thank you

Elise said...

Aaaaaah, BELLISIMA! Bachi mi - I'm in LOVE..... "This is the night, it's a beautiful night and they call it bella notte....."

AND - that photo/card SPOTLIGHT inspiration... YOU bet, it should be in the spotlight! Michalangelo and YOU = that's what I'm talkin' about!

SERIOUSLY! {*Gasp!*}

Karen said...

Love the card, love the locks, love the story to go with....and love the pics! :> Great share, Dana!

Lori said...

What a great idea! I bet your hubby loved it! You have inspired me to pull out a few sentimental photos and try this myself! :-)