Cards, cards and cards

The first week (well, half week) that the kids were in school I spent some time in the studio. Let me tell you, I had no idea just how much I had missed being all crafty until I had time to do it again!
I used one main image stamp, 5 coordinating colors of cardstock and inks and some sentiments to create 10 multipurpose cards.

 Here is a peek of 8 of the cards- I used 2 right away.

 Here is a close up.
I used Blended Bloom from Stampin' Up and the 2013-15 In Colors cardstock and ink.
After stamping the images on white cardstock I used coordinating Copic markers to color them.
I used the the matching In Color inks to stamp the image on my color cardstock for a tone on tone background.

I LOVE this flower and I have a feeling I will be using this stamp way too often!! :-) 

Thanks for stopping by!

Until later~

Mojo Monday Card Sketch Challenge 312 card

Today I am playing along with a challenge from Mojo Monday. It is the challenge from last week. Super cute sketch.

Here is my card....

I used a lot of old stuff on this one. It feels good to use up some of the stuff I have had around for awhile. Hailey let me borrow her ice pop stamp, one from a company that is now out of business.

Supplies- 

Paper- My Mind's Eye- Lime Twist Out of the Blue (The company no longer sells this line)

Copics- BG 11, 13, 15 and 18

E21, 25

Stickles- Crystal

Misc- Pop dot and circle punch

You can click on the sketch photo to go to Mojo Monday's blog. Click on the photo to enlarge it.

Thanks for stopping by!

Until later~

Sympathy card

** Update from Jordan's mom was that the procedure went well yesterday! Thank you for the prayers!! Please continue to pray for him.**

I hate making sympathy cards!! Don't get me wrong it is not that I don't want to support the family, I do, and I have been the one who has been shown great compassion and love when I lost both of my parents.  It's just that I hate when someone passed away! I hate seeing friends and family suffer after a loss! Sometimes a card seems like so little in a time when your heart aches to see a loved one so full of sorrow. A couple of weeks ago we received a call informing us that a member of my husband's "second family" had passed away. This is a family that my husband holds near and dear to his heart. He wasn't able to make it back to Ohio for the services. But we sent a card, a card that is completely filled from edge to edge with love and prayers.

Supplies:

Stamps- Oops A Daisy and Care and Comfort- Taylored Expressions. Lg Background stamp

Cardstock -PTI

Embossing Folder- Houndstooth

Ink- New Sprout and Tuxedo Black - Memento

Copic Markers- 0, Y32, Y21, E27, YG17, R81, RV19

Spray mist- Pearl- Tattered Angels (I really wish it would show in the photo.)

Pearls- Champagne- Kaiser Scrapbook

Button and button twine

Thanks for stopping by!!

Until later~

Deconstructed Sketch Challenge 116- Fall Splendor

With the kids back in school I am trying to get in the studio more. I did not realize just how much I missed being creative until I got my fingers inky, and snapped the cap off of a Copic marker! (I tell you, those Copic markers are addictive! You will see in just a bit.)

You can see the sketch HERE. I had been looking through my stamps trying to find some inspiration when I am across Fall Splendor by Inkadinkado. I had yet to ink it up, so it was a good one to start with. I then hopped over to Deconstructing Jen for some layout ideas, as always I was not disappointed! For my final piece of inspiration I I looked to the August Taylored Expressions KI kit for some designer paper and cardstock.

Once I had all of my inspiration, I was able to begin coloring my stamped image. Oh my goodness, I rediscovered my love of Copics AND coloring!
I am not lying when I tell you Copic markers are addictive, just look at how many I used on this one image.......

Yikes!! There are over 20 markers there! I like the angle of the card in this photo too, you can see that the image actually overhangs the front of my card. (The polka dots seen in the previous photo is the inside of the card,) I think it turned out pretty cute considering how rusty I was. LOL
I am looking forward to using more Copics, and ink, and stamps, and pretty paper.........well, you get the idea.

Supply list:

Stamp- Fall Splendor Inkadinkado

Designer paper-We R Memory Keepers Happy Campers and Coordinating card stock from the August KI kit from Taylored Expressions

Ink- Rich Cocoa Memento

Button twine

Pearls- Kaiser Chocolate

Copic markers- YR15, 24, 02, 12, 65, 18, 14

E53, 55, 57, 59, 43

R22, 24, 27, 05

V12, 15, 17

YG09, 13, 63

Y19, 21, 32

0

I used a Copper mist on the inside of the card.

Be sure to visit these links for some inspiration of your own. 

 deconstructingjen

Taylored Expressions

Inkadinkado Fall Splendor

We R Memory Keepers

 

Thanks for stopping by!!

Until later~

LOAD Challenge Day 6-

I just finished another set of cards, this time using the Taylored Expressions Key Ingredient kit for September. I am proud to say I have added 12 new cards to my card box. (This time I did not add any cardstock, I used what was in the kit.)

 The September kit included a 6x6 pad of My Mind's Eye The Sweetest Thing Tangerine papers. I fell head over heels for all of the pretty colors and papers in this collection. (There are 2 of each design in this pad.)

 Don't you love the colors?

 This is my "Faux Pocket" card. The card front was made to look like a pocket with an insert. I used the Oops A Daisy stamp set from Taylored Expressions. (This is the set I won during a new release a couple of months ago!! I LOVE this set, and the coordinating dies makes cuting out the flowers and leave easy as pie!!)

The sentiment is from an older set I picked up at Hobby Lobby some time ago. 

The flower was colored with Copic markers.

The half pearls were included in the kit.

 I don't usually use much gray when I am making cards. But, just look how pretty that wood grain paper is!! The stamp set on this one is Daisy Bouquet. And More Copic Marker coloring. I tied the bows using the Bow Easy.

 The flowers on these cards have been pop dotted for more dimension, and I went for double bows.

 I think these are my favorite cards in this set. I used a large daisy and pearls on one card, and a small daisy and pearls on the other. That changes up the design just a little.
(The card I copied can be found HERE.)

 I used one of Jen's sketch's for this layout. I had to bling mine up a bit. LOL I added the flower and the rhinestone swirl. (I really wish I would have had a pearl swirl!)

 These were the easiest to make. I used the text boxes from the paper. I think the big pearls keep this design from being too boring.

I used the same papers on both of these cards. The teal plaid was the back side of the floral pattern. The orange polka dot was the back side of the ledger paper. It is hard to see, but I stamped the solid daisy from the set with some shadow ink. I then stamped a sentiment over it. 

The wooden buttons were in the kit, I just added a little twine.

I am so hooked on kits, it is so good to have everything already coordinated for you. AND I love trying new products- like the wooden buttons in this kit. AND because there are no Local Scrapbook stores around it feels like Christmas each month when the kit arrives.

OK, gotta run. I need to catch up on my LOAD for October Challenge!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Until later~

Copic Grays- warms and cools

You're beautiful inside and out!! This is Cookie, a cute little mouse from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps. She makes an adorable card. My cards today are pretty much the same, I just switched up the colors and used different embellishments.

I used Cookie and the lipstick tubes to work with the warm and cool Gray Copic markers. This was my first time working with the warms and I will definitely be reaching for them more often. Looks like the cool Gray will not be my "go to" grays now. :-)

Thanks for stopping by!!
Until later~

Happy Thanksgiving cards

I only made 3 Thanksgiving cards this year. I made one for each of the kids' teachers and one for the teacher's aide that both of their classes share. I used a stamp set from The Angel Company and the Jillibean Soup Apple Cheddar collection. I also used Spellbinders Petite Oval and Labels 10 dies along with a ton of Copics. :-) (These are 4.25"x5.5" cards with the fold on the top. The ribbon is wrapped around the card front.)

I cut a little bit of the flower out before sliding the die into place. This is a good technique for odd shaped images when you don't want a lot of "white space."

 I colored this cute little guy before I decided on my designer paper. He doesn't really coordinate with the colors, but I like the "pop" of the brighter colors.

And lastly, an little Native American boy. The hair is done with Cool Gray Copics.
I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!!
Thanks for stopping by!!
Until later~

Coloring with Copics

Today I thought I would show you the process I use to color images with Copics. (I am not certified, this is just what works for me.)

First up- the "ingredients" Memento ink, an Inkadinkado cling stamp, a white gel pen, white cardstock and Copic markers.

Getting started-I used my mid-tone yellow first, leaving the tips of petals uncolored.

Using a lighter shade on the tips of the petals. (I also used the Y17 to build a second layer of color over what I had already colored with that marker.)

I used a flicking motion with my marker in what would be the "crease" in the petal. (When flicking, I always flick away from me and keep turning my paper. This helps me keep a light touch at the end of the flick.)

I moved on the the centers of the flowers.

If you look closely, you can see I added tiny dots to the flower centers with a darker color. (This helps to add dimension.)

 

On to the leaves. (Oops, I missed a leaf beside the second picket on the fence. LOL)

Adding the "vein" to the leaves.

I wanted a white picket fence. When coloring "white" you will still have shadows.

This photo shows how the "light source" is used. It is always good to decide from which direction you want the light source to hit your image. (This helps to keep your shadows consistent. This stamp also helped with deciding which direction the light would be coming from. See the little shadows on the fence to the left of each picket?)

A little darker shade to help with shadows and for the weathered look. (I added a little shadow beside each picket to add some depth.)

I went back and added a "V" on each flower petal with a white gel pen to add some Highlights.

I finished the image by going around the details with a light blue marker. (this helps with the illusion of depth and keeps your image from looking one dimensional. You could use gray {for a "shadow"}, blue {sky}, purple {night sky}, green {grass} or yellow {sun/light.})

Oh, and it is hard to see, but the marker is B000. :-)

This is a good time to go back and add more layers of your colors if you desire. 

Thanks for stopping by!!

Until later~