Sugar and Shine

OK--how many Halloween cards am I gonna make? There are more coming. Last year I had to go borrow candy from my neighbor because I forgot to buy some. So Halloween is not some big "to do" at my house, as all these cards seem to suggest. There were so many cute stamps out there this year... I couldn't resist indulging my stamping sweet tooth... not sure who I'm sending all these cards to! I just wanted to color these apples ASAP when I saw this stamp. So I did. Colored 'em right up with my Copics... and sadly no one has responded to my plea for free Copics in my last post. Unbelievable. Anyhooo I colored my apples, then used Spica's all over them and glittered them good, then I glazed them with some Crystal Lacquer. You know what I love about Spicas... first the glitter does not rub away and second you can put Crystal Lacquer over the Spica and you can still see the glitter and it stays where you put it... meaning it does not float around in the wet lacquer. I created my strange retro looking frame by using my Copics and doodling with a fine tip black pen. I made some teeny bows to dress my apples up. The sentiment is a portion of a Lockhart stamp, I just used a marker to ink the words I wanted to use and edged it with an orange marker. The background I embossed with my new Spider Web CB folder. Finished card is an A2.

I took a close up, trying to show you the glitter and shine, click on the pic to enlarge and see details...

The funny thing about this little card...

I don't even like Candy Apples.

• Stamps: Candy Apples by Impression Obsession, Happy Halloweenie by Lockhat
• Paper: Bazzill Orange and Brown, Misc. Kraft card stock, Neenah Classic Solar White
• Ink: Memento black, Fine Tip Black Pen, Copics, Spicas
• Other: Misc. Ribbon, Nesties, CB Spiderweb Folder

Eastern Grunge

Inspiration for this card is from Sharon's Friday Challenge to use RED and I really wanted to play with this stamp again, so I did. I love the Eastern/Asian influence, always have. Sorry for the "same stamp" post... but that is my favorite in the magazines when they have the same stamp used different ways. A Different Perspective or something like that... So anyway... these are all new SU stamps. I used Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with Copics. I love my Copics... anyone out there want to buy me like 100 more colors? Pretty Please? I'll send you a very nice Thank You card! Anyone...?
Well back to the card... This is an easy card! The little red polka dot paper is from Holiday Treasures SU and I sponged the edges with black. The background stamp is Gratuitous Graffiti, and I have no idea what compelled me to combine these stamps! Then the little white edges I stamped the small branch from Eastern Influences and colored in then roughed up the edges with my scissors edge. On the actual card base I stamped the large flower around the edges. I kept trying to work some ribbon in... but really the card is busy enough and I couldn't find a way to add that I liked. Finished card is an A2.

• Stamps all by SU: Gratuitous Graffiti, Eastern Influences
• Paper: DP Holiday Treasures, Riding Hood Red, Black, Neenah Classic Solar White
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics
• Other: Half Pearls, Perfect Layers

Eastern Haiku

I love this DP from SU -- called Haiku and every print in the assortment is fab... it torments me that it is double sided and I have to pick!

The Flower I stamped in Memento Cocoa (I am so loving this brown!) and then used my Copics and Spicas to color and glisten. I tore the edge of the white and touched my Copic Putty marker to the edge of the tear and just let it bleed in to the paper's edge. The white panel is popped up.

The Asian symbols are from a large background stamp that I stamped on DP from Bo Bunny Press and then peeled some paper away in little spots and colored in with my Putty marker again, to give it an "aged" look. I matted it a couple of times using my Perfect Layer's Rulers and tore some more paper here and there. Half Back Pearls to accent. I toyed with putting something in the bottom right corner.... but in the end left it open, keeping it simpler, plus 9 pearls... that's enough embellishments. I do hoard my pearls.

Here's an Up Close and Personal... I tried to take it in the light so that you could see the Spica glitter pens. Click on the Close Up Picture to see a better view!

• Stamps: Eastern Influence by SU, Asian Symbols - no stamp company on the stamp.
• Ink: Memento Cocoa, Versafine Brown, Copics, Spicas, Fine Tip Brown Pen
• Paper: Haiku DP from SU, Bo Bunny Press DP, Neenah Classic Solar White, Gold
• Other: Half Back Pearls, Perfect Layers, Nesties, 1/16 Eyelets, Brad, Hemp Twine

Cat and Craggly Tree

I guess summer is over --- according to the cards I've been doing lately! What can I say... Halloween and Holiday cards are fun and this is the first year I have made Holiday cards for a Holiday and the Holiday wasn't the next week!!!!

OK--- on to this card... spooky, right? I used a cat's eye white and circle mask to create the moon, stamped my Craggly Old Tree with the Owl... ummm, I took some liberties with the tree and added some more branches... I needed a little fill in for some dead space! I used brown markers and fine tip pens to fill in and shadow on the tree. And look at the cute little kitty! It's the teeniest cat stamp I own (I think) from A Muse. I used copper and white cat's eye inks to rub over the panel (originally River Rock) to try and create a dusky foggy feel... I had a Happy Halloween sentiment to add-- but decided I liked it better with out, so I'll probably stick it on the inside.

• Stamps: House Of Haunts by SU, Teeniest Kitty by A Muse
• Ink: Copics, Cat's Eyes Copper and Eggshell White, Versafine Onyx Black, Memento Cocoa
• Paper: DP Ghostly Greetings by SU, DP Manchester by SU, Basic Grey Card Stock, River Rock Card Stock
• Other: Nesties, Fine Tip Brown and Black Pens, Perfect Layers

Harvest Corn

Yeah... kind of a corny stamp... Well I have to say I don't think this has ever happened before... I actually like the picture of this card better than I like the actual card IRL! But I figure I'll share my favorites and not so favorites with you... this is definitely in the second group!Here are the details... Stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black... which is great for this stamp ---all those little corn kernels and no bleeding with my Copics. I purchased some Neenah Classic Crest Solar White #110 paper, whoa this is some serious paper. I don't know if the weight has any bearing on the Copics... but I love the feel of heavier weight paper. I sponged around the edges with Copper and Gold cat's eyes. The jar I used a glaze pen on to make it look ceramic. The sentiment I brought the colors in from the DP with just loose little squiggles of my copics and then using N0 to tone the color down a bit. The strip behind the corn I used my CB Houndstooth Folder and then rubbed a little gold over it to pick up the embossing. A few blingy leaves, some ribbon and brads... DONE.

• Stamps: Stampin Up's Harvest Home
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Cat'e Eyes Copper and Gold, Copics, Fine Tip Brown Marker
• Paper: DP by Bo Bunny Press, Misc. Dark Brown, Neenah Classic Solar White
• Other: Nesties, Misc Ribbon, Crystal Leaves, Brads, CB Houndstooth

Ambrosia Harvest Home

Is this too much? I love Basic Grey and so many pattern papers... but I confess I hoard them and they don't get used not because I can't bear to part with them, but rather I have a hard time incorporating some prints on to my cards. I really wanted to use this cool paper "Ambrosia" from Basic Grey... so I did. But I look the finished card and I must say... I have to squint a little to make it look good to me! These stamps again are new SU "Harvest Home". I colored it with my Copics... about 100 different marker colors went on this tiny square of paper! The sentiment I inked In Tangerine Tango and then rolled the edges on my Grey ink pad to get the double colors. I sponged grey ink on most edges.

• Stamps: SU's Harvest Home
• Paper: Tangerine Tango, Basic Grey "Ambrosia", Ivory Parchment Card stock
• Ink: Memento Cocoa, Tangerine Tango, Basic Grey
• Other: Ivory Taffeta Ribbon, Nesties, Brads, Copics, Perfect Layers

Rudolph Dew Drop

New Stampin' Up! has landed.

Finally! I have been waiting, not so patiently!

I couldn't resist this Holiday Line Up stamp set, thinking it would be perfect to color with Copics. The sentiment is from another new set To You and Yours... I thought Merry and Bright went well with Rudolph and the gang. Rudolph is sporting a Dew Drop on his nose. I used my Copics to create the Nestie Borders on the sentiment and the Reindeer Group. I used Gold Sulky Thread to wind around the scallop nestie to jazz it up a bit. Cuttlebuged the White portion, with one of the new CB folders with snowflakes in circles.... but you see no snowflakes... somehow I managed to cover them all up! I used a glaze pen on all the eyes and noses and a little Spica over the antlers. Done!

• Stamps by SU: Holiday Line Up, To You and Yours
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics, Spicas, Fine Tip Black Pen
• Paper: White, River Rock, Riding Hood Red, Gold
• Other: Cb Folder, Dew Drops, Half Pearls, Perfect Layers, Gold Edged Sheer Ribbon, Nesties

Skull Cat

How cute is Witchy Fluffles and Frog!!!!

Warning... this might be one of my wordier postings.... When the new cuttlebugs came out I pre-ordered them for myself and my step-mother (who is not the wicked kind of step-mother!) we went through them and decided we needed all of them! So they arrived and I see this cuttlebug folder.... ummm... skulls? I definitely did not remember this one. I called her and asked her "Do your remember a CB folder with skulls?" ummmm..... "No". So, in our ordering frenzy we both ordered this skull head cuttlebug folder. I haven't gotten in to the rock star/grunge theme and probably won't go there... somehow glittered skull heads seem a bit off to me. So today I thought Halloween would be my one shot at using this skull folder, I love the swirls in the middle, so maybe I'll just use that portion of it on other cards. For the background I brayered one side of the CB folder with White Pigment ink and then ran it thru my Big Kick with some Kiwi Kiss card stock, which left the white ink the debossed portion. On the black I used the same folder and just rubbed a little white ink over it with my fingers. Then I overlapped the black on to green and cut my oval frame. It looked a little lacking, since I wanted to show off the skulls (this one time) and not cover them up with embellishments.... I used a clear glaze pen to glaze and emphasize all skulls and the inner edges of each swirl. IRL it shines! Oh and the bottom of the card looks bad, but that is my picture taking... I think the white of my light tent was reflecting off the glaze pen. It looks like double vision here, but IRL is much better! Witchy Fluffles was colored using Copics and I added some stickles on the bubbles, and Spica Black over the cauldron, glaze pen over the animals eyeballs, and witch hat.... So I'm calling the inner circle a "reverse frame" unlike my usual nestie frames.... I laid the nestie over the image and traced the oval. Then I made my dots with a Copic and outlined them with a fine tip black pen and then with a the N0 light grey Copic. Really... do I have still have anyone reading this? And it is mounted under the black with foam tape. The I matted once to grey cardstock and roughed the edges, the actual card is white. Really I think that about sums it up. Finally, right! If you click on the pictures you can see a bigger image for detail. Final card size is A2.

• Stamps: Fluffles & Frog by Stampendous
• Inside Stamps: Cat by Inkadinkadoo, Sentiment by Impression Obsession
• Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Copics, Spicas, Fine Tip Black Pen
• Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Black, Neenah Classic Solar White, Basic Grey
• Other: Black Fuzz Yarn, Nesties, Clear Glaze Pen, Stickles

A little Shout Out and Showin' Off...

OK- So I had kitty image drama... now I have my new kitty designed special for me by Heather. I've been using my new watermark and loving my one eyed kitty up on my blog banner. I emailed Heather's art to Wendy at Repeat Impressions and now I have my darling kitty image as custom made stamps. I think they are pretty neat-o! So I thought I would share them with you. The small image I will use on the back of my cards. The larger kitty I plan on using on the envelope or on the inside of the card liner in the bottom right corner.... since he is is "open" on the left side it kind of frames the bottom corner a bit. Not on every card mind you---- maybe just the kitty cards.

• "Ze Artiste" Heather's Blog oohlalaartsy.blogspot.com
• "Stamp Maker, Wendy" Repeat Impressions Custom Stamp Information

Witchy Brew

Toil and Trouble,

watch the witch bubble....

I know, I'm not funny. This is a medley and mixture of assorted stamps. I have never really "scene stamped" and I don't know that this really qualifies as that, but I had fun putting all these images together. I put the witch in the pot because I didn't have any other witchy images that would "work" as an add on. I stamped the cauldron first and it it looked so bare... that's where the other stamps came in to play. So first the cauldron and frog, then I used Lockhart's Witch Legs by using a marker to ink up just leg portion of the stamp, last came Blackie the Kitty, love this kitty image by Inkadinkadoo. He fit just perfectly in the picture. The kitty is a solid stamp and on all the other images I used Copics to color.

The background panel is black card stock then I glued torn pattern paper randomly and used my Nesties to cut out a frame, this Nestie is from Spellbinder's Geometric Collection and I think is called Abstract. Once I cut out the frame I used the edge of the die to make the little white stitch lines, and filled in with black dots in between. On each layer of the mats I used my Copic Black along the edge and let it bleed in to the paper a bit for a rough black edge. A little ribbon and bling in the bottom corner, and of course I could not resist using Spica's all over this. I tried to take a picture to show the glitzy cat but of course it does not show up like I want it to... so as usual I'll tell you ... IRL it does looks pretty sparkly! When I showed my husband he said the Frog pushed Witchy in the pot, but I feel sure it was the cat.

• Stamps: Cat by Inkadinkadoo, Cauldron and Frog by SU from Haunting Halloween, Witches Legs by Lockhart, Ghoulish Greetings by Amuse
• Ink: Memento Black, Copics, Spicas, White Signo Gel Pen
• Paper: DP by My Mind's Eye, Kiwi Kiss, Black, White
• Other: Olive Poly Twill Ribbon, 3 little crystals, Perfect layers, Nesties

Sweet Stork

I have seen soooo many cards made with this little Gina K stork image... I feel sure this stork has traveled the world and back on handmade cards. It's just the sweetest little stork. And I know storks are usually white, but sometimes animals need to change colors a bit for artistic card making purposes. So I colored stork and baby with my Copics. For the little baby blankie, I colored with Copics and then added some white dots and outlined them with a fine tip green pen. If you read my wordy blog posts then you know how I made the frame around the oval image. You can click on the pictures to see a larger picture. The frame is quick and easy using nesties, Copics and a fine tip black pen.... this frame making is endless with me, I know. I just can't stop. It's like the ticket corner punch... sometimes I just have to put it out of sight otherwise I will ticket corner every piece of paper in sight. The ribbon is SU's white taffeta ribbon, which I think is my all time fav for bow tying, very easy to work with and mush up as needed to get the just right bow. And this is a very simple card... one nestie layer around the edge and one white layer around the edge...which I roughed up with the edge of my scissors... why did I rough it up you ask... well if you read my wordy wordy posts, then you will know this is my quickie fix if I'm not quite straight!
So my sweet little gender neutral baby card is all ready to fly....

• Stamps: Gina K's Stork and Baby
• Ink: India Black Ink, Copic Markers
• Paper: DP is Basic Grey, So Saffron (SU), White
• Other: White Taffeta Ribbon by SU, Perfect Layers, Nesties, Half Pearls, Ticket Corner Punch

Happy Harmony

So these little flowers are from an older Hostess SU set... " Happy Harmony". I stamped the flowers on glossy white with Versamark and Detail Clear EP. When I emboss will always reach for Versamark... If I need a color I will use a color of embossing powder. Everyone I think is different when it comes to embossing and it's what you learn with and get used to. But Versamark is my "go to" ink for embossing, and I keep little glad ware tubs of Embossing Powder for Black, Clear, White, Gold and Silver... all detail embossing powder so I don't have to mess with those little jars and pouring it back in to the little jar...... So I stamped on glossy and embossed then just used stipple brushes to pounce some ink here and there, afterwards using a Kleenex to wipe away the ink from my flower images. I also used a fine tip brown pen to shadow slightly the images and give a little extra definition. DP under the main image is Basic Grey. Thin brown frame lines made with my nestie frame, as usual. The sentiment is from Endless Creations... I adore this font... Does anyone know what font it is? I would love to know. The little brads in the corners are really some white dots that have sticky on the back, I just colored them with a brown Copic marker. Anyway.... that about wraps it up, a very easy and forgiving technique that I think works especially well with semi-solid flower images.

Stamps: Happy Harmony/SU, Happy Birthday/Endless Creations
Ink: Chocolate, Olive, Versamark & White Detail EP
Paper: DP by Basic Grey, Misc. Green, White Glossy, White, Chocolate Chip
Other: Copic Marker Brown, Nesties, Fine Tip Brown Pen, Chocolate Poly Twill Ribbon (SU)

Repeat Dragonfly

I liked coloring this image as it has lots of lines to play with inside the wings. I know strange color choices again.... what can I say. I used Copics to color the wings, then I cut out the oval with my Nesties. On the wings I wanted a more muted look so I used my Copic N0 to go over everything instead of the blender. This helped tone the colors down and blend them together at the same time. And then my little border was made by drawing a thin black circle around the inside of the Nestie frame while the image was still snug inside. I used the same Copic colors and drew rough stripes, then went over it with the Copic N0, just like I used it on the wings. It looked a little lacking so I added some thin little black stripes too. I repeated the dragonfly image on the dark green card stock, then created a square opening to the card base, and also cut out the oval along the bottom edge. The sentiment is stamped on white on the next layer down. I used my perfect layers to do a 1/16" white edge along the sides and then attached to my card base.

• Stamps: All Stamps by Repeat Impressions
• Paper: Misc. Green and Moss card stock, White
• Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
• Copics: BG39, YG95, Y23, N0, N3, E15
• Other: Nesties, Perfect Layers, Fine Tip Black Pen

CatFish

I know this is a silly image.... but so silly it's kinda cute! Kitty is a wee bit too orange, but I wanted it to match my paper. The image was stamped on Neenah Classic Solar White and colored with Copics. I cut out my frame with Nesties and then put a piece of acetate in the window and popped it up over the image.... like he's swimming in a glass tank. IRL it looks better! I also used a clear glaze pen over the air bubbles and his diving mask as well as a little Spica pen action on the fish for sparkle, again IRL much better. These are pretty bright colors for me, but I like how it turned out... feels very summerish. These are more of the NEW In Colors from SU... Tangerine Tango and Pacific Point. I thought that Tangerine was going to be my least favorite of the group... but it's growing on me. I used Cuttlebugs to add texture and cut the blue strip using a scallop nestie. I could not live with out my nesties... I reach for them with every card I make and continue to find more ways to utilize them. The little fish on the bottom are from a punch and glittered them up with Spica's too..... yeah, yeah IRL you can see!!!

I tried to take a picture to show the depth from using the acetate window... but I color with markers, not specialize in expert picture taking... so it's not as clear as I would like.

I guess I could have named this post IRL...

In Real Life it looks much better!

• Stamps: Swim Cat by Great Impressions, Best Fishes by Amuse
• Ink: Pacific Point (sentiment), India Black Ink (for Image)
• Paper: Acetate, Tangerine Tango, Pacific Point, Yellow, White
• Other: Misc. Ribbon, Nesties, Cuttlebug Folders, Spica Pens, Copic Markers

Kitty Drama

• So, have you noticed my changing kitty image on my blog banner.... Well, here's the behind the scenes scoop. Some time ago, the talented Michelle Laycock designed a watermark for me and she incorporated a darling kitty image in with my name. She got the image from a website that had it posted it as free clip art. I then had Digi Queen Heather Taylor make a new banner for me, also giving her the kitty image to use for the banner. I loved it! So I'm using this darling image all over the place as a watermark for my cards and it's front and center on my banner. Then I am surfing around one night.... and come across Pink Cat Studio.... and what do I see, but my darling little kitty. This kitty image originally was designed by Melissa the owner of Pink Cat... and it is her main logo image with a whole line of themed stamps using this kitty. I immediately contacted Melissa at Pink Cat Studio and asked if she had given permission to have her image out there as freeware, ummmm... NO. The website had posted the image as free clip art, with no credit given and no permission. I want to be very clear that Michelle, Heather and I had no idea this was not free clip art, all involved are creative people that respect copyright materials and give creative credit where it is due. Melissa from Pink Cat was unbelievably super sweet and said that I could continue to use the image. I didn't feel quite right about that.... this is just my little blog... that image is part of her business. So.... I pulled darling kitty from my watermark and removed from my blog banner asap. To wrap this up.... my long time stamping buddy/digi queen/ artist /friend Heather Taylor has designed a custom cat logo for my use, and I retain the copyright to this image. I am not as concerned with others using my image as I was about using someone else's art. The website that had the image posted as freeware has removed it after being contacted by Pink Cat Studio. I want to thank Melissa for her very understanding attitude and for creating such a cute kitty... have a feeling I'll be placing an order at Pink Cat soon! Michelle and Heather, I thank you both for your help and quick response.
  So here is my new CUSTOM kitty designed for me by Heather. Many thanks to Heather!
  I love my new One Eyed Krafty Kat!!!
  
  All of these ladies are so talented and creative... if you have a minute head over and take a look.

Heather Taylor's blog

• oohlalaartsy.blogspot.com
  

Melissa from Pink Cat

• pinkcatstudio.blogspot.com
• Shop at Pink Cat Studio

Michelle Laycock's website

• LaycockDesigns.com

Two Tricks

Two tricks... well really just two challenges. First challenge is TCP Tuesday Challenge which was a sketch challenge. You can see the challenge here on Leigh O'Brien's blog: Sunflower Studio, and of course now that I go back to link it... yes, as always I left out some sketch details. I must print these out. Anyway, it has the basic sketch elements! And the second challenge is the Our Creative Corner's Challenge for today: To create a project using NO designer paper and a maximum of FOUR layers. I used three, counting the card base. Have you been to Our Creative Corner, if not head over.... full of TALENT! On to the details of the card.... The center panel.... I used my strip cuttlebug dots folder to do embossed lines randomly using the edge of the folder to draw a line, then coloring the non-embossed part in with a black Copic. I used a white gel pen to draw some sketchy stitches around the black areas. I cut the frame out with nesties. Stamped Ghostly Sprinkle and added a little Copic Coloring and Spica Orange and Clear Glitter. Every ghost needs some glitter! I pieced the orange frame over Sprinkle and then cut out the scallop border with Nesties. The little star bursts are stamped directly on the card in black and I used Chinese Orange Copic to shadow the black lines and white gel pen centers. A little sponging with black ink around the edges.... Done.

• Stamps: All Stamps by TCP
• Paper: Tangerine Tango, White
• Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
• Copics: Chinese Orange and Cadmium Orange
• Other: SU Black and White Gingham Ribbon, Spica Orange and Clear Pens, Nesties

No Sissies!

Sharon's challenge today was to use something OLD. Stamp Simply #47 - Something Old. Well she meant an old stamp, dust it off and ink it up... that forgotten rubber we all have. I used stamps that referenced OLD. Sharon's pretty loose with interpreting her challenges so I think she'll let me slide!
The background is stamped on some of my all time fav DP this Granite/Grey looking paper is from the The Attic Collection by Rebecca Sower. Don't know if it's still around, but I love it and bought a good stash. I love mixing it in with black and white images. The photo of the old men is a stamped image by Repeat Impressions. Sometimes I can get a little fussy with photo image stamps not being "perfect". This one I think did pretty darn good. And this image fit perfect in one of the long oval Nesties... PERFECT.... I love it when it just all works! The sentiment, yes another saying that cracks me up... No sissies... heehheeee! The white corners were stamped with the same background stamp as I used on the Rebecca Sower paper and I just tore pieces and overlapped them to liven it up with some white. I roughed up the red edges "old man style" using my scissors. The red frame I ran through what is my new favorite CB folder! The red paper --- New SU In Color... Riding Hood Red.
It's rare I post a challenge card on the day the challenge was issued... so I'm patting myself on the back! I think I deserve some new stamps as a reward.

• Stamps: All Stamps by Repeat Impressions
• Ink: Versafine Onyx
• Paper: SU Riding Hood Red, White, Black, DP by Rebecca Sower
• Other: Nesties, Perfect Layers, Cuttlebug Folder, 1/4" Sheer Black Ribbon, Silver Square Brads, Fine Tip Black Pen

PAPER is ART

OK, this is just seriously cool paper(Basic Grey). So I wasn't going to muss it up... I love sentiment stamps and this is a particular favorite. There is not too much detail here, so I'll spare you my usual long chatty post and give you the quick points...

I stamped in Chocolate Chip, I went back over the bold ART with a fine tip brown pen so it would really stand out. I used my Copics to add some subtle shading in the little boxes. I didn't even put a frame in around my nesties! Sometimes the paper is enough.

• Stamps: Verses Rubber Stamps #QQ0824D
• Ink: Chocolate Chip
• Copics: E11, N0, Y000, YR31, E35, YR23
• Paper: Chocolate Chip, Misc Yellow Card Stock, DP by Basic Grey
• Other: Nesties, Perfect Layers

Pink Camouflage Flowers

So you know I have to fuss with the outline on my Nesties by now... just have to use that nice framed edge. I stopped doodling around them because my doodles were never straight enough for me, Markie's Mom pretty much has the corner on small dots, My last few posts were big polka dots and some stripe lines...
so on this card I thought OK... I'll just do some rough stripes with my Copics. After I did them all I could think was it looked like a girly camouflage print! I'm posting it anyway. After I used my Copics to make the border I ran the blender pen over it once just to take the hard edge of the colors. I know I just did a post with this stamp a week or so ago, but I liked coloring the flowers with my Copics. So here it is again. And really this is a simple card (yes it is, Heather!!). The vase is paper pieced from Artic Frog striped paper, I used my brown marker to blur the edge of the stripe, why?... well because my line on the paper piece was not straight, and then repeated the blurry striped line on the bottom too. To create the scallops on the bottom I used my Nesties (long rectangles) and inserted the card through the midddle of the Nestie only cutting one edge. It does look like Girly Camo around the frame edge, doesn't it?! The pink is one of the new In Colors from SU, Pink Pirouette. I think it's just right for pink, not too bright. Also I'm having fun playing with all my new Cuttlebug folders and I love the little mini strip folders and have been using them on the inside of my cards as a quick add on, also you can slip them inside an envelope and emboss a line down the left or right side for a little extra.

• Stamps: All Stamps by Repeat Impressions
• Ink: Versafine Black, Copic Markers
• Paper: DP Artic Frog, SU Pink Pirouette, Misc. Green and Brown Cardstock
• Other: Nesties, Cuttlebug Strip Folders, Perfect Layers

Mittens and more of the same...

Does this look like my last post... I don't like doing the same card more than once, but I don't mind using the same supplies and mixing it up. Of course being the lazy stamper I am, all of the last card's materials never got put away so I kept it going. I have to say this is the first year (despite the best intentions every year) that I have actually made Holiday cards before the month of December. So this card is SIMPLE, but I like the non-traditional colors. I stamped in Memento's Rich Cocoa... have I mentioned that I am so impressed with this ink. I think I have but really if you use Copics it is a must have. Little mittens colored with my Copics and I wanted to keep it a little shabby looking so I added no sparkle. See the little border on my circle I just used my Copics and drew some lines to decorate the edge. The ribbon actually had white criss-cross lines but I took my Copics to that as well. It is cheapy ribbon and it's the first time this ever happened to me... After I colored with my Copics it turned stiff as a stick! Wierd. Anyway so it's a stiff little stick type bow... hope it doesn't crack by the time Winter comes! The blue dot paper is Baja Breeze and a NEW cuttlebug folder.... I love the open area for the sentiment-- this is part of the cuttlebug folder, not by my design. I stamped the sentiment then put it in the folder to make sure I had it lined up well. I'll do anything to avoid pulling out the stamp positioner. I edged the blue piece with a cat's eye vanilla to soften the edge a bit. Also on the sentiment I used a light copic blue to kind of shadow the sentiment, probably hard to see in the pic, but of course you can see it in IRL! For a quick card I sure blabbered on a lot about it... maybe I should re-name my blog Chatty Kat. Does anyone read this far?

• Stamps: Sentiment/Endless Creations, Mittens by TCP
• Ink: Memento RIch Cocoa, Cat's Eyes Vanilla and Chestnut Brown
• Paper: Baja Breeze, Vanilla, Vanilla DP by K & Co, Brown and Green DP by My Mind's Eye
• Other: Cuttlebug Folder, Nesties, Copics, American Craft Ribbon, Perfect Layers
  

Faux Fur Skatin' Sprinkle

The TCP Tuesday Challenge this week was to make a Christmas Card... Christmas in July, just forget that I am actually posting in August. I'm always late. You can find the original challenge on Toni's blog here. And you can see all of the challenge uploads in the SCS gallery under key word TCPTUES18. Go take a look!

Faux Fur--- what? Look on the little cuffs of Sprinkle's coat... it's fun flock. This is my first adventure with fun flocking so... I know it's not the newest and latest. But I'm thinking it's a pretty neat-o add on to a card. I always seem to think of Sprinkle as a boy cat (since boy cats are all I've had) but now I am wondering at the gender of Sprinkle... with a name like sprinkle and little hat perched on the head, maybe it is a girl cat. Regardless of gender I still love Sprinkle. I stamped using the Rich Cocoa Memento Ink.... Loving it. It does not bleed at all with my Copics. So I continue to be impressed with this ink. And the cocoa is a so warm looking. Anyhow... on the to the card.... To apply the fur trim I used a quickie glue pen on the areas and then just pressed the fun flock in to it. Seems to stay put. I did go over Sprinkle and the entire outfit with a glaze pen to give her/him/it some shine! I made the little polka dots on my frame just like I did on the Queen Greenie card. Edged some pieces with cat's eyes - Vanilla and Rich Chestnut. All the frames were created with you know what... Nesties. Hurry up new nesties... I'm waiting for you.

• Stamps: All Stamps by The Cat's Pajamas
• Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, Copics, Cat's Eyes Chestnut and Vanilla
• Paper: Very Vanilla, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, The Dot Background is K and Company, Brown and other Dp is My Mind's Eye
• Other: Snowflake Cuttlebug, Nesties, Perfect layers, Ivory Ribbon, Fine Tip Brown Pen, Quickie Glue Pen and FUN FLOCK!