Nevermore

Have you tried Inka Gold Metallic Rubs yet? I think they've been around for awhile, but I just discovered them a few months ago, and I love them! They are fantastic for creating a metallic look on just about anything, and it's super easy to age or distress with "rust" or "oxidation," too!

This Halloween card started out with a Serendipity Owl die cut that has been sitting in a tray on my craft table for months. I had heat embossed it with silver embossing powder, and I really liked it, but couldn't decide what to do with it. When I got this steampunk clock die, the owl immediately came to mind. I colored the owl with Copic markers and touches of Inka Gold, then I lightly sanded it to let some of the silver sparkle through. It is backed with a piece of vellum, which I colored with Copics also. The vellum seemed too pristine for the aged owl once it was in place, so I spritzed the owl lightly with Black Marble Dylusions Ink Spray. It wiped easily from the owl, remaining just on the vellum. The background text is an Impression Obsession stamp called The Raven. It's the first half of the narrative poem by Edgar Allan Poe. If you know the poem, there is a raven in it, who shows up right at midnight, who can talk. But, all he ever says is Nevermore. Creepy, right? Perfect for Halloween! And, how cool, that Graphic 45 has a Nevermore image in its Steampunk Spells pad! I used Inka Gold on a button, then tied a twine knot in it. The clock die cut is where I had fun with the Inka Gold.

I can't get over how fantastic this looks! I cut the clock face out of a dark brown cs, then used several colors of Inka Gold (colors listed below) randomly on it until I had a scorched metal look. I cut the clock hands from kraft cardstock and used less copper than on the clock face to help delineate it. It's put together with a copper brad.

On the inside, I tore the edge off a piece of My Mind's Eye dp, then continued the "scorched" look by inking the torn edge with Peeled Paint Distress Ink and Black Soot Ink. The sentiment, from a dollar bin Inkadinkado stamp set is stamped onto a pale yellow cs die cut (the wonky die cut in the Blueprints 15 Die-namics set). I colored the Halloween text with a Copic marker, and stamped the Haunted Tree stamp in the lower left corner.

And, that'll do it for me today! Thanks for stopping by!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Serendipity Stamps Challenge #33: Twine
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards Challenges #69: For the Birds
613 Avenue Create #80: Anything Goes

~Hugs,

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Wedded Bliss

A friend is getting married next weekend, after having been separated from his fiance for over a year while she was finishing up a teaching contract in Alaska. She finally came back home a few weeks ago, and my friend is counting down the days until the big day. I'm so happy for them!

I decided to go with an all white card for this one. (Which made for some tough photo editing--I never did get it the right shade!) After misting several intricate die cuts with Perfect Pearl mist, I layered them, popping up two. I wish you could see the shimmer in the photo. Then, I tied a 3-loop bow with a sheer ribbon and glued it to the corner, along with a pretty metal heart charm.

I used a old Flourishes stamp set for the sentiments inside. The silhouette of the bride and groom is heat embossed with a pinkish-gold sparkly embossing powder. The other stamped images were stamped with Toffee Crunch Memento Ink, and aren't nearly as brown as they look in the photo. 

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a blissful day! ;)

~Hugs,

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Gardening Tools in Pencil

I used the Gardening Tools image on a card a few days ago, but I wanted to try coloring it with Prismacolor pencils, too. I love my Copics, but I have to say, this turned out much better in pencil. Of course, with Impression Obsession images, you can hardly go wrong in any medium. :D 

The entire image is colored with Prismacolor pencils. I added a black line around the image with a .01 Micron marker, and some clear Wink of Stella on the butterfly. And, I used this week's Mojo Monday sketch again, altering it just a bit by moving the image to the top of the card and adding the birthday tag (or is that a flag???) ;-) The birthday sentiment is embossed with black so it would show up on the busy paper it's on.

On the inside, I cut a few images from the Enchanted Garden paper and distressed the edges. The sentiment was stamped with Teal Zeal Memento ink and Pear Tart Ink, for a shadow effect.

Thanks for stopping by!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Paper Shelter Challenge #165: Photo Inspiration
Mojo Monday #353
613 Avenue Create #79: Create Your Own Challenge (image, sentiment, embossing, flowers, paper punch)
Paper Issues: Gettin' the Scoop on the Sweet Days of Summer
Sugar Pea Designs SPD06: Anything Goes
Impression Obsession Challenge: Colors of Summer!
Chocolate, Coffee, & Cards Challenge #68: Summer Days

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Back to School

It seems like summer just got started and it's almost time to go back to school! My DD goes back in just one month!!! Sheez! Already time to make cards for the teachers. :)

This is another Impression Obsession image that I've had for awhile, but never colored. Actually, until I started coloring it, I didn't even know that there was a swing in the foreground. I thought it was a collage-type image. This image took a lot less time to color than you would think. I started by laying down a Copic base in a medium red on the school house, then used Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol for the entire image. I love my Copics, but it is a lot more relaxing to color with pencils. They are easier for me to control. ;) The layout is from this week's Mojo Monday sketch. The little leaf embellies in the corner were die cut from dp a couple of times, and the layers glued together for stability, I inked the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink, then I dipped them in UTEE in my melting pot. They are attached to the card with 3D glue.

I made the inside panel by punching the top edge of the cs, then I used an MFT Blueprints 13 die to cut the perforated line and added scraps from the front of the card to the bottom. My DD is giving this to her favorite teacher, whom she has had for her challenge/gifted class for the past 3 years, so she chose the sentiment, and I have to concur--her teacher is fabulous! :-)

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful week!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Mojo Monday 353
Simon Says Stamp Monday: Start From Scratch (Leaf embellies)
613 Avenue Create #79: Create Your Own Challenge (image, die cut, solid color paper, sequins, punch)
Freshly Brewed Designs: July Challenge #1-In the Sky
Corrosive Challenge #203: Forever Young
Sugar Pea Designs SPD06: Anything Goes

~Hugs,

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Bugs

Good morning, Friends! I've got one more card to share before I take a short break to finish up the kits for my July classes.

I used this same stamp set a few days ago, but for this one, I also used the coordinating die set to cut out all the images. Everything is colored with Copics, and, it's very subtle, but I added clear Wink of Stella to the sun for a little shine. I just love this sentiment. It's such a sweet way to send an apology. :~)

I used my Copic airbrush again to create a cloudy sky (I am seriously loving my airbrush lately!), added a grassy border and a couple of ants, and I was done! So easy!

Thanks for stopping by!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
MFT Color Palette Challenge #7
613 Avenue Create #79: Anything Goes
Freshly Brewed July Challenge #1: In the Sky
Paper Issues Challenge: In the Navy
Corrosive Challenge #203: Forever Young
Sugar Pea Challenge SPD06: Anything Goes
Chocolate, Coffee, & Cards Challenge #68: Summer Days
CMC Copic Challenge #95: Friends

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Colorful Life

I'm back with a simple card that might look like it needs a little something else, but I left it very clean on the front on purpose. ;)

I colored this Pure Innocence sweetie with Copics. I'm trying to learn to color pleats and folds in clothing, so this image, with all it's large open spaces in the shirt and skirt, was a good one to practice on. To make the polka dots on the shirt, I just used the brush tip on my colorless blender. To color the background, I masked the image completely, then airbrushed with a blue Copic. I went with a solid white card base and sentiment stamped in black to compliment the "colorless" clothing. Then, when you open the card...

the same image is colored in extremely vibrant colors, and I added a colorful, doodled border with extra fine Sharpie markers! I just love the contrast between the front and the inside of the card! FUN!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a colorful day!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Sugar Pea Designs Challenge SPD06: Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: W is for White
Paper Issues: In the Navy

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Gardening Tools

I've been busy since yesterday making cards from the images I colored on vacation, and the image I used on this card is one I've colored unsuccessfully several times over the past few months, but I think I finally colored one acceptable enough for a card!

Isn't this a pretty stamp? It's fabulous for summertime! I love the detail in the tools, and all the elements around it. I colored the image with Copics, adding white highlights with a Prismacolor pencil and a little sparkle on the butterfly with a clear Wink of Stella pen and a black Spica pen. I used a copper Krylon pen around the edge of the Labels 4 die cut and added color inside the die with Distress Ink. The sunflower on the gingham bow is an MFT Die-namics flower. I added black "seeds" in the center of the flower with a black Pearl Pen. This is a rather large card, as I used the 5x7 Elegant Labels 4 die set to cut the layers. I don't normally like cards this large, but it was nice to have plenty of room for embellishing with a big bow and flower. :)

The sentiment on the inside of the card is from JustRite stamps, as is the stamped flourish on the bottom of the panel. After cutting the bottom border with a curved border die, I left the die on the cs, then airbrushed just the bottom area of the panel using the chisel end of a Copic marker, then turned the marker around and added spatters along the edge of the panel using the brush tip.

I've got a couple more cards to post, but probably won't be able to get to them until later tonight. In the meantime, thanks for stopping by, and enjoy the rest of the day!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Impression Obsession Challenge: Colors of Summer
Corrosive Challenge #202: Color Me Happy
Chocolate, Coffee, & Cards Challenge #68: Summer Days
The Paper Shelter Challenge #165: Photo Inspiration

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Happy Spook-aween!

Happy 4th of July!!! Do you have big plans for the holiday weekend? Since we just got back from vacation, we don't have a lot planned, but we will be spending the day around the pool at my mother's house, with family, and making it a combination celebration for Independence, and for my DD's 10th birthday, which is on the 5th. Happy Birthday, Sweetie! :D

I've been doing a lot more coloring lately, since I took the Copic Whimsical Faces & Hair class about 3 weeks ago. I need a lot more practice, and tend to have to color several images before I have one I'm satisfied with, but the class helped me a lot. It was a fun class, but the best part of the weekend was getting to meet my former Flourishes teamie, Deborah Anton, in person! She came for the class and we spent a few days together. OMGosh, she is so sweet, and we had a great time! I was sad to see her leave, especially since she moved over 200 miles further away this week! :(  But, that just gives me an excuse to take a trip to Virginia, once she gets settled in! :D

Oh yes, I have a card, don't I? ;)

I know it's just barely summer, but Halloween cards are fun to make anytime. This little cutie is a Tiddly Winks image. I colored her with Copics on Neenah paper. The dp is from a discontinued We R Memory Keepers 6x6 paper pad called Spookville. The moon is made from 2 layers of vellum. I embossed just the top layer with a swirly embossing folder to add a little texture to it.  

The white panel on the inside has a die cut border, made with an Impression Obsession die called, Halloween Hill. The detail on that die is amazing, and it pops out of the die easily every time. I colored the windows and pumpkin "lights" with a Copic marker.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a Happy 4th!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Robyn's Fetish Challenge #218: Stripes or Dots
MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge #183
613 Avenue Create #78: Anything Goes
Corrosive Challenge #202: Color Me Happy

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Every Day a Picnic

Hello there! We just got in from an Orlando vacation, late, late last night, after driving 9 hours with no air conditioner! OMGosh, how in the world we did that when I was a kid, I'll never know! It was miserable! But, the rest of the vacation was great! I was able to meet up with friends and go to StampFest in Orlando while we were there, and, my DH, DD, and I spent four days in the parks. My DD, who turns 10 this week, rode her first "big kid" roller coaster, the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, in Universal Studios, and now she is a roller coaster fanatic! If you haven't seen that coaster, you MUST check it out! It starts out climbing 17 stories straight up...YES, straight up! Then the big drop, followed by a loop that you actually spiral around! I was scared to death that my DD was going to go flying out, but she not only stayed in, she was grinning ear to ear at the end of the ride. Here's a good video of the ride, if you're interested in seeing what crazy people do on vacation! ;D

While we were gone, I was able to do quite a bit of coloring. This is a MFT stamp, colored with Copics. I airbrushed the sky with a Copic marker.

The inside is simple. I just love this sentiment. I have so many people I'd like to send this to. 

Hope you are having a wonderful summer!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
MFT Wednesday Stamp Club 182
Corrosive Challenge #202: Color Me Happy
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes
613 Avenue Create Challenge #78: Anything Goes

~Hugs,

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