Flowers are always welcome....

Hi everyone!

I know it's been awhile since I've posted but I'm back with a card...finally! :)

Here in the Northwest, it's been raining like crazy! So, I decided to make a card with some flowers. Here's my card:

The flowers are from Bo Bunny and I used Copics to color them in. Although I liked how they turned out, I wanted a bit more depth. So, I used a distress marker to add the final touch of contrast within the flower. The right side of the panel was then stamped with a script stamp in distress ink and then I inked the edges. The sentiment is from Essentials by Ellen and I heat embossed it on brown cardstock to add some contrast on that side of the panel, too. My final touch was to use glossy accents to add drops to the flowers--in the center of each flower but also tiny drops on the petals that look like rain.

I'll be entering the card in the following challenge:
Word Art Wednesday--Anything Goes!

I'm hoping to post some more cards over the Christmas break. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all enjoy your holidays, too.

Merry Christmas,
Pat

#sharehandmadekindness week 1

Hi everyone!

I'm sure many of you have heard of the wonderful campaign started by Jennifer McGuire this month. The goal? Easy--spread kindness like confetti. In particular, anything handmade. That means you can share cards, cookies, quilts--anything! Each week there's a new challenge and this week we're supposed to give something handmade to friends or family. And I couldn't agree with her challenge more.

The card I'm sharing is a special one. Life throws curve balls sometimes and one of those curve balls was thrown at some people I love dearly. Cancer doesn't discriminate...and I can't wait for the day when it's completely done away with! So, my first recipient to #sharehandmadekindness was my dear friend that is dealing with cancer. I wanted to let her know she's not in this fight alone and that I'm so thankful for her friendship. Whatever it takes, we'll be in it together in this fight...and a year from now, it'll all be in the past.

Here's my card:

 The stamp (Stampendous) is one that I've been wanting to play with for awhile. I saw a video from Sandy Allnock a few months ago where she explained how to color in a vase with water. I should've refreshed my memory a bit for the stems. But, I did ok with the Copic coloring for my first time trying to color water. Pretty straight forward coloring with the flowers and then, of course, I had to add some glossy accents to the centers. The sentiment was perfect because the card was meant to thank my friend for my friendship and this reinforced that I'd pick her a thousand times over! :) I put the panel on a Hero Arts notecard and the card was done.

I'll be entering the card in the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--Thanks/Thanksgiving
Simon Says Stamp Monday--Add Glossy Accents
Word Art Wednesday--Anything Goes
#ShareHandmadeKindness--Week 1/Friends and Family

Please consider participating in the challenge. This world could truly use more kindness. Such an easy gesture for us but so meaningful to those that receive it.

Thanks for stopping by!
Pat

Poppies everywhere!

Hi friends!

Well, October flew by with very little time in my craft room but I did color some during the month. Here's one of the images I colored that I finally turned into a card.

I bought this Penny Black stamp (Fresh) because of the poppies. I LOVE poppies...they're so delicate looking and the thought of coloring them in with Copics made me giddy. It did take some time but it was so worth it! Once the flowers were all colored in, I added some shading around the flowers to just add some depth. I adhered the panel to black cardstock and added some white lines. The sentiment is from Simon Says Stamp! and it's their "Happy" set which I'm a big fan of. To the center of the flowers, I added some glossy accents, too, just to add some texture, too. LOVE this card! I love how colorful it is and how happy the overall feel of the card is.

I'm entering the card into the following challenges:
Fusion--using poppies and the color purple (see photo below)
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge--Anything Goes!
Simon Says Monday Challenge--Throwback! (Pick a previous challenge to play along with again. I chose the "Use a Stamp" challenge from this past September).
Word Art Wednesday--Anything Goes!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!
Pat

Faux Metal Ombre Card

Hi friends!

I'm popping in to share a technique I finally tried over the weekend. I saw Jennifer McGuire do it about a month or so ago and thought "that looks easy enough!"...and it was! I LOVE this technique! Not only is it super easy to do--but it's also kind of fun to combine colors.

Here's my card:

I LOVE how this card turned out! The part that took the longest? Coloring in the ballerina with Copics...but she's so cute! (Image is from the Online Card Copics Class). Once I had her all colored in, I set her aside and started on the background. I cut a piece of white cardstock and used painters tape to mark off the area I was going to work on. Then, I used Abandoned Coral and Barn Door distress inks. I LOVE how the two colors work together to give an ombre look. It is hard to see in the picture because of the shine but it looks great in real life! While the painter's tape was still on the cardstock, I added some pearl perfect pearls to the area. That gives it an amazing amount of shine! I carefully removed the tape and then used an embossing folder (Divine Swirls) to add texture. I die cut the sentiment from Impression Obsessions and then added some gems to the ballerina's tutu and her hair. As the last touch, I added Wink of Stella on the tulle of the ballerina's tutu. I think she's just beautiful! :)

I'll be entering the card in the following challenges:
Simon Says Monday Challenge--Ombre cards
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge--No designer paper
Word Art Wednesday--Anything Goes! (My favorite kind of challenge!)

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great rest of the week!
Pat

Purple Copic playtime

Hi everyone!

I'm quickly popping in to share a card with you. I've been trying to turn the coloring I've done into finished cards and this piece has been waiting for a long time. I finally added some touches to it and can share it.

Here's my card:

This Penny Black stamp is one of my favorites to color! It seems like you can color it in any color combination and it'll look amazing--I know, I've tried! :) I stamped it repeatedly with Memento Ink to create this background paper. I'm partial to purple and wanted to try my hand with that color. I added very simple shading to the flowers and leaves. I decided to fill in the white background with a blue sky. Since I had colored the panel so long ago, I realized it needed a little brightening up--it was too dark. So, I decided to try a Kathy Racoosin move and added some white gel pen highlights on the leaves and a few on the flowers. I actually really liked the added contrast and interest it gave the panel. She was right!

To make it into a card, I cut the panel at a diagonal and added a black strip. I thought it needed some contrast again so I used my green Copic marker to make a small strip to go right along that diagonal cut. I used the "Thanks" die from Impression Obsession for the sentiment, too. Finally, I wanted to add just a touch of bling so I took some white pearls and colored them in using the same Copic marker I had used on the strip of paper. It was a perfect match and added a nice touch, too.

I'll be entering the card in the following challenges:
Word Art Wednesday--Anything Goes!
Simon Says Monday Challenge--Use a Stamp
Simon Says Wed. Challenge--No Designer paper

Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by!
Pat

A birdie "Thanks"....

Hi everyone!

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. I'm popping in to share a card I made this afternoon. I saw a sketch (see picture at the bottom of this post) and immediately knew what I wanted to do with it. Love it when that happens!

Here's my card:

So for this card, it took 3 tries to finally get the masking right. I die cut a circle and used the negative to mask off the "sun". Then, I used some distress inks (squeeze lemonade and spiced marmalade) to ink the sun and put small bits of orange in it. Once the sun was ready, I removed the mask and used the die cut circle to mask the sun again so I could ink the sky. I used broken china and chipped sapphire distress inks for the sky.When I was inking the sun and sky, I thought I had added enough contrast but you can't really see it in the picture. I then used a die cut from Memory Box to mimic a fence. That's how I pictured this little bird (Hero Arts)--on a fence enjoying the day as the sun was starting to set. I colored the bird in with Copics. The sentiment is a simple "Thanks" die cut from Impression Obsession.

I'll be entering the card in the following challenges:
Simon Says Monday Challenge: Love this technique (masking and inking)
Simon Says Wed Challenge: Use a die cut
Sweet Sunday Sketch: Sketch was awesome! See below
A Blog Named Hero: Use a die cut
Word Art Wednesday: Anything Goes!

Thanks for flying by!
Pat

Playing with Bleach in the craft room!

Hi everyone!

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. I wanted to share a card I made with distress inks and bleach. I know bleach was used a lot back in the day but I had never tried it. About a month or so ago, I saw Jennifer McGuire use it (click here to watch her video) and I knew it was time to try it. It's super easy and fun to do!

Here's my card:

So, I started by inking up white cardstock in two distress ink colors. I applied a LOT of ink. Then, using the darker of the distress ink tones, I stamped my image (Teresa Collins) and quickly put clear embossing powder to heat set it. Once the panel was done, I cut it at a diagonal (you can use the other portion for another card) and got my waterbrush pen that was filled with bleach. Once the bleach touches the distress ink, it reactivates the ink and you get a bleached look inside the image. I love the texture of the embossing and the different colors that pop up after you bleach the image. So easy and cool! I finished off the card by adding a silver and black strip along the diagonal and used a Lawn Fawn "thanks" die as the sentiment.


I'll be entering the card here:
Word Art Wednesday--Anything Goes
Simon Says Monday Challenge--Use a Stamp & Punch/Die
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge--Use a Stamp

Thanks for stopping by and have a fantastic week!
Pat

A Musical Birthday

Hi all,

I hope everyone had a lovely week. I'm so glad the weekend is here! I plan on playing in my craft room A LOT! But tonight I'm popping in to share a card.

Here's my card:

I'd been meaning to use my music stamp (Impression Obsession)  for awhile and when I saw the challenge at the CAS-ual Fridays site, I knew it was the perfect chance to use it. I masked off the edges of the card so that only the middle portion was open and then stamped the image. Then, I die cut the sentiment (Impression Obsession). The flower is a die from Simon Says Stamp! (fresh daisy) and it's a favorite of mine. I layered some vellum across the panel and adhered the sentiment. Then, the panel was put on some black cardstock and the card was done.

I'll be entering the card into the following sites:
CAS-ual Fridays--Musical challenge (photo below)
Simon Says Monday Challenge--Use a stamp & die cut
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge--Use a stamp
Word Art Wednesday--Anything Goes

I'm typing this on the eve of September 11. Seems hard to believe that 14 years ago our world changed. Being from New York, it's always a sad day. I knew three people that died in the attacks. One of them I knew well. I always remember Lizzie and picture her singing in church. Take a moment to remember those that gave their lives that day to help others. And continue praying for those families that were directly affected by the attacks. Hug your loved ones....and #neverforget.

Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by,
Pat

Geometric design and Copic markers

Hi all,

I'm popping in to share a card that is very different for me. I received the background stamp as a gift and wasn't sure if I'd ever use it. Turns out, I really like it--even though coloring it all in took some time.

Here's my card:

You know how making cards for guys can be a challenge sometimes? Geometric designs work really well for masculine cards! I showed this to my husband and he really liked it. The stamp (Hero Arts--Lines) actually covers the whole card but I cut it at a diagonal to give it more interest. Once all the coloring was done, I stamped the sentiment (Inkadinkadoo) and added a few more strips to anchor the card a bit and then added gems. That was it! I wish I could say it was a "quick" card but the coloring does take awhile. However, once you are done with the coloring, you can actually cut the panel and make 2 cards with it.

I'll be entering the card into the following sites:
Virginia's View--Use a geometric shape (photo below)
Word Art Wednesday--200th Anything Goes Challenge
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge--Use a stamp

Have a great rest of the week and thanks for stopping by!
Pat

Hero Arts Ombre Ink fun

Hi all!

Well, I waited and waited to try the Hero Arts Ombre Inks and I finally got one. Actually, I played with the first ink and then ran out and bought 2 more ombre ink pads! :) They are amazing and I am having so much fun playing with them....

Here's my card:

Seriously, stamping this was SUPER easy because of the ombre ink! I used the MISTI stamp tool so that I could re-ink the stamp if necessary. I'm glad I used it because I did want the image to be a little darker and stamping it twice made the image pop even more. It also helped eliminate the initial streaking that I got when I stamped the first time. The stamp is from Teresa Collins (Fabrications) and it's great for a male card or as a really graphic background. I trimmed the sides and put the panel on black cardstock. Then I used 2 strips of DCWV silver glitter paper and added that on the sides. For the sentiment, I used the "Happy" set from Simon Says Stamp! and heat embossed the sentiment in white. Super easy card to make but so striking at the same time. If you are contemplating getting these inks--get them! They're amazing!

I'll be entering the card in the following sites:
Simon Says Wed. Challenge--Make it Colorful
CAS(E) this Sketch--I used their sketch for inspiration. LOVED the sketch! See below.
Word Art Wednesday--Anything Goes. LOVE this site!

Thanks for stopping by!
Pat

Thinking of You in hard times....

Hi friends!

I'm popping in to quickly share a card I made for someone that many of us crafters know, if only by name--Heidi Swapp. As many of you may have heard, her son died earlier this summer. I'm sure she received many cards but I wanted to let her know that she and her family were in our thoughts and prayers, too.

Here's my card:

This card took several days to complete...not because it's THAT complicated--but because I just couldn't figure out if I liked it or not! I decided to try a technique I'd learned from Jennifer McGuire years ago. This particular stamp from Penny Black (Blissful) is a reverse image stamp and I usually loves those because they're great for inking up. I began by stamping a "friend" text stamp to the background (Hero Arts) in brown. I then took the Blissful stamp and stamped that in Versamark embossing ink and heat embossed it with clear powder. So, you have a text background with a clear embossed image on top. I try to use the stamp as a guide to know where the flowers are and where the leaves are so that I can color those accordingly but it's a little tricky. I used my distress inks to start adding color to the image. It's colorful but I wasn't sure I liked it. So, I made a frame, inked it the same distress ink I used for the leaves (mowed lawn) and stamped the sentiment (Hero Arts) on a dark cardstock. I added 3 loops of twine behind the frame and added some Wink of Stella to the frame and to the flowers. Once the frame was in place, the card seemed to work. Now the focus wasn't the colorful background but the frame seemed to balance the card a bit. I ended up really liking how it turned out. It's one of my favorite techniques because of the colorful inking you can do with it. Hope you will give it a try!

I'll be entering the card into the following challenges:
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge--Make it Colorful
Just Add Ink--Spring flowers (inspiration photo at the bottom of the post)
V's Sweet Ideas--Technique Time
Word Art Wednesday--Anything Goes

Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by!
Pat

Life is Sweeter when Shared with Friends

Hi friends!

This week seems to have flown by for me! I'm popping in quickly to share a card. I'm in love with this Penny Black stamp. I LOVE poppies! Here's my card:

I'm not sure if there are purple poppies...but, in my world, there are! :) I used my Copics to color in the image. If you look closely, you'll see that one of the petals has been adhered to give added dimension to the flower. I really like how that makes the flower look more real. The sentiment is from an old Hero Arts set that has tons of sentiments. I thought this one was perfect for sending to a friend.

I'll be entering the card into the following challenges:
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge--Anything Goes
Word Art Wednesday--Anything Goes

Have a great weekend, everyone!
Pat

A Male card

Hi friends!

I'm just getting back from vacation but wanted to quick pop in and share a card. I needed a card for some men and those can be tricky. You don't want tons of embellishments and they can't be too girly so I went with a nautical theme. Here's my card:

The stamp (Lawn Fawn's "Float My Boat") was perfect for a clean and simple look. I began by heat embossing some chevron lines. I knew that would give it some added texture and interest. Then, I die cut some stitched circles and added some white lines right along the stitching of the red circle. Then, I stamped the anchor and added a brad (remember when those were used?!). The brad is perfect for this card. It's not too flashy yet does add some "bling". I popped up the anchor so that it had some added dimension. The sentiment is on the inside and it simply says "you are my anchor". Simple card but I tend to keep things simple for male cards.

I'm entering this card into several challenges:
Word Art Wednesday--Anything Goes
Lawnscaping Challenge--Embossing challenge
Just Add Ink--Create a Male Card


Have a great week, everyone, and thanks for stopping by!
Pat

Hey Diddle Diddle!

Hi friends!

I'm popping in to share a card I made this week. I think baby cards are cute and I love how this one turned out! Here's my card:

I used stamps from an Inkadinkadoo set and just thought it was adorable to use these little stuffed animals together. The set also has a little monkey and a puppy...so many fun images that would work great! I colored in the images using Copic markers and that's always fun! I purposely kept the colors neutral so the card is ready for any expectant parents. I added some flooring just so that the images didn't look like they were floating on air. I also used my white gel pen to add some stripes to the elephant's patches. I didn't think of adding a small pearl to the bear's button until after I'd taken the photograph. The sentiment comes with the stamp set and I just think it's adorable!

I'll be entering the card in the following sites:
Word Art Wednesday--anything goes!
V's Sweet Ideas--also anything goes

Thanks for stopping by!
Pat

Happy birthday!

Hi friends!

Yes, it's been a bit since I've posted...but I have been busy playing in my room. I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. I'm popping in to share a card I made. It's from a Teresa Collins set I purchased recently and I just love it! Here's my card:

I LOVE how bold this stamped image is. I stamped it repeatedly with pigment ink so that I could heat emboss it. The heat embossing gave it such a nice shine when it was all done. I went ahead and colored in the center of the flowers using distress markers. Then, I stamped the sentiment but realized it was still missing something. I thought maybe the white spaces in between the flowers were what needed something extra so I free handed some green dots in clusters. That helped--but I still felt like something was missing. I then saw some epoxy stickers of butterflies. They're clear and I'd been waiting to use them. I grabbed a few of my Copic markers and began coloring in this butterfly. I think it added that touch I knew was missing. Gotta love those Copic markers! :)

I'll be entering the card into the following challenges:
Simon Says Wednesday Blog--anything goes!
Just Add Ink: Butterfly challenge
Word Art Wednesday--Anything goes!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!
Pat

Happy Anniversary card

Hi friends! 

Hope everyone is having a good week so far...I'm popping in to share another card I made this past weekend. Here it is:

The simple elegance of this card is what I love most! Hero Arts released this stamp a year or two ago and I STILL LOVE it! It's incredibly elegant and is just so striking when you stamp and emboss the image on dark cardstock. The sentiment (sorry it's hard to see) is from Simon Says Stamp! and I added just a few gems to add even more glitz to the card. Super fast card to make but I LOVE the look of it! The best part? You can easily use this stamp for many occasions--anniversary, birthday, congratulations, sympathy...it's incredibly versatile because of the elegance of it. 

I'll be entering the card in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp!--Sparkle and Shine challenge

Word Art Wednesday--anything goes

Have a great rest of the week!

Pat

Watercolor birthday wishes

Hi friends!

It has been forever since I've posted...but I took some time to craft today and I'm finally posting a new card. Here's my card:

I LOVE this die from Memory Box! It's called Lunette and the butterfly is just stunning! It's so intricate...and yes, it's a bit time-consuming to pop out all those little holes on the butterfly's wing but it is so worth it!

I knew I wanted to make a watercolor background for this beauty. For the background, I used my distress ink pads and smeared the colors on the craft mat. Then, I spritzed the mat and smushed the watercolor paper onto the mat. I wanted there to be at least 2 layers of color so I heat dried the first later and then dipped the paper into the inky water again. For some added interest, I stamped a handwriting stamp on top of the background, too. I layered the paper onto brown cardstock and then added the sentiment (Hero Arts). I wanted to give the butterfly a bit of extra shine, too, so I used my Wink of Stella on the edges of the butterfly. It looks lovely in real life.

I'll be entering the card in a couple different website challenges.
Simon Says Stamp--anything goes!
Word Art Wednesday--anything goes!

Stay cool and have a great week!
Pat

Butterfly Birthday wishes

Hi all!

Yes, it's been TOO long since I've posted anything...but I have been coloring some. Finishing the homeschooling year has taken a lot of my time but I'm hoping to dedicate some more time to crafting soon.

I'm sharing a card I made for a friend of mine. She's one of the "big names" in the card making industry and she's super nice! She's been incredibly generous to my family, especially to my youngest son who absolutely adores her. She's been a huge blessing! Her birthday was just a few days ago so I made the time to craft her a card. Here it is:

I love the colors on this card! Jennifer happens to love the color turquoise so I made sure to use a lot of that on the card. For the background, I used one of my favorite techniques. I took some watercolor paper and used several different Ranger distress ink colors. I smeared the distress ink directly onto my slick craft mat and then spritzed all the color with water. I let the colors mix a bit and then pounced the paper on it. I did it once and then heat set it and then took the paper into all the colors again so it has some depth to it. I thought it would be fun to add some circles--but I ended up not liking that so much. Oh well--sometimes you need to try things anyway. But I did add some small polka dots (Impression Obsession) and I do like the added depth of that. I was dying to use a new die (Lunette die by Memory Box) and I made that my focal point. The die was cut out of white cardstock and then I used my distress inks to add color to the butterfly. I wanted to add some brown to match the antennae so I added the circle around the opening. I then realized I didn't want to add the sentiment on the front. So, it's on the inside.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great weekend!
Pat

The card will be entered into the following challenges:
My Favorite Things: Summer School Focal Point lesson
Simon Says Stamp Wed Challenge: Use your favorite technique
Word Art Wednesday: Anything Goes

Heartfelt thanks ballerina

Hi friends!

I'm popping in really quickly to share a card I made for someone that sent me quite the gift. I'm sure many of you participate in blog hops. I happened to have won a prize not long ago and the person not only sent me the prize but also included TONS of extra goodies in the package! Lovely goodies...tons of goodies! She wrapped all the extras in these cute little envelopes and it was just such a lovely surprise. I was so grateful and touched by her kindness. So, I wanted to send a card back letting her know I appreciated the gifts. Here's my card:

Yes, I'm still on my Copic coloring kick. And yes, I used the ballerina image Kristina Werner designed for the Copic Online Card Class. I just love this image! I wanted to add some polka dots to the front of the card to just add some interest. The sentiment is from Hero Arts and I heat embossed it. On the ballerina, I wanted to add some gems around the bun of her hair so that it looked like she was wearing a tiara. And every ballerina should have some sparkle so her shoes and the tulle under her tutu has Wink of Stella. I added some more gems around the sentiment and the card was done. Such a fun card to make!

I'll be entering this card in the following challenges:
Always Playing With Paper--use Polka Dots (see picture below)
Word Art Wednesday--Anything Goes
Simon Says Monday Blog--Anything Goes
Simon Says Wednesday Blog--Anything Goes


Thanks for stopping by and have a great rest of the week!
Pat

Ballerina Birthday

Hi all!

Yes, I'm posting twice in a week! I guess there are a few perks to having my husband gone on a business trip! I'm sharing a card I made with a digital image provided by Kristina Werner for the Online Card Class for Copic coloring. I LOVE this image! I think it's so cute! And it was tons of fun to color...Here's my card:

There's a little girl turning 3 in May and I just think she's as adorable as this image. I can't wait to put this card in the mail for her! I stamped some polka dots to the front of the card for some interest. The front of the card had a circle die cut in the middle of it so I die cut a frame to outline the circle a bit more and then stamped the sentiment. The sentiment is from Hampton Arts and then I added some little gems to the cake stand and to her ballet slippers, too. The only thing that truly took a bit of time was the coloring and the fussy cutting. Other than that, though, the rest of the card is pretty simple.

I'll be entering the card here:
V's Sweet Ideas--"Anything Goes" challenge
Simon Says Monday Challenge--"In the Middle"
Word Art Wednesday--"Anything Goes"



Thanks for stopping by!
Pat

Heartfelt Sympathy

Hi all!

I hope everyone is having a good week so far. I've been able to do a bit of coloring these last few days because my husband is away on a business trip. So, Copic coloring has been my past time! :)

Here's my card:

Sympathy cards are the HARDEST to make. So, I decided to use a digital image and keep it simple yet elegant. I wish I could share where I got the digital image from but I just recently found it in a file on my son's computer. I have no idea where I got the image from! However, the sentiment is from a company I hadn't heard of before--A Creative Journey with Melissa. I have the "Outside and In" set and LOVE it! The quality of the stamps are great! There's a sympathy message on the inside of the card, too, and it just adds such a special touch.

The image was colored in using Copics. I have so enjoyed being able to just put the kids to bed, turn on a movie, and color away! Hoping to share more cards soon.



I'll be entering this card in the following challenges:
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge--Use Spring Flowers
Simon Says Monday Challenge--"In the Middle"
Word Art Wednesday--Anything goes!

Thanks for stopping by!
Pat

More Copic practice

Hi friends!

It's been a while since I've had time to craft and post...but I'm popping in to share a birthday card. I had intended to play along with a coloring challenge but homeschooling has really interrupted that intention. However, I did get some coloring done while the kids were sick and now I've completed a card. Here it is:

Copics--I've fallen in love with them! If there's ever been a time that I've wished for MORE TIME, it's been now. I wish I could sit and color and play in my room more than I have been. Oh well...summer is almost here! :)

I used Copics to color in the image and also outline the image. In the center of the flowers I added some Wink of Stella so that there's some shine on them. So much fun to color in! And yes, I forgot to add the "happy birthday" sentiment so that is stamped on the inside.

I'm entering the card into the following "anything goes" challenge sites:
Word Art Wednesday
V's Sweet Ideas

Thanks for stopping by!
Pat

It's Your Birthday!

Hi friends!

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. Ours was packed with good friends and that's always a great weekend in my book!

I'm popping in to share a card I made for a friend. Since I've started really using my Copics, I'm venturing out to making cards that include images of people. I've stayed away from images like these because of the coloring...but I'm slowly gaining the confidence to use them more. Here's my card:

How cute is this image?! (Art Impressions--Birthday Hat Set). AND, the sentiment, which is on the inside, says "It's your birthday, wear it in style!". So funny! Since this lady looked so fancy, I wanted to make sure I added some shimmer. So, the icing, her bracelet, the flap of her clutch, and the bow all have Wink of Stella. Coloring her dress was tons of fun! And the cake was fun, too. I did add some stripes and dots to the candles--not sure I love it--but I'm practicing with altering images. I mounted the image on a red top-folding card and then added a strip of silver glitter paper from Die Cuts with a View.

I'm entering this card in a couple of different challenges.
Inkspirational--they wanted a woman image.
Word Art Wednesday--anything goes.


Have a great week, friends!
Pat

Hugs & Kisses

Hi friends!

I'm here to quickly share yet another floral card that I colored with Copics. I'm really enjoying coloring along with #thedailymarker30day challenge. Now, once I'm done coloring, I can put the image on a card and quickly finish another card. Easy! :)

Here's my card:

I used an image from Penny Black (Poppy Time) to color. I stamped the image twice so that I could cut out one of the panels and pop it up to add some dimension. The sentiment is from Hero Arts and I heat embossed it. The strip of paper that the sentiment sits on--yeah, that was a last minute necessity. I knew the card was too long and that I needed to trim it. But I measured wrong and the stems were cut way too short. So, I decided to color in a strip of white paper to match the deep green I used on the buds and then just covered the place where I accidentally cut the image. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I fixed a mistake! Lesson? Don't be too quick to throw away a card that you have made a mistake on. It may be fixable! :)

I'm entering the card at the Word Art Wednesday site that always hosts an "Anything Goes" challenge.

Thanks for stopping by!
Pat

Lucky Me....

Hi friends!

It seems like forever since I've had a chance to share a card. We were "lucky" enough to have both kids sick for weeks! And, since they've been taught to share so well, they shared their germs with my husband and I, too. Grateful we're all feeling better now.

Here's my latest card.

I've been busy coloring along with #thedailymarker30day challenge. (There's still time to play along!) So, this is one of the images I colored last week and it's actually on a card now! I used an image from Stampendous and used Copics to color in the image. Love this image! These look like the flowers that come up every spring in my garden. They make me happy. :)

I've been enjoying the coloring so much! And I'm slowly starting to mix colors that aren't from the same color families, too. The image was mounted on black cardstock that was stamped with the Damask stamp from Hero Arts and then heat embossed. Looks lovely in real life. And the sentiment? It's from Ellen Hutson and it's called "Scripty Thanks". I'm LOVING that set!

I'm entering the card at the following challenges:
The Paper Players--A clean and simple floral image
Word Art Wednesday--Anything goes.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Hoping to share another card really soon!
Pat

More Copic coloring fun!

Hi everyone!

Yes, I'm still on my Copic coloring kick...Ever since taking the class, I try to find time to color and have been enjoying it more and more every time. I wanted to share a card I made for some friends. They're going through a hard time and, sometimes, all we can do is pray. So, I'm sending this card to reassure them that we're praying with them through this difficult time. Here's my card:

I love this little bird from Hero Arts! He's so much fun to color! I used BG 10 and 15 for his body with some yellow and touches of orange, too. I also added some Wink of Stella on his chest and on his wing so there's this subtle shimmer on him in real life. I knew I wanted to use a kraft cardstock but I wanted some pop of color on it so I added some polka dots. I found some cardstock that matched the bird quite well so I added some embossing to the cardstock (Swiss Dots from Cuttlebug) and that added some interest to the card, too. Super simple card (sentiment is also from Hero Arts and heat embossed) but I wanted the focus to be on the bird.

I'll be entering the card in the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp! Wednesday Challenge--Add a Little Texture
Word Art Wednesday--Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!
Pat

A Foxy Card

Hi all!

I hope everyone is having a good week. I got to have some fun today and work on a quick card. As I've mentioned before, I've been taking the Online Card Classes Copic class and I'm now having a lot of fun cutting out and using the images I've been coloring. This image, from Lawn Fawn, was provided to the class so we could practice coloring "critters". And even though I had to fussy cut it out, it was pretty easy to do so I'm thinking you may be seeing more foxes soon. :)

Here's my card:

I decided to keep the card VERY simple so that the coloring would take center stage. The fox was colored in using Copics (YR 04, YR07, R17) and I LOVE how it turned out! The coloring wasn't perfect and there was some bleeding but thanks to my trusty white gel pen, those mistakes were covered up. :) For the fox's tail, I was tempted to just it just a really stark white but, in the end, I went with adding some shine to it with Wink of Stella. I also wanted to ground the image so I added some flecks of grass with Copics, too. The sentiment is from Simon Says Stamp! (You) and I love how the fox really does look like she's thinking of her fellow fox. So cute! The panel is a die cut frame from Lawn Fawn with stitched lines...LOVE it! Such an elegant look. For the card base, I just inked a small dots background stamp from Impression Obsession and stamped the dots with Versamark ink. Again, keeping it simple so that the coloring is the main focus.

I'll be entering the card in two different challenges: Word Art Wednesday--Anything Goes challenge.
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge--All Creatures Great and Small

Thanks for stopping by and have a great rest of the week!
Pat

A special birthday card

Hi friends!

I'm popping in quickly to share a card I made for my son. My oldest turned 13 yesterday (I'm still in shock!) and I wanted to celebrate the transformation he's gone thru this past year. Here's my card:

I knew he wouldn't "like" the butterfly but I also knew he'd understand why I used the butterfly. He's gone thru quite the metamorphosis this year--growing taller, voice changing--that the butterfly was perfect.

I kept it pretty simple. I'm still practicing my Copic coloring so I used one of the images provided by the Online Card Class and colored it in. It was so much fun to color in this image! Next time I use the butterfly, I'll add shine and glossy accents, too, but since this was for a boy, I knew that should be kept to a minimum. I tried to add some added interest to the butterfly by using a sharpie to accent some of the veins on the wings--not sure I like it....May try darkening the outer veins next time...but still, you have to try to figure out what works and what doesn't. I cut out strips of white cardstock and colored them in using the same Copic markers I used on the butterfly and then did a polka-dot strip, too. Stamped and embossed the sentiment and the card was done.

I'll be entering this card here:
Simon Says Anything Goes Wed. challenge.
Word Art Wednesday "anything goes" challenge.

Have a great week! Thanks for stopping by.
Pat

Best and Warmest of Wishes

Hi friends!

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. For those of us on the West Coast, we're enjoying much warmer than normal temperatures. But I know most of the East Coast is gearing up for quite the snow storm. Stay warm and safe!

I'm sharing a card today that I'm quite excited about! I asked my husband to buy me the Copic Online Card Class for Christmas. I've been watching videos ever since. My Copic collection isn't large and I've been so frustrated trying to learn the techniques. But the classes are really very helpful. As is true for everything else in life, the more you practice, the easier it will become. And I'm enjoying coloring more and more. So, although I'm no expert, I'm thrilled to share a card using my Copics!

Here's my card:

I stamped the image using Memento Black ink and the stamp is from Penny Black. I colored in the image using Copic markers. The sentiment is from Simon Says Stamp! (Apothecary Labels). I trimmed down the image panel and added some black strips just to add some interest to the card. The card was then adhered to red cardstock (Hero Arts) and the card was done. I contemplated adding gems and Wink of Stella...but I decided to just leave it alone and let the coloring take center stage. Sometimes, less is more.

If you want to learn how to use your Copics, I highly recommend taking the Online Card Class offered. I've watched the videos many times now and even my 10 year old son is learning how to blend and shade because of the videos.

Here are the websites I'll be entering the card in:
Word Art Wednesday--"Anything Goes" challenge
Cute Card Thursday--"Colourful" challenge
Runway Inspired Challenge--Carven (see image below for the inspiration. I used the bright colors with black as the inspiration.)

Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!
Pat

Celebrate...a baby!

Hi friends!

I'm not sure if you all heard me squeal when I realized I could slip away for an hour and work on a card in the middle of the week! :) Today, I'm sharing a special card for a special baby. One of the moments I love most in life is when you realize someone has sneaked into your heart and you didn't even realize it. The little baby boy that this card is going to is just a little over 2 weeks old. He's a preemie and he's been working hard to gain weight and come home to his loving parents. He's named just like my oldest. Although I don't know him--or even his parents--he's become special to me. And he's perfectly cute, too! You are all welcome to join me in praying for baby Sammy, too.
Here's my card:

The design of the card is based on a sketch (see below) from Freshly Made Sketches. I changed the design just a bit and added the twine to mimic the space between the papers. I knew that I wanted to use hearts and I remembered a small stamp set that I got for $1 at a local craft store. Those three hearts come as a little border and it was perfect for the card! I chose blue and red and just stamped the border over and over. I then stamped the sentiment (Hampton Arts) and wrapped the baker's twine. The onesie die cut, although hard to see in the picture, is from WPlus9 and I stamped the large heart from that same $1 set. Because every baby should be celebrated, I did add some shine to the inside of the hearts with some Wink of Stella. Super easy card...but I really like how it turned out!

Here are the sites where I'll be entering the card:
Simon Says Stamp! Wednesday challenge--use hearts
Word Art Wednesday--anything goes!
Freshly Made Sketches--see picture below for the sketch.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great rest of the week!
Pat

You're an 11!

Hi all!

After quite the break from crafting, I'm here to finally share a card. Although I haven't been making many cards, I have been taking the Copic marker class from Online Card Classes and having tons of fun coloring. Here's my card:

Today's card has tons of color and a couple techniques, too. First off, the background. I used several different distress inks to make the background. I used the ink pads to smear some color on my nonstick mat and then sprayed the ink so that I could use the colors as a watercolor wash. The colors, though, weren't as deep as I wanted them to be. I'd pounce the paper back into the color but I wasn't getting the deep blue I had hoped for. So, once I did several watercolor layers, I added some dark blue distress ink with the blending tool on the corners. I also wanted to tie in some red since the bird has some red so that was done with the blending tool, too. I then cut out a circle using a die cut and positioned the sentiment where I wanted it. The sentiment is from Simon Says Stamp!'s Apothecary Labels.

The bird was colored in using Copic markers. Like I mentioned, I have been taking the online class and I've loved it. There were some images provided so I fussy cut the bird and used the image. I used dimensional tape to adhere him and added some navy blue strips along the background paper, too.

Such a fun, inky, colorful card to make!

Here's the sites I'll be entering the card in:
Word Art Wednesday--"anything goes"
Send A Smile 4 Kids--a great site that provides handmade cards to kids--"anything goes" challenge

Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!
Pat