Adventure is Out There!

For those of you that have watched "Up" you will recognize that quote from the movie. Since it is one of my grandsons fav's (and ours too!) we watch it... a lot!  I thought that would be the perfect sentiment for my tag bookmark using one of the new releases from Tiddly Inks:

I love to read and I don't know why I haven't made myself a bookmark yet. Well, I do know.. lol! I am one of those dog ear people. I always fold down the corners of the pages.  But I NEVER do that to a book a friend has loaned me and right now I am reading two that fall in that catagory. So.. tonight she will get put to work. 

Tiddly Inks has some new papers and digi goodies that I used for the background on this. I layered the text, some gears and then on top of all that my cute image. I also added a few of my own customs brushes and tubes from my own software (I used PSP7).

Here's some close ups:

Here's the copics I used:

The stamp and papers are both from Tiddly Inks. Everything else was from my stash. 

All that's left is to get this linked up in some challenges : )

Challenges:

Tiddly Inks - Tag or Ticket Me

Tiddly Inks - Sample Show Off Challenge

Digi Doodle Shops Best - Anything Goes 

Papercraft Star - Anything Goes

The Paper Shelter - Anything Goes

A Spoon Full of Sugar - Create a Tag

Make it Monday - Anything Goes (Linky Party)

Hugs~

Doily Freebie

Hi everyone! I've been playing around with this doily my Gramma had made. I scanned it in and it took me forever to remove the background. How pretty would this be to print just one portion on floral Designer Paper? I can't wait to try it! 

The original is approx. 8x8". I also uploaded a few more tickets to my freebie page. 

Hugs~

Altered Dominoes with Copics Video Tutorial

Hi all!! I'm here today for icopic to show you an amazing way to use your copics reinkers!! See the bottom of this post for links to all of the products used to create these pendants.  This is what I will be making in the video:

Here's links to most of the products used:
Copic reinkers
Colorless Blender
Glossy Accents
X-Press It Adhesive Tape
Mini Mister

I can't wait to see what sort of things you inspire me with for our current challenge which is Anything but a Card.

Hugs~

Help from Blogland Urgently needed

This is a very distressing post and for that I apologize.  Every once in awhile you hear about a situation that requires action. We all know what a loving, tight knit community the card/scrapmaking world is. One of our own, Cindy and Kevin Echtinaw, owners of StampingScrapping.com , lost their 27 yr. old daughter over the weekend. You can find more info including information on how you can make donations to help the family with all of the expenses HERE. And we can all pray. That is free AND powerful. 

Hugs~

One Crazy Stamper - Stampavie

Have you gotten a card in our challenge at One Crazy Stamper yet? It is such a wonderful recipe that Jacilynn chose! All you need to cook up something is:

• 1 Image
• 2 Designer Papers
• 3 Embellishments (Bellies or embellies)

How cool is that?! Well I had a lot of fun playing with this card:

That is one of the amazing images by Sarah Kay for Stampavie. This is the first time I've tried stamping (with my Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black) directly onto Designer Paper before coloring with my copics.

Here's a close up so you can see what I am talking about:

That was stamped right on Bo Bunny Gabrielle paper. The other dp is not Bo Bunny.  Granted, it is more like coloring on Georgia Pacific cardstock if you've ever done that.  It soaks up a little more ink and does not blend near as nice as X-Press It paper but you can color on it.  I was really happy with the final results and always LOVE to find new ways to use my copics.

Here's the copic colors I used:

Here's a close up of my bow that I dyed with my Spun Sugar Tim Holtz Distress Ink by just running the ink pad directly over my seam binding. Then I misted it slightly with my mini mister to get a uniform color. 

That's all from me today. Make sure you check the DT Blog tomorrow for more great inspiration from our marvelous team!!

Ohhhhh bloggger!! Will you please give me back a scroll bar while posting? Oh well, I guess I can learn to do with arrow buttons but I've got to admit, I do like the new look. Just takes a bit to learn to navigate. Does anyone know what that little box with the graph means next to how many comments each post has had (while in your dashboard)? You would think it means visits to that post but it can't be or it is just not accurate because it is usually lower in number than comments.

Hugs~

The Outlawz - Shaped Cards

This week in The Outlawz Greeting Card Challenge we want to see your shaped cards. I am recycling an older card that is one of my favorites! 

I've always loved the way the bubbles in the tub turned out. You can see her skin and the they still look transparent. This adorable image is from Mami Doodles.

Here's the inside so you can see my greeting:

Hope you will join us so I can see all of your fab shaped creations!!

Hugs~

Papercraft Star Challenge DT Call

Happy Saturday!! Is everyone ready for a great weekend? I am! Hubby has been travelling a lot so it will be nice to have him home. He is after all my designated bug/spider killer.. lol!

My friend Tracy is the Senior Designer/DT coordinator for Papercraft Star Challenge and they are looking for two people for their DT! They've just acquired The House Across the Bay as a new permanent sponsor. You have to check out that link! Their product is amazing and they generously provide goodies for the DT to work with.

So hurry... run... or click rather!! Tracy and Jan (Administrator) are waiting to hear from you. Good luck!

Hugs~

A Great Day to Fish

Well, maybe not so much in this heat! But most days are a great day to fish for my hubby and his brother.  If the water isn't iced over they're at it most weekends for at least one of their days off.  They love it!   So take a look at this adorable stamp by that name (A Great Day to Fish) by the artist Crissy Armstrong:

These two characters just make me smile. Plain and simple. I really wanted this to look like a poloroid so I taped off my paper before starting on my background.  I know I always sound like a broken record, but I do use this technique on almost every card. So for those of you new here, you can see how I do my clouds and solid areas like grass and water here. Then I stapled it to a piece of thin cork that came in a roll. I was going for a sort of bulletin board look. For those of you in the US, WalMart has colored staples right now in with their school supplies for like .97 cents a package. There's a lot in each package and they have some great colors. It's hard to see here but I used red.

Here's a close up:

I got the clock faces for free at Just Something I Made.  You can start searching for great free images of post cards at The Graphics Fairy.  

Here are the copic colors I used:

The "Bud's Forever" is just hand written, again, to stay with that whole old bulletin board look. I really enjoyed some of the techniques I used on this. I always love creating the clouds and water. Drawing in the grasses was fun too! I love my sepia copic multiliner! It was great for adding in a few wheat looking things and adding wood grain to the dock. 

Thanks for looking! 

Hugs~

Penny Johnson - Sweet Scent of Memories

Look at this romantic stamp I had the privilege to ink for icopic!!

That is from Stampavie by Penny Johnson and is called Scent of Sweet Memories. I really want all of them!! They are so romantic and feminine.. I adore them!
Here's a close up:

Here's the copic colors I used:

I really had fun using this soft pastel palette. I didn't have any papers that really matched all of the colors I wanted so I just created my own. I stamped all over a white piece of cardstock with a postal script stamp I had in my stash with white pigment ink and heat embossed with white embossing powders. Then I ink distressed over that with Tim Holtz Distress Inks using Dusty Concord, Spun Sugar and Worn Lipstick. My seam binding was also dyed using Spun Sugar Distress Ink.  I just ran the stamp pad right over the seam binding. Then I misted it slightly with water using my mini mister and crinkled the ribbon up. I used my heat tool to dry it quickly before creating my bow. Here's a close up of that:

The sentiment is from Lawn Fawn Sophies Sentiment set. Other supplies I used but haven't mentioned yet are Memento Ink and X-Press Tape.
You still have plenty of time to enter our Pastel Coloring challenge and I cannot wait to see what you create : )

Challenges:

Deep Ocean Challenge - Ribbons

Lollipop Crafts - Anything Goes

Copic Creations - Pastel

Make It Monday - Linky Party (always anything goes)

Hugs~

YNS - Ellie Loves Walking her Dog

It's my turn to show you some of the amazing products Lora is carrying at One Crazy Stamper!  Look at this adorable stamp from Your Next Stamp!!

This fall cutey is Ellie Loves Walking her Dog. I played around with a few different backgrounds and I finally decided I like this one the best.  I first created my sky and grass using the technique you can view here. Originally I had the clouds in but I knew I really wanted the swirls to show up to simulate gusty fall winds.  The swirls were achieved by misting a swirl background stamp with colorless blender.
Here's a close up:

Did you notice the cute little tights I gave her? I created those with a sepia copic multiliner.
My rhinestones in the lower right corner sure didn't photo real well, but they're there!
Supplies:
Stamp - Your Next Stamp Ellie Loves Walking Her Dog
Copics and Colorless blender
Memento Ink
X-Press It Adhesive Tape
Spellbinders Nestabilies
Rhinestones


Thanks so much for coming by to have a look! We sure hope you will join our recipe challenge this month. It's a simple recipe:
1 Image
2 Designer Papers
3 Embellishments
And remember to check out the DT Blog every day to see what the rest of our amazing team has in store for you! These ladies are TALENTED!!

Hugs~

The Outlawz - Christmas/Winter in July

Our challenge for you this week at The Outlawz Greeting Card Challenge is Christmas/Winter in July.  You can make absolutely anything you desire as long as it follows the theme and includes a greeting. I've decided to pull out some Kraft CS and color with my pencils on this adorable image from Penny Black:

Here's a close up of the angels:

The background is quite plain but the dp is actually gorgeous with white script and postmarks that just didn't photo very well and I didn't want to cover that up! 

I hope you will get the chance to get started on your holiday cards and join us in our challenge this week ; )

Hugs~

Tulip Birgitta

You all know how much I love CC Designs by Christine Wooden. Today for icopic I've used Swiss Pixie Tulip Birgitta.

I first stamped with Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black before coloring with my copics. My designer papers are from Wild Rose Studio Girly Polka Dot paper pack.  I just love being able to grab a paper pack and know that everything in it will match ; )
Here's a close up of Birgitta:

And here's the color's I used:

The sentiment is from SP & Company and is called Lovely Labels. Here's a close up of how it was stamped on patterned paper and again on plain paper. I cut out the center oval and popped it up to create a frame:

I've got to mention X-Press It adhesive also! I seriously love this stuff!!  I hope you find time to play along in our challenge this week! Our challenge theme for this week is All About Birthdays. I love to see all of your beautiful creations and I really do get excited when I see my friends playing along with my DT challenges!! You are all the very best!!

Hugs~

Background Techniques Tutorial

It's my turn at bat to bring you a tutorial for One Crazy Stamper and you would think I would do something with copics, right? But lately I have been having so much fun playing in my art journal and a big part of that is creating backgrounds. It is actually creating backgrounds for some jewelry pieces I was making last year that got me hooked on cardmaking to begin with.
I started by covering a 8x10" piece of paper with a script stamp but you could use anything.

 I used Staz-On because in subsequent processes I am going to use wet products and I wanted the script to stay crisp. The next product that is instrumental for this was Gel Multi Medium. I prefer the matte finish but that is definitely a personal choice. I painted that onto a chunky stamp and stamped randomly all over the paper:

Depending on how thick you paint it on you can achieve some gorgeous textures:

Can you see the little peaks?? The next part is so much fun and magical to see the pattern pop through. You can also use clear embossing powder but that will make the text under the stamp shiny. This process keeps the text uniform throughout the whole piece. After the medium is dry blend in some Tim Holtz Distress Inks using the blending tool. I've used Dusty Concord, Broken China and Tumbled Glass.

Next I used the gel medium to coat a regular paper doily (found in the cake decorating sections of most craft and grocery stores) front and back.  Once dry (it dries very quickly) it is waterproof and you can use it over and over not only as a mask but also to turn it over after spraying with Fireworks and stamp with the excess spray.

Check the masks Lora is carrying!! I must have them all!

Next I used  Glimmer Mist spray. I used Gold but so many colors would've worked. 

It's really starting to look like a piece of batik fabric now. Next I added some butterfly stamps and scroll stamps again with StazOn after cutting my paper down to 5 1/2 x 5 1/2. That's the size cards I most commonly make and I wanted the scrolls to be around the outside. Those blue scrolls you see are acutally on the paper towel that was under my cardstock.

Next I diluted gel medium with water and the picked up Pearl Ex powders with a paint brush to color the butterflies. Using the gel medium acts as a binding agent and you won't have to spray with a fixative.

Stick with me, we're almost done.. lol! The only things left was to distress the edges and add the sentiment from Amy R.

Check out some of the new gorgeous shapes Lora is carrying from Spellbinders!!  I added some simple outlining here and there with a white gel pen to really make the butterflies pop out.
I hope you will enter our recipe challenge this month.  Make sure to check the challenge blog tomorrow to see what the marvelous Madge has in store for you : )

Hugs~