A Fairy Garden Fairy

And here she is.  The stamp that I have been practicing coloring pleats.  Obviously, her skirt has no pleats.  For now, I have thrown my hands up.  But, I haven't totally given up because I'm still obsessing over learning how to do it without having it look like big raindrops as opposed to pleats in fabric.  And once I have my sights set on learning something, well, I will learn it.  It just might take a little bit of time.

Anywho . . . onto the card.  This adorable Fairy is by StampingBella.  She comes in a set with a few mushrooms and a perfect sentiment! After the whole coloring pleats fiasco thing, I decided to try and make her skirt look like a flower. I'm pretty happy with how she turned out.

Copics used: Hat and Skirt - V0000, V01, V05, V06; Top - Y21, YR21, YR23, YR24
Stockings - Y11, Y21, YR23; Shoes - V01, V05, V06; Leaves - YG01, YG03, YG17
Skin - E50, E51, E53, R00; Wing - BG0000, BG10, B000; Hair - YR21, YR23, YR24, E99

Thanks for stopping by today!

Yellow, Black & Gray

So, I guess I really like this color combination.  Especially when using Happy Hippos by My Favorite Things.  I dunno . . . there's just something about those colors.

This little creation is a somewhat simple card for my husband's birthday.  Normally, I would have a few more layers and die cut the hippo and, most likely, the balloons, too.

But, as I had been a tad bit obsessed with learning how to color pleats, which I am still practicing by the way, his birthday snuck up on me pretty quickly, hence the simplicity of it all.

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I stamped that cute little dude first, and created a small mask for his hand (wait, do hippos even have hands??) and then stamped the balloons.

I colored them up with my Copics:

Hippo - W0, W1, W2
Balloons - Y11, Y13, Y15
Shadow under Hippo - C1

I die cut a circle with my ever-so-trusty Classic Circles by Spellbinders.  I used a black pen to add the stitching around the circle. Then, I mounted that on a slightly larger yellow circle and used foam tape to adhere it to the patterned paper.

Even though it's pretty simple, I'm really happy with how it turned out.

What about you? Do find that you have a specific color combination that you use when you're in a pinch?

Thanks for visiting today!

Super Moon Triad & A Gnome

Greetings!  Let's start with the cosmic stuff, shall we?

A friend of mine sent me this article about the Super Moon Triad and all the weird things that go along with it.  When I got to the list of what some of the "side effects" might be, I had an A-ha! moment.  Especially with "obsessing over little details" . . . whew!

I've been practicing coloring pleats with my Copics . . . and being that I've been obsessing over it, let's just say . .. um, I need more practice.

Anywhooooo . . . on to the card.  Today we have the adorable Gnome on a Swing by Stamping Bella.  I do love that he has a coordinating die.  It's a pretty simple card, but I really wanted all attention to be on that dude.

Copics used: Branch & Swing - E31, E33, E35, E37; Leaves - YG01, YG23, YG17;
Catepillar - BV000, BV01, BV11, BV17; Hat - BG10, BG13, BG15, BG09
Skin - E00, E51, E53, Shoes - YR04, YR07, YR18; Beard - C1, C3

For the tree trunk, I ran a piece of Kraft card stock through the Big Shot with an embossing folder.  I sponged a bit of Vintage Photo Distress Ink to bring out the wood grain.  The grassy border is a die from My Favorite Things.  (WHY did I wait sooooo long to order that??) And, of course, I had to sponge some clouds in the background.

The Super Moon thing is supposed to last through August. . . so, I'll be hiding in my studio until it's over.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Blossom Loves Balloons

Oh . . .here's another stamp I've had on my wish list for quite some time: Tiny Townie Blossom Loves Balloons.  The layout was very much inspired by a card created by Michelle Boyer that was on the Stamping Bella Blog.  All the girls over there are so talented!

So here we go with the card:

Copics used: BG10, BG13, BG15, BG18, YG23, Y11, Y13, Y15, Y08,
E50, E51, E53, R00, C7, W1, WR23, YR27, R59

I used a cloud stencil with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink to create the clouds in the background.  And I decided to do some paper piecing on the balloons after I colored them and really didn't like how they turned out.  I thought the yellow polka dot paper from the Dots & Stripes Sorbet Paper Pack would be perfect. See? Easy fix! And, to add some shadows around the balloons, I used a W1 Copic marker.

Thanks for visiting today!

I Look Up to You & Special Dad

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there!

Our human kids are all grown up now, so our dogs make Father's Day cards for my husband.  Yep, our dogs are pretty smart.  And quite creative, too!

I used . . .oops, I mean the our little boy wanted to use the Magical Dragons stamp set by My Favorite Things.  I was happy he chose that set because, seriously??  How cute are they!

He searched through Pinterest and found a card that he really liked.  I tried to find out who made it so we can give proper credit, but the link to Instagram was no longer valid.

So, whoever made the original card, thank you for the inspiration!

Okay, on to the cards . . .

Here's the one that our little boy made:

Copics used: BG02, BG05, BG09, YR20, YR21, YR12, YR14, W2, C5

Our big girl decided that she was just going to go through my box of cards and pick one instead of make one.  (Teenagers, I tell ya!)  Anywho, I made this card a really long time ago.  The stamp set is Special Dad by Crafter's Companion.

So, do your fur-kids make cards? Or am I the only one?

So glad you stopped by today!

Bess the Butterfly

Here's another sweet Tiny Townie Butterfly Girl from StampingBella. And I love the fact that there are coordinating dies.

Copics used: G40, G43, G46, E00, E50, E51, E53, E27, E79, Y21, YR24, YR27, YR23, Y11, Y13, Y15, Y28, YR20,
E37, E34, E35, R00

I wasn't too sure where I was going with the colors on this one.  I just knew that I wanted to use more earthy tones . . . which worked out quite well with the patterned paper I found in my stash.  And I found it pretty quickly, too.  I can spend a serious amount of time just digging through all my paper to find what I'm looking for. . . even though it's all organized by color.

What about you?  Do you choose paper first and then color images? Or vice versa?

Thanks for visiting today!

On the Windowsill

There's just something about flowers in a jar, am I right?  Especially when they're sitting so pretty on a windowsill all in a row.

Lucky for me, Power Poppy has a stamp like that in the Go Wild stamp set. . . especially because I do.not.have a green thumb.  So, my idea of gardening is coloring pretty flowers.  Now if I could just figure out how to get those stamped images to actually smell like flowers . . .

Anywho . . . on to my latest card:

Copics used: G40, G43, G46, YG93, YG95, G99, YR04, YR07, YR18, Y11, Y13,
Y15, Y08, YR27, YR00, W0, W1, W2, C1, C3, C5, E41, E42, E43,
E31, BV31, BV34, BG70, BG0000, B000

I really took my time when I colored this image. . . so many tiny spaces!  But it was quite relaxing to just focus in and spend time coloring. . . while listening to Joe Kenda: Homicide Hunter on TV.

Wait, what?  Yes, you read that right.  I was listening to a crime show on TV while I was coloring.  I almost always have the TV on while I'm working in my studio.  Mostly for background noise.  And it's usually a movie that I've seen at least 432 times. . . like Sing Street, Pitch Perfect, or Music & Lyrics.  But, when I need to be mindful of time or a reminder to get up and stretch, I'll listen to a TV show instead, because seriously. . .I could sit and color for hours upon hours.

What about you? Do you have background noise going when you're crafting?

Thanks for stopping by today!

Yoo-Hoo! Surprise! Oh No!

Alas, the final Gnome card. (For now, anyway.)

I love the look on this guy's face.  His expression could be interpreted in so many ways. Yoo-hoo! or Surprise! or Oh No!

Copics used: B52, B34, B37, Y00, Y11, Y13, Y15, YR24,
E50, E51, E53, E34, E35, E37, C1, C3, C5, R00

No matter what sentiment I decide to add to this card, I had fun coloring him.  And, I've been trying to practice blending yellows because, ugh! I always struggle with the brighter tones.  Overall, I'm pretty happy with how this turned out.

So, when using Copics, do you find that you struggle with certain colors?

Thanks for dropping by today!

A Dragon . . .

. . . with a cupcake!

Okey dokey!  I gotta tell ya, these Magical Dragons by My Favorite Things have been on my wish list for a very long time and I finally got them!  So what better way to break them in than by creating a card for the latest MFT Sketch Challenge!

Here's the sketch:

And here's my card:

Copics used: YR20, YR21, YR12, YR14, YR18, YG00, YG01, YG11,
YG13, W1, BG53, BG57, E25, E57, E29

Now then. . . one of the best things about MFT stamp sets is that they are very interchangeable.  That cupcake and sentiment are from the Happy Hippos set.  And the fishtail banner isn't a fishtail banner at all. . . it's from the Die-Namics Blueprints 2 set. . . I just cut it down to the size I needed.

And finally, since those dragons did make their way to my craft room, be prepared for more Dragon cards!

So glad you stopped by today!

Summer Came Early

Really early. And, it has been hot, hot, hot!  Triple digits in early June! This type of weather calls for ice cold lemonade. . . both literally and in stamp form.

So, I pulled out my Tea in the Garden stamps by Power Poppy and created a card for the current Power and Spark Challenge: Round and Round.

Copics used: Y02, Y06, Y11, Y13, Y15, Y08, YR24, YG01, YG03,
YG17, G40, G43, BG70, BG0000, B0000, B00, E0000, W0, C1, C3

The yellow polka dot paper is from My Favorite Things and the blue flower paper is from Hampton Arts KI Growing Garden Paper Pad.  I used gingham ribbon to "connect" the patterned papers and add some texture.

So, how's the weather been where you are?  Hot enough for lemonade?

Thanks for stopping by today!

Sitting in the Clouds

Oh, hi!  I'm so excited that I finally got my hands on the Stitched Cloud Edges Die-namics by My Favorite Things.  I mean, really . . . they can be used so many different ways!

I've used them here, along with the Magical Dragons stamps (and coordinating dies) because dragons should totally be sitting in the clouds, right??

Copics used: Dragon bodies - V12, V15, V17;
Wings, horns, spikes and tummies - Y21, Y26, Y11
Claws - W2

I left some space so I can add a sentiment later on.  And, I think this card could be used for a variety of occasions. . .birthday, new baby, thank you . . . anything, really.

Thanks for visiting today!

Like Gnome One Else

And, we're back with another Gnome card.

Copics used:BG70, BG72, BG75, C5, RV00, RV32, R24, R27, R37,
C7, Y13, Y15, E42, E43, E57, E79, G40, G43,
E00, E51, E53, C1, G46, E34, E99, E07. C3

I've changed things up a bit when I get a new stamp set.  Instead of trying to finish a card right away, I sit down and just color a bunch of images.  Then, when I need a break from coloring, I'll start putting cards together.

For whatever reason, I've found that I get more cards done that way.  Maybe because I'm not making my brain switch from right to left so fast?  I dunno. . .but I am happy that the creative blocks have pretty much stopped.

What about you?  Do you make a card start to finish? Or do you color a bunch first and then finish your projects?

Thanks for dropping by today!

Mmmmm . . . Cake

After I colored this stamp from the Tea in the Garden set by Power Poppy, I suddenly had a craving for cake.  Can you blame me??  I mean, just look at it! Of course, I'd have to give the strawberries to my husband because I'm allergic, but that cake!  I could probably polish it off in one sitting.  Okay, maybe two.

Copics used: E00, E21, Y21, E0000, E23, E27, E29,
R24, R27, R29, R59, G82, YG63, YG67, C1, BG10, Y15

Oh, and the patterned paper?  I've had it F.O.R.E.V.E.R.  I've pulled it out a number of times to use it, but always changed my mind.  I guess I was saving it for just the right stamp.  Glad I finally found it.

So, do you have paper that you've been "saving" for the perfect project?  How long have you been saving it?

Thanks for visiting today!