Brusho with MFT Space Explorer

Today is Day 3 of the 30 day coloring challenge and I am still with it. This is so much fun!

Today I have created a pair of cards with a background created with Brusho color crystals. These are fairly new to me and I may have applied too many crystals. The colors are so vibrant I keep forgetting less is more. But then, space is pretty dark, isn't it?

I am a big fan of sparkle and shimmer, so after I shook out the paint crystals onto Tim Holtz watercolor paper, I spritzed the paper with Psst Shimmer Sparkle. It's difficult to see in the photos, but it adds a lovely shine to the paper.

I added the stars with a white pen. The spacemen and planets were colored with Copics.

I love these little guys and will be sure to use them again and again. I think next I will try to create a moon for them to be standing on.

        STAMPS: MFT Space Explorer

        PAPERS: Tim Holtz Watercolor, MFT Smooth White, After Midnight, Timber Green

        INKS: MFT Licorice Black Hybrid, Brusho Color Crystals, Psst Shimmer Sparkle spray, Pitt Artist Pen-white, Copic markers

        DIES: MFT Space Explorer, MFT Rounded Rectangle Frames, MFT Blueprint 27

Copic No-Line Coloring

Day 2 of the 30 Day coloring changes and I pulled out the Copics today.  I have always admired the no-line coloring I have seen and decided there was no time like the present to give it a try. I had just gotten a shipment of the new Penny Black stamps and dies from their Bliss catalog. Love....

I chose the Awaken cling stamp for my project and for a first attempt I was pretty pleased. It took forever, but it could have been because I was watching a few episodes of The Crown on Netflix at the same time.



To do justice to the image, this card is 5" x 7".

It feels nice to be coloring something spring-like. Are you tired of the grayness of winter too?

Here's a close-up:



This is definitely going to become a favorite technique. There is nothing like sitting and happily coloring to improve my mood.

STAMPS: Penny Black Awaken and Happy Thoughts (Sentiment)

PAPERS:  Xpress-It Blending card; MFT Green room & whip cream

INKS:  MFT grout gray hybrid & chocolate brown dye; Copic markers:

          Flowers: Y32, YR12, YR15, YR16, YR18, YR21

            Stems: YG13, YG17

            Sky: B000

            Centers: E27, E59

OTHER:  28 Lilac Lane Spring Butterfly sequins

30 Day Coloring Challenge - Coloring with Pencils

Today is Day 1 of the 30 Day Coloring Challenge on Kathy's The Daily Marker blog. I'm not sure if I can keep up, but it's a great incentive to play.

Today I decided to try my hand with coloring with colored pencils. I just got a great set of Prismacolor Premier pencils that I haven't had a chance to use.





I made this cute card to send to my daughter. As a first attempt with the pencils, it didn't come out too badly, but I learned afterwards I would have more success with layering the colors on a paper with more tooth. Another lesson learned. I will be back at the coloring board soon for another attempt with the pencils. I definitely like them and want to improve.

STAMPS: Newton's Nook - Pug Hugs

PAPERS: MFT Smooth White & Biscotti; Lawn Fawn Hello Sunshine

INKS:  Prismacolor Premier pencils; Memento Black Tuxedo; MFT Cherry Crisp

DIES: MFT Blueprints 14; Simon Says Stamp Stitched Circles

OTHER: Glossy accents; Nuvo crystal drops

Layered Heart

Happy Saturday. It looks like we may get a wee bit of warmth today - double digits!

I have another Valentine for you today made with an awesome new Caprice Heart Layers die I just splurged on. It's from Birch Press, part of the Memory Box family. It is really a combination of 3 dies meant to be layered. I used MFT Cotton Candy, Ripe Raspberry and Cherry Crisp cardstocks to build the heart. Isn't it awesome?

I think it would look great in monochromatic color too. I'll try that next. The Hey Love sentiment die comes from Simon Says Stamp.

The card base is MFT Sweet Tooth and the patterned paper is Kaisercraft North Pole. I was excited to be able to use some Christmas paper on a non-Christmas card. I decorated the edge with a strip of pink glitter washi tape.

Inside I used some of the scraps from cutting the die for a little flower decoration. I stamped the sentiment from Penny Black Forever and Always in MFT Wild Cherry ink.

I am hoping to get to my craft room today, but I have a bunch of chores to do. Tomorrow you may see a Christmas card I never got posted if I can't make something new. Stop back and check in!

Stacked Hearts

I guess you noticed I haven't been around for awhile. I was on vacation in Oregon for a few weeks and then upon my return went straight into surgery for a hip replacement. I am overjoyed to report that I am 150% now and glad to be creating agin. In fact, I have a backlog of cards to share, so come back often.

I made this card for a challenge on a Facebook group I belong too. It will be for my husband on Valentine's Day because he HATES pink. Hmmm, I should make him another card in various shades of pink just to be evil.

I created the background using Brusho on cold press watercolor paper. Instead of spritzing with water, I used Pssst Sparkle Shimmer spray and oh how gorgeous that is. Unfortunately, it just doesn't show up very well in the photograph. I have to get a better photography set-up.

Next I die cut Simon Says Stamp's Stacked Hearts die from MFT's Sweet Tooth cardstock and adhered with Ranger Matte Medium. The sentiment is MFT Essential Sentiments set, stamped with Versamark and embossed with Ranger white detail powder on MFT Black Licorice. The paper was then diecut tih MFT Stitched Sentiment Strips.

Inside I just stamped a beautiful sentiment from Penny Black in the Forever and Always clear set. I used MFT's Blue Lagoon ink. I am so much more confident stamping the larger sentiments now that I have a MISTI. Love it.

Well that's it for today. Come back tomorrow as I catch up on my posting.

Lighted Haunted House

Seems like I have been sharing a lot of my experiments with you lately, none of which have gone exactly as I would have liked. Today is no exception as I bring you my first venture into using Chibi Lights. I learned a lot while making this card, and I will share with those of you who may be thinking of venturing into electrifying your cards. But first, let me present the card in question:

UNLIT:


The scene was constructed mainly using the Taylored Expression Haunted Cover Plate die with detail that are listed below. I constructed a simple circuit using the battery, bulb and foil tape that comes in the Chibitronics introductory kit. 

LIGHTED:



It looks really cool, but it was an effort to get here! It took two attempts, but I learned:

1. Make sure the tape is as smooth as it can be, especially in the bends you have to make, but don't smooth too hard or you will break the tape and therefor the circuit.
2. Make a nice pen for your battery to sit in so it doesn't slide around after you get all your card pieces put together.
3. Be careful of the foam tape you use to attach your card front. Mine was too thick and it looked awful. I disguised it by making a frame of washi tape, but I am not happy with the way it looks.

Other than that, this was a fun, albeit expensive card.

MATERIALS:
PAPERS: MFT card stock in Black Licorice, Cement Gray, Orange Zest, Smooth White, White Vellum, Periwinkle, Stone Gray. Yellow vellum from my stash.
STAMPS: Papertry Ink Full Moon, MFT Grave Situation
DIES: Taylored Expressions Haunted Cover Plate; MFT Grave Situation; Memory Box Swirl Ghosts; Simon Says Stamp Stitched Circles; Impression Obsession Pumpkin Patch
INK: MFT Black licorice & Pineapple
OTHER: Doodlebug Washi; Chibi Lights

What could be spookier than a haunted house with lights flickering on Halloween night?

I think today I am going to go back to basics and put together some cards in my comfort zone. Then again... 

Be sure to some back and see what I will come up with next in my studio.

Pumpkin Truck

As I have mentioned before, I have been trying to teach myself how to watercolor. I made this card for my husband for our anniversary in a few weeks. I think I'm getting better, but still have so far to go. This is a case of Mimi Jourdain from the Penny Black design team. She is amazing. Her card was also the cover for the Penny Black autumn release. 



Stamps: Penny Black Pumpkin Truck, Penny Black Snowy Grove, Penny Black Autumn Splendor
Papers: Strathmore Hot Press watercolor paper, MFT Milk chocolate and Kraft
Inks: Tombow markers, Inktense pencils, Distress Inks, VersaFine Onyx Black

I won't show you the inside of this one because it's got all sorts of mushy stuff in it! LOL

Have a great Saturday. It's going to rain today and I have some new stamps in the house, so guess where I will be!