Day Forty-two

Happy Saturday one and all and I’m back again with post #15, the result of another "what if" situation.  A while back I received die cuts from a very close friend. The die used is from Nellie Snellen and looks like this:

 I stamped the center with an image from The Angel Company's Springtime Garden set. Colored with Copics, one rabbit in cool gray shades and the other in warm gray shades. When complete I realized that I had no idea how I would use this for a card. Since the image was already on the fancier part of the card I knew I wanted something simple. While pondering my dilemma I picked up some cording in my stash that I could never find a use for. The cording is 1/8" round and polyester, which short of knotting is impossible to use on cards.

Playing with the cording started me wondering if I could fit it through the holes on the die cut. I had to be able to do by hand as no sewing needle here would hold the cording. Have you guessed the outcome yet?
Yes, it worked. However, the color is such a soft pink it almost disappeared in the die. I was reluctant to edge the pretty rim with ink, as it wouldn't call attention to the cording border. To the unused ribbon box again where I found some pretty purple-waxed cotton from Elements. Rather than force through the holes I wove it through the pink cording loops. Since the pink cording doesn't hold its shape I decided to twist both cords together and leave as a small tail. The cords are held with fabric glue. An ivory satin flower was colored with Copic marker to match flowers in stamped image and off set to cover the one hole that has all the cording fed through it. Taking cues from the image and cords I cut two squares around 2" of light pink and green. Patch worked them onto a purple background and then foam mounted the die image to that. Base card stock is white. I think it turned out to be a very versatile card.

I hope you enjoy.

Parting thought:

I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.   E.B. White

Day Thirty-six

Only 13 posts and its day thirty-six! At this rate it will be a year before I can start applying clever names instead of numbers to these postings. Feel free to insert your own headshake and heavy sigh, I am.

Today’s post involves my favorite thing: “What If?”

I was “what iffing” if I could color the main portion of an image with just gray and do it with just a dotting motion. Dotting motion to me is lifting my coloring choice up and down on the paper, no circles or strokes allowed. I decided to use a free digital image from Beccy’s Place.  The image is called Balloon Bunny and by, clicking here you can grab it for yourself. I thought it made a good challenge because of the need to shade the belly area properly for dimension. Also, I just love the way she does the eyes on bunnies and bears.

My coloring medium was a Copic marker, C-1 Cool Gray No. 1 and the Copic Blender pen. To soften the dotting, I used the blender pen with the same motion. This is not my idea as I learned from Colleen Schaan, a Copic Certified Instructor, that the blender pen will “soften” the edges and intensity of a color that you might find a little harsh or heavy by dotting that color with the blender pen. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the foresight to snap a picture when I first started, to intent to try without realizing the opportunity for a blog post until almost finished. Live and learn...

The balloon was colored with Y02 – Canary Yellow, with the same gray being applied for shading. The feet and inner ear portions were colored with R11-Pale Cherry Pink and E31-Brick Beige was used on the eyes..

Finished image die-cut with Nestabilities Large Label, mounted on designer papers from Basic Grey (SweetPea Alyssa Collection), and sentiment from The Angel Company.

Hope you enjoy.

Done being so "technical." Time for a parting thought:

"Even if I don't reach all my goals, I've gone higher than I would have if I hadn't set any." ~ Danielle Fotopoulis

Day Thirty -four

As I know this birthday card has been received, I would love to share it with you. Yes, I made another manly card. Actually, this one is manlier than the one I did for my brother. No real ribbon here - just netting, jute and floss. The image was a freebie from Beccy's Place, "Old Boots." Click here for the image. Still working to master digital images. Don't know that I would use them 100 percent as there is a certain satisfaction that comes from stamping with rubber and ink. Believe this will be another area where compromise will be key.

Stuck with browns as I consider that to be a strong "guy" color and highlighted with touches of blue and gray to keep from being monochromatic. Choice of coloring medium would be Copic markers, what else! Can't master if I don't practice. Entire card is aged with Ranger's Tea Distress Ink and word sentiments are from The Angel Company.  Background paper from Stampin Up. Netting in background is old place mat cut into pieces. "Ribbon" is jute twine and embroidery floss. Believe it or not, took me twice as long to come up with the words on the front than it took to print and color the image. Never really realized how girly my birthday greetings were until I worked on this card.

I hope the recipient enjoyed getting as much as I enjoyed my attempt to make a manly card. If so, that means he probably went to a dark corner and cried like a girl with relief it was done!

Just kidding!! Hope you enjoy.

    

 

 

Day Thirty-three

Back again. No card to show though some have been made and are on the way to unsuspecting people somewhere. Have quite a few in the works, but I'm not sharing them with you right now. Instead I have a question. What is up with the male species?

No, I'm not going to go off about my hubby. It just seems that the hotter the weather gets, the goofier male logic becomes. By they, I mean any male, not just human. Case in point, my male cat, Hisser.

Like much of the United States we are having high temps with high humidity. Not a pleasant combination. No air conditioning in this house and only two fans to "cool" both levels. Needless to say, if it stays under eighty at night we are happy.

With that in mind, I will ask again. "What is up with the male species?" Can someone explain why one would crawl into a grocery bag and sleep the day way?

Parting thought:

When I play with my cat, who knows whether she is not amusing herself with me more than I with her.

- Michel de Montaigne

Day Twenty-seven

No, I didn't forget to post. Truthfully, everyday I sit at the computer my thoughts wander to this blog. The long lapses are why I was so hesitant to start one. Counting the days should make me more proactive. I said should. So today I vowed to get the last two cards done for family members with birthdays this month.

My oldest and my youngest sisters have birthdays one day and many, many years apart. That started me thinking in twos. Which led to the idea of using the same image for both cards done in different mediums. Eureka, what a genius I am... The image I worked with was a freebie from Create with TLC and is called "Wished a Beautiful Day."

The first card, for the oldest is done strictly in glitter to match her exuberant personality. To offset all the sparkle I chose my background more pastel and a white card with small embossed flowers all over. Glitter used on the flowers is from Doodlebug Sugar Coating line. Outer rim glitter is from the Art Institute and black lettering with a Spica Atyou Glitter Pen.

Youngest sister's card was to be more subdued like her. I colored the image in Shimmer Chalks and covered with clear embossing powder as a way to seal the chalk. While that was pretty, the color was too muted after embossing. Problem - can't color over embossing so what to do? Grab those Copics! Yes, I flipped the image over and colored the flowers and leaves from the back side, deliberately letting the color soak the paper. I love this look as softness of chalk is still there with more vibrancy of color from the Copics. For mounting purposes, I went with a stronger pink card and slightly muted yellow and green for framing.

A closer comparison of the two...

                                   

Thinking "enough already"? Good for you as I have been told I tend to ramble on randomly. I hope that my sisters enjoy their special days and that you enjoyed a peek at their cards.

For sisters everywhere:

"Sister to sister we will always be, a couple of nuts off the family tree." ~ Author Unknown

Day Sixteen

This probably more of an update than a new post. However, since I missed timing my entry into Sassy Cheryl's Outside of the Box Challenge, I thought I would show the reason why. On Day thirteen I posted what I was working on - not a crafty thing - a real world thing that required me to get down and dirty. Yes, I'm referring to what was once a lovely bed of flowers but in photo posted, was a naturalized colony of clover and weeds.

Well...

That bed is weeded along with three others. Okay, they might not be perfect and I pretty much lost all my flowers except for Chicks and Hens and Lillies, the deed is done! I still have to work on dividing the Dianthus and Lavender Thyme (who knew that was such a spreader) but I can do that up till fall. Also uncovered a few mint catnip plants, which my kitties actually drool over. Good thing to all this cleaning of the beds, I can now replant that catnip for their enjoyment. Seriously, you can actually hear them "gnawing" when given to them as a treat.And they do drool!

Here is the update look to the same flower bed shown on Day Thirteen. Isn't that dirt pretty?

And just to show I really do have flowers, here is a shot of my Jasmine bush in the flower bed due left of this one...

Very fragrant and a real bee attraction!


Whew! Two posts and weeding all in one day, I'm exhausted.

Parting thought:

“One who wants to keep their yard tidy does not reserve a plot for the weeds”

Proverbs

Day Sixteen

Greetings to all! All that are crazy enough to be following me. Still don't understand why, but I am happy you are here.

This will be a quick one as I am posting my entry into Sassy Cheryl's #70 Outside the Box.  Rules were to use a Sassy Cheryl image and some portion of the image had to be outside the box. Well, my entry was done for my brother's birthday that was yesterday. I know he received it and can only imagine he's speechless over my creation...  Okay, he's a man and they never say anything. At least the ones I know don't.

The image used is Flower Pot Bunny and the outside the box is the flower, obviously. I used a Nestabilities Label Three for the image shape and snipped away at the area around the flower - was suppose to have the appearance of a flower breaking through dirt. Actually, the Nestie shifted (sorry, but just have to point out my flaws) and some of the top is a little buggered but I decided that wasn't bad enough to toss and actually added to the charm - I mean, doesn't dirt become a little lopsided when flowers break through? Really, check it out when your flowers come up, they always disturb the dirt.

The image is colored with Copics and I even managed to put a little gingham checked ribbon on it! Tried to stay with "man" colors so it wasn't to girly. Just love this bunny, something about the smile and the ears.

Hope you enjoy; I think my brother did since he didn't say anything at all...

Parting thought:

“It is in the enjoyment and not in mere possession that makes for happiness."

 

Oh no, by the time I finished my post, it was closed  - live and learn - timing matters.

Day Thirteen

Hello to anybody that might still be checking me out. Why, I'm not sure, but hello all the same.

I know I said it takes 30 days to make something a habit and here I slacked off from day eight till today, lucky number thirteen. Well, in my own defense, I really haven't been slacking; only dreaming of doing it. However, I felt the need to post something so I am.

Actually I can't believe I'm doing this (imagine me with a red face and head hanging) but...there is a challenge at Sassy Cheryl's called "Show Me #31"  (notice that is the number 13 turned around?)

Anyway, to qualify for this challenge you just have to show what you are working on. Doesn't have to be a card or anything crafty - just what you are working on. Well, I am working on weeding. With all the wet weather and long hours this month at work, it appears that I believe in full naturalization of my flower beds. Trust me, there are flowers in this somewhere - my goal is to find them.Without further adieu, here is my Show Me #31 submission and cause of much head hanging here:

Any bets on how long this will take? If only I had a card I was working on. Shameful the things I will show for a chance to win a free stamp.    

Is that thunder I hear in the distance?

Food for thought: 

   Criticizing another's garden doesn't keep the weeds out of your own.  

                                              ~Author Unknown