Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #321 - Make a Tag

Tuesday Throwdown challenge time! This week our sponsor is Bugaboo Stamps and your challenge, should you accept it, is to make a tag. I am using Bugaboo's Bear Stocking image for my tag. The shape along with the cute bear were shouting "tag, tag, tag!" Three different tags for today as a little person resides in my house and I'm sure Mom will be using these pretty darn fast, I made them larger than I normal so it would be easier for him to read his name. Silly but true and resizing is certainly one of the best perks to digital stamps.

Tag 1 was colored with Copics, Flocking was used on his hat and Fun Stampers Journey's Journey Sparkle Cuts on the boot trim. This gives a really sparkly look with a bonus of glitter in the mix. Fussy cut (thank you Abbey) and mounted to a piece of Christmas paper from my stash. Added two glittery, green star brads and strung with fine gold cording. Little man loves this one.

Tag 2 was colored with Copics and colored pencils. A little less fussy cutting (thanks again, baby girl), some "candy glitter" on the berries, which is a bit too heavy for my taste if honest. Added some real greenery plus a red gem to the brim after flocking both hat and stocking. Mounted with zot dots to a piece of scrap Christmas paper and green cording to hang. This one is actually very vibrant with the primary colors in person.

Tag 3 is colored with pencils. Some medium fussy cutting (thanks Abbey.) Hat and cuff are white flocking. Berries received a fine dusting of Art Institute transparent crystal glitter (which I love the look.) Hat embellishment is a die cut snowflake of white shrinky-dink plastic, cooled, and then colored with a blue Copic marker on top. Red ribbon to hang.

I hope you enjoyed these as tags aren't something I ever make; another reason to love these challenges!  That said I am pretty sure I printed off three extra so I can keep playing  designing. While I color and glitter away, don't forget to visit Bugaboo; the selection is amazing and the prices can't be beat.  When you are done shopping head over and enter the tag challenge at Tuesday Throwdown!


Parting thought especially for my daughter Abbey who helps me with cutting things out and an occasional idea or two:
                                                "The gift is you!"                                                                                     John Denver

Not meant for this!

I am (not) sick and I don't handle doing nothing very well! Soooo, when you're limited on activity choices, what better place to do nothing than on a computer. At least for a small block of time. In the process of doing nothing, I ran across some photos of cards I made in my attempt to resharpen my "crafting skills." Not sure how great the skills are but I do love to color...

This was for a lady at work. The card stock was a soft yellow and ink was a soft gray - nursery colors for the young lady. I think Grandma was pleased.

The next one up was an attempt at repetitive stamping for focal impact. Pretty sure I have a lot more work to do in this area because I see a lot of areas for improvement. Practice makes almost perfect. 

At one point my favorite little man came up and we know he loves to stamp. I have learned when working with him to give a color range, a solid stamp and a full sheet of card stock (or two). Bound to have at least one or more cards from his stamping endeavors. If I'm honest it's his very imaginative stories he shares while we stamp that I enjoy most. He has a great vocabulary and isn't afraid to use it.

Last up is my attempt at colored pencil on Kraft (as close as I have anyway) card stock. I like the soft look and will be trying this again.

Enough ramblings, time to take a rest.



Parting thought: 
Remember, when you are wishing your friends good health, you are wishing 
unemployment for doctors.

Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #320 - Add Gems/Pearls

Middle of November - wow! Grateful we haven't seen the white stuff! A grateful heart is a happy heart and I'm happy to say it's time for another Tuesday Throwdown. Challenge #320 is all about adding gems or pearls. Our sponsor is Sweet n Sassy Stamps, a small family owned Christian company that offers digital and clear stamps, some dies and other supplies. For this challenge I am using their digital stamp Cocoa's Christmas Tree.

I colored the tree with Copic marker and since I don't have a lot of greens (I know some are going to find it hard to believe I don't have green everything), I used my Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol to add shading. Layered #907 pencil, blended and then layered #908 pencil and blended again. Photo at the end gives name and number for reference.

As to Cocoa, this cutie is colored with Copics cool grays and the ears are Copic pinks. Again, photo at the end for colors and names. Once the image was fussy cut, I attached gems galore. The star is glittered even though that doesn't count.

Mounted patterned paper to a white card blank, Created the wall hanging from 2 separate wooden embellishments, joined with Copic colored sting. Mounted the wall hanging and Cocoa to the card and I have to admit, I'm loving this one. I hope you do as well.

Parting thought:  Good listeners, like precious gems, are to be treasured.
                                                            Walter Anderson



Colors used:

Tuesday Throwdown Challenge 318 - Thanksgiving

Welcome to November and another Tuesday Throwdown challenge.  Challenge 318 and this week's sponsor is My Grafico with a theme of Thanksgiving. I am using their Thanksgiving stamp 4, "So Grateful." 

I printed the sentiment on white card stock and cut with a frame die. I sponged Brilliance inks on the sentiment for a warm look. Since the theme is Thanksgiving, I pulled one of my favorite rubber stamps, "Autumn Harvest" from The Angel Company (out of business.) I stamped the cornucopia onto a scrap piece of card stock with Memento Black. Colored with Copics - rather than list them all, there are photos of the ones used at the end of the post. I then bribed my daughter to fussy cut the cornucopia while I looked for an appropriate color card blank to tie it all together. Yes, I admit I never plan my colors before starting.

Here is the end result.

If you are wondering why I picked "So Grateful" rather than a more traditional Thanksgiving stamp it is because I truly am grateful. Every day. Grateful for my family, my friends, that I can wake up every day and find something good in this crazy world, no matter how small.  The beauty of a night sky, a chance remembrance, a moment of silence...there is always something to be grateful about. Sometimes it may not come easily, but it's attainable.

Thanks for stopping by and comments are always appreciated. I hope to see some entries in the Thanksgiving challenge.  Now, as promised here are the photos of the Copics used.

One cut off is YG63

Parting thought:
     I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.      G.K. Chesterton