Tuesday Throwdown Challenge 345 - Stitching

Tuesday, the new Monday if you had the day off. It's also time for a new Tuesday Throwdown. Challenge 345 - Stitches. Our sponsor this week is Kim Sherrod - Lily Patch Boutique. Kim is one busy woman so don't be alarmed if the link tells you it's being updated. It is and it's worth a second trip.

I'm a self taught sewer, embroidery, knitting, crochet, tatterer. I just wasn't interested in Home Ec in school. If only I could do it over again; might "master" more than the basics, though I'm not sure my level indicates mastering any of them. My strongest skill is I never give up or to quote my mother, I am bull headed.

Today I used an image from Inky Antics, stamped with Staz-On black ink on a metallic gray piece of cardstock. Coloring was done with Prismacolor pencils. White pencil used to blend and tone down the metallic sheen. Spellbinder's rectangular die set to create the frame. Once the "window was assembled it was adhered to a card blank made with Stampin Up's Tempting Turquoise. Clean, simple and thanks to some embroidery floss (colored with a Copic marker) the kitty has fur! I left room for a sentiment beneath the tail. I feel this would work well for a thinking about you, a what's new or happy birthday occasion.

What do you think?

PIP Challenge 1722 May 29 - Di's Digis Blooms

Memorial day, the unofficial start of summer, a holiday for remembering those who gave their lives defending this great country.  May they always be remembered with honor and gratitude.

Today is also time for a new PIP challenge. This week is sponsored by Di's Digi Stamps and as it's the 5th Monday, we have a theme of blooms. I am using Izzy's Stroll from Di's shop. I guarantee you will find something with blooms in her shop!

The image is colored with both Copics and colored pencils. Semi-fussy cut and mounted to a 5 x 7" white card. Prior to mounting Izzy and her pup, I stamped the wall (Judith stamp O-63) directly to the card and colored with pencil.  Since no computer, I had to write the sentiment so apologies for penmanship.  Here is my take on Izzy.

This is a birthday card for Pam (founder of PIP), I thought I'd share the inside just for kicks. Image here is from Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers  (out of business ) and some more of Di's blooms and grass. Pam is use to my weird sense of humor in case one would wonder if I might have offended her;  I don't think so.

Happy birthday Pam! 

Tuesday Throwdown Challenge 343 - Texture

Time to stop, pull up a chair for crafting and join us at Tuesday Throwdown's Challenge 343. This week's challenge is sponsored by Fred She Said Designs and our theme is to use texture. Fred She Said Designs offers a boat load of digital products.  Seriously.  Pre-colored, uncolored, cutting files, floral, animal, templates. The list goes on so I know there is something you will "have to have."  Me? I had to have Tea Cup Pansies. Love pansies and especially love when they are potted in old china. This stamp was meant to be used by me!

After coloring the image with a base Copic color, one blue, one yellow and one green, I continued my fun work, attempting to build some texture through use of color. I grabbed the old Prismacolor pencils and started working on the details. In addition to the buildup of pencil, I dry embossed around the rim of the teacup, flowers and leaves. It doesn't show well in the photo but one can certainly feel it in "real life." Added a small amount of glitter, around the center of the flowers for some sparkle, to the fringe on the cup and more texture.

I wanted the cup to appear as if sitting on a table in some one's living room or kitchen so more texture with the use of some glittered background paper and a half a doily. Not really happy with my attempt on the doily as a bit too flat looking compared to what my mind was envisioning. Either way, another texture.

Here is the result:

Now that I'm finished, it's your turn to get crafting and share your masterpieces on the Tuesday Throwdown challenge. Also, I would appreciate your stopping by Fred's and giving some thanks for sponsoring this event.

Parting thought:

                I think that a good deal of poetry and art gives us some sense of access to another's voice, perception, texture of thought, imagination. Sometimes it gives us better access to the strangeness in ourselves. 

                                          Mary Szybist

PIP Challenge 1720 May 15 - Bugaboo Stamps

Good morning! I hope everyone had a lovely Mother's Day here in the U.S. I know I did as spent the day with my daughter and grandson - okay, it might have been this huge chocolate cupcake frosted and filled with even more chocolate that made the day. It was so seriously huge that I couldn't fit it into my mouth without breaking it down in pieces. Best breakfast ever! Love those two for thinking of such a great gift.

Today is Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenge 1720. How lucky are we to have Bugaboo Stamps as our sponsor again? Pretty darn lucky in my book because her shop (click link for new shop) is chock full of images of all types. Hardest time I have is deciding which ones I want. Such a problem to have.

This week I am using her Beautiful blocks - Live Love Laugh.  This image is so tranquil to me and I let that guide me in making my card.  I "water colored" the image on regular card stock with Copic Various Ink refills, a bit of blending solution and a paintbrush.  Color palette was kept simple using one blue, purple, yellow and green from nature's beauty . My only regret was I didn't have watercolor paper for the colors to flow better; all in all, I'm happy with the effect. I trimmed the block border off and mounted to a slightly large piece of black card stock, and then green, mustard and purple pieces. Center mounted all onto a white card blank measuring 5 x 7 inches. Clean, simple and in my opinion still tranquil.

Here is my card using Beautiful blocks - Live Love Laugh:

Be sure to shop Bugaboo Stamps, While you are there, maybe leave a little love thanking her for sponsoring this challenge. Then hop on over, check out the talented Design Team and enter your creations in PIP's Challenge 1720.


Parting thought:
                           "Life is too short to be anything but happy, Love deeply, forgive quickly, take chances, give everything with no regrets, Forget the past with exception of what you have learned and remember everything happens for a reason."   Unknown

Tuesday Throwdown Challenge 341 - Sketch

Did you know May 2nd is the national holiday for both life insurance and truffles. Me, I'd go for the truffles...

Welcome to this week's Tuesday Throwdown Challenge 341, sponsored by Kitty Bee Design; these cute and whimsical images are created by Ruth and can be found in her store. I am working with Kitty Bee Digi Stamp this week and the challenge is to use the following sketch.

I've written in the past how much a sketch can stress me out. I take them so literally and can not get "creative" because I fear failing if I don't follow it exactly. Silly I know, but oh so true. So, I think these challenges are really good; forces me out of my comfort zone. If for no other reason, I hope you play along just to expand your horizon and squash any fear you might have.

I printed Kitty Bee Digi stamp at 3" and cut out with a Nestability die after coloring with Copic markers. A background circle was hand cut to frame the kitty. Since the sketch had 3 dark spots, which could be interpreted as oh...pretty much anything, I decided to print the image 3 more times at 1 inch. These were also colored with Copics. Taking a bit of creative license I left the backing paper under the sentiment a bit longer and mounted the 3 little kitties half on it and half on the yellow background. Sentiment is from The Angel Company and stamped with Memento "Lady Bug" ink. The big kitty is mounted on foam tape for a bit of dimension.  Here is my result working from the sketch.

I highly recommend checking out Kitty Bee Design, so many cute images like this one. While the challenge doesn't require you use an image from there, remember without the sponsors, we wouldn''t have these challenges. Then join the fun by following the sketch your way and entering it here.


Parting thought:
     "Challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew."     
                                                                     Cicely Tyson

PIP Challenge 1718 May 1 - MHK Designs

Happy May Day everyone! What better way to celebrate than playing along with the PIP challenge this week.  MHK Designs is our wonderful sponsor, and as always, it's anything goes. Seriously, if you can't find something in her shop for this, you aren't looking!

This week I worked with Beginnings & Ends Digital Stamp set. Specifically the Apple Blossom branch and the Sincere Sympathy sentiment. The apple blossom was duplicated and rotated to create a corner on the card. Card stock is a soft grey and white. The sentiment was changed to print in grey tone rather than black for added softness.

The blossoms were colored with Zig Photo Twin Markers, which I have had for more years than I can remember. I admit they are so old I actually did a Google search before writing this post to see if they are still around. I'm happy to report that they are. The nice thing about these markers are the softness of color and that they don't bleed through papers. I will list the colors used at the end.

I punched a butterfly from some scrap paper and applied a coat of Clear Wink of Stella. Yup, broke down and got a new toy tool to play with. The butterfly was then glued to the upper right for balance. Here is the card and I must admit I really like it in person. Still debating on the need to add some shadows behind the blossoms. Any thoughts?

I think the photo is a bit darker than in person; still working on my photography skills.

This is such a beautiful set to work with, as are all MHK Designs. Thank you Mynn!  I highly recommend you take some time to check out all that she offers and I can't wait to see what creations you will enter on the PIP challenge this week.

For those of you interested in the markers here are the colors I used.
Blossoms colored with  Rosewood, Blush and Peach Glow. Centers are Honeycomb.  Stems with Woodland and leaves in Meadows.