Tuesday Throwdown Challenge 347 - For the Men

First, kudos to anyone that blogs from their phone. Here it is,time for another Tuesday Throwdown and I haven't resolved my lack of a computer yet. Thanks for staying with me during my phone blogging attempts.

I hope you join in the challenge, the theme this week is "for the men."

Our sponsor is Doctor Digi's House of Stamps (try saying that fast three times.) I am a  big fan of these stamps; they are a perfect avenue for those more sarcastic sentiments and outrageous colors we normally refrain from using.  Seriously, they make crafting soooo much fun.  Dr. Digi graciously provided me with Roadhog Rita and she was a hoot to do. Do yourself a favor and check out the shop!

The image is colored with Copics and a second piece of card stock was cut to shape and mounted to the backside to prevent the dreaded Copic "see through".  This was mounted slightly higher than the card fold but low enough it fits a regular envelope. The sentiment is from The Angel Company.

Here is Roadhog Rita, guaranteed to annoy any driver, not just men.

Tuesday Throwdown Challenge 333 - Thinking of You

It's Tuesday and time for a Tuesday Throwdown challenge with our sponsor Sasayaki Glitter Digital Stamps. The theme this week is "thinking of you" and I am using her adorable image Shy and Froggie.

This cutie is colored with Copics and then cut with a small border. I was fortunate enough to find two sheets of card stock that are almost a perfect match to my coloring. I know, I know ...  I should plan the papers and then color but I love coloring to much to think that far ahead. The blue panel was punched on one edge with Martha Stewart's Trellis Punch. Shy and Froggie were added along with some greenery, hopefully giving you the feeling of them being in the great outdoors. Sentiment stamp (The Angel Company) added to upper right for balance.

Still a fairly clean and simple card and I'm loving this duo!

Thanks for stopping by and please be sure to visit our sponsor, Sasayaki Glitter, and enter your creation in the Tuesday Throwdown Challenge 333.

I like to think this parting thought is true:  

Someone remembers, someone cares;

Your name is whispered in someone’s prayers.

~Author Unknown

PIP Challenge 1710 - March 6th - Newton's Nook

The sun is up a little longer, the snowfalls aren't lasting as long so spring must be on it's way. That's my inspiration this week for Pip challenge 1710. Newton's Nook is the sponsor and I'm happy to say they are located right here in Wisconsin and have a wonderful on-line store you can find here. Don't forget to admire Newton, the awesome cat who allows his humans to use his name.

Keeping the "spring" train of thought and my insatiable desire to see flowers, I used their Garden Starter stamp and Garden Window Die Set. I have to say I was very pleased with how easy the dies were to snip apart. I had originally die cut the banner and smile die for use with my card but apparently I put the resulting images "somewhere safe" as I couldn't find them when assembling. Since my work space at the time was being shared with 2 others, I didn't feel right in asking them to clear the table so I could haul my machine out to cut again. So I rethought what I wanted to do and the result is below. I am in love with the stitching and embossing details the dies provide.

Card stock is a light cream color and the green paper is from an old mat stack. Ribbon is from stash. Sentiment is from The Angel Company.  Flowers are colored with both Copics and Prismacolor pencils. Listing below.

I had so much fun with the stamps and dies that I am working on another idea that came to me while assembling this one. Blog post in the making?

Thanks for dropping by and I appreciate when you leave comments (those little things in life.) Thanks to Newton's Nook for sponsoring this challenge.  Remember to enter your creations!


Supplies used:
Flower petals: Copic Y32, YR82, Prismacolor PC1002, PC921, PC922
Flower Center: Copic Y04, Spica 19
Leaves/Stems:  Copic YG01, G00

Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #325 - Snowflake

A new year, a fresh start. Today is my first challenge of 2017 at Tuesday Throwdown. - snowflakes. Our wonderful sponsor is A Day for Daisies. I am using the I Love My Swing digital image.  Please stop by the store. There are so many lovely images, digital and clear polymer, for any occasion.

When I saw this image I immediately thought of a period oh so many years ago, when I spent time in Fort Collins, Colorado for the baptism of my godson. While it was winter, the weather was perfect. The snow fell in big, fat, sparkly flakes that muffled the sounds of everyday life and the temperature did not require bundling up, even at the midnight hour. It also reminds me of my childhood; the hours my sister and I spent on the swings at our local park, singing Camp Fire Girl songs to "entertain" anyone close enough to hear.

I took some liberty with the image by covering her springtime flowers with sparkly snowflakes.   Using my Copics, I attempted to capture the early twilight sky when we are changing from winter to spring. The snowflakes were punched (over and over) from an old Fiskars corner punch because it was the only snowflake thing I had. They are sparkled with Art Institute and Fun Stampers Journey glitters. Sentiment is from The Angel Company.

I hope you enjoyed my take on snowflakes and remember to check out  A Day for Daisies. To play along with us at Tuesday Throwdown just click on the link.  We love seeing all the creativity!



Parting thought: "Snow always inspires such awe in me. Just consider one tiny snowflake alone, so delicate, so fragile, so ethereal. And yet, let a billion of them come together through the majestic force of nature, they can screw up a whole city."   Betty White
                         

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

Clean And Simple 47

Last week I indulged myself by working on the Anything But Cute challenges. I also wanted to do the Clean And Simple but the week-end was gone before my goals. If I'm honest I didn't get it accomplished because I'm on the computer too much. Since I don't like that reason, I think I will use "the kitties ate my first attempt" or maybe the squirrels... Those who know me might just believe that!

The CAS challenge 47 was one layout four ways and Lyn's example was for a masculine card. Not one to rock the boat, I stuck with masculine, well my version anyway. Here are the supplies except the thin cardboard piece I stamped the main image and sentiment on.

The Palette ink pad color is Prussian Blue. Stamps are from The Angel Company and paper, which I used both sides of one sheet, is by Momenta. Bee border by K&Company.

Layout one is right side opening:

Layout two is bottom opening:

Layout three is with design switched to the left (two more bees added just because I could):

Fourth layout was for a gate fold card but I didn't do it since I can't foresee me using that design in the immediate future. However, the paper layout used does work, I'm just to cheap or lazy (take your pick) to finish the inside of a card with more paper.

Hope you enjoyed and maybe some of you will take up Lyn's lesson just for fun. Here's the link to it on Paper Craft Planet. CAS Lesson 47

Parting thought by Author Unknown (man, he has a lot of quotes attributed to him):

“Never be afraid to try something new. 

Remember, amateurs built the ark. 

Professionals built the Titanic.”

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.