Monday, April 30, 2012

Sweet November Spotlight on... Kadie!

Hello friends!

It seems like it's been sooo long but now it's finally time to start previewing the new Sweet November stamps for May. Before we dig in and get our hands dirty I want to shine the Sweet November Guest Gal spotlight on an uber talented and upbeat card maker whom I'm pretty sure I've been following since I first started blogging... please say a happy hello to Kadie Ensley!

Kadie is a card maker after my own heart. It is undeniable that she loves to stamp and can color right up there with the best of them, but she is also passionate about playing with and mixing lots of patterned papers on her projects as well. Not only does she have a keen eye for color combos but Kadie also layers her paper backgrounds in unique and interesting ways that can't help but inspire if you ever feel yourself getting into a design rut. Kadie's cards easily transition from cute and sweet to polished and elegant yet whatever the style she is working in you can always see the love that she has for her craft. She is a positive and vibrant member of our little stamping/card making community and that is why I am so excited to have her joining us for this release! :)

Now it's time for Kadie to answer the Sweet November questionnaire... which I always look forward to reading!


 1) What color do you feel represents your personality and why?
Orange has always been my color of choice and it's not because I use it in a lot of things or wear it very often, it's because growing up people always said "blue" or "green" or "purple" and I thought orange deserved a chance too! I think I've always associated myself with the color of orange because it tends to sometimes get overlooked, but whenever you see orange, you can’t help but smile. It helps to make things bright and cheerful. I hope that I can be like orange in that way. :)
 
2) Is your style of dress/ home decor similar to your style of card making?
My personal style is VERY laid back. I'm a jeans and sweater gal all the way. My card making style is similar in one way, I usually always start with the same basic foundation every time and build up from there. After that I like to try different things and can be somewhat of a perfectionist at times...ie: I do all my stitching by hand.

3) What one thing always puts you in a good mood?
Music! I love music of all kinds.
 
4) If you could visit any time in history when would it be?
The 80's! Oh, wait, I did live the 80's and I had a blast! Some people might say those were crazy times, but it was a fun decade to grow up in. Haha, I want to go back to the future!
I would also love to visit the time and place in history when Jesus was alive. I can only imagine what that would have been like.

5) If you were a mythical creature ie. fairy, elf, mermaid, troll, wizard, witch etc., what kind would you be and why?
Oh, this is a hard one because I could see myself as any of them at one point or for different reasons, but I think I will go with elf. I think elves generally spread joy and I would like to have that job!
 
Bonus question
If you are a fellow Gleek, which character from McKinley High do you most identify with?
Tina. She is quiet a lot of the time, but that makes it all the more compelling when she does have something to say. She also has her own style and is not afraid to be who she is in the face of adversity. She is kind and sensitive to the needs of others. I only wish that my guy had killer moves like hers does!!
 
There is nuthin' wrong with lovin' orange, LOL! Great answers Kadie!  ;)

Check out the super cute card that Kadie created featuring the hoppy little Tulip Bunny Baby. Her coloring is just fantastic and I love how she has paired the stamps and border punches together to create a fun Easter scene as the main focus of her card. And her angled cuts on the background papers really caught my eye. With just a simple shift to a couple of diagonal lines Kadie has added so much movement and interest to the overall design that really gives this one a total WOW factor. So I suppose it is no surprise that I wanted to try my hand at a similar funky cut background. I chose Meadow the unicorn for my card because it has been awhile since she has pranced onto one of my cards and I missed her. Other than having a circular scene rather than an oval I pretty much CASEd Kadie right down to the button and twine bow... hey, why mess with a good thing?! Oooh... and I colored that little wood veneer bird with Copics this time and guys, I have to say that I think I'm loving the veneer embellies even more now! :)

Alrighty, so tomorrow Kadie is joining Nancy, Marion,and myself and we will be kicking off the May Sweet November release previews! You won't want to miss sneak peek week both here and over on the ATS blog... there's a brand new character from CC Designs being introduced over there today that I think you will totally adore. And as always there are chances to win all of the new goodies so don't miss out!

Later gators!

Supply list:
cardstock- Bazzill and Copic X-Press It
paper- American Crafts (Dear Lizzy Neapolitan), We R Memorykeepers (clouds)
stamps- Sweet November (Meadow), AmyR (Many Thanks sentiment)
ink- Memento tuxedo black and rich cocoa, Colorbox creamy brown
Studio Calico wood veneer bird
button
Divine Twine
CC Designs grass cutter
Copic Spica glitter pen
Copic markers:
R000, R11, R21, Y13, Y21, Y26, Y28, E40, E41, 0, G03, G05, G17

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Start everyday with a smile

Mornin'!

Ok, last night I finished reading A Feast for Crows... OMGosh, so many cliffhangers! And I don't think that there will be many resolutions to those cliff hangers as I have read that the fifth book, A Dance with Dragons, takes place during the same time frame but follows the characters who weren't featured in A Feast for Crows. That means that I will have to wait to find out what has happened until the sixth book is published in a few years! Argh! 
I haven't started A Dance with Dragons yet because of that long wait that is looming. I know that once I finish this fifth book there won't be the immediate gratification of diving right back into the story. So I'm trying to pace myself but these books are just SO good! If I got HBO I would at least be able to fill the void a bit with season 2 episodes of the Game of Thrones series. But alas, I do not and I will have to wait a year for it to be released on DVD. Believe me folks, I wouldn't be whining near as much about these long waits if the story wasn't absolutely amazing! ;)

Alrighty then, card time! Today I'm playing along in this week's Kraftin' Kimmie challenge to create a Spring inspired card. Easy peasy... especially since I had sweet Peony already stamped up just begging to be colored. I thought that the Miss Caroline Dolled Up paper pad had some pretty patterns that suited her and the soft colors definitely feel spring-ish to me. That great cluster of accents on the left is all part of the paper itself which made this come together super quick and I was inspired to add just a few more small doilies to pull that design across the card. Peony was loads of fun to color, especially that great skirt of hers. I really like how she pops against the lighter colors of the background yet still ties into the darker pinks of the flowers in the corner and the butterfly fluttering up above. Yep, I'm pretty happy with this one! :)

I've got lots to keep me busy today so I won't be reading at all. Though I will be getting ready for new Sweet November and ATS previews that are starting up this week so be sure to check back tomorrow when I'll be kicking off the new release fun! 
Hope to seen ya then!           
Supply list:
cardstock- Bazzill and Copic X-Press It
paper- My Mind's Eye (Miss Caroline Dolled Up)
stamp- Kraftin Kimmie (Peony)
ink- Memento tuxedo black and Colorbox creamy brown
Martha Stewart butterfly punch
My Favorite Things mini doily dies
Kaiser Craft pearls
Zva pearls
Sharpie white marker
Copic markers:
skin- E000, E00, E11, R00, R20
hair- YR30, YR31, Y21, Y26, E33
eyes- BG53, BG57, BG18, BG000, 0
clothes- YG21, YG95, YG97, R11, R21, R22, R29

Saturday, April 28, 2012

One last Flutter By...

Hola chicas!

My card today is rather bittersweet... I made it for the 200th Flutter By challenge. And sadly this challenge will be the last one at Flutter By. I've enjoyed playing along in Danni's challenges for a couple years now so it will be kind of strange not having them to look forward to each week. Still, even though I will miss the challenges I couldn't miss making one final card for them. 

The challenge this week is a sketch so that took all the guess work out of the card. All I had to do was find the right papers to go along with this altered Anya that I put together. Even though the Flutter By challenge requires either a butterfly, fairy or angel to qualify, I always liked to have a fairy on my FB cards. So I thought it would be fun to alter up a little Anya fairy. I chose Sitting Cute's body with Princess Anya 3's head (minus her crown), then once she was glued together I added some vellum butterfly wings for her to flutter away with. The papers are all October Afternoon Sidewalks because the bright, happy colors totally caught my eye. And yes, that's another Studio Calico wood veneer embelly, just like the birds from yesterday. I'm really diggin' the different look that these cute things add to my cards.

I hope that if you have time to play along this week that you will join in and help give the Flutter By challenge a fond farewell. :)
Hugs!      
Supply list:
cardstock- Bazzill and Copic X-Press It
paper- October Afternoon (Sidewalks)
stamps- The Greeting Farm (Sitting Cute and Princess Anya 3), Daisy Bucket (sentiment)
ink- Memento tuxedo black and rich cocoa, Colorbox creamy brown
K&Co butterfly vellum
Studio calico wood veneer butterfly
Prima flowers
Kaiser Craft pearls
glitter ribbon
Copic markers:
skin- E000, E00, E11, R00, R20
hair- E25, E77, E79, E49
clothes- YG00, YG03, YG17, Y11, Y13, Y17, Y35, BG000, BG32, BG34

Friday, April 27, 2012

A story to tell...

TGIF my friends!

Any crafting plans for this weekend? Nothing special on the calendar for me but maybe I'll get into my crafty room on Sunday to do a much needed clean and organize. I think that I've been bitten by a spring cleaning bug and I would love a few solid days to just totally go through and take stock of everything... maybe even find new homes for some of it that have been going unloved. No telling when that will really happen though. 

And even though my mind is currently on cleaning that doesn't mean that I'm not getting a few new goodies here and there. These tiny little wood veneer birds where hard to resist and they are absolutely perfect sized embellishments for us card makers. I also got some tiny stars and hearts that I can't wait to play with as well. I paired the birds up with this On Top of the World Gorjuss Girl because the original image has a couple of birds around her, though I trimmed them away. Oh, and a quick PSA on the Crate Story Teller 6x6 paper pad... the prints are not scaled down from the 12x12 size. Well, one of them is, the blueprint looking paper, but all of the rest are exactly the same which is a disappointment. Especially since the aerial map prints really needed to be shrunk down to work well on cards. I don't get why Crate would revert back to this and I hope it's not a sign of things now that they are under the American Crafts umbrella. Still, the papers are fun and I love the mix of colors and prints in it... kind of vintage with a summer time vibe.

Alright, time to get out there and enjoy your Friday folks. See ya in 24! :)      
Supply list:
cardstock- Bazzill and Copic X-Press It
paper/stickers- Crate Paper (Story Teller)
stamp- Santoro (On Top of the World Gorjuss Girl)
ink- Memento tuxedo black and Colorbox chestnut roan
Studio Calico wood veneer birds
Copic markers:
skin- E000, E00, E11, R00, R20
hair- E50, YR31, YR23, Y26, E35
clothes- B34, B37, B39, BV29, BG70, BG72, 0, E81, R05, E09

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Just because

Hey there!

We had a crazy thunder and lightening storm sweep through yesterday afternoon just as I was getting off of work. The rain was coming down so hard that the drive home was actually a bit nerve wracking. Luckily, as fierce as the storm was it blew itself out after just a couple of hours so I didn't have to get soaked taking pup-pup for his walk. :)

Maybe it was the grey skies that had me toning down the color palette on this card or maybe it was just wanting to pull out the What's Up papers from Basic Grey. It's another line with an interesting color combo going on but it's growing on me. I do have one disappointment with it though... see that cloudy sky paper behind Fairy Glenn Charlotte? Basic Grey didn't include that print in the 6x6 paper pad and I was so looking forward to having it in a more scaled down version for my cards. Le sigh, le pout, le boo-hoo. Oh well, at least I had the big 12x12 sheet to play with. And Charlotte does seem right at home in her slightly over cast sky. 

It's time for me to go get ready for the day now. So much to do, so much to do. 
Catch ya later my crafty peeps! :)     
Supply list:
cardstock- Bazzill and Copic X-Press It
paper/sticker- Basic Grey (What's Up)
stamps- Sugar Nellie (Fairy Glen Charlotte), Doodlebug (sentiment)
ink- Memento tuxedo black and Colorbox creamy brown
Divine Twine
Martha Stewart butterfly punch
tulle
Kaiser Craft gems
Copic Spica glitter pen
Copic markers:
skin- E000, E00, E11, R00, R20
hair- E30, E31, E33, E39
clothes- V91, V93, V95, V99, R05, E09, BG10, BG34, R02, R14, C5, C7, C9, E81, 0, BG70, BG72, YG41
wings- G000, G00

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Hello sunshine

Good morning!

I've got to take a quick Glee moment just to say how much I enjoyed last night's show. Yes, all of the Whitney songs were wonderful but it was more than that. The theme of counting down all of the 'lasts' during a senior year type of situation was really poignant and so bittersweet. Plus it seems like it has been ages since Kurt had a fab solo and his rendition of 'I have nothing' brought tears to my eyes. Sigh...

Yesterday I took the afternoon to make my 'start to finish' card making video series for April. I inked up this beautiful Happy Days Annabel from Crafty Sentiments Designs and I totally love her. She is a bit more intricate of an image so I ended up having to break the series up into four different videos this time. You can check any of them out here or on the Color Me Copic blog.
It's funny because the whole time that I was making this card I was just going along la-di-da without any real story or plan for her other than wanting to use the roses. Though once I got it finished and showed it to my sister, right away she said, "She looks like Belle from Beauty and the Beast." What?! You're crazy! But there she was... the brown hair, yellow dress and even a garden of magic roses. So yea, apparently I was subliminally channeling Belle onto Annabel, LOL!

Alrighty then. Thanks for stopping by and I hope that your day is full of sunshine too! :)      
Supply list:
cardstock- Bazzill and Copic X-Press It
paper- Basic Grey (green), My Mind's Eye (red), Ivy Cottage (pink), October Afternoon (yellow), GCD Studios (Oh Happy Day roses)
stamps- Crafty Sentiments Designs (Annabel Happy Days), Papertrey Ink (sentiment)
ink- Memento tuxedo black and rich cocoa, Colorbox creamy brown
ribbon
Sticko epoxy ladybug stickers
Kaiser Craft gems
doily
Copic markers:
skin- E50, E21, E11, BV20, R00, R20, R43
hair- E51, E53, E57, E59
eyes- YG95, E34
clothes/rose swing- Y11, Y13, Y15, Y17, Y35, E40, E41, 0, RV32, R43, R35, R37, R29, YG17, G07, G09

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Planted in my heart

Hello, hello!

It's review preview day over on the ATS blog again and I've done another spin on April's fun addition to the Laugh line of stamps. Just like my second Birgitta card, this second Garden Laugh turned out a lot brighter than the first. Must be all of the wonderful sunshine I've been enjoying lately that is inspiring this shift in color palettes. ;)

I still had some of the Echo Park Hello, Spring papers on my desk and I decided to mix them up with some of the other scraps that were floating around. I really like how the dark browns contrast with the pretty pastels... kinda like blooming flowers against the dirt of the flower beds. And with all that color and sunshine I couldn't resist adding sprinkling of freckles across her sweet face. Though too much longer out there and we'll have to get this girl a nice big hat to shade her. :)

Ok
, so there is even more review preview fun and inspiration from the rest of the ATS team on the All That Scraps blog so be sure to hop on over there too! And all of the new April stamps can be found in the ATS store here!


TTFN!
Supply list:
cardstock- Bazzill and Copic X-Press It
paper- Echo Park (Hello, Spring), The Girls' Paperie (yellow), My Mind's Eye (stripe), JilliBean Soup (dot)
stamp- CC Designs (Garden Laugh), Papertrey Ink (sentiment)
ink- Memento tuxedo black and rich cocoa, Colorbox creamy brown
Prima flowers
buttons
Sharpie white marker
Copic markers:
skin- E000, E00, E11, E15, R00, R20
eyes- B23, B28
hair- E21, E23, E35
clothes- G40, G43, G99, BG0000, BG10, BG11, Y00, Y11, Y15

Monday, April 23, 2012

Days of happiness

Hi ya!

OMGoodness yesterday was absolutely gorgeous! Sunny and 75 all day and then a nice little breeze to cool it all down in the evening. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. Got some trees planted, sat outside and read then I even got a card made. ;)

It was high time that I inked up one of the last SOG Nouveau Girls that I got, considering the newest NG release is debuting today... yikes, I'm so behind! This fancy lady is called Fan and if you are familiar with these stamps you will notice that she is looking a bit different on my card. Yep, I couldn't help myself and played around with some altering. I just thought that she would look pretty with a bit of extra hair. So I stamped Cupcake Mae onto a scratch piece of paper and used my light box to trace her up-do onto the top of Fan's head (minus the cherry). I think the fancier 'do adds some extra elegance and enchantment to the Spring Goddess look that I was going for.
I paired her up with a pretty Hello, Spring mini set of papers from Echo Park. Even though it is only available in 12x12 size I fell in love with the pretty color combo and prints of it so I had to have it. Anytime a little orange is thrown in you know that I'm all over it! ;)

Well folks, I've got a long day ahead of me and I won't get back home 'til late. Hope your week is off to a great start!

Supply list:
cardstock- Bazzill and Copic X-Press It
paper- Echo Park (Hello, Spring)
stamps- Some Odd Girl (Nouveau Fan and Cupcake Mae), Verve (sentiment)
ink- Memento tuxedo black and Colorbox creamy brown
Prima pearls
CC Designs Fairwee tiny scallop border die
Sharpie white marker
Copic Spica glitter pen
Copic multiliner black
Copic markers:
skin- E50, E00, E01, BV01, R00, R20
eyes- YG95, YG97, YG99, BG000, 0
hair- YR21, E97, YR27, E99
clothes- Y00, Y11, Y21, YG0000, YG00, G40, YG01, R81, R83, R85, BG0000, BG10, BG11, RV63, RV66, RV69, Y26, Y28, Y13

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Bugging you...

Olo!

I finished A Storm of Swords last night and I have to say that it was my favorite book of the series so far. They have all been amazing but whoa, there was just so much to take in with this one. I've had comments asking about the Songs of Ice and Fire series and they are adult fantasy novels that I promise will transport you to another time and place. If you love the Lord of the Rings trilogy then these books will be right up your alley.
I'm already a couple of chapters into A Feast for Crows and it should be interesting. It looks like there are quite a few new characters being introduced as we are taken into new parts of the Seven Kingdoms that so far have only been mentioned in the previous novels but not really explored. Yep, I'm being sucked right back in again! LOL

Now onto my card... I found this little Pure Innocence Ladybug already colored up and cut out while straightening my desk, and since I was in a time crunch again she made this one super quick. The little ladybug rub-ons where also on my desk and since they are part of the October Afternoon Cherry Hill line that got me to pulling out the matching papers from my scrap bags and just going to town with it all. I know that they are older and I can't really think of an October Afternoon line that I haven't been crazy about but I gotta say that Cherry Hill still remains in my top 3 lines that they have ever made. Love.

Ok, I'm hoping that today is just as sunny and beautiful as yesterday was so that I can get out there and soak it all in... with plenty of sunscreen I assure you! ;)

Later gators!


Supply list:
cardstock- Bazzill and Copic X-Press It
paper- October Afternoon (Cherry Hill)
stamps- My Favorite Things (Ladybug and sentiment)
ink- Memento tuxedo black and Colorbox dark brown
October Afternoon Cherry Hill rub ons
American Crafts knock out border punch and twine
Prima flowers
buttons
My Favorite Things chat bubble die-namics
Copic markers:
skin- E000, E00, E11, R00, R20
hair- E08, E09, E19
clothes- C5, C7, C9, R05, R08, E09, BG000, 0

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Hi!

Hi guys,

I'm sorry to say that it's looking like this is going to have to be another hit and run post today. Between work, the beautiful spring weather and trying to finish this book. I'm being pulled in several different directions at the moment.

I have a very CAS card to share today featuring one of the cutie Pixies from the Stamping Bella set. I kept the mix of papers to a minimum as well as the embellishments because I thought that decorative wooden button was fancy enough to stand on its own. I think it is the color combo on this own that really makes it pop and of course I had to color little miss Pixie up to match. So there you have it... simple and sweet. :)

Toodles!

Supply list:
cardstock- Bazzill and Copic X-Press It
paper- My Mind's Eye (stripe) and Pebbles
stamp- Stamping Bella (Pixie set A)
ink- Memento tuxedo black and Colorbox chestnut roan
Kaiser Craft gems
Basic Grey wood button
ribbon
Sharpie white marker
Copic Spica glitter pen
Copic markers:
skin- E00, E21, E13, R00, R20
hair- E35, E57, E59
clothes- BG45, BG49, G28, R08
wings- BG000, 0

Friday, April 20, 2012

What's up buttercup?

Hi there!

Well, I was supposed to have today off too but I've been called to fill in so I've gotta keep this post short and sweet.

I put this little card together pretty quickly yesterday as I was finding it hard to pull myself away from my reading. Is anyone else like that when they get really into a book? I kept telling myself, just one more chapter... just one more chapter...
So anyway, when I finally sat down to create I knew that one of my little Fairwees would be a very fast color but still perfect for a cute card. Emaline ended up being the little sweetie to flutter down and take up residence amidst all the bright flowers. The colors may be a bit more summer looking rather than spring but that's ok. :)

Alrighty, time for me to run. TGIF all my crafty peeps!


Supply list:
cardstock- Bazzill and Copic X-Press it
paper- Lily Bee Designs (Double Dutch)
stamps- Sweet November (Fairwee Emaline), Lily Bee Designs (sentiment)
ink- Memento tuxedo black and rich cocoa, Colorbox creamy brown
Martha Stewart border punch and butterfly punch
Prima flowers
buttons
kaiser craft pearls
Papertrey Ink twine
Copic Spica glitter pen
Copic markers:
skin- E000, E00, E11, R00, R20
hair- Y11, Y21, YR23, YR24
clothes- B0000, B00, B02, B37, B39
YR16, YR18, E81, 0
wings- YG0000, YG00

Thursday, April 19, 2012

PB&J... yum!

Hi guys!

Guess who's enjoying a day off today? Yep, that would be me.
No big plans or anything but if I can tear myself away from Storm of Swords for even a little while then I'll call the day productive enough. ;)

Yesterday the mail lady brought me a box of the new Basic Grey PB&J goodies so you know that I had to jump right into them and make a card. The rainbow of bright fun colors in these papers have been calling to me ever since I saw the CHA sneak peeks back in January. But ya know what the first thing was that caught my eye as I opened up the collection pack? This floral motif that was printed on the top of the cover sheet. I liked it so much that I fussy cut it out to use as a main decorative element on my card. Just a thought, but it would be super cool if BG and the other paper companies would start making some super decorative border stickers that look like these clusters of flowers and other motifs. That way you could dress up a card with one quick peel and stick! A girl can dream anyway... ;)
So this was one of the rare occasions that I made my card base first without even picking out a stamp to go with it. Though I knew that I wanted a small fairy to either sit on the flowers of peek out from behind them. When I grabbed my Sugar Nellie binder sweet Faye was just who I was looking for.
Her clothes actually reminded me of a strawberry and considering the name of the paper is PB&J it is an obvious choice. I mean, come on, strawberry jam is THE best on a peanut butter sandwich, LOL! I fussy cut her off of the mushroom she was originally sitting on so that Faye would fit into the over all design. I just love her and all of her freckled cuteness. Plus, she's another one to check off my "ink it up" list. Woot, woot!
Oh and that fun mini jar stamp is part of the Basic Grey Picnic set that coordinates with the PB&J papers. I don't know about you but I'm still diggin' the mason jars. :)

Ok then, have fun today and be crafty!
Supply list:
cardstock- Bazzill and Copic X-Press It
paper- Basic Grey (PB&J)
stamps- Sugar Nellie (Faye and Freddie), Basic Grey (Picnic Jar), Hero Arts (sentiment)
ink- Memento tuxedo black and rich cocoa, Colorbox dark brown and Staz On black
Kaiser Craft gems
Sticko epoxy lady bug stickers
crinkled ribbon
Sakura stardust glitter pen
Copic Spica glitter pen
Copic markers:
skin- E000, E00, E11, E15, R00, R20
hair- E23, E27, E47, E49
clothes/wings- R05, R08, E09, E19, YG00, YG03, YG95, Y21, Y26, Y0000, Y11, Y15, BG0000, BG000
jar lid- Y13, Y21, Y26, Y28

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Sweet wishes

So my fellow Gleeks, did you get night fever last night? To be honest, I was a bit skeptical about an entire disco night but by the final strut I was won over. Though my most favorite part was seeing Alex from the Glee Project perform. That kid was amazing and just eating it all up. I couldn't help but grin during his entire number with Vocal Adrenaline. :)

Ok, now for today's card. What can I say? It is just a Dandy Lion kind of day. I'm still working my way through the new Kraftin Kimmie flower girls and this little bit o' fluff wished her way right onto my card. She was a lot of fun to color with that downy skirt of hers and all of that crazy hair. I went with a bright and saturated yellow for her locks to kind of represent the dandelion flower before it goes to seed then just used dots of lighter yellows and a bit of that magic E81 to make her look all soft and fuzzy.
Then I got to feeling super crafty and decided to try making some small yo-yos out of tulle rather than fabric. I'm pleased to report that they were just as easy to do and I love how they look like decorative little dandelions down around her feet.

Well, it's going to be another busy one for me so I should really scoot.
TTFN!
Supply list:
cardstock- Bazzill, WeR stitched and Copic X-Press It
paper- WeR Memorykeepers (Good Day Sunshine)
stamps- Kraftin Kimmie (Dandylion and sentiment)
ink- Memento tuxedo black and rich cocoa, Tim Holtz tumbled glass distress and Colorbox creamy brown
Kaiser Craft gems
American Crafts tulle and twine
buttons
Sharpie white marker
Copic Spica glitter pen
Copic markers:
skin- E000, E00, E11, R00, R20, RV34
eyes- YG03, YG67, G29, BG000, 0
hair- Y11, Y15, Y17, Y38
clothes- Y00, Y11, E81, YG01, YG05, YG25, BG23, BG53, BG57
grass- YG03, YG17, YG67

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Rain, rain, go away...

Howdy peeps!

It's review preview day over on the ATS blog and I've got a second take on April's adorable addition to the Swiss Pixies... Rainy Day Birgitta. I really couldn't wait to give Birgitta a lighter and brighter look this go round. :)

I know that I already used some of these Chloe's Closet papers yesterday but considering that great blue in them I thought it would be a nice choice for this stamp as well. But I didn't want it to be as heavy in the blues as my last Rainy Day Birgitta card so that's where the bit of orange and yellow really cheer this one up. I picture this version of her to be at the end of the storm with the sky finally clearing and the sunshine peeking out from behind the clouds. I still added a bit of a green cast to her hair and body with the YG00 but it is a much more subtle look compared to Birgitta with the E80s hair. I also altered her just a bit by drawing in a couple lines to give her dress a separate bodice and sleeves so that I could give her outfit more color too.

Ok, so there is even more review preview fun and inspiration from the rest of the ATS team on the All That Scraps blog so be sure to hop on over there too! And all of the new April stamps can be found in the ATS store here!
Toodles!

Supply list:
cardstock- Bazzill and Copic X-Press It
paper- Making Memories (Chloe's Closet)
stamps- CC Designs (Swiss Pixie Rainy Day Birgitta), Amy R (So Wordy sentiment)
ink- Memento tuxedo black and rich cocoa, Colorbox chestnut roan
The Twinery twine
Prima flowers
Kaiser Craft pearls
Martha Stewart butterfly punch
Zva pearls
Copic markers:
skin- E000, E00, E11, R00, R20
hair- E50, E51, Y32, Y35, E33, YG00
clothes- B32, B34, B37, E40, E41, 0, YR12, YR14, YR18, YG01, YG03, YG17

Monday, April 16, 2012

Bright, bright, bright sunshiny day

Hello!

Can you believe we are already half way through April? I think my current reading obsession is making the days slip away faster because I feel like I've lost time, seriously! And with new releases creeping up in a couple weeks things aren't likely to slow down anytime soon. I guess that's just how it goes though and as long as I'm enjoying myself who am I to really complain. :)

I couldn't resist inking up another of the Lili of the Valley cuties that I got last week. This time I chose Maisie Sitting Pretty and just cut away the mushroom she was sitting on because I was short on coloring time and Maisie on her own was pretty quick to do. I think she looks just as nice resting atop that ribbon. By now I think it is no secret that I love the color orange and it is the orange/blue/green combo that makes these papers probably my most fave line that Making Memories ever released. It's called Chloe's Closet and it was only sold at Michael's stores a few years back. Not having a Michael's anywhere near me, I ended up taking a road trip to Spokane just to get my hands on it. Needless to say, I stocked up, LOL! ;)

Alrighty then, I'm outta here. Hope your day is a crafty one!

Supply list:
cardstock- Bazzill and Copic X-Press It
paper- Making Memories (Chloe's Closet)
stamps- Lili of the Valley (Maisie Sitting Pretty), October Afternoon (sentiment), BoBunny (stitches)
ink- Memento tuxedo black and rich cocoa, Colorbox creamy brown
Making Memories flowers and buttons
Prima flowers
Kaiser Craft pearls
ribbon
Jenni Bowlin tab punch
Copic markers:
skin- E000, E00, E11, R00, R20
hair- YR12, YR15, YR27, E99
clothes- B32, B34, B37, Y32, Y35, YG01, YG03, E31, E35, E57

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Sit and chat...

Good morning!

Yesterday was not quite as nice out as I had hoped it would be. The wind was blowing off the mountains bringing with it the cold from the snow that's still up there. So I didn't get as much done out there as I had hoped but the extra time did let me set up my Flip and get a coloring video made. :)

After posting the grass video a couple weeks ago, I received a few requests to share how I did the blonde hair that I used on Easter Anya. This seemed the perfect time to do it so I just had to find a good stamp to showcase the combo on. The Greeting Farm stamps have nice, big heads of hair so I went back to my TGF binder to pick a likely candidate. Cheeky Chat caught my eye and since she hadn't been inked up yet this was a two-fer. I did alter her a bit by wiping away her winking eye and tracing in a new eye in its place. The color combo is a pretty ash blonde and you can find the video here or over on Color Me Copic.

I paired her up with this new-ish paper pad from Cosmo Cricket called 2wenty Thr3e and I'll admit that at first, I wasn't 100% sold on this one. The color combos seemed kinda clashy to me and a few of the prints are a little much to handle in anything other than small doses. But, I really like the retro mod styling and it seemed to have a very swingin' 60's type of vibe going on. To me this matched well with Chat's look. And the mustard/pink/orange/grey combo of it is even starting to grow on me. ;)

Alrighty friends, have fun and stay out of trouble. I'll chat at'cha later!


Supply list:
cardstock- Bazzill and Copic X-Press It
paper- Cosmo Cricket (2wenty Thr3e)
stamp- The Greeting Farm (Cheeky Chat)
ink- Memento tuxedo black and Colorbox creamy brown
Kaiser Craft gems
Tim Holtz tiny attacher
Divine Twine
Copic Spica glitter pen
Copic markers:
skin- E000, E00, E11, R00, R20, W0, W1, W3
hair- E40, E41, E42, E43, E44
clothes- R0000, R00, RV42, Y21, Y26, Y28, W3, W5, W7
telephone- G40, G43, G46, E40, YR12, YR15, YR18

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Spring blossoms

Olo!

Yeah, it's Saturday! And I've got this weekend off... there's no telling what kind of trouble I could get myself into. Though to be honest I'll probably just end up enjoying the sunshine and cleaning up the yard. I want to go into town and get some flowers for the flower pots by the front door, hopefully they have some great colors to choose from. The more orange and pink that I can find, the better. :)

So for today's card I actually inked up a new stamp that I just got this past week. Lili of the Valley recently had a free shipping deal that I took advantage of and I was happy to give this little Blossom a new home. Considering this used to be apple country, I grew up surrounded by the sweet smell of apple blossoms this time of year. And even though the orchards are fewer and further between these days, Blossom on her tree branch was totally calling to me.
I paired her up with the My Mind's Eye Miss Caroline paper pad because the soft pinks reminded me of apple blossoms and the wood grain kinda looks like the bins that we would use come harvest time. Just the right colors and textures for this tree climbing cutie.

Okey dokey ladies, enjoy your weekend! :)

Supply list:
cardstock- Bazzill and Copic X-Press It
paper- My Mind's Eye (Miss Caroline Howdy Doody)
stamps- Lili of the Valley (Blossom), Hero Arts (sentiment)
ink- Memento tuxedo black and rich cocoa, Colorbox creamy brown, Tim Holtz Iced Spruce distress
Papertrey Ink twine
Martha Stewart butterfly punch
Kaiser Craft pearls
Fiskars border punch
Copic markers:
skin- E000, E00, E11, R00, R20
hair- YR30, YR31, Y21, E33
clothes- R00, R02, R32, BG90, G00, YR12, YR000, YG21, G43, RV00, RV10, E31, E33, E35
branch- E23, E25, E27, G40, G43, G46, YG00, R01, R24, Y18

Friday, April 13, 2012

Konnichiwa

Hey there!

So I finished reading A Clash of Kings the other day. OMGoodness, this series just keeps getting better and better! There is magic returning to the world my friends and the pace of the story is becoming quite a ride. I'm already 100 pages or so into A Storm of Swords and I'm finding it hard to tear myself away from the pages. I've been getting less sleep but it is so worth it, LOL!

Ok, onto my card... it's a quickie that I pulled together from the Konnichiwa papers that were still lurking around on my desk. I went to my Stamping Bella binder because it's been quite a while since I've colored up one of my Ketto cuties. Now I'm not sure if I've used Wasabi before or not but I'm still counting her as a stamp to cross of my "must ink up soon" list. :)
I think it is a fun match up and since I kind of had a circle motif going on I went ahead and added that sticker with the symbol on it to complete the cascade. I have no idea what it means but I'm hoping that Basic Grey didn't trick me into adding some crazy sentiment like, "Eat more soup" to the card. So if anyone knows what that translates to, please share!

Well, I should get moving. Lots to do, lots to do!
TTFN!
Supply list:
cardstock- Bazzill and Copic X-Press It
paper/stickers- Basic Grey (Konnichiwa)
stamps- Stamping Bella (Wasabi Ketto), Basic Grey (sentiment)
ink- Memento tuxedo black and rich cocoa, Tim Holtz weathered wood, Colorbox creamy brown
Kaiser Craft pearls
Sakura stardust glitter pen
Copic Spica glitter pen
Copic markers:
skin- E000, E00, E11, R20
hair- C5, C7, C9
clothes- YG00, YG01, YG03, Y38, YR16, YR18, R11, R32, R35, BG72, BG78