Follow Your Dreams

Hellooooo! How is everyone on this lovely Tuesday? I am so pleased that it is not so hot today. Only 90 degrees. It was over 100 over the weekend and that forced me to stay indoors. I do not do well in the heat at all. In this case staying in was actually a good thing because it gave me some time to do some card making. I have had a few images all colored up for a while but never got a chance to make any cards out of them.
Here is one card that I made for my best friend Gina. She just got a well deserved promotion so I am going to give her this card at her celebratory dinner this weekend. ....I will have another card for you tomorrow that I made for my other bestie Rhiannon to congratulate her on her promotion...Marle and Tasmine just got married and now Gina and Rhiannon just got promoted. My girls rock!

Supplies-

Stamps- Siren Lorelei from Make It Crafty, PaperTrey Ink Fillable Frames #3

Paper-Me & My Big Ideas Starfish Specialty patterned paper, PTI Aqua Mist Cardstock, Copic X-Press It Blending Card

Accessories- Recollections pearls, Japanese deco masking tape, Making Memories trim

Copics-

Hair: E13 E08 E09 E17 E19 E18

Skin: E11 E13 E15

Tail: B000 B21 B23 + Prismacolor Pencils PC1102 Blue Lake, PC1088 Muted Turquiose, PC 933 Violet Blue for shading

Eyes- BG15

For all the Mothers....

For all the Mothers out there. Happy Mother's Day!

Recipe: Becca Kay digi stamp, Valerie computer font, Scallop Oval and Labels 12 Nestabilities, Flowers from bridal section at AC Moore, Jolee's Embellishment Stickers, Making Memories Spring Trim, PTI Stampers Select White- Vintage Cream- Spring Rain,Kaisercraft Airy Fairy Patterned Paper, Baby Oil, Prismacolor Pencils Powder Blue Sky Light Blue Light Cerulean Blue, Copics E29 E25 E99 BG0000 B21 B32 B34 YR21 YR24 E0000 E00 E000 R20 B01

My Wonderful Mother

One more Mother's Day card using my free American Crafts paper that I scored from the clearance section at Michael's. The first time I saw this frame digi from Bird's Cards I envisioned popping up the flowers , so I finally did it here. Lots of cutting but I think the effect is worth it.

This is the actual card I gave to my Mother. I hope she likes it. I got her one of those crazy Topsy Turvy Tomato Planters because she has her own greenhouse on her porch. I figured we could try it out and see if it will grow indoors. I also altered a composition notebook for her.... she opened that early and loved it. She is taking a class all this weekend so we have to postpone our Mother's day celebration till next week. I am taking her to see Iron Man 2...I know, it is so... not girly, but we love those types of superhero movies. My mom is my superhero...I nicknamed her Super Curl! She ran out into the street one night to put out the trash in her curlers and bathrobe and her bathrobe was flapping in the breeze like a cape ... the name just sort of stuck!


Recipe: Camellia Frame by Birds Cards, SU! Sentiment, Prima Say it In Pearls Butterfly Swirls, American Crafts Metropolitan patterned paper and Glitter paper, PTI Stampers Select White cardstock, PTI Aqua Mist cardstock, Smooch illuminate, Ecohouse Citrus Cleaner and CVS Wooden Stick Cotton Swabs, Prismacolor Pencils: Light Aqua Pale Sage Jade Green Limepeel Celadon Green Muted Turquoise Apple Green, Copics: BG11, G20

Happy Mother's Day

Here is the card I made with my 3D flower that I wanted to do the tutorial on...but since Kim's flowers on the Club Anya blog look better I will just show you my card instead. Although I will say my card is flat enough to be mailed with regular postage and requires no drying time because I used a glue dot instead of wet glue to hold the flower center...wink wink nudge nudge. Ok I digress. Here again I have used that free American Crafts paper and the .99 cent Making Memories trim. Isn't it so cute...those are little crotchet butterflies. I am telling you my eyes bugged out of my head when I saw that you got 5 different trims for only .99 cents. I bought all the packs they had (only 3) but still!!! What a great deal.

Recipe: Camellia frame digi from Bird's Cards... I manipulated it in Microsoft paint to add the Mother's Day sentiment with Pea Valerie font from kevinandamanda.com..fonts for peas. American Crafts designer paper and glitter paper. Papertrey Ink Aqua Mist and Stampers Select White Cardstock, Making Memories Spring Trims, Martha Stewart Doily Lace Punch, Reflections Pearls, 6 petal Flower Punch, SU! Baja Breeze DSP, Ecohouse Citrus Cleaner and CVS Wooden Stick Cotton Swabs, Prismacolor Pencils: Light Aqua Pale Sage Jade Green Limepeel Celadon Green Muted Turquoise Apple Green French Grey 50% , Copics: BG11, G20

Sharing in Your Sorrow

This is another request card for my mom. Her best friend Lily's mother passed away. The wake was a Budhist ceremony and the family signed a mother's day card I made and placed it in the coffin with Lily's mother with her other things for her to have in the afterlife. I thought that was really beautiful.

This is another card made with the free paper and .99 cent goodies I got on National Scrapbooking Day! I wish I had picked up a few more of those glitter papers...

PS- please forgive my pictures lately...there is something funky going on with my camera where it will not focus close-up no matter what I try to do. I think it fell of my bed at one point, may need to take it to the doctor.

Recipe: Camelia Frame digi by Bird's Cards, Sentiment by SU!, American Crafts designer and glitter paper, PTI Stampers Select White and Hawaiian Shores cardstock, Martha Stewart Doily Lace Punch, Making Memories Spring Trims, Reflections Pearls, Foam Dots, Smooch Illuminate, Ecohouse Citrus Cleaner and Prismacolor Pencils Light Aqua- Pale Sage- Jade Green- Limepeel- Celadon Green- Muted Turquoise- Apple Green- French Grey, Copics BG11 and G20

Celebrate Mom

Ok guys, I have lost my mojo. I cleaned and organized my stamp space...and I must have thrown it away. lol! I have not colored a darn thing with my copics in over two weeks...everything I have posted was either colored with Prismacolor pencils or stuff I colored weeks ago and just never made it onto a card.



I need some serious stamp time...no cooking, no cleaning, no working, no collecting of more and more stamping supplies AKA shopping, no napping (I am very guilty of this one lately)...just creating! I have got to get some Mother's Day cards going.



Here is one card that I forced myself to make because I wanted to play with my new Tim Holtz Alterations dies and Smooch Illuminate paint....It is almost a Mother's Day card... looks more like a darn birthday card to me. I dunno... I am in desperate need of some divine inspiration! Do you guys ever get "stampers block" too?



Recipe: Stamp by Denami Designs, PTI Lemon Tart- Aqua Mist and Stampers Select White Cardstock, PTI designer paper, Memento Tuxedo Black Ink, Prismacolor Pencils, Ecohouse Citrus Solvent, Smooch Illuminate paint, Felt, Tim Holtz Alterations Tatered Florals die, Tim Holtz Alterations On the Edge Brackets die, Prima eLine pearls, SU! Modern Label Punch, BG11 Copic marker, computer font for sentiment.

Happy Earth Day and 20 followers celebration!

Happy Earth Day everyone! I made a quick card in honor of Earth Day. I couldn't resist using this sentiment from Whimsie Doodles- Save Earth it's the only planet with Chocolate!

Yay! We have reached 20 followers and you know what that means....BLOG CANDY!!! I will post a picture of the candy tomorrow and you will be able to comment on that post to win. I will select a random winner from the comments but you must be a follower of this blog. I will do the drawing on April 25th! (So far the candy will include... A black memento dew drop ink pad, 3 copic markers, 5 prismacolor colored pencils, tortillions, a stamp set, a scrapbooking kit, misc...embellishments, some Tim Holtz Alterations die cuts, and cardstock)...

Recipe: Digi stamp by Tiddly Inks, Sentiment digi from Whimsie Doodles, Heidi Grace designer paper, SU! Certainly Celery cardstock, Memento Pear Tart Dew Drop Ink, Kaisercraft lush pearls, Prismacolor pencils, baby oil and paper stumps.

Happy Birthday!

I am going to a little boy's birthday party Sunday so I thought this adorable Giraffe card would be just perfect.

Recipe: Giraffe digi from MelJen's designs, SU! sentiment stamp, Making Memories Fresh Anthology designer paper pad, PTI Stampers Select White and Summer Sunrise and New Leaf cardstock, Queen & Co Felt Daisy, EK Success Rock Fern Punch, eyelets, SU! Wide Oval punch, SU! Old Olive Marker, Prismacolor Pencils Limepeel, Grass Green, Copics: G82, YR21, YR24, G99, R10, R21

Audrey

Happy Spring! It was in the 70's this weekend here in good ole Jersey! Spring has definitely sprung! Birds are chirping, bees are buzzing, and flowers are sprouting up. This card is my ode to spring.

I made my own Chenile Flower to match my card using a pipecleaner and a Basic Grey Stiched Brad. I have been invited to be a guest designer for Die Cuts R Us in a few weeks (April 10th) and I will be doing a tutorial on how you make them. Stay tuned for that!

Recipe: Audrey digistamp from The Greeting Farm, PTI blue shimmer cardstock, SU! Lovely Lavender cardstock, Kaisercraft Airy Fairy designer paper,Basic Grey Kioshi stitched brad, Nestabilities dies, Prismacolor Pencils and OMS, Kaisercraft Rhinestones, SU!Scallop Trim Border Punch, Copics:

Spring Bling

Well with the monsoon blowing outside the window, I am pretty sure Spring is here. March is coming in like a lion, let's hope it goes out like a lamb. Here is my card for the 100th Flutterby Wednesday Challenge.

I had some fun using new toys this weekend. I broke out my new Basic Grey Kioshi paper and Nestabilities dies. I also used my Copic ABS system and a copic V15 marker to airbrush my flowers to match my card. I got an air compressor as an early birthday gift, so I felt like I could finally use my D60 air can without being conservative. No more buying aircans for me!

Recipe: Summer Fairy digi from the Greeting Farm, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White cardstock, Prismacolor Pencils, OMS, Kioshi designer paper by Basic Grey, SU! Violet and Bermuda Bay cardstock, Nestabilities Labels Twelve, SU! Scallop Trim Border Punch, Spica clear Glitter Pen, Michael's Flower Rhinestones, Prima Flower, SU! Pretties flower

Prismacolor Pencils vs. Copics

Prismacolor Pencils versus Copics

There is a lot of debate on the internet regarding coloring with Prismacolor Pencils versus coloring with Copics. You have the two different camps going head to head over which is the better coloring method. Some people say that using the pencils is much easier than the markers.

I have had Prismacolor pencils for a while, but never really got into coloring with them. I have always felt my coloring lacked a professional look no matter what coloring method I used. When I tried out Copics I really liked the smooth results and have become a Copic convert. Along my Copic research travels on the internet, I have read many posts about using Copics with Prismacolor pencils to soften the results, add depth, and texture. There is this great blog called Heavens Created This where Lindah has the smoothest, softest colored images. She uses Prismacolor Pencils with Copics on her images and they are beautiful. I decided to break out my pencils and give them another try.

The picture at the top of this post is a side by side comparison of coloring done using The Greeting Farm's Summer Fairy digi image. They both are printed on Neenah Classic Crest Solar White cardstock. The picture on the left uses Prismacolor Pencils and the one on the right is done using Copic Markers.

You can see that the colored pencil image on the left has a nice soft slightly textured finish while the Copic colored image on the right has a smooth bold/vibrant finish.

To me, I think what you choose to color with is entirely a matter of preference, comfort level with the techniques and tools, and would depend on what type of effect you are looking for. To me, neither method is better or easier, just different. I had fun coloring the same image with different techniques.

PRISMACOLOR PENCILS

This image was colored using Prismacolor Premier Pencils and blended using Odorless Mineral Spirits (OMS) and a blending stump.

Colors used were- Beige Sienna, Chestnut, Canary Yellow, Lemon Yellow, Sky Blue Light, Peach Beige, Muted Turquoise, Aquamarine, Light Aqua, Violet, Lilac, and Process Red

COPICS

This image was coloring using the Copic Markers below.
Finally I decided to combine the two techniques to see if I could get the best of both worlds.

The base image above was colored using the Copic Markers pictured below. Once the entire image was colored using Copics, I layered on Prismacolor pencils in complementing shades to create shadows and highlights. I like that you can both lighten and darken the image with the pencils. After laying down the pencil, I blended over the image using a blending stump and OMS...this did not disturb the Copic ink. Finally I finished by adding a halo with a Lemon Yellow pencil and then some sparkle to certain areas of the eyes and wings with a clear Spica Glitter Pen. I really like the finished image because you get the smoothness of the Copics along with the shading and soft texture from the pencils. If you have never tried combining your Copics and your Prismacolor Pencils, you should give it a try!

Flutter By Wednesday on Monday

I absolutely love all things Tinkerbell so I just had to do last weeks Flutter By Wednesday Challenge...a little late but better than never. The challenge was to do a card inspired by this picture:

Here is the first draft of my card. I thought I was done, but it just seemed unbalanced to me so I added the flowers to the lower right hand side.

Here is a close up of Tinkerbell. I decided to do something different so I used Prismacolor pencils and OMS with my Copics to add the yellow halo around the image. I definitely need to practice using odorless mineral spirits and the blending stump with the pencils. I like using the pencils with the Copics because if I tried to do the same halo effect with markers I run the risk of the yellow bleeding into my image.

Recipe: Tinkerbell image from tinkerbellcoloring pages, Lilac Avenue designer paper by Kaisercraft, May Arts two tone ribbon, Bow Easy, stardust stickles, Kaisercraft rhinestones, Petaloo Dazzlers, SU! Lavender Lace and PTI Stampers Select White Cardstock, Prismacolor pencils in Lemon and Canary Yellow, Gamsol, Copics: