Sunday, October 31, 2010

Happy Halloween!

Quick Halloween card for you. Hope everyone has a safe and Happy Halloween!

Ingredients:
Stamps- Simply Betty Digi stamp
Paper- PTI cardstock, Echo Park patterned paper
Accessories- Recollections sticker, May Arts Ribbon
Copics- BG01 BG02 BG05 E000 E00 E11 YG21 YG23 YG25 V04 V06 V09 N3 N5 N7 E31 E34 E35 E37






Friday, October 29, 2010

A Charcoal Halloween

Here is my quick and simple card I made yesterday morning before work. It only took 5 minutes to assemble from all the bits and pieces I had laying around on my desk. I had lots of fun coloring Charcoal...finally got some Neutral gray copic markers and the last of the BG family so I had fun with those coloring the hat and then decided to add a touch or sparkle with my spica pens.
Happy Halloween!!!!
Ingredients:
Stamps- Pollycraft Charcoal 'Moonspooks' Digi, Meljen's Designs Quilted Boo digi
Paper- Copic Xpress It Blending Cardstock, PTI Plum Pudding Cardstock, PTI New Leaf Cardsotck, Echo Park Halloween patterned paper
Accessories- May Arts Ribbon, Bow Easy, Oval Nestabilities, Labels Nestabilities, paper piercer
Ink- Lavender, Mint and Black Spica pens, Sharpie Extra Fine White Poster Paint Pen
Copics: MOON- Y11 Y13 Y15 HAT- BV11 BV13 BV17 BG93 BG96 BG99 KITTY- N3 N5 N7 FENCE- E30 E31 E34


Thursday, October 28, 2010

A Bitterfrost Halloween

Happy Thursday! Here is my completed card with the elements I showed on my workdesk yesterday. I am truly loving this ribbon. I picked up a yard when I was at my local SS -Scrappers Cove. I liked that it was already ruffled and that I wouldn't have to do all the work myself to make it look that way. I also finally found something I could use all that Dusty Durango cardstock with... I am not too big an orange fan so I never really used this color but... it goes really well with the Bo Bunny Kitchen Spice papers and the Echo Park Halloween papers I used yesterday on my candy tins. I also managed to make another card this morning before work ( I know shocking...time to stamp and I made it to work on time!). I will show you that one tomorrow.

Ingredients:
Stamps- Pollycraft Luna Bitterfrost Happy Haunting digi, Meljen's Designs Stitched Trick or Treat digi

Paper- Copic Xpress It Blending Card, PTI Dark Chocolate cardstock, SU! Dusty Durango Cardstock, Bo Bunny Kitchen Spice patterned paper
Accessories- Want to Scrap Pearls colored with E79, ribbon, dimensionals, Oval Nestabilities
Copics: SKIN E0000 E000 EYES G21 HAIR Y21 YR23 YR24 CLOTHES BV11 BV13 BV17 PUMPKINS YR12 YR15 YR16 YR18 YR04 YR07 YR09 YR23 YR24


Wednesday, October 27, 2010

WOYWW 73

Happy Wednesday! Time for another installment of Whats On Your Workdesk- #73! I really like this game.... it is a great way to post without having to finish my project the night before...lol! I am getting closer to a finished card...see... all the cool parts laid out above. I have my images, my sentiments, my cardstock layers....everything right? Wrong... I decided that since I am incorporating the brown into this card (the image far left) that I have to put some kind of ribbon on this too. You'll see once I'm done.

I do have one finished project to show you...or three if you want to be technical about it.
Altered Halloween Candy Tins! They began their life as my beloved General Foods International Dark Mayan Chocolate Latte tins...yummo! I have a dozen or so of these empty babies lying around and I decided I would recycle them in a fun way. My coworkers kids love my cards and stuff so I made them candy tins for Halloween.



I will be filling them up with Baskin Robins ice cream flavored hard candies and Ghiardehlli chocolate squares today.
So what is on your workdesk? If you would like to show it off...pop by the Stamping Ground and enter your post into Mr Linky so we can all see what you are working on.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Green Copic Color Combinations and blog candy

Happy Tuesday! I was unable to make a halloween card last night...I tried, I really did. Had an image all colored, had paper and cardstock measured and cut...but I just wasn't feeling the mojo... Maybe something will come to me today... in the meantime...

There is some blog candy over at Spesch Stamps...these are some great images that Tracey had made into rubber. She is so excited that she is giving away 4 stamps to a random winner.

There was a question posted over on Splitcoast Stampers regarding favorite green copic combinations. I figured I would post some of mine. My most favorite...are the army green- YG93 YG95 YG97 and the light evergreen G21 G24 G28.

Here are some other green experiments:


Monday, October 25, 2010

Breast Cancer Awareness month...


Happy Monday! As you probably know, October is breast cancer awareness month. This is an issue that in one way or another effects almost every woman. My step mother passed away from it several years ago and now I just found out that my Aunt has to have a biopsy next week. My thoughts and prayers are with her so I decided to make this card for her and all the other women affected by this illness. This card is inspired by the following challenges:

iCopic challenge # 6 - use the colors pink black white & the Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbon

Cute Card Thursday challenge # 135 using this sketch

The inside of the card reads- Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tunes without the words and never stops- at all.
Ingredients:
Stamps- Bugaboo Ribbon Bear digi, Wordsworth clear sentiment stamp
Paper- American Crafts Baby Miss Muffet Paper, Making Memories patterned paper, Stampin Up Black and Pink Pirouette Cardstock, Copic Xpress It Blending Card
Accessories- 1 1/4 and 1 3/4 square punches
Copics- E41 E42 E43 E44 RV0000 R81 R83 R85 R89 0
PS- sorry for the poor quality photos they were taken with my blackberry.

Friday, October 22, 2010

First Ever Spesch Stamps Christmas Blog Hop

Happy Friday! No card for you today but two cool things for you to check out on your travels through bloggy land.
1) Spesch Stamps is having their first ever Christmas Blog Hop... you can check it out here-
there are blog candy/prizes to be won!


2) There is a great new video on coloring faces and adding makeup on your image- by Kelly Booth over on the Color Me Copic blog here

There is a new challenge using her technique with a prize of Xpress It Blending Card!


Thursday, October 21, 2010

Seas the Day!


Happy Thursday! Bit of news- one of my cards was featured today over at Color Me Copic as a design team favorite... I am so honored that my very favorite bloggers liked my card. Hugs to the gals at Color Me Copic!

Here is a card I made for Amy Rysavy's ATG Gun Giveaway contest. You can see the details of the giveaway on her blog Paper Prarie Ink here. I used AmyR Stamps Summer Fun Sentiments collection which I think goes perfect with mermaid stamps. I don't buy a lot of sentiment sets because I can just usually print what I want on my pc...but this set was so versatile that I just had to have it.

Ingredients:
Stamps- Amy R Summer Fun Sentiments, Current Ebbtide digi by Sweet November Stamps
Paper- SU! Crushed Curry, PTI Stampers Select White and Hawaiian Shores, Me & My Big Ideas Starfish Specialty patterned paper
Accessories- Island Lagoon Metal Accent Charms by the Paper Company Studio ,Nestabilities Oval and Scalloped Oval dies, sponge, velvet ribbon trim from stash, Antique safety pin, Smooch Illuminate
Ink- Memento Tuxedo Black Dew Drop, SU! Crushed Curry

Copics: FISH -Y08 Y15 Y19 TAIL- BG0000 BG000 BG10 BG11 SHELLS- R00 R02 R05 HAIR- E31 E35 E37 E39 SKIN -E000 E00 RO2



Tuesday, October 19, 2010

WOYWW 72

Welcome to another addition of WOYWW 72! I am very happy that I actually remembered to photograph my desk this week so I could play along over at the Stamping Ground...lol! Below is the very organized chaos on my tiny desk. I picked out all of the elements for my card and carefully arranged them on my desk for the photo before I started making the card ;0)Here is a close up.
And here is my finished card.... I got a little happy with the CTMH distresser tool... I just found it burried in the bottom of one of my caddies yesterday....
I made this card to enter in the following challenges:

Friday Sketchers Challenge # 124 sketch


Finally here is a close up of that cute little bear....

Ingredients:
Stamps- Meljen's Designs sorry teddy digi
Paper- DCWV Linen, PTI kraft and aqua mist, Copic X-Press It Blending Card
Ink- Stampin Write Marker in Tempting Turquoise, Tim Holtz Distress Ink Antiwue Linen
Accessories- Nestibilities Oval dies, Corner Rounder punch, SU! Tag punch, Viva Decor Gold Pearl Pen, Sharpie Extra Fine White Poster Paint Pen, sponge, CTMH Distresser Tool
Copics: E41 E42 E43, R20

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Boo to you!

A Very Happy Monday to you all! I did a tiny bit of cardmaking over the weekend. I made this easel card for the following challenges:


Truly Scrumptious challenge #43 Easel Card using their sketch above.

Stampin Royalty challenge # 41 theme of Spooky Kooky Halloween (My card is more Kooky than Spooky.)
Fussy and Fancy Challenge #21 with a theme of Halloween projects

Papercraft Star challenge # 17 was to create a card inspired by this Martha Stewart layout below. I used the polka dot theme from my card...but needed to add some other colors- purple and green...I am not a big orange fan.


Ingredients:
Stamps- Dustin Pike Pumpkin Bear digi
Paper- PTI black cardstock, Copic Xpress It Blending Card, Echo Park Happy Halloween patterned paper
Ink- Copics: YROO YR02 YR04 YR09 R20 E31 E34 E35 E57 E59 YG03 YG67; 100 on the brad
Accessories- Stampin’ Up! White Jumbo brad, Tim Holtz Alterations Vintage Market alphabet die


Here is the inside/bottom panel of my easel card-
Close up of the bear in his cute pumpkin costume-






Friday, October 15, 2010

Copics on sale ...enabler alert!

SCRAPMART has a sale that ends Monday.... 20% off copics and free shipping...that makes them $3.90 sketch and $2.58 ciao MUST USE coupon code "copicsale" at checkout.

The gang at Scrap-mart are really great. They always have the best booth at the Scrapbooking Expo when they come to my town. I just ordered 2 ciaos- BG93 Bg96 and 4 sketch- BG99 E30 N3 N5 N7 for $24.66 with free shipping. YAY!

They also have Tim Holtz products for 35% off and some Sizzix dies half price.


Answers to last weeks questions from WOYWW

This post is for all of the lovely comments last week regarding my desk and the Copic Airbrush System.

My Desk-

My desk is made out of 4 Jetmax cubes (the ones they sell at Michael's) and the long desk plank addition. It is not actually screwed together the way it should be with the braces, I merely have the plank resting on top of 2 cubes stacked on each side. There was not enough room for me to have the desk top actually be the full length of the plank. It works great and I have no issues with the stability of the desk. So for any of you out there in need of a workspace...it is something you could try.
Copic Airbrush System-

The greatest thing about Copic markers is that you can refill them! Which means you only invest in markers one time and then you can replace the nibs and refill the ink if the marker runs dry!

I don't do a whole lot of airbrushing so I have not had any of my markers run dry from that. The tip may get slightly dry and then you just need to uncap both ends of the marker and leave it sitting for a little bit so that more ink will flow out of the sponge inside and remoisten the tip. If your marker tips are visably blotchy...it is time to refill.

Most of the airbrushing I do is over a small space and only takes a few seconds so I don't use very much ink at all.

If you continuously airbrush with the same marker over and over you would need to refill the marker much sooner and you may wish to have Copic Various Refill Ink in that color on hand.
I have seen a lot of ladies airbrushing their backgrounds with E31 YR21 and B000 so those may be colors you would want to keep in stock if you are going to be airbrushing...
Colors I have refilled over the past 9 months-

E0000 E000 E00 E21 E25 E31 E33 E35 E50 Y21 Y23 G20 BG10 BG11 BG72 RV00 RV10 R20 R81 V000 B000 B91

(I will need to refill my Y000 and V01 and BG0000 soon!)

These are the colors that I use the most and when I was getting started with Copics I was using a very absorbent cardstock which I believed sucked a lot of my markers dry. I have since learned to color with a much lighter hand and have not needed to do a second refill on any color yet.
Copic Tip-
In the states, Copic Various Ink refills cost upwards of $5.62 online -$7.49 retail which is not a bad price considering one bottle can get you about 10-12 refills for a Sketch marker, about 15 for Ciao. But, instead of buying refills you may want to just visit a local scrapbooking store to have your marker refilled. I think this cost me approx. $2 at Scrappers Cove in NJ. If you don't have a local store, I know My Favorite Things offers a refill station where you mail in your marker and they send it back to you refilled $1.50 for Ciao and $2.25 for Sketch.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Muah!

It's wednesday and I forgot to take a picture of what is on my workdesk...ah nuts... maybe later. Even better, I actually have a finished card to show you. My card today is based on Mojo Monday sketch # 160. I have had this image colored up for a while but I wasn't very happy with how her dress looked. After seeing Elaine's tutorial over at Color Me Copic for challenge # 6 -coloring clothing with copics, I decided to go back in and work on the folds of her dress a bit more and I like this finished product topped off with the Smooch Illuminate pearlized accent much better. Once I got my card together it still wasn't complete. I ransacked my stamp collection searching and searching for just the right sentiment and then I came across this one..."Muah" just went perfect with this image!

Recipe: Kiss Me digi stamp by Tiddly Inks Sentiment from Summer Fun by Amy R Stamps, PTI Stampers Select White and Lavender Moon Cardstock, SU! Chocolate Chip Cardstock, Heidi Grace Designs patterned paper, Want to Scrap Pearls, PTI Lavender Moon Satin Ribbon, Bow Easy, Tim Holtz Alterations On the Edge Brackets die, Nestabilities Jumbo Scallop Petite Borderabilities die, Smooch Illuminate
Copics: Y21 Y23 YR21 YR23 E0000 E000 E00 E95 RV000 RV91 RV93 RV95 YG03 YG13 B60



Monday, October 11, 2010

Wednesday on a Tuesday

Didn't do much cardmaking this long weekend. My mom came and infected me with some stomach virus...ick! But at least I got a bit of coloring done.
Here is a card I made with the sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday # 70 and for Flutter By Wednesday challenge 125...yeah I know Wednesday... I am a bit behind.

Recipe: Fairy digi freebie by Anita Be Stampin, Copic Xpress It Blending Card, SU! Pretty Ink Pink Ink, Memento Bahama Blue Ink, PTI Cardstock, Crafters Workshop Mini Butterfly template, ABS3 and compressor and copics BG05 BV11 RV23, BV000 BV31 BG0000 BG00 Y000Y21 Y26 E0000 E000 E00 R20 E41 RV0000


Unbounded Beauty Fun Fold and Free Shipping on orders $75+ July 23rd

Today's card is a fabulous fun fold card inspired by Connie Stewart.  I used the Unbounded Beauty Suite collection from the new Stampin&...