Little Girl in Charcoal

Here is the other image I colored with my new pencils. This image is from Unity, by Phyllis Harris called Be Present. An image like this is perfect for using the charcoal I think. Most of the lines for the shading are already there for you.

This time I stamped onto a Mead Sketch Pad. I didn't have any issues with the paper at all, it held up well. I kept this card CAS, but used color card stock for some pop. I stamped the card base with the same set that I used the sentiment on in yesterday's card, Steps of Courage. It's such a pretty flower image.

The sentiment comes with the little Girl, and is only part of the whole stamp. There are 3 sentiments on one stamp, but I only inked the bottom one. Just a few candy dots is all I used for embellishments, and the layers are all flat. I didn't want to take away from the main image.

Thank you for your visit, have a crafty day! :)

Coloring with Charcoal

Here is my first image colored with my charcoal pencils. It's from the Unity set called Blow Your Mind.

I inked the image with white pigment ink, then embossed it with clear ep. The paper I used is called Crumb Cake from Stampin Up, I like the look of the charcoal on kraft, but the paper did start to pill on the larger sections of the flower petals. Maybe I went over it too many times, the pencils I got are hard charcoal. Which is great for defining lines, but I think I need to get some softer ones for more of the shading parts.

I used a paper blending stump, and a white eraser for those parts that I thought were too dark. Once I was done coloring, the flower edges didn't quite stand out, so I went around the whole image with the pencil, and that made it stand out better.

The edges of this panel were sponged with Tuxedo Black, and I layered Very Vanilla and Basic Black card stock then used the Crumb Cake for he base. This is a 5x7 card size as the floral image is quite large, and I wanted layers behind it.

I added some black lace and matching candy dots, along with the punched sentiment which is from the Unity kit Steps of Courage.

I'm pleased with how this turned out, since I haven't used charcoal since High School!! It's a change from my regular coloring, and I like that! Thanks so much for your visit!

CASE-ing Myself

Last week I shared a card similar to this using a different stamp, but the same favorite Spice Cake papers. This time I used different patterns and rotated the card.

These pumpkins are from a Halloween set from Joy Clair called Trick or Treat, and are three different pumpkins. I made a mask with a sticky note of the center pumpkin, and stamped the other two on either side. They are also heat embossed, so I did that in between the masking.

They are water colored again using Stampin Up inks, and the leaves are actually bat wings, which look pretty good! :) The sentiment is from a Christmas Joy Clair set called Joyful Wishes, and works perfectly for a Thanksgiving card.

I added a couple pieces of cotton trim, and colored enamel dots for embellishments. I think I like this version a tad better than the first :) I think the background layout is more pleasing.

I'm going to enter this into the monthly Joy Clair challenge, where it barely gets by with their color theme! :)  Thanks so much for visiting!!

Christmas or Winter Gift Box



Although I am not ready for Winter at all, I do love Snowmen!! :) I have re-created this box that I originally saw and made back in April.

This is a good size box with a milk carton style(my favorite!) but with a flat top. The stamp set I used is from Joy Clair, and is called Cozy Snowman Wishes. I inked him with MFT black hybrid ink, and colored in with my Spectrum markers. I punched it out and stamped a few snowflakes around him.

The sentiment is punched out as well, and I added a rhinestone to it to match the ones on the box. The white panel was stamped with more snowflakes onto envelope paper and adhered to the top. Here is a side view:

This time I scored the upper side panels so it creased nicely. I didn't do that on the first one. The top is decorated with ribbon and a button. All ready for gift giving!

I have the day off today, so going to play with some new supplies I got from the craft store yesterday. Gesso and charcoal pencils, I'll see what I can do with them! :) Thank you for your visit!!

Card stock used is Dapper Denim, ink is Not Quite Navy, and other embellishments all from Stampin Up

Scrapbook Page Texture using Paper Towel



I was browsing YouTube looking for some mixed media tutorials, and found one that used paper towels for texture. I thought it looked really cool, so I gave it a go.

My base layer is just a piece of white Coredinations paper. I wasn't sure how it would hold up, but in the end, it did just fine. I tore the paper towel in strips, then used Mod Podge to glue them down. I don't have any Gesso yet(on my list), it may have worked better than the Mod Podge, since it leaves a slick surface when dry. The inks and sprays don't adhere well to the glue, but I went along anyway. 

Once that was dry, I sprayed the page with re-inkers in a mini mister, and let that dry. Then I went over it all with white acrylic paint mixed with floating medium, and let that dry. It look me a few days to finish this, as each layer I let dry naturally.

By this time, the page was curled and warped pretty bad. I should have taken a photo of that, it was funny, but I kept going with it. Took it to the sink and sprayed on more color, but this time I used my heat tool to dry it. I dried the front and back side to try and get it flat again, and it worked for the most part.

Now onto the stamping!! I used two Joy Clair sets, Lovely Swirls background and Hugs and Smiles. I stamped, then clear embossed the images, then sponged over the page with Distress inks. Once I was happy with the colors, I taped on some twine,  added a few rhinestones, and stamped the sentiments and cut them out. 

I used the Mod Podge again to adhere the page to my Cookbook scrapbook, and finished the edge with some washi tape. I think I'll use this page with a photo of my son. I enjoyed the process of this, and am happy with the whole mixed media techniques.

Thanks so much for visiting!!  

More pumpkins



Starting to make some Thanksgiving day cards. I've used these pumpkins from the Unity September kit of the month. I inked the stamp with Stampin Up Chocolate Chip ink, then clear embossed it onto light weight water color paper. I water colored them using Spiced Marmalade Distress ink and a little bit of Cajun Craze from Stampin Up for the darker shading. I also added a little Ground Espresso to the bottom for the dirt, and sponged the edges with Wild Honey.

The layout is from Unity's Show and Tell Facebook group's sketch challenge. I've used some retired papers from Stampin Up called Spice Cake. I just love this paper collection, such pretty patterns and colors, it's hard to choose which ones to use! This is the front and back of one sheet, as they are double sided. I just may use this layout on all the holiday cards so I can play with the papers! ;)

One button tied with Linen thread and a little piece of ribbon finishes and follows the sketch. The inside will be stamped with a sentiment. Thanks so much for visiting, I'm off to work this morning! 

Christmas Angel



C.C. Designs had a new release recently, and there is a mini set called Angels, and they are so precious I just had to have them! :) There are two different Angels and a few sentiments as well in this photopolymer stamp set.

I stamped her with My Favorite Things black Hybrid Ink, and colored her with various alcohol markers. I die cut the bottom edge with a scalloped oval framelit and sponged around with Soft Sky SU! ink. The background paper is retired from SU!, but I love this collection. It's a thick printed kraft card stock, and a card base of Blushing Bride.

To get a nice crisp sentiment, I inked it with Versafine black. The only embellishment I added was a little Wink of Stella to the halo, wings and star.

I plan on making a little card kit for a friend who loves Angels. I will include everything to assemble some Christmas cards with these sweet Angel images. I think she will like it!

Thanks so much for visiting. I'm off to work this morning. Full time is keeping me busy for sure, but I still make a little time for crafting :) Have two projects that I haven't photographed yet!!  

New Scrapbook Journal





Sharing two pages I made in my new journal. Unity Stamp Co. shared a live video last week showing how Angela uses old cookbooks for scrapbook journals. I loved the idea, and just happened to have an old spiral bound cookbook in my cupboard that I had found from the Goodwill!! I can't cook well anyway, so it was really no loss to me! :)

I glued a few of the pages together using Mod Podge, and glued this craft paper layer down first. A light layer of acrylic paint, then I stamped, embossed, and lightly sponged the images in. Here is the second page:

This page is a light weight piece of water color card. I stamped, embossed, then used distress inks and a water brush to color them in, then glued the page down. The page edges are bound with washi tape. All of the stamps used are from Unity.

I like the kind of messy, and not perfect way this looks. And the cover is hardbound, and I will decorate that too. Just need to make it to the photo shop and get some pictures printed off now!

Thanks so much for visiting, and will share more pages as I go along!

Lion Purse Gift Bag

I watched a video on Youtube on how to make this cute purse style bag, and had to give it a try. It's fairly simple to put together. My color combo was inspired by the Your Next Stamp challenge:

I tried getting as many of the different orange shades as possible, and the sentiment I inked with the magenta color(Rose Red). The lion is from the YNS Smiley Happy Critter Crew Two set, and sentiment is from the Happy Everything set.

I colored the lion with alcohol markers and fussy cut him out, and made a little tag to hang the sentiment on. Behind the lion I used a YNS grass die in the burnt orange color to make a little background for him. Here is a side view of the purse:

Thanks so much for visiting, and check the link out above to see more cute Your Next Stamp projects!

Floral Tag



Last week I watched a bunch of videos from the Unity Facebook page, and their guest Jolande, shared lots of techniques. I was eager to try them out, and this is the first tag I made. I'm very pleased with how this turned out.

I'm starting to get a little better with the whole mixed media. I even started a new scrapbook that the owner from Unity, Angela, shared the other day. It's more of altered art, but it uses an old spiral bound cookbook. I'll share some of those pages another day. Really need to print some photos off first!! :)

The tag was made with Unity stamps, distress inks, twine, sequins, and a little homemade stencil. I watercolored the flowers with distress inks as well. The swirls I inked with Versamark and clear embossed them, and the flowers were stamped with Versafine black and clear embossed.

Thanks so much for visiting!!

Purple Flowers



Sharing a card using the Unity Stamp Co. kit called Steps of Courage. I colored this pretty floral image with alcohol markers, and used a Bo Bunny die to cut it out. The die is actually too short for this image, so I just put my top plate part way onto the die, and ran it through my Big Kick twice, once on the top part of the image then the bottom part. Then I used my craft knife and a straight edge to finish cutting the sides, worked perfectly.

I stamped the card base with two images, one in green and a subtle one in white. I sponged the doily with distress ink to match the flowers, tied on some twine, and added a few enamel dots from C.C. Designs.

I didn't add a sentiment so I could use this for any occasion. Thank you for visiting today!

Sunflower



I was happy to see this sunflower stamp that is in the Sept. KOTM from Unity, I don't have any other stamps like this, and it's perfect for fall.

I wanted the look of a no line image, so I stamped it with MFT Safety Orange ink, and colored it with Daffodil Delight alcohol markers from SU!, that are no longer available. Once I was done coloring, the flower petals kind of disappeared, so I went back over them with the darkest marker to make them show up.

The flower center I colored with 3 Letraset alcohol markers, and just dotted the color in, instead of coloring it fully. Was trying to get a little dimension, and I think it turned out well.

I used the paper backing that came on this rubber stamp as a mask, and sponged two distress inks around it. I also stamped just a little around the flower with an Itty Bitty stamp called Paris Newsprint.

The sentiment is from the Aug. KOTM, and I cut it apart, I like that look for larger words. The background paper is retired from SU!, and all is mounted on a Crushed Curry card base.

Getting ready for Fall mailing, now I just have to remember to actually mail them out! :)

Thanks so much for visiting!