You Asked, I am delivering

I've been playing around with techniques, and, as one awesome web friend (::cough:: Anne at Gaal Creative ::cough::) asked what I'd been doing lately. So, without further ado, I'm adding some pictures of some different techniques.... Will try and post some more of my layouts in a bit...

I wanted to make a simple card, and I was inspired right after I bought the DCWV Summer Glitter mat stack from JoAnn's. I used my Hero Arts stamps and used StazOn. The tree is stamped on a transparency, it was colored in with Copics. I added some paper flowers to give some dimension. The whole card is kraft, as I've been addicted to it ever since I bought the Stampin Up package.

Kraft paper again, but this time there's a Hero Arts owl, tree branch and sentiment. I colored this little guy with Prismacolor pencils, and added some K and Company rubons to the side. A very simple, quick card.

I don't know if I've shown this layout before. It features Max and Evie (Peeves), and I was inspired by a Jessica Sprague tutorial. I really liked her emphasis on the corner rounder--and I have had to buy 2 (okay, lost one and then found it after I'd used the second one) of these awesome babies. Bazzil cardstock (and Bazzil edge), DCWV cardstock, printed journalling from the computer (again, something from the Sprague hybrid class). I really like the idea of hybrid scrapping, may have to try some more!

Wow! This was another inspiration from the summer glitter mat stack. This time I took some of the images from one of the Greeting Farm 's sets and colored them in with markers. Then I added them to the card. I think it needs something, some sentiment, but then again, I kind of like how simple it is. I'm thinking I might leave this empty until the opportunity presents itself to give it.

Okay, so I should have a few more things to add to the blog tomorrow. Next time, prepare for the emphasis on layouts! Take care, and happy creating!

Call for Ildi Design team AND a digistamp freebie!

I heard about a new digistamp company over on SplitCoastStampers this week. They were not only looking for a design team, but they were giving away a digistamp. An adorable digital stamp featuring a teddy bear. The name is Ildi Co.

Needless to say, as soon as I saw it, I thought about coloring it. I've been doing a lot of coloring lately. So, I followed the instructions on their site and then went ahead and got the image and colored it. Wow, I really like the way it turned out, I think I am really getting the hang of coloring with markers (not to be snotty--I'm pretty sure there are a LOT of other tricks I need to learn.

Anyway, here's my card. I used Making Memories paper (from a few years old 6x6 pack), a Hero Arts sentiment and my Fiskars Threading water border punch--I used a EK success corner rounder on the sentiment, stamped in Black Memento ink. It also represents the first time I made a succesful bigger card in my opinion. The card measures about 5 & 1/2" by 5 & 1/2"--I usually do the cards that come out of cutting a piece of 8&1/2 x 11" in half.

Go on and check out Ildi and try your hand at coloring the image, see what you can come up with. I CHALLENGE you!

Brand New Coloring Technique

So, as I said in my last post, the Coloring Challenge over at Stamp Haven's Winter Haven, has you submit two pieces, one featuring something you usually do (mine was twinkling H2Os) and the other that you've never done.
I knew once I saw Sandy's Amazing video on Magic Coloring that I had to do it. And so I experimented the better part of the week and just didn't get it right. So then I saw a webisode on Hero Arts, where she explained it as well. Then I watched Sandy's video again, and I GOT it! Finally!!!
Now, let me point out that if I were to read about it, I would have been fine because I can learn anything from a book. The video took me some time. At first, I was just using once color, and then last night, it was like a creative wind ran through the house, inspiring me--I was supposed to use 2 colors!!!!
Here's a link to Sandy's wonderful video. I like hers a bit better than the one at HA. Why? Well, first off, the kitty is wonderful, and secondly, I like that she keeps her points sharp.
I am unable to keep all my points sharp, however. My four favorite colors of my prismacolors (Mulberry, Crimson Red, Tuscan Red and one other one) seem to keep breaking, which I've heard could be a fault with the pencil themselves.
I love this Hero Arts Peacock! It took a while to color it, but I LOVE the result, which I thought I wouldn't be able to do. So I turned on a Netflix movie (Shelley DuVal's Fairie Tale Theatre Disc 6--anyone else remember this early 80s ABC staple?) and kept at it. I took my time, didn't rush through, and I was really pleased with how it turned out. So pleased, in fact, that I'm giving the card to someone at a birthday party tonight (shh!).
It's on the same glittery cardstock from DCWV as my other one. With BG's Urban Prarie Buttons, and some green ribbon that I had a piece of. I really like this ribbon, but have no idea who made it.

So, what's the moral of this little blog entry? If you're nervous to try something, try it any way. And if it doesn't turn out, it's a learning experience. If it does turn out, you'll love it...Good luck and Happy Creating!

The Coloring Technique I Know

So I was trying to do a few challenges for Winterhaven, over at Stamp Haven, and I spent a LOT of time last night working on one--the coloring challenge!
I love color. I love crayons. I love colored pencils. I love markers. I feel, truly, as if the world is a better, more colorful place thanks to my Caran D'Ache watercolor pencils (Which I was introduced to in Switzerland when I was 13). I finally got my second tin 15 years later, they last long and they seem to have the best color, in my opinion.
Well, instead of watercolors, I decided to do something else that I tend to use a lot, Twinkling H2Os. I can't remember which colors I used for this Hero Arts stamp, but I added a dot of Glossy Accents by ranger to a lot of the circles. The card is a DCWV glitter card and the accent paper is BG Urban Prarie, with the buttons from the same line (I LOVE BG lately, and I love their buttons, too).
The basic principle of the Coloring challenge is to do something you're used to doing, as well as something new. And I LOVE the something new that I did... Check it out in the next post.