Alright, back to our regularly scheduled programming! For today...tutorials.
Happy stamping!
Look at this beautiful RAK I received the other day from Leanne!! Don't you love it? She did a fabulous job coloring the image, and the combo she chose is just so...RICH. What a wonderful surprise to flip through the mail and see something fun for a change! She wrote me a sweet note too - Leanne you totally made my day! Thank you. :-)
Wednesday already?! You know what that means - time for the latest Belli Challenge - Splitcoast key word CBC27. This week's challenge was to create something with a birthday theme, in honor of Chris' {a.k.a. she who started it all!} birthday. Happy birthday!!
Luckily for me, I just happened to have some adorable new birthday stamps that needed to see some more ink! I used the new birthday girl set from Lilac City Designs - she will be released on August 4th.
I used the current H&M Stamps sketch challenge on this card - HMSC5 - nice and simple, just how I like 'em! I think it was just perfect for this image. This is another "outside of my comfort zone" card with all the bright colors, but hey, ya only live once. Patterned paper from DCWV, cardstock in Green Galore and Pumpkin Pie from Stampin' Up!. Hard to tell from the pic but the PP has green, orange and blue running through it, hence the color choices for the main image. I added the faux Dew Drops using mini glue dots.
Click the links below to check out the projects from all the other Belli Challenge girls! Who can resist a good birthday celebration anyway?
I got some new stamps from Kelli of Lilac City Designs the other day - yay!! Have you SEEN what she's been up to? These kids are so adorable and she comes up with the best sentiments. The newest little darling will be released on August 4th.
Also, here's a little story about two uber-talented stampers that started a new challenge blog. A nice, laid-back challenge blog for those of us who, sadly, at this point do not have unlimited time to be making challenge cards every day. This one is monthly - nice. The girls are Deb and Julie and the new site is called Y.ou K.now Y.ou R.ock.
Yes, right now I sure do feel like a "moooooooom"; but I have an almost 4 year old. These things can't be helped I suppose. {Although I will confess I considered cheating -- but in the end I just went with it}. And what better stamps to immortalize my version of a kid's CD cover art than with new kid-themed stamps? I love it when a plan comes together! Here's the card:
I just want to say I did NOT forget about the drawing! It got a little busy around here today is all. Without further ado...
A brand new, unmounted Mahalo stamp set from Firecracker Designs by Pamela. Do you remember me saying that FCD is having a design team call? Yes, *sniff*, it's true, the current team is almost through, August is our final month. Never thought a year would go by so fast! The new DT search is open until August 15th. Click to read the deets on Pamela's blog. She is wonderful to work with - if you're interested in being on a team, I encourage you to apply!
To enter the drawing, leave me a comment on this post. Any comment will do. I am going to leave this delicious candy up for grabs until Sunday July 27th; I will draw and post a winner first thing Monday morning. And heck, since I missed you all so much during my foray into the Dark Ages, you can go ahead and enter once a day, every day, until Sunday.
GO!
I have a couple more FUN awards to share & pass on - and a tag! It's been busy in the blog-o-verse, huh?
First, from Vicki, my uber-creative sister in Prickley Pear rubbah designing:
Isn't it pretty?! I haven't gotten this one before. I'd like to pass it along to with Emily, Lynn, AJ, and Wanda. I've been reading their blogs for awhile now and they're all very talented. Check them out!
I also have this beeee-utiful golden Visa BFF award from not one but THREE of my bestest girls, Danyelle, Deb and Kisa. Danyelle, you know I luuuurve you, I shall wish for some darkness for you to calm down the WJs and let you get some rest! And Deb - Y.K.Y.R. woman!! {'nuff said}. Kisa - welcome home, we missed you, you creative genius!
Should we think for a minute the damage that could be done with this baby were it a REAL gold card? And someone else was getting the bills? Aaah...now there's a fantasy I can really get into.
Of course the best things in stamping accessories {and blog awards} are not free. The deets:
1. You can only award this to 5 blogger friends.
2. Four of those must be hardcore addicts of your blog.
3. One must be a relatively new follower from another part of the world.
4. You must link back to the person who gave you the award.
I am thinking hard to figure out if I *HAVE* any hardcore addicts of my blog. Let's pretend...Heather {she's an in-town BFF too!}, Kari, Deb, and Allison. The new follower hat goes to...Lorie, the newest Belli Challenge gal!
aaaannnd...Jeani tagged me. Thanks Jeani! These are really fun, but I do have trouble coming up with stuff sometimes - I guess I'm not that interesting - LOL. This is the 7 random facts tag. The rules are simple . . . you reveal 7 facts (random, funny, weird, etc. facts) about yourself and then tag 7 other people (with links to their blogs) & post a note on their blog that they've been tagged!
You may be sick of reading about me {WHAT? No!} but I'll see if I can come up with some fun ones.
1. My favorite fast food place is Taco Bell. I don't care what anyone says! It's delicious.
2. I have spent quality time in the tube maze of the McDonald's play land. As an adult.
3. I have that Child-Activated Attention Defecit Disorder you've been hearing about. It's an epidemic!
4. One of the last times I was visiting back east {NJ}, I went to Atlantic City with my aunt, uncle and some cousins. My uncle won big at Three Card Poker so he took us all to lunch at the Hard Rock on the boardwalk and my cousin told the waiter that it was my birthday {wasn't}. So the waiter gets me a shot in this nice Hard Rock AC glass, drags me up on a table, yells to everyone it's my birthday and pours the shot down my throat. Literally. He wouldn't let me hold the glass and he tipped and MY HEAD back so fast he almost choked me. It was kind of embarassing actually. But I got to keep the shot glass. ;-)
5. The first movie that DH and I saw on a date was Gangs of New York. I know. It's amazing he got another date after that tragic choice.
6. I have read every Harry Potter book at least three times.
7. I've been to the ORIGINAL Ron Jon Surf Shop. It's in Ship Bottom on Long Beach Island in south Jersey and it's the only one of the stores where all the screenprinted clothes and stuff actually say "The Original". All the others say some variation of Ron Jon Surf Shop is #1.
Whew! I am going to tag some of my SBS13 sisters, I have been a little bit of an absentee sister lately with all the moving, but I do still read all your blogs! Richelle, Linda, Angie, Debi, Nessy, She, and Karen -- let's hear your facts girls!
Here's another card using DRS Designs images. This is a *large* beer mug - I had to use my largest oval Nestabilitites to make the cuts for the main image. I used an older card layout from Page Plans on this - Page Plans #5.
The colors are Olive, Celery and Summer Sun (and GP 110# white of course). I made the olive BG paper by stamping the sentiment repeatedly across the paper. The celery panels are SU Prints DP.
Colored the main image with my copics, added LOTS of liquid applique and glitter then heated it so it was nice and foamy. Popped up the main image on dimensionals. Here's a close up of the beer:
Don't forget to sign up for my blog candy! You can enter daily. :-) Tomorrow is the last day and I'll pick the winner on Monday morning. Have a great weekend!
Here's a birthday card I made using an older Cupcake Challenge of Taylor van Bruggen's. This is Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge #19 {TECC19}. There are no cupcakes on mine, but I really liked the layout for these stamps.
The colors are white {I use GP 110# cardstock}, black and pomegranate. The black brads are coated with Art Institute black glitter and the big center brad on the flower is glittered too. This card took WAY too long to make, let me tell ya! All stamps are from DRS Designs.
I don't have a card to share with you for the Belli Challenge this week {no stamp supplies available = no card to share!} but I am hoping to have something for next week. We shall see. BUT, this week's challenge is to use felt, so check out the blogs of the other Challenge Girls and play along if you want! {Check Chris's blog for all the deets}.
From the Naughty Blogger files {not like that - I can't believe your mind works that way!}, I have a very long overdue award to post. Allison, Deb Kari and Debi awarded this very cool blog tag to me and I am a couple weeks behind in passing it along.
Thanks ladies for the shout out! It always gives me a warm fuzzy {yes I really mean that} - and you're all super talented too! I read all your blogs on a regular basis. Here are the award rules:
Ok, I know since I am so late, a lot of people may have already gotten this award by now. But that's ok. You can get it again. :-) My Brillante Picks are:
I am a bit late on this since I am finally able to check e-mail again, but there are still a few days for 20% off your entire regular-priced purchase at Michael's. Ends July 26th.
Ok, REAL quick. No internet for us until Monday. Verizon....oh, I'd better not start telling that story now. Suffice to say they won't be getting our money. Charter is coming on Monday and the little man is NOT LEAVING HERE until I have an internet connection on both the desktop and the laptop.
Can you believe right now I'm in the parking lot of Culver's (a burger place) that has free WiFi so I can quick check mail and type this up and set it to post. Unless I can somehow sneak out of the house with the laptop this weekend {*snort*}, I'll be back to my regularly scheduled posting and daily "stuff" early next week. And {really truly!} I do have lots of projects to share.
Have a great weekend!!
I do!! AND, I have some cards that have been placed into the online Gallery on the Art Institute Glitter website!!! This is just so exciting {well, I think so anyway} and I wanted to share. The Gallery has a lot of great ideas and sample cards featuring glitter - a little or a lot, it's ALL good!
Click to go directly to my Gallery page.
Well I know this card has been received so I can post it now! I sent this to Belinda at Clear Artistic Stamps as a thank you for having me as her April Guest Designer (yes, I know it's July. just....ssh!).
This card uses the Whisper of Dreams stamp set from Clear Artistic Stamps. Ink and cardstock is from Stampin' Up! in Regal Rose, Apricot Appeal and Pretty in Pink. Also GP 110# white cardstock and glossy white cardstock. I heat embossed the main image using white EP, made the lines with my Scor-Pal, used a template for the paper piercing swirls, and the border punch is from Martha Stewart.
Thanks for visiting me!
Some links to tutorials and other great stuff today!
So we are ALL IN the new house, and the old one has been turned over to the new owner. Now we're just buried under boxes and working at unpacking and getting organized. But that's GOOD news, I'd way rather be unpacking than packing!! I am hoping by the end of this coming weeked we'll be settled in. Finally! It was a long time coming since we knew we were going to buy this place in early May...but worth the wait. It's just so exciting and our new house is wonderful {well to us it is anyway!}. I am never moving again though!!
So, I have been experiencing the DTs without an internet connection over here, let me tell you! I actually still don't have internet, I had to go out and find a connection to check my e-mail and put up a post or two since I couldn't stand it anymore. :-) I thought I would have internet all day Friday but DH disconnected everything in the morning -- WHY? I was not real happy with that, if you can imagine. But anyway. The earliest we'll have our DSL hooked up is Friday, and that's assuming all goes well. So if you don't see or hear much from me, that's why. Also, that's why I'm not commenting on your blog - both regulars and new discoveries {my regular peeps know who they are!}. Hopefully I'll be back up to speed by Monday and able to post again - I have a LOT LOT LOT of projects to share!
I just wanted to remind you to send in your submissions for the 2008-2009 Firecracker Designs by Pamela Design Team!! Applications will be accepted until August 15th. Click here to read the full call details.
Here are some fresh new tips for today!
Look at this! Today's tutorial is from ME!! Woo hoo!!
Here's a card I made for the Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps June Newsletter, and I provided a tutorial on watercoloring with Sakura Glaze Pens. Now, I hadn't tried this before and was prepared that it would fail utterly, but it turned out fairly well I think. I originally heard this from a posted class schedule at a stamp store somewhere {I think?}, but then it turned out that the technique was mis-named and it wasn't something that was being offered. I was intrigued by it and with the PPRS Newsletter tutorial looming I thought I'd try something with this gorgeous flowers Nicole came out with last month from the Prickley Pear Sketched Flowers sheet.
The general card details before I start. This layout is from Sketch Challenge 172 (SC172) on Splitcoast. I was very inspired by the sketch origination card by dlounds found here (the ribbon was a great touch!). The colors on my card are black, white, olive and a blue that came in a GP 110# cardstock multi-pack I got a long time ago at Big Lots. I made the "patterned paper" on the right side using the words stamp from the sheet. I used a canvas needlework template to make the even black dots on the various layers. It was fun to try watercoloring with the Glaze Pens. Most of what I see using them is the full strength, full color/coverage shiny finish, which looks GREAT. But this looks good too, a much softer look. But because you used Glaze ink, it will still dry to that shiny finish, even if it's not dark, continuous color -- which is the cool part I think.
On to the tutorial...
Watercoloring with Sakura Glaze Pens
1. Stamp the word stamp from the Sketched Flowers sheet onto the large white panel repeatedly, working from top to bottom, to create the background piece. Rub an old toothbrush (not your darling husband’s!) over blue ink pad and “spit” the ink onto the paper. You could also stipple or use a splatter pattern stamp if you don’t want to use the toothbrush method. While we’re stamping, let’s stamp the flower on the small white panel with Palette Noir or other waterproof black ink.
2. We are going to watercolor the flower using Glaze pens. You need to work quickly, but don't panic. The last thing you want to do is get your paper too wet, it will curl and pill and be yucky.
3. Make sure your Aquapainter is only *just* damp, not dripping wet. Dampen one of the flower petals a little bit, and then color it in with the glaze pen -- nice and heavy. You need to work quickly or the glaze ink will begin to dry {part of the reason you want to put the ink on heavy}. So, color the petal – it doesn’t have to be perfect as long as it stays wet. Then, take the Aquapainter again and brush over the same petal, evening out and lightening the ink to give a softer look {watercolor look}. Repeat this step with all the petals and the leaves as well. Set aside to dry.
4. Once the image is dry, I went back and added darker spots and highlights with the same color Glaze pen. This gives a little more flexibility of color depth and variation but still gives the cool Glaze finish when dry – even on the watercolored areas. I also highlighted the stem with the olive Glaze pen at full strength after the image was dry.
5. Once you’re done with that, you can highlight the entire outline of the image with a light colored Prismacolor marker if you want. The alcohol-based markers don’t interfere with the ink of the pens so your image won’t bleed during this step.
Cardstock dimensions for all pieces of this card are as follows. Cut blue cardstock to 8.5” by 5.5”, 1.25” by 5.5”, and 3.375” by 2.375”. Cut white cardstock to 3.5” by 4.125” and 3.125” by 2.125”. Cut black cardstock to 1.375” by 5.5” and 3.5” by 2.5”. Cut olive patterned paper to 4.125” by 1.875”.
Complete supply list: Sakura Glaze Gel Pens in blue, yellow, olive and black. Palette Noir Ink. Olive colored patterned paper. Stamps from the Sketched Flowers sheet from Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps. Canvas needlework piercing template. Dimensionals. Aquapainter. Black brads. Ribbon. Prismacolor marker for highlight. Blue, white and black cardstock.
Happy Wednesday! I am still alive, contrary to popular belief! Thank goodness for Blogger Scheduled Posts, huh? My camera had to take a little adventure back to Canon after an excursion with my DH (don't get me started) but it is fixed now and back in my loving arms - and I have a LOT of things to share with you. Starting right here with the absolute cutest boy around!
He is of course the Skateboard Boy from Lilac City Designs by Kelli Caslow. Did you know she's been nominated for a Guest Artist spot over at Sheetload? Click here to vote {for Kelli} in the poll until July 21st (it's in the upper left sidebar). If you'd like to purchase Lilac City Designs stamps, you can visit the etsy shop. I just took a peek and there are a few sets available right now! Kelli is also working hard to get the actual stamp manufacturing contracted out so she can concentrate on getting more images designed and have more supply on hand. We'll keep you posted!
Ok, back to the card. Seriously - I just love this kid! He's so cute. {I also have some new Lilac City sets to play with, so stay tuned for more samples soon!}. This card layout is from Beate's WSC31 - a great layout for this size of images. I stamped him in Palette Noir on GP 110# white cardstock. I colored his hair, hat, skin, board and shoes with Copic markers. I then stamped him on some camouflage paper I had in my stash, and on some denim paper and cut out his new shirt and pants. I made the little jeans patch and the cuffs a different part of the paper than the rest of the jeans so it had some definition.
I coated the top of the skateboard with my Quickie Glue Pen and added Art Institute black glitter (of course). I made the green star and black circle brads by dipping them into Mono Aqua glue and then into the pots of glitter and let dry. They are a little bit delicate (i.e. the "sugar" coating will peel off if you're too rough with them) but for the most part it works and I can have custom colors when I need them. Next time I might try Metal Glue and see if it works any better than the Aqua (although really, if you don't smash or rub at the glitter coating, it's really not a problem). I took some close ups in case anyone is interested in the details.
Some links for you today. We're moving this weekend so wish us luck!
Happy 4th of July!! I know I missed the favorites last week, I just didn't have the time to post 'em while buried under all these packing boxes. Sorry about that! I think things are {maybe} under control here packing-wise, so I got it together for your Holiday Weekend Inspiration. :) Enjoy!
Thanks everyone! Have a great weekend!
A fantastic deal at Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps during July - if you buy any TWO of these half sheets of rubber, you will get a Grab Bag FREE {it'll automatically be added to your order -- an $8.95 value, no seconds}!! There are four new sheets out too, click the links to go directly there:
Lots of big news right now over at Firecracker Designs by Pamela!! First, the sale. Everyone loves a sale!
It’s Christmas in July! What better time to get started on those Christmas cards than in the middle of the Summer heat! Think BIG COOL thoughts, when you save 30% on most of my Winter/Christmas sets, for the ENTIRE month of July! CLICK HERE!!!
What else? NEW NEW NEW stamps!!! Pamela has added THREE new sets for July - and two of them are in the Christmas sale!
Some tutorial links to share today - have a great and safe holiday weekend everyone!
GREAT tips today, some are a couple weeks old but they are must-reads if you missed them the first time!
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