The latest challenge on Caardvarks was to make a new tree card. I decided to use my newest tree image from Impression Obsession as well as a saying that is also from IO. I stamped the tree onto some Basic Grey Wisteria paper and then colored it with colored pencils. I added some pistachio rhinestones to the tree from Memory Box as well as some gold pearls from Memory Box to the bottom of the card.
On another note, if you are interested in seeing my latest video, I posted a Copic tutorial on my Color Whimsy blog. I hope you enjoy it!
With the weather we have been having, it feels like summer already. In any case, it has really made me want to make some summer-themed cards. The Ocean Butterfly is one of Leigh Hannan's new designs for Impression Obsession's summer supplement. Isn't it fun? I thought it paired up really well with Basic Grey's Lime Rickey paper.
To make the card, I stamped the butterfly directly onto some blue paper from the Lime Rickey collection using Black Memento ink. I colored the image with Copic markers and then added some green and clear Spica marker to parts of the butterfly to make it shimmer. Here is a close-up where you can see the sparkle better:
In other news, I just heard my cousin Susie started her own blog. She is a talented artist who makes (yes, makes) her own papers as well as binds her own journals. If you are into bookbinding, you should check out her work here.
I realized I hadn't yet posted a card that I made for a Hero Arts challenge last month. The task was to make a card using small (under 1") stamps. I decided to break out some of my clear metal tags and use them as mini frames for my images. All of the stamps are by Hero Arts, and the paper is by Basic Grey.
Speaking of Basic Grey, I just bought some of their Lime Rickey and Wisteria papers. Boy, are those fun collections. Be on the lookout for some new cards with these papers because I am itching to play with them.
So, you may be looking at this card and thinking, "Is that card with a basket of olives?" Why yes, yes it is. Then you might be asking, "Why did she make an olive basket card?" Well, to make a long story short, it is a birthday card for a friend that involves an inside joke. She and I share an unhealthy obsession with the movie Ocean's Thirteen, and there is an obscure reference to an olive basket in the movie that I chose to use for this card. Basically, it is a card for the one person in the world who would understand the humor of it.
I chose to share the card today because it amuses me every time I see it, and I also wanted to mention how fun it can be to make a card that is personalized for another person. Sometimes I like to use a card recipient's favorite color, favorite flower, incorporate a special hobby, or in this case, include an inside joke. They really are the most fun cards to make, and I also think they are the most fun cards to receive.
To make the card (in case you need an olive basket card), I used an assortment of cut-out olives that I placed inside a die-cut basket and layered onto a background embossed with a Cuttlebug folder. To finish the card, I added a small bow I tied with my Bow Easy.
That leads me to the announcement that I think I have figured out how to post videos! My first attempt is a quick tutorial on how to use the Bow Easy to tie bows. I know a lot of people don't own one, but I often get asked for a refresher course in using the template, and I thought it would be fun to try a video tutorial. I really hope it works!
Greetings! It is time for another IO DT challenge, and this time the theme is "Mother's Day." Doesn't everyone know of a mother in need of a special card on May 10th? Its time to get stamping!
For today's card, I stamped the Dragonfly Flower (H2256) onto watercolor paper using black VersaFine ink and then painted it with yellow and pink Twinkling H2o's. Yes, I know Twinks are going out of business, but I am not convinced someone won't pick up the product. Plus, you could use simple watercolor paints to get a similar effect. I colored the dragonfly wings with a yellow colored pencil and added pink colored pencils to the bobbly things on the flower (Or, for those of you who like botany, I colored the anther part of the stamen with a pink colored pencil...I am a geek who had to look that up). The saying is from a practical clear set called "CL48 Greetings Galore."
Need more inspiration, check out the projects made by Dina, Julie, Shirley, and Jeanne created.
I am posting today's card for several reasons. First, I have been thinking about Twinkling H20's a lot lately in preparation of my Twinkling H20 class next week. I tried to photograph this card so that you can actually see the shimmer of the paints. Second, the floral print image is by Fred Mullett, and I am simply ecstatic that I have the chance to take some classes from him in June. If I listed the people I most wanted to take a class from, he would be at the top of the list! Have you seen his work and/or stamps? If not, you should check out his site.
To make this card, I painted several colors of Twinkling H2o's directly onto the rubber, spritzed the stamp, and stamped it onto white paper. I then added a saying by Impression Obsession to finish the card.
Is it too early to start counting down the days till my classes with Fred Mullett? I am curious about other people and their dream instructors. Who do you most want to take a class from? Have you already had the chance to take a class from them? Was it as wonderful as you hoped?
I was inspired by a couple blogs this week to try something new. First, the Hero Art's blog is having a challenge where they encourage you to stamp on something other than paper. Second, on Marianne's Copic blog, she talked about airbrushing Easter eggs. I decided to give it a try and am posting the finished result.
I originally thought it would be a good idea to blow out the eggs so that they could be used year after year. However, I realized if I waited to do that step, these eggs would never get made! I stamped the eggs using a cherry blossom border from Hero Arts and some black Memento ink. I put the clear stamp onto a clear acrylic block and then slowly rolled the egg over the stamp. One of the first things they tell you when learning to stamp is, "don't rock the stamp!" However, I soon learned that to get a good impression, I had to slowly rock the egg as I rolled it across the stamp in order to account for the curve of the egg.
I let the eggs dry and then airbrushed them with my Copic airbrush system and some Copic markers. Once the eggs were dry, I colored the flowers with the same markers I had used for the airbrushing. To finish the eggs, I added some clear rhinestones and some clear Stickles. I thought they ended up pretty cool. Inedible, but cool.
I don't usually post pictures instead of cards, but I couldn't help myself. I was in DC today with my brother for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. It was a beautiful day. Crazy windy, but beautiful. There were actually whitecaps on the Tidal Basin!
The festival provided me with an opportunity to try out my new camera. I thought the detail setting took really great shots of the blooms growing out of the side of a tree as well as the clusters of flowers.
Of course, there were tons of people downtown. Did they have to mess up this picture of the blossoms?! I am trying to convince my brother to photoshop them out for me.
Blossoms and the Washington Monument.
Blossoms and the Jefferson Memorial.
I promise my next post will be of cards. Have a great weekend everyone!
Well, my new camera arrived Wednesday...just in time for a new Impression Obsession design team challenge! I can't tell you how happy that made me. The theme for today's challenge was "Easter." Can you believe that it is only one week away?
For my first card, I wanted to use one of my Spring Leigh Hannan images. I just love her interpretation of carrots. I honestly don't know how she comes up with her designs. I stamped the carrot image onto white cardstock using black Memento ink and then colored it with a variety of Copic markers. I alternated between two shades of orange to try and accentuate the pattern of the carrots.
I continued the carrot theme for my second card and used one of the cute Sarah Phelps bunnies. I cut out the card and polka-dot layer using an Accu-Cut machine and stamped the bunny on the inside of the card. I think you can tell from the shadows on the picture that some of the elements are on the outside of the card, and some are on the inside. Once again, I colored the bunny with Copic markers.
Here is a close-up of the bunny and the coloring:
Do you ever have a stamp that you use over and over again and then you see a card someone else made with it that makes you think, "why didn't I think of that?!" Well, that happened to me recently. I saw the card my friend Chrisi made using one of the Sarah Phelps bunnies. She colored the carrots in Easter egg shades, and I think they are fabulous! I was so literal and kept coloring them orange. Here is her card:
There is still time to make your Easter cards. Need inspiration? Check out what Daniela, Dina, Julie, Tina, and Shirley created. Also, please welcome guest designer Jeanne Streiff. She is an amazing artist that many of you already know and is just beginning her run as an IO designer. Welcome Jeanne!
The latest challenge on Caardvarks was to make a new tree card. I decided to use my newest tree image from Impression Obsession as well as a saying that is also from IO. I stamped the tree onto some Basic Grey Wisteria paper and then colored it with colored pencils. I added some pistachio rhinestones to the tree from Memory Box as well as some gold pearls from Memory Box to the bottom of the card.
