Party Like A Panda Shaker Card

 I'm a little obsessed with these shaker cards!

I've had this Simon Says Stamp kit for about 3 months now and have been dying to make a card with it.  My Granddaughter Aspen's birthday is coming up so I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to  make another shaker card with this cute set.   Unfortunately the kit is sold out but you can still purchase the stamp set HERE.

If you would like to see how I put this card together, you can click on the video link below.  This card was super easy and I think it turned out really cute.  I think my granddaughter will love all the pink, purple, and sparkle that come with this card.  I even had a little fun with the inside of the card as you can see below

A couple of things to keep in mind when attempting a shaker card.  Make sure you are using a really good card stock.  The card stock I used for this card was the Simon Says Stamp 110lb.  You could also use the Neenah in 110lb. as well.  This is REALLY important because you need the stability when putting your card together.  

Another thing to remember is that foam tape is a must.  When putting the foam tape on the back of your window, you need to make sure you don't have any gaps, as the gaps will allow your sequins, beads or glitter to fall out.  

Something else I didn't mention in my video, is that you will need to plan on a bigger envelope.  I was planning on using an envelope to fit my standard size card but it didn't fit because the foam tape makes your card quite a bit thicker so you will need an envelope that is slightly bigger.  

If you have any questions or comments I'd love to hear from you!

Thank you for visiting my blog! I try my best to give you accurate information. I am not affiliated with any of these companies nor did I receive compensation or free product for mentioning them. All products used and mentioned were personally purchased... except any digital stamps won through challenges, which were received from the company with no expectation. This blog is NOT sponsored, requested, or paid and I did it only because I wanted to. The information provided in this video is based on my own personal experience and opinion. I am not an expert nor do I work for these companies.

Have an amazing day💗

Simple and Easy Teen Birthday Card

I've titled this as a "Teen" birthday card because I made it for my grandson who just turned 17.  However, you could change this up in many ways to make a card that suits your need.

This card style has a lot going for it.  It comes together quickly, It's easy, minimal supplies are needed, it's versatile and could be for any age or gender, AND.... it's a great way to use up those scrap pieces paper and embellishment's from your stash.  

Click on the link below to watch the video or scroll down for information on how I put this card together.

I cut out six number 1's and six number 7's using my Cricut.  Once I had them cut out, I stacked numbers together using liquid glue.  This creates a really thick number which ads a ton of dimension to the card.  Since there isn't a lot of anything else going on, I wanted the numbers to have a big impact.  I cut out a red frame using a die but just cutting it with a paper cutter will do.  I glued and matted my patterned paper with the same red, onto the card base and then glued my numbers onto the red square I had cut out earlier.  This red square was then mounted to my card with craft foam to give it an even more raised dimension.  

I pondered wether or not to add anything else to the front of this card but in the end decided to keep it plain and simple and just added a sentiment to the inside of the card.

That's about as easy as it gets.  And sometimes when life is busy, these easy cards are just what we need!  I hope this has inspired you to go the easy route from time to time.

Thank you for visiting my blog! I try my best to give you accurate information. I am not affiliated with any of these companies nor did I receive compensation or free product for mentioning them. All products used and mentioned were personally purchased... except any digital stamps won through challenges, which were received from the company with no expectation. This blog is NOT sponsored, requested, or paid and I did it only because I wanted to. The information provided in this video is based on my own personal experience and opinion. I am not an expert nor do I work for these companies.

Have an amazing day💗

Super Dog Shaker Card

A shaker card is something I've been wanting to try for a while now.  When I saw this cute stamp set from My Favorite Things, I knew it was perfect for what I wanted to do.

I wanted to create a shaker card that also featured this Super Dog flying through the sky.  I got the idea from a video I had seen by Jennifer McGuire and I thought it was brilliant.

Here is the video showing how I created the card.  I have also listed most of the items I used when making this card below.

This card was a lot of fun to create and makes a great card for just about anyone. I have to say I see more shaker cards in my future!  The wheels are turning so plan on seeing more of them at some point.

Neenah 80lb Solar White Card Stock-- I would recommend 110lb. as the 80lb. wasn't quite sturdy enough for this project.

Super Dog Stamp Set by My Favorite Things

Copic Markers: E30, E31, E33, B24, B26, B28, R24, R27, R29

Jelly Roll Glaze pens in Black, Red, Blue & Yellow

Wink of Stella

Hero Arts Ink in Summer Sky

Sequins by 28 Lilac Lane in the color Picnic

Clear Thread

Thank you for visiting my blog! I try my best to give you accurate information. I am not affiliated with any of these companies nor did I receive compensation or free product for mentioning them. All products used and mentioned were personally purchased... except any digital stamps won through challenges, which were received from the company with no expectation. This blog is NOT sponsored, requested, or paid and I did it only because I wanted to. The information provided in this video is based on my own personal experience and opinion. I am not an expert nor do I work for these companies.

Have an Amazing Day💗

No Line Coloring with a Digital Stamp

Hi Everyone! It's Christmas in July at Mo's Digital Challenge Blog.  This month I was selected as a guest DT member and I couldn't be more thrilled!

I've never been a huge fan of Summer. Oh I know I know, I can hear the groans now (especially after the rough winter we had in the Midwest last year) and sure.... I like some aspects of it, but I'm a Fall and Winter girl at heart so Christmas in July was the perfect theme for me.

I decided to try the No Line Coloring Technique using a digital stamp. Today I'm using Mo's image called Urchin with Bird.  Click on that link to get to the image and while you're there I would HIGHLY suggest browsing through her many many wonderful images.  You won't be able to pick just one! Check out my video below to watch me create this card.

To do the NO LINE Coloring technique with a digital image, I simply chose the option to color my lines brown in the Word Document I was printing from. 

In my version of Microsoft Word, I pasted the image into my document and then chose, FORMAT PICTURE, then RECOLOR and from there just choose the color you want the lines.  You can also adjust the TRANSPARENCY by sliding the bar which adjusts the darkness of the lines. Sometimes I adjust this when doing the normal black lines, if I want to have a lighter black and not have the lines be so bold.  This is why I LOVE digital stamps. You can do so many things with them the only thing I haven't figured out how to do successfully is layering them.  If someone has any suggestions for that I'm all ears!

Copic Colors used:

Skin: E50, E51, E53, E11, R02

Hair: E43, E44, E47

Dress: E30, E31, E34 & R24, R27, R29, R39

Gloves were done with E51, E55, E57 then I went over with R24, R27, R29

Striped Under Garments: E50, R24, R27, R29

Scarf: G21, G24, G28

Boots & Coat: E31, E34, E35, E37

Bloomers/Slip: W2, W3, W5

Below is a list of the items used when making this card.  

Neenah Solar White 80# card stock

Prisma Color Pencil in Espresso-PC1099

Sentiment: Hero Arts Clear Stamp

Gold Embossing Powder

various scrap papers/embellishments & ribbon from my stash

white acrylic paint

Thank you for visiting my blog! I try my best to give you accurate information. I am not affiliated with any of these companies nor did I receive compensation or free product for mentioning them. All products used and mentioned were personally purchased... except any digital stamps won through challenges, which were received from the company with no expectation. This blog is NOT sponsored, requested, or paid and I did it only because I wanted to. The information provided in this video is based on my own personal experience and opinion. I am not an expert nor do I work for these companies.

Have an Amazing Day

This Girl & Her Dog

Hi Everyone!
Today I'm sharing a card I created for my granddaughter Emma. But first, before I dive into this card,  I want to share some fantastic news.  The card in my last post, Baby's First Birthday, was selected as a favorite and now I get to be a guest DT member for the month of July over at Mo's!!  I am over the top excited for this opportunity. So keep  a look out for that next month.

Now back to the current card!  This card was also created using a digital image from Mo's Digital Pencil. The name of the image is "Thinking of You".  There is just something about this image that warms my heart.  I think this would make an amazing card for someone who recently lost a pet, or maybe someone who is going through a tough time and needs a hug. But!.... as soon as saw this adorable little image, I knew I wanted to use it as a birthday card for my sweet granddaughter Emma who just turned 11.  She is an amazing girl with a heart of gold and a heart who belongs to her best buddy Simba.  Simba is a rescue dog who came into my daughters family about a year ago.  He has captured the heart of everyone but he has especially captured Emma's heart.

Simba has a brindle coat so I wasn't quite sure how to achieve this with my Copic markers.  However I think it was "mission accomplished" because Emma knew who it was soon as she saw the card.  She told me it was her FAVORITE card---that she's EVER gotten.  Awww, how sweet is that?!

As I said, the brindle coat was a little different ---you can see how I did it by watching my YouTube video below.

The supplies used in making this card are:

Copic Markers

Dog:E29, E25, E21

Skin: E04 E11, E00, E000

Hair: E29, E25, E31, E50

Dress: BG13, BG32, BG11, G16

Sky: BG0000, C1, C0, C00

Ground: G21, G24

Neenah 80# Solar White Card Stock

Patterned Paper

Metal Heart embellishment

I plan to enter this card in the Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge: Challenge #280.

Thanks for visiting my Blog and YouTube channel. Please leave a comment, I would love to hear from you!

Thank you for visiting my blog! I try my best to give you accurate information. I am not affiliated with any of these companies nor did I receive compensation or free product for mentioning them. All products used and mentioned were personally purchased... except any digital stamps won through challenges, which were received from the company with no expectation. This blog is NOT sponsored, requested, or paid and I did it only because I wanted to. The information provided in this video is based on my own personal experience and opinion. I am not an expert nor do I work for these companies.

Have an amazing Day

Jerri

Baby's First Birthday Using Mo's Digital Image

Happy Wednesday! It's been a minute since my last post.  Things are just so darn busy this time of year.  Not only do we have a completely booked calendar but it has rained and rained and rained!  I feel like the rain just gives me an even bigger sense of being behind on things.  We bought a new house in August and had thoughts of doing some landscaping and painting this Spring but we haven't been able to do a thing!  As my Mom always says, " it will be there when you get to it" and she's right,  those things aren't going any where.

Today I'm sharing a card I created for my great niece who just celebrated her first birthday. I think 1st birthday's are so much fun.  I just love seeing the expression the little one makes when everyone sings to them.  I have been wanting to use this image for a while now and I feel that a First Birthday is a perfect opportunity!

This card was created using a Mo's Digita Pencil Image, which I printed on Neenah 80# Solar White Card Stock.  After printing the image, I colored it using the following Copic Makers:

BV23, BV20, T5, T3, T1, R21, RV95, RV93, RV91, V25, V23, V22.  If you watch my video above, I explain the process used when coloring the elephant using these colors.  I'll admit it was a strange combination but it was one that seemed to work for me and helped me achieve the color I was looking for. 

After coloring the image, I put a little glitter on the tutu using Martha Stewart glitter in purple and a Glue Pen. I also inked the background using Tim Holtz distress ink the colors, Spun Sugar and Pumice Stone. The Pumice Stone distress ink was also used to ink around the edges of paper.  

The banner at the top of the card was stamped from a hero arts stamp set and then colored in using my Copic markers. I fussy cut the banners out and adhered them to the ribbon using  Gina K Connect.

Make sure to watch my video by clicking on the ink above or visiting my

YouTube Channel 

for more details of how the card was made and also for a super quick and easy way to give your envelope that finishing touch to match your cards!  

I plan to enter this card into the following challenge:

Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge Blog-Challenge #279

Below is a list of the items used when making this card.  

Copic Marker- I find the best prices at http://www.carpediemstore.com

Digital Stamp- http://www.mosdigitalpencil.com/i-heart-you-redux/

Martha Stewart Glitter- https://www.amazon.com/Martha-Stewart-Fine-Glitter-pack/dp/B07DRT8V9Q/ref=asc_df_B07DRT8V9Q/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309807922726&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11924263822397888936&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9023168&hvtargid

=pla-583768441174&psc=1

Sakura Quickie Glue Pen

Wink of Stella-Clear

Tim Holtz Distress Ink-Spun Sugar

Tim Holtz Distress Ink-Pumice Stone

Neenah 80# Solar White Card Stock

Hero Arts Friendly Flags stamp set

Newtons Nook Birthday Essentials Stamp set  -for sentiment inside the card

Thank you for visiting my blog! I try my best to give you accurate information. I am not affiliated with any of these companies nor did I receive compensation or free product for mentioning them. All products used and mentioned were personally purchased... except any digital stamps won through challenges, which were received from the company with no expectation. This blog is NOT sponsored, requested, or paid and I did it only because I wanted to. The information provided in this video is based on my own personal experience and opinion. I am not an expert nor do I work for these companies.

 I hope you have an amazing day!

Soft and Subtle Watercolor Card

 Hi There!
Jerri here to share a very quick card I created for a new baby girl. I am such a procrastinator sometimes! I mean I've had months and months to get this done but I waited until the very last minute!  Do you do this?  Sometimes I can really have my act together but not lately.

Thankfully this card came together really quick and easy and I feel like it could be easily done using a variety of sentiments and images.

Today I'm using an image from A Day for Daisies. This image is called Fuzzy Bunnies.  I love all of the beautiful images at this shop.  This is a digital image, which I wouldn't normally recommend using for a water color project however, if you are careful, it can be done. You can watch all of the details on how I did it in my video below as well.

I printed the digital image onto some Canson XL watercolor paper and then heat set it to help keep the digital stamp from smearing during the water color process.  The image was taped down to a board using painters tape and then I used my water colors to create the soft pastel background.

Once the background was done, I used a Tim Holtz Distress Marker in the color "Pumice Stone" to color the bunnies. 

I used a sentiment from Technique Junkies stamped with Versafine Ink and then finished off my card by attaching 3 Metallic hearts next to the sentiment and spritzing the entire card front with Heidi Swapp Color Spray in White, which gave it a beautiful shimmer.

This card was cut down to a 5 1/2 x 5 inch card and then mounted on a piece of colored card stock cut slightly larger.

I plan to enter this card into the following challenges:

Crafty Catz- Challenge #458 All Creatures Great & Small

Pammies Inky Pinkies-Challenge 1916 Anything Goes

Creative Fingers-Challenge #162

Creative Moments-Challenge #167

A Bit More Time To Craft

 I have used the following items when making this card:

Versfine Ink

Canson XL Water Color Paper Pad

Misty Stamp Tool

Imaginice Metallic Hearts

Digital Image by A Day for Daisies

Sentiment by Technique Junkies

Jewel Picker by Marvy

Gina K Connect adhesive

Heidi Swapp Color Shine in White

Koi Water Color set by Sakura

Painters Tape

Heat Tool

Tim Holtz Distress Marker in Pumice Stone

Copic Multi Liner

Thank you for visiting my blog! I try my best to give you accurate information. I am not affiliated with any of these companies nor did I receive compensation or free product for mentioning them. All products used and mentioned were personally purchased... except any digital stamps won through challenges, which were received from the company with no expectation. This blog is NOT sponsored, requested, or paid and I did it only because I wanted to. The information provided in this video is based on my own personal experience and opinion. I am not an expert nor do I work for these companies.

Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love to hear from you. Have an amazing day.

It's a Coffee Kind of Day

Hi There-- Today I'm sharing a card I made for my niece's birthday.  This is one of my favorite images from Mo Manning's Digital Pencil.    

This image comes with a sentiment that says "love you more than coffee" and then another sentiment which I stamped on the inside of this card (sorry, I didn't include a photo) which says "and that's saying a latte."  I just love to color this image.  I posted a card quite a while back that I had made using this same image. You kind find it HERE if you'd like to see that one too.

Since my Niece's name starts with an "M" I drew one on this coffee mug to make personalized!  Who wouldn't love a personalized mug?!  I used a black glaze pen to free hand the "M". I try to add these little personal touches whenever I can.

Copics Used:

Skin: E04, E11, E01, E00, R21

Hair: E49, E47, E53, E50

Shirt: B26, B24, B23

Mug/Belt: YG23, YG25

This is a digital image which I printed on Neenah 80# Solar White card stock. After coloring the image I matted it with a piece of paper from my stash and then mounted to my card. I then rounded the bottom corners to add some interest.

I plan to enter this card into the following challenges:

Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge Blog-Challenge #278-Anything Goes/optional Spring

Thank you for visiting my blog! I try my best to give you accurate information. I am not affiliated with any of these companies nor did I receive compensation or free product for mentioning them. All products used and mentioned were personally purchased... except any digital stamps won through challenges, which were received from the company with no expectation. This blog is NOT sponsored, requested, or paid and I did it only because I wanted to. The information provided in this video is based on my own personal experience and opinion. I am not an expert nor do I work for these companies.

Thank you for stopping by my blog!  Have an amazing day.

Feeling Spoilt

Things have been super crazy around my house lately but I thought I would get out a really quick card for a friend who has a birthday coming up.  Please make sure to head over to my YouTube channel as well by clicking on the video below to see how I colored this card.

As I said, it's been really crazy and I didn't even realize I had made a few little mistakes on this card until I was editing the video!  Oh well, I fixed them later but the picture was done, the video was done and I didn't have the time to re-do them.  Sometimes you just gotta roll with the punches.

This adorable image is from All Dressed UP and she was so so fun to color.  

Copics used:

Skin: E11, E21, E00, E000

Dress: B04, B02, B00, B000

Hair: E47, E43, E53, E50

Gift/Leaves: YG05, YG03

Rose/Cheeks: R21

Other Items used: Spellbinder die for frame, Metallic Jelly Roll pen for drink, Prisma Color Pencils to make final detail and finishing touches.

The "Celebrate" sentiment is a digital image from Desert Diva.

I printed the image out on Neenah 80# Solar White yardstick and then when I finished coloring her I decided to use the sentiment which is also a digital image.  I took a risk by putting my colored project through the printer but luck was on my side today!  I cut out the frame with a Spellbinder die to use as a background for the image.  I usually like to keep things simple so I thought it was enough.

I plan to enter this card into the following challenge:

All Dressed Up Challenge Blog- Challenge 92

Thank you for visiting my blog! I try my best to give you accurate information. I am not affiliated with any of these companies nor did I receive compensation or free product for mentioning them. All products used and mentioned were personally purchased... except any digital stamps won through challenges, which were received from the company with no expectation. This blog is NOT sponsored, requested, or paid and I did it only because I wanted to. The information provided in this video is based on my own personal experience and opinion. I am not an expert nor do I work for these companies.

Have an amazing day!

Chloe and Escargot!

Hello!  It's been a very busy, crazy week.  It has actually taken me days to try and get this blog post done.  The weather has been fantastic!  I think we may have finally turned the corner and can maaaaybeee tell Winter goodbye.  Sounds like there's a chance for some snow AGAIN this weekend but it shouldn't stick so no worries. I'm not going to let a few snow flakes get me down.

Look at this cutie! I really love this image from My Besties. This digital image is called Chloe and Escargot.  It's the perfect card for my mom for Mother's Day.  She is quite a gardener and I think this image fits her perfectly.  

I colored this image with my Copic markers listed below and then finished up the fine details with my Prismacolor Pencils. To check out all the details and find out how to create this sky background you can click on the video link for all the scoop.

Copic Markers used with this image are:

Skin: E04 E11, E01, E00 and R21 for cheeks

Snail eyes & Leaves: YG23, YG05, YG01

Ground: G21, G20, YG91, YG93, YG95

Ribbons, Flower Center: RV10, RV17

Eyes: B02, B04, B05

Jeans: B91, B93, B95

Hair: E43, E44, E47

Shirt and Hair Bow: E41, E43

Snail Shells: BV04, BV02, BV)), Shadow BV23

W2 & W3 for shadowing

Clouds: BG000, C1, C0

Sky: BG000

Items used and links to where I purchased mine

Carpediemstore.com

Prismacolor Pencils

Neenah Solar White 80# Cardstock

I plan on entering this card into the following challenges:

Cute Card Thursday Blog- Challenge 576 Anything Goes

My Besties Challenge Blog-April Challenge Anything Goes

Artistic Inspirations Challenge Blog-Challenge 214

Crafting From The Heart-Challenge 240-Anything Goes

A Bit More Time To Craft-Challenge 89 Anything Goes

Thank you for visiting my blog! I try my best to give you accurate information. I am not affiliated with any of these companies nor did I receive compensation or free product for mentioning them. All products used and mentioned were personally purchased... except any digital stamps won through challenges, which were received from the company with no expectation. This blog is NOT sponsored, requested, or paid and I did it only because I wanted to. The information provided in this video is based on my own personal experience and opinion. I am not an expert nor do I work for these companies.

Thanks for visiting my Blog today.  I really appreciate your comments and would love for you to visit my Youtube channel as well.

Have an  amazing day!

                                         

This One is All Boy

My Grandson Max is getting ready to turn 3! I created this card just for him!

I ran across this cute image while I was at the All Dressed Up shop.  As soon as I saw it, I knew I needed to make Max a birthday card with this.  This card has a couple of moving parts which I think will make it extra special to a 3 year old.  Click on the image above to watch the video of how I put it all together.

As mentioned before, this is a digital image from All Dressed Up. I will be entering this card into the ALL DRESSED UP CHALLENGE BLOG. The image is called A Present for Daddy.  I believe it may have been intended either for a Dad's Birthday card or probably for Fathers Day.  The original image has words included but for the purpose of this card, since I was cutting it out I cropped most of those letters out before printing.

The image was printed on Neenah Solar White 80# Cardstock and colored with the following Copics:

Skin: E04, E11, E01, E00

Hat & Gift: R24, R27, R29

Shirt & Gift: B21, B24, B26

Dozer: Y21, Y23, Y26

All Black and Grey Elements are a combo of : C1, C5, C7, C9

Dirt: E23, E27, E59

The image was first colored and then I fussy cut around the edges to cut it out.  After I cut out the image I used a Copic marker to go along the fresh cut edge and color in any white edges that were showing. I also used an Exacto Knife to cut out between the treads of the backhoe and then colored in the cab of the tractor with a T1 Copic Marker.  I was afraid to try and cut around all the details inside the cab.

If you watch the video above you can see the details, but I de-constructed a couple of the parts of the backhoe and then inserted some yellow brads to create two moving shovels.  I had a stamp with a gift on it so I decided to stamp a couple of gifts over to the side to appear as though the gift in the shovel is being lifted from a pile of gifts.  Doesn't every 3 year old want a PILE to choose from?!!  If you don't have a stamp with a gift on it, you can easily free-hand a box and draw a bow at the top. Just make sure you draw this in with a Copic friendly ink so the ink doesn't bleed when you go to color the presents.

I colored the bows on the gifts with some Glaze pens and then just free handed some dirt at the bottom of the card to give the tractor something to sit on.

The sky was chalked in using a homemade stencil.  You can watch the video above for that technique as well.  The technique is super easy and my all time favorite way to create a sky background.

A wrote a little #3 on the backhoe since this is a 3rd Birthday and then I cut out a little tag by hand. I wrote Max's name on it and placed it one of of the gifts.

I think this card turned out super cute. I hope he loves it and I hope you enjoyed it as well.

Have an amazing day!!

here are links for some of the items I purchased to make this card:

All Dressed Up Digital:            https://www.etsy.com/listing/236216010/present-for-daddy?ga_search_query=present%2Bfor%2Bdaddy&ref=shop_items_search_1

Neenah 80#     https://www.simonsaysstamp.com/product/Neenah-Classic-Crest-80-LB-SMOOTH-SOLAR-WHITE-Paper-Pack-25-Sheets-33264?currency=USD

Copic      https://carpediemmarkers.com

Glaze Pens    https://www.hobbylobby.com/Scrapbook-Paper-Crafts/Accessories-Tools/Pencils-Pens-Markers/Glaze-3D-Glossy-Ink-Pens/p/13719

Thank you for visiting my blog! I try my best to give you accurate information. I am not affiliated with any of these companies nor did I receive compensation or free product for mentioning them. All products used and mentioned were personally purchased... except any digital stamps won through challenges, which were received from the company with no expectation. This blog is NOT sponsored, requested, or paid and I did it only because I wanted to. The information provided in this video is based on my own personal experience and opinion. I am not an expert nor do I work for these companies.

Top 3 Winner on All Dressed Up Challenge Blog

I have a short post today but I was so excited today to find out that this card got TOP 3 over at the                 

All Dressed Up Challenge Blog and I couldn't wait to share my great news.

Wow!  I am completely honored because there are some amazing and talented people over there.  I  was SO excited in fact, that I decided I would just do a short post to say THANK YOU to the gang at All Dressed Up for choosing my card.  I plan to enter many more of their challenges in the future because there are so many of those cute images I still want to color.

If you are looking for inspiration go check out some the cards and images  over there.

Also, If you haven't already, please go watch my video on my YouTube channel HERE.  Make sure to click SUBSCRIBE because I will be posting more of my cards. I plan to start on one this weekend as a matter of fact (if things work out ).  We've got a few ball games to get to but it is my goal to get a card done and hopefully a video as well........Wish me luck.

Thank you for visiting my blog! I try my best to give you accurate information. I am not affiliated with any of these companies nor did I receive compensation or free product for mentioning them. All products used and mentioned were personally purchased... except any digital stamps won through challenges, which were received from the company with no expectation. This blog is NOT sponsored, requested, or paid and I did it only because I wanted to. The information provided in this video is based on my own personal experience and opinion. I am not an expert nor do I work for these companies.

Have an amazing day

Fight Like a Girl

Today I'm sharing a card I made for a co-worker who is going through a tough time right now.  This is a digital stamp from Tiddly Inks called Fight Like a Girl.  

I knew I wanted to use water colors but since this was a digital image, I didn't really have a way to stamp it with a water proof ink and I wasn't sure if I would be able to water color over printer ink.  But it worked! There were some areas that you could see a faint blue or grey when I applied water to the image, but it was so faint that you can't tell once the color is added. The hair looked a little "smudgy" to me though, so I just darkened it up to disguise it. If I didn't tell you here, you would never know by looking at the finished card.  I'll have to try this a few more times to see if I get the same great results but I would consider this first test as a PASS on the water color test for digital images.  This may vary depending on your printer and the kind of ink it uses as well.

I used Canson XL Watercolor paper.  I trimmed it down slightly so it would fit in my printer as the pages in the paper pack are 9 x 12 and don't fit in my printer. The watercolor paper is very thick but it went through my Canon printer with no issues.  Once the image was printed, I heat set it with my heat tool and then let the coloring begin. I used my Koi water color set to apply color to the image.  I didn't have a stamp for the sentiment so I just used a text box and made up my own sentiment by printing it out on the card at the same time I printed the image. 

After painting the image, I applied a pretty good layer of water on the background before applying the color.  This helps the color to move around the page.  After painted and dried, I added some details with my Prisma Color pencils, because I just like to fuss with it!  I also added some Wink of Stella to the gloves.  I just have to add it to almost every card I make.  I love the hint of sparkle it gives without being over the top. I used my T ruler to add a dotted line around the edge of the card and finished it off by hand drawing a tiny little heart in the bottom corner.

As you'll see in the video, I had a few struggles but I feel like I learned from my mistakes.  Isn't that what it's all about?!   First, I believe I should have used a larger brush. 2nd issue (it's a personal struggle)  as mentioned above, I fuss.  I'm a fusser.  It's what I do!  I just can't stop messing with things LOL!   In some cases it's ok but when working with watercolor, I think it's really important to be patient because the color changes and softens as it dries. I'll have to practice my patience with this in the future before I add layers to something that may be just fine to begin with.  

In the video, you'll also see some alterations I had to make to my original card plan but that's part of crafting and being creative. To me, it's the BEST part.  Some of my favorite idea's have come out of a "mistake" or a plan that didn't work out.

Water color isn't something I've had a lot of practice with but some artists like Kristina Werner inspire me to try it from time to time.   I hope this video inspires you as well to get out some paint or markers or whatever you like to do and be creative!

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Have an amazing day  

Cue The Confetti

Look at this little cutie I found over on the All Dressed Up Challenge Blog.

I'll be entering this card in the All Dressed Up Monthly Challenge.  You can find information about that challenge HERE and there's still time if you would like to enter.  This cute little image was one of several freebies that you can use to enter the challenge.  However, you will want to make sure and check out all of the wonderful images at All Dressed Up  because they are all so adorable.  

In making this card, I printed this image at the bottom half of my page knowing that I would be folding it in half to make a top folding card. I chose to make the image just slightly taller than the fold so that part of the balloon shows on the backside of the card, as shown below.

 You can watch me color this in my video below.  As I explained in my last blog, I like to use a piece of paper as inspiration for my colors. In this case I found a piece of purple paper that I liked and although it wasn't really patterned, I used it as my inspiration for the color in her dress and then later used it to line the inside of the card.  When putting the purple paper on the inside of the card it was too long but instead of trimming it off, I thought it would add another element of interest to just fold the paper back onto the backside of the card. Once I determined the sentiment for the card,  I knew I had to have confetti.  I used some tiny pieces found in the bottom of a package I had purchased quite a while back and then trimmed some pieces of the confetti into slightly larger shapes so the pieces of  would be more random and not all appear to be the same thing or same size.

Copic used are:

Skin: E04, E11, E00

Dress: V20, V22, V25

Hair E43, E44, E47 

This coloring was a bit of a hot mess but in the end my card turned out pretty cute, which only proves my theory that you should keep working on a project even if you make a mistake. Just keep working with it.  In the end you may be surprised how well it turns out and if you still don't like it, consider it as good practice. Also, I find that I am able to fix a lot of things with colored pencils after I am done with my Copic Markers.  I can add finer details and clean up area's that need it.

Thanks for visiting my blog today and watching my video. Have a great day!

Happy Birthday Card

Today I'm sharing a card I made for my sweet mom for her birthday.

This is a digital stamp from Tiddly Inks called Sweet Tooth-Let us Eat Cake.   I fell in love with this stamp when I saw how some people were coloring in her skirt with many many pleats.  My card above would NOT be a good example of this ha ha.  I just haven't gotten the hang of it yet. To be honest I haven't put in the practice and I don't know about you but I really have to practice.   I will keep trying to fit in some time here and there to get the technique down.  A great example of what I'm talking about CAN be found on the Tiddly Inks site HERE.

I keep a notebook on my desk where I list the Copic colors I use when I've done a card. Well I  couldn't find my list of Copic colors used with this image.  In my haste of trying to get this done in time for my mom, I don't know if it was tossed or misplaced but that doesn't really matter because you can choose your own colors! And with that in mind, I thought I would explain my process when trying to choose colors for an image. Here are a couple of things I do to begin the process:

• My favorite and most used method of choosing a color group when starting to color an image, is to find a piece of patterned scrap paper in my stash and try to match the colors in that paper to the Copic markers that will be used. It doesn't really matter if you're going to use that paper as a background for your image or not.  Generally I do, but either way, it's just a quick way to get a color scheme selected.  I'm a little lazy when it comes to picking out the colors, I'll admit it, ESPECIALLY if I'm in a hurry.  I mean, sure, if I'm feeling creative and just have time to sit down and have fun and color or craft, I wouldn't do this but generally I don't have that luxury and using this method helps me speed the process along.  
• Another tip - I try to stick to the same colors for the whole image. For example, if I am using G25 and G20 for the clothes in an image, I would try to use those same greens in the tree or in the grass, and if I used a set of browns for the hair, I would use those same browns in the trunk of a tree or in whatever else in the image would be colored brown.  This keeps the number of markers down that are being used, it reduces the time you spend trying to figure which colors to use for each individual item and  I really feel like it makes the image more balanced.  
• Once I've colored my image with my Copic markers, I always use other items to add little details. These LITTLE details can make such a BIG difference.  Items such as colored pencils, gel pens, white pens, Wink of Stella etc. After I colored this image I went over some of the areas with my colored pencils to highlight some areas and deepen the color in the shadows. I added white dots to the bodice of the dress and a gel pen to add sparkle to the crown. Clear Wink of Stella was added to give sparkle to skirt.  You can't really see some of these things in this picture but in real life it really makes a difference.

Well I guess I've rambled on long enough today.  I hope you have a wonderful day and fit in a little time to be creative.  If you have a process you use when choosing colors for an image I would love to hear what works for you.

I hope you have a great day. I know those of us in the KC area are faced with a cold and icy drive to work so be safe out there.

Thank you for visiting my blog! I try my best to give you accurate information. I am not affiliated with any of these companies nor did I receive compensation or free product for mentioning them. All products used and mentioned were personally purchased... except any digital stamps won through challenges, which were received from the company with no expectation. This blog is NOT sponsored, requested, or paid and I did it only because I wanted to. The information provided in this video is based on my own personal experience and opinion. I am not an expert nor do I work for these companies.