Old Friends

Gerty and Eunice are back in the Old Friends stamp set from Sparkle N Sprinkle.  I think the sentiment, which is part of the set, is so true - don't you?

I started off by stamping the image, coloring it with Copics and then fussy cutting it out.  Purple Dust glitter was added to Eunice's purple hat; Aqua Marine glitter enhances Gerty's glasses as well as the flower in her hat; and Raspberry Soda glitter gives shimmer and sparkle to Eunice's fingernails and Gerty's knitting bag and her jewelry.

For the background I applied VersaMark to the inside of the Cane Weave embossing folder from Spellbinders and ran it through my machine.  Then I covered it with Peanut Butter embossing powder and heat set it.

The sentiment was stamped onto a piece of vellum with Memento ink and heat embossed with Clear embossing powder.  I created the little ball of yarn from some yarn I had and added two straight pins for the knitting needles.

The card base is a piece of Core'dinations cardstock that I sanded down the raised portion.  After that, I added some glue with my Sakura glue pen to the sanded-off areas and sprinkled Aqua Marine onto the glue.  This added another element of shimmer to the card (with very little work).

Have You Picked a Minor?

The theme for this week's Dude Time Doodles Inspiration Challenge is Greetings/Sentiments.  How easy is that?

I decided to use parts of the Coal Miner set from Bonibleaux Designs.  College is in full swing around here and I thought this would be a perfect sentiment for any college kid.  The images are colored with Copic markers and fussy cut out.  I created what I thought a coal mining tunnel might look like by free handing the opening supports.  The black background is actually a piece of a used plastic spiral notebook left over from my son's high school days.  I cut it out, rounded the top and adhered the coal cart to it and pop dotted the Coal Miner, since he's coming out for lunch.

The support was embossed with a Sizzix embossing folder (woodgrain) and inked with Distress Inks (Weathered Wood and Black Soot).  It was also pop dotted for more depth.  The sentiment is a Spellbinders die (grommet tag) and positioned above the tunnel opening (just like I've seen in old movies, with the name of that specific tunnel).  The card base is by Core'dinations.  I used the cut out portion from the supports for the inside to write a message and distressed it with Black Soot.

The sponsor for today's Dude Time Doodles Challenge is Create with TLC and the winner will receive a $10 gift certificate to the store.  You have one week to upload your Dude project that includes a greeting or sentiment.  You don't have to use a Dude Time Doodles image, but we all love it when you do.

Me and Pops

Challenge #53 for Paper Makeup Stamps' Digi Makeover Challenge is to use monsters.  This was a really easy and fun challenge for me because the monsters are some of my favorite images to color from PMS.  They almost color themselves.

I've used Me and Pops and they are colored with Copic markers and then fussy cut out so I could spotlight them with a wonky circle shape from Lifestyle Crafts (it's really their Nesting Flower Die), but I love using the uneven circles in this set.  The card base is from Core'dinations and a bit of twine completes the look.  I also added a white square on the inside so it would be easier to write the sentiment and added a touch of twine inside as well.

You'll have one week to upload your monsters to the Digi Makeover Challenge blog.  Don't forget, you must use a digi.  Be sure to visit the rest of the team to see which monsters came out of their closets. Also give a warm welcome to Olivia, this week's guest designer and to Emily, our newest dt member.

Let's Talk Turkey

The September new release from Die-Versions is out and there are some great new fall dies.  The new Die-Versions blog is up and running too.  Be sure to go check out all the fabulous creations by the design team and see the rest of the dies and projects from this release.  So much creativity there!!  Plus you can see the videos on each die and Susan gives suggestions about each one too.

This is Tom Turkey and he is such a delight to cut out.  I cut him out three times with different colored cardstock and used the negative pieces to fill him in.  The sentiment is from Art Impressions and the grass is a MFT die.  The card base is by Core'dinations that I sanded down to reveal the core and design underneath.

Jen's Sunshine

For the Dude Time Doodles August New Release post, please scroll down, or click HERE.

Paper Makeup Stamps and Party Time Tuesdays Challenge Blog proudly presents 

"Jen's Sunshine" Blog Hop
This hop will remain open till Tuesday, Sept. 4th
Winners announced Sept. 7th

Today we take time to honor our friend and fellow crafter Jen Scull.  If you are here hopping with us, then I am sure you know Jen is battling breast cancer.  She has been fighting this nasty disease since February.  On behalf of Jen, we thank you for being here.

We ask as you hop along with us, please consider donating at least $1 using the paypal donation button at any stop along the way.  Your donation will go directly to Jen. Thank you.

It wouldn't be a hop without prizes.  To see a full list of the prizes up for grabs, please visit 

Paper Makeup Stamps

and

Party Time Tuesdays Challenge Blog

To be eligible to win a prize from our sponsors, collect the hidden letters located throughout the hop.  Once you spell out the secret phrase, please email Jenn Cochran at partytimetuesdays@hotmail.com.  This will get you entered to win one of several fabulous prizes.

I will also have a $15 Paper Makeup Stamps gift certificate to one lucky person who leaves a comment on my blog.  

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Core Cards Creative Frenzy

Core'dinations is having a design team call and these are the three projects I've made for this call, all using Core'dinations cardstock.

For the first card, I've incorporated Sizzix rolled roses (3D Flowers) and Spellbinders foliage.  The first step is to sand down the Core'dinations cardstock to reveal the pattern.  Deckle cut the bottom edge for added interest.   Next, cut out three rolled roses and assemble.  Add pearls or brads to the flower centers and spritz with Smooch Spritz for a bit of sparkle.  Adhere to the front of your card and add a sentiment on the inside.

For my second card, I chose Core'dinations swiss dots and sanded down the top 2/3s, leaving the bottom as is.  Die cut several Chevron stripes from My Favorite Things and arrange.  The sentiment is die cut from a die by Savvy Stamps.  A very quick, easy, and fun card to make.

My third card incorporates a digital image from Pattie's Creations and a rubber stamp sentiment from Our Craft Lounge.  The first thing you need to do is choose some Core'dinations cardstock that is double sided with different colors.  Sand down portions of the pattern, letting the underlying color show through.  Using a Memory Box border die (Sanibel border), die cut the edge of the card, allowing the color from the inside to show through.  Color the image (I used Copic markers) and fussy cut out.

Add your favorite ribbon, or dye seam binding ribbon to coordinate with your image.  If dying your own, choose the reinkers associated with the colors in your image.  Cut a length of seam binding ribbon and spritz fairly heavily with water.  Place in plastic bag and add a few drops of the reinkers.  Massage/manipulate the bag until the seam binding is dyed.  (I used BG05,  BG07 Various reinkers to dye my seam binding.)  Stamp your sentiment on coordinating cardstock and cut out using Primo Labels from Memory Box.  Adhere ribbon and sentiment, placing the sentiment underneath the ribbon.

The deadline is tomorrow, so I just made it :-).  Good luck to all who enter.

Sea Horse

Are you ready for a monochromatic challenge?   Because that's the challenge from Pattie's Creations this time.  Now just because it's monochromatic doesn't mean that it has to be dull.  You use several shades of one color and I chose this bright orange/cantaloupe for my Sea Horse.  This image was one of the freebie images available each month at Pattie's Creations.  Pattie also has something similar (Sea Horse Love) at her Esty shop.

After coloring the image with Copic markers, I cut it out using the Spellbinder's Grand Large Labels (#1) and attached gems using my Imaginisce I-Rock tool (which has been collecting dust because I always forget about it).  The squares on the right were punched from scrap paper that I had underneath a bottle cap I was air brushing for another project.  I thought the design looked cool, so I incorporated/recycled it into this project.  The sentiment at the bottom is a Memory Box die and I cut it from the same Core'dinations paper as the card base to complete the monochromatic look.

Now it's time for you to create a monochromatic masterpiece and upload it to Pattie's Creations Design Challenge blog within the next two weeks.  Don't forget to check out all the other monochromatic creations by the rest of the design team.

Copics used: YR02, YR12, YR15, YR21, YR65, T1

Ready to go Jogging?

Here's another fun image from Mayzy Arts that was a freebie.  Her images are really fun to color and almost put themselves together.  This cute jogger is colored with Copic markers and the image and mat are die cut using Spellbinder's Curved Rectangles (#4, #5).  I added a bit of depth to the mat by adding Distress Inks (Stormy Sky) onto the surface with a blending tool.

She's then layered with Core'dinations paper, Kraft paper, and then the card base.  I added some ribbon and a few gems (her motivation for running) and she's all set to cross the finish line.

Copics used: V93, V95, RV99, W7, E43    YR30, E50, E70, BV20 YG03, YG25, YG17    Y13, Y15, Y35, Y38, B04, B05, B06    Y11, Y26, Y28    B52, B12, B14

Appreciate Beauty in Everything

Today I have a CAS (clean and simple) card for you.  I used the bleach technique again (for another example, see my post here) to make this card with this beautiful butterfly rubber stamp from Unity Stamps.   After heat embossing and bleaching out the black paper, I colored the image with Marvy markers and added Enamel Accents in the four corners.

For the inside of the card, I followed the same design but added the Dainty Doily from Lifestyle Crafts, which I spritzed with Smooch Spritz (silver foil) and my sentiment "appreciate the beauty in everything".  This sentiment, which is another rubber stamp from Unity Stamps, was created by cutting out sticky paper with Spellbinders (Curved Rectangles #1 and #2) and covering with PK Glitz glitter (silver, burgundy).  At first I wasn't sure how to get the message onto to glittered burgundy background, but decided to stamp the image in a glue pad, stamp directly onto the glitter and then glitter again.  Guess what? It worked!  This looks extremely shimmery in person.  The camera didn't do it justice, no matter how many times I tried to photograph it.  :-)

I'm also entering this in the following challenges: Crazy 4 Challenges (use black cardstock); Through the Craftroom Door (favorite technique)

Coffee anyone?

Today's challenge from Paper Makeup Stamps' Digi Makeover Challenge is to use bright colors.  This is easy for me as I love brighter colors and have a hard time with pastels.

Both my image and sentiment are from the Caffeine Trip set by Paper Makeup Stamps.  This was so fun to color with all my florescent Copic markers.  The image is cut out with Spellbinder's Wonky Squares (#6 - assumes #1 is the smallest) and the sentiment is cut with Spellbinder's Deckled Mega Rectangles Large (#1).  The background paper is by Basic Grey (Lime Rickey) and the card base is Core'dinations.  I added Glossy Accents to all of the dot on the paper for more dimension.

You have one week to show us your bright colors.  Just link up your creation at the Digi Makeover Challenge, and remember, you must use a digi for our challenges.  Don't forget to check out what the rest of the design team has for you too.

I'm also entering this in the following challenge: Oozak (anything goes).


Copics used: FYG1, FYG2, FYR1, FB2, FBG2, FRV1, FY1, FV2,  E50, E40, V0000, V000, V01, BG000

Easter Dress

It's hard to believe that two weeks have passed by so quickly.  That means it's time for a new challenge from Pattie's Creations and we are celebrating Easter.  As I was looking through all the wonderful images at Pattie's Esty store,  I came across this gorgeous Little Girl Dress.  It reminded me of when I was little and would always get a new dress to wear for Easter services and then the Easter Egg Hunt.  Usually my grandmother made them, making the dresses even more special.

The dress is colored with Copic markers and fussy cut out.  The flower on the dress is a Sizzix die (Flowers 3D) that I cut down slightly.  I thought the Cheery Lynn Designs (Large French Lattice) die looked like one of those grids where clothing stores will display their favorite items.  So I hung the dress on that.  I was very fortunate that the background paper (very old from Creative Memories) matched the colors I had chosen for this.  (I usually do things opposite of most people in that I color my image and then find papers to coordinate.  From what I read, most people choose the papers and then color.  Oh well.)  The sentiment was generated on my computer and then highlighted with Paper Soft Colors (lilac).

You have two weeks to upload your Easter projects to the Pattie's Creations challenge blog.  The rules are posted on the challenge blog, but the main one is that you must use an image (either a rubber stamp or a digital one).

Copics used: E00, colorless blender    RV91, RV93, RV95, RV99  

Lucky Strike

It's that time of the month.  Of course I mean Dude Time Doodles Inspiration Challenge.  Here is the inspiration board plus an added little twist - use dies or punches (die cutting machines qualify too).  Our sponsor is Stamp by Step and the winner will receive a $15 gift certificate to the store.

Lucky Strike, a Bonibleaux Designs digital image from the Dude Time Doodles store, wanted to play in this challenge.  Since we needed to use dies (one of my favorite things to do on a card), I decided to create a scene with different dies.  After coloring Lucky with Copic markers and fussy cutting him out, he's standing on a pitcher's mound created with Spellbinders Deckled Ovals.  His background was created using Spellbinder's Wonky Rectangles and the sun and the cloud are die-namics from My Favorite Things.

The patterned paper behind the scene is actually a page from an old book that I inked up with my Distress Stains to coordinate with the image. The card base is from Core'dinations.

Now it's your turn to be inspired.  You don't have to use a Dude Time Doodles image, but we really appreciate it when you do and remember, it's got to be for a dude.  You have one week to upload your creation to the Dude Time Doodles challenge blog.  Be sure to check out the awesome creations from the rest of the Dude and Dudettes.

Copics used: YR00, YR01, YR02, YR14    BG01, BG02, BG09    E11, E13, E15    E35, E39    E40, E41