Snow Bunny

Happy Friday Everyone! I'm not expecting huge traffic out on my blog today as my American friends should be beating off the crowds in some good "Black Friday" shopping!
Today I wanted to create...because I felt like it....not for a sketch challenge, not for publication work or for design team work but JUST FOR ME AND FOR FUN!

A little "thank you" to those who noticed that I changed my profile photos...I thought I would stop shocking people with my curly hair when all my on-line photos of me were straight hair and glasses. I really only need to wear my glasses when I am driving in the dark and in the rain (which has been a lot around here lately!).

Have you jumped in on these fabulous new Pure Innocence images yet? They are so cute! Some of the sweetest images that I have seen in a long while. You just know it when a stamp line "speaks to you". This collection you can find at My Favorite Things...and yes, you will see a lot of pure innocence from me! I felt like making another dual purpose card. This one is a great gift tag within a card. When the tag is removed the card still looks great!
This is the image with the tag removed. I stamped her on vellum (with Stazon) and then colored her with my copics FROM THE BACKSIDE....I love the transparent look of color on vellum....something that you just can't duplicate on regular card stock. I stitched the vellum piece to my background paper (Jolly by Golly from Cosmo Cricket). I also added some stickles and liquid applique for my snowy accents.

Here is a shot of the card with the tag inserted. LOVE how the snowflake pattern shows through.
Don't be afraid to try coloring with copics on vellum. It is a little different where colors don't blend like they would on card stock but if you don't like what you have laid down in color it is so easy to erase with your blender pen!
Tip: Remember to go a little bolder in your color choices on vellum so that you get the desired intensity. The colors look naturally softer on the vellum.

Enjoy your weekend! Hope you all nab some great deals....speaking of DEALS have you checked out
Taylored Expressions? They are having an awesome sale today....now that is my kind of shopping!

Back in my studio....

I'm back from FABULOUS Montreal! Wow that was a jam packed weekend-o-coloring! I came back home and had to skip across the border today to check my mail box and YES....my newest MFT order was there waiting for me. I couldn't help but do a little card today (jetlag and all)....
I wanted to show you the fabulous use of one of my favorite copic tools...the multiliner. I love how I can add to my images and then still color them with my markers.










This is the darling little image from the Pure Innocence line at My Favorite Things, she is called "my balloon". The first thing that I thought of is that I wanted to finish that balloon so that I could color it in!
Here I just used my multiliner from copic to finish the balloon, but why stop there? I thought she could also use a little grass for under her feet too.
I was encouraging the ladies (and gentleman) who took the copic certification classes this weekend to use their markers to color their embellishments. Here I wanted my ribbon to match my balloon (EXACTLY) so this was the best way to tie in that pretty blue color!
Paired up with the prettiest Melissa Frances paper and there she is! I thought the paper would look pretty on her dress too!
Well time to go make a coffee....I feel myself dragging! Hope you have a great day!

Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge #92!

Happy Friday! As Thanksgiving approaches for my US friends I would like to say that
I am very thankful for all the American friendships and wonderful American companies that I have worked with this year. You are truly a blessing to me!
Without voicing my own personal political views too loudly I thought I would make a card that speaks of the gratefulness to being American. I know the US is going through a tough time economically and politically....and I thought maybe this would be a good idea for someone serving in the military.
This card is a wonderful Kinkade stamped on a clear card. I laid in this pretty patterned paper from Melissa Frances in the background. I also stamped the sentiment on a scrap piece of the patterned paper and used my glossy accents to adhere the circle fragment over top.
For a finishing touch I accented the flag using my R29 and B06 copic markers. I love that I can color on this type of slick surface and it won't wipe away!
Anyway, here are all the specific details:
Stamps:
Hometown Pride (Thomas Kinkade), Happy Harvest (GM) by Cornish Heritage Farms
Ink:
Black Stazon (Tsukineko)
Paper:
Patterned Paper (Melissa Frances)
Clear Sheet (CHF)
Accessories:
Copic Markers
"4" blackboard (Cosmo Cricket)
Circle Fragment (Tim Holtz)

Here is the sketch so you can play along in TAYLOR'S challenge.
Don't forget to see what the rest of the sketch crew came up with:
Jami Sibley: More is More
Monika Davis: M.A.D. Stamper
Jackie Pedro: The Scalloped Edge
Lynn Mercurio: Stamperosity
Melissa Sauls: In Stamping Mode
Rachel Sztonyk: Gingerbread Gallery
Alice Lihsuan-Wertz: Alice's Little Wonderland
Lisa Hjulberg: The Craft's Meow

I am literally on a jet plane right now heading towards Montreal...I am SO looking forward to all the crafters I am going to meet there! It will be a very full weekend of one of my favorite things....COPICS! See you next week when I get back!

Rain or Shine

I thought this little girl was darling and doing something that most little girls would do....keep the froggie dry instead of herself! This was for the sketch challenge on SCS....perfect layout for this image! Colored with copic markers to match this fabulous "Boyfriend" paper from Cosmo Cricket.
My favorite part...these puffy clouds created with a label die from spellbinders used to cut out felt. I then ran it through the creatopia to add fabric adhesive to the backside and then stuck them like a sticker to my card. I airbrushed the bottom of the clouds with my T2 copic marker to make more of a rainy cloud. Here are all the deets:
Stamps:
Rainy Day Friends (MFT)
Ink:
Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko)
Paper:
Boyfriend (Cosmo Cricket)
White (Neenah)
Accessories:
Copic Markers
Air Brush System (Copic) to add grey to the clouds
Felt
Die cuts (Spellbinders)
Creatopia (Xyron)
Ribbon (Offray)
Glossy Accents (Ranger)
Sanding Block

The snow has turned to rain here....much to my kids dismay....maybe we should have the sentiment "rain or snow" instead of "rain or shine".....hmmmmm

Have a great day!

Yeah Baby!

There is a wonderful vintage baby stamp set and sentiments that is being released tomorrow at CHF. One of my favorite things to do with baby themed projects is to make little gifts. These were plain onesies. I stamped the images on white cotton, colored them with copics and then ran them through my creatopia to get the fabric adhesive on them. I placed them directly on the onesie and then sewed around the edge for extra durability. The adhesive was SO nice because they stayed right in place and made it easy to stitch.

I also made that cute little strap for your key ring that you can hold your emergency soother onto. How often do you spend searching for a soother that has seemed to grow legs and walk away....

As for packaging....this was the clear bag that the onesies came in...I just dressed it up by cutting out a few more birds with my spellbinder dies and then more fabric adhesive and straight onto the bag! Easy Peasy.....

I LOVE that I can use my "Papercrafting" items for so much more than papercrafting!

The Winner is....

It was so neat to hear what you all had to say about copic! So the Lucky winner is:
#131!

Nicole K/Gotham Girl
Copic markers make me love to craft again--I don't get caught up in producing or feeling like I *have* to do something--I just do it and it's fun.

November 11, 2009 1:32 PM

Congrats Nicole! I've sent you an e-mail with the details.

Thanks for everyone that played!

Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge #91

Friday is here...wow this week went FAST!
I'm sure most have you have gotten in on the copic giveaway, but if you haven't got your name down yet you have till tomorrow. HERE is that post...good luck (Awesome Prizes!)

Today's card is perfect for the Christmas season. I just received this little sweetie in the mail. It is part of the new "Pure Innocence" line from MFT! Isn't she darling!

I created a card with this ornament in the front. The frame pulls off and there is a ribbon tucked underneath so she can adorn your Christmas tree!
I colored her with my copics and then cut her out with the spellbinder oval die. While the die was still in place I airbrushed the edges giving her some extra highlight.
I coordinated it all with this fabulous Cosmo Cricket paper (Jolly by Golly) and that beautiful frame???? Yes, Melissa Frances...so elegant and perfect for the tree.
I was able to purchase some reinkers this past weekend for one of my favorite color combos and it is E40 and E43...they are a lovely match to kraft cardstock.

Here is the sketch so you can play along in TAYLOR'S challenge.
Don't forget to see what the rest of the sketch crew came up with:
Jami Sibley: More is More
Monika Davis: M.A.D. Stamper
Jackie Pedro: The Scalloped Edge
Lynn Mercurio: Stamperosity
Melissa Sauls: In Stamping Mode
Rachel Sztonyk: Gingerbread Gallery
Alice Lihsuan-Wertz: Alice's Little Wonderland
Lisa Hjulberg: The Craft's Meow


I'm getting all ready for my trip to Montreal next weekend. It is going to be SO FUN. I know there are a few spots left for the certification on the Sunday (November 22nd) so if you would like to fill that spot please e-mail me and I'll send you out an application ASAP!
Have a great weekend!

Copic Team and Give away!

Where have I been? In Oregon! Meeting some of the new copic certification instructors and design team....yes, it has been a fabulous few days!

First off will you help me welcome:

Lori Craig
Colleen Schaan and
Kathy Sanders (aka...colorin' Kate)

These girls are fabulous and extremely talented and will be awesome instructors in the certification program. We now have some specific regions that we will be able to serve. Here is the breif list:

Copic Blog Team includes:
Debbie Olson
Michelle Wooderson
Sharon Harnist
Sherrie Siemens
Sally Lynn MacDonald

Copic Certification Regional Instructors:
US:
Northwest: Sherrie Siemens / Marianne Walker
Southwest: Marianne Walker
Northern Midwest / Chicago: Kathy Sanders
Central Midwest: Lori Craig
Southern Midwest: Sharon Harnist
South: Colleen Schaan
Northeast: Sally Lynn MacDonald

Canada:
Western Canada: Sherrie Siemens
Eastern Canada: Sally Lynn MacDonald

Floaters:
Debbie Olson & Marianne Walker

I am looking forward to another fantastic year in certifications for 2010!
It was such a pleasure meeting together with these women and we got to do it all at the COPIC headquarters in Oregon. The staff is so warm, wonderful and diverse. YOU SHOULD SEE THE WAREHOUSE.....ALL those pretty markers just waiting for a hand to direct them....I couldn't help but stroke a few (tee hee).


SO.....in honor of the new girls joining us COPIC has generously offered some fabulous blog candy! You will get the choice of either 12 sketch markers (OF YOUR CHOICE) or the ABS1 airbrush system!




How to win? Please leave us (the people on the blog hop listed below) a comment letting us know either how you use Copics, which Copic products you use, why you love them OR why you wish you had Copics.

One winner will be chosen from every blog and in addition to that Copic will be reading through comments. If they find a testimonial that they really like, then they will contact that person to use his or her story for the CHA booth and would then give the person an equal prize to the random winners. In other words, make your comments good! There will probably be two or three winners chosen total on comments, as well as the one winner for each listed blog. These will not be announced right away.

The drawing will happen from my blog from this post on Saturday November 12th at 12pmPST. Good Luck....what a fabulous prize!

Here are the blogs to visit:

Blogs to visit:
Marianne Walker http://www.ilikemarkers.blogspot.com/
Debbie Olson http://debbiedesigns.typepad.com/muse_and_amuse/
Sherrie Siemens http://sherrie-cardcreme.blogspot.com/
Sally Lynn MacDonald http://www.inkyheart.typepad.com/
Sharon Harnist http://paperfections.typepad.com/paperfections/
Lori Craig http://loricraig.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/
Colleen Schaan http://www.distinctivetouches.com/
Michelle Wooderson http://michellewooderson.blogspot.com/

Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge #90!

Today is not only Friday...but a special day for me and my sweetie too!
16 wonderful years together today! The card today is NOT for our anniversary (thank goodness as it is a baby shower card), but there are always baby showers to go to and I wanted to make a really cute one...:)
I used the "shower time" set from MFT and stamped directly on this decorative acetate from "My Little Yellow Bicycle". The paper is from the "earth love" collection by Cosmo Cricket and I love these clouds in the patterned paper. I paper pieced her little shirt and I decided to color the acetate from the backside with my copics for the umbrella. There was that cute little flower on the patterned paper that I didn't want to cover up with paper piecing.
I also used my copic marker to color the head of my safety pin (it was pink but I wanted it more peach in color).
I did take a couple of liberties on the sketch...making the center circle much larger on mine and using a scalloped punch for the bottom.

Here is the sketch so you can play along in TAYLOR'S challenge.
Don't forget to see what the rest of the sketch crew came up with:
Jami Sibley: More is More
Monika Davis: M.A.D. Stamper
Jackie Pedro: The Scalloped Edge
Lynn Mercurio: Stamperosity
Melissa Sauls: In Stamping Mode
Rachel Sztonyk: Gingerbread Gallery
Alice Lihsuan-Wertz: Alice's Little Wonderland
Lisa Hjulberg: The Craft's Meow

My sweetie took the day off so while the kiddos are at school we get to spend the day together...how fun! Have a great weekend!