Moonlight Mermaid Silvia

Hello everyone!  I am happy to share with you today a card I  made for a guest designer spot on the ArtbyMiRan challenge blog.  I was asked to be guest designer after entering my Maria Mariposa birthday card a couple of weeks ago.   I just love Mi Ran's sweet images.  They are so fun to color.   Mermaids seem to be a common theme these days, so I didn't want to be left out!

This card is made with Moonlight Mermaid Silvia.  I did make a few changes with the image.   I flipped it to face the other direction and I took out some of the background.  I just thought she was so pretty and looked so thoughtful.    I colored the image with Copics first and then went to choose my papers.  Of course, I didn't have anything, out of the gazillion pieces of paper that I have at my disposal, that I thought worked with my colored image.  So, I made my own.  I used a piece of CTMH White Daisy and worked it over with my distress inks.  Using my mini mister, I gave it some water splatters.  I had the same problem with finding embellishments that I did finding paper.  So, again, I made my own.  I free hand cut the blades of seaweed.  The pieces of coral are really a die cut from the Spellbinders set called, Ferns.  The starfish are a small Marvy star punch.  I used my Copics to make them  look a little more like starfish.  The clam shell is from a retired CTMH stamp set from the Footloose Workshop.  I stamped it with Blush ink and then I used my Prismacolor pencils to create the shading.

The sentiment is from a Stampendous stamp set called, Love Always.  I thought this sentiment was quite fitting.  The first half of it is on the outside, and the other half is on the inside.  Which meant  I really needed to jazz up the inside a bit, too.

In my efforts to do just that, I used the same distress inks as I did on the outside of the card.   I created the sand using my Copics and then masked it off to blend in my distress inks.  I had some leftovers that I didn't use on the front of the card, so I incorporated them into this underwater scene on the inside.   Or, at least, that's what I was going for. I hope it doesn't look like I have flying fish :) I guess worse things have happened.

Another big thanks to the ArtbyMiRan design team for choosing me as a guest designer.  If you haven't stopped by the challenge site, please, do.  There is always tons of fabulous art and inspiration there.  I will be entering this card into a few challenges which I will list below along with the supplies I used to make this card.

That's it for me today.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything goes 
Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes #101 
Not Just Cards - Anything goes #35

Supplies:
Digital Image:  ArtbyMiRan - Moonlight Mermaid Silvia
Stamps:  Stampendous - Love Always; CTMH - Footloose Workshop (retired)
Paper:  CTMH- White Daisy; Colorbok - blue glitter paper; Copic Xpressit
Inks:   Distress Inks-  Mermaid Lagoon, Fossilized Amber, Abandoned Coral; CTMH - Sky, Blush;     Versamark- Onyx Black
Copics:  B000, 01, 02, 04; E000, 00 04, 11, 30, 31, 33, 42, 43; R20; RV02, 13, 14, 29; W0, 3, 6; Y21;  YG00, 13
Dies:  Spellbinders - Ferns; WRMK - Nesting Circles
Other:  CTMH - baker's twine; glue dots, various adhesives, 3d foam tape, SSS- sequins; Wink of Stella - clear; Ranger - round blender

SG Sparkle and Shine Sketch Challenge

Hello everyone!  I'm still plugging away at my list of layouts I need to get done.  I'm also still working on challenges from the last Scrapbook Generation crop event.  This layout was patterned after the free Sparkle and Shine sketch from Debbie Sanders.   The original sketch incorporated stars and stripes.  My layout has flowers and dots, but the placement is all the same.  I'm getting better at following instructions..lol.

I used the Florence paper pack from CTMH. I really loved the colors in this pack.  I didn't get any of the complements, nor did I get the coordinating stamp set, which made embellishing a little bit of a challenge.  I try to mimic whatever my patterns are for my embellishments.  This paper happens to be a floral print, so flowers it was. 

All of the flowers were cut on the Cricut from various CTMH cartridges (I work in CCR so it's hard to keep track).  I pieced several different petals together to create some of the flowers.  I used my white Signo ball pen to add some dots and lines to some of the petals, so they would look something like the ones from the patterned paper.  I used a hole punch to create the center dot of my flowers an then coated them with Glossy Accents.  The title was cut on the Silhouette using the "Girls are Weird" font.  I promise, I know how to spell.  The name of the salon where we took the pictures is All2Gether...lol.  I have yet to figure out how make those little tilted banners work for typed lines, so I used a distress marker and wrote the date by hand,  the best I could, to look like the font from the title. 

There's a few more challenges from the July scrap event that I still want to enter.  They end on August 24th.   I still have Florence paper all over my desk, so chances are, that's what will be in the next layout as well..lol. 

That's it for me tonight.  Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:

Paper - CTMH - Florence paper pack, Pacifica, Ruby, Poppy, White Daisy, Flaxen, Blush
Dies - SSS - Tilted Banners
Font - Girls are Weird
Other - Cricut, Sihlouette, various adhesives, Glossy accents, White Signo Ball gel pen, Faded Jeans Distress Marker

SG Star Factor Scrapbook Challenge

Hello everyone!  Last weekend Scrapbook Generation had another online scrap event with tons of challenges.  I love their events.  They have all kinds of games, challenges and free sketches.  If you haven't joined their Facebook page, and you like to scrap, then you definitely should.  One of their sketch challenges from the event was a sketch for a one page layout from Debbie Sanders.  Here was my take on the sketch.

I had been waiting to use the CTMH Charlotte paper pack for a while.  The soft colors speckled with greys and black caught my attention.   This photo doesn't do the colors justice.  I didn't have any coordinating embellishments, so I sacrificed some of the floral printed paper and fussy cut some of the flowers and leaves and used them.  The titles were cut on the Silhouette in the Baroque Script font.   Tiny punched hearts were scattered here and there along with a couple black sparkles.  That was pretty much it for this page.  I loved the sketch and thought it worked well for my pictures.

I'm going to try to work on another sketch challenge from the event.  I'll be sure to share when I'm done.   Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:

Paper - CTMH - Charlotte Paper Pack, Black, White Daisy
Font - Baroque Script
Other - tiny heart punch, various adhesives, black sparkles, Silhouette Cameo

Maria Mariposa Birthday Card

Hello everyone!  This week's challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge blog is "Things with Wings."  As many of you know, that is right up my alley :) I thought I would share a card I had made with Maria Mariposa from MiRan Jung.  This was my first digi stamp from ArtbyMiRan when I joined her progressive challenge.  I couldn't resist her,  she had wings!

This is a 5x7 side fold card.  The patterned paper I had left over from a SSS monthly card kit.  Sadly, I don't know which one.  Because it was a 6x6 sheet, it left a little white at each end.  I cut some thin strips for accent color and then made a little border with my CTMH border punch.  I colored the image with Copics to match the papers.   I stamped my sentiment onto a a little banner cut with SSS folded banner die.  I added a couple of punched flowers and a ribbon from my stash.   It was a relatively simple card by design. 

There are couple of challenges I will be entering her in, which I will list below.  I am still working on getting my scrapbooks caught up, so the cardmaking has really slowed :(  Hopefully, I will get back on track.  Thanks for stopping by!

Challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Things with Wings
ArtbyMiRan Challenge Blog - #63 Anything goes
Corrosive Challenge Blog - #7 nature/animals - flowers and butterfly fairy

SG Free Sketch Friday Layout Challenge

Hello everyone!  I'm still doing layouts in my effort to get my books caught up.  Scrapbook Generation has some wonderful sketches and their facebook page has some awesome sketch challenges.   This sketch was from Debbie Sanders and it's free this month.  You can join their facebook group called SG Scrap Squad and download it.  I love their sketches.   Here's my take on it.

I've almost got the band book caught up.  Woohoo!  I went by the sketch about as closely as I could. I spend a lot of time planning and designing a layout.  When I can find a layout sketch I like,  it is such a time saver.  And this one worked  well with the pictures I had.

I won't bore you with all the details, but I'll point out a few things I did that I thought worked out well for the layout.  The title I made with the same papers from the layout, using my Silhouette (<--such a great tool).  Using the font Constantia I cut my title, then offset it and cut again with the Hollyhock cardstock, then offset again and cut it out of black cardstock.  The font was a little too spindly without some background and just got lost in all the pattern. By using the two mats, it gives it a little more depth.  I did the same thing for the year.  I thought it turned out rather cute. The little flowers and butterflies were made with punches.  The butterflies were punched from the one inch strip left over from the background paper.  The shape fit on the design perfectly to get a very interesting pattern for the wings.   The little flags on the banner I cut different designs on the ends according to the sketch.  I used the one inch strips of leftover paper for those.   Overall, I thought this layout turned out pretty cute.

I'll list all the supplies I can below.  I'm also trying to use up my stash.  I will have some more layouts to share shortly.  That's it for me tonight.  Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies -

Paper :  DCWV- Black Currant Stack; CTMH - Colonial White, Black, Hollyhock
Font:  Constantia
Other:  Silhouette, CTMH- black sparkles; punches, Tombow adhesive, Glue Dots

Scaredy Cat Layout

Hello everyone!  It's been quite some time since I have posted.  That real life thing has been quite busy.  We finally got through with all the end of the school year stuff and hopefully I can breathe a while.   The only thing is with all those special end of the year things comes a lot of picture taking.  I have put my card making on hold for just a bit and going to try to catch up with my scrapbooking.  Scrapbook Generation had an Aloha Scrap event earlier this month and I did manage to make some layouts for a couple of their challenges.  I thought I would share with you the one I just finished. 

I used the CTMH Scaredy Cat paper pack and complements for this one.  I used my Silhouette and cut out the title using the Haunting Attraction font.  With exception of the lettering,  it's all CTMH.    Even though I'm no longer a consultant, I have tons of product.  I loved this paper pack.  The sketch was a free sketch from Scrapbook Generation for National Scrap Day. 

I had an extra picture so I used a flip flap to include it and hide my journaling.  It's  one of my favorite ways to include photographs you hate to leave out, but might not quite by layout worthy. 

 

This one was a little bit busier than I usually do, but I think it turned out cute.   

I hope to be back posting with more regularity now that school is out.   I'm also hoping I can get all my books caught up. Here's to hoping! Lol. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Mason Jar Birthday Wishes

Hello everyone!  Just thought I would pop on to share a card with you that I made for a dear friend of mine for her birthday.  This card was made exclusively from Close to My Heart products or products available from them, except for the vellum and sequins.  As some of you may know, for the past several years I have been a part of the CTMH team.  This is my farewell card.  Sadly, March 31st was my last day as a consultant.  Simply put, I just don't have the time to devote to the business side any more.  I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as a consultant, made a lot of new friends, and had my eyes opened to this wonderful world of cardmaking and scrapbooking.  Enough of the sad stuff, on to the good stuff....

 

This card was a bit hard to photograph because it was so soft in color.   It really is much more defined in person.    I used CTMH watercolor paper and heat embossed my design with white embossing powder.  I even used CTMH watercolors.  The sentiment was embossed on some 40lb vellum, which I fussy cut and then adhered to the card front.  I thought it turned out very soft and sweet.

That's it for me today.  I'll be entering this card in a few challenges which I will list below, along with the supplies I used.   Thanks for stopping by!

Challenges:
Whimsy Stamps - Spring colors or Easter #92
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything goes
ArtbyMiRan - Anything goes #55
Craft Your Passion Challenges - Anything goes #305
Little Miss Muffet Challenges - Anything goes #134 
Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge- Anything goes #271
Crafty Friends Challenge - Anything goes #28
Aurora Wings Challenge - Anything goes #25

 
Supplies:
Stamps - CTMH - Candlelight Garden, Card Chatter Birthday (retired)
Ink - Versamark
Paper - CTMH - Watercolor paper, A2 card base, Sky cardstock
Other - CTMH - Watercolor paints; Ranger Super Fine White Embossing Powder; 40lb vellum; Sequins from stash; various adhesives

Funny Frog Queen

Hello everyone!  Hope everyone has had a great weekend.  I have a quick post tonight to share with you a card I made for a friend and co-worker for her birthday.  She loves frogs.  I realized I didn't have any frog stamps.  I found this little jewel on Coloringguru.  I thought she was cute. She's really a child's coloring page.  I printed out the size I needed her and colored her up for a birthday wish.

  I decided this year I was going to start really using up my stash.  I have completely run out of space.  I know most of you are right there with me!  I had bought a couple of packs of cards from Michael's on sale and they have just been sitting here.  I decided to break them out.  I just loved the pattern and the colors.  It was a perfect backdrop for my little frog.  After I took this picture, I went back and added some Wink of Stella to the flowers and glossy accents to her eyes.   I used Milo's ABC's stamp set to create the inside sentiment which said, "Hope it's toadally awesome!" I just couldn't resist..lol.

That's it for me tonight.  I'll be entering this card into a few challenges which I will list below, along with the supplies I used.  Thanks for stopping by!

Challenges:
Whimsy Stamps - Anything goes #91
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything goes
Artbymiran - Anything goes #52 
Digidesign Challenge - 2 ore more Dies
Inspiration Destination - Anything goes #74
Little Miss Muffet Challenges - Anything goes #132
Create and Inspire - Anything goes #40
Crafty Friends Challenge - Floral  (she's holding flowers)

Supplies -
Image - Funny Frog Queen - Coloringguru.com
Stamps - SSS; Lawn Fawn- Milo's ABC's
Papers - Copic Xpress It
Copics - YG11, 13, 17; C0, 1, 3; R12, 14,24, 29; Y13, 15, 18; B0000
Dies - Memory Box - Stiched Circle; Spellbinders - Classic Scalloped Circles
Other - Craft Smith - textured cards; Colorbok- jewels; various adhesives
 

Love You More than Ice Cream

Hello everyone!  It's been a while since I have posted.  It's been so very hectic these past few months, but hopefully everything is slowing down and getting back to normal.  Well, as normal as things can be in my life..lol.  I wanted to share with you a little Valentine's Day card I had made for my daughter.  I used the same stamp that I had used for some Christmas cards.  Yes, I cheated a little.  I already had some extras of this little one colored up, so I put them to use.  I thought it turned out pretty cute.

 

This little polar bear is named, Icicle, and he's from Stacey Yacula.  I colored him with Copics and cut him out.  I used my distress inks with and a stencil to create the heart in the background.  I used papers from the CTMH paper pack Heartstrings for my patterned paper.  I needed to find something as cool as my little polar bear for the sentiment, so I used one from the SSS stamp set, Ice Cream Dream.   I finished off the card with a sprinkling of sequins from my stash.  

That's it for me today.  I hope to be back with more regularity in the days to come.  I'll be entering this card in a couple of challenges, which I will list below, along with the supplies I used.  

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!  Thanks for stopping by!

Challenges:

Whimsy Stamps - Anything goes #91

ArtbyMiran - Anything goes #52

Craft Your Passion Challenges - Anything goes #299

Corrosive Challenge - Love, love, love #2

Not Just Cards - Anything goes #29

Little Miss Muffet Challenges - Anything goes #131 

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge - Anything goes #265

Supplies: 

Stamps - Purple Onion Designs - Icicle; SSS - Ice Cream Dreams

Inks - Memento - Tuxedo Black; Distress Inks

Copics - R14, 24, 29; BG10, 11, 13; C0, 1

Paper - CTMH - White Daisy, Lagoon, Heartstrings

Other - Various adhesives, sequins, Heidi Swap - heart stencil; small heart punch

 

Magical New Year

Hello everyone!  It's been a while since I have had a post.   The holiday season was so hectic I didn't have a chance to do much crafting :(  But,  I thoroughly enjoyed my time with family and friends and that's what the holidays are all about.   With that being said, on to the crafty stuff!

I did manage to make a birthday card for a friend of mine in December and thought I would share it with you.  I got this stamp, appropriately named Wiz, in one of my Blitsy hauls.    He's a Mo Manning design for Stampingbella.  I knew I had to have him the minute I saw him.

I stamped him on Copic Xpressit paper and then colored him with Copics.  After coloring him in this first time, I know there are a few things I will do differently next time.  Like highlighting his crystal ball after doing the background, not before.   I accented his electrical charge for his crystal ball with little dots using my Gelly Roll pen.  The globe itself is coated with Wink of Stella and then covered in Glossy Accents.  My photography doesn't do it much justice.  I thought it turned out pretty cool.

There are a few challenges I will be entering my Wiz in, which I will list below, along with the supplies I used.  I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and wishing you all a magical 2016!

Challenges:
Inspriation Destination - #67 Anything goes
Simon Says Stamp - Something New - new stamp 
Crafty Time Challenges - Make it Sparkle 
Craft Your Passion Challenges - #293 Anything goes 
Cute Card Thursday - #407 Hey, What's New? - stamp 
Crafty Friends - #22 Use Something New - stamp

Supplies:
Stamp - Stampinbella - Wiz
Inks - Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper - Copic Xpressit; Recollections Black; Neenah 80# White
Copics - E000, 00, 04, 11; Y00, 15, 18; YR23; BV08, 01, 13; V17; B60, 26, 29; E53, 55, 57, 59
Other - Sakura Gelly Roll pen, Glossy Accents, various adhesives