Monday, July 29, 2024

PIP Challenge 2430

 Our Sponsor is

 
Hello and welcome.  Today begins a new challenge at Pammie's Inky Pinkies and this week we're being sponsored by Patties Creations.
  I would like to thank them for their sponsorship and for providing images for the design team to use.  Since this is the 5th Monday of the month, we are having a theme challenge and we're wanting to see
flowers.  For my design team card this week, I'm using Pattie's Dogwood Floral Moon image.

I started out by printing the image onto Neenah white card stock before pulling out my Castle Arts watercolor pencils to color the image.  Once my coloring was finished, I stamped the saying from a retired Close To My Heart set called Follow Your Dreams, before lightly blending Tim Holtz stormy sky distress ink using my blending brushes before layering the image and adding some white brads.  My card base is dry embossed using a Cuttlebug© stylized flowers embossing folder and my Big Shot©.  A small pink bow and ice stickles finish it off.  I'm really happy with how this turned out.

Challenges entered:

Make My Monday #231 - Colouring Mediums (used watercolor pencils, ink blending)

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day and don't forget to join us for the challenge this week at Pammie's Inky Pinkies.

Stamps: Pattie's Creations; CTMH
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Tim Holtz Stormy Sky Distress
Card Stock: Neenah White; Stampin Up
Accessories: Computer, Printer, Castle Art's Watercolor Pencils, Blender Pencil, Blending Brushes, Ice Stickles, Brads, Glue Dots, Bow

Tuesday, July 23, 2024

The Green Mermaid

 
Hello and welcome.  I'd like to share a card I finished a few days ago using a digital stamp from Gecko Galz from their Splish Splash digital stamp set (she is image SS46).  At the time I printed her out, I was dealing with this migraine that doesn't want to go away, so I made sure to print her at 3.5x5 inches so it would be easier to color on my eyes. 

Pulling out my dusty Koh-I-Noor woodless pencils, I colored her in various shades of green, and yellow, before coloring her headpiece in different colors.  I then blended Tim Holtz stormy sky distress ink (my go to color for muted water coloring) using my blending brushes from Picket Fence Studios before layering, before distressing those layers, before adding olive brads.  Dusting off my Cuttlebug mesh embossing folder, I dry embossed the card base before popping up my layered image using pop dots.  Digging through my stash, I found K&Company shell sticker and added that in the lower left corner of the image panel.  Pulling out my green scraps, I selected a few before punching them using my Martha Stewart fern punch then ran them through the paper crimper to make them look like kelp sprouts.  Feeling like it needed something else, I dug out some old MFT flat backed pearls I had bought 10+ years ago, I added those using Bearly Art glue before highlighting parts of my mermaid using diamond ice stickles.  It was at this point I decided something was still missing so I dug out my solid fish stamps and added a few "schools of fish" and a lone salmon.  Now my card was finished.  I'm really happy with how she turned out.

Challenges entered:
 
Park Hopping My Happy Place July 2024 - Anything Goes Theme Park Related (once again inspired by the mermaids that used to swim around for Disneyland's submarine ride)
 
Gecko Galz
 
Gecko Galz Facebook Group
 
Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.

Stamps: Gecko Galz (mermaid); Stampscapes (salmon); Stamp Oasis (school of fish)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Tim Holtz Stormy Sky
Card Stock: Neenah; Stampin Up; Scraps
Accessories: Computer, Printer, K&Co Shell Sticker, Pearls, Glue, Glossy Accents, Ice Stickles, Paper Crimper, MS Fern Punch, Paper Distresser, Brads, Pop Dots, Big Shot, Embossing Folder

Fear Not

 
Hello and welcome.  I'd like to share with you a simple card I made using an image from Conjurer of Dreams and a wood block stamp from Stampabilities I received in a destash.
 
I started off by printing one of the Serenity images as a 4x6 image before adhering it to a Neenah white card base.  I then stamped the phrase from Isaiah 41:10 directly onto the lake image before adding some sequins from Picket Fence Studios.  Very clean, simple and easy.  It's not my best work but was easy to do with this blasted migraine.  I'm sending this to a member of our church who just lost her father.

Challenges entered:
 
CD Sunday Plus #138 - Anything Goes Digital (Conjurer of Dreams background)
 
Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.

Stamps: Conjurer of Dreams; Stampabilities
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Card Stock: Neenah White
Accessories: Computer, Printer, Sequins, Glue
 
 
 
 

Monday, July 22, 2024

A Cat Dragon And A Steampunk Mermaid


Hello and welcome.  The last few days have been really bad with this migraine, and associated auras.  More than once I hit the need to cry.  I've lost more sleep, and been the sickest,or in pain, in a long time, over the last several days.  Fortunately, I've had pre-colored images already printed out that I could finish assembling.  It's been a project just trying to photograph, and blog, the few projects I've gotten done.  

First up, it's no secret I LOVE cats/kittens so this freebie image from Gecko Galz for their monthly fantasy challenge is right up my "alley".  I had printed the image at 3.5x5 inches before trimming it down, layering and adding gold brads.  The card is made using Neenah white card stock and Gecko Galz's Island Girl digital paper set.  It might be retired, or sold out, since I don't see it in the store right now.  Once I had the paper adhered to my card base, I added an eggplant envy scrap as a border before adding my layered image using pop dots.  After adding some black/gold ribbon from my stash, and Crafty Meraki Midnight Shimmer Illusion bling and my card was finished.  

Challenges entered:
 
CD Sunday Plus #138 - Anything Goes Digital (Gecko Galz image and designer paper)
 

Stamps:
Gecko Galz
Ink: None
Card Stock: Neenah; Stampin Up; Gecko Galz Designer Paper
Accessories: Computer, Printer, Ribbon, Pop Dots, Glue, Bling, Brads
 
 
Next up is a steampunk mermaid using this month's freebie from Gecko Galz for their monthly Steampunk challenge. She's printed on Neenah white card stock and layered using scraps of Recollections card stock with one layer distressed using a Tim Holtz paper distresser.  Setting aside my layered image panel, I trimmed down another color of the Gecko Galz Island Girl digital paper and added that to a white card base.  I then took some of the scraps and made a middle border layering it onto scrap Recollections card stock.  Pulling out a small hole punch, I created my own faux brads before popping up the layered image using pop dots.  The final touches were some fibers from my stash and teal sequins from Picket Fence Studios.  

Challenges entered:
 
Shopping Our Stash #526 - Summer (inspired by going to the ocean)
 
Stamps: Gecko Galz
Ink: None
Card Stock: Neenah; Recollections; Gecko Galz Digital Designer Paper
Accessories: Computer, Printer, Fibers, Paper Distresser, Sequins, Glue, Pop Dots, Faux Brads
 
Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.
 

Tuesday, July 16, 2024

Tis The Season

 
Hello and welcome.  I'd like to share with you a card I made using a Gecko Galz digital stamp from their Gibson Girls digital stamp set that I paired with some wave designer paper I've had in my stash for years and never used.

I started out by printing the image onto Neenah white card stock before coloring using Castle Arts colored pencils.  Once I was finished coloring, I layered the image panel, added brads and distressed it using a paper distresser before setting aside.  After I added the designer paper to my card, I die cut a few waves from scrap card stock using an old My Favorite Things die.  Once I had adhered the waves to my card, I added the image panel popping it up over the waves using pop dots.  The final touch was adding some blue sequins to finish it off.  I'm pleased with how this turned out.

Challenges entered:
 
The Four Seasons July 2024 - Summer (inspired by the ocean/beach)

 
The Four Seasons
 
Inspiration Station
 
Gecko Galz Facebook Group

Gecko Galz Blog

 
 
 
Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.

Stamps: Gecko Galz
Ink: None
Card Stock: Neenah White; SU Scraps; Designer Paper
Accessories: Computer, Printer, Big Shot, MFT Wave Die, Pop Dots, Brads, Castle Arts Pencils, Sequins, Glue, Paper Distresser

Monday, July 15, 2024

I'm In Shape

Hello and welcome.  Third post if you're looking for my Crazy Horses or GinaK Christmas cards, please scroll down 1-2 post.  Today I'd like to share with you a card using another pre-colored image.  This beautiful fairy godmother is a freebie this month in the Conjurer of Dreams Facebook Inspiration Group.  
 
After seeing a friend's Instagram post about body image and how people need to look beyond weight, makeup or lack thereof, and see the person inside.  You never know if your comment is helping, or hindering, someone emotionally.  I for one have experienced this with doctors or in-laws making a comment about my own weight, which medication and chronic conditions contribute to, and how it negatively affects me emotionally and psychologically.  So with that in mind, I decided to use this image and create something that reflects my feelings on the subject.

I started out by combining the image with a hand generated saying in Photoshop, before printing her out on Neenah white card stock then layering, adding some black brads then setting aside.  I then printed out my designer paper from Gecko Galz called Island Girl and added that to a white card base.   After adhering the layered image to my card, I finished it off with some Crafty Meraki Midnight Illusion gems and yellow ice stickles to highlight the star.

Challenges entered:
 
 
Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.

Stamps: Conjurer of Dreams
Ink: None
Card Stock: Neenah White; Recollections; Gecko Galz
Accessories: Computer, Printer, Meraki Shimmer Illusion Bling, Brads, Glue Dots, Glue, Yellow Ice Stickles
 

Perfect Crazy Horses

 
Hello and welcome.  Second post today.  If you're looking for my Pammie's Inky Pinkies DT card, please scroll down one. 

I've been somewhat quiet lately.  I'm still dealing with this blasted migraine that will not go away but I've tried crafting a bit to focus on something else but the pain.  That's the main reason I've been using so many pre-colored images lately.  I felt I needed something fun so I pulled out this Crazy Horses image from Sheepski Designs that I've had printed for some time but hadn't used yet.  I started out by coloring the horses using my Castle Arts watercolor pencils until I was happy with the coverage.  Taking one of my blending brushes, I added some Tim Holtz stormy sky distress ink around the horses before layering and adding brads.  For the card base, I printed off the distressed graph page from Gecko Galz Time After Time digital designer paper then added it to white card stock before stippling Tim Holtz faded jeans and tea dye distress inks over the designer paper.  I then adhered my colored image panel to the card before stamping my saying from an old Hero Arts Good Friends stamp set directly on the card.  After adding some googlie eyes, my card was finished,

Challenges entered:
 
 
Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.

Stamps: Sheepski Designs; Hero Arts
Card Stock: Neenah White, Stampin Up
Ink: Tim Holtz Tea Dye, Faded Jeans, Stormy Sky Distress Inks
Accessories: Computer, Printer, Blending Brushes, Brads, Glue Dots, Googlie Eyes, Glue, Watercolor Pencils

PIP Challenge 2428

 
Sponsored by


Hello and welcome.  Today begins a new challenge over at Pammie's Inky Pinkies and this week we're being sponsored by GinaK Designs.  I would like to thank them for their sponsorship this week.  For my card, I pulled out this beautiful Winter Flower Mini and "knock out" another Christmas card going with a clean and simple (CAS) layout.

I started out by stamping the leaves, and saying, on Copic white card stock using my MISTI, before stamping the poinsettia onto scrap Copic card stock.  I then stippled some Tim Holtz tattered rose on the image panel to help soften the white a bit.  Once that was all finished, I colored all of the images using Copic markers before fussy cutting the poinsettia out and gluing to the layered panel.  I then pulled out my snowflake sequins from Picket Fence Studios.  After gluing those down, and adding some faux brads, I pulled out my color spritzer and spritzed some rose romance marker over the whole card.  The final touch was adding some yellow ice stickles to the center of the poinsettia.

Challenges entered:
 
 
Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day and don't forget join us this week at Pammie's Inky Pinkies.

Stamps: GinaK Designs
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Tim Holtz Tattered Rose
Card Stock: Copic; Stampin Up
Accessories: MISTI, Copic Markers, Ice Stickles, Small Hole Punch, Glue, Sequins, Color Spritzer, SU Rose Romance Marker

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Mermaid Lagoon

Hello and welcome.  Today, I'd like to share another framed piece I've been working on for a few weeks thanks again to my migraines.  I've only been able to concentrate for short periods of time especially this last week.  Between wildfires, heat and humidity I've not been doing good physically and mentally.  The mermaid image was a  Gecko Galz freebie last month for their fantasy challenge.  Besides, swimming in a lagoon is a lot cooler than sweating in the heat. ;)

I started out by printing the image as a 5x7 photo on Neenah white card stock then set it aside.  Taking some of my dusty Sizzix© and Cuttlebug© dies, I die cut several leafy branches, seashells, starfish and sand dollars before stippling all of those with Tim Holtz mowed lawn, dusty concord, tattered rose, broken china, tea dye and chipped sapphire distress inks and my blending brushes.  Taking the 3.5x5 mat out of the frame, I then blended Altenew lagoon dye ink to get a soft "teal" palette before re-adding it back into the frame.  I then added my printed image taping it to the die cut mat to make sure it stayed in place before re-adding the glass "window" behind my mermaid so she'd be a bit more secure.  Taking all of my die cut little pieces, I adhered all of those to the frame and mat using Ranger's© glossy accents.  It was at this point I decided she needed some coral so taking my dusty EK Sucess "oak tree" whale of a punch and more scraps, I punched out several colors of "oak trees" making sure to snip off the lower tree trunks so it would like more like coral.  The final touches were adding some small pearls all around the frame and googlie eyes to the sea horses, ice stickles to the mermaid's hair/tail and a few red crabs made using an old Fiskars© crab punch.  It took a while to make this but I'm very happy how it turned out.
 
Here's a close up showing all of the dimension before adding the last two googlie eyes:




Challenges entered:
 
Park Hopping My Happy Place July 2024 - Anything Goes Theme Park Related (inspired by the original submarine ride at Disneyland, had "real" mermaids at one point )
 
 

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.  Please stay hydrated and out of the heat/sun.


Stamps: Gecko Galz
Ink: Altenew Lagoon; Tim Holtz Mowed Lawn, Dusty Concord, Tattered Rose, Broken China, Tea Dye, Chipped Sapphire Distress Inks
Card Stock: Neenah; Scraps/Snippets
Accessories: Computer, Printer, Big Shot, Cuttlebug Dies, Punches, Pearls, Googlie Eyes, Glossy Accents, Frame, Blending Brushes, Ice Stickles

Tuesday, July 9, 2024

I'm Not Crazy....

......although I feel like it sometimes. *shrug*  Hello and welcome.  Today I'd like to share with you an altered frame made using Gecko Galz Ask Alice collage.  As soon as I saw the crazy Cheshire cat image, I knew I needed to make an altered frame with it.  Plus, the added help of being pre-colored helps a lot when trying to create with these blasted migraines.

I started out by printing the collage on Neenah white card stock before trimming the Cheshire cat down to fit into a 3.5 x 5 frame.  Taking a bunch of orchid scraps, I punched the hydrangea pieces, both large and small, before adhering them to the frame using Ranger's glossy accents.  The final touches were two small butterflies and adding diamond ice stickles to all of the flower/butterfly centers and highlighting the cat's eyes using a clear 3D glaze pen.

Challenges entered:
 
 
Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.

Stamps: Gecko Galz
Ink: None
Card Stock: Neenah; Scraps
Accessories: Computer, Printer, MS Punch, Glossy Accents, Ice Stickles, Frame

Enjoy The Summer

Hello and welcome.  I'm trusting everyone is trying to stay cool and safe during this nasty heat wave.  It's certainly not helping my migraines and breathing issues.  This last week has been rough with the weekend being down right unbearable at 114 and 113 degrees and it never really cooled off at night.  I was finally able to push myself to, somewhat, go through some boxes still unpacked from our move.  I do realize it's been several days since I posted last, my health just wouldn't let me.
 
I was digging through my stash of designer paper when I came across this blue, watercolor style paper and the first thing I thought of was swimming pool so I pulled out this Pool Piggies stamp set, with matching dies, from Gerda Steiner Designs I received as a RAK from a friend.  I started out by stamping all of my images using memento tuxedo black ink on neenah white scraps then colored using copic markers.  Once the coloring was finished, I die cut the images out using my Big Shot© before adhering them on my slimline card using glue dots.  I then added some blue/green fibers from my stash and adhered a few teal sequins from Picket Fence Studios.  Taking one of the sentiments from the set, I inked it in tuxedo black, stamped it directly on the card before going over it using a Sakura 3D glaze pen.  Taking a few more glaze pens, I highlight parts of the piggies, and added some polka dots to the yellow swimsuit) before declaring the card finished.  
 
Challenges entered:
 
Inspiration Station July 2024 - See Pic Below (inspired by relaxing, water)
 
The Four Seasons
Inspiration Station

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.

Stamps: Gerda Steiner Designs
Card Stock: Neenah White; Scraps; Designer Paper
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Copic Markers, MISTI, Sequins, Big Shot, 3D Glaze Pens, Glue, Fibers

Tuesday, July 2, 2024

Winner! Winner!!


 
 
 Hello and welcome!  Found out today that my Smile card here was the winner at Four Seasons challenge for the month of June.



Monday, July 1, 2024

PIP Challenge 2426

 
Sponsored by Lawn Fawn


Hello and welcome.  Today begins a new challenge over at Pammie's Inky Pinkies and this week we're being sponsored by Lawn Fawn.  I would like to thank them for their sponsorship this week.  I decided to increase my children's birthday card stash so this week my card features Lawn Fawn's Winter Narwal set I received from a friend and hadn't used yet. 
 
I started out by stamping the main image on scrap white card stock before cutting up the Happy Birthday included with the set.  Once I had done that, I wanted to create my own saying, so I stamped the Have A Narly saying first before stamping the Birthday underneath it before coloring using my copic markers.  After I had the image panel colored, and layered, I adhered that to a retired Gecko Galz ATC Anchor's Away background sheet then layered that.  Since I was making this for a child's birthday, I didn't add any embellishments so the card could be used for any child's age.  Now as an afterthought, I lightly stippled leftover tumbled glass distress ink from a previous project.  I'm fairly happy with it especially since my migraines have been really active again.

Challenges entered:

Cardz 4 Guyz #350 - Masculine (went with masculine child)
 

 

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day and don't forget to join us this week at Pammie's Inky Pinkies.

Stamps: Lawn Fawn; Gecko Galz
Card Stock: Recollections; Scraps
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Tim Holtz Tumbled Glass
Accessories: Computer, Printer, Copic Markers, Blending Brush