Valentine Girl

As promised yesterday, here's another image by Dearie Dolls...Valentine Girl.  On this card I actually colored in the background!  If I color a background to an image, it's usually with chalk, but today I used my Copics.  Big scary moment!  In the past, when I've attempted to color a background with Copics, I've had a streaky mess.  But with the space being small, I decided to go for it and see what happens.  I'm so happy!  No streaky mess this time!

Second Post Today!

Can you believe it?  Two posts in one day!  I would have held this card to show next week, but I really wanted to play along with the Sweet Stop Sketch Challenge #195.   This a la mode image, The Rainbow Will Come, was colored while watching a video from Debbie Olsen of Thinking Inking.  Debbie's video took me step by step through the coloring process...very informative and helpful!  And the SSS#195 seemed the perfect design layout for the image.

Valentine Sweetie

How's this for a sweet cupid?  This image is Valentine Sweetie by Mary Ellen of Dearie Dolls.  I'm having a blast coloring these adorable images of hers.  In fact, you'll be seeing them on cards the rest of the week!  I really like the sweet innocent feel to these images...so perfect for cards for friends young and old.  The Deconstructed Sketch #83 provided the design layout.  My bow turned out a little wonky, but I kinda like the look on this card.

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #176

Today I am playing along with the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #176.  This sketch is easy to work with and versatile (you'll probably see a few more cards coming with the same layout).  I've had this little image, Pimoli (a free coloring page), colored up for several weeks, but hadn't yet placed him on a card.  The background paper was pulled for another image.  I put the card base together, following the Sweet Sunday Sketch, and left it on my desk top overnight.  In the morning, I pulled the other image out to cut a circle around it, and this little guy fell off the stack I'd piled up over the past few days.  Well, since he practically jumped onto the card, how could I refuse to give him a home!  I truly couldn't believe how well the colors in the image and the background paper matched!  Do you think the craftroom fairies were at work here?  Hmmmm....makes you wonder....

   

CASE of a Mary J Card

It's Monday!  Time for putting noses back to the grindstone.  Well, not really for me since I'm a stay at home housewife now, but I remember those days.  To all of you still in the workforce, hope you have a productive and worthwhile day!

Today's card is a CASE of a Mary J card from June 5, 2012.  You can see Mary's card here on her blog, Where's my creativity (her cards are amazing!)?  When I saw this card, I knew instantly that I had to CASE it!  So adorable!  Instead of using the Whimsie Doodles image Watermelon Dress, I used Watermelon Treat.  Mary, I hope you like my version of your card!

Big Hugs to Amy!

Sending big hugs to Amy Young!  She made a video showing me how she colors hearts (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJI8v2sKR20) !  What a sweetheart she is!  Thank you so much Amy; I truly appreciate it.  I am looking forward to using the video as a guide next time I color a large heart.  And, a big thank you to Holly from KopyKat Creations and Dawn from Lily Pink Scraps who also gave me some instructions for coloring the large heart!  You ladies are so generous in sharing your knowledge.

Okay, and while I am giving out thank yous, I need to acknowledge those of you who regularly stop by my blog and leave such supportive comments.  I value the feedback, and hope it helps improve my skills in coloring and card layouts.  Thank you!  You all add sunshine and smiles to my days!

Oh Darn Moment

Ever have one of those, "Oh, darn!" moments?  That's what happened to me with this card.  I was rocking along putting this card together when I made a rather big boo boo...my "Oh darn!" moment.  Rather than cutting a circle around the image, I cut an oval.  Oops!  Big brain cramp!  An oval just doesn't make sense here.  Now I could fussy cut her out entirely, but at the moment, I'm too lazy.  I suppose I'll put this card aside for a few days and see what I think and how I feel about it on Monday.  I'll post the card again if I make any changes.  Who knows, I may take her off the card and put her on an entirely new one.  I really like the image and the way I colored her and want to use her.  Btw, the image is Talullahbelle by Kraftin Kimmie Stamps.  I altered her a bit, by getting rid of the cones she had on her head.

 
Have a fabulous weekend!

Thinking of You - Blossoms

Tried something new with this card, and I love it!  In my graphics program, I pulled up one of my digital papers (the sky) and overlayed a digi stamp (the blossoms), leaving the blossoms for me to color in to match the Geisha Anya stamp from The Greeting Farm.  I also added the sentiment before printing and cutting the layout.  I will definitely be using this type of layout in the future!  Geisha Anya was attached to the card with foam sticky dots to add some dimension to the card.

Princess Ilyse - Round Two

Princess Ilyse is my favorite of Amy Young's Sweet November Princesses.  Her long hair is a dream to color and her dress is easy to paper piece or color.  And she's a versatile image...sweet enough for a young girl's card, yet not too cutsie for a lady's card.  While this card may look like a Valentine's Day card, it is actually a thank you card for a dear friend who is a great listener and provides sound counsel.

  

Does anyone see a pattern with my latest cards?  Just noticed I keep putting large hearts behind the image!  Note to self...break out of rut!

Love You

A sweet little Valentine using Heather Ellis image #22.  Being a digi girl, I love being able to purchase Heather's Pure Innocence designs as digis from her website.  Yes, they are older images, but new to me!  What a treat to have them in my stash!  Fussy cutting this image was a breeze, and the card came together really quickly.

Shy Valentine Nessa

Happy Monday!  Did you have a fun weekend?  Mine was full of activity and very enjoyable.

Shy Valentine Nessa from Mo's Digital Pencil graces today's card.  I loved coloring her hair, but the big heart...um...not so much.  Seems I need some additional practice coloring large flat areas...not sure how to give it some depth and interest.  Any ideas ladies?  And yes, I am truly asking for "constructive" criticism.  While I am happy with the card, I'd really like to improve the look of the heart for next time I color this image.  Thanks!

Give Away by Shery K Designs

Check it out!  Shery K is giving away a free digital paper pack!  I have purchased nearly 20 of her paper packs and love them.  Her designs are fresh and the quality is superb!

http://www.sherykdesigns.com/shop/promotions/info_6.html

Whoo Loves You?

TGIF!  Does anyone have big plans for the weekend?  I've got a full calendar with plans to attend an art show, see Russell Crowe's new movie, dinner out with hubby, and having my mom and her husband over for dinner.  Whew, I'm exhausted already, lol!  Just kidding...I love it when my schedule fills up!

On to today's card.  This image is Who Loves You? by Tiddly Inks.  When I saw those swirly hearts and realized I had a ribbon that matched, well, of course I had to have the image!  This was a fun card to make and it came together very quickly.

Toodles!  See you all Monday, and thank you for visiting my blog!

Simply Betty Valentine

Happy Hump Day!  Today's card features the image Little Dark Homemaker from Simply Betty Stamps.  I'm not sure Little Dark Homemaker was intended to be a Valentine's Day image, but I couldn't resist her chic, Morticia Addams vibe.  In keeping with the Addams family traditions, her sentiment had to be in French!  Remember how frisky Gomez became anytime "Tish" said anything in French?  Hopefully it will have the same effect on my hubby, hehe!  Lau, please let me know if I have the sentiment correct.  Dear hubby won't know the difference, but I'd like the sentiment to be accurate.

Note:  For those of you who viewed this card earlier, I changed the card base from white to red.  The white was bugging me!

Dearie Dolls Valentine

For awhile now I've admired the images drawn by Mary Ellen of Dearie Dolls.  Mary Ellen's blog is full of adorable boys, girls, and critters!  And they are all FREE!  If you haven't already made a trip to her blog, you really should...especially as she's running out of space and may be deleting past images soon.  This little cutie is titled Valentine Chocolate Girl.  She's a girl after my own heart with that yummy box of chocolates.  I have three favorite chocolate shops (I know, that seems like quite a few, but they are all so different!):  Norman Love Confections located here in SW Florida, Ethel M Chocolates located in Las Vegas, and Woodhouse Chocolates located in Napa Valley.  Ladies if you want some delicious chocolates for Valentine's Day, send the links to your hubbies.  You cannot go wrong with any of the three!

Oh!  Btw, the divine crocheted flower is from the talented Amy Young!  Don't you just love it?  Thank you Amy!

The card design layout is based on the Mojo Monday sketch #270.  I rotated the design a quarter turn to the left.

Another A La Mode

Today's card features the a la mode stamp Big Birthday Wishes.  Again I used the EP For the Record 2 patterned paper.  Am not really sure I like what I did with the sentiment, making it into a hanging banner, but it was an experiment.  If I try something similar in the future, I'll need to use a broader font.  The poor L gets entirely lost here, with the R and T barely distinguishable.  However, I love the way the additional balloons turned out and am happy to use them as embellishments.

First Card of 2013

Hi all!  Happy 2013!  Did you all have a lovely holiday?  We enjoyed spending time with family and friends.  We ate, drank, and made merry!  And I was gifted with a bunch of wonderful crafty supplies...stamps, papers, copics, metal dies, etc.!  Many new treats to craft with this year.  So without further ado, here is my first card of 2013.  This stamp is a la modes "You're My Cup of Tea".

 
Since the patterned paper, EP For the Record 2, is so busy, I kept the card design clean and simple.  A very sweet lady was the recipient of the card as a thank you for all the kindness she's shown me and my husband.

Have a fantastic weekend and thank you for stopping by my blog!