Copic colouring

Add a kite….

Hello there. I hope you are keeping well – and as isolated as possible! As I’m one of the NHS nurses still working, it’s great to see people obeying the rules – mostly!

On my down time, I am crafting like crazy………such a relaxing and creative craft, except now I’m making cards for sending out to people just because I can. Not for any particular reason – just because I can. Therefore, many of the sentiments I shall be using are quite generic, and hopefully raise a smile.

This card is for the new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz and the new topic this time is – can you guess – ‘Use a Kite’. Here is my card:

Here are the Copics I used:

I stamped the Clearly Besotted plushie and kite, coloured with Copics, then fussy-cut them out…….I know – me and fussy-cutting…….wonders never cease!

The background stamps are also from Clearly Besotted, and once the rainbow had been stamped, I masked it off to add the sunshine and clouds stamp, then underneath the tree and hills stamp.

I made a decision to leave the background un-coloured for several reasons. I think the blank backgrounds leave the rainbow and plushie as the centre of attention, secondly I didn’t know what colours to use so I didn’t take away from the little bear – but mostly because I don’t colour backgrounds very well! At all! Hence leaving them blank – and I;m actually quite liking the effect………..

I hope you can come and join us with your ‘kite‘ creations, and I look forward to seeing you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Catch The Bug – anything goes

A Bit More Time To Craft – anything goes

Colour Crazy Challenge – anything goes colouring

Creative Fingers Challenge – anything goes

Unicorn Challenge – furry friends

ABC Christmas H and I

Hello. It is time for a new challenge at ABC Christmas Challenge – and it’s my turn to host.

The theme letters this time are ‘H’ for Hand Drawn, and ‘I’ for Inside. I have put a couple of prizes up for this challenge.

The first prize is for my Top Pick and is Concord and 9th ‘Christmas Florals’ stamp set:

And the second prize will be awarded randomly – I shall use a random number generator – so everyone is in with a chance of winning the following stamp and matching die set from Thirsty Brush and Co, ‘Under The Mistletoe’:

I made a card for each letter – well – I made two cards for the first – ‘H’ for hand drawn, as I liked drawing these little baubles on a string so much. White gel pen to colour them:

The first sentiment is from Altenew, and the second sentiment if from a freebie stamp set – my handwriting just won’t cut it! Trust me – I tried – and had to bin a card or two.

My card for ‘I’ for Inside (a frame)is:

I was going to create something special on the inside of a card – but I ‘found‘ this MFT stamp set and decided to put my bear ‘inside’ a frame……..the bear and the colouring were the easy part – it was sorting out the frame and the layers and the position on the card……phew! It took some thinking about, believe it or not.

Anyhoo – I hope you can come and join us in this challenge – and be in with a chance of winning one of the two prizes – and badges for your blog, or course.

There is some fabulous inspiration from our Design Team – I look forward to seeing what you create – and good luck for the prize winning! xx

I shall be entering the following challenges for the Kraft card:

Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge – anything goes – option to use Kraft

Creative Fingers Challenge – anything goes

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

I shall be entering the ‘Bearing Gifts’ card into the following challenges:

Crimbo Crackers Challenge – Christmas and Animals

Pink Gem Challenge – anything goes colouring

Time Out Challenge – purple – a lot or a little

You’re cute as a bug….

Hello – I have another ladybird card for you today as I had some images left over from yesterday’s card – and I thought they were too cute not to use straight away:

I was looking for a way to use all the images I had left, so I took the Avery Elle ‘Circle Frames Elle-ments’ die and cut the four circles into a piece of white card stock.

Then I took a light blue piece of card, slightly larger, and where the circles showed the blue through then, I ink blended a light blue Distress Oxide for a little shading, even though it doesn’t show that much on the photo.

One of the circles which came out of the die was – just – the perfect size for the sentiment…………just!

Once the ladybirds were stuck in place, I then decided to add some bling. Nope – not Nuvo drops this time, but some blue sequins, placed within the circles……..and one on the sentiment – cos I had a little smudge there!

And – now I’m looking at the card in close-up……………can you see what I missed? Yep – I forgot to colour one of the ladybirds faces…………! Pretend it’s the same as the others – just pretend! I’ll probably go back and colour it. Thank goodness I took a photo of the colours I used. I knew that would come in handy one day:

I shall be entering the following challenges:

2 Sisters on the blog – dots and/or stripes (ladybird dots)

Stamplorations Theme and photo prompt – stamps and nature

Just Add Ink – something beginning with ‘E’ – embellishment – sequins

Colour Crazy Challenge – anything goes colouring

Ladybird Birthday

Hello there. I have been playing with a Stampin Up stamp and die set which I just I would have fun with:

I actually stamped all the ladybird images out at once, and played with my Copics. The little bugs around the outside are also a part of this set, as is the flower.

Once coloured and die cut with the matching dies, I used a sketch layout from a challenge listed below and that’s kinda it.

All done. Quick and clean and simple…………well – I stamped the little bugs the wrong way up at the bottom edge – so I had to have the sentiment on a strip to cover it! Maybe I shouldn’t have owned up to that one…………

I shall be entering the following challenges:

AAA Birthday – birthday and flowers

CAS Colours and Sketches – sketch

Watercooler Challenges – occasions

Clean and Simple on Sunday – CAS birthday

Krafty Chicks – occasions

Creative Moments Challenge – anything goes

Please grab our badge to display on your blog.

Or Friendship is always and Adventure

Hello. There is a new challenge beginning at The Alphabet Challenge. We are at the end of the alphabet, so the letter is ‘Z’ – and we want to see your Zoo Animals.

Here is my card:

I stamped the leopards, trees, and tree trunk from several MFT stamp sets, with Gina K Amalgam ink, then coloured with my Copics. Here are the colours I used:

Once die cut with the matching dies I started to plan my layout – wanting to create a scene – but without adding a background – if you get my drift.

The sentiments are from the Leopard stamp set, and as I had stamped the images twice, I made another card with a slightly different layout:

This time I added two extra tree branches from the ‘Squirrel‘ stamp set.

I’m getting to grips with Copic colouring, but still use any hints and tips I can get from anywhere I can get it!

My go-to colour combinations are from Yana Smakula – and you can find the combinations here. These combinations are what I tend to use most of the time, and are a great way to start and gain more confidence in the colouring – and the choice of card-stock for colouring is always the Make It Colour Blending card-stock – it blends well, and again is a confidence builder.

The right tool for the right technique, right?

I hope you can come and join us for the ‘Zoo animals’ challenge and I look forward to seeing you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafty Sentiments – anything goes

Addicted to Stamps and More – make your mark

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – anything goes

Digi Choosday – anything goes

Cute Little Duckies

Hello again. I have a card to share as there is anew challenge beginning at Cardz 4 Galz. The theme this time is………..’Cute Animals’.…….

Here is my card:

I wanted to use this stamp set, and I wanted to create a scene. A scene is not something I generally have much luck with, but I’m happy with this one – it’s quite simple, a few layers, and a little ink blending and water splattering.

After stamping the images in Gina K Amalgam ink, I coloured with Copics, before using the matching dies to cut them out. here are the Copics I used:

I have found it helpful when people post a list of colours, so I thought I’d do it too.

I first ink blended a panel using two Distress Oxides for the sky, then used the Lawn Fawn Stitched Cloudy Backdrop, as I like the stitched clouds effect. I used some green card, used Lawn Fawn grass dies, added a little green Distress Oxides to the grassy edges, and stuck them down as you see.

I wasn’t going to put a sentiment on the card, but a little simple ‘Hello‘ from an Altenew stamp set in the top corner still meant this card could be for any reason – or for no reason at all.

I hope you can come and join us – I’d love to see you in our gallery with your ‘Cute Animals’ creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Arty Stamper Challenge – lots of layers

A Bit More Time To Craft – anything goes

Crafts Galore Challenge – anything goes

All Fun Challenge – anything goes

Spring/Easter Bunny

Hello once again. I am thrilled and honoured to be the Guest Designer for the new challenge beginning at C.R.A.F.T Challenge having won the Honour Prize for being the first of the Top 3 for challenge number 540 with this card here.

The theme/topic for this new challenge is Spring/Easter. The sponsors for this challenge, with digis as prizes, are QKR Stampede and Oddball Art.

Sponsor 1: Oddball Art

The prize is a $10 voucher for Oddball Art.
Sponsor 2: QKR Stampede

Company Bio:
Do you have a sense of humor? Are you looking for a cute stamp? Then, we are the company for you! QKR Stampede is the somewhat cute somewhat quirky rubber and digital stamp company. We Showcase the artwork of Ken Herrod, who had a unique, somewhat quirky style with lots of humor and character. You are sure to get a chuckle out of our stamps! We have been offering our unique stamps and supplies to the craft industry for over 15 years. At QKR Stampede our images are available as unmounted, natural red rubber stamps OR as digital stamps! If QKR Stampede Stamps aren’t exactly what you are looking for, Don’t miss out on the sister companies: Eureka Stamps, Biblical Impressions Rubber Stamps, or the newest addition; Alluring Impressions.
The prize is 5 images from QKR Stampede.

I chose the image ‘Springtime Bunny‘ digi stamp from QKR Stampede. Here is my card:

I resized and printed off the image onto Make-It Colour Blending Card – then set to colouring.

I used a variety of browns, some warm greys, a little yellow and a little pink – and went for it. I wasn’t initially pleased with the way the bunny looked – but the more I left it and went back to look at it, the more I liked the effect. I think there is certainly a cartoony and fun feel to the card – so in the end…………I do like it.

I then looked for some pastel paper or card stock to be used as a background, and came across an old Phill Martin paper pad – it’s a Christmas paper pad with Christmas designs on one side – and on the other side there are some lovely pastel solid colours……..so a Christmas paper pad used for a Spring/Easter card……

I die cut the layers with Sue Wilson ‘stitched circles‘ die set, and the bottom square layer embossed with a Sue Wilson embossing folder.

I looked for some embellishments to use – including Nuvo drops….but went with three pastel toned sticky dots, and added some white gel pen as highlights. I never know where to add these white marks – no rhyme or reason where I put them – again – I kinda wing it!