Copic colouring

S for Stencil, T for Two

Hello. The ABC Christmas Challenge has reached the letters ‘S’ and ‘T’. Our prompts for these letters are S for Stencil, and T for Two. As long as they are Christmas creations and follow our theme, then you’re good. Here are my cards:

The first card is using several stencils actually. It didn’t start out that way, but that’s how it went. The central poinsettia image and the background image are stencils from Uniko. It involved a lot of masking – a lot! I also used a Hero Arts alignment stencil for part of the masking process too.

I first used the alignment tool to make the square on the card base, then added the poinsettia stencil. then masked around it, then used Distress Oxide to create the purple flower in the centre.

Some change of the masking, I then did the green – but when I finished the card I didn’t like the green – which is why there is a frame around the flower…..

All sorts of masking, using itty bitty pieces of post-it notes as these gave me the angles and the movement I needed. In the end I also stenciled the background, using the little square mask from the Hero Arts stencil set – and even more post-it notes for the bottom edge.

As I didn’t like the green, I created a frame using some stitched square dies, then ink blended the same pink oxide so it matched.

The second card has an ink blended background, splattered with water, then when it was dry I stamped the Hero Arts ‘Winter Swirls’ background stamp with white pigment ink.

The snowmen are from Hero Arts also – coloured with Copics, some white detail for the scarves, and placed as if they were in a blizzard……..

I hope you can come and join us for our Christmas themes this time round – I hope to see you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Snowman card:

Creative Fingers Challenge – anything goes

Jingle Belles Rock – photo inspiration

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Krafty Chicks Challenge – occasions

Poinsettia card:

52 CCT – Christmas and stencils

Christmas Craft Creations – Christmas and non-traditional colours

Winners - please take this to share on your blog

I Hope Your Day Is Fabulous

Hello there. I was lucky enough to be picked as random winner for The Color Throwdown recently, and was given the opportunity to be Guest Star Stamper. Well, of course I jumped at the chance. Here are the colours for the new challenge:

And here is my card:

I used a combination of Time For Tea Designs stamps and dies to create the scene.

The car, paper plane, and panda’s were stamped then coloured with Copics., and die cut with their matching dies. The little paper plane has a little slit in the middle so you can insert your critter.

The background has clouds stenciled with Kitsch Flamingo. The first sky I stenciled I was a little heavy handed with the ink, so I did that again with a lighter hand.

The hillside scene was stamped and then coloured with Copics. Colouring larger areas with Copics is a struggle for me – I never know when to stop with the darker shades – how much to do – but I went with it – just a little darker shade when the hills seem to merge, and a little darker in the centre of the trees.

I hope you manage to come and play this week with the bright and fun colours. As usual, the Color Throwdown Team has a variety of inspiration for you.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Creative Knockouts – use die cuts

Just Add Ink – choose two – sky, trees, sea

Beyond The Blue – stencil time

Creative Fingers – anything goes

Time For Tea Designs July Challenge – anything goes with using their products

Thinking of you makes me smile….

I have a card to share to day made with a new set of dies from Hero Arts:

I had to watch a couple of videos on their web site to get the hang of making this card, and it took a while to put it together – mainly because I wanted to add the frame around the outside and I had to fiddle with a knife and a couple of square dies because they just weren’t the right size. My Misti cut-align tool came in very handy for that…

The layers were all die cut out of white card, then coloured with Copics to match the current challenge colours at Color Throwdown.

The background is a water-colour piece of card I used Distress Inks on:

I have a couple of other ‘looking glass’ dies from Hero Arts, and now I think I’ve figured it out – I’ll go and have a play with them.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – navy, turquoise, green, magenta

CAS Colours and Sketches – sketch

Krafty Chicks – CAS

Daisy Chain Challenge – use dies and/or stencils

Enjoying a turnabout

Hello. I have managed to play with another stamp and die set which was part of the Concord & 9th Summer Camp. This stamp set is a turnabout – with two turnabout stamps, and a matching die set.

Here is my card:

I was inspired to use the colours at the current Color Throwdown Challenge – and just started ‘turning’. I must say, the turnabout jig – also with the Summer Camp kit – is a brilliant tool to use – once Cathy Zielske showed us how to do it. I first stamped the flowers in Gina K amalgam ink as I knew I wanted to use a Copic to colour them. I did all four turns and then I stamped the leaves part of the turnabout.

Now – Cathy gave us a great tip…….when you have a two stamp turnabout – without taking your card off the jig – just flip the jig over, so you align the second turnabout stamp on the reverse side – close the door of your Misti, pick the stamp up, then flip the jig and the attached card over to the correct side. I mean – how ingenious is that?

I stamped the leaves in Concord & 9th ‘Dove‘ grey ink – I don’t think it’s Copic friendly but I wasn’t doing a great deal of colouring on the leaves, so it worked a treat.

The large sentiment die and the smaller sentiment on the strip is from the Gina K designs ‘Time To Coast‘ kit. The large sentiment comes with a shadow die, and I used vellum for that – a subtle addition which doesn’t cover the background, yet enables the sentiment to stand proud!

I had put the card together and figured I was finished – but then I decided to add the additional small flowers and leaves – same turnabout set – to the right of the sentiment strip.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – yellow, grey, black, white

Watercooler Challenge – feminine

Mountains and Sea Scene

hello. I have a card to share which is completely different to what I usually create. I recently attended – virtually – the Concord & 9th Summer Camp, and part of the brilliant kit was a set of dies which I used to create a scene. here is my card:

Apparently, this is called a pop-up card – for obvious reasons. The stamps and dies as part of the Summer Camp kit are exclusive to the attendees, and having some spare time today I had a little play, combining the pop-up card dies with some stamps from Heffy Doodle.

I first die cut the base card out of a light blue card stock, then used a stencil for some clouds – little did I know that the base card would be almost completely covered as I added so many layers!

I used different shades of Concord & 9th blue card stock to represent the sea. The other layers were added as bases for the lighthouse, and the beach hut.

The other items were stamped and coloured with Copics and placed where I thought they would fit.

Once I had got the hang of the layers and how to stick them down – double-sided tape being better than wet glue – I managed to create something I like the look of. It’s fun and quirky – maybe a little out of dimension with each other – but there we go…….

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Inkspirational Challenge – Maritime

Fab’n’funky Challenge – anything goes

Passion for Markers Challenge – animals and use markers

Cut It Up Challenge – water themed – at least one die cut

Snowman and Santa

Hello. The ABC Christmas Challenge has reached the letters ‘N’ and ‘O’ and the themes for each letter are:

‘N’ for North Pole, ‘O’ for Off To One Side

Here are my cards:

‘N’ for North Pole

‘O’ for Off To The Side

The North Pole card is using a stamp set from Taylored Expressions, a little masking, and then coloured with Copics. I used some small snowflake stamps for the sky and Concord & 9th ink, adding some little spots of glitter, and then Lawn fawn Prisma Glitter.

The second card is using a stamp set from Newtons Nook, stamped, coloured with Arteza watercolour brushes, then die cut. The sky is using a stencil from MFT which was not slimline, but I made it work, and ink blending.

The snow bank is using Lawn Fawn slimline dies – and more glitter!

I was inspired to make cards for both the themes this time round – that’s what happens when you have not been able to craft for a few weeks – overflow of ideas…..

I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas/Festive makes following our two specific themes. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

North Pole card:

Colour Crazy Challenge – anything goes with colouring

Christmas Crafts All Year Round – Christmas with N or M (North Pole)

Here Is A Place To Start – Favourite Holiday/Celebration (Christmas)

Sparkles Forum Challenge – Christmas and snowflakes

Snowman card:

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Country View Challenge – use a stencil

Crafty Calendar Challenge – anything goes

Happy Penguin Holidays

Hello. A new challenge has started at The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge. The theme is always ‘anything goes Christmas/festive‘. Here is my card:

The cute penguin image is from Gerda Steiner, coloured with Copics, with the sentiment from the same stamp set.

The background is ink blended Distress inks with a little gitterly splatter. Hills created using Lawn Fawn dies, and Lawn Fawn glitter applied to the top of each hill and their hats.

I also decided to add some glittery clouds on the top with a little – just a little – ink blending.

I hope you can come and join us and increae your crafty stash ready forr the end of the year – I look forward to seeing your creations. xx

Panda Happy Birthday

Hello there. This is another post I’m putting together whilst unable to sit at my computer – so please bear with the briefness – is that a word?

Annyway, I am hosting the new challenge beginning at The Alphabet Challenge, we have reached the letter ‘F’, and I chose the theme of ‘Furry Friends’.

Here is my card:

I chose to use an oldie but favourite stamp set from Simon Says Stamp ‘Party Like a Panda‘, and coloured with Copics.

The sparkly birthday is using a die from Mama Elephant with a shadow layer in black to make it stand out more.

The background is using a Sue Wilson embossing folder and just a little hint of wax for some shine.

I hope you can come and join us for this challenge – I’m looking forward to seeing your creations following our theme. xx

Circles and Purples

Hello everyone. Please bear with this rather limited blog post. I am recovering from foot surgery and I have to sit with my leg raised for a couple of weeks. I’m putting this post together on my tablet, as not able to sit at my desk, and also I’m not able to sit crafting either – I’m doing quite a bit of colouring – but even that is a chore at times!

I managed to get ahead with some cards for my DT duties and this is one card I made earlier for the new challenge beginning at Cardz 4 Galz – the theme is girlies with ‘Circles and Purples‘.

I hope I managed to link this correctly!

This card is actually a reveal wheel using dies from Lawn Fawn:

I stamped the ‘Freestyle Flowers’ from Simon says Stamp – and coloured with Copics. I stamped and coloured extra flowers and leaves to add a fuller image and to fill the white space arouns the arranegment.

The white background is wood grain card stock from Lawn Fawn as are the Reveal Wheel interactive dies.

I hope you can come and join us for this challenge – I look forward to seeing your creations. xx

You’re So Sweet

Hello there. A new challenge has started at The Alphabet Challenge. We have reached the letter ‘E’ and we want to see your ‘Easy’ makes – simple, minimal embellishments, minimal layers – easy and simple to make.

Here is my card:

The images were stamped with Gina K Amalgam ink, then coloured with Copics. All were die-cut with their matching dies, and adhered onto the white card base with a thin white layer using a Catherine Pooler postage stamp die.

The mouse was an after-thought – he was lying on my desk after a previous crafting session I hadn’t used him for – and I thought it would be a fun addition – he is running to use the gumball machine………….

I hope you can come and join us – I look for ward to seeing your creations….

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Colour Crazy Challenge – anything goes colouring – week 21

Dies R Us Challenge – anything goes with a brand they sell

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – atg with a critter

Crafty Animals Challenge – anything goes with an animal

Love To Craft Challenge – anything goes