Art With Heart

I pulled out my Distress Ink pads again and distressed the heck out of my new card using Hambo Stamps Artist Pig digi image.  Their new challenge is to use this sketch:

and any Hambo digi image.  So I looked for some papre that sang to me and came up with a piece of Basic Grey that I could "mess up" with ink.  In fact, I crumpled it, smoothed it out and swiped it with Distress Ink.
I framed my Copic-colored artist with a coordinating piece of the same line of BG paper, cutting it out with Nestabilities Labels Four, and dimensionally adhered it onto my card.

I found some fluff in the guise of netting that worked as the border strip at the top of the sketch, and just rummaged around my scraps boxes until I found the diecut "pennants".  Some bling-bling and a super sentiment finishes off my card and the Hambo Hoedown challenge for this crafter!
p.s. (The mustache on monsier pig are drawn on-he looks more "artsy" with it, don't you think?).
Your turn now--put on your dancing shoes and challenge yourself at the Hambo Hoedown.

Inspiration from Tim Holtz

I am new to the world of distress inks, so when I saw a link to Tim Holtz demonstrating how to use them in various ways, I jumped on it.  You can find the video HERE.
I didn't actually plan on creating something yesterday, but as I searched my basement for party supplies for this coming weekend, I found a pad of disposable palette paper.  I realized that it worked just like a craft mat, in that you can ink it up, get it wet, etc.  Only instead of wiping it clean, you throw away each sheet as it's used up (I used to oil paint and this was a leftover from those days).

Anyway, I took out the only four ink pads I owned of Distress Inks: Vintage Photo, Tea Dye, Tattered Rose and Bundled Sage. I looked through my collection of stamped images to see what would go with that scant collection of ink colors, and came up with a House Mouse image.
So first I tried a distress technique I saw on the video, pressing my ink pads onto the palette paper and spritzing it with a little water.  Then I folded white cardstock to make a card base and pressed the front into the ink. I let this dry and repeated a few times until I liked what I saw.  I used my Blending Tool to distress the edges with a deeper ink coloring, and my card base was complete!
Next I blotted the same colors onto my palette paper and using my waterbrush from CTMH, I "painted" my HM image, using only the four colors I mentioned above.  To finish off the coloring of the image, I did use a Zig Brushables marker on the raindrops.
I framed the image onto dark brown paper, adhered it onto my card base, and added some bling on the side "Say It in Crystals" border bling by Prima Marketing.
So a big thank you Tim for helping me over a hurdle and stepping out of my comfort zone!  Now I want to buy up all the Distress Ink pads I can find! Mwahaha!!!

Teal and Black

Yes, I freely admit it.  I made yet another card using QKD's "Pretty Birdie" by artist Anam Stubbington.  I really love how many different looks I get each time I bring out my trusty Copics and my stash of leftover papers.

This time I reached into my treasure trove of black papers and embellishments to use with my fave color, teal.  The patterned paper, the ric rac, the jewels and the jeweled flower were all part of a gift from a crafty friend (or two).  I even punched the frame for my colored image from a clearance bin steal at a lss, Larraine's in Woodstock, Illinois!
I used Copics G00, BG72, N3 and 100 (black) for Pretty Birdie, then used dimensinal dots to adhere her to my punched frame.  A few stray adhesive pearls, some ric rac and a jeweled flower finish off the card.
I love the look of teal and black together, don't you?
Queen Kat Designs has more artwork from Anam Stubbington and many other artists that you can find in the SHOPPE. 
And don't forget to check out QKD Facebook page on Wednesdays for new releases!!

Clean And Simple with Squigglefly

We're having a Heat wave...
a tropical heatwave...
the temperature's rising, it isn't surprising,
yesterday it set a record in Chicago for the hottest day in history in the month of May!

So, after a quick trip shopping for groceries earlier in the morning, and an even quicker stop at a garage sale (where I found a great easel frame for my cards), I made a beeline for the safety and comfort of my air-conditioned home, and spent a little time in my craft room.

Squigglefly has a new weekly challenge, "to make a CAS (Clean And Simple) card, NO designer papers allowed.  So, I folded my white cardstock, pulled out my heart punch, a few small pieces of leftover colored cardstock and printed up one of the Squigglefly images I received from their "One a Day in May" sales promo.

The image is called "Whimsy Sunflower" by artist Sandy Sommerfield.  I think it is very whimsical, and loved its simplicity and style.  So what better card to make than a CAS card???

I colored my image with Copics, cut out the framed flower and placed it on my virgin card front.  I decided to take ink to my card and hand drew a border like the one framing the sunflower, but leaving it uncolored. 

Still too plain, even for a CAS card.  So I used my heart-shaped mini punch ($1 at Michael's) and punched a few hearts at the bottom, and cut out pieces from my leftovers to let each colr peek thrugh each heart for a rainbow border!

I love how it looks, and is definitely outside my comfort zone.  Usually I can't stand to leave white space on any project!

The inside has a sentiment that reads: "If friends were flowers, I'd pick you"

Now it's your turn to try your hand at a CAS card.  Use a Squigglefly image for your chance to win free digi's!!  If you don't have one yet, click HERE for freebies.  Then post your link at Squigglefly Challenge Blog!!

Light Fairy in Bloom

I filled this card with embellishments that fill my life--music, flowers and color.  I also used a fave image from QKD, Light Fairy by Ann Howard.  This is my third card using this image and I think she's had different colored hair each time!  She is so very open to many different colors and styles, I can't stop coloring her!

Today I opened a package of Kraft paper card bases and envelopes.  There was a lot of leftover items from my weekend projects, and I snagged a small piece of the music-themed patterned paper, and from there I built my card. 

I ink-distressed the Kraft paper to coordinate with my Copic-colored fairy, using as many colors as I could ID from the music-themed paper.  The tiny flowers came from a bag of flower peices from a garage sale, while the butterfly flew in my window--well, he was actually left over from another card. 

I found a coordinating piece of patterned paper, and framed each block with glitter paper I had received from a swap.  A few leftover jewels finish off my card, which is a 5x5 square.  Its matching envelope was ink-distressed in the same colors.

I hope you like my Light Fairy card as much as I do.  You can find her for purchase, along with other stamps from Ann Howard, over at the Queen Kat Designs Shoppe.  Don't forget to check out QKD at Facebook.  I hear she's going to offer a contest with prizes soon!

Holey Crafting!! It's Hambo Hoedown Time!

This week's challenge is Paper Piercing!!  I used the digi image that I received FREE for dancing in last week's Hoedown--you can get a free digi from Hambo Stamps every time you play in their weekly challenges, as long as you use one of their images.

This image is called "Dr. Needle" and comes with three sentiments.  I used the sentiment "If I were you, I'd get well soon!", putting the second part of the sentiment on the inside.

I used leftover pieces of patterned paper to color block my card front, rounding the corners. I colored my image with Copics, coloring a second image and popping out the needle.  Some inking for distress and a ribbon finish off my card, except for the challenge requirement.

So I took out my piercing needle and framed my image. I also poked a few holes throughout the sentiment.

Now it's your turn to dance on over to the Hambo Hoedown for your chance to win!!

Everyone Likes a Compliment

That is so true!  We do so much through the course of the day.  Some of it is mundane, barely if ever making a ripple in others' lives.  Other things comes from the heart, and when that effort shines through, it's very empowering to hear that you or your acts are appreciated.
This would be a great intro into some charitable or noble gesture, but it's really just a gentle hint to those very talented artists for whom design team members create a presentation for their stamps and digital images, be it card, layout or altered art.  There are times when all the beautiful comments from fellow crafters cannot lift up a cardmaker from the creative dumps (we've all been there), even if his or her creations are gorgeous.  I think all artists suffer from self-doubt at times, when everyone else can see the beaauty in their projects except themselves.
That is when an occasional comment from the image's own artist can send the crafter's heart soaring to new heights.  You have no idea what power your words have! 
I have been creating cards and layouts for years, and in the last year have had the honor and pleasure for designing for stamp companies to present to crafters around the world their artists' works.  I have most recently heard from two of the artists whose images I have lovingly used on my projects.  While my fellow crafters' comments pick up my spirit and acknowledge my artwork, hearing from a stamp or digital image artist regarding one of my presentations of his or her work just send me through the ceiling. 
It's like if your favorite author were to say to you, "Hey, I'm so glad you like my book and have been spreading the word about it.  I hear you write yourself.  Keep up the good work!" (But even better since I don't think I can manage writing a book).
I love what I do. Obviously, because it doesn't pay well (if at all).  But what artists think about money when they are driven to speak to the world through their artwork?  At least not in the beginning, nor at the end.  I have never received an image that I didn't fall in love with, and I try to make sure the original artist knows my feelings.  Because, after all, who doesn't like a compliment?