Everything's Rosy

I've made a second card for the Power Poppy "Switch up your shades" February 2016 challenge.

Again, I usually use Copics to colour my stamped images but today I've used Prismacolor pencils. The image is a digital stamp called "Everything's Rosy" from PowerPoppy. The sentiment I have used is from Annabelle Stamps "Standing Tall". The edges are inked with Distress Ink Worn Lipstick. 

Thanks for looking!

Coneflowers

I've made this card for the Power Poppy "Switch up your shades" February 2016 challenge.

I usually colour my stamped images with Copics, so this time I've used prismacolor pencils. The flower image is a digital stamp called Easy Breezy Coneflowers from PowerPoppy that I've fussy cut once coloured. The sentiment is from Annabelle Stamps "Designer Flower". The card shape is diecut with Spellbinders Majestic Elements Resplendent Rectangles and the sentiment is diecut with Spellbinders Fancy Framed Tags Two. The ribbon is also from Annabelle Stamps and the enamel dots are from Doodlebug Designs. 

Thanks for looking!

This card is also for sale on my facebook page here.

Let me Tell you Bout the Birds and the Bees

No, this is not a blog post about explaining the mechanics of reproduction to children...but it is literally about Birds and Bees :-)

I discovered this wonderful group on facebook (you will probably need to be a member to see the page) run by Brandi Dayton, who I understand sadly had a tragic loss in her family not too long ago. She has used her art as a way of coping with her loss and decided to share 6 free mixed media projects with the theme "Birds and the Bees".

The group is currently up to Project 4, but I've only finished number 1 not long ago (but there are more people joining all the time so we are all at different stages). The great thing about the group is that whether you're a beginner artist or professional, there is something for you. Those of us, like me, who don't delve into mixed media a lot (and don't often draw my own stuff (although I do like to draw and am trying to find time to draw more often)), you are able to follow the videos more exactly and Brandi helps with any drawing that is required. But if you're a professional or mixed media is something you do a lot, you can use Brandi's projects as inspiration and I see a lot of people putting their own style into the pieces as they share their finished works in the facebook group.

I followed Brand's first project quite closely but did do all the drawing myself :-)

This first project is on a wood painting panel (mine is 12" x 16") and uses arcylics (I used a mix of Jo Sonja's and Atelier brands), coloured pencils (I used prismacolors), watercolours (I used Winsor and Newton) and Posca Pens (I used PC-3M white and black).

I sealed my wood painting panel with Jo Sonja's All Purpose Sealer before applying the black acrylic paint to the whole board and sides. I then followed Brandi's videos pretty closely although I did use a white pencil to lightly draw my image before going over it with the white Posca pen. 

All the links are in the facebook group and also on Brandi's website. The direct link on her website to Project 1 is here.

As I said above mixed media is not my forte but I really enjoyed this project and can't wait to actually sit down and start project number 2 (a watercolour piece). I've been trying to "find time" for about two weeks now! How do we get so busy??! Anyway, I hope to share piece number two with you when it's finished.

Thanks for looking :-)

Scrapping4Fun - Challenge 59

I'm so excited today to be joining the Scrapping4FunChallenges site as a
Guest Designer for Challenge #59!!

The Challenge is a Birthday theme using a stamp (digi or clear/rubber). You can make a layout, card, canvas, mini album or "off the page" creation - I've made a card: 

The image I have used is a digi stamp from Tiddly Inks called "Flutterby Annabelle" and has been printed on X-Press It blending card then coloured with Copic markers.

Copic colours used:

Clouds: C0, C1, C2, C3, C4, W1, B60

Sky: B21, B23, B24, B26

Hills: G40, G43, G82, BV000, BV0000

Ground: E43, E84, E44, E77, N3, G21, G94 and 0

Grass: G21, G94, G99, YG63, YG03, YG17 and white gel pen

Skin: E00, E21, E11, E04 + R20

Hair: Y21, E21, E25, E27, E49

Headband and Dress: R81, R83, R85, R89

Belt: Y11, Y17, Y38

Wings: R81, R83, R85 and Y11

Shoes: E21, E25, E27, E29
Socks: C0, C1, C3
Net: E21, E25, E27, E29 and C1, C3, C5

Flower centres: Y11, Y17, Y38

Flower petals: Y17, YR07, YR18

Leaves: YG03, YG17

Butterflies: E25, E27 + B02, B14, B26

The card base is Bazzill heavyweight and the DP is from DCWV Freshly Picked. I have taken some bought white and light pink flowers and coloured them using various ink R81, R83, 0 (colourless blender) and a R89 Copic marker to match the dress on the girl.

The sentiment is from Our Daily Bread Designs Mini Sentiments and diecut using the Our Daily Bread Designs Pennants Dies. I have inked most edges using Distress Ink Aged Mahogany.

I've then added some glossy accents to the headband, butterflies, flower centres and the circles in the wings.

You can find all the details for the challenge HERE at the Scrapping 4 Fun challenge site, including the other wonderful projects from the Design Team and other Guest Designers!

Thanks for looking!

Bus Books

School has recently started here in Western Australia and as we moved house last year my kids are going to a new school this year. To get to their new school they are traveling on the school bus for the first time. To make it all special for them I made them these "bus books" (with special bags to keep them safe/clean) that they can write and draw in during the trip. (Well it's really a decorated front of a bought spiral bound notepad.) They are enjoying the bus trips and are excited to look out the window as they go along but they both also love their books and I enjoy seeing what the write/draw :-)

Here are the books:

The image is Rowan Fairy by Whimsy Stamps. It is printed on X-Press It blending card and  coloured with Copic markers.

Copic colours used:

Clouds: C00, C1, C2, C3, BG90, W1

Sky: BG000, BG0000, BG01

Skin: E000, E00, E21, E11, E04, R20

Clothes: V01, V04, V06, V09 + E41, C1 and 0

Hair: YR21, E21, E25, E29

Berries: YR04, YR07, YR18, R17

Branch: E21, E23, E25

Leaves: YG21, YG23, FYG2

Wings: Y06, Y18, YR15

Cast shadow: C3

I've then added some Stickles for sparkle and inked the edge with Distress Ink.

This one is Bird Swing by Whimsy Stamps. It is again printed on X-Press It blending card and coloured with Copics. 

I did the background first (just in case I messed it up)! I kind of (you don't need to be exact) blended YG0000, YG00, YG01, Y11, Y06, YG11, YG23, YG17, YG67 randomly over the background (but I concentrated the lighter colours in the top left) then used my colourless blender marker to soften some edges. I then dripped colouress blender various ink (straight from the various ink bottle) over the background randomly to create the large circles. You need to be a little careful where you drip it as you don't want the colour spreading too far into your image. However, I did get green all over my birds, but I let it dry and then used the colourless blender marker to push the colour back out to the background. I like this background as it kind of gives a bokeh-like background - like you were looking at the birds with a shrub blurred in the background :-)

Copic colours used:

Background: YG0000, YG00, YG01, Y11, Y06, YG11, YG23, YG17, YG67, 0 and 0 various ink

Flowers: RV21, RV23, RV25, RV29

Birds: B00, B21, B23, B26, B28 + Y06 and YR15

Wood: E70, E74, E77, E79

Leaves: G24 and G28

Once again I added some Stickles for sparkle and inked the edge with Distress Ink.

Thanks for looking!