Feeling Blue Thinking of You Card

Happy Sunday!

Today's card was one I created for the Feeling Blue Challenge from Pile It On! 
I chose to use various shades of blue to fit that theme. 

This Challenge is sponsored by All Dressed Up

The card was created using the "Amore" Digital Image.

The digital image was colored with Copic Markers.

All of the layers of cardstock are from Close to my Heart. 
The card base is Peacock cardstock.
The overlay is Carolina cardstock, distressed with Lagoon Exclusive Ink. 

I cut the overlay from the Cricut Cartridge Edge to Edge.
The Digital Image is layered with two pieces of Glacier cardstock. 
I just turned one to the lighter shade. 
I distressed several layers of the cardstock with Glacier Exclusive In k from Close to my Heart.

Since the Digital Image had it's own sentiment, I didn't add an additional one, however to highlight it, I added two banner strips behind it. 
The white banner strip is distressed with Glacier Exclusive ink. 

For a little added bling, I added a few Silver Glitter Gems from Close to my Heart.

The inside of the card is a layer of White Daisy cardstock also distressed with Glacier Exclusive Ink. 

I entered my card into the following challenges:

Pile It On! Challenge Blog- Pink or Blue 

Crafting From The Heart- #234 Anything Goes 

A Bit More Time To Craft- #86 Anything Goes 

Classic Design Team Challenge Blog- February #2 Anything Goes 

Magic Moments With Corrosive Challenge Blog- February #2 Anything Goes 

Love to Craft Challenge Blog- February Anything Goes 

Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog- #37 It's A Love Thing

Vintage Butterfly Card...

This morning's card uses a combination of the digital image 
Butterflies Are Free 
by Pickled Potpourri 

and Close to my Heart products. 

I was going for a vintage look. 

I love butterflies, and this image is simply beautiful. 

The base of the card is White Daisy cardstock by Close to my Heart, I added a layer of Tangerine cardstock, then a piece of retired patterned paper from last fall's seasonal expressions. 

The image is colored in with Copic markers, and distressed with both Toffee and Almond ink.

The sentiment "Missing You" is from the "Shell Sentiments" Stamp Set by Close to my Heart and distressed with Toffee ink. 

Then mounted on a piece of tangerine cardstock as well.

I finished off the card with a few gold pearls as embellishments. 

I entered this card into the following challenges:

Pile It On! Challenge Blog - #144 Vintage/Retro

Jo's Scrap Shack Fun-day Friday Challenge- #242 Anything Goes

Color Crazy Craft Challenge- Week 28 Anything Goes 

Artistic Inspirations Challenge - # 204 Anything Goes

The Sketchy Challenge - # 144 Anything Goes

Polkadoodles challenge- #28 Anything goes

Disney's Up Themed Artist Trading Cards For An ATC Swap

So earlier this weekend, I signed up for an Artist Trading Card (ATC) Swap on Splitcoaststampers. 

Splitcoaststampers has been my go to for swaps for years. 

For the ATC Swap, there are 4 categories. 

They are Vintage, Disney, Shades of  1 Color, and Bugs/Insects. 

So since my time tends to be limited, I decided to go ahead and get started. 

Well we all know I am a major Disney fan, so of course that is the category I completed first!

So I present to you my 3 Artist Trading Cards for the Disney category. 

They are titled "Up Fan Art", I made only 3. 

In hindsight, I should have made a 4th for myself. 

But it's okay, I am just happy that the picture in my mind, turned out the way I wanted them to.

I used nearly all Close to my Heart products for them.

The house and balloons are from the July Stamp of the Month "Highlight Reel". 

When you purchase $50 in products you can purchase "Highlight Reel" for only $5!

(#1 of 3)

On White Daisy cardstock, the house is stamped in Toffee ink. 

The balloons were stamped in Archival Black Ink. 

The balloons are masked to create varying amounts. 

Then colored in with Copics. 

I then used a Clear Shimmer Brush to give them some shine. 

(#2 of 3)

The cliff, and waterfall were drawn with a pen. 

Then colored with Copics. 

I added Liquid Glass on top of the waterfall, to make the water really stand out.

(#3 of 3)

I used the Pen Pal alphabet set to stamp UP. 

The UP is stamped on Lagoon cardstock, with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink. 

I then dovetailed the cardstock, then mounted it on dimensional tape. 

I then used Pacifica Ink to distress the edges of the front of the card.

I mounted the card onto chipboard. 

(Back of all Three Cards)

Then on the back, I mounted a piece of Sapphire cardstock. 

Then used a stamp I found while in Las Vegas, that is made specifically for ATCs. 

I also distressed the information portion of the back with Pacifica Ink as well. 

Convention Swaps Using The June Stamp Of The Month...

So of course, here school is already out, but many places have just a few more weeks. 

So I figured a last minute Teacher Appreciation card was in order for a few of my swaps.

These were relatively quick, and simple, yet cute cards to make.

Tonight's card uses one of the sentiments from the Stamp of the Month set, "A Bushel and A Peck". 

The sentiment was stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink along with the cute little apple stamped onto White Daisy cardstock.

I used copics to color in the apple.

I mounted the sentiment onto Sapphire cardstock and then onto the 4 x 5 inch embossed panel of White Daisy cardstock. 

The panel was embossed with the Rose Embossing Folder. 

The panel was then mounted with 3-D Foam Tape onto the White Card Base. 

Hope you enjoyed my card, and I look forward to sharing more swaps with you. 

So Far, I am up to about 24 completed cards, and I haven't shared all of the designs with you yet :)

Getting Started Early...

If you are like me, you have realized this year seems to be flying by fast... It is already June! EEK! So Christmas and Thanksgiving cards are definitely a priority right now. 

Today's card features an adorable "Cold Hedgehog" digital image from Gerda Steiner Designs. 

I used it to create my first Thanksgiving card for the upcoming holiday. 

I colored him with copics markers.

The majority of the layers on the card feature patterned paper from Close to my Heart. 

One of my favorite paper packets from last Fall's Seasonal Expressions, "Falling For You". 

While it is retired, I stocked up and hopefully you did too. 

The "Give Thanks" is just handwritten with a Cricut Marker on a few layered circles. The Goldrush and Fern circles are from Close to my Heart Cardstock. 

I entered this cute but simple card into a few challenges:

Pile It On Challenge Blog-#143 All Sorts of Holidays

A Bit More Time To Craft Challenge- #69 Anything Goes 

Crafts Galore Encore- June Anything Goes 

Creative Moments- #144 Anything Goes/Animals

Paru's Card Making Challenges- June Masculine

Scribbles Design Challenge- #65 Make It Masculine 

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge-Masculine 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge- Anything Goes

Congratulations Card for Your Little Slugger...

Anyone that knows me will tell you my favorite sport is baseball! 

Always has been since I was barely walking well. 

My father played when I was growing up, so I watched many games in person as a small child, then as a teenager I was a baseball manager for the junior varsity and varsity teams. 

I loved it! 

These days, I attend games when can, and watch them on tv even more. 

So the moment I saw this Slugger Sam digital image, from Dr. Digi's House of Stamps, 

I knew I had to have it.

It is so versatile, you can color him any combination to match someones favorite team.

I mostly chose to use several shades of red, brown, and beige with my Copic markers.

I then also brushed all of the brown colored areas with the Gold Shimmer Brush. 
I popped him up with 3-D Foam Tape.

For the card itself, I started out with a 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 White Daisy Cardstock card base. 

I used a layer of Ruby Cardstock and then a layer of Kraft Cardstock.

I used a layer of Ruby Printed Paper from the Enchantment Fundamental Paper Packet. The polka dots were perfect for a sibilance of baseballs.

The little horizontal band across the card, is a layer of Ruby Cardstock as well. 

The Oval sentiment is a layer of White Daisy.

The sentiment "A Day to Remember" is a perfect way to celebrate your little Sluggers first game, championship, or a win!  
These two stamps together would be perfect for a scrapbooking layout as well!
The sentiment comes from the stamp set Highlight Reel, 
which will be our July Stamp of the Month! 

So keep in mind your will be able to purchase it in July for only $5 with any $50 purchase.

I stamped the sentiment in Tuxedo Black Memento Ink.

Finally, I added just a few little red dot embellishments from the Stargazer Dots pack.

I entered this card into the following Challenges:

Pile It On Challenge Blog! - #142 Sports/Hobbies

Through The Craft Room Door - Week of May 15th Anything Goes 

The Paper Nest Dolls Challenge Blog - May Challenge

Jo's Scrap Shack- Fun-Day Friday Challenge #234 Anything Goes 

Addicted to Stamps and More - #292 Make Your Mark (Copics)

2 Sisters on the Blog - #15 Three of a Kind (3 Red Dots, 3 Types of Paper/Cardstock)

A Perfect Time To Craft- #5 May 2018 Anything Goes 

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge Blog - #51 Anything Goes 

Thank you so much for stopping by, please consider leaving a comment below.

Stargazer Birthday Card

As a child, one of my favorite hobbies was looking at the stars at night through the telescope I received one Christmas. 

While I did not turn out to become an astronomer, I did become a scientist, and often do have conversations about space, stars, and the like. 

I'm not sure whatever happened to that telescope, maybe one of my younger brothers has it. 

As an adult I have visited the local planetariums quite a few times. 

I might just purchase a telescope as an early birthday present to myself. 

Therefore tonight's card was inspired by my Stargazer hobby. 

I used one of my favorite techniques "Blacked Out", utilizing layers of black cardstock under most of the patterned paper layers. 

The card base is Pewter Cardstock by Close to my Heart. 

The yellow, grey, and blue patterned papers are all from the "Stargazer" Patterned Paper Packet by Close to my Heart. If you love this paper, do not wait to purchase it, it is while supplies last, since the Seasonal Expressions Catalog 1 is finished.

The distressing on the grey strip and blue mat was completed with "Charcoal" ink by Close to my Heart. 

The sentiment and the telescope are both from the Cardmaking "Stargazer" Stamp Set. It does also have a matching thin cuts die set, but for today's card, I did not use the dies. 

I colored the telescope with Copic Markers, then used a Gold Shimmer Brush to give it some shine and sparkle. 

I finished off the look with a few red "Stargazer" Dots also by Close to my Heart.

Were you aware that I have a VIP Group on Facebook so that we can share our artwork with each other? 
I would love to have you join us! Just click here to join us!

I entered this card into the following challenges:

Pile It On! Challenge Blog - #142 Sports/Hobbies

Creates and Makes Challenge Blog - #21 Anything Goes 

Not Just Cards Challenge Blog- April Challenge Anything Goes 

Crafting From The Heart - #204 Anything Goes 

Simply Papercraft - #57 Anything Goes 

Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge Blog- #415 Anything Goes 

Jo's Scrap Shack - Fun-Day Friday Challenge #232 Anything Goes 

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge Blog- May 2018 Patterned Paper

Cardz TV- #46 Anything Goes 

A few older tutorial videos, but helpful for many...

Masking The Basics

Coloring with Copics Part 1

Coloring with Copics Part 2

Coloring with Copics Part 3