The Ink Trap

A New Video Tutorial: Skin with Copics

2012-01-31T00:33:00.002-07:00

Hey, everybody! I'm back with my second post for the day. This time, I'm sharing a card and a Copic tutorial I created for the Color Me Copic Club.

If you don't already know, the Color Me Copic Club is a terrific group for folks who want to learn more about Copic Markers and build their collection of colors. Beginners and seasoned Copic users alike, benefit from the club's resources. Each month, members receive 6 markers that have been selected to round out their color charts. They also have full access to a private Facebook forum where they share their art, ideas, and Copic tips and tricks. It's a terrific community resource for all things Copic.

This month's tutorial features coloring light complected skin tones. I have gone through a couple of skin coloring metamorphosis during the past couple of years and I have to say, I'm really liking the phase I'm in now...lol! Does that even make sense? ;D

In the beginning, I started out using 2 colors for skin, E00 and E000, and called it a day. Then I discovered that adding a 3rd color, in my case E11, created slightly more depth, so I would start with E11 to create shadows, and then follow with E00 and E000 to blend. Then I discovered that R20 worked well on other areas of skin and not just the traditional cheek color that I had been using it on before. My current method looks like this:

Create very light shadows by using E00 on various areas of the skin
Follow by blending with E000 and overlapping the E00 slightly
Create cheek color and more intense shading on various areas of the skin using R20
Follow by blending with E00 and overlapping the R20 slightly
Apply another layer of E000, overlapping the E00 slightly
Create very slight hard shadows by using E11 to outline the very darkest part of the shadowed area and do not blend. E11 should be the final color application for the skin tone.

My explanation may be sketchy, but if you watch the video it should make more sense. Hopefully ;D

The image I used for my sample is called Betty by Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps. She's a lot of fun to color as are all of the KKS images.

Subscribe to the Color Me Copic Club You Tube Channel and you'll never miss a video. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Color Me Copic Club, contact Carlene Pinkscrapper at pinkscrapper99@yahoo.com.

Copics used:
skin - E11, E00, E000, R20
makeup - RV29 (lips), C5, C3, C1(eye shadow)
hair - E59, E37, E35, E31
outfit - RV29, RV25, RV23
stockings - C5, C3, C1
yellow details - Y15, Y11

A New Challenge at Tiddly Inks: Valentine's Day

2012-01-30T23:04:00.000-07:00

Hola! Thanks for stopping by! Today is Tuesday, of which you are probably are already aware, but did you know that it's a Tiddly Ink's Tuesday? Yes, that's right...every other Tuesday, Tiddly Inks announces their new challenge. You're going to absolutely LOVE the theme this go round. You guessed it! Valentine's Day! Create a card or project showcasing a Tiddly Inks image, incorporate the Valentine's Day theme into it, and then link it up on the TI Challenge Blog and you could be selected to win a $6.00 gift certificate to use in the TI Shop. SWEET!

For my card, I used one of the Wryn designs, which I absolutely adore. This one is called Wryn - Somebunny Loves You. Isn't she the sweetest thing! You can find all of the Wryns in the shop including this one.

Before you conclude your tour of Blogland today, be sure and stop by the Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog and check out the awesome creations of the DT. Also, stop by Christy's blog where she might have a couple of new things to reveal...just saying'...lol!

I'll be back a little later to share a Copic tutorial and another card. I've been a busy girl ;D

Challenge #113 at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps: Handmade Embellishments

2012-01-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

Let me officially welcome you to the weekend! What's on your agenda? How are you going to unwind? Let me suggest joining the challenge this week at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps. This week our Hostess with the Mostest is none other than Melanie! You know and love her work! She inspires us with her out-of-this-world coloring. This week she is challenging us to hand make embellishments to enhance our card creations.

I decided to go with rolled flowers created with the Sizzix 3-d Flower die. I folded back the pedals slightly before I rolled them up to give the flowers more shape. I also sponged a wee bit of Mod Podge on the edges and added gold glitter courtesy of Martha Stewart. That concludes the Handmade Embellishment portion of our programming. You'll also notice, I included a picture of some fabulous trim I purchased at Pizzazz in El Paso, TX. I tried talking my mom into buying some of this gorgeous stuff, but she said she could live without it...WHAT?! I told her she'd be sorry that she passed on it, but she insisted that she didn't need it or want it, so I added this pic to my post to tease her a bit. I think it is absolutely scrumptious! It reminds me of a rich gold epaulette one might find on a military uniform. And best of all, I think it suits my goddess perfectly.

Speaking of my goddess, today I have used Artemis. I love this image, especially that bow and arrow. This chica looks like she is ready to kick some butt! Find Artemis and all the other lovely Goddesses in the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Shop, along with the latest Lulu's, and the Kitty Kapers sets. Speaking of Kitty Kapers, Melanie has used the image of the kitty getting his chin scratched on her card, so that will be the prize for the random winner of this week's challenge. Also, you'll want to check the Frugal Friday specials while you're there and take advantage of those smoking hot deals, but you'll have to act quickly, because they're only on sale through Sunday. AND...don't forget to stop by Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Challenge Blog, where you'll find inspiration galore from the Krafty Girls DT.

Okay, dokay...that's it for me! I'll be back soon with a new video tutorial for the Color Me Copic Club, so please check back in a day or two :) Until then, stay krafty!

The Octopode: Cats and Dogs

2012-01-27T00:09:00.001-07:00

I'm back!!!! This is my second post for today, if you want to see a little something featuring a Tiddly Ink's image, be sure to scroll down and check out my earlier post.

Today is Friday and that means there's a new challenge at The Octopode Challenge Blog. This week's theme is Cats and Dogs. I used the Breakfast at Tiffianys image and included a quote straight from the movie that I printed and cut out. Did I mention that I *heart* this movie? It's really quite sad, but I could watch it a hundred times and never tire of it.

Visit The Octopode's Challenge Blog and see more fabulous cards featuring these wonderful images. Also, don't forget to hit The Octopode's main blog for Lilly's updates, and last but not least, the shop on Etsy.

Alrighty! That's it for now. I'll be back tomorrow with a new Kraftin' Kimmie card, so do come back! Until then, stay crafty!

Copics used:

skin - E11, E00, E000, R20

hair - E49, E57, E37, E35, E31

dress - C7, C5, C3

Tiddly Inks: Fabbie Friday

2012-01-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hey, all! Believe it or not, I'm back today with two more posts. Don't faint! LOL!

The first post is to share a card I made using one of the new Tiddly Inks images from the Wryn and Friends line. I LOVE this line of digis! Wryn is absolutely adorable and judging by all of the beautiful Wryn cards I've seen across Blogland, YOU love her, too!

For today's card, I used Wryn and Wren - Too Tweet. She was so much fun to color. I even remembered to list my colors at the end of this post incase anybody's interested.

To see more creations using Tiddly Ink's images, head to the Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog. To do a little shopping, visit the Tiddly Inks Shop and find this image and soooo many more just waiting to be colored up and shown some love. Also, be sure to swing by Christy's blog and see what she's up to. You just never know when she'll have a cool freebie waiting to be discovered.

Okay, gotta run! Be back with another post and card in just a few!

Copics used:
skin - E11, E00, E000, R20
hair - E59, E57, E55, E53, E50
dress - RV29, RV25, RV23, BG18, BG13, BG10
shoes - BG18, BG13, BG10, C3, C1, C00

Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps and Art du Scrapbooking Blog Hop!

2012-01-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hello! I'm back! Welcome to a fantastic joint blog hop featuring Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps and the Art du Scrapbooking store in Quebec! Grab a cup of coffee and sit back to enjoy all the gorgeous creations using the January release of new stamps from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps! If you'd like to start the hop from the beginning, head over to the KKS challenge blog and be sure to leave a comment at each and every stop because some lucky random stampers will WIN some prizes!! All the new images are now available at the Art du Scrapbooking store online and in person, or from the KKS online shop, where you will find ALL our stamps! Get ready...get set...HOP!!

There are over 30 blogs to hit on this hop, so let's get started! First of all, you should have arrived from Manon's beautiful blog. For my card, I used one of the adorable fuzzy feline images from Emilie's Etchings. This set is called Kitty Kapers 2 and includes 3 images and 3 sentiments. Such a fantastic set for the cat lover! I combined this image with some gorgeous papers and embellishments provided so graciously by Art du Scrapbooking. I just love this assortment!

Okay, folks, time to head to the next blog, which belongs to Rachel. There you'll undoubtedly find another terrific project featuring KKKS images! I'll be back tomorrow or Friday with something new. Until then, stay krafty!

Copics used:

cat - C3, C1, C00

spots - C7, C5, C3

ears, nose - R20. R000

yarn - BG18, BG13, BG10

Hopping with the Bombshells: Ring in the NEW!

2012-01-25T01:06:00.002-07:00

Hey, all! Glad to see you back! I actually have two posts for you today. I know...don't faint...LOL! The first post is all about the Bombshells! We're blog hopping today and we're hoping you'll join in by visiting all of the Bombshell's, Pin-up's, and guest hopper's blogs to check out each and every one of their fabulous projects. The theme this month as selected by our Hop Diggity Diva, Alison, is Ring in the New! Here's what Alison has to say about her challenge:

Greeting and Happy 2012! It's time to find out what the January Hump Day Hop will be! And, since it's a new year, I figured, what better challenge than to actually "Try Something New?" Make anything you want, as long as there is something "new" for you in it. Never made jewelry before? Give it a go! Never attempted a try-fold card? Now is the perfect time! Perhaps you've never used pink with your Bombshells...why not experiment? Wow us with your experimentation!

You heard the woman...dust off those packages of unopened tools and put those babies to work. For my technique I tried something with Copics that I hadn't played around with before and that was monochromatic coloring. I used shades of cool gray (C7, 5, 3, 1, 00) and felt almost guilty that I only used 5 markers to color this entire image. This card looks much better in person and the contrast in the grays is more apparent. I used my absolute favorite BSS image, 'Till Death. You should pop into the shop and take a look at the amazing tattoo and retro inspired images there. They are crazy cool and unlike ANY images you will find elsewhere. AND, you can enter our monthly challenges to throw your name in the hat to be randomly selected to win some of these cool designs, FREE!

Ok, this IS a hop, so you best get to hopping! You should have arrived from Meredith's amazing blog, in fact, I'm surprised you were able to tear yourself away from her incredible artwork to hop my way! Your next blog stop belongs to Hey Hey Paula and you best grab your socks or they will get blown off! Here's the full list incase you get turned around along the way. Come back later and I'll be back with a Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps card ;D

Bombshell Blog

Alison

Laura

Alaine

Sparkly Mary

Meredith

Cheryl <---Hola!

Paula

Kelli

Stempelientje

Glittery Katie

Kathi

Challenge #112 at Kraftin' Kimmies - Spotlight an Image

2012-01-21T03:31:00.000-07:00

Hello, everybody! It's Saturday and that means that there is a brand new challenge at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps! Krafty Girl, Elaine, is the Hostess with the mostest this week and she is asking you to create a card and Spotlight an Image on it. You can either stamp part of the image and highlight it on your card, or you can stamp the whole image and "spotlight" a portion by adding color to a particular area.

For my card, I used the beautiful Thalia. She is a girl after my own heart, because she looks as if she is ready to be pampered and adored...lol! We should all be so lucky! My mom found that fancy trim on Stampington's website eons ago and generously mailed me some along with some others that were included with this particular package. As most folks know, Stampington can be pretty pricey so this was a very sweet thing for mom to do. Did you know that we found that same "fancy" trim at WalMart just a few months later! I believe it was $2.49 a roll. Hmph, Stampington! We've got your number...LOL!

Visit the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Challenge Blog to see the gorgeous Spotlight Stamping samples the Design Team created. You are sure to be inspired! Also, swing by the shop and check out all of the new designs Kimmie has added this month. They are exquisite!

Okay, gotta run! I'm burning the midnight oil here, time for bed ;D

Just Tag It at Bombshell Stamps!

2012-01-18T01:19:00.005-07:00

Hello, crafty folks! I'm back today with another quick post. We've crowned a new Pin Up Girl at Bombshell Stamps for the month of January and her name is Laura. Visit Laura's blog here and show her a little love ;D As our monthly Pin Up, she gets the honor of choosing our challenge for the month and she did good! She is asking us to Tag It! Create a tag or include a tag anywhere on your project featuring images by Bombshell Stamps.

I made a tag last month and even put together a quick tutorial on what I did. If you missed my toot, you can check it out on the Bombshell Stamps Blog here. At first, my tag had a steampunk feel to it, but the more I looked at it, I thought the large gear actually looked like a ship's wheel. My photos are losing some of the detail because the tag is shiny, but it's actually pretty cool in person. My lovely siren came from the Mermaid Treasure set, and boy howdy, is she fun to color! She reminds me of a sassy Arial.

Anyway, grab your Bombshell Stamps and enter this challenge! If you are randomly selected, you could win a $20 gift certificate to the Bombshell Stamps Shop. Now that's some serious cheddah! Head to the BSS Blog and check out what the uber-crafty DT has stamped up for you. Lot's of a fabulous eye candy! If you're not familiar with Bombshell Stamps, check out the shop and their awesome designs. There's even a gallery bursting with inspiration. GO! NOW!

I'll catch you later! I'll be back Friday with something for The Octopode Factory. Can't wait! Until then, stay crafty!

A Color Challenge at Tiddly Inks!

2012-01-17T00:25:00.000-07:00

Welcome back! It's time for the latest and greatest challenge at Tiddly Inks and this time it's a color challenge. We're asking that this go-round you stick primarily to the four colors you see above. Sometime themes like this can be really difficult (that's why they're called Challenges...duh!), but this palette is so fabulous, you won't have any trouble at all.

For my card I took a trip to the basement...the Tiddly Inks' Basement, that is. This beautiful, curvy image is called Christine and I just adore her. She's a "big girl", just like me ;D

I'm going to keep this post short today, but do join the Tiddly Inks color challenge. Check out the TI Challenge Blog for boatloads of inspiration from the talented Design Team. Also, swing by Christy's blog because she always has something fabulous to share, and don't forget to hit the shop to pick up all the latest images including Christy's newest line featuring Wryn and Friends.

Catch ya' later, alligator! Stay crafty!!!

Release Day Blog Hop at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps

2012-01-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

Woo hoo! You know what day it is? It's Release Day at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps and that means that all of the fabulous images we've been previewing all week are now available for purchase!

Over the last few days in our Krafty Peeks, we have shared lots of FUN new stamps for you to get inky with! We’ve got something for everyone!! There is a fun new SET introducing a sweet little character by Cheryl Alger for the little ladies in your life!! It’s called LOVELY LULU! We also have TWO fantastic sets of purrrr-fect images from Emilie Goulet called KITTY KAPERS 1 and KITTY KAPERS2!!! And of course we have an amazing new set of six GORGEOUS GODDESSES stamps from Annie Rodrigue! PLUS we are also releasing a sassy coordinating set of GODDESS SENTIMENTS!!

You will get to see most of the new images today as you sit back and enjoy our JANUARY Krafty Hop! If you want to start from the beginning, just head over to the Kraftin’ Kimmie Challenge Blog! As you hop from blog to blog, be sure to leave a comment at each and every stop because some lucky stampers will win packages of these incredible stamps from the new release!! And when you’re done hoppin’, be sure to head over to the Kraftin’ Kimmie shop, because ALL the new images are NOW available!

And of course, as always, we have our Gimme Kimmies Kits available for those of you who ‘need it all’!! The stamps are grouped together by artist and are available at a discount, but only for a limited time!!

For my card today, I used one of the fabulous feline images from the Kitty Kapers 2 set. What can I say? I am loving these sassy cats! Check them out in the shop here!

You should have arrived from Sandie's incredible blog where you were greeted with her gorgeous artwork. Your next stop on the hop is Jenny's blog and she has something amazing waiting to inspire you. Hop, hop, hop! Start at the challenge blog so you don't miss out on any of the DTs beautiful creations. Be sure and leave comments on all the blogs because Kimmie is going to select two random winners who will each receive a goodie bag. A goodie bag from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps is bound to be pretty special!

That's all from me. Until next time, stay krafty!

January Krafty Peeks: Day 3!!!

2012-01-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hello, again! I'm back with the 3rd day of the January Krafty Peeks at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps. Today we are featuring Annie's new images...The Goddesses. They are breathtaking! There are 6 of these ethereal beauties and each is more fabulous than the last.

Our hostess with the mostest this go round is Nicole and she has a wonderful sketch to kick start our creativity. I absolutely adore a sketch challenge! To me, the layout is 50 percent of the card design and I can easily spend hours agonizing over where everything should go. A sketch lets you skip ALL of that nonsense and go straight to the good stuff like coloring and embellishments! My faves! Nicole is featuring Athena on her card for this challenge and that means that one lucky random winner will receive this image to start her own collection of Goddessess.

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL! You'll want to be sure and pop round to all the blogs of the DT and leave them a comment, because Kimmie will select 2 winners who will receive 3 Goddesses each! Wow, lots of ways to win!

Tomorrow the Krafty Girls will return for the Release Day Hop and all of the images you've seen this week will be available for purchase in the Kraftin' Kimmie Store. Grab those shopping carts folks and get ready! LOL!

Friends are the Flowers of Life - Tiddly Inks Bog Hop!

2012-01-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

Hey, there! Do you know what today is? It's Friday the 13th. Are you superstitious? I am, that's for sure. I don't walk under ladders, I don't put hats on the bed or shoes on the table, and I always make sure I leave through the same door I entered. Black cats don't bother me, though, 'cuz all kitties are sweet. And for some reason, Friday the 13th has never caused me any concern, either. In fact, today is rather special because Tiddly Inks is having a Blog Hop to celebrate Wryn and Friends, a new set of designs by Christy Croll.

The fantastic thing about this hop, is that you get to join in on the festivities. Just create a new project featuring a Tiddly Ink's image and write up a blog post on your personal blog titled "Friends are the Flowers of Life - Tiddly Inks Blog Hop". Once your post is live, then link it up to this post on the Tiddly Inks Blog using the Inlinkz tool. On January 15th, two winners will be selected from the entrants and they will be highlighted on the TI Challenge Blog...AND each will receive a $10 gift voucher to spend in the Tiddly Inks Shop. How cool is that!

There will also be random prizes given away on some of the DT blogs, so be sure to visit and comment on each one for a chance to win. To keep this simple, the blog hop is based on the Challenge Blog home page. Instead of directing you to the next page, we suggest you keep the challenge blog open and create a new window for hopping around (click Control when you click on each link and it will open a new window). After you visit with me today, just click HERE to return to the main list (and that is where the prizes are listed...hint!) Have fun playing along with everyone!

January's Krafty Peeks...Day Two!

2012-01-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hey, again! This is my second post for today. I know, I can hardly believe it, myself! If you're looking for Tiddly Inks Blog Hop, just scroll down.

I'm back to share Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps 2nd day of Krafty Peeks for January. Today we are featuring brand new images by Emilie Goulet and they are absolutely purr-fect! Each image is feline themed and they are the sweetest, cutest, awesome-est images...ever! Yep, I'm a cat person...lol! I have 3 little fury faced feline babies at home and they rule the house ;D Emilie's images come in two sets...Kitty Kapers 1 and Kitty Kapers 2. Each set comes with 3 images and 3 sentiments, but you're not going to be able to pick between the two, so you might as well get them both.

Kimmie, being the sweetheart she is, will select two lucky commentors and each will receive one of the new sets. Be sure you leave comments on each DT member's blog and the Kraftin' Kimmie Challenge page to increase your chances of being picked ;D

Tomorrow marks Day 3 of the Krafty Peeks and that's when we will reveal the new images by Annie Rodrigue...WOO HOO! You won't want to miss it!

BY THE WAY... a few of you left comments on my previous post saying you really liked the raining hearts on my blog. Thank you so much! I didn't know if they would be perceived as annoying or cool and it looks like most folks think they're pretty cool. Yay! I found the code for them on a very cool site called Blogamation. They have lots of great animated graphics, so check them out if you're tooling around on the Internet.

Okay, that's it for me! See you in the mañana!

January Krafty Peeks: Day One!!!

2012-01-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hello, again! I know it seems like I've been slacking, but let me assure you that I have been busy crafting away behind the scenes. Mainly in preparation for this week's Krafty Peeks at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps, but I've also been working on a couple of items for Tiddly Inks, too.

Don't you just LOVE new images! I know, I do! Cheryl Alger is back this month with another sweet set of Lulus just waiting to be given a warm loving home and some creative time in someone's craft space. You'll definitely want to add this set to your collection. It's called Lovely Lulus and one lucky commenter is going to win the whole shebang from the ever-so-generous Kraftin' Kimmie, just by visiting the blogs of each participating design team member and leaving a comment. So you see, it's very easy to join the fun!

Head over to Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps challenge blog and follow the links to the other DT's blogs so you can not only check out the other Lulus, but also the amazing cards by my teammies. These ladies are beyond incredible! I don't know how they do it week after week and I don't know how I got so lucky to be able to hang out with them ;D

These are just the "peeks", folks, and that means they won't be available in the shop for a few more days, but you could always stop in and pick up the images you've had on your Wish List for awhile ;D You know, treat yourself to a little After Christmas Pick-Me-Up. You deserve it!

Okay, that's all for know, but I'll be back tomorrow with day 2 of the Krafty Peeks and I'll be back on Friday with a very special Tiddly Inks Blog Hop featuring a new line of images! I just adore a Blog Hop!

Until tomorrow, stay krafty!

Challenge #110 at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps

2012-01-07T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hey, all! Welcome back! I haven't done much card making lately, but I promise to make it up to you next week as I have lots of projects in the pipeline. Until then, this week marks Challenge #110 at Kraftin' Kimmie stamps and Hostess Sharon has decided the theme is Shape It Up. Use 3 or more different shapes on your card and you can join the fun.

This week I've chosen to use the very flirty and adorable Brigitte. LOVE the tub and all the bubbles! I've added some stickles to mine to make them sparkle. You can pick Brigitte up in the Kraftin' Kimmie store along with a plethora of fabulous designs.

Visit the Kraftin' Kimme Stamps Challenge Blog and you'll be amazed at the loveliness that my fellow DT members have created to get this challenge off to a great start. We can't wait to see your Shape It Up cards! Okay, you've been given your mission, you better get started ;D Until I see you again, stay crafty!

A New Challenge at Tiddly Inks...Celebrate!

2012-01-03T23:05:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the New Year! How did you ring in 2012? We kept it quiet and stayed home, but enjoyed our evening, none-the-less ;D We were more than happy to unwind after the hubbub of the holidays by spending an evening watching movies. Kirk even managed to hang with me until after midnight. He doesn't keep the same "night owl" schedule that I do, so this was a pretty impressive feat. No matter how you celebrated, I hope that 2012 proves to be your best year yet!

Speaking of celebrating, that's this week's theme at Tiddly Inks. Create a card or project celebrating something and add it to the challenge entries to join the fun. One lucky, randomly selected, winner will receive a gift certificate to spend in the Tiddly Inks Shop. The shop is overflowing with fabulous images, so this would be an excellent way to add to your digi arsenal.

AND...speaking of fabulous images, Christy is rolling out a brand new character today and there are a number of wonderful designs featuring her. Her name is Wryn and she is beautiful! She's a little bit angel and a little bit tomboy. You will absolutely fall in love with her! Go to the shop to see all of the exquisite designs.

Be sure to hit the Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog and check out what the DT created to get you started. Wonderful work! AND don't forget to stop by Christy's blog where I'm sure she'll share even more amazing creations showcasing her new designs.

One more thing before I sign off...I'm really excited to announce that I am officially a Krafty Girl! That's right! I am now part of the krazy awesome Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps design team! In fact, there are 5 of us new Krafty Girls and you can visit the Kraftin' Kimmie Challenge Blog to see the entire team. It looks like 2012 is already off to fabulous start!

Ok, that's it for now! I will catch you later. Until next time, stay crafty!

THE WINNER IS...!

2012-01-01T02:00:00.001-07:00

I want to share a big "thank you" to everyone who joined my contest! There were over 200 of you, many more than I had ever dreamed would stop by and sign up. As you know, I was celebrating a few milestones and each of you helped to make this party special ;D I so very much appreciate your joining in the fun and all of the sweet comments you left me. Papercrafters and stampers are the kindest and most generous community of people on the Internet and I am so happy to be a part of that world. Okay, enough jibber jabbing from me...let's find out who our winner is! Drum roll, please!

The lucky winner of my blog candy is:

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:143Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Lucky entry number 143 belongs to:

Danii [DaniizDesignz]

Congratulations! Email me here so I can pop your prize in the mail to you!

Again, thanks to everyone for playing along! I hope your New Year is overflowing with happiness and prosperity, peace and love, and lots of crafty goodness!

See you soon! Stay crafty!

Celebrating a few things with a giveaway!

2011-12-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hey there! You're going to be happy you popped in today ;D I haven't been posting as much as usual lately, but I'm back today with a special announcement and I'm hoping you'll join the fun. December is a month filled with holiday spirit, joy, celebration, and the message that it is better to give than to receive. That's why I am going to give away this wonderful package of goodies to one lucky person!

I hit a few blogging milestones on my blog a while back, plus I was offered a fabulous guest designer spot at Kraftin' Kimmie for the month of December, which made me happy beyond words, so I thought I would give someone a chance to win a pretty cool prize! Just a few weeks ago, I hit 400 followers, 400 posts, and 50,000 visits, and what better way to celebrate than to share a few of my favorite products with my Blogland Buddies. This package consists of products from Ranger, Sizzix, Kenny K, and (of course) Kraftin' Kimmie. Click each of the links to take a closer look at the items in the prize package:

Not too shabby! It's just a 3-step process to enter:

1. Sign up to follow my blog under my Followers List.

2. Post my blog candy picture with a link to this post in the sidebar of your blog.

3. Add your name to the InLinkz list at the bottom of this post.

No big whoop! A couple of additional details...everyone is invited to play, no matter where you reside. If you are already a follower, then you just have to complete steps 2 and 3. If you don't have a blog, you are still invited to play, just complete steps 1 and 3. My blog candy giveaway closes at midnight (MDT) on December 31st, so be sure to get in before the deadline ;D

December's Video Tutorial for the Color Me Copic Club

2011-12-30T00:31:00.000-07:00

WOW! Has it really been 12 days since my last post?! Sheesh! I guess I have been lost in the Christmas Space/Time Continuum. Don't ask me to explain. I assure you, it's a real thing.

Mom drove up for a few days and we celebrated the holidays in high style with lots of food, merriment, gifts, and more food...and did I mention the food? Yes, just when we didn't think we could stuff another morsel into our pie holes, enter the peanut butter fudge, gingersnaps, coconut cake, homemade marshmallows, and peppermint bark. It's been days since this food orgy subsided and I am still sitting here with a carb/sugar hangover. UGH! Oh well, it was delicious while it was going down and completely worth it ;D.

Today I'm sharing a new video tutorial I made for the Color Me Copic Club. Carlene Pinkscrapper runs this group and basically it's a club for Copic Marker enthusiasts of all levels. The members receive 6 new colors each month and this helps quickly increase their marker inventory. I try to create a monthly video tutorial that features some of these colors. The group gets together and shares artwork and tips on a super secret Facebook Page. It's a really fabulous set up!

December's video features coloring blond hair using one of my favorite hair color combos: E15, E13, Y21, and Y11. The image du jour I'm using is Rose's Portrait by Bombshell Stamps. She is an absolutely fabulous design and is perfect if you want to practice coloring skin and hair. Speaking of Bombshell Stamps...there is an Anything Goes Challenge happening on their blog through December 31st. It would be an excellent way to add to your stamping arsenal if you are randomly selected as the winner.

One more thing before I go...Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps is having a Boxing Day Sale all this week and everything in her store is marked down. There are some serious deals to be had over there! Go check them out! Okay, that's it for now. I hope every had a wonderful holiday and that the New Year brings you much prosperity. Catch you in 2012!

Copic colors used:

skin - E11, E00, E000, R20

hair - E15, E13, Y21, Y11

reds - R59, R29, R22

greens - G28, G24, G21

grays - C5, C3, C1

Challenge #109 at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps: Tag Time!

2011-12-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hi, everybody! It has been a crazy weekend so far and it has JUST started...LOL! Thank goodness I made this card a couple of days ago, so I didn't have to scramble for an idea at the last minute ;D

The theme this week at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps challenge blog is Tag Time! Just create a tag or a card with a tag on it and enter the challenge for an opportunity to win a fun KKS image. The projects from the DT this week are stellar and you'll definitely want to pop into the challenge blog to check them out.

This week I'm using a sassy image that goes by name of Raychel. I just adore that little kissy-face and that kicked up heel. She is soooo much fun!

Also, don't forget to stop by the blog for the 12 Days of Christmas. Kimmie is featuring some of her favorite creations throughout the year, each day on the blog. Fun stuff!

I know this post is short, but I better head to bed for a catnap. It's 3:00am and I need to be up at 7:00am to teach a card class. I usually try not to teach in the mornings, but I'm going to a dinner party tomorrow night, so I had to juggle my schedule and it's not purty...LOL!

Hope your weekend is going is great! Catch ya later...until next time, stay krafty!

Challenge #76 at Tiddly Inks - White Christmas

2011-12-12T23:45:00.003-07:00

Welcome back! Today is Tuesday and it's time for a new challenge at Tiddly Inks! This week the theme is White Christmas and your challenge is to create a predominantly white holiday card.

I used Lillie Claire's - Sweet Christmas Dreams and she is sporting one big candy cane! I have to confess. I have only included one photo of my card today because my reds on the candy cane were completely out of control and no matter how much I tried to clean them up, the reds just continued to bleed. There was so much bleeding I might as well refer to it as the Candy Cane Chainsaw Massacre...LOL! Anywho, I did not do Lillie Claire justice which is a real shame because she is an adorable image.

Head to the Tiddly Ink's Challenge Blog and you'll find a ton of fabulous cards from the DT that will inspire you AND you'll also see that their reds didn't bleed ;D Don't forget to stop by Christy's blog, cuz you just never know what she's up to and what little surprises you'll find on her blog.

Okay, I better scoot! Until next time, stay crafty!

AlbuKirky Seasonings is having a sale!

2011-12-12T12:26:00.001-07:00

Calling all Foodies! As many of you know, my husband Kirk is "the" Kirk behind AlbuKirky Seasonings. He's skilled in the kitchen and even more so behind a smoker or a grill. A year ago, he launched his AlbuKirky Seasoning's brand and has steadily added new products to his line. He now has 3 spice blends in his online store and, of course, his flagship red chile based BBQ Sauce. To celebrate his first tasty year in business he's having a sale and all products are only $5.00 a bottle + S&H. Yes, you read that correctly...only $5.00 a bottle + S&H. These products make wonderful stocking stuffers for the holidays and are great additions in gift baskets for those special culinary aficionados on your shopping list. Why not treat yourself to a few bottles, as well.

Visit Kirk's online store to take full advantage of this offer throughout the month of December. Also, "like" his AlbuKirky Seasoning's Facebook page and receive notifications of future specials and blog updates featuring his recipes. Speaking of his blog, why not head over there and become a follower while you're out and about in Blogland :)

A tangy blend with a spicy red chile base. The BBQ rub is used to season this delectable elixir. This sauce is not your typical sweet sauce. Delicious on beef, pork, and chicken.

This is where it all started. This spice blend was years in the making, but the results were well worth the wait. Add a Southwest kick to meats, veggies, potatoes...the list is endless.

Is green chile more your flavor profile? This is the rub for you! A green chile base makes this blend particularly excellent on chicken, pork and fish. We hear it does good things for scrambled eggs, too.

The latest addition to the AlbuKirky Seasonings family. This is a simple steakhouse blend of salt, pepper, garlic and other secret spices that elevates the flavor of beef to a whole new taste level. Enhance the quality of your steaks and burgers with a dash or two of this all purpose blend that no kitchen should be without. We've already had a number of repeat customers for this product.

Krafty Release Day at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!

2011-12-10T22:35:00.001-07:00

Do YOU know what day it is??? It’s Krafty RELEASE Day and it’s our last release of the year!! Today Kraftin’ Kimmie Stamps is releasing their new DECEMBER stamps and there’s SO much awesomeness to SEE!!

Over the last few days in our Krafty Peeks, we have shared lots of FUN new stamps for you to get inky with! We’ve got something for everyone!! There is a fun new SET by Cheryl Alger for the little ladies in your life!! It’s called SUGAR AND SPICE! We also have TWO fantastic sets of VALENTINES from Emilie Goulet called LOTS OF LOVE 1 AND LOTS OF LOVE 2!!! And of course we have an amazing new set of six ALICE IN WONDERLAND stamps from Annie Rodrigue! PLUS we are also releasing a coordinating set of WONDERLAND SENTIMENTS!! You will get to see most of the new images today as you sit back and enjoy our DECEMBER Krafty Hop! If you want to start from the beginning, just head over to the Kraftin’ Kimmie Challenge Blog! As you hop from blog to blog, be sure to leave a comment at each and every stop because some lucky stampers will win packages of these incredible stamps from the new release!! And when you’re done hoppin’, be sure to head over to the Kraftin’ Kimmie shop, because ALL the new images are NOW available!

And of course, as always, we have our Gimme Kimmies Kits available for those of you who ‘need it all’!! (You’ve been buying presents for everyone else all month long….don’t you think it’s time to reward your krafty self a little bit??!! ) The stamps are grouped together by artist and are available at a discount, but only for a limited time!!

I miraculously have 2 cards for the hop, but it was completely by accident. The card featuring the Cheshire Cat should have been posted for yesterdays release and challenge post, but due to my inability to follow instructions, I failed to remember that the challenge was to follow a sketch. UGH! Certainly not a very good way to rock my Guest Designer duties! Thank goodness that Kimmie is a super sweet lady with an understanding spirit :) My second card features the Red Queen and I created this card for my fabulous craftin' buddy, Denise. She had a birthday recently and LOVES the Kimmie images, so I thought I would make her something special. I gave it to her yesterday and she seemed to really like it ;)

I bet you arrived from Annie's amazing blog and were greeted with some of her incredible art work. Your next stop on the hop is Jeanne's blog and she is sure to inspire you with something fabulous. If at any point you get lost in the hop, head back to Kraftin' Kimmie's Challenge Blog and she will get you back on track with the complete hop list.

Off you go...enjoy!!!

More of December's Krafty Peeks!

2011-12-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to Day 2 of December's Krafty Peeks! Today's peeks feature designs by Emilie Goulet and I must say, I absolutely "LOVE" them...lol! In fact, they are filled to the brim with "LOVE" as that is the theme of Emilie's latest release.

My character "du jour" is this amorous feline sporting an armful of Valentine's day gifts. What a charmer this guy is! He was fun to color. I tried turning him into a tabby cat, but I'm not sure if I was successful or not. Oh well, I still had a good time ;D

You'll want to head to Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps blog to see what the DT created and to leave comments on all their blogs. Kimmie will randomly pick a winner from all of the comments and you might just win some of these fabulous new stamps!

While you're here, feel free to enter my Blog Candy Giveaway. Click here to visit the post and see what I have up for grabs. Some great stuff including some Kimmie stamps!

Don't forget to come back tomorrow for Day 3 of December's Krafty Peeks!

Until then, stay krafty!

December's Krafty Peeks!

2011-12-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

Pardon me, do you know the time? Gotcha! That was just a ruse to get your attention. I know exactly what time it is. It's time to reveal December's Krafty Peeks at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps! I am very honored to be one of December's Guest Designers and even more honored to be able to participate in the Krafty Peeks all week long.

Today's featured Krafty Artist is Cheryl Alger and her images this month come as a set of 3 called "Sugar and Spice", and include 5 coordinating sentiments. These designs are crazy fun to color and I just love the sweet expressions on their faces. Check them out on the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps blog where you'll find the awesome designs of the DT waiting for you. Be sure to leave a comment while you're there and also hit all the blogs of the Krafty Girls, because you never know if you might be randomly selected to win some stamps.

Come back tomorrow and we'll show you more Krafty Peeks. The excitement continues the rest of the week and then Sunday we're having a huge blog hop to showcase all of the newly released images! I can't wait!!!

Phew! I need to calm down...LOL!

See you tomorrow! Until then, stay krafty!

A Tim Holtz Christmas Part 2

2011-12-06T23:09:00.001-07:00

Hey, everybody! Welcome back! I want to begin this post by saying a big giant "thank you" to all of the folks who have joined my giveaway. If you haven't signed up yet, there is still plenty of time before the contest closes, which is December 31st.

Today I am sharing the second of 2 cards I created for a Tim Holtz inspired Christmas Card class I am teaching this Firday. Neither card uses Copics or stamping! Can you believe it?! Instead, we'll dig deep into our grade school art class skills chest and paint, glue, glitter, and dye these cards.

I had such a good time making these 2 cards and using a number of Tim's techniques. He's been sharing so many with the 12-tags of Christmas, my head is spinning with ideas.

If you are in the Albuquerque area and would like to take this class with me send me an email at cvaladez@comcast.net. The class is this Friday (December 9th) from 1:00pm - 5:00pm at Harwood United Methodist Church located at 420 San Lorenzo.

I'll keep this post short. Time to pay the Sandman a little visit...lol!

Come back tomorrow because the Krafty Peeks begin over at the Kraftin' Kimmie blog. You're going love this new release!

Challenge #75 at Tiddley Inks - Ooh La La!

2011-12-05T23:40:00.001-07:00

Hello, good people of Blogland! I hope you are staying warm at your end of the keyboard. It is quite chilly here in the Duke City and Mother Nature is still attempting to douse us with snow. In some parts of the city she has been successful, in other parts, namely mine, not so much. Ah, well, maybe that's a good thing, but the 12 year old inside of me is really wanting to see some white stuff :D

Speaking of snow and the holidays, Tiddly Inks has a brand new challenge this week and you are going to love it. Everybody is being challenged to create an Ooh La La type card, you know, a card to warm things up...something a bit on the sexy side, if you will. I used Crafty Devil and she is perfect for this challenge! Right down to her Naughty or Nice list...lol! I cheated a bit and added the Naughty or Nice part myself ;D

A couple of things about this card...I created the mottled background by heavily sponging Fired Brick Red Distress Ink onto a white circle die cut panel and then spritzing it with water. The water reacts with the dye based ink and basically makes the ink bleed. I love that! Also, I hit the miniature ornament section of my local Hobby Lobby hard the other day. All of the ornaments were half off, so I went looking for the tiniest ornaments and decor I could possibly find so that I could use them on my cards. I hit the mother load! I picked up a ton of tiny trims designed to decorate smaller table top trees. They are perfect for cards. No, you're not going to be able to mail your card in a standard envelope once you add them, but I usually do a bubble mailer anyway, so no big deal. Plus, I picked them up for practically nothing. I think I paid $1 for a package of 12 decorative balls. That's a heck of a lot cheaper than most embellishments in the paper crafting section of the store. Anyway, keep that in mind next time you head to Michael's or Hobby Lobby. You might be surprised at the treasures you will find ;D

Before I go, be sure to head to the Tiddly Inks challenge blog and check out all of the uber-fabulous cards my fellow DT-ers have created to inspire you. Also, be sure to stop by Christy's blog. She usually has lots of fun surprises waiting to be discovered. Finally, don't forget to hit the shop for all of the latest and greatest Tiddly Ink images and designs. There is truly something for everybody :D

A Tim Holtz Inspired Christmas Card Class

2011-12-04T00:10:00.001-07:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Not because there's piles of snow on the ground, because sadly, here in Albuquerque, after a recent less than stellar effort to squeeze out a few flakes, Mother Nature has ultimately left us high and dry. Instead, we rely on other ways to identify the onslaught of the Yuletide. Every year, December 1st marks the first day in an age old tradition that many of us hold dear in our hearts. Okay, so maybe "age old" is a bit of an exaggeration. I think it's been around 4 years now but that just doesn't have the same ring. If you follow my blog, you already know I not only use a lot of embellishments on my cards, but in my stories, as well...ha! Anyway...we wait for this event with extreme anticipation and salivate at the thought of the eye-candy to come. 'Tis the season when a good lot of us crazy crafters trample each other in a virtual stampede each morning to see what gift our craft guru, The Sultan of Grunge, Tim Holtz, has whipped up to share with us. Yes, I'm talking about the 12-Tags of Christmas.

Some folks play along, day by day, using the inspiration laid out before them to create utterly breathtaking works of art. I never seem to carve out the time. Last year, I made one tag. Tsk, tsk. This year is not looking much better, even though the 4 tags that have been revealed thus far are exceptional. However, I've been so insanely inspired that I've created a card that's an amalgamation of several of the techniques Timbo (that's what I call him) has shared to date.

I started by glittering a die cut deer using the technique Tim describes on his blog. Then I moved to the background and painted a piece of Kraft Resist paper with Black Soot Distress Stain, boy do I LOVE that stuff. I set it aside to thoroughly dry and then embossed it with a Swirly Cuttle Bug folder. I then sanded off some of the black to let those fab swirls show through. I painted the Snowflake border with Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint and let it do it's thang. Next, I swiped Evergreen Bough Distress Ink onto a long piece of seam binding, misted it with water, crumpled it up by hand and sat it aside to dry. I picked up the crazy cute pine cones at Michael's and they were already painted with no additional preparation needed. A couple of stamped images on a small tag and my card was ready to assemble.

I rather like this card. It was fun and by the end of it, I was completely inky, which is the true measure of a successful day in the old craft room. This is one of two Tim Holtz themed cards I'll be teaching this Friday, December 9th, from 1:00pm - 5:00pm at Harwood United Methodist Church located at 420 San Lorenzo. If you're in the Albuquerque area and want to join me Friday, just send me a note via email at cvaladez@comcast.net. I'm working on a second card and it will include lots of TH inspired techniques, as well.

That's it for today, folks. Look for that second card in a day or two. Until then, stay crafty!

A New Challenge at Kraftin' Kimmies!

2011-12-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hey, all! Guess what? I'm up super late, or super early, depending on how you look at it, and it is SNOWING in Albuquerque. Better look quick, because it will be gone in the blink of an eye once the sun makes an appearance. I guess we'll just have to enjoy it while we can ;D

Speaking of snow, my card today features a bit of the white stuff on it, as well. Before I get to that, let me start by saying that this card is for the new Kraftin' Kimmie challenge and the theme is to Use Dry or Heat Embossing. Diana Pickering is hosting this week and she has used Takara on her card, which means that image is the prize for this go round. You have a week to join the fun, just be sure to include some sort of embossing on your card.

My card features Eva. Isn't she fun! I opted for a bit of dry embossing using the TH snowflake texture fade and then I sanded off some of the color to better expose the flakes. Designer Papers with a white core are perfect for this technique. A few Copic dots and a bit of embellishment using Liquid Pearls makes it appear that it's snowing, hopefully...lol!

Visit the shop and pick up some images and be sure to also stop by the blog where you'll find a number of fabulous stamps at a deep discount as part of the Frugal Friday Special. You'll also want to see what beautiful cards the DT created for the embossing challenge. By the way, this is my first official post as one of December's Krafty Guest Designers. So happy!

What are you waiting for? Break out that heat gun or embossing folder and get to stamping ;D

Copics used:
skin - E11, E02, E00, E000, R20
hair - E49, E37, E35, E31, E50
jeans - B97, B95, B93
sweater and red details - R59, R29, R22
boots and gray details - C7, C5, C3
blue green details - BG18, BG15, BG13, BG10
dots - B91, B000, B0000

Little So and So...

2011-12-02T00:00:00.001-07:00

Hey, all! How are you holding up at your end of the keyboard? It was been one heck of a cold, blustery day here in Albuquerque, as Winnie the Pooh might put it. Actually, it's blowing like the dickens out there. I don't even know what a "dickens" is or why it would be a good simile for my statement, but just pretend I know what I'm talking about. The wind is whipping around so hard that dirt and dust are coming in via the skylights, which is worrisome, because those skylights are practically brand new. Anyway, needless to say, it was perfect weather to stay inside and make a couple of cards and that's exactly what I did.

Christy at Tiddly Inks has released a new line of images called Little Somethings and these guys are so flipping adorable I wish I could pinch their wittle itty bitty cheeks ;D The crazy cute little fellow I used on my card is called "Little So and So" and as soon as I saw his name, I knew I would have to use him on something. Plus he has that whole Where the Wild Things Are look about him, so I couldn't resist.

The Little Somethings are on sale right now, so head to the shop; you can practically pick them up for a song. Also, there's still time to enter the current challenge, because it was a two-weeker. Why not craft something cool and share it with us? We love to see the wonderful creations of the customers.

Okay, I best be signing off! Until next time, stay crafty!

November Bombshell Blog Hop!

2011-11-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

Well, hello my lovelies! It's the last Wednesday of the month and that means it's time for the monthly Bombshell Blog Hop. This month our Great and Powerful Empress of the Hop, Alison, has proclaimed November's theme to be a color challenge. Usually I dread a color challenge, because it can feel a bit restrictive, but this month Alison has selected a rockin' palette that celebrates the colors of Fall. Take a gander:

Choose a minimum of 3 of the colors and go to town. These hues are fabulous together and every time I see them I automatically think of Western Gal, which is a digi set available in the shop. I had some new papers from Authentique that I picked up last month and, lo and behold, they pretty much fall into this palette, as well. Alison must be a mind reader!

Okay, that's enough chit chat...you have some serious hopping to do today, so hit the list below because each stop is sure to have an awesome creation waiting to be discovered! Your next stop on the list is Stempelientje's fabulous blog. If you get lost along the way, head to the Bombshell Blog and it will get you back on track. Have fun!

Bombshell Blog: http://bombshellstamps.blogspot.com/
Alison: http://alisonsrandomthoughts.blogspot.com
Laura: http://craftylittlewoman.blogspot.com/
Mary G.: blog: http://www.mystampinhide-away.blogspot.com
Torrey: http://left-field-studio.blogspot.com/
Cheryl: http://inktrap.blogspot.com <---Hola! Tis me!
Stempelintje: http://stempelientje.blogspot.com/
Kelli: http://www.cajunstampingqueen.blogspot.com
Alaine: http://missalaineousmosaics.blogspot.com/
Glittery Katie: http://ferrishyn-frontier.blogspot.com/
Celina Anthony: http://poniesandcrafts.blogspot.com
Paula: http://heyheypaula-heyheypaula.blogspot.com/
Milo: http://milolilja.net
Sparkly Mary (The Birthday Girl!): http://sparkly-train.blogspot.com/
Alex: http://paperandstring.blogspot.com/

Kathi: http://kathstales.blogspot.com

A fun announcement and a new Kraftin' Kimmie Challenge!

2011-11-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a couple of days since the big meal, are you beginning to stir from your turkey and carb induced coma? Actually, I was lucky enough to celebrate twice by spending Thursday feasting at my mom and dad's house and Friday stuffing myself with my husband's family. Hmmm, that's one of those sentences that really takes on a different meaning depending on how it's read. Let me clarify, I don't mean that I ate my husband's family, instead I ate with my husband's family. Anyway, you know what I mean.

While the food was delicious at both meals, it was the time spent with family I cherished the most. A quick glance through the laundry list of blessings that have been bestowed upon me makes me ever so grateful and abundantly humble. My family, my husband and his family, my friends both in and out of the crafting community, my Blogland buddies, and of course, my furry feline babies, have all helped shape my little corner of this big blue marble. I am truly thankful for each and every one of you and because of you, my world is a better place.

The "thankful" theme carries over into this week's Kraftin' Kimmie Challenge. I know that wasn't a very smooth segue, but you'll have to forgive my clunkiness, because my brain is still not quite functioning at full capacity.

I have been invited to spend the month of December playing along with the ridiculously talented Kraftin' Kimmie Design Team and was able to kick it off a little early by joining this week's challenge, as well. As implied previously, the theme is "thanks, so thankful, or Thanksgiving" and I chose to work with Mizuki for my card. Kerry is the hostess for this challenge and if you hit the Kraftin' Kimmie Challenge Blog, you'll see that the design she has used on her card is the image that one lucky random winner will receive if they are selected. Get out those Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps and join the fun! Check out all of the Krafty Girls' creations while you are there, because they will undoubtedly "WOW" you.

Also, Kimmie is running an enormous sale in her shop from now until Monday. Most of her items are on special except for the newest ones and they are anywhere from 25- 75% off. I know! That is just

KRAZY! Now is the time to grab those images you have been eyeing for awhile and treat yourself to an early Christmas present. Go ahead, you deserve it *wink*

A New Video Tutorial for Color Me Copic Club!

2011-11-22T15:57:00.001-07:00

Hey, everybody! I'm back today with a video tutorial that I made for the Color Me Copic Club featuring dotty backgrounds with Copics. Carlene runs the show over at the Color Me Copic Club. What?! You don't know what the club is? Well, let me fill you in...members of the Color Me Copic Club share ideas and projects in a private Facebook forum and they receive 6 Copic marker colors each month specially selected to round out their Copic inventory. If they already own some of the colors selected, they just contact Carlene and request other colors instead. Carlene has created a pretty awesome Copic community and all the cool kids hang out there ;D She also has a fabulous online store chock-full of way cool paper crafting tools and supplies. Check it out at Pink Scrapper's Boutique.

Today's video features an easy technique that adds an interesting little detail to the backgrounds of stamped and digital images. Quick little random dots in an array of colors are great ways to showcase an image or provide a bit of fill for a space that might seem too open. If I had opted to stay a little lighter with my background dots on this project I could have probably added some spots of liquid appliqué or glitter to resemble snow. Instead, Lilli Claire - Warm Wishes (by Tiddly Inks), dressed in her gray coat and tights looks a tad goth to me so I went with some coordinating dots in gray, as well. Change up your colors to achieve different results...bright oranges and soft yellows might resemble sunlight...darker blues and violets might lend itself to a nighttime feel. I've added some compact dots in darker browns under her feet to mirror tiny pebbles or dirt, which I really like, but some bright greens mixed with olives to resemble grass would have been fun, too. Anything goes ;D

I've included the video at the bottom of this post, so I hope you'll stick around long enough to take a peek. Again, I had to fast forward through some of the coloring scenes, just because I am a babbler and don't know when to stop talking. Watching the video, you'd think I was actually holding a conversation with someone. Hmmm...crazy? Perhaps! Ooops...there I go again...LOL!

Before I dash, I wanted to thank the wonderful ladies who joined me Saturday at Harwood United Methodist Church for a small, but fun, Beginning Copic Class. It was really nice that we were able to gather and play a bit. I also want to thank Harwood UMC for generously allowing us to use their fellowship hall for our class. Pastor Cheri was so kind and showed me around their facility including their Abundant Grace Free Store. It's a humble store that's abuzz with activity as a number of cheerful volunteers accept donated home goods from a steady stream of kind folks, and assist others who may have found themselves in a time of need. The whole facility was filled with a powerful positive energy. You could literally feel it in the air. If you are in or near the Albuquerque area and have some household items that might benefit someone else through a domestic items relocation program, consider Harwood UMC. They are good people :) Read more about their free store here.

Thanksgiving Day is just around the corner, literally! Do you have your bird, yet? What's on your holiday menu? Whatever it may be, I hope you enjoy it among the warmth and love of family and friends :)

Copic colors used:
skin - E11, E00, E000, R20
hair - E15, E13, Y21, Y11
reds - R39, R29, R22
grays - C5, C3, C1
white details - BG10, B0000
background dots - C7, C5, C3, C1, C0, B01, BG10, B000
ground dots - E49, E37, E35, E31

A New Challenge at The Octopode: Things with Wings

2011-11-18T00:16:00.001-07:00

Hey, all! I'm back to join Lily's latest challenge at The Octopode Factory. Do you ever play along with these challenges? You should, because at the end of the month, Lily throws everyone's name into the hat (so to speak) and draws a random winner to receive a gift certificate for use in her shop.

These images are off-the-wall amazing! The theme this week is Things with Wings and I think I still have a little bit of leftover candy corn coursing through my veins, so I had to go with Halloween again. I know, it is long gone, but I just can't help myself. Halloween makes me happy ;D Today I used Pumpkin Border and the Owls set.

Stop by the The Octopode Factory Blog and and see what mischief the DT has been up to. And don't forget to the join the challenge ;D

Catch ya' later!

Did you miss me?

2011-11-15T22:53:00.000-07:00

Hey, all! I've been out of commission for what seems like forever, but I'm back now. We had a devastating event shake up our arts and crafts community here in Albuquerque last week (you can read it about it here) and that kept me away from my blog for a few days. Not only because I wanted to help out, but also because it put me into a funk of sorts and I just didn't feel like making anything. BUT...now I'm back and I'm itching to make some cards!

Originally I didn't think I was going to have a card made in time for this week's Tiddly Inks challenge, but low and behold, I managed to crank something out. Of course, I didn't finish it in time to make into the TI post, but I get to join the fun from the sidelines, never-the-less.

The entire month of November, the theme at the Tiddly Inks challenge blog is, your favorite and mine, Anything Goes. This time I opted for a bit of romance with this sweet image called, You and Me. This is the second time I've used this image and I just love it. It reminds me of Buttercup and Westley from The Princess Bride. Do movies get any better than that one? I think not!

Do you see that fancy black die cut framing my plain white circle die cut? I received that from Pink Scrappers Boutique the other day. It's my friend, Carlene's, shop. You should really check it out. She has such amazing items at really good prices! AND...the shipping was lightening fast!

Anyway, while you're out and about tooling around on the Internet, stop by the TI challenge blog and see what my talented teammies are up to this week. Your sure to be inspired to create something fabulous!

Later, crafty people of Blogland!

Copics used:

woman -

skin - E11, E01, E00, E000, R20

hair - E13, Y21, Y00, Y000

dress - BG09, BG05, BG02, BG01

man -

skin - E11, E00, E000

hair - E37, E35, E31, E50

jacket - E43, E42, E41, E40

pants - C5, C3, C1

shoes - E37, E35, E31

No Lines Technique

2011-11-08T23:32:00.002-07:00

Hey, all! It's been a few days...five to be exact! That's right, 5 days without making a card or breaking out the Copics. In fact, yesterday I even sat down and read a book for awhile. What was I thinking? The coloring bug didn't hit me until this morning and then I had to do something, so I decided to jump on the No Lines bandwagon and give it a go. It was fun, but I must admit, it did take some time to get this image colored up. Probably twice as long as it would normally take me and I'm no zippy colorer to begin with.

First, I had to select an image. It couldn't be too detailed or that would be a real bear to color, but it couldn't be too simple either, because that might actually be less forgiving. I settled on this beautiful image by Krista Smith (Saturated Canary) for Simply Sassy Stamps and it is called Fairy Tale. Next, I needed to find a fairly light ink that was compatible with Copic Markers. I've been hoarding stamping supplies for roughly 14 years now, so you would think this would be pretty easy...not so. My favorite ink is Memento and while I own no less than 6 ink pads in black, the only colored pads I have are Summer Sky, Bamboo Leaves, and Rich Cocoa...none of which would fit the bill for this process. I finally rummaged around and came up with a Memories Ink pad in Sand. Not my favorite ink for Copics, but it would have to do.

I started as I normally would, by coloring the face, then the rest of the skin. This is one of those techniques that you really have to stick with, because it does not look like much until you really commit and get further into the process. The scary part was drawing all of the details back in, such as the eyes, strands of hair, and the checked pattern on the sleeves and the sash. PHEW! There is no worse feeling than getting deep into the process and then blowing it all by giving her a lazy eye...LOL! Anyway, I survived and I had a good time playing around with this technique. I'm sure I will break it out again once I forget how long it actually took me to complete this image...ha!

I want to give a shout out to one of my card making buddies who just started a new blog. Her name is Denise and she tried this technique last week and achieved amazing results with it. Check out her gorgeous No Lines card here. Please visit her blog and leave her a little love while you're there. Heck, why not even sign up as a follower? Remember how excited you were when you first started your blog and folks started following you? Yep, it's an awesome feeling! In fact, to this day, I still get all goose-bumpy ;D

Okay, folks, that's it for now! I've listed my Copic colors below. I know it's really random when I decide to list them, but many times I just downright forget to do it. The ol' noggin just ain't what it used to be ;D Until next time, stay crafty!

Copics used:
skin - YR00, E51, YR000, E50, R20 (cheeks)
eyes - E35, E31, G24, G21, G20
lips - R21
hair - E15, E13, E11, Y21, Y00
dress - R59, R29, R22
lace - R22, R20, C0
black details - C7, C5, C3, C1

I'm entering this card in this week's Saturated Canary Challenge.

A New Challenge at the Octopode: Friends!

2011-11-04T00:00:00.000-06:00

Hey, all! I'm back today with a card featuring images from one of the funkiest companies on the net...The Octopode. I LOVE these images! They are so quirky and original, I just can't get enough of them! I practically begged Lily to let me join the team so I could play along once in a while. She was kind enough to oblige me ;D

Today I'm using images from the Alice in Wonderland set. Aren't they fun?! What we have here is Lily's re-imagining of the Cheshire Cat, and Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. If you're interested in checking out these images or Lily's other fantastic designs, visit her shop on Etsy HERE. While you're there, pick up some images and join the fun by creating a "friend" themed card or project. There's a monthly prize drawing, which means you could win a gift certificate to spend in the shop!

While you're flittering about Blogland, stop by The Octopode Challenge Blog and see what the DT is up to. I guarantee, you will be blown away!

Ok, I best keep it short tonight ;D Sleep is sneaking up on me. Until next time, stay crafty!

El Dia de los Muertos

2011-11-02T03:05:00.000-06:00

Today is El Dia de los Muertos and though I haven't created anything new, I went through my cards and decided I would share some Day of the Dead themed projects I have created in years past. If you're not familiar with this observance I'll give a brief rundown in a nutshell.

November 1st marks the beginning of a 2-day celebration observed by the Mexican people to honor the souls of family and loved ones who have passed away. November 1st, also known as All Saints Day, honors the memories of the children and November 2nd, otherwise known as All Souls Day, honors the memories of the adults.

Rituals and celebrations include maintenance and cleaning of the grave sites, the creation of altars sharing the dearly departed's favorite food and drink, and gathering of family members to share stories and anecdotes regarding the deceased. Altars include orange marigolds, sugar skulls, and pan de muerto (bread of the dead), as offerings to entice the souls of the dead back to earth to spend an evening with the living.

Rituals of a similar nature have been observed in Mexican cultures as far back as 2,500 - 3,000 years ago, however, one of the most popular images connected with the holiday appeared much more recently. In the late 1800's Jose Guadalupe Posada began illustrating what many consider to be early political cartoons regarding the Mexican government and the severe separation of classes between the poverty stricken and the wealthy citizens of Mexico. He created La Calavera de la Catrina, a wealthy Mexican upper-class female donning a fancy hat decorated with feathers and various finery. She was depicted as a skeleton implying that no matter how differently we live in life, even if we are afforded every luxury, we all end up dead in the end. During my forays on the Internet, I have also run across theories, that Posada was also mocking the wealthy Mexican citizens for trying to emulate the decadent lifestyles of rich Europeans. Posada created a series of these political cartoons and was considered to be a very controversial figure during this period.

It was only a matter of time before Posada's infamous La Catrina imagery became connected to the rituals of Dia de los Muertos. Today, La Catrina remains as one of the most popular and recognizable symbols for this intriguing celebration.

My parents never actively participated in El Dia de los Muertos rituals when I was growing up, maybe because we are a culturally blended family, but mostly because I'm sure my father would consider it to be a bunch of nonsense. Ah, what a stubborn fellow, my dad. I do, however, remember attending my grandmother's funeral when I was a little girl and being very nervous. I didn't know what to expect and not having a complete grasp on the concept of "death" at such an early age, I was left to draw my own scary conclusions, as only a child can do. After a very tasteful and respectful service presided over by my uncle, we attended a reception, and I can't remember if it was at my grandmother's house or perhaps at the church. What I do remember is that there were a lot of people there...relatives, friends, people in the community who came to pay their respects, and what began as a very somber event quickly turned into a party-like atmosphere. Folks sat around and reminisced about my grandmother, sharing stories and laughter. Food was a never-ending buffet of dishes that arrived with each attendee, ensuring that everyone went home filled to the brim with enchiladas, chili, beans, tortillas, etc. And there were high octane libations, as well...lots of beer and the occasional bottle of tequila. I have never been to a funeral since then where all the guests were having such a good time, except when my best friend's father passed away. Again, everyone mourned and cried during the service, but the reception following was joyous and celebratory. This too was a Mexican funeral.

As I think back on it now, I can't help but liken both services somewhat to El Dia de los Muertos rituals where the message is not as much about the life lost, as it is about the life lived, and I really respect that.

A New Challenge at Tiddly Inks: Anything Goes!

2011-11-01T00:08:00.000-06:00

Hi Everybody! How was your Halloween? Did you dress up and take the kiddos out for a bit of good spirited panhandling? Since we don't have kids and the cats are not much for dressing up in costumes, we just spent a quiet evening at home. We did, however, catch 3 episodes of a new show that seems more than appropriate for this time of year, American Horror Story. This show is so off the wall crazy, creepy, and genuinely frightening, I practically sat glued to the TV with my mouth agape the whole evening. Don't get me wrong, this is NOT a family show. It is a modern ghost story with lots of adult situations and it airs on FX, so they get away with a bit more...ummm...creative story-telling. I'm completely addicted. There's a new episode on Wednesday so I've got to squeeze in 2 more episodes between now and then. I don't think it'll be a problem.

Okay, I know you're not just here to find out about my television viewing preferences, even though they are impeccable...LOL! Instead, you're interested in the new challenge at Tiddly Inks. This week, it's a good one. My absolute favorite...Anything Goes. In fact, the theme for the entire month of November is going to be Anything Goes! How great is that!

Today I'm using Cast a Spell and she is available in the Tiddly Inks shop. I love her "magical" personae and felt that it was crying out for bling. And bling is what I gave her...lol! I even included a tiny vial filled with a powerful spell designed to craft good fortune to all who call upon it. The spell is so filled with creative goodness it even resembles glitter. Ok, it IS glitter. You busted me, okay?! LOL!

You'll want to head over to the Tiddly Inks Challenge blog and check out all the wonderful creations that the DT has whipped up for you and also drop in on Christy's blog where she'll undoubtedly have some surprises.

Okay, better scoot! Catch ya' later!

Raven's Birthday Blog Hop!

2011-10-28T00:16:00.000-06:00

I'm back with a double duty card. Don't you love it when a project serves a couple of purposes. I know I do ;D

First of all, my blog buddy Raven is having a birthday extravaganza this weekend and she is celebrating with a huge blog hop. I met Raven through Bombshell Stamps and the funny thing is, she lives right here in Albuquerque! We haven't met in person yet, but I'm sure our paths will cross soon :)

Believe it or not, no Copic markers were harmed in the creation of this card...lol! Yep, that's right. Not a single drop! Instead, I opted to use a very cool skelly image from Deadbeat Designs as my focal point. He seems to be rejoicing that we are celebrating Raven's birthday :D I love this happy guy. When I started putting this card together, I was stumped for a layout. Whenever that happens, I always hop over to Amy Sheffer's blog, Pickled Paper Designs. Her blog is bursting at the seams with inspiration and I know that whenever I visit, I will leave with lots of creative ideas. Here's the card layout that I lifted from Amy ;D

In addition to creating this card for Raven's birthday celebration, I made 9 more just like it and shipped them off to my sister-in-law, Diane, about a week ago. We had talked about a completely different design for her Halloween cards this year, but I went in the opposite direction at the very last minute. I'm sure she's used to it by now...or at least, I hope she is...lol! I actually rather like this design quite a bit :)

Okay, enough yammering from me...there's a blog hop happening and time's a wasting! Here's the hop list, so just run right down the sites and see what birthday surprises Raven's buddies cooked up for her!

Happy Birthday, Raven! I hope your day is fabulous!

Christel Young Bonner

Cheryl Valadez <---Hola! That's me!

Brynn Thornburgh

Abby Scrapbookaholic

Guest Designer Call at Kraftin' Kimmie!

2011-10-27T00:00:00.000-06:00

Hey, all! I'm back today to share a card with you featuring my absolute favorite Kraftin' Kimmie stamp image, the one and only, Charlotte. One look and it's easy to see that she is seriously up to no good. Those bedraggled baby dolls have obviously seen better days and that smirk on Charlotte's face means that you should probably check for spiders under your pillow or garden snakes in your bath. Hahaha! She is not to be trusted ;D

I broke Charlotte out for an appearance, because Kraftin' Kimmie is doing some celebrating. Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps is turning 2 and this is the 100th challenge on her blog. WOW! A couple of giant milestones! Congratulations to Kimmie and her lovely designers and artists for making Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps a virtual amusement park of inspiration and creativity! I don't always get a chance to join the fun, but I do swing by the challenge blog frequently to see what Kimmie and the Krafty Girls are up to. Plus mom keeps me in stock with all of the latest and greatest Kraftin' Kimmie images. Yep, you heard that right. My mother frequently mails me Kraftin' Kimmie Care Packages, because she's such a doll and I am a 44 year old spoiled brat...LOL! Love you, mom!

Anyway, in addition to the regularly scheduled challenge, Kimmie is offering one lucky participant the opportunity to play along with the Krafty Girls for the month of December and also receive some of her fabulous stamps. All she's asking is that we create a card featuring our favorite Kraftin' Kimmie image. When I read that, I knew immediately which one I would use ;D

How about you? What's your favorite? What are you waiting for? Break it out, get it inky, and get your Kraftin' Kimmie creation linked up on this post on the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps blog. See you there ;D

Monthly Bombshell Blog Hop: A Very Skelly Halloween

2011-10-26T02:18:00.000-06:00

Hey, everybody! It's the last Wednesday of the month and you know what that means. It's time for the monthly Bombshell Blog Hop! This month, our Blog Hop Mistress Extraordinaire, Alison, has challenged us to use a skeleton or skull somewhere on our project. Gosh this was a toughy, 'cuz I just don't have very many skull and skelly stamps...NOT! Actually, I DON'T have many...I have TONS!!! LOL! The hardest part was narrowing it down to just the right image.

After much hemming and hawing, I finally settled on the Altar Sugar Skull set. Be sure to visit the Bombshell Stamps shop so you can see all of the skull and skelly images they have to offer. Seriously, it is the absolute best selection of Dia de los Muertos images I have yet to run across and you know I would never steer you wrong.

I'm going through this phase, where I feel I need to glue a bunch of stuff to each of my cards and this one is no exception. If postage on a single card is less than $2.00, then I haven't done my job and definitely need to glue some more stuff to it...lol!

Also, I have a confession. You see that sentiment on the bottom of my card? Yes, you've seen it many times before. Truth is, I stamped a bunch of these for a class and had lots leftover, so when I need a quick and tiny sentiment, I just reach for one of these. I don't know why I'm coming clean on this, but you're a good listener and I feel I can trust you to keep my secret ;D

Anyway, enough of that! LOL! Time to hop! Start at the Bombshell Blog and go down the list to soak in every creation the dt and friends came up with. This is truly the best hop yet and these projects are freakin' insane! You better prop your chin up 'cuz it's gonna hit the floor, now get started.

Cheryl <---HOLA!

A card and a new video tutorial!

2011-10-21T03:26:00.003-06:00

Hey, everybody! I'm just popping in super quick to share a new video tutorial I put together for the Color Me Copic Club the other night and a look at the card I created using the image.

In my video, I didn't focus on a particular technique. Instead I opted to make the predominant color families my focal point, those being red and green. The image I used is called Santa by Kenny K and it's available at Kenny K Downloads if you want to take a closer look ;D His stuff is soooo dang cool and makes for a perfect pairing with the Copics.

Okay, I have to confess, I had a good time coloring the image, of course, but shooting the video was HARD! First of all, I don't know if you've noticed (of course you've noticed), but I'm a bit of a chatty Cathy. No offense to any "Cathy's" out there...lol! I do like to ramble on and it's never been more apparent than in this video. I needed to keep it under 15 minutes and I clocked in at 21minutes...YIKES! How was I going to slash 6 minutes? In a stroke of brilliance, or maybe just a case of indigestion, I decided that I would fast forward through a couple of parts. Yep, you guessed it...it's a little awkward and the transitions are not very smooth. Plus, I added text to these sections explaining that I was fast forwarding except that I stated..."This portion of the video has been sped up". Sped up? I'm not even using that phrase correctly. What's the matter with me? Did I experience a bit of grammar amnesia, or what I like to call Gramnesia? Ugh!

Onto horrible offense number 2. You probably won't have to look too closely to see that my nails look atrocious and not only that...I have a huge hang nail on my thumb. Gross! How unkempt you must think I am. Freddie Krueger has a better manicure than I do! Wonder where he gets his nails done.

And, last but certainly not least, horrible offense number 3. During my last video, which was my first, my lovely husband pointed out to me that my "crutch" word is "so". It's my awkward silence filler. Other folks prefer "and" or "um", but I like "so". I do it unconsciously, not even realizing it until he pointed it out to me. Now, I hear it and it is literally like nails on a chalkboard to my ears. I thought that I could get it under control for this video, but alas, I did not. College campuses across the nation will be using it as their newest drinking game. Drink a shot every time Cheryl says "so". They'll be face down on the floor after only 3 minutes in, but hey, I'll be famous, right?

SO...lol! I've got a LOT to learn still, but I love a challenge and eventually I'll make a decent video. Maybe I'll contact Scorsese for some pointers. He does that sort of thing for newbies, right?

Here's a link to my video. Again, be gentle ;)

Ms. October's Challenge at Bombshell Stamps: Think Pink

2011-10-19T03:09:00.000-06:00

It's confession time...I have been a bad, bad Bombshell and I am hanging my head in shame. This is the first challenge I've joined in a very loooooooong time. The thing is, I LOVE these stamps. These images are so unique and so wonderful to work with, I could just play with them everyday and be perfectly content. So why the lapse in challenges? Don't know. Just me being irresponsible and clinging to the coat tails of my super talented Bombshell Sistahs, I suppose. Well, starting now, I'm going to do gooder. Yep, that's incorrect grammar, but hopefully it makes the point.

Once again I hadn't prepared a card for the newest challenge, so at 11:00pm I started to feel really guilty... and I mean REALLY guilty. I thought "dang!", get your dang Copics out and color up a dang image, dang it! Insert stronger profanity where appropriate. Nope, stronger than that. Yep, you got it ;D Finally, at 2:30am I finished this card. I'm hoping my Bombshell mojo is back and I'll be cranking out stuff on a more regular basis now.

This challenge is brought to you by our current pin-up for October, Hey Hey Paula. She's a talented lady with a fabulous blog, so you will want take a spin around her site while you're tooling around Blog Land. She is challenging everyone to Think Pink in observance of Breast Cancer Awareness month. What a great theme!

I have used Rose's Portrait and Sacred Heart to create my card. The images are colored with Copics and I have the colors set aside to add to this post later today. It's 3:00am here now, so I best be packing away my guilt for the evening and call it a day. Head to the Bombshell Stamps Blog and see all of the exquisite samples the Bombshells have dreamed up for you. Nothing short of jaw-dropping! Most importantly, don't forget to play along because there are prizes to be had in a random drawing at the end of the month.

Until next time, stay crafty!

Copics used:

skin - E11, E02, E00, E000, R20

lips and eyes - R35, R32, YG45, YG41, B02, B000

hair - E15, E13, Y21, Y00

flowers - R35, R22, R21, R20

leaves - G28, G24, G21

additional colors on shawl - B02, B000, BG10, 0

A New Challenge at Tiddly Inks: Halloween

2011-10-18T00:23:00.000-06:00

Halloween is just around the corner, are you ready for it? Got your costume all squared away? Did you send out those party invitations? I didn't receive mine, just so you know ;D How about your Halloween cards? Are those finished? If they're not, you better get on the move, and if they are, how about squeezing one more in for the latest and greatest challenge at Tiddly Inks?

This week we're asking you to create something with a Halloween flair featuring a TI image. There's a number of wonderful images in the Tiddly Inks shop and something is bound to grab your attention. I opted to use Tainted from the Gothic Pin Up line. She was the perfect victim for my favorite green hued Copic complexion combo. I love this combo because it has an eerie glow to it, don't you agree?

The Tiddly Inks challenge blog is bursting at it's seams with spooky Halloween projects from the design team, so check it out and get inspired. Also stop by Christy's blog because you just never know what tricks or treats she might have up her sleeve ;D

My Copic colors are listed at the end of this post. Also, let me say a big "thank you" to the ladies who joined me Saturday for my impromptu Halloween card class at CP2 on Saturday. Yowza! You gals are rocking those Copics hard! Keep up the awesome work :D

Stay crafty!

Copics used:
skin - G05, G02, G00, G000
hair - BV04, BV02, BV01, C1, C00
shirt - R39, R29, R22
skirt - C7, C5, C3, C1

2011-10-14T00:47:00.000-06:00

Oh, hey. Whatcha doing? I'm sitting here watching Brain Games on National Geographic TV and I'm completely intrigued. This episode is devoted to the topic of Attention and how the brain interprets signals to form immediate assumptions, which may or may not be correct. It also touched on how the brain can be easily distracted and persuaded to miss important details. Point in case, a pick pocket demonstrated how simply he could distract his mark with animated gestures, quick dialogue, and the introduction of an unexpected object to completely disorient his victim and walk away with his valuables. I may not be any smarter for watching this how, but I know how to pick pockets now. Hey, it's good to have a back-up plan. Actually, I'm just kidding, this guy was a smooth dude and obviously excellent at slight-of-hand. Let's just say, I don't want to run into him on the street. The best part? A series of Brain Challenges or tests that you're asked to take along with the folks on the show. I'm a sucker for that sort of thing. How refreshing that I've found a new show to enjoy that doesn't include any of my standard favorites...a serial killer with a code, lusty vampires, slick ad men, or a meth making chemistry teacher. I almost feel cerebral right now...NOT! LOL!

Anyway...I actually do have a card to share with you today. I made this just for fun, which was pretty cool for a change. I used an image from Tiddly Inks called Sugar Angel and decided to get a little crazy with the glitter glue. Seriously, I have no idea what I was thinking when I took the Stickles to her hair. Poor girl...lol! You know how you really like something, but then you do that one teensy extra thing and you're left going..."meh"! So, yeah, the strands of glitter in her hair...not such a good thing. I even tried to DISTRACT the viewer with some bling (haha), but not even my crafty slight-of-hand could help this chica's do. Oh, well. While you're out and about, why not swing by the Tiddly Inks challenge blog and see what my crafty sistahs are up to today ;D

Catch ya later! Until then, stay crafty!

Impromptu Card Class Saturday at CP2

2011-10-11T22:29:00.000-06:00

I want to thank the folks who joined Anne and I for our collaboration class this past Saturday. Ladies, your shrines ROCKED!!! I loved seeing how everybody personalized their piece by adding their own touches to make it a unique, one of a kind work of art. Amazing!

Speaking of classes, I added an impromptu class to the CP2 calendar for this coming Saturday at 1:00pm. You know, I totally dig Dia de los Muertos and my last few classes have focused on this amazing Mexican celebration, but deep down inside, I also have a penchant for "cute". Yep, I love me some "cute" once in a while. Therefore, it was only fair to try and squeeze in a "cute" Halloween card class before October passed me by.

The images on these cards are by Stampendous and colored with Copics. I tried to keep the palette simple, so I didn't use as many colors as I might normally use. Felt flowers are easy and fun to create, and the addition of googly eyes makes them perfect embellishments for my theme. A few cool papers and some simple accessories is all that's needed to finish these cards off.

If you're going to be in the Albuquerque area on Saturday afternoon and you want to get your "cute" on call the shop and hang out with me for a couple of hours ;D

The Octopode Design Team Call

2011-10-08T22:30:00.000-06:00

Looking to join a design team consisting of the perfect combination of Edginess and Quirk? Have I got a team for you! Lily Chilvers, Artist Extroardinaire at The Octopode, is looking to add a couple of card makers to her designers. Do you think you might be a good fit? Head to Lily's blog to check out the details. I would love to see a couple of my blog buddies join our motley crew! Good luck ;D

A New Challenge at The Octopode: Music!

2011-10-07T02:34:00.000-06:00

I'm back today with something a little different...at least, for me. The challenge this week at The Octopode is Music, so rather than go with literal choices, I decided I would use Frida and give my piece a surreal dream-like twist. Frida was a fairly surreal artist, so I figured that would give me free reign to do whatever I wanted. Sort of like cheating...lol.

I started with a flat canvas, something I never play around with. I can't even begin to explain what I did with the background, but I do know that it wasn't until I added glossy Mod-Podge that the magic happened, therefore, I have concluded that Mod-Podge must be Latin for "magic" ;D

I added a couple of skull beads to my butterflies. I asked my husband if he had anything that I might use to file the backs of the beads down in order for them to sit flatter on my canvas. He promptly headed to the garage and fiddled around in his dusty (because it's hardly ever-used) tool chest, and came back with a Dremmel drill...brand new, never been desecrated, the bits all sealed tightly in their plastic packages. What has two thumbs and just got themselves a brand new Dremmel? This girl...hahaha! It did the trick, too...VROOM...it filed those beads down like a hot knife through butter.

Check out the The Octopode's Challenge Blog and see what awesomeness the DT is up to. Then head over to Lily's shop on Etsy for a gander at all of her fabulous images. Love these characters!

Catch ya later...until next time, stay crafty!

A Dia de los Muertos collaboration class at CP2 this Saturday!

2011-10-05T10:11:00.000-06:00

When Anne originally asked me teach a collaboration project class with her at China Phoenix 2, I was honored and a bit intimidated. Anne is a book/box making expert and she has an unbelievable love for paper. She runs her own online craft company, Craft Fantastic, and in the past, she's owned a number of paper specialty stores around Albuquerque. If you've ever seen her work up close...it is impeccable. Every detail is perfect and her skilled craftsmanship is unmistakable. Oh yeah, and it's BEAUTIFUL!

This is our third collaboration project and let's just say, she continues to amaze me, AND I am still intimidated. I chose the theme for this go round, so I decided that this time of year called for a Dia de los Muertos type piece. I was absolutely not prepared for what she gave me. It was exquisite and absolutely did not need any altering from me. She constructed a shrine/stage completely from scratch, covered it in gorgeous dictionary text and Mexican lottery themed paper. On the front she created a metal piece to frame the opening and embossed a Spanish design around it to emphasis our decidedly Hispanic theme. The scallop design along the edge really adds to the Mexican Art feel and a couple of ribbons fastened to the back make it perfect for hanging on a wall for display. This piece truly took my breath away.

At first, there was no way I was going to do anything to the gorgeous metal frame. It was perfect the way it was. As I started to work with the inside design, my partial Mexican heritage kept urging me to glue a few gemstones to it. "No, I couldn't!", I argued with myself, because I'm a bit of a loon. Cats are not very good conversationalists, so I frequently have a bit of dialogue with myself throughout the day. I finally mustered the courage and I knew once I got that first gem down, the rest would be easier. Well, it was and before I knew what had happened, I had gems glued to the entire perimeter. Too much? Not sure. Next I decided to get even bolder and used my Copics to color in the corner flowers. I knew this could get messy if I flubbed it up, but a careful swipe of a colorless blender took care of any stray lines. Okay, not too shabby.

Time to go inside. I tried a few different things on the inside, but finally decided that this shrine definitely reminded me of a stage and went that route. I took a flat canvas, covered it in text papers and used that as my base. I added a couple of rows of Anne's colorful Mexican Lottery themed paper down one edge and then wrapped it in a few rows of twine. I took a few wooden hearts in varying sizes, painted them red, and then added Crackle Accents to give them texture. I added a pair of die cut wings out of grunge board to the the largest heart, hoping it would convey life fluttering away. My stage stars are a couple of images by Bombshell Stamps from the Calaveras Fiesta set. I added an eyelet skirt to my lead "actress".

On the outside, I added an MC using the Muertos Doll set, also by Bombshell Stamps. I knew he needed to be a bit sturdier, so I stamped him on paper affixed him to grunge paper, colored him with Copics, and then cut him out. I coated him with a bit of Anne's amazing dimensional lacquer glue to give him a bit of shine. He is assembled with brads at each of his joints. Bomshell Stamps has an excellent array of muertos themed images perfect for Day of the Dead art projects.

I'm not sure if I did Anne's beautiful piece justice, but I really enjoyed decorating it once I got over my initial fear of destroying it with one too many gems. Phew! I think I held my breath during this whole process...LOL!

Catch you later this week with something new! Until then, stay crafty!

A New Challenge at Tiddly Inks: Paint It Up!

2011-10-04T00:24:00.000-06:00

It's Tuesday and that's a really good thing for a couple of reasons. One, it's not Monday, and two, there's a new challenge underway at Tiddly Inks! This week's theme is Paint It Up. Add a painted element to your card and you can join the fun!

I painted the grunge board crow black using acrylic paint and gave him a devious red gem eye for added appeal. Not sure what he's thinking as he spies on our amorous couple, but you can be certain he's up to no good.

Speaking of amorous couples, the name of this image is Vamp Me and it is available in the Tiddly Inks Shop. I colored it with my handy dandy Copics, but failed to log the colors. I'm so sorry :(

I'm going to keep this post short, but I'm not signing off until I urge you to head over to the Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog and leave some love for my ridiculously talented Tiddly Sistahs! The samples they have created are stunning and are just what the doctor ordered to get your creative blood pumpin'. Also, while you're tripping around Blogland, stop by Christy's blog where you're sure to find something new and fabulous. She never disappoints!

Okay, that's it for me! I'm out! Until next time, stay crafty ;D

A day (or two) late...

2011-10-03T02:42:00.002-06:00

Hi, everyone! Another weekend has come and gone...why do they seem to fly by more quickly in the Fall? Our weekend was packed to the brim with cool stuff beginning on Friday as we were invited to have dinner with friends at their house. They rolled out the red carpet for us and fed us like we were royalty. I'm talking homemade fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, zucchini, macaroni and cheese, and pear and apple crisp for dessert. Jealous? Everything was so delish we practically had to waddle back to our house!

The next day, I spent most of my time at my art desk. I started working on a project that had stumped me for several days, so I forced myself to focus and muddle through. I finally got my mojo working (slowly but surely) and 6 hours later...voila! Seriously, 6-hours, straight through, no lunch, no potty breaks, no nothing. When I finally lifted my head, I felt like I had been living in a hole underground for 100 years, but what a relief to be finished...PHEW!

Sunday, Kirk and I spent the day together, just the two of us, something we don't get to do nearly enough. We grabbed an early dinner at one of our favorite places in town, Two Fools Tavern. To all my local peeps who follow my blog, if you haven't eaten there, you really should give it a go. The absolute BEST fish and chips in town. After dinner we strolled around Nob Hill and did a little window shopping as most of the stores were closing. We discovered a new gem and the store clerk was nice enough to let us take a look around even though it was well past normal hours of operation. It was called Stranger Factory and we will be going back very soon to give it a proper going over. Super cool stuff. Next, we headed to the movie theater and watched 50/50 staring Joseph Gordon Levitt and Seth Rogan. Holy smokes, is this a great flick! I can't even begin to adequately describe how good this movie is. Just do yourself a favor and go see it already :D Then it was home to catch the latest episode of Breaking Bad (such top notch television!). After that, I baked a couple of batches of cookies and now I'm boring you to tears on my blog with a painfully detailed account of every minuscule thing I did this weekend. Sorry about that. I guess what I'm trying to say is...it was a really great weekend.

Now on to my card. I used a new digi costume image by Bombshell Stamps and paired it with Bombshell Angel. Are you new to Bombshell Stamps and don't know where to start? Then start with Bombshell Angel. She's a sassy little siren who will show you the ropes, plus she has digi outfits! Yes! It sort of a virtual version of when we used to play dress up with our Barbies as wee tots ;D What prompted me to make this card was the World Card Making Day Challenge over at the Bombshell Stamps blog. Head over there and check it out. While you're there, take a look around the blog and you'll find a number of awesome challenges to participate in complete with awesome prizes. And with that, I am going to sign off and bid you a fond farewell, as I hear the bed calling my name. Night, all!

A New Challenge at Copic Creations: Saturated Colors

2011-10-01T02:56:00.000-06:00

Hey, all! How's this week treating you? It's been busy at my end of the keyboard, but that's okay...it keeps me from getting into trouble and that's a good thing ;D It sure is nice to see the weekend finally make an appearance, though. September has come to an end and October has arrived, bringing with it the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. If you've never made the trek to NM to witness this visual feast for the eyes, I highly encourage you to do so. It is a breathtaking experience like no other, partly because on average there are between 700 - 1000 balloons participating each year and also because it's one of the very few ballooning events where everyone is allowed down on the field while the balloons are being inflated. Imagine this...one minute you're standing amongst these enormous balloons laid out for display like beautiful canvases on the ground and the next minute they magically bloom and your suddenly lost in a hot air balloon garden, alive with color, balloons dancing all around you. Moments later, they launch and become a vivid watercolor accent against a dazzling blue New Mexico sky. I can't even come close to verbally recreating the experience. You'll just have to see for yourself some day ;)

After several years of attending this event faithfully, we typically only go now when we have guests in town. We still, however, reap its glorious benefits because each morning the balloons can be seen floating above Albuquerque from most parts of the city. It's a wonder the traffic accidents don't "balloon" (haha, couldn't help myself!) during this time, because most of the drivers heading to work are busy looking skyward rather than keeping their eyes on the road. The view is pure inspiration, because the balloons are saturated in color, which leads me right into this week's challenge...Saturated Colors.

In a nutshell the challenge this week is to use Copic colors that fall in the saturated area of the Copic Color Chart. This sounds a tad vague, but if you review the breakdown of the Copic Color System, it makes more sense. The system usually consists of 1 or 2 letters followed by 2 or 3 or 4 numbers. The letters refer to the color family (B = blue, G = green, BG = blue green, etc.). The first number following those letters refers to Color Saturation. Saturated colors are more pure and therefore will usually be more intense. They are located on the outside of the Copic Color Chart and are usually identified with a 0, 1, or 2. As you move closer to the center of the chart, more gray has been added making the color appear darker, but not quite as vibrant as the pure (saturated) colors located on the outside circles of the color chart. These are considered unsaturated colors and that first digit will increase accordingly. Here's a link to blogpost by Beverly Gilbert who explains the theory so much better than I can, plus she has tons of pretty pictures on her site. The third digit refers to brightness, but we'll save that explanation for another post.

For my card I used an image by Elizabeth Bell designed for Belles and Whistles, who just happens to be our sponsor for this challenge. She is called Pen Pal and I colored her up in saturated colors keeping with our theme this go round. Drop down to the end of the post to see the colors I used. Stop by the challenge blog to see the exquisite designs the other team members created. To play along with this challenge, grab that color chart, identify some vibrant, saturated colors and color up something special to share with us over at Copic Creations. We can't wait to see what you make!

Copics used:
skin - E11, E00, E000, R20
hair - E15, E13, Y21, Y00
shirt - R29, R22, R20, Y15
jeans - B23, B21, BG10
ground - E57, E31, E50 (Oops! I cheated;D Not saturated colors.)
halo around image - B01, B000, B0000

Sugar and Spice Release at Tiddly Inks!

2011-09-26T22:55:00.000-06:00

Hey, all! I hope your weekend was GRAND! Mine was pretty great ;D I spent Saturday afternoon with a group of delightful and talented paper artists and we made the Dia de los Muertos cards I featured on my blog. I had a wonderful time and I'm hoping they did, too :) A big "thank you" to everyone who attended my class. You gals really know how to have a good time and I love that about you!

Today I come bearing news! Tiddly Inks is releasing images from the Sugar and Spice collection and they are exquisite. Christy has really outdone herself. Just when I think she can't possibly top her latest release, she does it again. This time she has created images that represent the two sides of her personality...let's just say these characters are a little bit sweet and a whole lot spicy! I guess that pretty much describes all of us ;D

I'm using Angel Spice and I just love her! That crazy big hair, those sweet wings, and those fab boots really make this image rock. I've included my Copic colors at the bottom of this post if you care to scroll down to take a look.

Head over to Christy's blog to see some amazing samples created by the Tiddly Inkers, then head to the shop to pick yours up so you can start coloring up these fantastic images.

While you're out, don't forget to stop by the Tiddly Inks Challenge blog to find out details regarding this week's challenge and to see gorgeous artwork by the DT. You better scoot! You have a lot of stops :)

Copics used:
skin - E11, E00, E000, R20
hair - E15, E13, Y21, Y00
dress - G05. G02, G00
boots and wings - BG01, BG10
halo around image - B93, B91, BG10, BG0000
ground - E57, E31, E50

Card #2 for Saturday's Class

2011-09-22T00:02:00.000-06:00

Hey, all! Did you make it past Hump Day? Awesome, cuz that means we're steadily cruising closer to the weekend. It's so close, I can almost touch it...lol! I'm really looking forward to Saturday afternoon, because I will be spending it with 12 of my crafting buddies, making a couple of creepy cool Dia de los Muertos cards.

I shared one of the cards with you yesterday and I'm back today with the second one. I went with more traditional Halloween colors this time and added a line from a haunting poem called Death by Emily Dickinson. The first verse reads...

Because I could not stop for Death,

he kindly stopped for me;

the carriage held but just ourselves

and Immortality.

Isn't that wonderful. Read the full poem here. I became aware of this lovely bit of prose because of a fabulous painting created by my favorite artist, Brandon Maldonado. The painting is called The Carriage and features the first verse of the poem written by hand at the bottom of the piece. I'm really quite smitten by the imagery combined with these words. Guess I'll have to add this print to my Brandon Maldonado collection.

Ok, so those are the 2 cards I'll be teaching on Saturday. I love this time of year because you have the One-Two Punch of Halloween followed immediately by Dia de los Muertos. In fact, I LOVE this time of year SO MUCH, I'm thinking about having a giveaway. I haven't got all the fine details worked out yet, but keep checking back and I should have it posted in a few days.

Catch ya' later! Until then, stay crafty!

A Dia de los Muertos class at CP2 this Saturday!

2011-09-21T03:12:00.001-06:00

Hey, everybody! I want to thank each of you for your very kind comments and support regarding my first video tutorial. My video making skills need to be honed, but it was fun to make, so you'll see me back here, same time next month, with a new one ;)

Today I am sharing one of 2 cards I'll be teaching this Saturday afternoon at China Phoenix 2. Halloween and Dia de los Muertos seem to be pretty popular holidays in this part of the country and the folks who frequent CP2 really get into the festivities, myself included. So, you can imagine my excitement when Third Coast released their new Halloween images complete with 2 exquisite designs featuring La Catrina. I literally flipped! Nancy ordered them as quickly as possible and then we waited for them to arrive. Last Thursday I got the call...they were finally here!

Unfortunately, other commitments prevented me from getting them inky until yesterday. Even though I had a late start preparing for this class, I finally finished my samples. A quick check of the clock reveals that it is 3:00am here...*sigh*. Well, no time for witty repartee, I'll just slap these photos up of the first card and tomorrow I'll share the second card. Time to get some shut eye. I have an early start tomorrow...I mean "today" ;D

My Very First Video Tutorial

2011-09-20T01:13:00.000-06:00

Hello! I have some big news today. I created my very first video tutorial. "Why for?", you might be asking. Well, I'll tell you...I'm the new designer at the Color Me Copic Club and that means that I will be making a new Copic technique video each month to share with the CCC members. Carlene Pinkscrapper runs the show over there, plus she has a fabulous boutique filled to the brim with cool crafty supplies. Visit her store's blog and take a look around!

You'll have to forgive the technical glitches in my video. I actually shot a version of it yesterday, but the tripod we have is on the large side and even when it is completely collapsed to sit on a table, it sits up really high. I started to film my video using the tripod in that manner and it made everything appear as if I were doing a Copic demo from outer space! Not so good. We also have a tiny Gorilla tripod that only sits about 8 or 10 inches tall, but has these flexible legs that can be wrapped around stuff to achieve those impossible camera angles. Also, not so good. I considered hanging it around my neck for the ultimate "Cheryl Coloring Cam", but thought that might be awkward (and stupid). We considered hanging the larger tripod upside down from a hook screwed into the ceiling. Thank goodness we opted to go a different direction. Finally, Kirk said that he remembered seeing a tripod that was 10 or 12 inches high and only cost $15. I asked him where and he said (the dreaded) WalMart. Why is it, no matter what you need, no matter how obscure, WalMart always has it? It's as if, they have a basement filled with elves held captive and forced to make mountains of weird items that consumers don't even know they need...yet. Yes, I just compared WalMart to Santa. Sorry Santa. I asked Kirk where he bought the big tripod, guess what he said...right, you guessed it...WalMart. What? Do they have a whole department devoted just to tripods?

Anyway, being the doll he is, he ran out and picked it up for me. At least now, the camera and my demo appear to have been filmed on the same planet. In my video, I demo how to create the illusion of drapes and folds in fabric on images using Copic Markers. It's a really nice detail to add to different designs and once you start, you won't be able to stop. As I mentioned earlier, my video shooting skills need some work, but hey, Scorsese and Tarantino had to start somewhere, too ;) Anyway, take a look-see.

2011-09-18T01:53:00.001-06:00

Hello again! What fun things have you been up to this weekend? Well, yesterday I had the good fortune to spend an evening with some crafting buddies and I also made some new friends in the process. My friend, Denise, had a card making party at her house and asked me to teach a couple of card projects, which I was more than happy to do.

We decided on two cards...one a Halloween card, the other a non-traditional Christmas card. For the Halloween card, I decided to pull out my box of Penny Black "cute" images and see what popped out at me. Yes, I really do have a whole box devoted to these sweet, quirky Penny Black characters. I don't get to use them often enough, but they are wonderful and some of my favorites animal themed stamps. The roly poly tabby is a reoccurring character and I love him because he reminds me of my big, fat fluffy black and white female kitty, Charlie. She's a tiny young lady clocking in at a youthful 14 years of age and a svelte 18 lbs. I kid you not, she really looks like this floofy kitty on my card. She actually waddles when she walks and guess what...her brother is even bigger...LOL! He is appropriately named Max ;D

I colored the images with Copics, but tried to keep the colors to a minimum. I believe I only used 9 or 10 colors on this. I sponged a little Distress Ink in Tumbled Glass and Faded Jeans on the die cut panel and grounded everything with some fun orange and black DP. Pretty simple card. That yummy twine is by a company called Divine Twine and my mom actually sent me whole spools of this in black, red, and gray. Yes, that's right. WHOLE spools! Am a spoiled brat, or what? LOL!

Okay, that's it for card number one. Pop back in tomorrow and I'll share card number two.

Until then, stay crafty!

A New Challenge at The Octopode and an Announcement

2011-09-16T00:01:00.000-06:00

Hey, everybody! Now for something a little different! The new challenge at The Octopode is Locks and Keys. These amazing images are from the imaginative mind of Lily Chilvers, a young and talented artist, with her own idea of what would happen if Whimsy and Edgy decided to hang out together. If you're not familiar with this company, I urge you to head to Lily's Etsy shop and take a look around. You will be astounded at the variety of designs available. Are you looking for hard to find images of Edgar Allen Poe or David Bowie? Look no further, The Octopode has them! AND new designs are constantly being added!

While you're out and about in Blogland, you'll want to head to The Octopode's Challenge blog and see what crazy cool creations the design team has crafted. These folks are ridiculously talented and clever! AND I am fortunate to be hanging out them on a fairly regular basis now ;D I'll be joining The Octopode folks for a couple of challenges each month. I cannot adequately express how excited I am about this, so I am just going to add a bunch of exclamation points at the end of this sentence for emphasis!!!!!!!!!! LOL! Sometimes I crack myself up ;D

Seriously, though, this is an honor and I would be tremendously grateful if you left a comment on the challenge blog, or better yet, played along this week. If you use an Octopode image, your name will be tossed into the hat for the random drawing that takes place each month. The winner receives a gift certificate to Lily's shop! How cool is that?!

Okay, I have actually been crafting up a storm. I know that's hard to believe since I was MIA last week, but it's true. I have two more cards to share with you over the weekend and then next week I will have a couple of Dia de los Muertos cards to show you and hopefully a collaborative shrine project that my friend Anne and I will be teaching at our local stamp store, China Phoenix 2. Also, I'll have one more announcement and my first video tutorial. Yowza! I've got a lot do! I better fly!

Stay crafty ;D

A New Challenge at Copic Creations

2011-09-15T04:24:00.000-06:00

Hello! Welcome back! Today we have a new challenge at Copic Creations and I know you'll want to play along. This time we're working with techniques for coloring fur, but there's one tiny catch...we've chosen to use non-traditional colors. Remember the popular Care Bears from the 80's? Of course, if you want to stick with the browns and grays, then feel free to do so, but we thought this was much more fun ;D

There are 2 exciting sponsors this week...Stamp Fairy and My Creative Classroom. Visit the Copic Creations Challenge blog to see the details. While you're there, take a look at what the design team came up with for this challenge. I think you'll agree, we had a good time, LOL!

For my card, I used an image by the Stamp Fairy called Barry Spooky Bats. I think he is so adorable and goes right along with my crazy need to make Halloween cards right now. To create Barry's fur I used BV04, BV02, BV01, BV00, and V000 to color the image and then went back in with layers of the same colors creating little dots to add texture. I really like the way the image turned out. He looks like a stuffed teddy bear with fur a bit on the fuzzy side. Among the DT members, everybody's fur techniques turned out completely different, which is very cool.

This is such an easy and fun challenge, won't you join us? Come back tomorrow, I've got something different up my sleeve and an announcement. Until then, stay crafty!

A new challenge at Tiddly Inks: Art journal Challenge

2011-09-12T23:06:00.000-06:00

Hola, mis amigos! I took a little blogging break. Did you miss me? HA! I didn't think so ;D Actually, it was completely unintentional. The week was on full-tilt on the "busy" scale and before I knew it, the weekend was here. And speaking of the weekend, I want to say a big "thank you" to the wonderful group of folks who joined me in my Tim Holtz inspired Halloween card class on Saturday. I had a great time and I'm hoping you did, too ;D You rock!

It's Tuesday and that means that we have a new Tiddly Inks challenge up at bat. This time we're asking you to share your Art Jounal inspired projects. Mixed media is the name of the game and there are no rules. Be sure to check out the cool projects created by my teammates over on the TI challenge blog. While you're out and about in Blogland, stop by Christy's blog and see what she is up to, as well.

For my project, I covered a small flat canvas with papers I cut from a book, then I taped off geometric shapes using some Eclipse Tape I had picked up at a craft show many moons ago. Next, I sponged on various Distress Inks to give it some pizzazz. At this point, I wasn't feeling it yet, so I opted to swipe some Faded Jeans DI directly onto the canvas. I still wasn't quite there, so I added drops of Fired Brick and Peeled Paint DI Refill to my craft sheet, spritzed it with water and laid the canvas in this soupy, colorful mess. Finally, it was starting to take shape. Next, I randomly stamped bold dots in Memento Tuxedo Back Ink, then I swiped a bit of gold acrylic paint on the edges and in various spots on the canvas. Lastly, I added some dimensional lacquer to the corners and sprinkled them with glitter. The finishing touches are the myriad of Tiddly Inks images I used to put the scene together. I acquired the house, tree, and moon a while back, and now, for the life of me, I can't find them on the site, even though I know they're still there. I did, however, find a link to the lovely Tainted image. My goal was to NOT spend hours coloring the images, so I gave myself only 15 minutes to color everything.

I have to apologize for the crummy photo. I suppose I have been working my Ott Lite to death as of late, because it finally gave up on life and took it's last breath over the weekend. Actually, I think the bulb just burned out, but that's not nearly as dramatic as thinking that it might have willingly thrown in the proverbial towel. Oh well, time to make a trip to JoAnn's for a new one to get me through until new bulbs arrive via the Internet.

Lots of stuff going on this week, so be sure to check back often. Until then, stay crafty!

A new challenge at Tiddly Inks: Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall!

2011-09-06T00:00:00.000-06:00

Hello, friends! How was your long weekend? I hope it was relaxing and you were able to bask in the lazy days of Summer. Well, this week's challenge is about just that...sort of. Actually, this week's theme is to say goodbye to Summer and say hello to Fall.

I love Fall. The leaves turn to brilliant warm hues before they begin their downward descent to the ground, the weather becomes cool and crisp requiring cozy knits and sweaters to stay comfortable, and the Autumn holidays celebrate the gifts of the season with joyous gatherings for family and friends. My favorite, in particular? Halloween!

Halloween not only gives the kids a chance to mill about the neighborhood pandering for treats while dressed as their favorite super hero, it also gives the grown ups permission to embrace their inner witch or goblin and have a ghoulish good time as well! Plus there's candy! LOL!

So, in order to usher out Summer and welcome Fall, I made a card dedicated to my favorite creature celebration, Halloween. I used an image called Forever, one of Tiddly Inks fabulous new images that pays homage to our favorite fanged night stalkers. I've been playing with the technique of adding drapes and folds to clothing as demonstrated by some of my talented teammies. Christy's images are perfect for this technique, as she has been so kind as to incorporate the delicate draping of fabric into her designs, without actually adding the draped details. This leaves a lovely little guide showing where the fabric should drape making placement super easy and natural. Try it, you'll like it!

I am going to try to include my Copic colors regarding each new card I post going forward. If I forget to once in a while, don't riot and pelt me with ink pads ;D Head over to the Tiddly Ink Challenge Blog to check out all of the fab creations by my teammates. They are sure to take your breadth away! Also, be sure to drop by Christy's blog as well. She always has a few surprises up her sleeve ;D

Before I go, I'm announcing August's randomly selected prize winner on the Bombshell Stamps blog, check it out! Stay crafty!

Copic colors used:
(woman)
skin: E11, E00, E000, R20
hair: E15, E13, Y21, Y11
dress: R39, R37, R35, R32
(vampire)
skin: C3, C1, C00
hair: C7, C5, C3, C1
jacket: E43, E42, E41, E40,
tie: R35, R32
vest: G28, G24, G21
shoes: C5, C3, C1

A Big Giveaway on Kirk's Blog!!!

2011-09-05T17:32:00.000-06:00

Hi, everybody! As most of you know, my husband is something of a barbecue guru ;D He has even started a line of his own BBQ products, namely a spice rub and a BBQ sauce, with more products scheduled for later in the year. He is having a big giveaway on his blog where we'll select a random winner to receive a limited edition AlbuKirky Seasonings tee-shirt, a bottle of AlbuKirky Seasonings BBQ Rub, a bottle of AlbuKirky Seasonings BBQ Sauce, a copy of Bobby Flay's Grill It cookbook, and a bar of Grime Soap.

Everybody can participate no matter where you reside. This package would make a great gift for the griller in your life or it would be an awesome addition to your own barbecue arsenal if you are the primary griller in your family. It's also a great way to try the AlbuKirky line of products.

Head to his blog and check out how you can enter to win!

Thank you!

My Next Class at CP2: Halloween ala Tim Holtz

2011-09-02T00:00:00.000-06:00

Hey, everyone! Big plans for the weekend? It's a long one for some of us. We've got some grilling and cooking planned for Sunday (big surprise!) and maybe some light entertaining with family and friends. Perhaps try to squeeze in a little R & R, too ;D We'll see ;D Whatever's on your agenda, I hope it rawks!

Even though the details of this weekend are still up in the air, next weekend I know exactly what I'll be doing. I'm teaching a class at China Phoenix 2. Fresh off my Tim Holtz high, I walked away from his workshops truly inspired. These two Halloween themed cards are out the norm for me and if you look closely, you'll see why. Did you catch it? That's right. These cards are devoid of all stamping AND no Copics were harmed in their creation. Crazy, right?

I sat down to make these samples yesterday afternoon and my head was swimming with all of the techniques I had learned just a few days before. So much so, I was overwhelmed and didn't know where to begin. Usually, if I'm stuck, I'll just start with a stamped or digi image, grab a few Copics and start coloring. I know that the rest of the card will fill itself in once I get moving. These were different, because as we've already determined, there is no stamping or Copic coloring on them...DOH! What to do, what to do! I literally had to go back to some things that Tim said in class...the first one was "get over yourself" and the second one was "it just doesn't matter". In other words, don't over-think it and don't get so lost in the details that you become paralyzed. BINGO! After that, things clicked...I was able to let go and just let it happen. If they turned out awful, I would just tuck them away and revisit them some rainy day for a re-do. No big deal.

You have no idea how freeing that realization was. No wonder this guy is a crafting god! Anyway, once that whole epiphany occurred, I was able to move forward and bang out these two cards that I'm pretty pleased with. I had fun putting them together and I'm hoping that the folks who take the class with me will feel the same way.

A couple of words about the embellishments. I literally ripped the rosettes and the red flower off of a canvas I had made earlier in the year and was not happy with. You ever do that? Cannibalize one project for another? The plastic skull came from a craft show. I bought a whole slew of these, but now I'm running a bit short. A friend told me that one of the local craft stores is carrying them now, so I better get my tookus over there and stock up, if I'm not already too late. Stuff like that never gathers any dust in this town. It just flies off the shelves. That crazy cool twill Halloween trim is courtesy of my friend Kathy who spied it on one of her shopping excursions last year. I just love it!

Speaking of my talented crafting buddies, I've added a few blogs to my sidebar. These are local blogs by some of the most inspiring folks I know and I would love it if you paid them a visit and took a look at their wonderful art. It's amazing stuff and you'll want to visit them again and again, so you might as well sign up to follow them while you're there. Just sayin' ;D

I don't say it enough, but please know that I always appreciate everyone who pops in to visit me here. I love you guys!

Stay crafty and have a wonderful holiday weekend ;D

A New Challenge at Copic Creations: The Color Pink!

2011-09-01T00:00:00.002-06:00

Hello, again! It's time for a new challenge at Copic Creations and I'm sure you're going to love this one ;D We're asking that you create something wonderful using the color pink as your focal point. I've settled on a hot pink Copic combo for the tub and a bit of soft pink to accent the bubbles.

The sponsor for this challenge is Susana's Custom Art and Card Design. I'm using Bubble Bath Peeker, isn't she a cutie? I've added a few pearl accents on some of the bubbles to give them some dimension.

After you're finished here, be sure to head over to the Copic Creations Challenge blog to see what my talented teammates put together for you. Their designs are astounding! After that, find your way to your craft room and makes something fabulous featuring the color pink! We can't wait to see what you create!

Until next time, stay crafty ;D

Copic List

skin - E11, E01, E00, E00, R20

hait - E15, E13, Y21, Y00

tub - RV29, RV25, RV23, RV21

tub feet and rim - Y28, Y26, Y21, Y00

floor - E43, E42, E41, E40

Bombshell Blog Hop: Put Me in the Movies!

2011-08-31T00:20:00.006-06:00

Hola! I'm finally back with a card. It seems like it's been sooooooooo long! The Bombshells are hopping today and Blog Hop Enchantress Extraordinaire, Alison, set the theme as Put Me in the Movies. When I first spied this theme, 100 ideas ran through my head, yet when I sat down to make my card (which was earlier today...lol!) I couldn't recall nary a one. I like to fancy myself as something of a film buff. I can name directors, actors, some screenwriters, and I'm pretty good at that Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon Game...hahaha! So, for me to sit down and draw a blank...well, I was pretty embarrassed.

When I finally dug my heels in and gave it some thought, there were a couple of ways to go with this. I considered downloading the digi clothing set containing the race car clothing and coloring it up in the same tones that Uma Thurman wore in Kill Bill 1 & 2. I also revisited (mentally) an homage to The Birds by Alfred Hitchcock. There were a few more, but alas, I ended up taking the easy route. I opted for a Western and used one of the Retro Cowgirls as my image. It doesn't really have much to do with my movie at all, except it's part of the Western genre. I know, sooooo lazy!

I was never a fan of Western flicks until I started dating my husband almost 20 years ago. He turned me onto the early works of Clint Eastwood and Sergio Leone. Leone's films are dark, mysterious, and packed with more symbolism the most. I always scoffed at the concept of the spaghetti Western not realizing how damn good they are. Plus, Leone's films are usually accompanied by a creepy musical score composed by Ennio Morricone. The music becomes a character in the film and envokes feelings of loneliness, regret, and revenge. My all time favorite Western is Once Upon a Time in the West starring Charles Bronson, Jason Robards, and Henry Fonda. Clint must have been sick during casting, so this time Bronson gets to play the outsider with a chip on his shoulder (for good reason). Plus there's that crazy music again...super clinky and spooky this time. I love it. And there's a girl...there's always a girl. I guess that's where my card comes in.

Want to join this challenge or any of the others going on this month? Visit the blog and find out how. If you are randomly selected as the winner, you'll be able to select your choice of a Bombshell Stamps Set. That's a heck of a prize! Now, this is a blog hop, after all, so get on over to the next blog on the list and check out what fabulous celluloid inspired creations await you!

Bombshell Blog
Alison
Laura
Alaine
Meredith
Kelli
Mary G
Alex
Sparkly Engineer
Celina Anthony
Glittery Katie
Kapree
Cheryl<---Hola!
Dianne

A Tim Holtz Weekend in Roswell!

2011-08-30T08:41:00.003-06:00

Hello, gang! No card today, but I do have some fab photos to share with you from the Tim Holtz Extravaganza held at Imagine That!, a fabulous scrapbooking store in Roswell, NM.

Thursday a group of us craftin' gals jumped in the car and headed to Roswell to take 4 classes with our idol, the one and only Tim Holtz. Please, do not tell me that you do not know who he is, because I will reach through this computer screen and thump you on the noggin. In the rare case that you have been living under a rock, here is a link to his blog and his art.

Tim has literally changed the face of paper and mixed media crafting as we know it with the development of his products and his "grunge" style. I remember, 10 or 12 years ago, taking a class on creating aged paper and it took an armful of products used over the course of 3 hours to achieve the desired results. Literally 10 steps to go from plain white paper to a lovely vintage hue. I loved the results, but dang, there was no way I was going to spend that much time repeating this process. A few years later, Distress Inks by Tim Holtz shows up on the shelves of my LSS and voila! Instant aged paper in mere minutes! And that was just the beginning! Over the subsequent years, he has given us a myriad of products that have multiple uses and taken our art to whole new level.

Not only is Tim Holtz a genius at product development and an insanely talented artist, but he and Mario are two of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet. Down to earth and very humble, by the end of the class, I felt as though I had known him for years and he was my friend. I have taken a number of classes in the past with some lofty names in the craft industry, but never has anyone made me feel so comfortable and welcomed. He had no qualms about jumping in and getting inky with us. This only made our motley crew crush even harder on him...lol!

Let's talk about the projects. They were amazing! When I spied these lovely creations, I thought "there is no way I'm going to be able to make these". But with the incredible kits that he, Mario, and Michelle had prepared for us and Tim's easy, laid back instructions, we were well on our way to creating our versions of his wonderful art pieces. Now, let's talk about the kits....one word....I don't even know if it's technically a word or more of an exclamation, but nothing else adequately describes them as "WOW"! They were carefully packaged by hand, featuring a high-quality color copy of the project, a typed account of the instructions, bags of embellishments, pages of grungeboard letters, and several pieces of vintage ephemera direct from Tim's personal stash! We were in heaven as there were more than enough pieces to complete our projects and lots of leftovers to use on others!

Tim also shared his personal crafting philosophies with us and it really helped pull our heads out of the box we tend to limit ourselves to when we create. He said that when he hits a wall and doesn't like the way something is turning out, he literally tells himself to "get over yourself" (words that Mario shared with him years ago) and steps away for a moment. Usually when he returns to take a look at what he's been working on, he's often surprised and is able to see his work with fresh eyes. The project that only a short time earlier was causing him heartburn turns into something he can be quite proud of. Sounds good, Tim, but what about us? We're mere mortals. We were able to put this advise into action as we broke for lunch and some of us left feeling "meh" over the results of our first project. Upon returning and gazing down upon our creation, there was a resounding, "Dang! I made that? That's really good!" He was totally right!

Okay, I have yammered on for a good long while now. How about some photos?

Mom is obviously surprised at the bountiful project kits each of us has been given.

Shay and Mom sorting through their goodies.

Margot and her lovely sisters.

The man himself!

Tim's project samples.

The Mayor of Roswell awarding Tim a Key to the City.

Despite the photo, mom is thoroughly enjoying the attention from Tim.

Tim gives Sue a hand.

Graciously signing everything we put in front of him.

A classroom of extremely happy crafters.

Rochelle and Cindy ready to get started.

Shay hamming it up with Tim.

Shay and I posing with Mario.

Me and Tim. Who's that green guy in the background horning in on my photo op?

Mom and Tim (and the Green Guy).

Tim graciously signed anything we put in front of him, posed for pictures with us, shared stories, and kept smiling and laughing throughout 2 intense project filled days. He was easily at the store 12 - 14 hours each day and must have been getting tired, but you would never have known that. What a guy!

It was an amazing weekend! Two glorious days of techniques, and time spent with a crafting Rock Star! It doesn't get any better than that! If you ever have an opportunity to take a class with Tim Holtz...DO IT! It will be unlike any other classroom experience you have ever had!

Signing off ;D Stay crafty!

Heart Art

2011-08-25T01:22:00.000-06:00

Hola! Last week, on the Bombshell Stamps Blog, I shared an easy embossing resist technique for creating interesting backgrounds. This week I'm back to share what I made with the die cut panel I created in the tutorial.

Our fabulous pin-up gal for August is Milo and she set our theme this month and challenged us to create shabby chic cards or projects. Well, I have the "shabby" part down, not so sure about the "chic" part...LOL!

For this card, I used a gorgeous heart with wings image from the All My Heart set. Believe it or not, there was a time when I hated hearts. Not the ever-so-fierce organ that keeps me perky, but the super cute, saccharin sweet images that many stamp companies use in their Valentine's Day releases...BLECH! Then I started to take an interest in religious themed art and the sacred heart was frequently featured in these types of works. After that I was practically obsessed with it. When Bombshell Stamps released the two heart sets, I was nearly over the moon. Now I can't get enough...heck, I even like the cute stuff ;D Funny how our tastes can change so drastically from one moment to the next :)

I'll keep this post short, but I have one more thing to share before I go. I know I only put up 2 cards this week and that is totally lame. AND, I know it's only Thursday and there's still a few more days left in the week, but I'm just not going to get another chance to make anymore cards before Sunday, because I'm...drumroll, please...heading to Roswell to take 4 classes with Tim Holtz!!! Yep, you read that right! The one and only Master of Grunge! Sultan of Paper! King of Distress! I am beyond excited, as you can probably tell...LOL! I plan on taking lots of pics and sharing them on my blog when I get back, so pop back in and check them out next week. Until then, stay crafty ;D

Happy Birthday to La La Land's Marci and Luka!!!

2011-08-24T03:00:00.003-06:00

I've used the adorable Marci with Flower on my card. Isn't she sweet. She even comes bearing gifts...a lovely potted flower ;D

LOOK WHO'S TURNING ONE!

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday dear Marci and Luka,

Happy Birthday to you!

I was thrilled to receive an invite to join the La La Land Craft's gang for this special hop and help them celebrate this momentous occasion. On August 1st Marci and Luka turned one and that means it's time for a party! La La Land Crafts would like to thank each and every one of their customers for their continued support as they celebrate this amazing milestone! They couldn't have done it without you, and they want you all to know...YOU ROCK!!

Are you ready for some birthday FUN?!

On top of having special guest bloggers, La La Land Crafts is offering up a HUGE BLOG CANDY for this exciting event!

Take a look at the prize package!

Customize your own photo collage

This Blog Candy contains:

~Set of 12 Copic Markers in NEW 2011 colors

~Set of Spica pens

~Pack of X-Press Blending Cardstock

~New Scor-pal and pack of Scor-Tape

~3 sets of 12x12 Basic Grey Collections paper packs

~$20 gift certificate to the La La Land Craft's Store

Visit the La La Land Crafts Blog to find out how you can be eligible to win this fabulous prize package! It's as easy as 1, 2, 3!

Now let's start hopping! You should have arrived from Alice's magnificent blog where you were undoubtedly greeted with something wonderful. Your next stop will be Eva's fabulous blog where I'm sure there is some delicious eye-candy waiting to inspire you! If you get lost along the way, don't forget to head to the La La Land Crafts blog to get back on track :D

Thanks for hopping with us today and helping us celebrate!

Witch Broom Burn Out

2011-08-19T01:43:00.002-06:00

Hey, there! Welcome back. Another quick post today. I just wanted to pop in and share another Halloween card using an image by Terry Medaris. This one is called Witch Broom Burn Out. It's pretty dang cute ;D Again, more fab shoes...lol!

I took the tip of my blender pen and added some polka dots to her outfit. She didn't seem to mind :)

Not sure if I'll be back with a card tomorrow as I'm prepping for a class on Saturday. If not, I will see you on Monday with something new, for sure. Have a fabulous weekend and stay crafty!

Something wicked...

2011-08-18T03:31:00.000-06:00

Hey, ya'll! Super duper quick post. It's never too early for Halloween in my book, so I thought I would share a card I made with a new Terry Medaris image. This is called Boo Shoes. She was fun to color and those crazy shoes just make me laugh every time I see them ;D I'll have another new Terry Medaris image to share with you tomorrow so be sure to come back and check it out!

Until then, stay crafty!

A New Challenge at Tiddly Inks: Tiny Tiddly Ones!

2011-08-15T23:00:00.000-06:00

Hola! Welcome back! Today is Tuesday and that means there is a new challenge at Tiddly Inks! You're going to love this theme. It's all about the "little ones", meaning the size of the card, or the recipients. How cute is that?

I decided to use Be Mine. She is sooooo sweet and I adore her hedgehog buddy ;D I had to head to The Basement to find her. Talk about bargains! If you love an awesome deal you should head over there, too, and check out all of the fab images that can be had for a song. Great stuff!

My ridiculously talented DT teammates have a oodles of inspiring designs waiting for you on the challenge blog, so you won't want to miss that. Also, be sure to check out Christy's blog, because she always has something fabulous to share and sometimes has a freebie, too ;D

That's it for now! Until next time, stay crafty!

A New Challenge at Copic Creations: Blue Green Color Family!

2011-08-15T00:32:00.001-06:00

Hello! Welcome back to my blog and to the beginning of a new week. What's going on at your end of the keyboard this week? Over here I'll be making cards as fast as my glitter crusted hands will move ;D I'll be sharing lots of new stuff with you, maybe even a post each day. Let's see how that works out before I make any promises ;D

Today marks a new challenge at Copic Creations and the theme this go round is Blue Green. Create something fabulous focusing on the BG (Blue/Green) color family and share it with us on the challenge blog. We love to see your fabulous artwork :)

Our sponsor this week is A Day for Daisies and they have some breathtaking images. You really must head over to their shop and take a good look around. Really, really nice stuff. I used an image called Mermaid and I think she is just fantastic. I love her hair and how she is coyly looking over her shoulder. Sort of mischievous and playful, but sort of shy and uncertain. That's a lot of expression to capture in a digi image... LOL! Kudos to the artist!

Stop by the Copic Creations Challenge Blog and see what magic my Copic DT sistahs created when they waved their Copic wands around. Amazing stuff!

I'll be back tomorrow with the new challenge for Tiddly Inks, so please come again. Until then, stay crafty ;D

Here's my Copic color breakdown for today's card.

skin: E11, E00, E000, R20

hair: E15, E13, Y21, Y00

tail: G21, BG23, BG10, G20

ground: E57, E43, E42, E41

halo around image: BG01, BG0000