Colour Challenge Christmas

My youngest daughter was looking through my cards the other day and mentioned that she doesn't like traditional dark red and green Christmas cards. I thought that was interesting, but typical of her as a young teen. More interesting to me was her next comment that she was glad I don't make many traditional Christmas cards. I thought, that just couldn't be until she asked to look at my Splitcoast Gallery and, much to my wandering eyes did appear, Christmas cards done mostly in non-traditional colours combined with traditional image and sentiments.

I saw the colour challenge on Splitcoast this week and immediately thought, 'Christmas card'. *Note to self: my daughter's observation is right and here's another non-traditional coloured Christmas card and I may need to really work on my traditional colour scheme!!

I just got the 'Hello Winter' Collection and 6x6 pad from Echo Park. Love them both! I used the collection plaid for the background and the 6x6 snowflake print for the small panel. I hate to choose between 12x12 and 6x6 print papers, so if I really love the line, I will get both because large scale prints work as well (sometimes better) for cards as the small scale prints. 

I salvaged some sequins from a bottle that one of my foster dogs chewed almost beyond recognition. The bottle was higher up and on a shelf, and he climbed up and got it and my my bottle of black sequins too. I still can't find my white sequins, and for all I know, he's in his new foster home pooping sequins! He was moved, not because of the sequins, but because I am a medical foster home and he had recovered from his major surgery and was ready to be treated like a normal dog and go to his forever home. What a lovely and challenging adventure my foster dogs are!! But that's another story for another day!

I used this Pure Innocence digital image from Etsy. I took a quick peek and didn't find this specific image listed (PI 011), but the shop owner (the original artist) might be able to list it if it is requested...  This sentiment is a lovely image from Lily of the Valley, Christmas Circular Sentiments. I just love round sentiments, and this whole set is a favourite! After I stamped it, I obviously didn't wait long enough for it to dry before colouring it with copic markers. *ugh*

stamps; PI 011 (pure innocence), christmas circular sentiments (lily of the valley)
ink; onyx black versafine (tsukineko)
paper; hello winter (echo park), horizon, front porch, coconut swirl (bazzill)
accessories; lg classic circles, sm classic rectangles (spellbinders), swimming pool sequins (doodlebug), copic markers

Believe

I'm posting for 2 days straight for the first time in a very long time. Yay, me!!

Today, I decided to use the sketch challenge from splitcoaststampers.com. My papers are from a stunning pad by Teresa Collins, Fabrications. The ribbons I've used are a great colour grouping that goes really well with this paper; olive green grosgrain edge, ivory crochet trim and two tone ivory satin ribbon, all from May Arts. As always, my bow was made with the help of my Bow Easy tool.

I've used a stamp I've had for awhile, but haven't had time to use. I really adore this darling bunny image from Lily of the Valley called, Spring Swing. I've stamped this image on 140lb cold press watercolour paper using Tuxedo Black Memento ink. Then, I let this image sit and dry really well. Really, really well. Because I used Distress Ink Markers to colour this image, I didn't want the black ink to bleed into my watercolouring. I let it sit for a couple of days because I just didn't have time to colour until today but normally I heat set the ink before I use water on it. I love the result!! Also, a little tip for Distress Ink Markers: store them horizontally. I went to use a brush end of one of the markers and it was nearly dry. This was totally my bad because I know better, but I've become accustomed to my copic markers which can be stored any old way I want! The lid of the Distress Ink Markers container has edges so it won't roll around when it is on its side.

I love this sentiment. 'Nuff said!

stamps; spring swing, dreamy days circular sentiments (lily of the valley)
paper; fabrications (teresa collins from ihp), kraft, haley (bazzill)
ink; memento tuxedo black (tsukineko from ihp)
accessories; distress markers (ranger from ihp), lg & sm circles, labels 18, classic ovals nestabilities (spellbinders), victoria embossing folder (provocraft), crochet trim, olive, ivory ribbons (may arts from ihp), lt green rhinestones (kaisercraft from ihp), bow easy, aquapainter

Lily of the Valley - Just For Me

Every once in a while, I become slightly delinquent with my design team work and I pull out images I bought because I love them and they have been sitting in a tidy little pile on my desk quietly waiting for my attention. Sometimes it takes me a week to find enough free time on the sly to get these projects done! Today, I want to share a 'just for me' project.

I love the whimsey of the Lily of the Valley stamps because they make me remember snippets of my children when they were small and played dress up and would use the entire living room to create a village and the center piece was a tea party on the low table.

This darling image is Birthday Fairy which I stamped in Tuxedo Black Memento ink (recommended by copic for use with their markers) and she was cut out using the largest classic rectangles nestabilities die. I have used some old Cosmo Cricket paper called Little Girls. It's so old it isn't on the CC website anymore!!! Jeepers, it likely should have been used up long before now. Paper doesn't come with an expiration date, does it?! If so, I have more than my fair share of expired paper products... *sigh* My stardust stickles are also getting so old that I have to shake them to re mix the glitter and glue so if you see more sparkle that I normally have on my projects, I want to get this stuff used up not wasted. Now, for fresh supplies like newly released Cosmo Cricket paper and NEW stickles, Kate can meet your paper crafting needs and wants at i {heart} papers!!!

I used tiny flora and fauna punches by EK Success for the floral spray in the corner. Cute, eh?!! I used some really old dew drops for some shine without sparkle.

I used the following copics on this project;
skin; YR0000/000, R12
hair & floor; E11/13/15/19
sweater, pom poms & gift wrap; BG70/72/75, (dots) YG91/93
wings, tutu & bow; R000/20/21/22/24
slippers; R000/20, E71
bear & socks; C0/2/3/4/7
background; E40/42/43, colourless blender

stamps; birthday fairy (lily of the valley)
paper; little girl (cosmo cricket), canvas white, lagoon (bazzill), x-press it (copic)
ink; tuxedo black memento (tsukineko)
accessories; {really old} teal ribbon (american craft elements), white satin ribbon (SU!), flora and fauna punches (ek success), lg rectangle nestabilities die (spellbinders), spring bloom dew drops (the robin's nest), border punch (martha stewart), stardust stickles (ranger)


bows & berries; glitter
kaboodles doodles - lots of layers
lexi's creations - card for a child
tip top tuesday - kids 
art impressions stamps - for the girls
paper shelter - anything goes
southern girls - anything goes
stamp with fun - anything goes
sweet stampin' - anything goes
inspire me fridays - anything goes
crafty ribbons - anything goes
crafty sentiments - birthday
totally stampalicious - birthday card for a child
stampin' for the weekend - what a cutie
di's digi design - make your own flowers
splitcoast inspiration challenge - http://www.creaturecomfortsblog.com/home/2011/8/11/inspiration-daily-08-11-11.html
card makin' mamas - get punchy 
simon says stamp - dies &/or punches

IHP and an inspired card

I've been reading about a new twist on stamping a lined image and then colouring it. Colleen Schaan did a blog post a little while ago on it, it was discussed on a Copic colouring group on Facebook and Dina Kowal was doing it and using paints and other colouring mediums. I decided to give it a whirl and I'm in love!

Do you notice what's different? I stamped my image using a light ink and then coloured it. Dina has said she uses Lemonade Adirondack ink, and I'm going to give that a try next because I found the Cloudy Blue ink (also Adirondack) I used here to be a little dark still. I figure if I'm going to go light, I might as well go all the way!!!

Using the lighter ink here was most successful on Pom Pom's sweater and shoes. I found that I really enjoyed the fragility of using lighter ink. It's a very unforgiving technique and I really got a rush from colouring this little Pixie and feeling free to ignore lines as I saw fit since they blended with what I chose to create rather than defining my creation for me. I'm going to try doing the same technique with digital images once my techie daughter shows me how to lighten those lines as well.  Whee!!!!!

My card is inspired by the Sunflower Pink Euro Sham on the Pomegranate website from the Inspiration Challenge on SCS. When I pulled up the page, I loved the blend of the sham on the website's background and everything which reminded me of the pattern paper from Baby Steps by simple stories. This pastel pink glimmer ribbon coordinated perfectly with the paper, and softens the crochet trim by maya road used here. Bow by Bow Easy...

This tiny sentiment from Simply You by Technique Tuesday. It must be one of my faves since I've already used it several times!

After I coloured my image using copic markers, I pixied the pom poms and wings using stardust stickles.

hair and shoes; E51, E53, E55, E57
skin; E0000, E000, E00, E01, E11
sweater and socks; YG11, YG13, YG17
tutu; R000, R00, R11, R12, R14, T1
pom poms and wings; B0000, B000, B00, B12
grass; YG03, YG11, YG61, YG63, YG91
background; Y0000, Y00, Y11

stamps; pom pom (lily of the valley), simply you (technique tuesday)
paper; baby steps (simple stories), kraft (american elements), java, tickled pink (bazzill), x-press it (copic)
ink; cloudy blue, espresso (adirondack ink), antique linen distress ink (ranger)
accessories; sentiment stick (tim holtz), glimmer ribbon (creative impressions), crochet trim (maya road), stickles (ranger), lg classic square nestabilities (spellbinders)

aud sentiments challenge - for a girl
ribbon carousel - all spooled up

Little Ballerina

Months ago I placed my first order with a new to me stamp company - Lily of the Valley. Their images are so sweet and I'm in serious infatuation with them. I have been dying to ink up these images, but life kind of got in the way. Yesterday was the last day for the roofing repairs and I'm hopeful that life will get back to normal soon.

I checked out both the colour challenge and sketch challenge on Splitcoaststampers and they were too perfect for my Little Ballerina stamp to not use! The sketch accommodated the size of my image and having pink/purple/warm grey for the colours?!!! Divine!

Isn't she just the sweetest?!! She makes me smile all over my face. I used stardust stickles on her tutu because a little ballerina this cute has got to have a little sparkle as well!

Little Ballerina's darling tutu was the inspiration for using white sheer tinsel edge ribbon and vellum. As usual, bow by Bow Easy. My sentiment is from a Stampin' Up! set I've had for almost 2 years that hasn't seen ink, ever! *blush* I cut it using large Petite Oval Nestabilities, sponging it with Spun Sugar distress ink while it was still in the die, then mounting it on card stock sut using the coordinating Petite Scallop Oval Nestabilities die. I cut heavy weight vellum using a Parisian Accents die for a touch of little girl light and love.

Copics;

leotard and slippers; W2, W4, W6, W8
tutu; R000, R30, R32
hair and floor; E51, E53, E55, E57
skin; E000, E00, E01

Thanks so much for popping by today!

stamps; little ballerina (LOTV), little angel (su!)
paper; wisteria ( basic grey), sahara sand (su!), canvas white (bazzill), x-press it (copic)
ink; black soot, spun sugar, pumice stone distress ink (ranger)
accessories; sheer white tinsel edge ribbon (may arts), lg petite oval, lg petite scallop oval nestabilities, parisian accents shapeabilities (spellbinders), button (basic grey), stardust stickles (ranger)


aud sentiments - anything goes
craft us crazy - anything goes
shelly's images - anything goes
the kraft journal - anything goes
paper playtime - anything goes
whoopsie daisy - anything goes
try it on tuesday - anything goes
simon says stamp - show some bling
papertake weekly - BINGO (buttons, ribbon, free)