Just Magnolia Challenge: Dancing Tilda

There is an Anything Goes with the Option of Faux or Real Stitching special monthly challenge at the Just Magnolia and  hÄnglar & stÄnglar Challenge Blog.  Their sponsor, Simon Says Stamp!, is offering a $25 store voucher to a randomly selected entry.  Find out more about this challenge and sponsor here.

The My Mind's Eye card challenge is to design a Free-style Anything Goes card using a sketch by the wonderful Anam Stubbington.  They're offering a collection of the winner's choice as the prize.  It's not clear to me whether the winner is randomly selected or chosen in another way.  Find out more about the My Mind's Eye challenge here.

I've inked up my Magnolia Stamps Dancing Tilda from the 2010 Fairy Tale Collection, stamped the image onto X-Press It blending card and filled her with Copic colors.  Here's a close up view of the image . . .

I've layered some of My Mind's Eye papers from their 2007 Tres Jolie Mademoiselle "Mother" stripe/light bleu, "Sisters" floral pattern/bleu, "Girl" Tiny Dots/Bleu with Bazzill dark teal cardstock.  This fabulous double-sided cardstock made wonderful Sizzix Tim Holtz Mini Paper Rosettes.  Simple faux stitching added with an 0.8 black marker adds a handmade feel.

This photo shows the complete card front . . .

I like the consistency of the pleats I added to Dancing Tilda's dress being repeated in the rosettes.

Here's a side view of the card . . .

I have tried again to use Copic markers on X-Press It blending card.  I still don't like it - LOL!!!  I become very frustrated with the color splotches and ink puddling.  Using X-Press It wipes the papercrafting joy right out of me.  I prefer to have some control over my color and ink application rather than have the paper behave as though it's in charge.

Just look at the splotches throughout Dancing Tilda's face.  Ugghhh!!! Instead of absorbing the moisture of Copic ink to allow for a smooth blending, X-Press It paper causes the ink to rest on the surface and the lighter colors push the darker colors out of the way resulting in splotches of color.  It saddens me to think that others who try Copic colors on this paper expect Copic ink to work that way.  It shouldn't.  If this is what you find when you're filling your images using Copic colors, I urge you to try other smooth papers like Bazzill Smooth White.

Copics used:
skin - E000, E01, E11, E93
hair - E31, E35, E47
dress, gloves, shoes - RV91, RV93, RV95, RV99
crown - Y13, Y26, Y28

Card Art with Copics: Crafts and Me Cocktail Melody

The design team over at the Crafts and Me Challenges blog wants to see your swirls.  Whimsy Stamps is sponsoring their challenge and offers a $15 gift certificate to a randomly selected winner.  Find out more about this challenge and sponsor here.

I've filled this image of Cocktail Melody by Lemon Shortbread using Copic colors. . .

I love how a little shading with C2 on the pearls, topped with a thin layer of Copic's Opaque White paint, allows the pearls to appear to be pearly white.  Yay!

This photo shows the inside of the open gatefold card where I've added a layer of Bazzill Smooth white for completing with handwritten note or stamped sentiment.  There's just a touch of a QuicKutz flourish die cut that carries over from the card front.  I enjoyed working with the great texture of Bo Bunny's Double Dots Mulberry.
 

Adorned with more QuicKutz flourishes and a touch of bling with Prima's Say It In Pearls Mixed Crystals Cream, I'm happy that this Cocktail Melody looks quite elegant on this card front.  Kaisercraft Gypsy Sisters Collection Esmerelda and an unknown brand of textured teal cardstock provides extra special matted layers.

This view shows the completed card, partly opened . . .

Cocktail Melody is a fabulous image to work with and will make a wonderful image to use for many occasions.

Copics used:
skin - E000, E01, E11, E93, BV00
martini glass - B000, YG11, 0
hair, wood grain - E31, E35, E47
eyes - BG11, BG13, BG15, C1, 0
dress - BG11, BG13, BG15, BG18
lips - R59, R29, R22
pearls - C2, opaque white

Copic Creations Challenge: Make Clouds

The Copic Goddesses at the Copic Creations Challenge Blog are challenging Copic lovers to use their Copic colors to make clouds.  Lili of the Valley is sponsoring this challenge and offering a generous gift certificate for use at their online store as a prize to a randomly selected entry.  Find out more about this challenge and sponsor here.

I've inked up my Times to Treasure stamps from the Lili of the Valley January 2011 release and stamped them on Bazzill Smooth White cardstock.  This Times to Treasure image comes with a sentiment.  I imagine that these little folks are lovingly looking through a scrapbook of their treasured moments on a beautiful and bright spring day.

This photo shows just the image filled with Copic colors:

I spent some time experimenting with making clouds on spare paper using a variety of colors:  Copic marker tips directly to paper; a QuicKutz weather die cloud used as a mask for airbrushing; various ink refills pounced and rubbed; using Copic markers directly on an Alextamping's mountain skies rubberstamp spritzed with colorless blender before stamping onto paper.  Here are the results of my experiments.  Somehow these clouds just didn't make me happy.

Finally I used a Great Impressions Stamping in the Clouds Stencil Kit and airbrushed.  Ahhh, this is what I'll try to show on my finished project.

I die cut my image with a Spellbinders Fleur De Lis Square.  I used temporary adhesive to place a cut out mask over my colored image.  Leaving the die in place, I began by covering the top of my image with a torn paper mask to create a horizon line.  Tearing the paper allows a soft line rather than the harsh line created by a straight edge mask.  Within seconds, my airbrushed ground was complete.

I replaced the torn paper mask covering the top of my die cut colored image with the matching bottom half of the mask.  Using the lightest color first, I began airbrushing around the sporadically placed acrylic cloud mask.  I started from the top of my image and moved the cloud mask closer to the ground as I moved along.

Here's how the clouds look with just the lightest color.  Soft and subtle.

I just couldn't leave well enough alone!  LOL!!!  This step would have likely filled my needs for a nice, soft cloudy background.  But nooo . . . I needed to brighten it up a bit more.  So I used a brighter blue and went through the same steps again.  Here's what happened . . .

I think I've overdone it!  Now I have some areas that need to be covered.  That's what flowers are for, right?  I may need a bouquet - LOL!!!  Here's how my die cut, color-filled and airbrushed background image looks now.

I formed an easel card out of Bazzill dark teal and pine green cardstock, Bo Bunny a gift of love Mama-Razzi stripe and aperture.  Punch Bunch elongated leaves, mini sun and stamen, combined with McGill branch and EK Success paper shaper punches in daisy, small daisy and snowflake made it easy for me to use coordinating Copic colors in my attempt to create some handmade paper lily flowers.

Paper Lilies as inspired by Susan Tierney Cockburn

This photo shows the completed easel card and my attempts at making clouds . . .

You have until May 14th to show us how you make your favorite Copic clouds.  We'd love to see 'em!

I'm entering this card into the Lili of the Valley "Love Is In The Air" Challenge.  Find out more about their challenge here.

"Top 3" Designer May 5, 2011 Lili of the Valley

 

 





Copics used:
skin - E000, E01, E11, E93, BV00
hair, bench - E31, E35, E47
shoes girl - T0, T6, T8
shoes boy - E30, E33, E37
hat - RV23, RV14, RV19
shirt boy - G82, G85, G99
book - E41, E43, BG70, BG75, BG78
airbrush ground - G82, G85
airbrush clouds - B91, B14
paper lilies - RV23, RV14, RV19, G82, G85

Magnolia Birthday Tilda and Sizzix Big Shot Pro Tri-Shutter Card

Easy is good.  I like easy.

Sizzix has a die for the Big Shot Pro that will cut and score a Tri-Shutter Card in a jiffy.  Easy peasy!  Easy is good.

I used My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Market Street "Happy Birthday" Dictionary Paper and within a few seconds I had a fabulous double-sided Tri-Shutter card ready for decorating.  This paper is already vintage-looking so I just added some dark brown cats eye ink to the edges.

I stamped my Magnolia Birthday Tilda from the 2011 You Are So Special collection and filled her using coordinating Copic colors.  I'm not a big pastel kind of person but I had to coordinate with the lighter paper colors.  Here's my somewhat pastel-colored Tilda . . .

I stamped an Art Gone Wild! sentiment from a Birthday View Maker set and cut it out using Fiskars postage stamp scissors. I added a gift stamp from Impression Obsession's Festive Birthday set and a couple layered scalloped circles and blocks of paper. Some Bitty Sparkles add glimmer.

This photo shows the open Tri-Shutter card from slightly above . . .

Here's a more natural view of the open card . . .

When open, this card is 5 1/2" tall and 11 1/4" long.  When closed, it's just 3 3/4" wide so it'll fit nicely into an A2 size envelope.

The current Crafts and Me challenge is to create something vintage-looking and/or distressed.  They're offering a Sweet Pea Stamps Caribbean Treasure stamp to a randomly selected entry.  Find more about this challenge here.

Copics used:
skin - E000, E01, E11, E93, BV00
hair - E31, E35, E47
dress - R000, R01, RV42
socks, bow - YG61, YG63, YG67
shoes - T0, T6, T8
chocolate cake - E71, E77, E79, atyou Spica garnet
candles - BG23, BG0000, E53, Y13
doily - B0000, 0

Zentangle-inspired Sizzix Big Shot Pro Bag with Handles

I'm looking forward to our family gathering for our Easter Breakfast meal and want to include a small candy filled favor at each place setting.  In comes the Sizzix Big Shot Pro Bag with Handles.

I printed my previously scanned Zentangle-inspired art on both sides of plain white cardstock.  The Sizzix Big Shot Pro Bag with Handles made it so easy to die cut the shape of this perfectly sized favor bag.  The scored lines made it simple to adhere the tabs.

Double-sided printing allows the inside of the bag to showcase tangles too.

In just minutes, I was able to add a little Easter grass filler and several varieties of individually wrapped chocolates.

A simple bow of ribbon tied around a handle adds a sparkle.  This pretty little favor bag will likely be a great conversation piece for our gathering.

May your Easter be overflowing with sweetness!  Enjoy!

(You can find my other Zentangle-inspired Sizzix Big Shot Pro projects here and here.)

Card Art: Magical Marquee PeekABoo Gatefold Card

I began with the intention of making a simple gatefold card.  Instead, it turned into a Magical Marquee Peekaboo card as inspired by Janine Tinklenberg in a 2010 version of Interactive Cards.  Check it out!

This little bunny fellow and basket are part of a Close To My Heart Sensational Season March 2011 Stamp of the Month set.  I deliberately filled them using my Copics to flat color.  It sure was difficult not to add shading and blending and all of those other wonderful things that Copics can do.  I need a good sample of how simple, flat coloring looks for comparison with those more technique-oriented projects.

Paper Temptress has a great line of double-sided double-colored cardstock. I've used a sheet of the Cappuccino/Grape Sorbet. The outside of my card is a medium brown but the inside is a beautiful light shade of lavender. How great is that?!?!  Two for one!

This photo shows the completed card front.  A little doodling with the Inkssentials Opaque White pen provides a simple border.

I slipped a piece of Amber Mica/Metallic into the center of the inside to contrast with the shade of purple. I stamped the sentiment from an Art Gone Wild! Chocolicious stamp set using Memento Tuxedo Black and this shimmering paper accepted the ink so nicely without smearing.
 
Here's how the inside looks when opened.  The "Easter Joy" saying that shows up when the card is closed, moves to the side and an image of a chunk of chocolate decadence is revealed.  Cool, huh?
 

 
This card was fun to make especially after seeing how the paper engineering works.  I had to make some adjustments and substitute as I didn't have all the right tools.  This card will definitely serve its purpose as a good sample of flat coloring with Copics.

This strong paper from Paper Temptress is really exceptional for making interactive cards!  I really want to mention that when holding this card, feeling the weight and firmness of this paper, it's obvious that I've used very high quality papers.  I'm sure that the recipient of a project made from Paper Temptress papers would immediately recognize the efforts put into a very special handmade gift by someone who takes a great deal of pride in their work.  This card is quite pleasing to touch and confirms that using quality materials produces quality finished projects.
 
Copics used:
cherry R37
ice cream E71
chocolate sauce E79
icing E49
cake, bunny, basket E13
whipped cream N1
basket grass YG25
bunny ears E93
bunny coat B24
eggs Y21, BV13, R85, YR02, V12, E04