A Nice Hello

It is the middle of September! That's crazy! I'd try to ignore it, but there's the September Naughty or Nice challenge reminder to keep me updated. We're looking for FRAMES this month, and I went totally nice this time: 

We are sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps this month, and I am using Floral Trio Frame 1. As usual, I coloured without thinking about what I was going to use with it... and then found this perfect patterned paper match! Phew. I used a simple sentiment that seemed to suit the delicate flowers. 
You still have ten days to put a frame on your work and join us! 

Supplies: Bienfang bristol, American Crafts blue glitter paper, Authentique Be(you)tiful patterned paper, Bugaboo Stamps Floral Trio Frame 1 image, Mama Elephant Party Kit stamp, Versafine onyx black ink, Ranger clear embossing powder, Prismacolor pencils, fun foam  

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Books!

Books. Reading. Two of my favourite things. Angela obviously knew what she was doing when she sent me a Tim Holtz blueprints books image for Day 14 of Kathy Racoosin's The Daily Marker 30 Day Colouring Challenge. (I have a Kobo, but still tend to go for the paper version unless I'm travelling... then I love the ability to take one device holding many many reads rather than half a suitcase holding a few. 😉 ) 

When I have a card-sized image such as this, I tend to leave it alone. I know there are many inventive things that could be done, but who am I to take the spotlight away from the books? I did however distress the edges of the panel with some antique linen ink — and I rarely distress! — so there's that at least. I really wanted to use the card catalogue patterned paper in this somehow, so there it is, just peeking from behind. Saves me from being asked, what IS that, so I won't feel quite so ancient. 😉 

Supplies: Neenah desert storm cardstock, Canson watercolour paper, October Afternoons Public Library patterned paper, Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous Schoolhouse Blueprints stamp, Hero Arts black & antique linen distress inks, Zig watercolour markers, Creative Memories corner-rounding punch

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Merry and Bright

Today for The Daily Marker 30 Day Colouring Challenge, (Day 13) Angela sent Emily and me a couple of put-together images from the Concord & 9th Christmas set Shine Brighter. Even though I knew which one I wanted to use first, I coloured them both: 

Aren't they fun? Certainly different from anything I have. I cut out the merry and bright lightbulb so I could get another Christmas card tucked away. 

It took me a while to figure out exactly what I wanted to do with it, but settled on a glittery gold wash behind it. (At first I tried using it with a Christmas stencil. The paint was way too thin and ran under the stencil immediately. #epicfail, but good to know for the future.) All the shimmer is hard to capture in a photo, of course:

The shimmer on the bulb itself is from a layer of Twinkling H2Os, while the Christmas decorations are Liquid Pearls for the ornaments and gold smooch for the top. If you look closely at the tree, you can tell my pearls decided to burp on the very last ornament. Sigh. I scraped off as much as I could and added a darker green to the tree. It's really only in extreme closeup that you can see the oops. ;) Besides, shimmer is so distracting! 
My gold wash qualifies this for the current CAS Mix Up challenge since I have lots going on (die cutting, fussy cutting, liquid pearls, smooch, glitter paint, and stamping of course) in this still clean and simple card. Which means I can also add this to Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday clean and simple challenge. 

Supplies: Stampin' Up garden green cardstock, Canson watercolour paper, Concord & 9th Shine Brighter stamps,  Hero Arts black dye ink, Zig markers, Twinkling H2Os, ruby red Liquid Pearls, gold Smooch, Tattered Angels golden goddess Glimmer Glam Glitter paint, Winnie & Walter Katharine die, pop dot tape

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Colouring Challenge Day 12

Day 12! 40% of the way through September, and The Daily Marker 30 Day Colouring Challenge. I'm not sure why being that far through September already is disturbing, while being that far along in the challenge is a good feeling. Anyway... today Emily, Angela and I are playing with some grouchy grumplings. 

I can relate, how about you? I started by watercolouring the grump with Zigs. After masking him with a post-it and the ground with some painter tape, I sponged a few rays of early morning sunshine behind him. A couple of mats, a few enamel dots, and Day 12 is done. 

Supplies: black, yellow & Bazzill marshmallow cardstock, Strathmore mixed media paper, Taylored Expressions Grouchy Grumplings stamps, Versafine onyx black & squeezed lemonade distress inks, Ranger clear embossing powder, Zig clean colour real brush markers, Winnie & Walter Katharine & Sunny Studio Fishtail Banner dies, diy enamel dots (thank you Jessi!) 

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Chill Wishes

Mondays are better when there's colouring to be done, right? Emily, Angela and I are playing with some penguin dudes today! The Copics and Spectrum Noirs came out to play again today, too. 

Oh, and a Sharpie, too, for the skis, making do with a colourless blender to lift a little of the colour to make it look like I know what I'm doing in the shading department. Usually I'd leave any Stickles to the end of the process, but right at the end of colouring the Santa hat, I had one of those hand twitches that only happens when you're near a line, right? So Tombow eraser, white gel pen and Stickles to the rescue. His goggles and the snow on the trees have a coat of iridescent medium. 

I chose to make a tag today instead of a card. I die cut a couple of hills and spritzed them with some sparkle. I found a scrap of patterned paper for sky, and picked a couple of coordinating ribbons to finish it off. 

Supplies: white cardstock, manila tag, Echo Park patterned paper, MFT Chill Wishes stamps & dies, Versafine onyx black ink, Ranger clear embossing powder, Copic, Spectrum Noir & Sharpie markers, MFT scenic Safari dies, frosted lace Stickles, Winsor & Newton iridescent medium, Tsukineko sparkle sheer shimmer mist, May Arts ribbons, hole punch, pop dot tape

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A Pawsome Day

Day 10 of Kathy Racoosin's The Daily Marker 30 Day Colouring Challenge — seems like a good day for a cat card! 

Must be a weekend thing... again no photo of just the coloured elements. But they are very easy to see on the finished card, too. Today I really mixed things up and used my Copic and Spectrum Noir markers instead of watercolouring. And despite not looking first, I found this square with a matching teal paw on it! I cut it down a bit with a square stitched die to go with the circle and rectangle ones. 

Supplies: white & Stampin' Up smoky slate cardstock, Simple Stories Sn@p Cat Insta Square, Lawn Fawn Meow You Doin' stamps & dies, MFT black licorice & Versafine onyx black ink, Ranger clear embossing powder, Copic & Spectrum Noir markers, MFT blueprints 24 & stitched square dies, pop dot tape

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