Birthday Boy

Hello everyone,

Is it the weekend yet?  What about now?  now?  Oops, my son must be rubbing off on me.  (I watch Treehouse now?  Now I watch Treehouse?  I watch Treehouse in 5 minutes.  I watch Treehouse in 14 minutes.  I like Treehouse soooooo much!)

 I hope your week is going well and you are gearing up for a great weekend.  We have an extra day of weekend this time around, so I'm looking forward to getting some extra crafty time (hopefully) in between all the stuff we have planned.

Well, a post two days in a row!  What is going on?  My nephew just celebrated his first birthday, so I have a  boy's birthday card to share.  This is also my first real attempt at colouring a real image with markers.  Actually, when I started colouring the image, I was just having a play and fully expected it would end up in the garbage.  Although there is a lot of room for improvement, I thought it turned out alright, so I decided to use it.  While I enjoy colouring with distress inks, I found the markers are much quicker.

Supplies:

Stamps - image from Wild Rose Studio, sentiment from inkadinkado

markers - Copic C0, C2 & C4, B0000, B91, B93 & B95, flex marker R619 & M419.  As I'm new to the whole marker thing, this is almost every marker I own.  You might be seeing a few more blue and grey or black cards hee hee!  

Paper - Bazzill card and Bo Bunny DP.  The edges were inked with stormy sky DI

Other - Cricut cut frame for image, Copic atyou spica clear glittery pen (I outlined all of the stars), American crafts buttons, glossy accents on the bow, twine, brads from stash.

This card is for the following challenges:

Here Come the Boys - for the wonderful sketch

Simon Says Stamp - anything goes

Divas by Design - Celebrate

Top Tip Tuesday - Birthday gifts - Happy 4th birthday Top Tip Tuesday!  

I'll do a beginner marker tip, since I guess I've officially joined that dark side now.  Assuming a limited budget (sigh), one of the hardest questions when starting out with markers is what colours to purchase.  I did not want to invest a lot of funds on something that I was not sure I would like or be good at, but I wanted to get enough colours to actually be able to really try it out and colour full images.  So, if that describes you, here are some tips:

Decide what types of images you like to colour.  (I like colouring people and animals.)

What colours do you get most excited about. (blue and teal for me)

To be able to shade an image and give it depth, you will need to purchase (ideally) 3 markers in the same colour family, each one not more than 2-3 shades darker than the last.  That means it would take at least 3 markers for skin, 3 for hair, 3 for each clothing colour etc.  In the Copic system, colour families are indicated by a letter and the first numerical digit, while the last number represents the darkness of the colour.  So, for example, B91, B93 and B95 make a good colour blending group.  If you want a lot of contrast, then also pick up a really light shade - for example B followed by only zero's.

This is why I opted for cool grey (the colours that start with C), denim blues (the ones that start with B) and black.  I thought they would be most versatile for colouring a lot of animals and represented a minimal investment.  Hope this helps!

If you're still reading, thanks for popping in and for taking the time to leave a comment!  I really appreciate them and love visiting you back.  

Have a great weekend!

Hugs,

Dawn

A Vintage Christmas

Hello everyone,

Hope you are all well and finding time to be creative this week.  Just a quick post today to show a quick card I made using another adorable vintage digital image from Nicecrane Design's Kittens and Puppies on Christmas.  That little fur ball looks so cute and cuddly.  Love these images!  It is great that they are already coloured, so they assemble in a jiffy, which I'm loving as my Christmas card mojo is currently MIA.

I embellished the ornaments with glossy accents, the garland with Stickles and the bird's wings and tail with atyou spica clear glitter pen.  Added some pine branches (McGill punch), tulle, recycled ribbon and jingly bells and voila!

This card is for the following challenges:

Scrapbooker's Paradise Playing in Paradise - Celebrate any holiday
Simon Says Stamp - Anything goes

Thanks for stopping in and for taking the time to leave a comment!  They are much appreciated and they give me the chance to visit you and admire your creations.

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Hugs,

Dawn

10 Minute Dash; Take 2

Hello everyone,

I am back with my second attempt at the 10 minute craft dash, and I must say I am now hooked!




Here was my list of supplies this time around:
Cardinal digi stamp from Fred She Said (this one comes in black and white and a couple of pre-coloured versions - perfect for quick cards) Ribbon White cardstock atyou Spica marker (clear) black ink pad Sentiment from Stampin' Up Bells & Boughs stamp set  
And here is what I came up with:

This second card went much more smoothly - so much so that I ended up making two of them.  The first time it took me 9 minutes and 28 seconds including the time to set up the pre-coloured digi in a document and print it.  Since the digi was already set up for the second one, it only took 5 minutes 30 seconds!  Perfect for mass producing and mailing as it is very flat.

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

10 minute craft dash - free for all (2nd entry)

Simon Says Stamp - animal antics (2nd entry)

Top Tip Tuesday - one layer card

Thanks for stopping in and for taking the time to leave a comment!  Have a great week!

Hugs, 

Dawn

Ten Minute Craft Dash

Hello peeps!
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!  While trying to catch up on my reading list this morning, I came across a new challenge: I thought this sounded like great fun, so I told my hubby about it.  I wish I had a photo to show the look on his face.  He was clearly amused and trying very hard and rather unsuccessfully to hide it.  Then he offered to time me.  So, I'm not the fastest when it comes to crafting and I can be a bit meticulous, but if you want me to do something, just imply that I can't.  The challenge was on!
I pulled out some supplies:
White precut and scored card (I actually bought it that way when I first started making cards ages ago, so I have some left over from that era) House Mouse sticker - I found these at a local store and thought they would be perfect for some really quick cards, though I have to confess - it felt a little like I was cheating. MS snowflake punch and scrap card 2 way glue pen SU dazzling diamonds glitter LOTV sentiment stamps black ink pad Rhinestones
And here is what I came up with:

The finished card took 9 minutes and 35 seconds.  I wanted to put one or two more snowflakes on, but they kept breaking when I covered them with glue, so the finished card only has one lonely little snowflake.  I have to admit that as someone who works slowly and deliberately, this time crunch was rather stressful and this is probably one of my least favourite cards so far this year :(  However, it is nice to have a Christmas card done so quickly.  At first I thought I would never do this again, but then I reconsidered and am definitely going to try again to see if I can do better.  It was a very difficult challenge, but that is part of the fun and it should only get easier with practice (I hope!). 
I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:
10 Minute craft dash - free for all Simon Says Stamp - animal antics House Mouse and Friends - Double Trouble (image with at least two mice and/or their friends on it)
Thanks for stopping in!  I hope you can come join in the fun.
Have a great week!
Hugs, 
Dawn

Silly Wabbits and a Purse for a Princess

Hello everyone,

A big welcome to my blog's new follower!  Unfortunately, I could not find a link to visit you, so please do leave a comment so I can pop by and say hi.

I hope everyone has been well and busy enjoying their summer (or winter, if you are on the other side of the globe).  I have been trying out some new techniques, and this pair of simple birthday cards has resulted.  My hubby got me some 'Sansodor' as part of my birthday gift, so I had to try it out with my prismas.  Works like magic, but the name lacks accuracy.  Admittedly, I have been accused of being a 'super smeller' and the end result definitely compensates for the smell.  But, I still think it needs a new name.

Supplies:

Stamps - Happy Hoppers (Party Hoppers), which has three silly wabbits on it, but I masked out the ones I wanted, and the sentiment is from Stampin' Up

Paper - Bazzill card and DP is ??; it was part of a gift bag at a crop I attended last year

Other - cotton candy stickles, ribbon was recycled, numbers and shapes all cut with cricut, flowers from my stash, pearls and brads also from my stash and the pink in the centre of the flowers on the bottom card was made with a Fiskars punch.  

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Allsorts - going round in circles

Charisma Cardz - flowers and fauna

Simon Says Stamp - bingo (blooms, glitter and punches on the bottom card and top card has blooms, free and ribbon)

Stamptacular Sunday - shape it up

Cupcake Craft - photo inspiration

While I'm showing my nieces' birthday cards, I thought I would share the little purse I made as a birthday gift for the eldest one.  Doesn't every three year old princess need a cute little bag?  I tried to find a pattern, but couldn't find one that was the right size or with that extra something that made it special.  In the end, I came up with my own pattern, which I would love to share, but I'm afraid all I have of it are a few chicken scratches on a scrap paper :(.  Anyway, here is the front:

And the back, which shows the pleats that are repeated on the front but mostly hidden by the bow:

Thanks for stopping by and for taking the time to leave a comment.  I love reading your feedback, and it gives me the chance to visit you and admire your creations too.

Have a great week!

Hugs, 

Dawn