CatStamps

Birthday - Josh and Jess

2012-01-25T10:13:00.000-05:00

I made cards for my niece and nephew.

Not sure my heart is into card making these days!

More violets

2012-01-17T08:52:00.002-05:00

Colored pencil on tracing paper.

teapot Tuesday

2012-01-17T08:51:00.000-05:00

free digi bird

I have been missing the teaparties lately and today's teapot just wanted to be drawn.

So here is my rendition.

Birthday and a friend

2012-01-13T14:33:00.000-05:00

Needed a birthday card stat ... and finally put together a card for a friend in the African Violet Group.

Spongey Teapot

2012-01-06T11:40:00.000-05:00

The challenge is to combine these teapots with spongebob. I have the image ready, who knows if I will have a card ready by the Tuesday deadline.

Remember Brayering?

2011-12-12T06:59:00.000-05:00

I took 2 classes with Nancy Zindorf and brayered every card for a month. I pulled out the brayer for this card, which is a direct result of her tutorial found here.

the Happy Brrrrrrr Day was my own addition

These aren't Tim Tags

2011-12-11T11:13:00.000-05:00

These were meant to be Tim Tags.

My shrinky dink was white, and when I heated it, I couldn't get it uncurled without breaking off edges.

I was very happy with my backgrounds, but ended up cutting some holly and branches and calling it a day ... I mean a tag.

Steve's 30

2011-12-10T16:24:00.000-05:00

My adaptation !

Card from Technique junkies

Cards for Amanda

Each of my kids receives 30 cards the month of his/her birthday - so I have to get in gear since my BABY will be 30 next month.

Amy, Dee and I spent a fun afternoon making cards yesterday.

The cardinal card was one Amy found in Technique Junkies from last year, and we figured it out and created the card here.

Cards for Steve

I made the owl one as an extra ... my daughter Amanda said she used up the cards from her 30th, so I decided a collection of birthday cards would make a nice Christmas gift for her.

Card Sketch and free digi

2011-12-07T09:05:00.002-05:00

I always like card sketches, and this one has out of the box cutting around the image.

The image was a free digi from here... isn't it cute!

It is amazing

2011-12-06T08:47:00.003-05:00

It is amazing how many cards I can get made when I have a briefcase full of papers to correct! It is my best inspiration ever!

I made these for 2 reasons ... my son is having his 30th birthday next month and our family tradition is to send 30 cards for the 30 days leading up to the big day. What WAS I thinking when I started that tradition 3 kids ago I will never know, but can't let down the third one. ( as if he would notice ...)

Also my daughter mentioned that she had finally used up all of the 30 cards I sent her for her birthday 3 years ago by erasing my name and putting hers in place of it so I thought a collection of manly birthday cards would be a good Christmas gift for her. Perhaps I will throw in a few of my ladylike ones too just to round out the collection.

Karen's sketch

This sketch is one of my favorites ... it came from a card made by Karen over at Splitcoast ... link and really makes a nice quick card with pretty paper.

Bonking the Brads

2011-12-02T22:27:00.000-05:00

These are my response to Tim Holtz's Tags for Christmas, day 2.

About the only similarities are the deer as a focus, and the brads hit with a hammer.

Not only is it fun to hit brads with a hammer, but it really flattens them out so that even MY post office would never realize they are there.

See things MY way!

2011-11-16T10:35:00.000-05:00

Card looks like this

Scanner changed it to this

My scanner has a mind of its own and decided to take my brown card and give it a dye job. So this is really the same card --- only the scanner wanted to see it green.

I had to fool with the settings to get it to see things my way!

Christmas Banners

2011-11-11T23:10:00.000-05:00

This Holiday Season some very dear friends and I will be exchanging holiday banners in place of cards. These are 4 inches wide and 6 inches tall. When I finish exchanging with my friends, I plan to hook them all together on a ribbon across my mantel.

Susan, Cin and Juliet, don't click on the photo and at least you will be a LITTLE bit surprised when they arrive in your mailbox! I made the photo small on purpose so you wouldn't see it unless you clicked.

Stick it in a Stocking

2011-11-10T09:52:00.000-05:00

These cute stockings open up to reveal a pocket for a gift card.

Aren't they just the cutest things!

Christmas Card camp - Blue Christmas

2011-11-09T09:48:00.000-05:00

It's a blue Christmas ... and aren't these colors pretty!

Card camp

2011-11-08T09:08:00.000-05:00

My scanner is not happy today, but I managed to get these cards to scan. More coming.

The stocking punch really seemed to bind up, so I took it off my wish list. Wonder if the Stampin Up Ladies meant for me to decide NOT to buy based on my card camp experience!

Teapot Tower

2011-10-25T09:19:00.000-04:00

The teapot totem made me think of a nice tall ice cream cone.

Not the best idea for today when the temperature is dropping and I feel a shiver coming on!

Copic Coasters

2011-10-22T11:18:00.001-04:00

My gosh, do coasters ever soak up the ink. Ok, that was a DUHHHH moment.

I got the idea for these coasters from Splitcoast ... and will scatter them on our coffee table and see if Mike uses them or not.

I ended up making them for all 3 of my kids and wrote, HAVE A DRINK ON ME on the back.

Giggle!

I'm a little TeaPoet!

2011-10-18T08:22:00.009-04:00

One of my dear friends from Copic class called me a TeaPoet today because I always post a poem with my cards on Splitcoast.

I love it ! I wish I had thought of it first, but so what, it is so clever!

Hilda, You are SO cool!

This is the card I posted over there. I just noticed the cupcakes are crooked!

Teapot?

2011-10-11T09:35:00.001-04:00

Cindy calls this a teapot, but I have my doubts.

I think my card reflects the spirit of the teapot.

Paper Temptress Posting

2011-10-04T10:10:00.001-04:00

What do you do when your husband is home with the flu, the internet is spotty, and you have a post due over at Paper Temptress?

You pull out your punches, that's what!

Here is a very quick card I shared over on the Paper Temptress website.

Not my usual ... but then this hasn't been a usual week. Mike hasn't taken a sick day in 32 years. Since half my class at school seems to be sick, and nobody at Mike's office is ill, he is convinced I brought the germs home. Guilt trip much !!!

Amanda's birthday

2011-10-01T13:23:00.002-04:00

Inside

Somehow the cat on the inside ended up looking evil, even with a party hat.

Tuesday teapot

2011-09-26T21:01:00.004-04:00

A horse is a horse is a horse of course except when it is a ... French Poodle?

I found the rocking horse image on Beccy's blog, she has a lovely tutorial for how to make a rocking card.

David's Birthday

2011-09-23T05:45:00.000-04:00

David sails sometimes weekends, so this lighthouse watercolor seemed like a perfect birthday card for him.

Mike and I actually saw this lighthouse on our trip to Tawas last weekend --- this is the lighthouse at Sturgeon Point. We got there too late to climb it which was probably just as well.

More Monkeys

2011-09-20T09:01:00.000-04:00

Here is my card for Teapot Tuesday ... I had fun creating my piano!

Rainy Days and Mondays

2011-09-19T10:13:00.003-04:00

I can sit and sulk because it is dark and dreary, or I can go downstairs, turn on all the lights, and make cards for a change. You can see which choice I made!

Punch monkey came from here and you will be seeing him again tomorrow. I have my Tuesday card all made and it is only MONDAY!

Manly card

2011-09-08T09:18:00.001-04:00

I needed a manly card for my nephew and totally copied the idea Cindy posted at Splitcoast.

Not sure if my golf ball looks like a hole in one, or if it is off in the trees instead of on the green.

But it went together quickly and I think looks quite nice.

Sketch challenge Wednesday

2011-09-07T14:25:00.000-04:00

The sketch today was perfect for a patriotic card to remember 9 - 11.

I like the simplicity.

These are all Paper Temptress papers --- I am scheduled for posting on that blog Sept 11.

Glass teapot

2011-09-06T10:49:00.000-04:00

The Tuesday Pot

my drawing

My card, colored with copics

Life is a circus

2011-09-06T10:41:00.000-04:00

Life is a circus
Of tumbling balls
The faster you juggle
The sooner one falls

You think you have practice
You think you can do it
But there's so many things
You can't get around to it

There are so many dreams
Twirling round in my head
( Plus a few nightmares
I am starting to dread)

But all I can do
Is go on with the fun
And try to keep juggling
Till the whole game is done.

Pick 3

2011-08-31T18:02:00.001-04:00

Ladybug Ladybug which will I choose These are the pots that went up while I snoozed
I woke to a question, which pot will I draw When each is so different it left me in awe.

Tuesday Teapot ... not ...

2011-08-24T11:20:00.001-04:00

The Tuesday teapot had a bird ... and I have a lovely Tim Holtz bird cage die cut that I could have used, but didn't.

Instead I pulled out one of my stack of practice palm trees and made it into a Pelican in the Palms card. At least that is how I see it.

Ok ... not even close. But they do both have birds.

Juliet oh Juliet!

2011-08-18T14:43:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow is my day at Paper Temptress and I am giving you a sneak peek at the bookmark and card I made for the occasion. The bookmark is courtesy of a tutorial provided by my good friend Juliet, so of course I named her Juliet!

Here is a link to her tutorial ...

Pop on over to Paper Temptress tomorrow to see my whole post. Link to Paper Temptress

You can use this link if you would like the free digi file.

Thanks Wendy!

2011-08-17T16:22:00.000-04:00

Wendy has been keeping my pool filled during the drought, so I did this card of her beloved Livingston and sent her a thank you.

Cheri from China

2011-08-04T08:01:00.001-04:00

Free digi image

I had double incentive to draw this lady --- Cheri over at Copic Musketeers was looking for an oriental digi, and Suzanne Dean over at Color me Creative Classroom has us all reading the book Snow Flower and the Secret Fan then creating projects as a result.

Now I need to color her with my copics and create a bookmark, card or project. But I thought I would post her today so you can enjoy her too.

Please take the digi if you want it --- and create something pretty!

Sketch challenge Wednesday

2011-07-27T14:36:00.002-04:00

Teapot Tuesday and I am late again. But I got to combine it with the Wednesday sketch. I seem to have counted the stripes wrong too. Ever have one of those weeks?

I do need to point out that all my papers were from Paper temptress. If I were a better photographer, you would see the sparkle and shine of the papers. Instead, you get to imagine it.

Art Camp Thank yous

2011-07-22T08:41:00.000-04:00

Finally finding something to do with my sketches ... these are thank you cards for the art camp leaders.

These were colored with my newest favorite ... inktense colored pencils. They are really fun to work with!

Teapot Tuesday .. a couple days late

2011-07-21T10:03:00.001-04:00

A mice cream cone, of course!

Running late for the teapot bash, but I spent more time searching for the perfect joke than I should have. This card is going to a little boy with cancer and we all made joke cards.

I drew the kitty in the jester hat and used my new copic skills to color him.

Whaddaya do?

2011-07-19T18:44:00.000-04:00

Whaddaya do if you are sending a thank you card to the QUEEN of copics?

You draw a picture of her and write a poem. I gotta play to my strengths!

Here Stands Suzanne and she's ready to dance

But our well-behaved class never gave her a chance

She taught us to flick it and flittered about

There were no stupid questions, or she’d call you out

Take off all the caps, there’ll be no sound of clicking

And all you will hear is the sound of us flicking

Suzanne told us stories all meant to amuse

As we learned all the colors that we should choose

We learned to do shading, we learned to do hair

She showed us the steps then she asked us to share

As we looked at our work from beginning to end

We all felt good reason to call Suzanne a friend.

I was extra lucky, I felt like a winner

Because I got to go along out to dinner

This wee little poem, this drawing of you

Is my way of saying, Suzanne, THANK YOU!

Teapot dots

2011-07-12T07:40:00.001-04:00

I will be the first to admit, I got a bit dotty doing this card. But it was fun.

Now that I look at it, I wish I had put something brown behind the flowers.

So sweet

2011-07-06T16:09:00.000-04:00

Looks better in person ... although those chocolate chips look yummy no matter where you look at 'em!

Teapot Tuesday - a Sandtrap!

2011-07-06T09:39:00.002-04:00

I am really not into golf much, but I can identify with a sand trap --- having had sand trapped in my shoes, in my hair and in other places too ...

My card today uses all Paper Temptress papers --- I am loving the reversible brown bag paper and the cloudy vellum over blue vellum.

Happy 4 of July!

2011-07-04T04:33:00.022-04:00

Today was my day to post over at PaperTemptress, and if I scheduled it right, my post will go up on time. You can pop over there to see some close up shots of the detail. But here are the cards I made for the occasion.

There would have been 3 more cards if my CAT HAD NOT gone crawling up on top of a bookshelf and into the rafters above my stamp room in the basement and under main floor of the house. I had a panicky hour while I tried to entice her to come out and wondered if Mike would allow the house to be torn apart 2 x 6 by 2 x 6 just to get her out.

She did eventually emerge, dusty and ready to find another place to explore.

Somehow my muse abandoned me during the hunt!

Spotted background ... my favorite

Shadowed background

Create a scene

I have 3 more flag toting Tillies to make into cards ... another day.

Teapot Tuesday ... on watercolor paper

2011-06-28T08:55:00.000-04:00

free digi

This teapot scene just asked to be done on watercolor paper. So I pulled out my watercolor pencils and did the little scene. I think it turned out cute!

But it was too wonderful a shape to ignore, so I had to make the 2nd card!

You can grab my teapot outline if you want it.

Happy Anniversary Susan!

2011-06-24T16:12:00.000-04:00

Happy Anniversary Susan! I tried to use Tim Holtz distress inks and go out of my comfort zone. I was really happy with how this card turned out --- not my style, but I haven't really gotten a style yet!

Summer Art Camp

2011-06-17T16:18:00.001-04:00

I helped out at the SVSU Summer Art Camp this week. I am the old lady on the left ...

Everyday Matters 317

2011-06-17T16:00:00.001-04:00

The challenge was to draw my hair the way it looks in the morning. The sad thing is, I DO look just this grumpy. If you don't believe me, just ask Mike!

When I realized I was getting comments and support from the EDM community, I decided to begin a blog just for my artwork.

You can find it here .... ( right where I used to blog about knitting socks ... ) (( I LOVE my A.D.D !))

http://thebeachcat.blogspot.com/

Teapot Tuesday ... horses?

2011-06-15T07:59:00.000-04:00

Today's challenge is a horse teapot, and I am not much into horses so I was miffed for a minute.

But then I went to an online digital photos site and pulled an image from there.

Watercolor Sketch Workshop

2011-06-14T17:08:00.001-04:00

Still doing suns ...

Step by step icebreaker

I took a watercolor sketch class at Chippewa Nature center. This is the beginning of my watercolor sketch book.

Nope, I don't remember it either

2011-06-09T07:36:00.000-04:00

The inside of this card says,

Nope, I don't remember it either!

Easy and fast card to make and I am very pleased with it.

It is from the sketch challenge over at Splitcoast ... and a day late. I seem to be doing everything a day late lately.

BeeGees ... nope, not the singers

2011-06-09T07:17:00.000-04:00

These are all my BG colors

Some of my favorite combinations using the Blue Green Copic Markers.

Elaine's Birthday ... and I am late again!

2011-06-08T16:19:00.000-04:00

card front

Inside

It's Elaine's birthday, and I forgot to get her card in the mail.

IF she looks at my blog, she can see that I at least have her card finished and ready to mail!

HEY ELAINE ...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Singing the blues

2011-06-08T16:15:00.001-04:00

B60 is a light gray blue, doesn't show in the scan.

I have organized my blue copic markers so I will know which ones I need ... yeah, I said NEED.

Mike asked how many blues I have and when I knew immediately and told him I have 9, he was spooked. "You mean there are that many blues," he asked?

Can't you imagine coloring water with these!

I decided not to mention the blue greens and the blue violets. ...

Here are some of my favorite combinations ...

Flower for Friends

2011-06-07T08:40:00.001-04:00

Free digi, yours to take

I met some copic colorers in a chat room online and we decided to all color the same image and see how we do.

I drew this flower with a friendly rat sticking out the bottom, since we chatted about critters too.

1. darkest green

2. darkest pink

3. blend in light pink

4. blend in light green

I am doing a step by step coloring for one lady who says she is at kindergarten, no. nursery school level. This is what she said but I have not seen her coloring yet so perhaps she should be doing the tutorial instead. At any rate, here is my flower and my step by step coloring.

5. Finish with light yellow and brown

Tuesday Teapot

2011-05-31T07:46:00.000-04:00

Here's the pot and here's the drawing ... I really had fun with this one!

Guess you have to use your imagination to see how I got the drawing from the pot ...

If I tried to sync my swimming

I’d be drowning in the drink

I can barely keep on floating

It is harder than you think

I can sync my mac computer

And my ipad in a blink

But the sync that I don’t want to do
Is dishes in the sink!

One Birdie, two birdie, three birdie, four

2011-05-30T15:15:00.007-04:00

The challenge is feathers!

I was playing with copics and backgrounds, then outlined with a sharpie and got the nice black edges; then added some copic .03 lines. The trouble is always knowing when to stop.

Then I had to choose which one to enter in the challenge.

I picked the dotty one. But now I think I like the one with the clouds even better.

Winged things challenge

2011-05-29T13:52:00.001-04:00

Just created this card for a winged things challenge. I am not so sure how to color feathers although both my parrotlet and my cockatiel were happy to share some rejects for me to use as models.

Here is the challenge link:

It is good practice for the feathers challenge over at CMCC. I think I can use a bit more practice!

Farewell to Diane

2011-05-29T10:26:00.000-04:00

Free digi image

We had a great Yoga instructor and this is the farewell card I made for her. At the end of every class, she would say, "Remember that yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery. But today is the present so take it and enjoy it as a gift." Her take on Eleanor Roosevelt got amended into the text on my card.

You can grab the image if you need a yoga card

copic practice

2011-05-26T18:52:00.003-04:00

free digi for you

Coloring white is a real challenge. I tried it here ... and it is ok although I do think it looks like the girls are wearing gray dresses.

I am taking a class from Suzanne Dean ... wa HOOOOO ... in July and hope to see what she does to make her whites work so well.

I colored this card for a Do-It-In-White challenge at her copic classroom ... anybody can enter! Click ...here.

Digi is here if you wanna try coloring ...

In the spirit of the teapot

2011-05-25T14:55:00.002-04:00

The background on the teapot got me going on this ... I think my fingers are permanently dyed not quite navy blue!

I guess I should have put on some fishes and called it birthday fishes.

Maybe next time.

These boots are made for birthdays ...

2011-05-22T20:22:00.000-04:00

Isn't this a fun card for a birthday? I can add one more to my stack for Steve! Never thought I would be using rhinestones and pearls on a card for a 30 year old male, but they seem to work.

I colored the washer with my copics with a lot of dibbing and dabbing.

Cute cute

2011-05-22T17:32:00.000-04:00

Amanda is all upset because Kate's Paperie is closing its location near her in New York. I made these cards for her and told her they were from Cat's Paperie.

Think Red, White and Blue!

2011-05-22T16:22:00.000-04:00

Free digi for you

I have been featured over at Paper Temptress --- I hope you will go over and look around! Finally I can stop making cards that are red, white and blue for awhile.

But before I leave that theme, here is a digi I created - hope you can use her. If you do, please click on over to paper temptress and see my layout.

VSN in the Spotlight

2011-05-21T23:00:00.001-04:00

This hour's challenge is to use spotlighting --- super fast, and very effective!

I plan to add the text on the green oval when I decide who gets this card.

VSN - Virtual Stamp Night

2011-05-20T18:02:00.000-04:00

At 6 our challenge was to use kraft, aqua and green.

The 7 o'clock challenge is to create a card that hides something, and what better to hide than a gift card to Starbucks! I have included the template I used

At 8 oclock we needed to say ARRRRGH and do a card with 3 R's on it. Mine has a rainbow, a reflection, and I used the rock n roll technique. But I lost the colors when I sized the photo down to make it load faster and now I need to rescan it to get the color back.

New Neighbor

2011-05-20T16:37:00.000-04:00

My new neighbor invited Sam and me to lunch. Sam is 85, I represented the 60s and the new neighbor is in her 40s so we were quite a trio at the restaurant. This is the thank you card I made for her. Can you guess which one is me?

Celtic tree of life on a nautical card?

2011-05-20T11:50:00.004-04:00

Tree of Life Knot, sort of ...

I knew I wanted a knot tied on the bottom of this one, so I googled celtic knots and came up with this utube link. My plan was to do it in baker's twine, but I pulled out the kitchen string to practice. However, I think the kitchen twine looks just fine, and to do it again with baker's twine might mean another hour --- these cards are supposed to be finished in 45 minutes or less. Luckily I am on the VSN design team so we got the challenges early.

The challenge wasn't the knot! The challenge here was to use a sponge to create a background. I have some cheapie sponges from the dollar store that are all cut up and in a jar on my table, so that part was easy peasy!

sketchy Wednesday

2011-05-18T14:32:00.000-04:00

Easy sketch today ... and more of my red white and blue theme for Paper Temptress.

Love this star punch but it tends to get jammed if I use it on anything heavier than paper.

Click on the photo to see the texture of the paper, my photography came out kind of dark.

Paper Temptress reversible brown bag

2011-05-18T11:03:00.000-04:00

Oh this was a fun card, it kind of took over and made itself. I used some fun reversible paper from PaperTemptress that gave a great torn edge, did the cutout edges, and then used the scraps for an inside that is even more fun than the outside. The front has the text divided up but only the inside shows the "belated." There is just enough room for me to give an explanation of why my card is late ... but those who know me know that I always make cards on time but somehow getting them mailed is my bugaboo.

My happiest discovery was using the owl punch for my circles, and then tucking the owl vest in behind a flower to set it off on the inside.

The reversible brown bag paper made this card quick because those brown edges peeking out of the cranberry were accomplished by tearing.

Teapot Tuesday ... off to the beach

2011-05-16T20:52:00.000-04:00

Teapot Tuesday has a beach theme today, and those of you who know me know how much I love the beach.

My card is fairly quick and easy, it is a nice day here in Florida and I have to go enjoy the beach quickly before it is time to head back to Michigan the end of this month.

Coloring in Black and White

2011-05-16T17:54:00.000-04:00

Free digi for you

Using only my c3, c5 and c7, I made a girl with black hair and a white blouse. How cool is that! Not as cool as the fact that you can have the digi I drew to practice!

Featured Stamper Aimes

2011-05-16T09:27:00.000-04:00

Aimes created a clean and simple card that I tried to imitate today. Clean and simple is not my style, although I really like the look of it. This is my version. I also loved her stripey birthday card ... and used patriotic papers to create my version.

While the papers were out,

I created this taggy card.

Featured today on Paper Temptress!

2011-05-15T12:41:00.001-04:00

My tutorial is featured today over at the Paper Temptress blog ... I show you step by step how to create this card. You've seen it before, I made it for the mini virtual stamp night over at Splitcoast.

Samples for Paper Temptress

2011-05-11T16:04:00.000-04:00

SNEAK PEEK!

I am working on some samples to illustrate some of the cardstock textures over at Paper Temptress.

Here is a sneak peek at some of the cards for the "Patriotic Pack" of paper that will be available soon.

I am creating PDF's with the templates and some text to put inside of each. I am not sure if Patricia will have a link to them on her site, or how she plans to handle it. In the meantime, I got to play with some really fun papers! If you want me to send you a copy, put your email in the comments below and I will send the pdf to you.

Teapot Tuesday ... off on a tangent

2011-05-10T12:30:00.000-04:00

Ok the teapot had romaine and I made a card with corn, but at least I kept the theme of gardening!

I got the template for the corn from the Lynn Pratt site.

Coloring hair

2011-05-09T09:30:00.000-04:00

Been practicing hair ... and I am amazed at how differently the inks work on different papers.

Colleen's Anniversary

2011-05-06T09:13:00.000-04:00

Does it look like a beach ball?

I keep making square cards and then being frustrated at how to mail them. This one is going in a big envelope as it seemed to grow as I worked on it.

Digis are yours to grab ... I am particularly proud of the umbrellas!

Coloring homework

2011-05-03T09:01:00.001-04:00

I am taking an online class in copics and this is my homework for this week. We are learning to color ruffles and folds. I am still on lesson one ...

Next week we do wood and I can fix up the box she is sitting on.

Teapot Tuesday!

2011-05-03T08:50:00.000-04:00

Tuesday means teapots so here is today's!

I kind of reversed the colors.

VSN challenge use fabric

2011-05-02T23:24:00.000-04:00

This is my card for the VSN challenge using fabric ... I cut some strips off the bottom of a new pair of black jeans when I was shortening them and these wedges were cut where the seams were. I think it looks kind of unique!

My water is scribblings of copic markers and a white out pen.

VSN Inspiration challenge May 2 8 PM

2011-05-02T19:04:00.002-04:00

How could you not be inspired by this gorgeous photo --- so the challenge is to create a card inspired by something you see here.

My eye was caught by the clouds and sparkling water - so I pulled out my Paper Temptress crepe and rubbed a copper metallic pad across it... MAGIC !!!

The clouds are rough torn and overlapped from mottled vellum, and you can't quite see the effect of the translucent vellum over the slightly metallic sky.

What a fun challenge!

Virtual Stamp Night Mini 9:00 PM ... Color challenge

2011-04-29T21:20:00.001-04:00

For this challenge, I needed to use orange, yellow and green, not a stretch for me since I often use bright sunny colors.

Wednesday Sketch Day!

2011-04-27T14:22:00.003-04:00

To Wendy

I cased a card by Roxie --- and really am happy with how it turned out.

Then I did it again!

Here's Roxie's card

Teapot Tuesday!

2011-04-27T09:06:00.001-04:00

Teapot Tuesday ... this is why I drew my bird. He is that TINY little blue splotch on the teapot card on the right!

Grandma Moses could do primitive drawings and they looked great. Mine look kind of like a preschooler with a fat crayon.

The Blue Bird of Happiness

2011-04-26T11:39:00.001-04:00

Can't wait to color these birdies blue and make them into bluebirds.

As always, you are welcome to take an image.

I've been coloring the Easter Bunny ...

2011-04-24T10:14:00.008-04:00

Too much?

I finally decided to give myself a treat and signed up for classes by Suzanne Dean. Lesson ONE is on coloring pleats and fabric ... here are my attempts so far. I am convinced my scanner is eating half of the shading and will try taking photos later today.

Just right?

Too little?

Tuesday Teapot

2011-04-18T22:59:00.001-04:00

Tuesday means teapots, but this one looked more like a quilt to me.

More Wuffled Wabbit

2011-04-17T08:56:00.004-04:00

From the Stamping Boutique

Ok... I am on a wuffled wabbit kick ... this one will be for a color challenge over at The Stamping Boutique

and a sketch challenge at The Critter Sketch Challenge Blog.

Not sure if I am allowed to combine the challenges, but I did!

From the Critter Sketch Challenge

Now I gotta go get stuff for an Easter basket for my kids and get it in the mail! ( I heard postal rates go up tomorrow. Too bad I didn't mail my packages yesterday!)

Rabbit in Ruffles Rides Again

2011-04-16T09:38:00.001-04:00

You may remember this digi drawing ( it's a free download here ) . I am using it for an Easter card for a young lady with a pug dog. Tried to color my bunny to match.

More pirate images

2011-04-15T09:56:00.002-04:00

I am still drawing images for the Splitcoast Virtual Stamp night ... on the evening of April 29, and all day May 20 and 21, there will be challenges every hour with a pirate theme. I didn't have any pirate stamps so I started drawing some images hoping they will be useful. PLEASE feel free to "grab" the images if you want them!

You can click on "pirate images" below and see other posts with pirate themed free digis -- or just click on "free digis" and grab whatever images you want.

Pirate images and Talk like a pirate

2011-04-13T23:28:00.003-04:00

There be a challenge comin' matey, o'er at splitcoast, and me images here might be of service to ye! If it be pirate image ye need, feel free to grab your booty here .... these be posted just for ye to use.

Arrgh, my hearty friends, I be findin this site here and sharin it wit ye ... yo ho ho!

Talk like a pirate

Sketchy Wednesday penguins

2011-04-13T15:46:00.004-04:00

I really enjoy the sketch challenge at Splitcoast. It gives me a chance to play with all the papers that I just have to buy ...

You can grab this image if you like

Plus dear husband's birthday is tomorrow and I waited till the last minute to make this card. Thinking I will make TWO and use one for my son's 30 cards with shoes...

I have been practicing that dotty surround for images with copics. I kind of like it!

If you would like to see some other free digi images, click on the words "Free digi" below. I draw cuz I enjoy it and it makes me so happy when people like my images enough to grab 'em!

Teapot Tuesday- Guitar

2011-04-12T09:53:00.004-04:00

Digi image yours to grab

Can you believe this is a teapot?

With a Beatles guitar like this one, I just had to do a tie dye card!

Copics and scribbling ... nice way to begin a Tuesday.

Try outs ...

2011-04-10T11:20:00.000-04:00

Remember Tryouts for the spring play or for the team, well, I am trying out for a challenge blog --- gotta use this image and if I am chosen, I will be helping to come up with some challenges over at Critter Sketch. Just found them, and if I am not chosen, I sure plan to play in their challenges! Isn't the image by "Robyn's Fetish" cute!

Knitting class thank yous

2011-04-07T09:43:00.000-04:00

thank you cards for Annie and Kaori

My hat is drying on a dinner bowl after being blocked

I took two knitting classes in March -- one was for a hat where I learned to do color work. I think I chose the wrong yarn since a lot of the detail seems to have sunk into the threads of the blue, but I now know how to do it if/when I make another hat. Kaori was very patient and shared stories of her family in Tokyo and how they were dealing with the disasters there.

The second class was for a top down sweater and poor Annie said she could help any afternoon I wanted to come in at 1 --- so my car now knows the way to Cocoa without using Garmin at all!
But I am well on the way with my personally fitted top down sweater.

I made thank you cards for both instructors.

Flower soft

2011-04-03T20:35:00.001-04:00

Flower soft seems perfect for a sympathy card. A very dear friend has lost several people who were very close to her heart, and it is so hard to make a card that will in any way take away the pain. But when I think of making cards, and sending them, what better reason than to send a hug in an envelope. Hope she likes this card, after all, SHE sent me the gorgeous blue flower soft!

The colors were still out on my table from these cards using the Zindorf technique ...

Keep on Truckin'

2011-04-01T17:16:00.001-04:00

This card was kind of fun. I found the image of the construction cones at ZFLICK which is an incredible search that brings up pictures of whatever you would like to see, all for free. The truck was a digi from PaulaPosts and the brads just needed to be there. You can't tell but the truck is triple clear embossed and very thick and shiny.

Interestingly enough, my red truck was basically colored with orange and cranberry! LOVE my copics!

Teapot Tuesday Update

2011-03-30T10:03:00.000-04:00

Happy Early April Fools! That is what we all did with our teapot cards yesterday, posting only the worst and ugliest. Funny thing was, I got the same positive comments as I usually do over at Splitcoast, the April Fool's day joke seems to have been on me! Not sure if mine will get the honor of being chosen Ugliest of the Ugly, but here is the real card I made for Tuesday.

It actually looks kind of boring to me!

Teapot Tuesday!

2011-03-29T12:51:00.002-04:00

What a cute felt tea set. Card is not so cute. Oh well, some work, some don't! I think I spent more time arguing with blogger to get the card on than I spent making the card and I still can't make it move up to where I wanted it to be!

Owl be !

2011-03-23T15:04:00.005-04:00

Owl be sending this cards They turned out awfully cute

Do they look like they're 'sposed to? I don't give a hoot!

Well, Owl be, I got all inspired over at Michelle Zindorf's blog and went on an Owl punching spree. I colored mine with copics instead of sponging ... and played around with the card layout. The biggest adaptation was not having her tree ... so I ended up combining a stampin up silhouette with some branches from a Unity Sympathy set! I was quite pleased with my ingenuity! The adaptations went on ... I changed colors and used a different punch for my photo holders. My sizes are totally irregular.

I really like the white gel pen on the leaves. Looks even better in real life!

Some possible sentiments.

Whoooo Gives a Hoot? I do (caring and sharing)
Owl be wishing you a great day (general purpose, birthday)
A word to the wise ---- Celebrate! ( graduation? birthday? or retirement?
In the wee hours of the morning ... Owl be thinking of you. ( caring and sharing)
Feeling like nobody gives a hoot? I gotta say, I think you're cute! ( caring)

If you have more ideas, please click on comments below and add your 2 cents worth!