Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Brayering and Layering

Sketch challenge Wednesday





After seeing this card, I had to try a layered scene. This is what I came up with.

Directions are for the bare branch tree card. I cut the white cardstock in the shapes that I wanted for the sketch challenge and then used just a tiny bit of double stick tape under each one to position them.. . I used a punched out piece of post it to mask the moon I used a brayer to put the blue on the top and the brown on the bottom, but you could do it with a sponge or cotton ball. I took off the mask and stamped bare trees all over the layered card with my dark brown ink. I then used the same stamp and stamped with purple, kind of filling in empty spaces. Then I took it apart and put the dark color layer behind each piece which hid the edges that were left from stamping over the edges of the layers and re - layered it with permanent adhesive. There were big huge white spaces so it was easy to place everything back

Monday, May 3, 2010

Birthday card for a dog


That isn't a typo, it is not a card for a dog lover, it is a card for a dog. Delores will be ONE and my friend Lisa does the whole deal with a cake and party hats. It was a good chance to practice coloring with my copics.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

More Christmas!


I am behind on my 10 a month plan ... so here is another card that I might reproduce a few more times.

Live, love, meow ...





You can grab my cat outline if you want, it is a jpeg. This clock was so cute, I debated getting Mike to cut out some wood and insert a clock. Instead I made it into a card with a drop down tail that folds up to fit in an envelope.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Orchids just aren't grungy!





I have been struggling with the concept of grunge since I tend to use the word to describe my dog after he has been out on a muddy morning. My friend Amy shared some pictures of her favorite pansy orchid and challenged me to create a grunge card with them. So how do I take a flower like this and make it grungy?

My friend Juliet agreed that orchids and grunge just don't mix ... until she tried.... go see what SHE did using the same orchid photo ... here is her link Juliet's blog and I snuck a couple of photos off her blog to share

Friday, April 30, 2010

April Christmas card ...




Should be CARDS for the challenge but I only got one finished. The other pieces are cut out and waiting to be colored.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Trina Thank you



Not my favorite composition but I wanted to use the bird punch from Trina plus I wanted to show off my copic coloring ... only this " copic" coloring was done with SU markers.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Copics class











































































Last night I took a copics coloring class at my local stamp store. Took an hour to learn the numbering system ... then we got down to coloring. Here are my attempts. And yeah... I bought 2 more markers.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Teapot Tuesday




Daisies are the theme of today's teapot --- and I have countless daisy stamps. However, here in Michigan it is still so cold that the tulips close up at night and the last pansies I saw were shivering...

Here's my birthday poem ...

Keep your paws off my petals
Keep your secrets to yourself
But I heard that it's your birthday
From a clever little elf

I am wishing you a day that's full
Of sunshine, joy and flowers
Hope you make a lot of memories
As you celebrate the hours.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Image from Firecracker



There is a free image this week over at Firecracker and a challenge at splitcoast to use orange. I colored with my prismacolor pencils and did the clouds with a white craft ink pad. Here is my result:

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Lyin' about your birthday?


Oh Happy Day ... because it is YOUR birthday and not mine ... ha ha ha.. These punchy animals are such fun to put together.

Friday, April 23, 2010

All occasion circles



Still on the stripey paper bandwagon. These cards will be my go-to cards when I need a quick birthday or thank you or other generic card. I can add the sentiment as needed. The strange thing is that my daughter sent me this photo of the new quilt that she bought today --- guess we think alike!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Stripey paper


I love the stripey paper I have out on my table so this is today's card with it. It is for my friend who sews so I had to have stitching and buttons. The blue is solid paper with gesso applied with drywall tape on a brayer. I doodled the edges with a gel pen.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Wednesday Sketch Day!



A very easy sketch and a very quick card!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Tuesday Teapot challenge


I still need to do LAST Tuesday's teapot challenge! As far as that goes, I still need to do a lot of things. However, today's teapot is celebrating the upcoming Kentucky Derby. My card was inspired by the Kentucky horse farms we just drove through ... although if you look closely you will realize the die I used for the horse is a zebra ...

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Sunday: Featuring Dara


Dara gave me the idea for this card ... her gallery is over at splitcoast.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Sunrise, Rainbow, and heading North


This was my house this morning as the sun came up over the ocean and created a rainbow and a house of gold. You can see why it is hard to leave!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Nameste'


Our farewell to Diane, our yogi, was a big box of ... can you believe it ... Kilwin's Fudge. Yes, Kilwin's fudge of Petoskey Michigan has several stores in the Melbourne area. So I created this card to go with it.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Tuesday Teapot challenge



Card coming. I am a bit busy chasing REAL cats off REAL laundry baskets! Maybe this afternoon ...

Monday, April 12, 2010

Packing up and Moving out ...

I have the refrigerator all cleaned except the one shelf that still has anything on it ... I THINK I have all the cables and convertors and cords to connect various phones, cameras and computers ... still haven't memorized my new phone number, and still have to make a thank you card for our yoga instructor. Other than that. these snowbirds are ready to fly North.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Sunday: Featuring Pat



Today's Featured stamper at Splitcoast is Pat Smethers. I have received many lovely birthday cards from her and am really impressed with her cards - so it was hard to choose which one to case. I finally selected this one ... and I was half tempted to go and visit my neighbor, Sam, and ask her for a fake flower to include on the card. I settled on a butterfly.

For the turtle card, I really liked the way Pat cut off part of the front to show the inside. Why don't I ever think of that! Plus using the palm tree as a border is fun. Now I want to add that stamp to the pile of things I am packing to take back to Michigan.

Friday, April 9, 2010

80th birthday


Gosh I hope somebody posts my address when I turn 80 ... luckily I have about 19 years to bug people to do it ;)

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Paper Peeling



I spread these out because I wanted to take a photo near the shells that are always on my coffee table ... They really look nice there! Kind of artsy!

Sketchy Wednesday



I adapted today's sketch - at first I was gonna add a scalloped circle that said " Dear Friend" but then the bow seemed to be plenty. My friend was a quilter - which meant I had to include stitching ;)

If you want the image, you can go grab it here:

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Tuesday Teapot challenge



The teapot of the day had a chicken -- so I did this "just chickin' in" card.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Amy's Arthur





My dear friend Amy has a beautiful orchid which is called Sir Arthur. She says that it dates back to a plant grown in 1870. I had to try drawing it. I just couldn't resist adding a pair of eyes, and having it turn into a girafforchid

Amy says it is a Phrag orchid. So maybe it is a phragon dragon!

Flower card

I was up at the crack of dawn to watch the shuttle launch ... actually it was before dawn. So I have a card all made and ready to upload and it isn't even 9 am yet. Amazing how much you can get done if you get up early!


Another card inspired by Theresa