MarkerPop! Design Team Announcement!

I am SO excited to finally be able to announce that I am joining the MarkerPop! Design Team as one of their full time colorists! As you know coloring stamped images with Copic markers is my first love and I am thrilled to be joining an awesome company to bring you coloring inspiration week to week. I gotta tell you, I have enjoyed getting to know Valerie along with the rest of the team the past couple weeks - they are all so incredibly talented and fun and have been very welcoming! It is always fun to find out you will be on a team with a friend and I am so happy for my sweet friend, Annette who is ALSO joining the team as one of the new full time card designers! She will wow you with her coloring and clever (wink, wink) card designs.

Be sure to meet the ENTIRE team including two brand new part time designers on the MarkerPop! blog today and give them all a big congratulations! We have some surprises in store for you next week as we begin our terms so be sure to follow my blog as well as the MarkerPop! blog because you are NOT going to want to miss it! We are so excited!

So, this wouldn't be a blog post without a card, right?! I decided to share one of the cards I submitted in my application. I created this card last year using one of my favorite stamps by The Greeting Farm - Latte Anya. I stamped my image with Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Copic Xpress It Blending Card then colored her with Copic markers and kept the design pretty simple with a doily and some flag embellishments for my sentiment. Don't you just LOVE the texture on her hat?! *Tease alert* Well, I'll be sure to share my secret in an upcoming post! 

Thanks so much for stopping by - if you liked my card today and don't want to miss a post please be sure to follow me by clicking the button below!

Imagine Crafts: Stazon Studio Glaze Camoflage Tile

I am SO excited! Today is my Imagine Crafts video debut! Click on over to the Imagine Crafts Blog to view the video along with two of my video teamies also using the amazing new Imagine Crafts StazOn Studio Glaze - between the three of us you can really see how versatile this product truly is.

I hope you will check out my video on the Imagine Crafts Blog to see how I created this awesome military inspired tile. You can also watch the video on YouTube or Vimeo.

My Favorite Things - Inktense Shaker Card

Hi everyone! I had a fabulous birthday weekend - one thing I always ask for is a weekend to myself so I can craft away in peace...and this year my birthday wish came true! 

I was finally able to play along in the MFT Card Challenges again creating this one for the Sketch 215 challenge. Sketches are one of my favorite challenges to participate in because it really gives me a place to jump off creatively when I sit down to make a card.

I am in love with shaker cards but don't make them very often myself! Although, each time I do take the time, I know it is worth that extra effort for that fun shaker element. I really love how this one turned out. I was a little nervous because I got a little messy with the glue for the die cut word but managed to clean most of it up off the acetate with a baby wipe. I'm also going to enter my card into Virginia's View Challenge #12 - Shaker Cards.

I stamped this adorable image from MFT BB - You Have My Heart stamp set on 140lb watercolor paper with Versafine Onyx Black ink. Then I colored her using Derwent Inktense pencils. These pencils are so fun to color with. They activate with water like watercolors but are so vivid and once dry they are permanent. A fun medium to work with!

Once thing that occurred this weekend is I have started decorating the insides of my cards! I've been card making since 2009 but have never decorated the inside thinking it too much trouble but in all honesty it doesn't take much longer at all since I'm using bits and pieces of the paper I've already had out to do the front! I love how it really finishes the card. It's funny, too, because my hubby would ALWAYS look inside my cards and they were never decorated and then I give him his valentine with the inside decorated and he didn't even notice. Haha

Thanks so much for stopping by - if you liked my card today and don't want to miss a post please be sure to follow me by clicking the button below!

Products used:
My Favorite Things BB - You Have My Heart
My Favorite Things - Die-namics BB You have My Heart
My Favorite Things - Die-namics Blueprints 15
Papertrey Ink Tinsel & Tags Paper Pad
Papertrey Ink Clear Cardstock
Paper Smooches Thanks word die
Tsukineko Versafine Onyx Black Ink
140 lb watercolor paper
Derwent Inktense Pencils
Winsor & Newton Series 7 Sable Brush Size 1
Helmar Tape Runner
Multi-Matte Medium
Fun Foam
Scotch Dimensional Tape

Growing In Unity - Winners!

Hi everyone,

 

Thank you for all your sweet comments this week. You definitely made my day and I appreciate all the new followers as well - it makes me so happy that you enjoyed what you saw enough to come back for more even beyond the give away!

 

I used Random.org first to randomly choose which day to choose from the comments and then used Random.org again to select the winner from that day out of all the comments left.

 

Without further adieu, here are the winners:

 

Winner #1:

Randomly chosen Day 2!

 

I had 42 comments at the time of this drawing (and you can't make this stuff up LOL) the 2nd comment is the winner.

 

Congrats, Denise Bryant!!!

 

Winner #2:

Randomly chosen day 4.

 

I had 40 comments at the time of this drawing on Day 4's post with comment 40 being chosen.

 

 

Congrats, Janis!!!

 

The winners have already been emailed so please check your spam folders if you haven't heard from me and respond with your mailing address so we can get the prize mailed out!

 

Thanks again for stopping by everyone!

 

 

Growing in Unity - Day 5 - Mixed Media

Hi everyone! I am so excited to be your Growing In Unity gal this week! Welcome to the final day of this fabulous week - it sure has gone by fast. Be sure to leave comments on my GIU posts each day this week because at the end of this fun week, I get to choose TWO of you to win an awesome grab back of 25 Unity Stamps!

So, I thought Wednesday's post was going to be my favorite from my GIU week, but I changed my mind. THIS one is AND it's my birthday - happy Friday the 13th everyone!!! Don't forget to leave those comments, it could be YOUR lucky day, too!

Today, I created a mixed media piece on another 6x6 wood panel. I saw THIS VIDEO by Donna Downey for Faber-Castell using the Pitt Pastel pencils and was seriously blown away. I have a few of them so I decided to pull them out and do a little experimenting. I already knew I was going to use this You Are Important Unity Stamp by Donna Downey so it was a win-win. That sentiment is perfection in my opinion. No truer words have ever been stamped. ;)

I wish I had some pastel grounding medium or the pastel board like she worked on but I didn't so I just used the absorbent ground medium I do have and applied it on the the board with a palette knife to create more of a tooth for the pastels to grab on to. My process for creating this tiny mixed media board is quite long so I'm going to go step by step as I think that might make it easier to understand how it came together!

1. I picked out two teal colors and two green colors for my color palette and alternated scribbling them on the entire board blending them all together with my fingers. 

2. I created a soft pencil outline of where the stamped image would be and took my palette knife to apply gesso around the edges of the board. Let dry completely.

3. I stamped my image with Tsukinkeo Versafine Onyx Black ink. I let that dry (for some reason it stayed wet awhile longer than usual - I actually hit it with my heat gun to speed that up.) 

4. I sprayed my board with some Helmar Workable Fixative so I could continue adding layers over the pastel pencils. 

5. Using a blend of Faber-Castell gelatos and big pitt brush pens in red, I created the red shading around the flower image.

6. Using a fine tip Faber-Castell pitt pen, I outlined the image in black to make it stand out more.

7. I almost stopped at that point but I kept looking at it and thinking it needed something else...then it hit me, drippage and paint splatters of course! So, I took some LiquitexInk in magenta and dripped it on my board then tapped it vertically on my table to make the drippage. 

8. Using a black gelato applied directly to the edges of the board, I blended with my fingers to frame everything.

There, now it was complete! I sealed my canvas using Helmar Crystal Kote in a glossy finish.

Here is a close up - ahhh, I just love all the ink splatters and this stamp is gorgeous! I will be using it over and over. I also can't wait to try this technique again on some surfaces actually primed for the pastel medium. 

I can't believe this week has reached its conclusion. I want to thank each and every one of you that stopped by and left me the most amazing comments. Each one made me smile as they came through - being a part of Growing In Unity is truly about uplifting each other and I hope you will all continue to follow along as a new GIU gal is introduced each week this year.

Be sure to stop back by tomorrow to find out if you won either of the two grab bags of 25 Unity Stamps!

Thanks so much for stopping by - if you liked my art work today and don't want to miss a post please be sure to follow me by clicking the button below!

Products used:
Unity Stamp Co stamp - You Are Important by Donna Downey
Tsukineko Versafine Onyx Black ink
The Artist Panel 6x6 all primed wood panel
Golden Absorbent Ground
Liquitex White Gesso
Faber-Castell Pitt Pastel pencils
Faber-Castell Pitt Big Brush pens
Faber-Castell Gelatos
LiquitexInk 

Growing in Unity - Day 4 - Watercolor Canvas

Hi everyone! I am so excited to be your Growing In Unity gal this week! Welcome to Day 4. Be sure to leave comments on my GIU posts each day this week because at the end of this fun week, I get to choose TWO of you to win an awesome grab back of 25 Unity Stamps! 

Today is all about experimenting!! As I first mentioned in my Tuesday post, I'm still being inspired by the black and white image with pops of color. I have these 6x6 wood panel that is pre primed with gesso…ready for acrylics or oil paints. Well, I wanted to watercolor so I applied a layer of Golden Absorbent Ground over the primed surface. I only did ONE layer. When I do this again, I will definitely do TWO layers of the absorbent ground. I learned from Donna Downey that Absorbent Ground creates a watercolor surface on surfaces that otherwise wouldn't be so acceptable to watercolors. However, like I said, I probably should have done two layers or perhaps will look into other watercolor primers for future projects.  I just feel like the watercolors didn't flow as well as they normally do as they started soaking in to the canvas too quickly and it was hard to move around and they would seep Oh well, that is what art is, right? Experimenting? While not entirely happy with the way my canvas turned out, I'm not entirely Unhappy either so I thought I would share regardless - that and I didn't have time to create anything else to share in its place. haha

I used two stamps on my canvas that I stamped first with Tsukineko Versafine Onyx Black ink (this is my favorite ink to watercolor with because I love the crisp black lines it leaves on any surface). On Tuesday I mentioned how much I love the stamps Created by Tracey Malnofski - well, today I am using Autumn (and I saw on Facebook last night that she is coming out with a fairy line - I can't wait!!!) She comes with a beautiful empowering sentiment but I wanted to use the new sentiment set released by Donna Downey for Unity Stamp Co. - She. For what I had in mind with the pops of color on the canvas behind the black and white image - I knew the sentiment would be perfect. I also pulled out my Koi Watercolor travel set instead of the gelatos or peerless watercolors today. They had been neglected and I wanted the vibrancy of their colors on this project.

I am excited that I could actually get a picture of the Wink of Stella I used on her dress! It adds just the perfect amount of shimmer on my canvas. I thought about adding embellishments but then as I kept looking at it, I didn't want to take away from the painting itself (as awkward as it is.) 

Don't forget to stop by again tomorrow for my last GIU post and your final chance to win!

Thanks so much for stopping by - if you liked my art work today and don't want to miss a post please be sure to follow me by clicking the button below!

Products:
Unity Stamp Co - Autumn Stamp Set
Unity Stamp Co - She by Donna Downey
The artist panel 6x6 all-primed wood panel
Golden Absorbent Ground
Tsukinkeo Versafine Onyx Black ink
Koi Watercolor Travel Set
Winsor & Newton Series 7 Watercolor Brushes *Size 8 and 4
Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Brush pen

Growing In Unity - Day 3 - Hoop Art

Hi everyone! I am so excited to be your Growing In Unity gal this week! Welcome to Day 3. Be sure to leave comments on my GIU posts each day this week because at the end of this fun week, I get to choose TWO of you to win an awesome grab back of 25 Unity Stamps! 

Today, I have a different sort of stamping project for you! I created this embroidery hoop art using muslin. To prime my fabric, I used Golden Absorbent Ground medium. This medium creates a watercolor surface on ANYTHING! It was perfect for what I had in mind. Once that was dry, I used gelatos on an acrylic block, spritzed with water and then pressed that on my fabric Once that was dry, I stamped the itty bitty stamp Beauty in all Things in Versafine Onyx Black ink. I splattered some color and added stickles to the flowers. Then I embellished a bit with some flowers and perfect pearls. This project came together very easily and I can't wait to make some more!

Don't forget to stop by again tomorrow for another GIU post and another chance to win!

Thanks so much for stopping by - if you liked my cards today and don't want to miss a post please be sure to follow me by clicking the button below!

Products used:
Unity Stamp Co Beauty in all Things itty bitty stamp
Muslin
Golden Absorbent Ground medium
Faber-Castell Gelatos
Tsukineko Versafine Black Onyx ink

Growing In Unity - Day 2 - Watercolor

Hi everyone! I am so excited to be your Growing In Unity gal this week! Welcome to Day 2. Be sure to leave comments on my GIU posts each day this week because at the end of this fun week, I get to choose TWO of you to win an awesome grab back of 25 Unity Stamps! 

For my card today, I was inspired by Unity Stamp Co. Design Team member Swarup Murthy. She is AH-mazing with watercoloring. I love watching her videos and was inspired to paint my image in the black and white style. I love this line of stamps designed by Tracey Malnofski - I used Sophia today. To color my image, I used a combination of Peerless watercolors and Inktense pencils - I also added some wink of stella to her top for some added sparkle. For my background, I colored some gelatos on my craft mat and spritzed with water, then I just pounced my card on top to pick up the color. After it was dry, I also splattered some color with my paint brush. This is a very simple one layered card but I just love it - I think the image really pops. 

Be sure to come back tomorrow for Day 3 of my GIU week and another chance to win!

Thanks so much for stopping by - if you liked my card today and don't want to miss a post please be sure to follow me by clicking the button below!

Products used:
Unity Stamp Co - Sophia Stamp
Peerless Watercolors
Derwent Inktense Pencils
Tsukenko Versafine Black Onyx ink
Faber-Castell Gelatos
Wink of Stella Clear glitter pen
5x7 Watercolor card by Strathmore

Growing In Unity - Day 1 - Gelatos

Hi everyone! I am so excited to be your Growing In Unity gal this week! The last time I did this was in 2011 and I am STOKED I was able to get in this year when sign ups occurred. It was totally meant to be, too, because the fates aligned and I'm showcasing during my birthday week which is this Friday! Be sure to leave comments on my GIU posts each day this week because at the end of this fun week, I get to choose TWO of you to win an awesome grab bag of 25 Unity Stamps! 

For my card, I used the set Blossom by Blossom. This set is so beautiful - I love all the different sentiments and this beautiful flower image. I used Faber-Castell gelatos to apply color to the flowers and then spritzed with some water before stamping in a random pattern on the front of the watercolor card. After that I took a wet paint brush to blend the colors. Once it was dry, I stamped my sentiment in Tsukineko Versafine Onyx Black. Some twine, sequins and wood veneer finished off this simple card. You could easily make a lot of these with the different sentiments in the set and different colors of gelatos for a great gift set. 

I hope you've enjoyed my card and be sure to stop by tomorrow for more GIU loveliness as well as another chance to comment for your chance to win!

Thanks so much for stopping by - if you liked my cards today and don't want to miss a post please be sure to follow me by clicking the button below!

Products used:
Unity Stamp Co - Blossom by Blossom stamp set
Faber-Castell Gelatos
5x7 Watercolor card by Stratford
Tsukineko Versafine Onyx Black ink
May Arts Natural Jute Twine
May Arts Gold & White Twine
Simon Says Stamp Moonshine Sequins
Studio Calico Heart Veneer
Ranger Multi Matte Medium

So excited - I'm a Bloom Girl!!!!

This has been the LONGEST secret EVER!!!! It was in December when I got the unexpected surprise Facebook message from Jamie Dougherty asking me if I would like to  join the Bloom Girl Creative Team for the term starting in February! After a bit of shock, rereading the message, making sure I wasn't being pranked (LOL), I immediately responded with a YES! I absolutely LOVE Jamie's Bloom collection with Prima and it was definitely a dream come true for me to be asked. It is also the FIRST time I've been invited to going a Creative Team without trying out for an open call - so that is pretty darn special, too. I am definitely on cloud 9! I have been looking forward to February with much anticipation - dying to break the news to all of you!

Take a look at this creative all-star team:

Just pinch me, right?! So, to kick off the awesome announcement today, I have 2 cards to share using the newly released Jamie Dougherty Bloom stamp called Floral Item#980313. I was super excited to receive this stamp as I loved it when I saw a sneak peek. They are gorgeous and so fun to watercolor!

Also, be sure to head on over to Instagram as we have an amazing giveaway to kick off the new Bloom Girl Creative Team! You'll want to check out my instagram for more details on how to enter to win this fabulous prize:

Thanks so much for stopping by - if you liked my cards today and don't want to miss a post please be sure to follow me by clicking the button below!

Products Used:

Prima Bloom Collection Floral Stamp Item #980313

Versamark Ink

Imagine Crafts Embossing Powder White

Memento Luxe Gray Flannel Ink

Versafine Black Onyx Ink

Peerless Watercolors

Shizen Watercolor Paper

My Favorite Things Die-namics Blueprints #15

My Favorite Things Stitched Traditional Tag STAX

American Crafts Dear Lizzy 5th & Frolic 6x6 Paper

Papertrey Ink Kraft & Smoke Cardstock

May Arts Jute

Lawn Fawn Silver Sparkle Hemp Cord