Something new for me..Greyscale Coloring...

I like the adult coloring books but this is the first time I've tried a "greyscale" coloring book. It's not what you think of when you think of a coloring book... it has some of the shading done for you in grey scale. You then color the image but let me tell you it's not as easy as it sounds. Yes, the basic shading is done for you but just coloring won't get you a good look. You have to rethink how you color. I still use several colors for each area but work it a bit differently than you would if you're straight up shading. The grey changes the colors you're using... it's fun and challenging. I really enjoyed this.

The coloring book is Enchanted Magical Forests by Selina Fenech. I bought several from her because I like the realistic looking style of them. I also have mermaids and another I can't remember right now. They are pretty fun and I can't wait to color more.

I used Arteza colored pencils with baby oil to blend and finish it off.

A little of this...

In an attempt to catch up on several posts I've missed this month I wanted to share a few cards I made for Lost Coast Designs challenges. Although the "Anything Goes" challenge is now past (first two cards) Challenge #82 - Wood is still going on. You have a few days left to join in the fun :)

My first card has a bit of dimension to it...I started off by spritzing my craft mat with Ivy Cottage, Bamboo Leaves and Gold Shimmer Spritz. I then dipped a piece of the Craft Plastic into the ink mix and heated to dry. I continued this process until I was happy with the look.

I stamped the Sketchy Cone Flower onto the Craft Plastic with Piano Black StazOn Pigment Ink.  I stamped the flower a second time onto white cardstock using VersaFine Clair Nocturne. The cardstock flower was colored using a variety of colored pencils, fussy cut and popped onto the Craft Plastic panel using double stick foam tape.

My second card was stamped over an alcohol inked background. This was really fun because I started off just playing with the AI's - sprinkling a bit then blowing it around until I was happy with the design. I then stamped the bicycle chick over the AI's, created a mask and then stamped the grungy background stamp over top. The sentiment is from one of Prima's books of sentiments.

Challenge #82 - Wood

My final card for the day is for the current challenge...Wood.  I'll bet you won't believe it but the background stamp (stamped with blue ink) I used on the Find Your Path card was stamped on the right side panel of this card! Looks totally different using Memento Desert Sand ink huh?  Anyway, that's the inside of the card - I used the Trees background stamp for the main image and a sentiment from Carmen's Veranda as well as a bit of wood pattern paper from Moda Scrap.

You can find the current challenge entry post here - #82 - Wood.  

Your project can be anything related to wood...stamped wood(s), trees, a creation crafted on a wood product, wood pattern paper, etc. Just as long as there is stamping somewhere you're good to go!

Hope you join in on the fun.

I'M BACK!!!

Whew!!!  Did you notice I've been MIA?  Well our crappy Frontier internet went on the fritz at the beginning of August. Which was also the same time as a major family crisis was taking place so I didn't notice it until my post on August 7th - which as it turned out was the last time I was able to upload a photo!!!  I tried and tried to get things uploaded and posted but we were getting speeds of 1.67 download/.10 upload on August 12th to .31 download/.0 upload since about the 17th.  

Talking to anyone at Frontier is about impossible - your call gets answered by someone in India who is reading from a script and that's only after a 30-75 minute hold!! I saw a technician at a house in our neighborhood and I stalked him until he came out of the house...  He told me that he likes to tell people that, "This ain't your daddy's Oldsmobile!" I was dumbfounded that he had the balls to say something like that.  My dh said I should have asked him then why are we paying for a Cadillac?

Needless to say we switched to Mediacom cable internet (the only other game in town) and things are just whizzing along now. We've never had internet this fast before and it's wonderful!!  Full size photos load in seconds. It's amazing and I'm so excited about it.

I have lots of catching up to do...lots of projects to share with you as well as some other just for fun pics I've been taking in my spare time (that I haven't been on the net). 

Hope you all are doing well and have had a lovely August.

Mer-mazing Card!

Hello Friends

Sorry I have been a bit MIA...had to take care of some sad family matters this past week/weekend and then on Monday my internet went out :(  I am so tired of Frontier Communications but alas living in a rural area we have 2 choices and neither of them are very good (the other is Mediacom and they cap their internet!!! eeek).

Today I want to share a fun card I made using Rinea Foiled Papers paired with the awesome goodies from Imagine (inks, embossing powders, etc).

The background mermaid scale stamp is from Joy Clair. Isn't it adorable?  I just love it!

The sentiment is from a Unity stamp set - which happens to be perfect for so many cards.

and I used a variety of different foiled papers from Rinea to fill in the "gaps" I made.

For complete details on how I made this card please see:

Create a Fun Mermaid Scale Friendship Card

on the Imagine blog.

Have a lovely day friends!

Stay Inky :)

Aloha! Quick & Easy Banner using Rinea Foiled Papers

Aloha Friends!!

I wanted to share a quick and easy die-cut banner for a fun summer greeting to all your guests.

I don't know about you but I love to change up my door decor to fit the seasons/holidays. I wanted to come up with something bright and eye catching for summer and this is what I came up with!

I used a flamingo die - Cottage Cuts,  a pineapple die from Gina Marie and a set of banner dies from XCut/DoCrafts plus all the lovely foiled papers from Rinea. These papers are simply amazing. You know how I love shimmer and shine well these foiled papers have that in spades.

This banner is so easy to make, simply cut, glue and add it to the twine. Cutting all of the parts and pieces is what takes the most time but it's well worth it once you put the banner together.

close up of the individual banners.

Supplies:

Rinea: Violet/Gold Glossy Foiled Paper; Turquoise/Turquoise Starstruck Foiled Paper; Fuchsia/Gold Glossy Foiled Paper; Gold/Gold Glossy Foiled Paper; Copper/Gold Glossy Foiled Paper; Mocha/Gold Glossy Foiled Paper; Emerald/Gold Glossy Foiled Paper; Jade/Jade Starstruck Foiled Paper; Ebony/Gold Glossy Foiled Paper

X-Cut - Straight and Ruffled Banner Cutter

Gina Marie - Pineapple Cutter

My Favorite Things - Alphabet Cutter

Cottage Cuts - Flamingo Cutter

Twine

Adhesive