Cuppa Tea?

Aloha,

I think this is my last entry for the Coffee Loving Cardmaker Hop! I'm slower and slower every day. This is a tea card for yesterday or the day before, Int'l Tea Day! I super enjoyed being able to make the few cards for this hop but I'm plum worn out!!! Thank you to Amy Tsuruta for hostessing, all the sponsors, the players, and those who had the energy to comment. Me? Not so much lol. I feel as strong as one of the dust bunnies on the floor!

I love Gorguss Girls. They're so little and sweet! I colored simply with Copics, some Prismacolor Pencils, then added shading, highlights with grays and a white gel pen, Glossy Accents. The image is plain space so I added little tiny roses and dots for a chintz look for the china.

A friend works in a health food place and left me a box of these tea bags. Oh, my are they ever yummy goodness! They have rose petals, lavender (yes) and chamomile. The fragrance is out of this world. I wanted to tuck it behind the little girl because the tag on the image says "Drink Me" which is either a reference to Alice in Wonderland, or I had better attach something drinkable to this card LOL!!! This kind of card would be fun to make for Get Well Cards or just a cold-weather thinking of you card. You could add a container of hot cocoa, ground coffee, teas or AHEM, a little bottle of tiny alcohol that they sell, like shot bottles. Just trying to be creative!

I stamped the pattern paper with a cursive background and embossed with clear powder. It's subtle but as you shift the card in the light, the shimmery goodness shines through. And another week is about over. I wish we could slow turning the pages on the calendar! May your weekends be filled with the aromas of baking cookies and intricate teas!

Stamp Set: "Sweet Tea" by Santoro Gorjuss Girl in UK; cursive background MFT
Cardstock: GKD 120# white, Ocean Mist, and the DP is from stash
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black (stamping); Copic markers and Prismacolor Pencils for coloring
VersaMark and Clear Embossing Powder (background)
Pink and White twine by SU
Fun Foam; Signo White Gel Pen; Glossy Accents

With aloha and many thanks ♥

Cocoa Cuddles and Lake Quinault

Aloha! How is your week?

I understand that winter is making its presence known in many parts of the north. I think snow is incredibly beautiful but it's SO COLD! We used to vacation at Lake Quinault Lodge in the Olympic Rain Forest in northwestern Washington State at the end of the year. They had the largest open fireplace I had ever seen. I could pretty much walk right in without bending over! The lodge was very old, well kept up, and you could sense the decades of enjoyment people spent there. Here is a picture of where we took the kids at least once per year while we lived on the mainland (see below).

This side faces the lake. The entrance and street is on the back side. See the center of the lodge? The second floor windows to the left of the large chimney in the center are the rooms we used to rent. The kids loved it here. The wood floors and stairway were carpeted but would creak a bit when we walked because of the age. The doors, windows, finish work, wood moldings, door knobs (I have a THING for antique glass door knobs), sinks, floor tiles, tubs - everything in the main bldg were antiques! You can't see in the pic, but because of its popularity, they have added a large 2 story modern hotel, and they have smaller cottages you can rent. They have an indoor pool, hot tub and fun activities. We would usually spend part of December here when it was typically peaceful, void of tourists! Stepping inside takes you back to about the 1920s, and so gorgeous. It's is surrounded by mountains, the lake, waterfalls, wooded trails and a river where we saw THE most bald eagles in one spot that we have ever seen in our entire lives. They were feasting on a salmon run. There must have been about 200 of them soaring and diving into the river! Ah, memories!

The mantle over the fireplace is higher than my head (I'm 5 foot 2 inches). This great room is filled with leather comfy sofas, chairs, tables, chess games and large windows looking out over the greenery of the woods, sloping lawn to the lake and loons. In the early mornings a soft fog is settled on the water and burns off by mid morning.

A peek at a small part of the enormous lobby:

Walking along the lake:

In the Olympic National Rain Forest ♥ about 1-1/2 hour drive west of Seattle and the Cascade Mountain Range. You can see these mountains from the cities of Seattle, Tacoma and Olympia across the waters of Puget Sound. Another range (Cascades which have the mega mtns) are east of Seattle and Tacoma. It's a heavenly land.

For more incredible pictures of Lake Quinault Lodge, just click HERE.


Whoops, my card lol! I found a free coloring page digi of a cocoa mug with a happy face on it. Of course, I am late for the Coffee Challenge and National Cocoa Day! But here it is. I colored it with some Copic Markers, Sakura metallic gel pens and highlighted it with Diamond Stickles.

I used the Stampin' Up Alphabet Rotary Stamper. You can create your own words and a few cute images like the mini heart at the end. For the word "Cocoa," I used a Memento Cocoa Brown Brush Tip marker. I just didn't feel well enough to get up and search for a stamp and definitely not to get cardstock and print it. Ugh. More tough days for Bruce and for me healthwise. It's no worse than many of you, but keeping me in bed so much. Makes me feel very empathetic for others who live with chronic health and pain problems ♥

Here is the free digi I found. Right click on it and "save as" to your digi folder ;D Next time I draw a sentiment or something, I will try really hard to remember to scan, post it and give it away for free. Sorry - I forgot this time.

Cardstock: GKD 120# white; chocolate brown, turquoise sea Neenah 80# white; DP by GKD (snow print)

SB Oval and Opulent Opal dies

SU manual alphabet/numeric giant stamper 

Copic Markers; Memento Markers, Sakura Metallic Gel Pens

Diamond Stickles; adhesive foam; corner rounder

Mahalo for coming by, for sharing your love

and peeking at one of our fav places to stay!

Aloha ♥

Arctic Anniversary

Aloha!

Still trying to catch up on anniversary cards here. This one gives me shivers lol! I used a silver thread to tie all the fish catch together and onto his fishing pole for their anniversary dinner. They are having extra hot lattes to warm them up. I used two embossing folders on a piece of shimmer vellum for the background: snow flakes for the top part and ocean waves for the bottom. Lots of fussy cutting, sketching the iceberg, edging all the pieces with Memento black marker.

To be entered into the Paper Smooches Winter Card Challenge for December. 

It's also Day 4 (but I'm on Day 3) of the Coffee Loving Cardmaker Winter Blog Hop and this will be entered into that, too. #winter2016clh

Stamp Sets: "Chilly Chums (penguins)," "Sentiment Sampler," and "Surf 'n Turf (all the fish and sea horse)" both by Paper Smooches; "Kelly's Seattle" by Hero Arts (for the coffee cups)

Cardstock: GKD 120# base white, Neenah 80# white, Shimmer Vellum, SU silver
Inks: /GKD Black Onyx (for the solid blacks of the penguins); Memento Bahama Blue, Summer Sky, Sweet Plum and Angel Pink blended (1st layer behind the vellum), Memento markers and Sakura Metallic Gel Pens for coloring images, Copic Marker B000 for the ice berg shadow; E35 fishing pole
Embossing Folders: Darice Snowflakes, SB Waves
Silver Metallic Thread (fishing line)
Diamond Stickles (for the sparkly ice, water, snowflakes)
Glossy Accents (over everyone's eyeballs and penguin feet)
PPP clear sequins 4 and 6 mm
Fiskar's Star Punch; DMC Silver Thread (fishing pole and fish)
Liquid Applique on puff hat ball with Stickles over that
Pink Rhinestone; Adhesive Foam in black, Dries Clear Adhesive, Scor Tape
Oh, and a cut off toothpick (un-used) colored with a Copic E35 for his fishing pole :D

Mahalo for stopping by!

With Aloha ♥

Cold Weather Coffee

Aloha!

Day 2 of Coffee Loving Cardmakers Winter Blog Hop!

I will keep this as simple as possible :)

Besides the mega fun coffee blog hop, I would like to enter this into the Your Next Stamp Sketch Challenge. But they also include a Color portion of the challenge: Brown, tan, silver, white, green and blue. So this card incorporates the sketch AND the colors lol!!!

Stamp Sets: Your Next Stamp "Ellie Loves Lattes" and "Polar Pals" by Avery Elle (the snowflakes)
Cardstock: GKD 120# White, Neenah 80# white, Silver Mirror by SU
Pattern Paper by Jillibean Soup "Winter Tortellini & Spinach Soup"
Inks: Copic Markers, Sakura Metallic Gel Pens, Signo White Gel Pen, Memento Black Marker, GKD and Hero Arts Blue inks, VersaMark Embossing Ink
Ranger Silver Tinsel Embossing Powder
Dies: SB Circle, Lacy Scallop Circle, SSS Stitched Circle, SB Edgeabilities "Classic Petals," and Cheery Lynn "Allison's Ribbons" Dies
SU aqua button tied with burlap twine
Fiskars Heart Punch
Diamond Stickles (on her gray leggings ;)
Tonic Nuvo Crystal Drops "Neptune" (earrings)

I tried to give this little girl an "arctic" flavor to her so put her in mukluks boots, laced them up, sparkly tights, and a darker skin / hair tone. It's so cold there her nose is red! Enjoy!!

I hope your week is filled with hot coffee,

friends and stamps!

With aloha ♥

Coffee With Friends

Aloha! I'm on my phone while awaiting a new laptop charger which means I have no recollection how I've blogged with the iPhone before. I guess if you use your phone often, you can remember the steps to post. Please bear with me? I also had another wrist injected yesterday and am typing with one finger. Please hug me and have a beer with me.

You've probably heard about the Coffee Loving cardmakers Blog event going on now. Click on the link and play along!!

Coffee Lovers Cardmaking Blog Hop

For this coffee card I used 3 stamp sets by Gina K. Designs. Don't you love to combine sets in new ways? It's a simple card of stamping, coloring in monotone, and easy fussy cutting.


Stamp Sets: Three sets by Gina K. Designs-- "Warm Woolen Mittens," Girl Talk," and "Coffee Therapy"
Inks GKD Blue Denim, Hero Arts Pastel Blue, Memento Tuxedo Black (images and edging), and Copic Blues and Browns, Sakura Metallic gel pens in Blues
Cardstock GKD White 120# (base) and Neenah White 80# (images), SU Silver Foil Doily
White Fun Foam (under Girl image square) foam dye (under coffee mug)
Stickles "Diamond" glitter glue, Wink of Stella Clear glitter brush, Dries Clear liquid adhesive
Sequins by Pretty Pink Posh (3mm and mini clear)
Dew Drop Silver large and medium drops
Glossy Accents (eye glasses)
MISTI (cause I can't line anything up to save my neck)

Day #1

Mahalo for stopping by, being patient with my rusted old body,

and for sharing your kindness here and everywhere ♥

Aloha!

Anthuriums and Free Anthurium Digi

Aloha friends,

It's been a while because of health junk but today was a better day. For the longest time I've been wanting to try and just sketch images rather than searching for ones I would like and then buy them. I could not figure out how to use the Wacoam Bamboo sketch tablet so gave up and used a pencil and Pigma Micron 3.0 pen lol!!! Then I scanned it and it's for free to anyone who would like it. As I strike out further, I will try and upload more free images as long as the getting old part doesn't tamp me too far down. ---Right click over the image, then click on "Save Image As" and select a folder in your computer to store it. You can resize it in a "Paint" or Word program, even copy it four times on a single sheet of cardstock as you print. Enjoy!!!

Oh, and I watched one of the YouTube artists draw and picked up some great hints from his tutorial. Here is a link to watch Alphonso:

Alphonso Dunn, Basic Drawing Flowers

I left some lines lighter or blank to help your coloring or painting to look more realistic, like light is hitting those areas. Plus our eyes tend to fill in those details, too. I hope you have fun with this should you want free digis. And this is how I watercolored it:

Anthuriums drawn with pencil and Pigma Micro 3.0 mm black pen

Gasai Tambi watercolors

Prismacolor pencils

GKD white Cardstock; SU Rich Razzleberry; Gold mirror cardstock; Neenah Solar White (inside) 

XCut Embossing Folder "Foliage"

SSS mini gold sequins

I added a score line around the image

Mahalo for stopping by!

Wishing you a healthy & joyous week ahead ♥ Aloha!

The Fire Hydrant

Aloha!

When I saw this stamp set by MFT, well, I knew I had to get it. It tickled me. Today I made a set of four to send out to friends or family who may be having a not so good of a day. It will be entered into the My Favorite Things Color Challenge. You still have a couple days to come play along!

Stamp Set: "You Make My Tail Wag" by MFT
Cardstock: GKD
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black & Flannel Gray; VersaMark w/White EP by SSS
Colored with Copic Markers
Spiral (Sunburst) Stencil by Clear Scraps
Foam Adhesive (behind the sentiment)

I sketched a sidewalk, cut out the images, made an angle cut and added shadows and the red dot paper. Inside has some gray heart paper with puppy paw prints, like the envelopes ♥

Mahalo for visiting!!!

With aloha ♥

It's Snowing! Somewhere :)

Aloha!

We saw the weather for the northern and northeastern parts of the country -- woooo. Snow! We get snow on our island, too. We have two mountains that make up most of the island which are around 14,000 feet high. So during January to around March, people can go up and snow board, ski, sled, then come down and lay out at the beaches and swim. It can be a 70 degree difference between up there and down here on the same day. But I do miss seeing a layer of thick, fresh, untouched snow for as far as the eye can see, and the deep sound of quiet. The cold part? Not so much ☺

This card is for one of our cardmaking buddies because I know life's been rough for so many of us. It is not for a challenge, just for the sheer enjoyment of coloring and throwing glitter on something and hoping it sticks. Yes, it gets all over the bed, me and Bruce, but he's ok with that. And we like to sparkle. I'll change the bedding tomorrow.

Stamp Set: "Eve Girl" by Unity
Cardstock: GKD 120# white, 80# white, Passionate Pink (I used some purple distress ink over it after embossing it so it doesn't look pink)

To answer questions about the inks and colors used, here is a list--

Inks: 

1. Distress inks sponged for the background (first dot with Molotow mask or rubber cement where you want all the snow fall kept white, let dry. After drying you can use sponge daubers to color the background.) Spun Sugar, Picked Raspberry, Tumbled Glass, Chipped Sapphire, Dusty Concord, and on the edges Black Soot. After removing the dried mask for the snow fall, I made them extra white with Signo White Gel Pen and the Sharpie Pump Paint Marker.
2. Copic markers (knit hat has RVs, sweater has BVs, Gloves are YGs, hair has Y02 and Y21 for the highlights, and dark Browns for the rest of her hair)
3. Image stamped with Ranger Archival Black (just to try it out - I think I still prefer Memento Black but it was fun to try)

Embossing Folder: Darice "Paisley" (pink layer)
Glitters: Elizabeth Crafts "Warm Diamond" and American Crafts "Spark Tinsel" (bottom of card)
Silver Ribbon, Pink Twine (SU) I know it looks red, but it's bright pink
Signo White Gel Pen and Sharpie White Paint Pump Marker (for all the snow blobs)
Wink of Stella (on sweater, knit hat); Scor Tape and Dries Clear Adhesive

The inside sentiment says:

"We are like snowflakes,

all beautiful in our own way."

Mahalo for stopping by!

I am truly grateful for each and every one of you ♥

Aloha!

Heart Tails Anniversary

Aloha!

It's another hot day here and I'm missing the changing autumn colors on the mainland. The a/c is on, hoping for clouds and watching "The Lady Eve" on the tv with Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda. It always makes me laugh, especially when Henry Fonda's character keeps getting soaked with food and drink during the formal dinner.

House Mouse is having a very challenging Challenge! It's using three colors: Turquoise, Purple and ONE neutral (shoot me). But I need more anniversary cards, so must keep pushing onward!

Here is the link to the current challenge: House Mouse Color Challenge!  

Stamp: "Tails of True Love" by House Mouse; "Flowering Fields" by Stampin' Up

Inks: Memento Warm Cocoa

Prismacolor Pencils

Cardstock: GKD Turquoise Sea, White; Ranger Kraft

Pattern Paper stash (I lost the cover, sorry :P  )

Die: MFT Diagonal Stitched Squares

Embossing Folder: We R Memory Keepers 3D Hearts

SU Twine, DoodleBug pearls, stash plaid button, Perfect Pearl Spray (on the turquoise card base), SN clear glitter brush (on the flowers and mice's heart tails ♥)

If you look closely, you'll see heart shadows below their tails.

Mahalo for stopping by!!!

With much aloha ♥

Coloring Book Flower

Aloha ♥

Are you into using coloring books? I was trying to hold off as long as possible. But I saw one on Amazon called "Color Calm." The name intrigued me. It's about 8" x 5" and takes color markers well without bleed through. But I won't tempt it with water. This is not a card but an 8 x 5 picture with an easel on the back.

I still cannot find the first project I colored in it. That baffles me. My Bible showed up :D :D :D Bruce had laid something on it. Color me happy. Plus I am watching some gentle hula and listening to Hawai'ian music. Heavenly. If you enjoy gentle guitar and beautiful Hawai'ian singing with hula, check out this link and let your mind dream you are in the islands ♥

Nathan Aweau

Color Calm coloring book
Kaisercraft gel pens (a lot of these colors are metallic. I wish you could see it IRL)
I used the Black metallic pen to add the dotted outline
Sponged background with Memento Inks; grass blades with Memento markers
Cardstock: GKD Ivory 120#; AC blue and green
Corner Rounder
Tear Drop Rhinestones

Mahalo nui loa for all your love ♥ With aloha

Sunset Thanks

Aloha again (twice in one day)!

I started this and the previous card yesterday. Yesterday was embossing day and today is distress ink coloring day. This is also an emboss resist and I considered adding it to the previous post but Blogger does funny things if you combine posts.

Same technique, stamp set, inks but without adding markers or glossy accents, same challenge Paper Smooches "Give Thanks!" 

Stamp Set: "Botanicals 1" by Paper Smooches
Die "Thanks" Paper Smooches
Cardstock: GKD 120# 80# white; AC Black
Inks: Distress Inks "Squeezed Lemonade, Fossilized Amber, Wild Honey, Fired Brick"
Ranger Detailed Black EP, VersaMark pad and marker (dots)

Mahalo for making the trip over to my blog!!

With aloha ♥

Dragonfly Night

Aloha all,

And look at that, another week gone by. I hope yours was a great one and here's to the next one!

This is a nighttime sky cause I love astronomy, meteor showers, planet watching, and any kind of cool sky sights! Paper Smooches Challenge is "Giving Thanks!" I am thankful for every moment and all of the creations around us ♥

Using the Emboss Resist technique is a great deal of fun for me :) It's fast, usually easy (sometimes not) and you never know exactly how the blended inks will look when you're done.

I used the VersaMark marker to add the black dots, embossed, splattered water drops, and then used Sakura metallic gel pens for different star colors. Every once in a while we can see a twinkle of green, blue, yellow, reds so I made sure to add a couple of those stars and even a shooting star. I covered the black embossed parts and sentiment with Glossy Accents. I did the bottom half of the sentiment with purple and the top of it with blue perfect pearls (before the Glossy Accents). You can't really see the two colors on sentiment like IRL.


Stamp Set: "Botanicals #1" by Paper Smooches
Die: "Thanks" by Paper Smooches
Cardstock: GKD 120# and 80# white; AC black
Inks: Distress Inks "Tumbled Glass, Blueprint Sketch, Milled Lavender, Dusty Concord and Black Soot"
Perfect Pearls Interference Blue and Violet (Interference pearls looks esp brighter on dark cardstock - this is black)
VersaMark, Ranger Detailed Black EP, Glossy Accents, Signo White Gel Pen, Sakura Metallic Gel Pens, Dries Clear Adhesive

And thank you for stopping by!

With aloha ♥

Sunkissed Autumn Anniversary

Aloha friends!!!

How was your week? I hope it was wonderful ♥ And now we go into another weekend and life is going faster and faster. I'm still trying to catch up on Anniversary cards!

I have lost the last two projects I worked on {sigh!}. Looked everywhere but at least I found my giant Bible. It went missing in here, too!

StampTV has a challenge this week to USE A TREE! Seemed easy enough but I'm still having to work on when to stop.

--Ye Olde Products Used--

Stamp Sets: "A Sunkissed Autumn," "Fanciful Tags" (sentiment) and "Whimsical Fall" (the apple basket and leaves) - all by Gina K. Designs
Cardstock: GKD White 120#, Neenah 80# White, and a little AC Red
Inks: Copic Markers (almost everything but sky), Memento Dew Drops(sky), VersaFine Black (sentiment)
"Vintag" Rose Bud Red Glitter
Wooden Leaf (from one of the StampTV kits) colored and then glittered
Stampin' Up oval and scalloped oval paper punches
Other: Dries Clear Adhesive, Scor Tape (line down side which I added glitter to), Ranger White Enamel Accents, SN clear glitter marker, Memento Black marker, BIC Red marker

PS That is not birdie doo dripping down the apple basket.

I meant it to be a highlight but the

Signo gel pen was to transparent, so I used the

Enamel accents. It dried faster than

I could wipe some off :(

Mahalo for stopping by to visit!!!

With lots of aloha ♥

A Set of Cards for Gifting

Aloha!

How are you my friends? It's a beautiful, sunny but cooler day here in Hawai'i. We can feel "fall" in the air, too, as it gets cool at nights and mornings, a crispness but still warm afternoons in the 80s. This is my favorite time of year in Hawai'i! The humpback whales start showing up to calve their young, then start back for Alaska around March.

I made a little set of cards to give to friends. The cards and envelopes are ocean themed. I like to give a book of stamps with cards which is an idea I got from Jennifer McGuire ♥ It will make it easier for them to use if the stamps are right there with them. Using a MISTI makes it super fast to kick multiple cards out. After stamping, I flicked a little ink to make ocean spray. The backs of the envelopes are stamped with faded sand pipers.


Stamp Sets: "Wetlands (for the gift cards and envelopes)" and "Sheltering Tree (the envelope for personal card)" by Stampin' Up
Cardstock: GKD Prickly Pear, White - both 120 and 80#
Ink: Memento; VersaFine Sepia for the sentiment; GKD mini inks for the tree on envelope
Spetrum Noir clear glitter brush pen
MISTI

Gift Card Set "Wetlands"

The envelope with a personal card inside;

Pkg of "pet" forever stamps :)

Thank you for stopping by dear ones!

Have a great week ahead ♥

A Purr-fect Day!

Aloha!

Today is Day 4 of the The Daily Marker 30-Day Challenge. I'm still hanging in there :D

Isn't this a sweet image? I love Penny Black's little critter images and have not yet inked this set up yet. So, it's about time!

The image is colored with color pencils and blended with Gamsol. But you know me - it was just too plain so I kept on going. I edged layer with blue, then sponged blue and pink around the sky and made some violet. Then I got bored with the usual rectangles and drew two lines and cut the corner out of the top left. I added the glass dew drops and used foam under the sentiment, Glossy Accents on the butterfly and flower. I added a gold heart charm to her collar and some ground.

Entered into:

The Daily Marker 30-Day Challenge

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge (Thinking of You & Penny Black)

Stamp Set: "A Purr-fect Day" by Penny Black
Cardstock: GKD White 120# and 80#
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Summer Sky, Angel Pink
Prismacolor Pencils & Gamsol
Dew Drops, Pigma Micron Marker & Ruler, Glossy Accents, SU Round Punch, Signo Gold Gel Pen

Thank you dear ones for stopping by!

With aloha ♥

Jane's Doodles

Aloha everyone!

Day 3 of the Daily Marker 30-day Color Challenge. This is the little engine that could...

Another simple card - just used some watercolor pencils and glitter, trying to keep it eeeeeeezeeeeeee to keep chugging along through this month long challenge. I didn't use watercolor paper but if you only use a tad of a damp brush, you can smooth the watercolor pencil out and blend :D Then take each of the colors you used, make a little puddle (I used my craft mat) and then from way up high, tap your paint brush to leave speckles all over. I tore a piece of scrap paper to cover the vase and flowers as I did that. This is another anniversary card ♥ and I'll add the sentiment maybe later tonight.

Stamp Set: Jane's Doodles "Mom"
Inktense Watercolor Pencils and just a "smidge" of water
GKD 120# White Cardstock and some ... I forget which pattern paper this is (oops, sorry)
Stickles, Tombow Mono Multi Glue, SU Dazzles Glitter, Corner Rounder
JustRite "Nested Ovals Labels" Dies

With lots of aloha ♥

Fall Poppies

Aloha dear ones,

I'm still wrapping my head around November already. Just can't believe it. Ok, if I remember correctly, during the fall you can still see some poppies around the southern states. If not, here are a few!

These are very simple, just colored with Copics and a few color pencils. I have not used a ribbon in a long time and had to cover some space towards the bottom. There's some Spectrum Noir clear sparkle on the flower petals and little black drops scattered in the background. And it's done :)  I am so many anniversary cards behind that I'm sorry if I didn't send you one. I'll try for next year?  This is for a coupe close by so I think we can get it to them, late.

Remember, the Daily Marker 30-day Coloring Challenge. Color anything and enter it during November. Lots of prizes and fun video tutorials, all free.


Stamp Set: "Pleasant Poppies" by Stampin' Up
Cardstock: GKD White and AC Black
Gingham Ribbon, Black Liquid Pearls, SN glitter marker
Copic markers and Prismacolor Pencils

**Helpful Hints** You know how red alcohol inks love to bleed all over the place? At least for me they do. And if I use the blender pen, it just spreads more. So... here's what I do now. If red is spilling outside the lines, I take a white opaque color pencil and just color over it. I hope you can't tell which flowers bled all over lol. Well, it's a lot less visible anyhow.

Gel Pen Flowers

Aloha there,

This is a day of several firsts. It's the first time I am using a coloring book, gel pens to color the whole page, and creating a short video for an Amazon review of the pens. Whew, what a day!

And it's November!!!!

The Coloring Book was marked down on Simon Says Stamp a while back, so I caved and bought it. In the center is a page of flowers. The blank pages on the left side have an affirmation or positive thought for the day. The pages are 7 X 4-1/4 inches each so you can easily cut pages to fit smaller cards. This one I left whole, and on a single layer, not a card.

This will be entered into Day #1 of Kathy Racoosin's "30 Day Coloring" challenge. You can enter on Instagram, her blog, or join her new 30-day Coloring Challenge Group on Facebook to upload your photos. They have many, many giveaways at the end of the month. The whole idea behind her monthly coloring challenges is to make us take a short, daily (if possible) break - 10, 15 maybe 20 minutes, to give our minds and souls a chance to clear and wind down. You do NOT have to make a card or even complete the coloring project each day (even though it might feel weird not to lol). I hope you will play along! Here is a link:

30 Day Coloring Challenge

Coloring Book: "Color Calm" by Valentina Harper,, a floral/dotty page
"Top Quality Gel Pens, pack of 60" on Amazon (I got them for around $14 and now they are down to just over $10!) plain, and metallic colors
Perfect Pearls Black Onyx (little black dots on the silver areas)
Dazzle Glitter by SU, sprinkled over wet dots of 3D Crystal Lacquer (very sparkly)
Matted onto white, then black cardstock

Mahalo for visiting!!!! 

Wishing you a beautiful week, filled with creativity ♥

Pineapple Anniversary

Aloha!

Hero Arts is having a GEOMETRIC Challenge for the month of October. Geometric. All I could think of is to use an image over and over into a symmetrical design. When I saw the pineapple stamp in a set, it felt like me :D

I didn't create stripes or triangles or anything like that. But I did use a ruler to mark off squares because you don't want to see the first attempt LOL. It's so funny! The back side still looks usable and that's why paper has two sides. Without further ado...

Stamp Sets: "Enjoy the Journey" (pineapple) and "Everyday Sayings" (sentiment)
Cardstock: GKD White and Asparagus; Pearl Vellum (sentiment)
Inks: Hero Arr Minis "Buttercup" and "Field Greens" and VersaFine Black (sentiment)
Memento Markers (on the pineapple embellie)
VersaMark and Clear Embossing Powder over the Pineapple embellie
Gold Cord GKD
Light Yellow Pearls by Want2Scrap
Wink of Stella (on the pineapple crowns)


How to make your own stamped embellishments:  (see the highlighted pineapple on the card?)

Stamp and color/ink any way you wish. Fussy cut or die cut. Ink the edges (I used black here). Get some tweezers. Press your color sided image onto VersaMark pad really well. Place it on a piece of scrap paper, creased in middle. You will pour clear embossing powder all over this and using the tweezers to barely hold a spot of the image, heat with your heat tool - possibly repeating two or three layers of powder and heat until you get a nice, shiny, plastic or glass finish. You can also use UTEE (ultra thick embossing powder in clear) but I use that for larger images. You will be amazed how this turns out. 

Presents? Punch a small hole through the tops of your images prior to heat embossing. When you are done with the process, use a needle or pokey tool to ensure the hole is patent after all that embossing. let it cool off. You can even finish the backside if you wish. Thread metallic cording, thin leather cording, tiny chains - even French hook earrings to create specific, handmade gifts for friends and family. Or you can glue magnets to the back for some frig love reminders. Write a message on your image before embossing, using your loved one's name, a tiny poem - anything. Any image or drawing you use can become a handmade, beautiful gift. Just do it!!! (sorry Nike)

You can even make little rear view mirror charms, phone charms, bookmark charms. Let your imagination go wild. Somehow I stumbled across this idea way back so I don't know if it was serendipity or if I should credit a tutorial I saw years back and tweaked it just for my own use. 

Mahalo for stopping by dear ones!

With aloha ♥

Pineapple Anniversary

Aloha!

Hero Arts is having a GEOMETRIC Challenge for the month of October. Geometric. All I could think of is to use an image over and over into a symmetrical design. When I saw the pineapple stamp in a set, it felt like me :D

I didn't create stripes or triangles or anything like that. But I did use a ruler to mark off squares because you don't want to see the first attempt LOL. It's so funny! The back side still looks usable and that's why paper has two sides. Without further ado...

Stamp Sets: "Enjoy the Journey" (pineapple) and "Everyday Sayings" (sentiment)
Cardstock: GKD White and Asparagus; Pearl Vellum (sentiment)
Inks: Hero Arr Minis "Buttercup" and "Field Greens" and VersaFine Black (sentiment)
Memento Markers (on the pineapple embellie)
VersaMark and Clear Embossing Powder over the Pineapple embellie
Gold Cord GKD
Light Yellow Pearls by Want2Scrap
Wink of Stella (on the pineapple crowns)

Mahalo for stopping by dear ones!

With aloha ♥

PS. Celebrate!

Aloha dear friends!!!

I'm sorry for not commenting on your cards much this week or even being on FaceBook or any place. S-t-r-e-s-s  O-v-e-r-l-o-a-d. I have had to stop adulting for a few days. Coloring and painting are in order for a while.

This card is going into the Paper Smooches Color Inspiration Challenge aka Fall Color Study for October. These are not my go-to colors so it's definitely a challenge. Here is a picture of the colors:

Using watercolors, I painted a blend of these colors, then die cut out shapes. For the flower and sentiment (for anniversary card) upper right, I used Copic Markers. What you cannot see is the VersaMark Dazzle flower images stamped all over the white card base (you have to tilt the card to see it). You also cannot see that I covered the hearts and the centers of the flowers with Glossy Accents. I also let the watercolors dry, then sprayed a layer of Perfect Pearls "Pearl" all over it and let it dry again. The inside has another flower image colored and fussy cut with a mini plum-colored heart ♥ I outlined all the fussy cutting and die cuts with either black, pink or purple markers, you know, the teensy details :D

Stamp Sets: "Best Buds" (the flowers and sentiment), and "Botanicals #1" (watermarking the front)

Cardstock: GKD 120# white, Neenah 80# white, AC dark mauve

Strathmore Watercolor 300 Series

Gansai Tambi Watercolors

Copic Markers; Memento black, purple and pink markers for edging die cuts

VersaMark Dazzle (for watermarking the card background)

SU Pennant Dies

SU Triple Heart Punch (the hearts are punched from the watercolor portion); corner rounder

Glossy Accents; Perfect Pearls spray (in Pearl); Foam Squares in white and in clear

Mahalo so much for stopping by!

Please be patient with me to start adulting again ♥

Pop Up Hedgehogs :)

Aloha dear friends!

Is October almost half over? Please slow the clock and calendar down?

This is a card that took me a couple of days because 1) it's a pop up 2) I have no pop up die thingeys 3) It's like a two-in-one card because you can't leave the front empty lol!!!!

I love the hedgehog craze. I almost added action wobblers but learning when to STOP is still an ongoing learning process here.


Made for Day 3 - Pop Ups for Wild Card Class!

Stamp Sets: "Happy Hedgehogs" by Birdie Brown for My Favorite Things; and the sun on the inside is from "Happy Day" by Simon Says Stamp!
Cardstock: GKD 120# white base, Pattern Paper is Authentique, cut out images are on Neenah 80# white
Inks: Memento inks and markers, VersaFine Black, Distress inks, Copic Markers
Stencil (clouds, hills, grass) "Make a Scene" by Simon Says Stamp!
SB Curved Border Die (on the pattern paper edge)
SU label and word punches
Rhinestones, flower punches, circle punches, butterfly punches (I'm so tired I don't remember which ones I used but I'm sure anything you have will work); Spectrum Noir Clear Glitter Marker

Front

Inside

Close Up of the Hedgehogs

Clang, Clang, Clang Went the Trolley!

Aloha!

Today's card is for Day #2 of Online Card Class "Movement" Theme.  The simplest I saw from the examples is the slider card and I'm all for easier right now.

This is a Thank You/Proud of You card for all the hard work our daughter recently did for us despite an old ankle bone injury that got all swelled up while she was here. Her hubby stayed home on this trip, but she worked her hiney off. They do volunteer work every week at the end of a trolley car in San Francisco. This trolley is covered in Glossy Accents and slides really easily up and down the trolley line! I hope they like it - it's a SURPRISE ♥

I found a free trolley image online and shrunk it down to about an inch for this card. I used a long strip of foam on the back of the penny so it slides back and forth easily, not spins!

I used Prismacolor Pencils for coloring everything, sketching in the background, and trying to give a fall feel for the scene. I used a bit of Gamsol on the ocean and trees in the background. The stencil in the front is a sort of cobblestone design. I used a lot of Fun Foam, a penny, and Scor Tape to put this together. It's a rectangular card, about 6-1/4 inch by 4-3/4 inches.


Stamp Set: "San Francisco" by Hero Arts, Clearly Kelly
   (I'm not sure of the company who made the sentiment stamps)
Cardstock: GKD 120# white, 80# white, and (love) her Charcoal color cardstock
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black and London Fog; Prismacolor Pencils; Gamsol; Spectrum Noir Clear Glitter Marker
"Mini Tile Texture" by The Crafter's Workshop
Fun Foam, Scor Tape, Dries Clear adhesive
GKD Fine Detail White Embossing Powder
Glossy Accents (on the red sway bars on the bridge, apples on tree, and on the trolley)

Mahalo for stopping by!

With aloha ♥

Up in the Sky, Butterfly!

Aloha!

How are you? It's been a very rough week here, but hey, still kicking!

I joined the current Online Card Class with Jennifer and Kristina & lots of fun others and it's called "Wild Card!!!" I love the way Laura Bassen sings it like Spongebob in her tutorials lol! She always cracks me up!

Come join in the fun if you can! There are five days of lots and lots of cool how-to tutorials for wild cards! We have til October 13 to create and upload. Today is Day 5 - as you can see, I am starting on the last day of the class (sigh, hard week).  Anyway, click HERE!!! to see the intro video. Likely you already have all the supplies on-hand so no worries about needing to buy anything new.

Day 1 -- Shapes, Openings and 3D Cards

I went with Shapes. My brain is mush so this seemed like the easiest way to begin creating. Technique: Partial Die Cutting. I traced the butterfly shape with a pencil, then fussy cut out one folded shape using GKD 120# white as the basic shape and inside of the card. I used Neenah Solar White 80# for the outer butterfly that die cut and colored with distress inks. After inking the outer butterfly, I glued it to the stronger white inner shape and added a few gems.


Die: Anna Griffin Butterfly
Cardstock: GKD 120# white and Neenah Solar White 80#
Distress Inks: Squeezed Lemonade, Worn Lipstick and Picked Raspberries
Adhesive: Art Institute Dries Clear
Gems: Want2Scrap mini Clear rhinestones, Teardrop Rhinestones; Clear Red dots by Cloud 9

Thank you for coming by to peek

and to leave some love!!!

Aloha dear ones!

Cheers to the Happy "Cupple"

Aloha!!

I want to say Arigato, Gracias, Merci, Danke, and Mahalo (all lots of thanks) to Verna A. for helping me to join the Coffee Loving Cardmakers Group. Whew! Was that ever a bumpy road, but she showed me how to get there!!! Thank you, Verna!!!!

Why did I want to join? I LOVE coffee! I love Kona Coffee. Once you taste it, there's no going back. But it's a treat for me because of the price - I only get it a few times per year, (and we grow it in our back yard)! I just cannot get up to pick the cherries or get them to a processor. But they are so pretty and today about half of them are deep red, ready for picking.

Our daughter is arriving tomorrow from Santa Rosa to keep on helping us de-clutter our decades of lives with raising kids and moving and traveling, and all the little things that just build up. I asked Bruce to buy her a pound of this wondrous Kona Coffee as a little gift to take back home to her hubby. I hope she can stay the full week because we need a lot of help (I'm beyond help).

The card is stamped using the "Coffee" Stamp Set from GKD designed by Claire Brennan. The images are stamped in deep brown ink and the teensie weensie flowers/dot background are stamped in a baby blue. I used the same brown ink to color the white seam binding to match the browns, then added brown and clear sequins. My fingers are now espresso color! I drew shelves with Memento Blue Markers. Wink of Stella covers the sugar cubes in the bowl ♥

Stamp Set: "Coffee" by Claire Brennan for GKD
Inks: Hero Arts "Cup o Joe" (seriously, that's the name) and "Soft Pool"
Background Ink is Memento "Desert Sand"
Background Stamp: SU "Script Irish Blessing"
Cardstock: GKD 120# white base; AC Royal Blue layering base
Sequins: Pretty Pink Posh "Espresso," "Clear," and "Aquamarine"

Mahalo to Verna for helping me!

Mahalo to each of you for stopping by!

With aloha ♥

The Mouse and the Hedgehog

Aloha!!!

This card is for the current Penny Black "Nature" Challenge!

I have stamps I've never even used before and this set is one of them - making myself branch out some :)

It's very simple really - I combined two of the images from the stamp set to make it look like the mouse is getting ready to let go of the branch and bounce off hedgehog's tummy ♥  It's colored with Copics. After coloring the sky, I wet down an old cloth with Blender solution and held it against the blue for a couple seconds. This created miniature dots all over the place but you can't see it in this picture. Penny Black always has some very cute critters as well as gorgeous flowers. Get yours out and join in the challenge!!!


Stamp Set: "Tiny Wishes" by Penny Black
(I also used the sunflowers from Autumn Blessings by GKD & Theresa Momber stamped in VersaMark on the white base, in color inside and on the envelope)
Ink: Memento and Copics
Cardstock by GKD 120# white and AC Green
Spellbinders Label #16
Darice Embossing Folder (green layer) "Damask"
Want 2 Scrap Rhinestones in Orange
Corner Rounder

Mahalo for stopping by!

I hope this upcoming week will be FABULOUS for each of you!

Aloha ♥

Hot Air Balloon Bunneh

Aloha!!

Hot, hot, hot! Let's just say it's still hot here, in the 90s inside the house. With the ac on, it's 87 in our bedroom. I guess it takes the worst edge off. The humidity is really hard to deal with. Okeedokee, here is the card!

I have not played in a Cat's Pajama's challenge in well, I can't remember when :/ So I just HAD to! The current Challenge is to use Use Three or More Pattern Papers!

To use 3 pattern papers, I paper pieced! Two of the polka dot color papers are on the balloon, and the background is the 3rd paper. Yes, I actually cut all those little narrow strips and adhered them to the card lol!!!! I simply shaded the balloons and bunneh with Copic markers.Since I cut the balloon twice, I just went ahead and made two cards, both going to some children we know :)

I outlined all the pieces, added back the balloon ties, package ties, and bunneh's whiskers with a Memento black marker! The mini packages used as weights are colored with Sakura metallic gel pens.

Stamp Set: TCP "Away We Go!"

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black ink & marker, and Copic Markers, Sakura Metallic Gel Pens

Cardstock: GKD

Pattern Papers: Red Polka Dot, Blue Polka Dot, Blue Swirlies, all by GKD "Hello Sunshine" pack

Embossing Folder: "Polka Dots" by Lifestyle Crafts

SU Tag Punch and SU twine

Sequins (red and clear) and silver stars by Pretty Pink Posh

Mahalo for stopping by ♥

Enjoy your weekend!