The Copics Journey Begins...

Not so long ago, in a blog galaxy not so far away I sent out a pleas for help - "Help me Obi Cami Kenobi - you're my only hope!" Then an email arrived with a list of color matches for SU! and Copic Markers. You can find Obi Cami Kenobi at one of my favorite blogs - Stamp a Little Love Baby! (aka Cambria Turnbow). She has featured these markers for some time now. The clincher for me was reading the tips she shared after becoming Certified with her Copics, and the designs with the new ideas she learned. So I decided to give the Copic Sketch Markers a try and see what happens - Happy Mother's Day to me!

Copics - what are they? They are a professional quality marker with awesome coloring potential - layering colors, removing colors... Find out more about them here. Cuz I can't describe them as well as they deserve! :)

On this, my FIRST EVER time using Copics - I was happy with the results. These markers don't leave the usual overlapping color lines. There is also a Colorless Blender Marker that *removes* color! You read it correctly - REMOVES color. That is how I created the distressed, worn look for the hat, shirt and pants, as well as the planks on the boat and the 'ripple' or motion effect in the water. There's also a shadow effect between the foot and boat.

I also used Stampin' Pastels to color 1/4" Whisper White Grosgrain Ribbon so it has a worn, distressed look too. A little So Saffron direct to paper on the edges of the bottom layer, some paper piercing and some black brads finish this design off. I was going for elegant simplicity - and I think these extra "flourishes" make it happen.

Stamps: Summer by the Sea

Colors: So Saffron, Close to Cocoa, Ruby Red & Whisper White

Accessories: Vintage Brads, 1/4" Whisper White Grosgrain Ribbon, Stampin' Pastels, Crafters Tool Kit, Black StazOn.

COPICS: Colorless Blender, YR00,R27, Y15, Y21, B18, B23, E25 & E31.

ENJOY!

Cruisin' the Big "50"

This is the birthday invitation for my brother's 50th birthday. Hope he doesn't look at my blog - it's supposed to be a surprise, but I think he knows anyways! :) The 'life preservers' are two Round Tab Punches - cool, huh?

Stamps: Something Fishy Jumbo Wheel

Colors: Brilliant Blue, Bashful Blue & Whisper White.

Accessories: Round Tab Punch, Word Window Punch, 1 3/8" & 1" Circle Punches, Crop-a-dile, Gold Eyelets, Cutter Kit, Mini Glue Dots. ENJOY

Chat & Challenge #116

It's time for another MOJO NightCap over on Sudsol (demonstrator only site) - and you can play along too!

This AWESOME sketch comes from Taylor VanBruggen over at Taylored Expressions.

You choose the stamps, color combo and embellishments. This sketch has to be recognizable in your design, otherwise you have wide artistic freedom!

Hope you'll play along, then post a link here to your design for me and everyone else to ENJOY!

First Holy Communion Thank You

Happy Mother's Day!

Today is also our son's First Holy Communion - when did he grow up to be old enough?! It is also the Holy Feast Day of Pentecost - truly a wonderful day!!

I posted the invitation earlier, here is the thank you I designed this afternoon. The images are stamped tone on tone, and I sponged the Bashful Blue focal piece with Bashful Blue Classic Ink. LOVE that Striped Grosgrain Ribbon from SU! this card is 3" x 5 1/2" so my focal piece looks more proportionate plus it will still fit in the standard Whisper White Medium Envelope.

Stamps: First Communion and Thank You both CreativePlayStamps.com

Cardstock: Bashful Blue & Night of Navy(SU!)

Accessories: Silver Glimmer Mist (CreativePlayStamps); Stampin' Sponge, Bashful Blue Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Corner Rounder Punch, Dimensionals (SU!); Cuttlebug and Embossing Folder Spots and Dots.

ENJOY!

Pinwheel Card

How cute is this?! Okay - except for the fact that my scanner doesn't like the light, pastel colors - thus the "missing" Almost Amethyst flowers!!

I participated in an online technique class this morning on Sudsol (SU! demonstrator only website) and learned how to do these FUN & EASY pinwheels! You can make any size you wish - but I think they are especially wonderful for using up scraps of Designer Series Double-Sided Paper (especially for those of us who hoard the DSP, much less all the scraps!) :)

The jumbo paperclip bookmark card was CASE'd from Mary Kay Jones - she won a SU! demo contest with her version of the card!

To get the shades of color I wanted, I used several techniques. There is watercoloring from ink pads with the Blender Pen, Stampin' Pastels direct to paper as well as Poppin' Pastels with the Versamarker. As well as plain old coloring in with the Stampin' Writes.

Stamps: Time Well Spent (Level 3 Host Set)

CS: Wild Wasabi, Almost Amethyst, Whisper White, Rose Red Prints DSP, Vellum

Ink:Wild Wasabi, Almost Amethyst and Rose Red, Black StazOn

Accessories: Scallop Punch, 1 3/8" Circle and Sqaure Punches, Pop-up Glue Dots, Dimensionals, Jumbo Paper Clip, White Eyelets, Corner Rounder, Blender Pen, Stampin' Pastels, Versamarker, Circle Cutting System (e.g. Coluzzle, Creative Memories, etc.) ENJOY!

Chat & Challenge #115

A fellow Sudsoler hosted C&C 115 this morning. She used a simple sketch that is easy to put to gether when you are in a pinch. Here's my version.

Stamps: Refuge and Strength,

CS & Ink: Always Artichoke, Really Rust and Elegant Eggplant.

Accessories: Versamark, Gold Brads, Gold EP, Heat Tool, Corner Rounder Punch, Cutter Kit, Dimensionals.

ENJOY!