Copic Creations Challenge #1

Whew, the past few weeks have been crazy. Jeanne underwent surgery last Wednesday and is recovering wonderfully. Plus getting ready for Shop Hop has taken a bit of a tole, but that didn't stop me from using my Copic Markers.

This card is for a challege that the blog Copic Creations has once a month.
Hope you like it and I'll be posting again soon!

Whew, Busy, Busy, Busy

So the Cricut Swarm was a HUGE success. There were 13 of us all together, with Cricut machines buzzing in the background. The mantra of the weekend was, OMG I love my Cricut, I didn't know it could do that! LOL
The projects that the ladies created were amazing, we had folks working on pages, cards, just all sorts of stuff. If you drop by the store and head into the crop room, don't forget to check out the page samples on the wall. All the pages there were created using the Cricut machine. It never fails to amaze me how talented our clients are!
So needless to say that past week was insanely busy. During the crop I actually had a moment to catch my breath and just work on coloring techniques, specifically using my Copic markers. Here is one of the cards I did!

This art deco lady is from a set of stamps I bought about 100 years ago, so I can't even remember what the company is, but she was fun to color in. I also did her up in red,

The shimmer on her is a new product that we will be getting in called, appropriately Shimmerz. They are in a paint format and go over your existing mediums. They add a light layer of glitz to any project.
I have more projects to show you all, but I'm off the play pool tonight. Talk amongst yourselves, I'll give you a topic:
Why do labels on children’s medicine say not to drive or operate heavy machinery? Hmmmm

Working on ATCs

As many of you may already know, I am heavily involved with ATCs. For those of you who don't know what the acronym stands for, it means Artist Trading Cards. These are little mini works of art, created to be traded, not sold, with other artists all over the world. If you click on the following link you will get more information on these wonderful cardsInformation on Artist Trading Cards.
So, not only do I have swaps going on at the store, but also I do a lot of online trading with various groups through Yahoo! Groups. I just wanted to share a few of the ATCs that I have recently finished.
These first ones are some for the store swap for March, the theme being What Women Wear,




These next ones are for online swaps that I'm involved in, the themes being Knights, St. Patrick's Day, and Vintage Men. Hopefully you'll like them all and maybe find a little bit of inspiration from them.






The thing I like about creating ATCs is that, at least for me, it is creatively freeing. There are no rules or guidelines, you can use whatever mediums you wish. The only stipulation is that the sizing must be 2.5"x3.5". Try making one today and you can use them on cards, scrapbook pages, whatever.
Now finally, Why do you pay extra to get something put on your sandwich but don't get a discount when something is taken off? Hmmmmmmm....

Working, Working, Working

OK, so I haven't been blogging as much as I should have lately, but I have been crafting. We moved the entire shop around so needless to say that took some time. It's still a work in progress but I'd say we're 90% there.
Of course we needed new samples, so I've been making page layouts. If you haven't been to the shop in awhile, come by and check them out. Also, if you head over to the website and click on the Layout Gallery you will see what we've been working on.
Now the reason that I'm posting today is that I've also been working on card samples. Here is my first one,
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I love these stamps by American Art Stamps. They just crack me up every time.
I am trying to stick to my New Year's resolution, but I have to be honest, I've already strayed. Inkadinkado arrived today with some fantastic stamps and I just couldn't help myself. But I am still trying to use all my stuff, so here is another sample,
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The sayings always are right on the money! I colored them in with the Copic Markers. I did get certified which was wonderful, but more on that later.

I'm also working on a new page for the website called "Tidbits". This page will have little tutorials on tips and tricks for papercrafting. Hopefully you'll drop by and check it out. Like I said I'm hoping to have that page up and running within the next few days.
I hope everyone has a great day and ...
What's the difference between partly cloudy and partly sunny? Hmmmmm........

Been Busy Lately!

It seems that I've been on the go for a week non-stop. I was in Pensacola on Monday for a Copic Certification class and it was amazing. There was so much information that I felt like it was oozing out my ears by the end of the day!LOL I can't wait to develop some advanced classes around these wonderful markers. With that being said keep your eyes open on the class calendar.

Stamp Club is always a fun evening and yesterday was no exception. We did two projects using a simple idea. Here are the pictures of the card samples, and of course the ladies took it upon themselves to make the projects their own.

The first picture is an overview of the cards, while the second picture is a close up.

I can't take the credit for coming up with this wonderful idea. I saw it done on SplitCoast Stampers, and here is the link for the full tutorial.
Crimped Envelope Card
I couldn't believe how easy it was.

Well, I'm signing off for now, have to go and have some breakfast and begin my day. I have a few more projects to post, so check back when you can. My thought for today is...

Why does lemon dishsoap contain real lemons, but lemon juice is artificial flavoring? Hhmmmmmmm...

Just a Craftin' and Creatin'

I just wanted to post another card sample I've been working on. Lately I've been involved in so many ATC swaps (ATC stands for ARTIST TRADING CARDS) and I like to send a hand made card with my ATCs, so needless to say I've been a cardmaking fiend.


This one uses an old stamp of mine, that I haven't pulled out in a while, by a company out of business now, Me & Carrie Lou. I also been practicing with my Copic markers, because on Sunday I'm off to Pensacola for a Copic certification class.

Needless to say I'm extremely excited since I've been trying to get into one of these classes for about 6 months now.

Hope you enjoy the card and as always I like to leave you thinking so...

If electricty comes from electrons, does morality come from morons? Hmmm...

Trying to use my Stamps

OK, so my new year's resolution of trying to use what I have before buying anything else has been tough. I mean with companies coming out with great new stamp designs, what's a girl to do! ;-)
But I am trying to use my stash a little more frequently than never, so here are some samples that I've done up. The stamps are from Inque Boutique, and I have enjoyed using them again.
The coloring was done with Tombow markers and my Aqua Writer(Water pen). Also the diecut was done using my Cricut machine! They were simple designs but they sure did pack a punch. Then finally I had to add glitter for that special bling!

OK, of course I have to end today's post with some cerebral ramblings. The things that make you go HHmmmmmm!
Why does Hawaii have interstate highways? Hmmmm

Happy crafting everyone!