Copic Creations - Challenge #3

So, lately I've been a coloring fiend. I've been using my Copics more than anything else, so much so that my other mediums are getting jealous!LOL

Here is my entry for the latest challenge on the Copic Creations Blog, Purple Flowers/Lilacs! I can't believe how much I'm enjoying coloring in using my markers, it's cathartic in a way. I can easily tune out all the stresses around me and focus on creating color and vibrancy in my images.
The thought for today...
How is it that we put man on the moon before we thought to put wheels on luggage? HHHmmm...

Copic Creations' Challenge - No. 2 Jeans

Well, it has certainly been crazy at the shop the past little while. Shop Hop was a blast, it was great to see old and new faces, all of whom happy to be shopping and crafting.
Again I would like to express my thanks to everyone who put us in their thoughts and prayers during the past little while. Our family is doing fine and Rob is doing well.

Now, as folks know, I'm a bit of a "Last Minute Minnie" so here is my entry for the above challege. This one was fun but I did have a hard time trying to find some stamps with "jeans" in it.
Hope everyone enjoys the card and I'll be posting again soon. As always I like to have some food for thought so...
do Lipton employees take coffee breaks?...hhhmmmmm!

Love the Bombshell Stamps!

As some of you may know, we received in a new line of stamps, Bombshell Stamps. They are awesome. They are replicated after the 1950's tattoo art, and boy are they ever great. The stamps are unmounted and are created from deep etched rubber. They stamp out fantastic. Here are some samples of a Peek A Boo card I did for one of their contests.


They have open space that lends itself nicely to coloring in with your Copic markers.

Also, just to let folks know, my father in law passed away on Sunday and I am unexpectedly heading to Montreal, Quebec, Canada for the services. I will be back on Sunday, and thank you for all the heart felt prayers and warm wishes.

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........