Groupie Fun

So you want to be a groupie?

If anyone is wondering what a groupie (in terms of the swapping world) is,  here are the guidelines as described by the hostess of the swap:

• Keep overall dimensions no larger than 7” b7 7”.

• Use at least five (or more if you wish) individual components.

• Suggested materials

• Chipboard Shapes

• Frames

• Die Cuts or Cricut Cuts

• Flowers—paper, chipboard, fabric

• Buttons

• Stickles

• Glitter Pens

• Doodling

• Sewing

• Ribbon

• String, Embroidery Floss

• Brads, rhinestones, skittles, jewels

• Stickers

• Words

• Rubber Stamping

I loved the idea of this swap, but as soon as I started to work on them, I drew a blank. The first couple of groupies I made were a mess of embellies that made no sense. With the due date looming, I was still attempting to figure out my groupies, when I was rescued by a couple of posts by the hostess of the swap, (Thanks Kay!) and my creative block was broken.

Here's my first Groupie. I have this wonderful stamp from C.C. Designs Sweet November by Amy Young called Darby and Penelope. I could just see the two friends sharing a summer memory together! They are colored with copics and I used Stickles to sparkle the outfits up a tiny bit. I used Bazzill cardstock to cut the watermelon. The watermelon cut comes from Doodlecharms. I designed it with my Gypsy and created an extra layer on the watermelon by hiding a couple of contours, mainly the pits and outer rind. I cut the word Friends from the Gypsy Wanderings. I inked the edges in Ranger Clover Green and Raspberry ink. I added Diamond glaze to the pits. Finally, I added some faux stitching to the Friends cut.

The next Groupie features one of my favorite stamps, Florence by Kraftin' Kimmie. This is my Sunshine Girl. What I love about this Groupie is the umbrella, it's from A Child's Year. I turned the beach pail into a tote bag, LOL!  That is the shovel sticking up out of the sand, but I tried to give it a bottle like appearance. I used K&Co. Happy Trails paper. It's beautiful paper, and if anyone shops in Michael's check out the clearance aisle, I only paid $1.99 for the 12x12 pad! Of course I went back and grabbed the other 2 pads that were still there! I cut the sun from Picturesque. I wanted to practice coloring red tones in hair with copics, and I was pretty happy with my attempt. I also added Diamond Glaze on her sunglasses for a reflective effect.

The Cheeky Rockabilly Girl from the Greeting Farm's Cheeky Cherry Collection was perfect for the Heart Groupie that I wanted to make. I had received an email from Color Me Copic with a lesson on hair color and I am really trying to get the feel for black hair. I love how it looks when I blog hop, and I've tried to get the look many times but couldn't quite master it. Following the color guide from Color Me Copic and their guest designer Mary Giles at A Latte Inkin Fun I finally got one right!

The cuts are all from Love Struck, well, maybe not all of them, I can't say for sure where the flourish came from! Once again, I used the hide contour feature on the Gypsy to create layers for the word Kiss. In the picture, the first view is the way it appears when chosen from the cartridge, then you can see where I hid the contours to add the layers. It's the best feature on the Gypsy!

Here's the close up of the Cheeky Rockabilly Girl. I just love her!

Don't you just love a good fairy tale? Cinderella has always been one of my faves, so I was delighted when Kraftin Kimmie released the new Annie Rodrigue stamps and there were Fairy Tale Princesses!

This is one of my favorite Groupies inspired by my good friend Kay talking about re-doing a bedroom and calling it her "Princess Room"

I have some American Crafts Glitter Cardstock that I ordered from Crafty Steals and decided to use the white glitter cardstock to cut the shoe from Gypsy Wanderings. I added a flourish that once again, I can't remember where I cut it from, and used some of my favorite velvet paper from SEI to use as the shadow. I really love this piece! I colored her with very pale pinks and lots of stickles. The tag is from Tie the Knot and I embossed the sentiment on the tag with Gold Zing. Pictures don't do her any justice, and I hope that where ever she ends up, my fellow swapper will enjoy her, too!

Thanks for stopping by the blog!

Happy Crafting!

Colleen

Color Me Copic Challenge

I am an avid blog surfer. I don't think there's anything I love more about the Internet than seeing all the amazing talent that exists on the world wide web. Wait! There is shopping, but that's another post! I always see these super challenges on blogs and finally decided I should try one. Color Me Copic is a great blog I just discovered during one of my blog surfs. They ran a tutorial featuring a Black and White (or grey) challenge at the end. Here is the link for anyone interested:

http://colormecopic.blogspot.com/2010/07/cmc-challenge-1-black-and-white.html

I just received two new Manga stamps from Sugar Nellie and either one was perfect for the color challenge. This is the link to shop at Funky Kits. http://www.funkykits.co.uk/catalog/

Don't forget to stop by their blog for some amazing inspiration.

I pulled out the copic colors for the challenge and went to work. I ended up making 2 cards. I will post the other card separately.

The colors are C1, C3, C5. C7 and C9

I stamped the image with Memento Tuxedo Black.

Isn't she cute? She looks a little heavy metal to me. This is my first try at a black and white image, now I am hooked! I followed the tutorial using the colors above. I did add C0 to blend a little on her skirt and for the shadow around her. I was a bit tentative of the C7 and C9 colors. I don't usually venture into those territories, but I think with some more practice, I'll feel more comfortable using them on future projects. I added some Diamond glaze on her eyes, corset and boots. It's hard to see in the photo, but it gives nice dimension to the image. I used Platinum Stickles to add some bling to her armlet, earrings, and pony tail holders. I used my new favorite embellishment, Viva Decor Pearl Pen in Anthracite to put "studs" on her armlet and pony tail holders, then for the buttons on her shoes and skirt.

To make the star shaped card, I created a two 7.85 x 6.75 Star shapes from the Hannah Montana Cartridge with my  Gypsy and welded them together.

 I used "Prima Rock On Love" Paper and created 2 more slightly smaller stars to use as the background for the card. I distressed the edges of all 4 of the stars. I inked the edges and the stars with Tim Holtz Distress Inks. The colors I used are Old Paper, Wild Honey, Pumice Stone and a touch of Weathered Wood. The dots around the star are Viva Decor Anthracite, again. I used Pop-Dots on the stars and the image to raise them on the card. For the sentiment inside the card, I cut the words "Shine On" using Color Box black glitter paper and the Hannah Montana cartridge. I also cut some more smaller stars. I used one of the smaller stars on the front of the card and added a Prima rose on top of it. I used three more Prima Roses and some glitter paper leaves to finish the card.. The leaves are a Martha Stewart. The middle rose was sprayed with Glimmer Mist, Starfish. I wanted to add a burst of color to the card, and the one red rose works well. Here is the sentiment and the back of the card.

Here is one last look at the final project.

When I entered my card into the Color Me Copic challenge, I discovered a great blog that was also featuring a Black and White challenge. Check out The Burtonesque Dolls at http://theburtonesquedolls.blogspot.com/
This blog is pure fun!The challenge was based on Ed Wood, a favorite movie of mine. Since my card has a star theme, I decided to also enter it in this fun challenge.
 I enjoyed stepping outside my comfort zone and trying something new. I  recommend it to everyone!
Thanks for looking!
Happy Crafting!
Colleen

Awesome Candy!

Check out the great blog candy from Pink Gem. Not only does she have great stamps, but there's also a link to a free digi stamp right now! http://pinkgem-janet.blogspot.com/2010/06/free-digi.html

It's Candy Time!


ProMarker Stamping Pack 2

Two Pink Gem Stamps of your choice (subject to availability)

Pack of 6 Petaloo Wild Roses - Baby Blue

Adesive Pearl Floral & Vines

20 Mulberry Paper Flowers Grey/Black Petals

20 Mulberry Paper Flowers Soft Tan Petals

Craftime Mini Crystals - Pink

Double Sided Adesive Pads


Don't forget to check out her store!

Good Luck!

Colleen

Easel Card Madness!

Hi Everyone!
It was a nice quiet 4th around here this year. We hung around the backyard, tried to get Danny into the pool, with no luck I should add, and grilled up some great food. I was able to squeeze some time in for crafting, too! I decided to break out the Gypsy, and explore the new Independence Day Cartridge, along with my "go to" cartridge, Stand and Salute. The Independence Day Holiday also gave me a chance to play with my High Hopes Stamps and my new CC Designs "Honey" Stamp. I decided to make an easel card for Sammy and Patriot, but my measurements went awry, and the card is HUGE!!!!  The card measures 6.5 x 5.5! It did give me lots of room to play... I used the Liberty Bell and the 1776 from Independence Day and the Let Freedom Ring and Stars are from Stand and Salute. The background paper is from Little Yellow Bicycle. I cut the stars and saying with American Crafts Foil Paper. Sammy and Patriot are colored with Copics, and popped off the page.

Here's a close up of Sammy. I just love High Hopes Stamps, they are so easy to color, and stamp so nicely. I cut the Liberty Bell with American Crafts Foil Paper, then dabbed some Ranger Adirondack Ink over it and used a Copic marker to outline the crack. I used Viva Decor for the Gold "Bolts" on the Bell.

Lucky for me, my Mom quickly claimed the card, so there was no need to try to make an envelope to match the monstrosity!

CC Designs Honey "Sailor"

For this card, I used Close To My Heart cardstock with American Crafts Glitter cardstock for the base. I used Basic Grey for the Anchor, which I cut from Stand and Salute. I cut the saying with Calligraphy on AC foil paper. I colored Honey with Copics, She is my first CC design stamp, and I really enjoyed coloring her. I added lots of three dimensional stars that I had in my "bling" box, and curled some red, blue and gold wire around the bottom stars. I hooked the anchor to the card using a Tim Holtz Swivel Clasp. Some ribbon, faux stitching and distressing finished the card. This card was much smaller, 4.5 for the card and base.

Miss Liberty and Belle

The last card I made was High Hopes Miss Liberty and Belle. I went a little different with the background colors and chose some Basic Grey paper from the Mellow collection and for the base, more American Crafts Glitter cardstock. I cut fireworks from Stand and Salute, added stickles, then layered them all around the card. I distressed the papers and rounded the corners. I cut the saying from Stand and Salute with white cardstock, then colored the letters with Copics. I added a little "bling" to her crown with Creative Charms Gradient Jewels. Some crocheted ribbon on the bottom, and buttons to give the ribbon a finished look, were the final touches.

A few months ago, the golf course close to our house was bought by Donald Trump, he renamed it The Trump National Golf Club Philadelphia, and turned it private. I mention this because, Trump, being Trump, had a great fireworks display in the evening. We are close enough, that we were able to see it from on our back deck. It was a great way to end our Holiday weekend. Thanks Mr. Trump!

Here are links for the stamps and card directions.

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/easelcard/

I ordered the stamps from Stamp and Create. The owner, Lacey is wonderful, she custom ordered Miss Liberty and Belle for me from High Hopes. Check out her store, you won't be disappointed.

http://www.stampandcreate.com/

I always get my Viva Decor from Susana's Custom Art and Card Design

http://www.susanascustomartandcarddesign.com/

If you stop by the store, check out her stamps, she also has a great selection.

Thanks for stopping top see the blog!

Happy Crafting!

Colleen

Summer Vacation ATC, That Almost Took The Whole Summer To Make!

12 little ATCs, that's all, just 12. Tammy from the Cricut Message Boards is hosting a Vacation Themed ATC swap. ATCs are  2.5 inch by 3.5 inch cards, that are traded among artists. Hence the name. So we have 12 crafters in a group for the swap. I get to keep a card, and send in 11 to Tammy. 12 little ATCs. I can't explain why, but it seemed to take months to complete these! I finished up the New York ATCs, quickly. I started the St. Croix ATCs the next day. I was so sure that these would be finished in a snap, I posted that I would have them mailed out right around Memorial Day! The swap is due June 15th. They were mailed late this afternoon. Talk about cutting it fine, right?! Nothing worked at the start. I knew what I wanted, I just could not make it happen!  I started with an entirely different concept, except for the picture, I knew I wanted to use the picture. I took it on my Honeymoon in May of 1989, while snorkeling at Buck Island in St. Croix. I had an idea to use shells with the card, but it turns out that another crafter used The Virgin Islands as her theme, and made a fabulous ATC using shells as embellishments. It was back to the drawing board for me. I used Life Is A Beach, and came up with a diving theme.

Materials Used

Nashua Tape

Alcohol Inks Brights

Viva Decor Glitter Liner Holo Iridescent

Viva Decor Pearl Pens, Icy White, Kiwi, Cobalt Blue

Copic Sketch Markers For Hair

Twinkling H2Os

Martha Stewart Branch Punch for Coral

Ranger Distress Embossing Ink

Ranger Ultra Thick Embossing Powder

Diamond Glaze

Cuttlebug Embossing Folder-Circles

Sizzix Machine

Heat Tool

Adhesives

I re-sized my photo and printed out 15 pictures on cardstock. I embossed the photos so that the picture has the appearance of being wet. I ran the pictures through the Xyron machine, and adhered them to CTMH Cardstock from the summer collection. I took white cardstock and covered it in Nashua Tape. You can get this tape in most home improvement stores. I overlap the tape so that the alcohol ink doesn't run under the tape after I cut my frames. I used the Deep Cutting Blade on my Cricut and set it to cut 3 times. It's ok if the edges are a little ragged, they flatten out nicely when you run it through your sizzix or cuttlebug.

This photo shows what the frames looked like before and after embossing. Once they were all embossed, I used Tim Holtz Alcohol Inks to add color. I used citrus, sunset orange, clover, watermelon, sail boat blue, sunshine yellow, clover, twilight purple, and raspberry. I put most of the colors on the same pad, but I used 1 pad per frame. The picture isn't the best, but it gives you an idea of what the alcohol inks look like on the Nashua Tape. it's a great technique that yields beautiful results.

Next I adhered the frames over the picture, and got ready to embellish the ATC. I used Life Is A Beach, and cut the Diver out at 1.75 x 1.54. Then I cut the layers, and started piecing the little divers together. I didn't like the way the hair layer looked, so I took a couple of Copic markers, and colored the hair instead of using the layer. I highlighted it with a white gel pen, and started working on the rest of his gear. I used  Viva Decor Kiwi and Cobalt Blue pens to line his mask, giving it more dimension. His face still looked like it needed something, so I added some Diamond Glaze inside the mask. I used a Baby Blue Atyou Spica Pen to add some glitter on his fins, and then Diamond Glaze. I also added the Diamond Glaze to his bathing suit. I adhered him to the corner of the ATC with mini pop dots.

I wanted to put coral on the other bottom corner, but I was too lazy to cut it with my Cricut, so I took a Martha Stewart Branch Punch, some Canson Watercolor Paper, and punched 24 branches. Twinkling H2Os were perfect for the coral. I used Coral Berry, Ocean Wave, Lemondrop, Kiwi, Pink Azalea, and Bougainvillea. Once they were dry, I cut 12 coral pieces into smaller sizes. I used one full coral and several of the little pieces to give the card interest. I love anything that sparkles, so I figured this was a great time to try out the Viva Decor Holo Iridescent. I used it to give some extra sparkle to the coral. I really loved the effect of the Twinkling H2Os and the Viva Holo.

At this point I was still trying to figure out where and how I would use St. Croix on my card, since it was the vacation destination I chose. When I first chose my picture, I had tried to make a small collage of pics from our honeymoon, and one had my sweet husband sitting by a sign. It just so happened that the sign was outside the place where we had booked our snorkeling trip. I cropped the hubby from the picture, re-sized the sign to teeny weenie, actually it was .95 x .66, and cut the signs out. I adhered them with scor tape. I didn't like the way the edges looked, so I lined them with the Viva Holo liner. I was having so much fun with the Viva Decors, that I used the Viva Decor Pearl Pen to make bubbles for my diver. This is how the final ATC turned out:

The pictures don't really show the full effect of the card. It's very sparkly! I did 6 with light hair and 6 with darker hair.

I hope the tutorial may inspire you to try something with the Nashua Tape, or Viva Decor. I purchased the Viva Decors at Susana's Custom Art and Card Design Store. It's a great place to shop. The prices are reasonable and the service is excellent.

It seems like they took forever for me to finish these ATCs, but in the end, I think they turned out ok! I hope my swap group enjoys the ATCs! I know I enjoyed making them!

Happy Crafting!

Colleen