Mojo Sketch & Jen Tapler's blog candy challenge

If you read my blog (Annie), then you know that I like to combine challenges. I don't get a ton of crafting time, so I generally have to combine challenges to get things done. This lovely Sarah Kay image is actually the first image that I colored with my pencils & OMS. Once I cut it (with my nesties), I could not, for the life of me, figure out how to use it on a card! Until this past Monday when Julee, of Verve stamps, came out with a perfect sketch for the Mojo Monday sketch! Also, Jen Tapler, a fantastic stamper in Hawaii is having a fantastic challenge giveaway for her blogaversary. You can read all about it here. Anywho, here are my cards:
I used my new PTI set that I was soooooooooo excited about for the background, Guide Lines two. Colors are PTI Plum Pudding, Vintage Cream and SU! Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip. The sentiment is Verve Stamps Artful Elegance. Here is my confession: on the second card, I tried to stamp the sentiment after I had put the WW layer on. It is up on dimensionals, so needless to say, the sentiment didn't stamp properly. I had to figure out a way not to trash the entire card. I put a little swatch of plum pudding over the mistake and stamped the sentiment where it should've been in the first place. It worked out nicely; although, I still like the first card better.

Hope you all have a fantastic day! Thanks for stopping by!! :o) lyss

Woo Hoo Hooey!!

I am so excited! When the March release of PTI came and went just about a week ago, I jumped on the computer early in the morning to buy some of the new releases. Wouldn't you know it, but by 7:30am mountain time, two of the 4 stamp sets I wanted had sold out?! So, this morning, I get an email that they are back in stock. I rushed on over and bought them and already got an email this afternoon that they have shipped! I cannot wait to get them all inky!! :o)

Another baby card & a Candy direction...

I got this cute little Baby Boy set from Inkadinkado the other day from one of the big stores on clearance - only $4.97! I love a great deal! I bought it because I could just see this card right away. The shirt and pants are popped up on dimensionals and painted with Shimmerz in Celery and Aqua Marine that I got from Jacksonbelle Embellishments. The clothespins are toothpicks that I cut and glued down with Glossy Accents. Colors are SU! Cool Carribean (retired), Soft Sky (retired) and DCWV Nana's Nursery Baby Boy. I painted over the grass and some of the clothes with the Shimmerz too.

Not too many links today because the baby store friend and I are off to the petting zoo with our kiddos today. Should be fun!! I hope... :)

Here's the link to the wonderful blog candy put on by Bev. It has some fantastic stamps, pearls, crocheted flowers...lots of goodies! So drop on by and leave her a comment! Hope you have a fantastic day! ~lyss

Baby Onesies

The fantastic Lauren Meader shared her onesie card here. It is so easy to duplicate and is a quick favorite of any and all that see it. I chose to do a set of these as samples for the baby store. They are pretty easy; although, if I end up choosing to do these, I will not be doing the sets just like this.
The center stamped image has been stamped 4 times. First in Pretty in Pink, punched out with the SU! Scallop Circle punch, stamped on PTI white with Memento Tuxedo black and cut out, stamped in Barely Banana on white, moon cut out and glitterfied with Doodlebug glitter, and finally stamped in black on Pretty in Pink and cut out. The moon and the 'Sweet One' sentiment are popped up on dimensionals. The trim is some SU! DSP that I had left over from a party, sorry, I don't know the name. Anywho, if I choose to do these as sets, I'll probably simplify them to have a single stamped and colored image on the front. Much easier! :o)

I ended up having a ton of trouble trying to do these b/c I didn't have the right punches. I'm too cheap to invest in them though! I hate not being able to buy anything on a good sale! That's why I'm always talking about the 40% off coupons at Michael's & Hobby Lobby. I kicked around the idea of becoming a SU! demo since it's such a good deal right now. I got some great insight into it from my PSF Annie, but I'm thinking that it wouldn't be as big of a discount as I would hope for. I'd really only end up not spending tax and shipping - I can get that through a lot of the on line stamping stores I already buy from. Sorry Stampin' Up! You're not gettin' this girl! :-p

On another note, one of the illustrator's for Whiff of Joy is having a fantabulous give away on her blog. Elisabeth Bell is giving away the WoJ Spring Kit along with some other goodies, so hop on over and check it out!

Hope you all (1 of you) :o) are having a fantastic day! :o) lyss

I have a new love...

I have a confession to make. I always thought that I could never color things the way that I saw people do it across the world wide web. I have found and fell in love with color pencils and OMS (odorless mineral spirits). Granted, I am, by far, no expert; however, it is incredible to me how easy it was to achieve the look I was going for with a measly 24 different pencils! Again, I have to say that I have a long way to go and a ton to learn. My first attempt was so exciting to me! I have been trying with Copics, but I never achieved the shading that was so incredibly easy with this method. Ok! I'll quit blubbering about how much I love it.

This is Small Ace from High Hopes stamps. (An incredible company btw!) Like I've, pretty much, already stated - I colored him with my new Koh-I-Noor colour pencils. I got them at Michael's with a 40% off coupon for - get this!! - $10! {Every Copic marker I own is purchased at Hobby Lobby when they are 30% off, making them just a tid bit over $4 a piece!! Now, do you all understand my excitement?!?!} The OMS was a whole $4.99 that I used another coupon on and the blending stumps were only $2 - although, to be truthful, I don't like the ones I got much. I need to spend a bit more on something better. Anywho, I already had him colored when I saw the color challenge over at KW Design Blog and I used the sketch over at Jen's blog. {I heart her sketches, you know!} I embossed the chocolate layer with the PTI set Polka Dot Basics with clear EP. The Brocade Blue layer is embossed with the Spots and Dots folder that is inked on the negative side with the same ink. I used my Labels 1 nesties to frame the little guy, and added a 'glow' of blue sparkle around him with my Pebbles Inc. Shimmers Chalks. {I actually got mine at Hobby Lobby with another 40% coupon. :o) }

K - I think the rest is pretty self-explanatory. Questions?? Just leave a comment - I always love them! - and ask. Hope you all have a fantastic Monday!! I know I wish that I could stay home and stamp!! :o) lyss

E.T.A. - Ha! I just looked at my post and found that the colors from the challenge are the same on my blog!! That is too funny! According to my hubby, I have a strange sense of humor though :o)