Papertrey Ink November Blog Hop ~

Hi there friends!  I decided to bop in here and play along with PTI’s monthly blog hop since I got my goodies on Monday, and I just couldn’t wait to play with them!

PTI has been inspiring us with photos for the past couple of hops.  I saw it yesterday morning and took a very bad pic with my phone to think on it during the pie making of the day.  Not until we were driving home from my brother's house at 9pm last night did I come up with my idea.  Then I realized that I only had Friday morning to complete it!  Aack!  Here’s the beautiful inspiration photo…

As I already said, I quickly looked at the photo and went on my merry way to peel pounds of apples.  So I remembered the pot on the stairs to have poinsettias in it.  Whoops!  I just now realized my mistake, but there’s no more time.  So, we’ll just say that the inspiration is the red, white and green!  Ha!

I just had to use the new Quatrefoil Cover Plate – LOVE!  I stamped and colored out multiple layers of the Year of Flowers: Poinsettia in the Pure Poppy and Pinefeather Copic trios.  The sentiment is from Signature Christmas – one of my all time faves!  I added a little score line above and below the embossed sentiment, but I didn’t photograph it very well.  Here’s a close up of the dimension on the flower.  Thanks so much for stopping by!  Have fun on the hop!!  lyss

CSAYL: Kenny K Inspiration ~

Hey there, CSAYL friends!  I can hardly believe it, but we’ve arrived at the final Christmas Stampin’ All Year Long challenge of 2011!  I really wanted to get all of my projects and cards together for one shot for you but ran out of time this morning…perhaps I’ll update this post later!  That would be fun to see and would help me round everything up for the holiday craziness ahead  lol

Check out this gorgeous inspiration photo!  We want you to pick whatever speaks to you from it and make a card, layout or whatever floats your boat!  We are sponsored this week by Kenny K digi stamps.  Such a wonderful and fun line!  Last time we were sponsored by Kenny K, I chose one of the more va-va-voom characters, Mistletoe.  For this time, I tamed it down with the new Boy Gift.  Such a great image because it really doesn’t have to be used just for Christmas!  Gotta love a little versatility! {wink} 

I chose the colors from the photo as inspiration – sagey green, pine needle green, white and silver.  The dots and bow of the present are colored with a silver AtYou Spica pen.  I actually have a funny little story about this card…my printer has been telling me for the last 3 months that it needs ink.  Well, it’s always printed out a perfect picture or image, so the ink cartridges have been set on the back burner.  Not this time! Some of the lines weren’t even visible!  And of course, I left making this card to the very last minute.  I’ve been wanting to try the *no lines* coloring technique, but I didn’t want to be forced into it!  lol  I ended up coloring the image and going over every line with a multiliner.  Ha!  The printer couldn’t fool this Queen of Procrastination!!

Bop on over to the Christmas Stampin’ All Year Long blog to catch up on all the rules and prizes.  Thanks so much for stopping by!  I’m looking forward to a little crafting down time and only creating when I feel like it, so this blog may be quiet for a bit.  We’ll see…you never know when creativity and the need to create will strike!  Have a super weekend, friends!  lyss

Missing Mojo ~

Hey there!  It’s been a little quiet over here as I cannot seem to find my mojo.  I have so many ideas in my head, but even when I carve out enough time to play in my crafty space, I just can’t seem to make anything.  It’s frustrating!  I kind of feel like walking away from it all for a little while.  ???  Don’t know what’s up with that! 

With that said, I forced myself to make a card today.  I also forced myself to pick up my Copics…I haven’t touched them in a couple weeks!  I chose this weeks Mojo Monday sketch – #214.  I love the Mojo Monday sketches!  Hell, I just love sketches period. 

I also made myself use some paper that I had to order – PTI’s Funky Town.  That gorgeous flower is from Verve’s One Person set and the sentiment is from Thankful Blossoms {an oldie but a goodie!}  I love the boldness of the font.  It’s stamped in Versafine Onyx and clear embossed then sponged with Worn Lipstick distress ink.  Here’s a little close up of the flower. 

It’s embossed as well and fussy cut.  The interesting thing is that the Copic ink kind of dissolves the embossing, so the colors blended strangely…almost like coloring with melted crayons.  Oh well!  I was too lazy to do it again!  lol

Thanks so much for stopping by!  We stopped and got a couple bushels of fire roasted green chilies, so I need to go de-seed and peel them before popping them in the freezer.  Have a great rest of your weekend!  lyss

Shutterfly winners & a Vintage Angel ~

Hi there!  Sorry, I forgot to post the winners of my Shutterfly giveaway.  I didn't have much response, so out of the 4 commenters, the winners (picked via random.org) are numbers 3, 2 and 4.  That's Savannah O'Gwynn, Amanda Profumo and Julie E!  Congratulations, ladies!  Email me for your code for 25 free holiday cards from Shutterfly! 

Here's a card I made for iCopic sometime back.  Hope you enjoy and have a fabulous week! 

I have a card today that was inspired by a text sent from a stampy friend the other day.  She asked if you could color images stamped with other Memento inks besides Tuxedo Black, specifically Rich Cocoa.  Well, I was pretty sure that you could but I just had to try it out myself!  Plus, I just got my iCopic order the other day and had purchased E42 just to be able to do a sepia angel. 

Coloring an image in sepia tones is exactly like coloring in black and white.  I chose the lighter colors for her skin tones and halo (E41, E42 & E43) shading first with the darker colors and blending out with the lighter colors.  The 0 Colorless Blender was used to make it all come together without too harsh of lines.  Her dress and hair are done with the darker tones (E43, E44 & E49).  This was a little harder because there is such a gap between the 44 and 49, but I like the results all the same.  Her wings and ruffle of her dress have just a hint of E41.  As a last touch, I added some sparkle with a clear glitter pen on her wings and halo. 

After cutting her out with a large plain nestabilitie die, I used a 0.03 Copic Multiliner to trace the inner circle leaving just a slight gap to add a few black pearls.  These sepia tones really match well with kraft paper, which I love!  This paper is from a retired Stampin' Up! set from eons ago.  This little ditty is finished off with some natural twine, a black button and a couple larger pearls framing the sentiment. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Please let me know if you have any questions!!  Have a great weekend!!  :o) lyss

Copics {0 Colorless Blender, E41, E42, E43, E44, E49}     Edited to Add: I forgot to mention this...in case it isn't obvious, the angel is stamped in Memento Rich Cocoa ink and is from The Greeting Farm's Naughty or Nice set.

CSAYL: It’s My Fave ~

You all know how much I adore sketches – they take all the hard work out of a card for me!  One of our final challenges with Christmas Stampin All Year Long is to use our favorite sketch challenge!  We are sponsored by the uber duber cute Pink Cat Studios Stamps.  One lucky winner will get their choice of 5 digi stamps!One of my all time favorite sketch challenges is the Sketch For You to Try {SFYTT} from Jen del Muro at i{heart}2stamp.  I used the sketch for the month of October on this one.  It’s new starting tomorrow, but you have a little time to still get your sample in. {wink}   I had a total mishap happen with this card.  I set a rectangle nestie up around my already colored image and taped it down (I used painter’s tape).  I must’ve bumped it before I cranked it through the ‘bug (and not taped it down enough) because it was all scatttywompus when I pulled up the plate.  Ugh…I *hate* when that happens!  I decided to cut him out and pop him up on some patterned paper that was supposed to be the back mat instead.  The base is a smoky gray – the perfect compliment to this retired Stampin’ Up paper. 

That’s all I’ve got for you today!  I hope you get to play along with our current challenge and get another Christmas card done.  If you don’t think you’ll have time to make your own cards this year, bop down to this post for a chance at some picture holiday cards from Shutterfly!  There aren’t many comments, so you’ll have a pretty good chance at winning one of three prizes!!  lol  Have a great start to your weekend!!  ;o) lyss

Not ETM ~

I don’t know about you, but one crafter I watch consistently, besides all of my buddies (of course!), is Debbie Olson.  She has been doing a series of cards that are ETM – Easy to Mail.  This card is not one of those!  lol
I just had to bop in here quickly tonight to share a card that has been bouncing around my brain since last Saturday.  I’ve been coveting this Waltzingmouse Stamps set since it’s release last year.  I just haven’t wanted to pay the shipping *across the pond*!  I finally decided to bite the bullet and order…I found out I had plenty of likes…enough for free shipping!  Gotta love that!  This is the Festive Foliage set.  Funny thing about me is that I’m very much Rock ‘n’ Roll, but my Christmas decorating style, and card style, is very much Country (or rustic).  lol  I don’t know what you’d call it really…maybe botanical?  All I know is that I love rustic cream cardstock, a rich cranberry red, a deep evergreen and a bold brown for all my holiday cards.  Oh, and if I can add some rusted jingle bells into the mix, I’m super happy!
Anyhooooo, I used the current Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge, #71.  It’s stamped in Ranger Distress Pine Needles (how apropos!) and Walnut Stain and sponged with Antique Linen and Walnut Stain.  I'm also editing this to add it to the ABC DT Challenge - Christmas Cards!  I've been making lots of those lately, so you'll probably be seeing this challenge linked a few more times. ;o)
Thanks so much for stopping by!  I’ll be back in the morning with one of the last challenges of Christmas Stampin’ All Year Long!  ;o) lyss

World Card Making Day ~

**Go to this post for a chance to win 1 of 3 sets of Shutterfly Holiday Greetings for you to customize this holiday season!**
Hello, hello!  I’m not sure if you all have heard the news, but you should check out this post on the Paper Crafts Connection blog.  I’m sure that I’ve complained about this before, but I work in an old mall.  Meaning, I seldom get reliable cell phone service, don’t have a computer, nor do I have internet to surf or even check.  That being said, I worked a long day on Monday and was unable to check my email or facebook.  As soon as I set foot in the parking lot, my phone started going off with text messages and facebook alerts.  Turns out a bunch of friends, old and new, wanted to congratulate me!  Yay!! 
I’m over the moon excited and so honored that one of the two cards I submitted for the WCMD contest was chosen.  Humbled, honored and stupefied!  lol  I thought I’d grace this post with my reject   ;o)

This is a simple little 4x4 number.  I cut the large heart from red leather and the two smaller from white felt.  The little square buttons has rounded corners, so I rounded the corners of the card too.  Funny how we crafters pay attention to little details like that, isn’t it?  The sentiment is from My Favorite Things.  I needed to pull in just a bit more black, so I took the button off and tied a bow with black embroidery floss.  A very simple card that ended up taking way longer than I intended.  ha ha!  That’s how it always goes for me!
Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Thanks to all of my fantabulous friends for all of the emails, texts, facebook messages, etc – you all made my day that much more special!!   :o) lyss