Backyard General ~

Hello!!  I promised to be back today with the hubby’s birthday card, and that is one promise I can keep!  Ha!  I have had the hardest time making something for my hubby in a while.  I just don’t think anything is good enough or will relate to him in the way I want.  I literally made this for him on the morning of his birthday…I sent him off to work with no card and no present!  Poor guy!  lol
This is the Backyard General from Saturated Canary.  I bought him because of this picture of my son
              and this too 
Hubby served in the Army back in the 80’s, so everything for my son is Army and guns and grenades, etc.  He idolizes his dad!  And I love that.  He is also the perpetual man child…in fact, we’re getting ready to head to the skate park, more because hubby wants to than anything else!

Yesterday I posted a card that took me 8 minutes and 37 seconds to finish.  This one took me more like 2 hours 30 minutes!  Part of that is because I was searching the net for pics of how to color camo.  Ha!  This uses the August Sketch for You to Try.  Here’s a little close up of the coloring

The camo was super easy!  I just shaded the jacket like normal and then added some squiggles with a dark brown and a couple darker olive-y greens. 
This completely depicts my son.  No matter what he’s wearing, he almost always has some camo on somewhere!  Also, we had to make a rule that no more sticks come in the house…if they’re gun sticks, put them on top of the hot tub or something so the dogs don’t chew them, but they stay outside!  lol
I still think this card is a bit kiddish to give to my hubby, but he liked it anyway!  Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you all are having a wonderful week!  :o) lyss

Sweet Baby Giraffe ~

Just popping in with a CAS girl baby card.  I began this ages ago when the CASual Fridays blog was having a circles challenge…then I didn’t get it in on time, but it became a pink challenge…then I didn’t get it in on time again…so it sat in the corner of my little cave waiting to be put together. 

Stumbling around blogland today, I found a new-to-me challenge blog.  It’s from Simon Says Stamp.  This company sponsors tons of challenge blogs, so I guess I didn’t realize that they had their own and that the prize was a $50 gift certificate to be used on the site!!  I actually have shied away from this company in the past because I had heard some rumblings of bad things happening with them.  However, I’m now realizing that this was years in the past and tons of my stamping idols use this site, so I may as well too!  lol

Anywho, the challenge over at the Simon Says Stamp Challenge Blog is Animal Antics – use an animal stamp on your card.  I quickly put this together – really quickly since all I really had to do was assemble it and tie on a bow!  Guess that also makes it eligible for the new Craft Dash challenge.  This little baby took me 8 min and 37 seconds.  Even with all the stuff cut out and ready to assemble, I’m still an ultra slow card maker!  Ha!

Oh, and the fun little thing I found out about the little heart on the giraffe’s bum?  The heart die cut from the tiny tag matches perfectly – great for a little pop up!  Hey, you know, while we’re at it, let’s go ahead and enter this into the Moxie Fab Focal Point challenge as well! 

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I’ll be back tomorrow to share the card I made for hubby’s birthday last week!  Have a super Tuesday!  :o) lyss

Color Team New Release Hop {day 4} ~

Hey there!  Today I have the last project of the Lil’ Inker Designs August release. 

This is another sweet little set from the new Sugar Kissed Cottage line called Surprise! 

These sweet girls are stamped on a rustic cream cardstock and colored with Copics.  I used softer colors because of the vintage style of the image.  I love the sentiment because it looks like the little brunette is actually surprised!  I made the background paper with a stamp set and dots of acrylic paint.  I couldn’t believe that I was unable to find a pink pattern paper in my massive stash that would work!  That’s ok though…I have lots of background building stamp sets!  lol

                         

My little whoops on the card: after coloring and cutting out the balloons, I realized I had colored the girls with the light source coming from the upper right.  I had to turn the balloons so their shine would be consistent!  Now you see inside the crazy mind of a perfectionist!  Ha!

Don’t forget that there are prizes along the hop!  Comment on everyone’s blogs for a chance to win free stamps!  You should’ve arrived here after traveling ‘across the pond’ from the crazy talented Mary’s blog.  If not, you should bop on back to the Lil’ Inker Designs blog to get the full list of designers.  Your next stop is down under to fantabulous Judith’s blog.  Have fun!  Thanks for stopping by!  :o) alyssa

Color Team New Release Hop {day 3} ~

Hello, hello!  So glad to see you back here today!  We have something extremely exciting to share…

Lil’ Inker Designs has teamed up with a new illustrator, Lindsey Amschler, to bring you a vintage style line.  It’s called The Sugar Kissed Cottage and you’re just going to love it!  Since it’s back to school time here in my little town in Colorado, (in fact my little guy has his first day at preschool today) I thought it only appropriate to show you the new School Girl.

Too bad for me that *she* is not a little *he*, otherwise his teacher (our neighbor) would be getting this card with a little treat!  This little sweetie is stamped on vanilla paper and colored with Copics.  That background paper is a free digi printable I found on Pinterest.  You can get your own copy here.  The ribbon is my attempt at dyeing my own seam binding.  I used a Copic reinker in a little plastic baggie…I was too impatient to get it on the card though, so I didn’t crinkle it.  Too messy for me!  I’ll be buying pre-dyed seam binding!  lol

The sentiment is just one of nine included with this little set.  These are great for both cardmaking and scrapbooking – gotta love that! 
  You should’ve arrived here from the lovely Judith’s blog.  If you’re just starting out here, make sure you bop on back to the Lil’ Inker Designs blog to see and comment on all the wonderful creations along the way!  Don’t forget, you have a chance to win free stamps! 
Your next stop is the uber guber talented Amy Kolling (seriously, this gal is a stamping Idol!!)  Have fun on the hop!  Thanks for stopping by!  :o) alyssa

Color Team New Release Hop {day2} ~

Hi there!  I have another little goodie from the August release of Lil’ Inker Designs 2 Cute Ink line today!

There are 3 cute new sets for you to get your inky little mitts on! You should’ve arrived here from Isha’s blog today.  If not, please start back at the Lil’ Inker Designs blog to see all the miraculous creations, as well as have a chance to win two sets of your choice from the 2 Cute Ink line.  Don’t forget to leave a comment here first though!  The more you comment, the better your chance to win! Today, I’m showing you Birthday Owl .

This little cutie was stamped  and cut out with an oval die.  Instead of trying to be all perfect and cut the balloon just so, I just stamped it again and layered it over the top.  He’s perched on a little branch that I stamped directly over him.  No muss, no fuss!  That is just one of the three sentiments that come in this set.
Here’s a little detail shot






These fabulous new sets are already available in the Lil’ Inker Designs store. However, if you want to bet on luck, Laura will be giving away 2 of the 2 Cute sets of the winners choice to one lucky commenter of the secret blog. Hope you had a great time on the hop!  I’m your last stop for the day!  But if you’re just starting here, head on back to the Lil’ Inker Designs blog for the full list of designers.
Have fun, friends! Thanks for bopping by! :o) alyssa

Color Team New Release Hop {day 1} ~

Hello!!  Today is exciting because it is time for the August release of Lil’ Inker Designs 2 Cute Ink line! 
  We’ve got 3 cute new sets for you to get your inky little mitts on!  You should’ve arrived here from the Lil’ Inker Designs blog to start the hop off.  Today, I’m showing you Surfin Crab.

This little guy really needed to be riding some waves with a sandy shore to land on.  I took a kraft scrap, ran it through the Xyron sticker machine and then dunked it in my son’s sandbox!  The waves are made from shades of blue cardstock that is ripped and dry brushed with white acrylic paint.  Some torn vellum adds just a bit more dimension to the sea.  The crab was stamped straight down on top of the first wave and white background.  But before I built the sea and shore, I shaded in the rising sun and sky. 

The crab was stamped separately, colored and cut out to show he’s up on his killer board.  His little claws are also up on thin dimensionals. 






These fabulous new sets are available in the Lil’ Inker Designs store today.  However, if you want to bet on luck, Laura will be giving away 2 of the 2 Cute sets of the winners choice to one lucky commenter of the secret blog.  So hop along and leave comments on the way for a better chance at winning! 
Your next stop on the hop is the fantastic Isha Gupta!  Have fun, friends!  Thanks for bopping by!  :o) alyssa

Mark your calendars ~

Hope to see you hoppin'!

Hi there, sweet bee ~

Hello, hello!  I just wanted to pop in and share another little card I had initially made for my first Lil’ Inker Color Team post.  After I saw Judith’s adorable card, I decided I wanted to create with another of the darling images so that I wouldn’t be competing…I’m not big on competition!  lol

This is Sweet Bee.  I paired her up with the hexagon coverplate from PTI. 

I’ll be honest, I thought her wings were a heart that she was carrying…you know, since it has valentine sentiments in the set and all.  That is, I thought that until I really started looking at all the samples of gorgeous cards made with it.  lol  Her little bow is paper pieced and lightly shaded to add some depth.  Pretty simple really.  Oh, and I just poked a hole through the top of the card to keep the twine in place. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Hope you’re having a happy hump day!  :o) lyss