During the power outage from Superstorm Sandy, our cat, Ryan, sat as close as possible to the metal screen of our fireplace. Every evening at sunset he would wait on the hearth for my dear husband to build the fire that kept us warm until bedtime.
All Memory Box dies (sitting, cat, flower box, small arched window, small flowerbox, grove branch). Background was airbrushed with a Copic marker;retired 7gypsies patterned paper; card base is Memory Box Endive. Happy Monday!
The kids and I ran a 5K over the weekend - I finished 8th out of 117 females in my 40-49 age group; around 700 runners total...my time was 28:42. Plenty of room for improvement but overall I'm pleased. A good day weather-wise for running.
Bob the Bird is one of Lockhart Stamp Company's newest releases, and what a fun way to welcome the warmer weather. After this past winter in the Northeast I am extra-thankful for the warmer weather at the moment!
Inspiration for today's project layering was drawn from the many creations by Becca.
October Afternoon Weathervane papers used, along with Memory Box Vanilla Bean and their Frost Blue Pearls. Spellbinders dies used along with Copic markers. Symphony Tissue Tape (Tim Holtz) and crochet ribbon from May Arts. Large Daisy Fan punch and smaller Half Daisy punch are Martha Stewart.
This will probably end up being a birthday card - I was undecided this morning when I made it, hence the blank interior - or maybe a thank you...ah the benefits of stamping! Thanks for stopping by today!
One of Paper Crafts' recent publications (350 Cards and Gifts) inspired today's project. You can read more about the Little Gifts Challenge here. A gift box (nashvillewraps.com #SB738) houses six identical cards and envelopes.
May Arts 1" teal organdy bow makes for easy access to the box contents. The card bases are a retired color from Memory Box.
Spellbinders die was airbrushed (with the die in place) using a light Copic marker; sewing machine image from Hero Arts' Sew Artsy set was stamped using October Afternoon's 8x8 Thrift Shop pad then carefully cut out and adhered with foam tape. Lace is Prima and the strip of patterned paper above the lace is a strip of 12x12 Collectors Item.
White Opal Liquid Pearls accent the sewing machine dials.
Interior - stitch line is from the Hero Arts set, leftover 8x8 Thrift Shop paper was punched with a Martha lace punch, and the sentiment was created on my computer. Faux button was created using the smallest Spellbinders circle die, airbrushing the circle with the die in place (heavy color application) then with the die removed (light color application). Button holes were created using a 1.0 Copic Multiliner.
I believe I am going to make another set for....me! 
The white May Arts lace on today's thank you card project was quickly dipped into a bath of regular strength coffee, blotted with paper towels then allowed to air dry.
Part of the sentiment (you're) was omitted and just 'sew nice' was used. This is a Hero Arts set called Sew Artsy. Spellbinders die forms a mat for the sewing machine embellishment and Zva pearls decorate the dials nicely. Lovely linen thread forms the wrap and bow. The dyed lace was machine stitched to the card front.
The interior is a typeset sentiment (MS word document here), printed onto Papertrey Ink white cardstock, then die cut with a Spellbinders rectangle die. The button was made using a lightweight coaster and the smallest Spellbinders circle die, followed by airbrushing with Copic BG18 with (heavy color application) and without (light color application) the die in place. This technique provided depth to the faux button; a 1.0 Copic Multiliner was used to add the faux button holes. Envelope and interior sentiment were embellished with stitched images from the Hero Arts set. Thanks for stopping by today!
edited to add: Hi Karen! The patterned paper was purchased at an Archivers in Wisconsin a few years ago. I had no idea it was discontinued (I would have bought more - lol), but very happy to learn they make fabric!!! xoxo Cindy
This cute patterned paper is from Sweetwater and called Sprinkles - playing around with a Spellbinders die set and Copic's airbrush system. Papertrey Ink white cardstock (and sentiments) used for the card base, and Memory Box Mocha used with the dies; Zva 2mm pearls.
Kristina Werner has a great Virtual Card Club offering, and it centers around using your sentiments. I enjoyed this online class as it got me to rethink how I use my sentiments. When I created today's project I opted not to use the expected 'happy birthday' sentiment on the outside, instead...
...using it on the inside. Interior die is from Spellbinders - cardstock is Memory Box Water. Thank you for stopping by today!
This card was sent to my friend Darthy, who lost her beloved dog, Pebbles, last month. This is a layout based on this sympathy card from an earlier post.
The lovely metal corners are from Quietfire in Canada, mounted using a Home Pro LR.
The Spellbinders die was airbrushed, then dots added to the die's circles with a white gel pen. White and taupe pearls and ivory flowers are from Zva. Patterned cardstock is Webster's Pages.
Sentiments are discontinued MSE! rub-ons, of which I wish they would reconsider and produce again.
My sympathies and my heart go out to you, Darthy.
Jolee's stickers have always been a favorite of mine - these birdies arrived and I had to sit down to play with them right away!
The big brad bling is from Karen Foster, and I edged the Nestability label with a silver Krylon pen.
The background cardstock is Memory Box Iris, embossed with a Papertrey Ink embossing plate.
Sentiment on card front and interior are from A Muse; bird is from Memory Box. The Iris envelope is lined with Basic Grey paper. Here's one more:
White cardstock was run through a large vine die, then airbrushed with Copic YG93 and YG95. Sentiment is from A Muse as well as birdies on the envelope. Card base & envelope are Memory Box Cherry Blossom. Thanks for stopping by today!
Happy Spring and Happy Easter everybody! My Christmas amaryllis bloomed and is done, and my husband brought these mini adorable daffodils home from an office fundraiser; they made the perfect backdrop for today's project.
Lockhart Stamp Company's Dottie Bunny was stamped with brown ink, colored with a pale blue Copic marker, then cut out. Her tail is a small, white pom-pom cut in half and adhered with a glue dot.
Die is the new Nestabilities jumbo scallop square, and I airbrushed the white layer with a pale blue Copic marker. Pearl bling is Memory Box Frost Blue (nose is Blush), and the decorative paper is Memory Box Frond. Grass is Memory Box Meadow; scallop layer is Water; sentiment is Savvy Stamps.
Best wishes for a great weekend!
Today's project will walk you through coloring a bowl full of yummy strawberries from Lockhart Stamp Company. Karen Lockhart's bowls of fruit are some of my favorite images to color!
To begin I stamped Lockhart's Strawberries onto white cardstock (Papertrey) using Memento Tuxedo Black ink, then diecut using Labels One. Leaving the die in place I lightly airbrushed with Copic E02. To begin coloring the strawberries I outlined each berry with E07 then used a small amount of E09. I left a small area of each strawberry alone for a highlight.
Next, I blended each strawberry with E02. Don't worry about smudging the markers into the bowl area - we're going to be covering the bowl up a few steps down.
Stamped the Lockhart Strawberries onto a piece of Basic Grey 6x6 Nook & Pantry paper and cut the bowl out. We'll be altering the bowl a few steps down.
Colored the strawberry leaves using G82, then G99. The areas are so small I chose not blend them.
Adhered the cut bowl over the stamped image, then colored in the dots with Copic 100, and added a few random white dots with a Ranger white gel pen.
Onto a Memory Box Pine card base I added more Nook & Pantry 6x6 paper, and a Labels One mat layer. Memory Box white pearls were scattered on the card front at random. White May Arts grosgrain ribbon. The 'I like you berry much' sentiment is from A Muse. Thank you for stopping by today!
I wanted an eerie background for what I would expect to find in Harry's backpack, and decided to airbrush two colors together and try it.
Lockhart's Potions and Spells was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto white cardstock (Papertrey Ink) cut from Spellbinders Labels Five. I had a mask of this image created earlier (using Eclipse tape) and placed the mask over the stamped image.
With the mask in place, Copic W3 andYG95 were airbrushed - grey first, then the green.
Removed mask to reveal the eerie look. 
Image was colored with Copic markers. Labels Five cut and embossed Licorice cardstock - used foam dimensionals for each layer.
Black pearls are from Ellen; patterned & purple paper is Cosmo Cricket's Haunted kit (name of paper is Haunted Macabre). Card base is Memory Box Paprika. Bippity sentiment is Lockhart Stamp Company. Added Glossy Accents to the crystal ball.
Interior sentiment is from Savvy Stamps. Finished size is 4-1/4" x 5-1/2". Now if I could just brew up a spell to do all the laundry... 
I am not one of those artists.
Blog posts are created here randomly, when the mood strikes, using my preferred products and tools.
Life doesn't come with instructions and if it did, I wouldn't follow them anyway.
