Flower Soft Tutorial I

As promised - the first of several Flower Soft tutorials!! flower soft is an almost spongy, sprinkly, brightly colored, light as a feather material that gives realistic look & texture to images. for my card i am using the current sketch from SCS ->






And here is my card:

this card was quick and easy to do yet doesn't look like it :) my kinda thing!! The paper is all SU, crocheted flower is handmade by me and the cool little square embellies have just a touch of pink shimmer! Notice the bead pop in the center of the flower of COURSE!


I chose to use this adorable new Karen Lockhart Stamp - Lilac In Pitcher - from my dear friend Susana's store - i fell i love with it as soon as it was released and just new i had to have it!

I stamped on white cardstock from Papertrey Ink with Black Memento Dye Ink (one of the best to use with copics.) I only used 6 markers for this image - step 1 shows my first layer of darks (i work from dark to light - i know many people do the opposite...). For the flowers i used RV29 and the vase YG67 - this is an easy stamp because it has the shading sort of built in so i simply followed that. Step 2 i added the mid-tones - RV23 and YG63 and in the last picture i added RV21 and YG11 - color over the previous color you laid down with each lighter color. If you want brighter highlights you can lightly stroke some in with the blender marker or use the ranger inkssentials white gel pen.

And now time for some quick flower soft. I still have a limited supply of colors as it was hard to get for awhile. the larger pots are from last year which i received from Catherine for my birthday, the smaller ones are from a christmas kit i received from the UK and are similar to the container in the new boxed sets I will be carrying in the store.

I mixed the greens to use for the leaves and i mixed the red and pink to use for the flowers.

For now, because i have never had flower soft glue, i used glossy accents. however, after using the glue at the show (CHA) i am a firm convert and ordered extras! but just dab your glue where you want it on the flowers - no need to be to exact here and it is better if you DON'T just cover the entire image. i dabbed it sort of along where the light meets dark on each one.

Then just dump it on. YEP just like that. like glitter. you don't even have to be neat about it.

i know "SHUT UP" right?

Shake off the excess:

Dump on a little extra fine MS glitter if you like:

next a few dots where there are leaves - no need to cover completely

Again just sprinkle on some green:

And here is your finished jug of flowers!!

I cut mine out with a nesties die and inked the edges.

i thoroughly enjoyed this quick and simple card - i REALLY want to hear what y'all think!

hugs!!

drive by posting.........Pezzy's first masterpiece!

hi all! a quick post for you today - seems i just have too much to do right now but i wanted to get this card up for you to see:

i really love this one for a couple reasons. first of all how CUTE is charlotte with her kitty?? this is another image from whiff of joy - dubbed whiffies by a couple friends *waves to suzanne and susanna* - colored with copics and then i used doodlebug flock on her muff and hat - sticks really well with glossy accents. the second reason i love this one is the background - created by my little 2 year old Pezzy!! yep she loves to paint and "do stampies" so i set her up and let her go to town. for this one i gave her my foam ink blending tool first with brilliance crimson reinker and then brilliance cottage ivy reinker. next i gave her some inkadinkado stamps and the same color ink pads and let her stamp. she does not produce very good images for the most part but i think that just makes this background better!

now off to work for me! have a great day!

SFYTT and Cupcake challenges (from last week...EEK!)

WOW!!! have i really gone all week without posting!??!?!?!? i hope y'all missed me - hee heee! i have some cute stuff to share today - both are based VEEEEEERRRY loosley on these two sketches - the first from Jen over at i{heart}2stamp and the second one from Taylor over at Taylored Expressions. Taylor recently launched her own stamp line and oh how i ADORE them - well christmas cupcakes were released and i just couldn't WAIT to ink them up and play!!! here are two projects done with more to come - i URGE you to run over a take a peek at them - talk about FUN!!!


I am making gift sets for my mom's open house right after Thanksgiving so these are my first two installments.









i apologize for the poor pic quality - not sure what happened........

Images are colored with copics and accented with LOTS of liquid pearls...

Again images colored with copics and highlighted with LOADS of stickles!

Close ups of both are below. i have a TON of these acrylic boxes - more than i could probably use - if you want to purchase just a few instead of the full packs like i found contact me...

SOOOOO in love with the Cuppies!!!!

Sorry for such a short post but I am runnin'ragged these days!! stay tuned tomorrow for a really cool T!m holtz inspired gift bag and new product announcement!

cupcakes, bling and a good idea....(SFYTT & OCCC)

hi all!!! todays card combines two challenges - SFYTT -->
and OCCC - use some bling. my friend Suzanne *waving* was s o sweet to give me some images to color so today i have a tilda holding a little cupcake:

I think she turned out cutie patootie! i tried some experiments with shimmering mists over the weekends (will be reporting back on others as they are used) but on this particular one i made shimmery mist simply using brilliance pearlescent orchid reinker and encore metallic teal reinker and water in a mini mister. the colors are very good and the shimmer is wonderful! tilda is colored with copics. i added frosted lace stickles to the patterned paper as well as painting some pearl perfect pearls on in spots with an aquapainter - also did this for her wings. finished off with some liquid pearls dotted around the edges. LOVE LOVE those liquid pearls!!

one last tip for you from my experiments - dimensional pearls and water DOES NOT work for making shimmering mist!!!

be sure and check in tomorrow for an exciting announcement (it's from studio G.....) and don't forget i have big & juicy rainbow ink pads on sale!!!

WOJ challenge #2 - Gift Set

i think this is one of my most fave projects i have ever done! i did it for the second challenge over at the Whiff of Joy challenge blog - if you still have not checked out Whiff of Joy i urge you to take a peek! so the challenge was to have stitching on your card or whatever you make. it can be any kind of stitching - machine, hand, faux or stamped. i did stamped with a great little set from technique tuesday - second stamp i ever purchased....and of course use a WOJ stamp!

i made this gift set for christmas:

YEP! that is a starbucks frappacino 4 pack all done up for the holidays! i will be fillling the bottles with russian tea mix, mint hot cocoa mix, mocha hot cocoa mix and marshmallows! i covered the cardboard holder with solid paper and then strips of patterned paper from my DCWV glitter christmas stack - love love love it!!

Here is the box without the bottles:

AND a close up up WOJ's Willow with Hot Chocolate. I colored her with Copics and stamped my stitching around her in brilliance pearlescent crimson. i added some glitter primas and prima leaves with bella dots in the centers. the handle portion is stamped with a studio G stamp that i colored in with stickles and another stitching stamp. i attached all the papers with mod podge - thinner layer than i normally use with wood.

more primas and leaves on one side:

Mixing directions and more stamped stitching:

And the bottles - more strips of paper adhered with mod podge. tags are cut on the cricut - george cart. names of the mixes are printed on my computer and a coffee cup from MFT.

Lids have a circle of paper with stickles around the edge and studio G stamps - coffee cups and "warm wishes" - this was just TOO fun. i will be doing several more!

what do y'all think???? good gift????

TECC36 AND bellaholics challenge all in one!

FINALLY got some extended play time in this weekend. Hubby did a fanFREAKINGtastic job taking the baby of my hands ALOT this weekend - LOVE him! alas he is out of town for the week so i will be on my own *hair stands on end* - so i have a double duty challenge card today. i used this -->-->
sketch from Taylor's cupcake challenge.



and here is my card:

FINALLY inked up one of my new chichiboullies from stamping bella - this is patricia cupcake - isn't she ADORABLE?? the embossing is rubbed lightly with a brilliance pearlescent thyme dew drop - i find the dew drops are easier to do this with - not as much gets on the unembossed parts. the patterned paper is from the new DCWV sweet stack - oh wow is it YUMMY!! the buttons are from SEI - oh how i love SEI - and that is where the bellaholics challenge comes in - we had to use 5 buttons.

i colored the image with copics and then used spica glitter pens for her cake - it's not a cupcake but it's close right? also rubbed the embossing from the nestie with the same thyme ink. her wings are painted with perfect pearl perfect pearls powder and an aquapainter.

In case you missed it yesterday i am having a sale on big & juicy Rainbow ink pads - $8 instead of $12!! and free shipping still in effect!

i have a very exciting project for you tomorrow so be sure to come check it out!!!

Whiff Of Joy Challenge 1 - HOORAY i did it!

last week a brand spankin new challenge blog started up featuring Whiff Of Joy stamps - these are SOOOOO cute!! and Katharina will have some new releases next week. i am a little late with this one - the sketch was posted on Wednesday but at least i did it! i want to be able to say - i was there from the beginning!! so here is the sketch:

And here is my card: This one is called Melinda reading book and she is colored with copics. i did her wings, bracelet, belt on her shirt and design on her jeans using spica pens - man oh man do i love these. the pattern paper is the new DCWV glitter christmas stack and cut with my nesties and then everything is edged with silver brilliance ink. the primas are called fancies i believe (and i bought all the colors but am looking to get rid of half of each since that is really a lot of flowers so let me know if you want some.)


Here is a close up of Melinda:

All but a few studio G items have now been mailed so keep a look out if you have been waiting.....

now to clean up my mess.......

lotsa lotsa SFYTT and one for OCCC

jen was talking about how cute ellie is lately on her blog so i am continuing with the lotsa lotsa theme since i got carried away with her sketch this weekend! and i was SO excited to see my friend suzanne dean as the guest designer this month - suzanne is extremely talented and will be coming over this weekend to hang out and color with a few of us - she has been gracious enough to agree to come teach a copics class for us!!! be sure and go check out her blog too because she has some FABOO blog candy up for grabs this week!!!! this first one also incorporates the theme for OCCC which was to create a humorous card or at least a card that makes me smile. well this card has such wild colors i can't help but smile:

this poor little chichiboulie from stamping bella has sat unloved for far too long on my really need to use this stamp pile (and more just keep coming because i think i am crazy!!) the Drop Scallops background stamp is one of my very own inked up with the Bouquet kaleidacolor pad. i colored twimkle fairy chichi with copics and then painted her skirt with opal liquid pearls and her wings with frosted lace stickles - the shimmer of the skirt would NOT come thru on the pics but i really like it in real life. the sentiment is studio g of course!

the next two are faux watercoloring again - both using inkadinkado stamps:

they also both have some of that delicious SEI velvet paper i love so much!

i am considering some changes to my blog and have been collecting up some blog candy i need to give away so watch for more on that soon!!!

happy stampin everyone!