I'm back.....

....not that you knew I was gone, because I didn't even have time before I left to post that I was leaving. Anyway, I went to Kansas City to the Copic Certification class, so now I am Copic Certified and will have one of those fun little buttons on my blog saying so :)

The class was great! Marianne Walker - I Like Markers - the instructor and Copic Extraordinaire is a hoot! She was so much fun and made the class fun as well as informative! I met lots of great ladies there and learned many things about blending and using the blender marker, which really isn't so much for blending and about the airbrush system, which is on my Christmas list!! I had a great time!!

The image on this card is one of the ones I colored while I was there. I used some of the blending techniques that I learned! These markers are amazing when you really learn what they can do and I still have a LOT of practicing to do. But, if you get the chance to go to one of Marianne's classes I encourage you to do it. You will have fun and learn to color better :) Oh, she is an AMAZING artist. I watched her draw a giraffe in about 2 minutes with nothing to even look at, and it wasn't small either so there was a lot of detail in the drawing. WOW....just wow!!

About my card....Bazzill Basics card base, some older SEI designer paper, nesties, quickutz tag, focal image from Karen Lockhart and sentiment from StampingBella.

Our quote for the day: "Be careful the environment you choose for it will shape you; be careful the friends you choose for you will become like them." - W. Clement Stone

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

A Sketch Challenge - completed :)

Good Morning! It's a BEAUTIFUL day here is Iowa, I have the windows open and the cool breeze is coming in. Thank goodness, yesterday was hot as could be and the air wasn't moving at all! So I will just enjoy this coolness for as long as it will stay :)



Today's card is based on a sketch challenge from Amy Rysavy. Every Friday she posts a sketch and everyone is welcome to participate. This card happens to be from last week's sketch, I've had the sketch on my studio table all week and I just finished it last night, whew! Amy has another great one for today, but I'll link you to last week's first.

I started with a bazzill basics cardstock base, then added Cloud9Design dp from the Sunrise Smoothie collection (both pieces). My stamps are from Stamping Bella and I colored the image with copics then added a gem in the center of the flower. The ribbon is from Offray. This was a fun sketch. Amy is really good at creating them. This week's sketch is posted on her blog now. I can't wait to do this one as well.

Today's quote of the day: "Adversity is another way to measure the greatness of individuals. I never had a crisis that didn't make me stronger." - Lou Holtz

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out Amy's sketches and play along :)

Sara's Sketch

Well to begin with, I might just have to get my daughter Sara to start her own blog :) Actually I love that we share this hobby/obsession and I love to see what she creates and learn from her. I also love sharing her creations with you. My sister saw one of the cards Sara made for me and said she would really like a card from her. Sara made her a bookmark probably 6 or so years ago and Sissy still has it :) So Sara took on that challenge. I told her about Jen del Muro's new sketch and printed it for her and this is what she made with it!



I love what she came up with. She loves bright colors and sparkles. She started with some provocraft patterned papers and one of my new Stamping Bella stamps. This one is Eloise Greengrass. Sara used prismacolor pencils and mineral spirits to color the image and glitter pens to outline everything. My sister won't see this until we see her I don't think, so hopefully it will be a surprise. Sara added prima flowers and dew drops (I think she likes the dew drops as much as I do :) Anyway, I'm sure I will be casing her coloring of Eloise, I just love it!

Our quote for the day: "Whenever you see darkness, there is extraordinary opportunity for the light to burn brighter. " — Bono

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great evening!

Hang In There Sketch Challenge

Good afternoon! Late again, but this time I have a good reason. Hubby and I went out this morning to a small town about 30 minutes away to see a hot air balloon gathering/competition. It was sooooooooo cool! There were probably about 75 - 100 balloons there and they had a little competition where they had 3 events. One of the events was to drop a beanbag type thing as close to this 'ring' that was about, oh I don't know 30 or 40 feet in diameter, as they could. Well many of these balloons were flying right over our heads. It was way cool! My hubby is designing a website for his photographs and when he gets those posted on it, I will link it to my blog. I'll let you know when.

On to today's card. I made this card for Jen's Sketch for you to Try: Here is a picture of the sketch:

Jen del Muro posts these sketches pretty often and I love doing them. Sara (my daughter) used Jen's most current sketch to make a card yesterday. I'll post that one tomorrow. If you haven't tried them, here is Jen's blog: http://www.iheart2stamp.com/.

Now to the details: I wanted to use my new Bella stamps, so I did :) Both the image and the sentiment are from Stamping Bella. The papers are from My Mind's Eye, the flowers are from Imaginisce, the flower center brad is from SEI, the ribbon and the polka dotted brads are from Hobby Lobby. I colored the image with prismacolor pencils and mineral spirits and then added some Spica glitter pen. I used scalloped scissors to cut the decorative edge around the image. That's it, fun card to make and it all started with the sketch :)

Our quote for the day: "We become what we think about all day long." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

(That doesn't mean I'm going to become a stamp does it? :)

Have a great day and if you haven't checked out the post below this one, please do so. All That Scraps is asking for your opinion on what products they should carry as they are increasing their inventory. You have a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to the store :)

Red, White & Blue - but not July 4th :)

Good Morning! Today's card was made for a color challenge. Red, white & blue..........I was nervous at first because I was sure that my card would look like July 4th and I guess it does a little bit, but I'm fine with it. It was fun to try to work with these colors without doing a July 4th card, plus I used one of my new Bella stamps :)

I started with a white card base and added a red cardstock layer that I distressed with my little Heidi Swapp pink pac man distressing tool. I love that little tool! I then added a blue with red polka dots patterned paper layer, again distressed on the edges. Next is a layer of KI Memories lace cardstock. I think these papers are BEAUTIFUL, but this is the first time I've actually used them, I have only been admiring them for a while :) It was really easy to use and I'm sure I'll be getting more colors now :) I stamped my new teacup with flowers stamp from Stampin' Bella and then paper pieced the cups. I colored the flowers with glitter pens and copics and pop dotted that onto the card front. The sentiment stamp is from a Hero Arts clear set. I added dew drops and ribbon and called it done!

Have I told you how much I love challenges......they really get me to think outside my own box :)

Our quote for the day: "Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties. "
— Erich Fromm

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Another Bella

Okay, I'm hooked! I love Bella Stamps, that's all there is to it! The customer service that Em provides is outstanding too! I am in no way affiliated with StampingBella, but I do like to pass on awesome customer service and they definitely provide that along with the great products. So, once again if you want to see all the fun stamps available through StampingBella, visit their site at www.stampingbella.com/.

Now, on to today's card. I used some old ProvoCraft patterned papers from their Rob & Bob collection for the background and for paperpiecing CakeaBella's pants and apron. I stamped CakeaBella on white with versafine black ink, colored her with prismacolor pencils and blended with mineral spirits. Then I sewed that onto yellow and attached with popdots. The ribbon is from May Arts, the "Make a Wish" stamp is from Studio G (Hampton Arts), inked that with chalk ink and put some Bella Baubles on the dots of the top patterened paper. Oh, there is also some bling on Bella and her cake in the form of Stardust pen around her lips making her teeth sparkle and on the cake with TingaLing Sparkles from Carolee's Creations. These Bellas are so much fun to play with, I know I'm kind of late in getting them, but I finally made it and I'm so glad I did! Thanks for looking!

My First Bella

This card was made for my sister. I sent it to her in a package so if she reads this before the package gets there.....sorry Sissy! This was my first time using a Stamping Bella stamp, but it definitely won't be my last!!! She was so much fun to embellish (I didn't want to say use!) The card base is a soft green cardstock that I embossed with my cuttlebug embossing folder. Emmybella was stamped onto white cardstock with versafine black ink. I used Making Memories Boho Chic papers to piece her clothes and large bag, I used a leftover piece of cardstock to piece the small bag. Then I colored her face, boots and hair with prismacolor pencils and mineral spirits, inked the edges of the white with Misty Mauve Versacolor ink, mounted that on MM Boho chic paper that I also cut a tab out of. Inked all that with clearsnap chestnut roan ink, stamped A Muse Artstamps "just because" in black and attached all of that with pop dots. The ribbon is also from MM Boho Chic collection. I really enjoyed using my Emmybella and am looking forward to stamping more with them, because I bought a few :o) Thanks for looking today and I hope you have a great day! If you want to see all of the StampingBellas available, here's a link http://www.stampingbella.com/.