Thursday, January 30, 2014

Shake Your Tail Feathers

It has been a while since I've made a birthday card.  I wanted something fun and colorful.  Peacocks seem to be popular at the moment and I found this great idea for a card.




 Copics used:

Blue: BG01, BG02, BG05, BG07
Green: YG61, YG63, YG67
Orange: YG04, YG07

Optional: I sponged a little light green ink on under the grass. I sponged  a little light blue on the sky.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Sweet Valentine

Happy Monday,

I hope you are not FREEZING.  Upstate NY is frozen, sadly we had to cancel class today due to the weather.  Hopefully today's card will at least warm your heart.  I love Saturated Canary images.  They are so sweet.  I used the new image called Kisses to create this card.




copics used:

Pink: R20, R21, R22
Red: R24, R29, R39
Grey: W3, W1, W0, 0
Skin: E000, E00, E11, E13, R00
Hair: E30, E31, E33-- Maybe E35 can't remember

Friday, January 24, 2014

Love Beyond Measure

Happy Friday Friends,

I had some requests for more manly cards.   I always find these cards a challenge.  I looked through my idea folder and found a card made using this same set.  I loved the simplicity of her card.   Here is my version of the card.  




Copics used:
Grey: C1, C3, C5, C7
Yellow: Y35, Y38



Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Together We Have it All

Happy Wednesday,

Today's card is very simple, but it has been voted favorite of this month's Card Lover's class.   Sometimes I forget less is more.  I feel like if I didn't slave away coloring with my copics for hours... it can't be good card.  This card uses copics... but not in the way you would think.

This card uses one of my favorite techniques.  We are utilizing negative space.  We used a die to cut the "together" out of the white card stock.  Then glued the pink paper to the back of the white card stock.  Don't forget to glue the small parts (inside of the "o", "g" and "e") of the letters to the pink paper.   Then just stamp the sentiment of your choice.

To finish the card, I put some jewels on the card.  I didn't have pink jewels on hand, but no worries... I colored them with my RV04 copic.  I let them dry and adhered them to the card.  I don't think I'll buy colored jewels again.  It is so easy just to color them to match the card.  So Easy!!!




copics used

RV04 to color jewels

Monday, January 20, 2014

It Moose Be Love

Happy Monday Friends,

Connor and I had a wonderful time at our Glass Working Class.  We made three pieces of art.  It was a lot of fun.  Melted glass flows a lot like honey.  It is challenging to get it to move the way you want.  I thought a lot about you guys in during my class.   I was watching the instructor work the glass and she made it look so easy.  Then when we sat down to give it a try, it didn't go quite the same way she demonstrated.   I can tell that this is a craft that takes a lot of patience and practice...not to different than copics.



Today I'm sharing one of my favorite cards.  I love this little cute moose.






Copics used:

Red: R22, R24, R29
Moose: E30, E31, E33, E35, E37, W3, W1  Ears: R11
Hoofs: N2, N3, N5, N7
Antlers: N3, N1,N0
Green: G00, G02, G03, G05, G07, G09 (Pointillism)
Sky: B000, B00, 0

Friday, January 17, 2014

If Friends Were Flowers...

Happy Friday,

I have another exciting weekend a head of me.  I'm looking forward to every minute of it.  Connor and I have both been so busy working, we haven't had much time to spend together.  He has been working for Corning Glass for almost 3 years now.  In this time, he has become more interested in the artistic side of glass making.   I love anything that gets the creative juices flowing.     My Christmas gift to Connor this year was enrolling us into a Glass Making Class.   I'm excited that we get to do it together!   Ironically, the class isn't in Corning.  However, it gives us a chance to get out of town...away from work...and spend some time together.    I'll do my best to take photos at our class tonight.

Today's card is all about love!   I love these Heart Flowers.   I'm not sure who makes the flower stamp.  I've had it for years.  The die and sentiment are both from Papertrey.  



Copics used: 
Red: R24, R29, R39
Green: G40, G43, G46

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Happy Hour

Hello Friends,

Any hour spent stamping is Happy Hour, right?   These little mice think so!   They look like they are ready to Celebrate!

Happy Crafting,
Chris





Copics used: 
Mice: E000, E00, E30, E31, E33, E35, R00, R11
Glass: C0, C1, C3
Olive: YG01, YG03, YG06, YG09, R24, R29
Blue: B01, B12, B14, B26, B29
This is a lot of blue in a small space. You can see I struggled a little with over-saturation. 
 Take your time.  You can also eliminate B26, and B29 to make it easier. 




Monday, January 13, 2014

Chews You

Happy Monday,

I hope you had a relaxing weekend and were able to get in a little crafting time.   I was in Brockport for the Card Lover's Class.   We had a great time making Valentine's day cards.  I'm so blessed to work with such a talented group of woman.   Thank You all for a great time!!

This year I have been focusing on creating non-traditional Valentine's Cards.  In my Corning class we had a conversation about how we you usually have one true Valentine.  So you only need one real mushy card for that special someone.  The rest of the people we send them too are special people, but we probably don't want to get mushy with all of them.   We just want to send little reminders to our family and friends that we love and appreciate them.   This inspired me to create some Friendly Valentines.




photo against blue background

Copics used:

Monster: E30, E31, E33, E35, E37
Blue: BG13, BG49  or BG45, BG49
Nose and horns: E40, E41, E43
Green: YG03,YG07, YG09
Center of the flowers is yellow stickles

Friday, January 10, 2014

Wild, Wild West

Happy Friday,

We are escaping the cold and taking a trip to the Wild Wild West today.   The cards I'm sharing today, I made a while ago.  I was going to save them for a Wild West class.   Time passed...and they just ended up sitting on a shelf.  So I dusted them off and brought them to our Monday club meeting.

I love these step cards.  They are a lot of fun to make.  They are challenging to make in classes.  I wish I could have a class dedicated to how to make a step-card.   I hope they will make a template to cut them out in die cutting machines soon.  If they do already... please let me know where I can get one!

Each card uses Magnolia images.  The sheriff is relatively new stamp, but the cowgirl below many years old.  



 Copics used:

Blue jeans: B91, B93, B95, B97
Leather: E13, E15, E17
Shirt: E40, E41, E43, E44
Skin: E00, E000, E11
Hair: W3, W5, W7
Red: R24, R27, R29
Guns: C3, C5, C7

 I colored the sheriff twice, then used pop dots to raise up the second image.
 This is a great shot of all the layers.

Here is the second card: Cowgirl

This is a much easier card to make.  I used the new background stamp from Magnolia to create the illusion of the town in the background.


Copics used:
Brown: E13, E15, E17, E18
Red: R24, R27, R29
Skin: E000.E00, E11
Shirt: W1, W0
Rope E41
Hair: Not 100% about this. I do it different each time.  I think Y21,YR30, YR31.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Oodles of Love

Happy New Year Friends,


I hope that you are wrapped in a blanket and drinking a warm beverage as you read this.   The weather outside if frightful!  I spent the day at my crafting table working on card for Valentine's Day.  I'm not huge fan of pink and red together but this card might change my outlook.  I LOVE IT.

This image was fun to color.  I had to really take my time.  Red copics are notorious for wanting to run.  I didn't want the pinks and red to blend together, so I really made sure they were dry before continuing on to the next color.  Maybe the image should be called Oodles of patience. LOL..



Oodles of Love, Uptown Girls by Stamping Bella


Copics used:

Skin: E000, E00, E11, E13, R00
Dress: W5, W3, W2, W1
Red: R24, R29, R39
Pink: R20, R21, R22
Hair: E30, E31, E33, E35

I put some red Stickles on the ruffles on her dress.



Stamps: Oodles of Love, Stamping Bella

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Reflection of 2013

Happy New Year!

New Year's Day is a great day to reflect on the previous year, to admire your accomplishments and to set new goals for the coming year.    In the last year, it has been my privilege to see our stamping family grow.   Each month I go on a tour of New York State traveling from Corning to Brockport to Dansville and sometimes out to Canandaigua.   This year, I hope to add Ithica to the list.   I look forward to seeing friendly faces and hearing the latest happenings in your lives.     I'm also blessed with a few long-distance friends.  I have never seen your faces, but our love of stamping has brought us together.    The wonders of the internet have made all of this possible.  

I've also grown a lot as an artist.  Attending the Copic workshop in Canada this year, pushed me to try new things.  I enjoyed collaborating with other artists and the friendships created through coloring.   I hope to continue trying new techniques and challenging myself (and you too).    Below are my six favorite projects of 2013.   They are in no special order. What are your favorites from this year?

faux glass look
creating texture with copics

blending across family groups
Creating texture with copics
Copic Hair

I'm looking forward to another year filled with stamping!   
Happy New Year
Chris