What's mew?

This week flew by and I didn't get much done, except some organizational things. I did start going back to the gym though, so I guess that's good.

We've had some wacky weather, but Spring has finally sprung. It's been warmer, so I've been able to open the windows, which makes for a nice smelling house and some happy cats. They love to sit in the windows and chitter at the birds, who have been busy nesting and singing up a storm. I'm fairly certain I heard my orioles (Yes. They're mine.), which means they're using their new nest. Yahoo!

Anyways, here's a spring card!


Three Cats in a Window (C92) is from Purrs & Pants, who is running a sale now, so you might want to check it out. For those who are dog people, they have dog stamps too.

The image was colored with Copic markers, framed with nestabilities, and set on a 5x7 card. I kept it fairly simple with no patterned paper because I wanted the kitties to shine. Nothing like some shiny kitties, eh?

There's no sentiment yet because I haven't decided how I'll use the card.

Thanks for visiting today!

Catch some magic!

Here's a card that uses an idea that's been on my mind since I got the Alterations Caged Bird die.



I teamed it with the Alterations Hanging Sign die to cage a fairy in the garden.

The fairy is Fairy Fosette (VB-336-J) from Third Coast Rubber Stamps. She was colored with Copic markers, then cut out, and caged.

The cage was cut from silver cardstock, then I added some score marks to make it look more dimensional. Foam adhesive was used as well.

The sign was diecut from white chipboard and embossed with an Alterations Woodgrain embossing folder.

The patterned paper is by The Memory Box. I thought it worked well with the theme of the card. There is no sentiment yet because I haven't decided who/what/how I'll use it. I figure that "Have a Magical Birthday", "Got Fairies", or something like that will work. Or not.

Thanks for visiting today. Hope your day is magical!

Taylored Expressions "Blast from the Past" Blog Hop!

***If you're looking for the Bombshell Stamps blog hop, scroll on down!!!***

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I've finally gotten my Taylored Expressions stamps inky and have been having fun with them. It does help that my sets are outdoorsy and I finally feel like spending time outside! Since they were getting all inky, I decided to participate in the "Blast from the Past" blog hop! This hop was also supposed to be in the CAS (Clean & Simple) style. I hope my card qualifies! :D

Here's my card!


I used the dog from the In the Park set and the branch, squirrel, acorns, and sentiment from the Branching Out and Branching Out Coordinates sets.

The images were colored with Copic markers. The acorns were coated with a layer of Sakura Glaze pen to make 'em shiny and a bit dimensional. The sky and grass were added with chalk. The sentiment inside the card says "I miss you."

Now that you've seen my card for this hop, hop along to the next in line at the link below.

Two Hops in one day! First up is the Bombshell Hump Day Blog Hop!

**Note**
If you're here for the Taylored Expressions Blast from the Past Blog Hop, come back at 11 a.m. edt. Thanks!!

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Gosh! It's been awhile since there was a Bombshell Hump Day Hop! Did you miss 'em? I know I did!

You should have gotten here from Raven's blog.

Rachael, aka Etsy Ketsy, set the theme for this Bombshell Hump Day Hop! The theme is "Bombshell Weddings", so I made an engagement card.

Here it is!

Close-up to see the "diamond":



I used the larger diamond from the Lady Luck set, the border from the Dead Necessities set, and the Congratulations banner from the Banner Sayings set.

The diamond was stamped, colored with Copics, then heat embossed with several layers of UTEE plus a layer of Polysparkle Embossing Powder. The "wedding band" is actually a border from the Dead Necessities set which was heat embossed with Queen's Gold Embossing Powder on Gold cardstock. The banner was heat set with the same gold ep on specialty paper that has a satin-like finish. The diamond and the banner are both popped up on dimensionals.

I used my Nestabilities heart and scalloped heart, plus old QK wings which were cut from that satin-like paper.

The sky patterned paper is much hoarded and adored Cosmo Cricket. I save every scrap of that stuff for sky scenes when I'm feeling to lazy to color. The card itself is white metallic paper from Recollections. The scalloped heart and the mat layer are made from gold metallic paper from the same metallic set by Recollections.

The card looks dull in the photo. It's overcast and gloomy here today. Oh well. Imagine that it's brighter. :D

Now that you've seen my take on the challenge, hop along to Mary G., who is the last stop on this blog hop!

If you get lost, check in at the Bombshell Blog. The list will be posted there in its entirety. :D

April Showers bring Magnolias!

We had fierce thunderstorms and a LOT of rain yesterday in scenic New Jersey. There was quite a bit of flooding and tree damage locally, though thankfully we didn't experience it here.

The upside of all that rain is that today was quite magical. Spring has sprung. My neighbor's magnolia tree is in full bloom and is absolutely gorgeous. My trees are beginning to bud and the hostas' tips are poking up through the soil.

The magnolias inspired me to pull out my Fairy 'N Magnolias stamp (VB-330-S) by Third Coast Rubber Stamps and create a card!

Here it is!


I colored the stamped image with my Copic markers and used a Sakura Glitter pen to highlight the tendrils coming off her floral headpiece. I also used a V17 Copic marker to change the color of the Making Memories Glitter Alpha stickers used for the "Be Magical" sentiment and the color of the plain rhinestones at the top and bottom of the card to match the fairy's dress.

The patterned paper is from the Kioshi pad by Basic Grey. I used some holographic sparkly border stickers that I got at a stamping convention a while back.

This card filled two challenges: a "People" challenge (WT318) at Splitcoast and a "Color an Embellishment" challenge (#25) over at the iCopic Lover blog.

Thanks for visiting today!

Just sitting here... completing challenges!

This card's for Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge #136 over at SCS.



Fun sketch that let me make a scene. I do love making scenes, most especially with stamps. *wink* My scene was created using Taylored Expressions In the Park set. The stamped images were colored with Copic markers. The background (sky & grass) was created using chalk pencils. A few colored rhinestones and a diecut for the sentiment finished it off.

The patterned papers are from Basic Grey's Mellow (background) and Kioshi (sentiment strip) collections.

Thanks for visiting today!

April Bombshell Sketch Challenge!

As you know, I create sketches for Bombshell Stamps. I try to switch things up and create a variety of sketches, though I make sure that the sketch is "stamper friendly. I also try to include small elements that can be used for small stamped images (an important part of every Bombshell set), stickers, or other embellishments.

Here's my sketch for April!


Here's my take on the sketch.


I used the wolf from the Sugar Daddy set. I colored him with Copic markers and also used Glaze pens to add dimension and shine to his eyes, nose, shoes, and the card in his hat. The smaller images are from the Sugar Daddy set ($ sign) and the Lady Luck set, which has amazingly useful small images! They were stamped, colored with copics, then coated with several layers of UTEE to make them look like tiles. The sentiment is from the Banner Sayings set.

The patterned paper is from the old, but beloved, Black Tie collection by Basic Grey!

Please feel free to use the sketch to create a project of your own. If you use Bombshell Stamps, share it with us on the blog and/or forum for the chance to win a cool prize!

Thanks for visiting today!

Efficiency: Challenges Galore!!!

This card is for Moxie Fab World's In My Beautiful Balloon Challenge, SCS "Free 4 All #59, Embedded Embossing" challenge, a Steampunk challenge over at Outlaw Women, and a challenge to myself to start using stuff I have but haven't used...

Here it is!


I stamped the hot air balloon from Technique Tuesday's All Aboard set onto white cardstock twice. I colored both balloons, masked them, then airbrushed the sky with my custom blended Copic marker (B21 & blending solution) and a RV11 on both balloons. I cut a wavy mask for the mountains on one sheet of white cardstock. When I was moderately pleased with the sky, I used the negative area of the mask to cover where the sky met the "mountains", and airbrushed using YG13 & YG17.

This was my first time using the Copic Airbrushing set that I got quite some time ago. I got over my fear and gave it a go! Yay me!

Airbrushing was big fun, though I didn't do the best job with it. I did manage to do a great job in airbrushing my hand green though. How very me!

Then I ran the stamped and airbrushed piece through my Big Shot inside a Cuttlebug gear/clock Embossing folder. I cut out the second hot air balloon and popped it up on dimensionals on top of the other hot air balloon. I had done this embedded embossing technique before and this reminded me how much I like the results!!!

I inked the same Cuttlebug folder with Black Soot Distress Ink, added a panel of Kraft cardstock, and ran it through the Big Shot.


The sentiment from the All Aboard set and the gears from Technique Tuesday Borderline Industry set were stamped with VersaFine ink.

Three rhinestones added the necessary "bling" to the project. So, did the description of my so-called creative process make sense???

Thanks for visiting today!

Pink Fairy Card

Flowers are starting to bloom, so it was time to get this stamp inky! I decided to use SCS Sketch #327, but had to flip it, and move some elements around a bit to make it work with the stamp.

Here it is!


The flower fairy is from the Fairy Fantasy unmounted sheet by The Enchanted Gallery. I love all the images on this sheet.

The sentiment is from the Mixed Messages set by Paper Trey Ink. That's one seriously useful set, that I especially like because the sentiments are tiny!

I colored the image with Copic markers in shades of pink (for the iCopic dt audition). I added a layer of Iridescent Medium to her wings to make 'em translucently glimmery. The background was chalked with shimmery palette chalk by Pebbles. Finally, I used three buttons to finish it off!

Thanks for visiting today!

Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge!

Two blog entries from me in one day! SHOCKING!!!

Spring is (sort of) in the air and Taylored Expressions is now on Splitcoast Stampers! They hosted a sketch challenge and you know how I love sketch challenges, both following sketches and making my own!

Here it is!


The branches, critters, and suchlike are from the Branching Out and the Branching Out Coordinate sets by Taylored Expressions.

I had gotten these sets a while ago as a gift from me to me with love and finally got around to using them. Fun!!!

I stamped the images, punched them out (sounds painful, no?), and colored 'em with my trusty Copics. However, I did something new and cool imho! I made my own sky color by mixing B21 with Copic Blender solution in an empty marker because B21 was too dark and it would've been a pita to use the blender to pick up and apply ink from the marker. I'm really excited that it worked, though now I have to get a few more empty markers. I see some nice custom-made colors in my future!

I added Glaze pen to the eyes and beak of the critters.

In further exciting news, I finally figured out how to use my bowmaker. Let's just say that I'm kinda slow with 3D stuff.

The ribbon was "dyed" with gray Copic.

And that's all I have to say,

Except...

Thanks for visiting today!

Master Procrastinator!

I had started this card for Moxie Fab World's Cityscapes are on the rise challenge. I had stamped, masked, and colored the scene, but then life intervened as it has a habit of doing.

I finally created a card with the colored scene. Alas, it was too late for the Moxie Fab World challenge as well as the SCS Technique Tuesday forum's "new stuff" challenge.

Here it is!


The ship from Technique Tuesday's All Aboard set was stamped, then masked. I positioned the cityscape, which is #10 from the Queen of Tarts collection by Character Constructions. Then I peeled off the masks and colored the scene with Copic markers. Then I put the whole thing aside for several weeks while I did other stuff (some creative, some not).

When I finally got the chance, I found a scrap of old map patterned paper by Rusty Pickle. I used hempy twine stuff and tied sailors knots. The "Sea You Soon" sentiment is from the Homeward Bound set by Bombshell Stamps. I diecut it, pounded an eyelet, and attached it with more hemp.

Thanks for visiting today!