Bombshell Stamps' Hump Day Hop!

I'm the last stop on this month's Hump Day Hop, so you've probably been totally inspired by some serious eye candy!

To refresh your memory, Alison, our lovely Bombshell Hump Day Hop Captain, issued a color challenge for this month's blog hop.

Here is the color palette:


Here's my card, which scanned bizarrely!


I wanted to use the koi from the Lotus Garden set, but I also wanted to use one of the Bombshell pin-up stamps, so I decided to go a bit whimsical and have the mermaid from the Mermaid Anchor set hitch a ride on her friend, the koi.

The mermaid and koi were colored with Copic markers and are much lighter in real life. The silly scanner really weirded out the colors, and my limited Photoshop skillz met their match. If it's nicer out tomorrow, I'll try to take a photo and share that instead. However, you'll just have to pretend for now. The mermaid's hair is very close to the lightest yellow orange. The koi's tale is lighter and more variegated.

The patterned papers are from MME's Home (old) and Fine & Dandy Boy (new). I just happened to have the perfect sentiment from the Everyday Button set by Paper Trey Ink!

Thanks for visiting today.

Here's the hop list if you got lost and/or want to revisit any of the spectacular artwork you've seen.
Bombshell Blog
Alison
Laura
Mary G.
Torrey
Cheryl
Stempelientje
Kelli
Alaine
Glittery Katie
Celina Anthony
Paula
Milo
Sparkly Mary (The Birthday Girl!):
Alex
Kathi <---You're here!

I'm draggin'

So here's a dragon card that uses Splitcoast's Sketch Challenge #360 and the wondrous Dragon Orb stamp, which is on sale as part of Third Coast's Overstock Sale!!! Look in the "Everything else" category!



Third Coast's Dragon Orb (CH-696-H), from page 18 of the Summer '05 catalog, was stamped with Onyx VersaFine ink, heat embossed with clear embossing powder, then colored with Pentel Metallic Brush pens with a touch of Pentel Aquash Brush pens.

Sadly, the scan does not show the shimmery green and black cardstock or the shimmer from the pens.

Thanks for visiting today!

Bombshell's Black Friday-Cyber Monday Sale!

It's Bombshell's Black Friday through Cyber Monday Sale!

Receive 25% off your entire purchase from NOW through Monday, Nov. 28!

Just use coupon code "CYBR30" at check out!

Click HERE to be whisked through cyberspace to Bombshell's store!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I don't know about you, but I'm busy prepping my side dishes and getting ready for Thanksgiving, which put me in the mood to share this card. It's an accordion card with a belly band to keep it together.

Front View with Belly Band:


Accordion Card:


The card features the adorable penguins from the Gobble It Up set by The Cat's Pajamas. The penguins, domed cloche, pie, and sentiments are from that set. The wine bottle is called Pop the Cork and is also by the Cat's Pajamas. The bread basket is from the Kitchen Classics set by Crafty Secrets.

The entire scene was stamped in Memento ink, then colored with Copic markers. The cloche, turkey, penguin bills, and penguin feet were coated with a layer of embossing powder to add dimension and shine. There was a whole lotta masking involved to get that turkey on the table and to add that homey yellow background, which was sponged with Distress Ink.

The patterned paper is from the Origins collection by Basic Grey.

I shall enter this card in these challenges:
• Simon Says "Thanksgiving/Thanks" Challenge.
• iCopic Challenge #57: "Being Thankful and Thanksgiving".

Thanks for visiting today!

The holidays are approaching!

Thanksgiving is next week and December will be here before I know it! December means lots of birthdays, Chanukah, and Christmas, so I'd best get busier with some holiday cards.

Here's one!


I've used shaped patterned paper from K & Company together with Jack Frost as a snowflake bearing Christmas elf! He can be found on page 10 of the Early Winter '06/7 Supplement.

Jack was colored with Copic markers. Fun Flock was used on his hat and jacket cuffs and sparkly pens were added to the big and small snowflakes.

I'm entering this card in:
• Craft Your Passions "Let It Snow" challenge.

Thanks for visiting today!

Rock On!

This card is a miracle! Why? Well because it's finished almost a month before I need to send it to my nephew!!! Granted it was a bit easier than some cards because I used Taylored Expressions Sketch #150 with a brand new, never-seen-ink You're My Hero set! This is a great set to use for gifts for teens and young adults (or aging rockers) since it features a guitar neck and four different guitar bodies, plus a male and a female rocker, a decorative motif, and a bunch of sentiments.



So, the guitar was stamped and colored with Copic markers. I debated whether to use UTEE to make the guitar glossy, but decided against it this time. The patterned paper is old, but hoarded Junkitz paper. I stamped the star, heat embossed it with sparkly black embossing powder, then cut it out. I used a drippy goo punch because I didn't think my usual lacy/scalloped edges would have worked so well. The sentiment is computer generated.

This card was entered in:
• Taylored Expressions Sketch #150 challenge
• Outlawz Greeting Monday challenge "Masculine" challenge.

Thanks for visiting today!

Another "Goth" card!

This one uses ching chou kuik's Exotic Halloween stamp by Sweet Pea.

She was colored with Copic markers. A bit of glitter pen was added to her necklace, earrings, and wing piercing. I decided to try a different range of E markers for her skin (E40, E42, RV00, RV10). Her hair was inspired by my pal Alison. I opted to use non-Halloween colors, figuring that the card would then be usable as a birthday card, since the fairy is holding candles.

The lace was colored with Copic markers. I put the colored lace into a tiny plastic bag, added a bit of blending solution, and smooshed it around to get it look more variegated. It worked.

The lace was attached with the Tiny Attacher. Recollections pearls are over the staples.

The photo was taken outside whilst the card was sitting on the trunk of my daughter's car. I really like how the sky blurred and that you can see the reflection of the lace.

This card is being entered in the following challenges.
• The Outlawz Friday Promarker/Copic "Goth" challenge!
• Addicted to Stamps "Pearls & Lace" challenge.

Thanks for visiting today!

Another Gnome Pun card

Yep. I'm back with another gnome pun card and have many, many more planned.

Here it is!

This one features the following Third Coast stamps!
• Watering Can House (DT-025-M) which can be found on p. 8 of the Summer '06 Supplement.
• Gnome Walking Left (CK-112-C) which can be found on p. 42 of the catalog.
• Multi-Sign Post (CH-633-G) which can be found on p. 15 of the Late Winter '08 Supplement.

The Watering Can House was stamped with VersaFine ink, then heat embossed with clear detail embossing powder. It was colored with Copic markers. A touch of sparkle was added to the windows with a Spica glitter pen. The house was framed with a circle cut in map patterned paper, which *I think* might be from Frances Mayer.  

Gnome Walking Left and the Multi-Sign Post were stamped with Memento ink, colored with Copic markers, and then cut out. "no place like ghome" was added to the sign using Doodlebug rub-on letters. I need to score more of those since they are such a great size for adding sentiments. The sign and gnome were adhered to the left of the circle framing the Watering Can House .

The top sentiment was computer generated, colored with Copics, and then added.

Thanks for visiting today!

Oh my goth!

I recently received by the Goth Fairy (AP-257G) and Spiked Fence (ED-010-H) from Third Coast. I ran out of time at Halloween, but felt like using them and found some challenges that were perfect for the scene I had planned! Gotta love that!



Goth Fairy (found on page 1 of the Late Spring '06 Supplement) was colored with Copic markers. Her skin and wings are a very pale blue violet. I went over her stocking with a gray to make them look like translucent blackish hose. Black Glaze pens were used on her hair to make it black, sleek, and shiny!

The graveyard scene is a stamp from the late, lamented Odd Bird Planet. The tombstones, statuary, mausoleum, and grass were colored with Copics.

The fairy and the graveyard scene were masked with Windsor & Newton fluid mask. A circle mask was cut from Eclipse tape. Then I airbrushed the night sky with three Copic blues.

The masks were peeled off and the Spiked Fence, from page 1 of the Summer '06 Supplement, was stamped over the graveyard scene with Onyx Black VersaFine. Tree branches were added using Large Birch Trunks (CM-055-P), from page 11 of the Spring '07 supplement, to frame the scene. The final touch was added "stars" with a toothpick and Opaque White. It also helped camouflage some mistakes. Yahoo.

I shall enter challenges at:
The Outlawz Friday Promarker/Copic "Goth" challenge!
Drunken Stampers "Up in the Air" challenge!
iCopic #56 "Background" challenge.

Thanks for visiting today!

Upcycling!

This round plastic box started life as a holder for some Stampin' Up embellishments or another. I honestly don't remember what it held. I kept the plastic box because I figured I could use it to hold something some day.

Today it's holding some large flower and round rhinestones!


The box was plain clear plastic with the Stampin' Up logo on the top. B*O*R*I*N*G!!!

It was airbrushed with Copic markers to match its decorative new top. Third Coast's Dragon Orb (CH-696-H), from page 18 of the Summer '05 catalog, was stamped with Onyx VersaFine ink, heat embossed with clear embossing powder, then colored with Copic markers. I cut a lop-sided circle, colored the edges black, coated the circle with Dazzle VersaMark, and several layers of UTEE. I hope that you can see the lovely shimmer within the shininess of the UTEE!

I adhered the circle to the top of the box and finished the box decoration with black glitter tape around the sides.

This box is being entered into Simon Says Stamp's Upcycling/Recycling Challenge!

Thanks for visiting today!

Once Upon a Time...

there was a paper crafter named Kathi, who liked to create cards first then decide how to use them afterwards. She was very taken with all sorts of images, but especially those from bygone eras, such as Third Coast's Sumi’s Book of Magic (FT-190-I), which can be found on page 8 of the Summer '05 supplement.



Sumi was colored with Copic markers to match 7 Gypsies Savannah patterned paper. She was cut out and popped up over a die cut from perfect "Once Upon a Time" text paper by DCWV, which was sponged with some Distress Ink to make it match better. There's a strip of text paper (also DCWV) that has some glitter to it. Sadly, the photo doesn't show reveal the sparkle.

I am entering this card:
• Craft Your Passion's #83 to use some brown on your project.
• OCL's "Once Upon a Time" Challenge (#91)

Thanks for visiting today!

Be Happy!

My mantra these days is "Don't worry! Be happy! (Not a bad song either!)I interpret that to mean that you should do at least one thing per day that makes you smile, whether it be buying a new pair of shoes, crafting, working out, trying a nice wine, or reading. Just do it!

Here's November's Bombshell sketch, created by moi!


Here's my take on the sketch!


I used the new-to-me "Girl's Ruin" set by Bombshell stamps. The image was colored with Copic markers.

"Waste Not" is Ms. November's challenge, we're to use scraps, rather than let them go to waste. The faux crocodile specialty paper is from my scraps bin and is from my days on the FiberMark design team. The company is no longer making crafting products, which makes me sad, but I do have a substantial stash of full sheets and scraps, which makes me happy. I also used a thin strip of black metallic textured paper, also by FiberMark, under the lace ribbon, which was a rak from a friend. The patterned paper from the "Black Tie" collection by Basic Grey. It was also from my scrap stash! Yay!

Thanks for visiting today and remember to take time to do something to make you happy!