Meet Sunflower Owl!

This week's challenge at Outlawz Coloring Challenges is a color challenge.

Karleigh Sue Digis is sponsoring our challenges this month at Outlawz Coloring Challenges. The owner and artist, Cheri, is offering our lucky winner a $10 GC to her Etsy shop as the prize.

You should definitely enter this challenge. All you need to do is color an open line image with any colorant you choose! You should also visit my Outlawz Coloring Challenge Teamies' blogs for inspiration! Carla, Dawn, Penny, and Laine  are seriously talented!

Here's the autumnal color palette and photo inspiration, courtesy of Fresh Hues/Design Seeds.

Here's my card which features Sunflower Owl, one of SCACD's fabulous digital stamps!

Sunflower Owl was resized in PhotoElements, printed onto Neenah cardstock with my laser printer, and colored with Copic markers. The image panel was die-cut, left inside the die, and Mustard Seed Distress ink was sponged onto the card using a Mini Ink Blending Tool.

The patterned papers are from the French Country 6x6 pad by Graphic 45 and layered according to a sketch from Techno Stamper Challenge blog. Card Creator dies by Spellbinders were used for some of the layers. All edges were sponged with Peeled Paint, Walnut Stain, or Old Paper Distress ink.

The horizontal element on the bottom right was die-cut, sponged with ink, then adhered. The Arrows and Hearts stencil by The Crafter's Workshop was placed over it and the chevron hearts were traced onto both the die-cut and the card to "ground" Sunflower Owl because I don't like floating owls.

Adhesive pearls by Kaisercraft (on sale!!!) were used to finish the card.

Thanks for visiting today!

I shall be entering this card in the following challenges:

• Techno Stamper Challenge #336: Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge

• Scrapbooker PhD Challenge #16: Fall with a Die Cut and a Stamp

• Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenges: "O" is for... OWLs!

• Paper Take Weekly: Super Fly

• Stamping Sensations Challenges: Warm Autumn Colors

Purple, Pink, and Black!

Carol Fox is our hostess this week at Stampotique Designers Challenge blog and her challenge is Purple, Pink, and Black! Here's what she's got to say about her challenge.

"I love strong colours that really pop on the page, so I ask you this week to feature Black, Pink and Purple on your make for the challenge this week."

 If you'd like the chance to win your choice of $30 worth of Stampotique stamps, you should play along. Visit Stampotique Designers Challenge blog and be sure to read the rules so that you'll have the chance to win a great prize!!!

Here's my card featuring Stampotique's Buru ! (Daniel Torrente).

Buru ! was stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento ink onto Neenah cardstock, colored with Copic markers, fussy cut, and set aside. Since it's October,  I'm in a spooky kind of mood, so I grabbed a piece of patterned paper from a 6x6 paper pad by Recollections. It was mostly shades of grey, so Copic markers were used to change the colors of the roses, swirls, and the eye and nose apertures of the skull. A purple glitter pen was used to add the raven's eye and the spider's dots and hourglass.

Buru ! was stamped again onto the patterned paper using Onyx Black VersaFine ink and embossed with Filigree Clear Embossing powder so that the details of the stamp would show. The fussy-cut, colored  Buru ! was adhered in position, the piece was edged with Dusty Concord and Black Soot Distress ink, then matted with pink cardstock, and mounted onto a purple card.

Thanks for visiting today!

This week's challenge at Outlawz Coloring Challenges is "Gone Postal" in honor of World Postage Day on October 9th.

Here's what Wikipedia had to say about this holiday!

World Post day happens each year on October 9, remembering this date for the establishment of Universal Postal Union (UPU) in 1874 in Bern, Switzerland. The UPU was the start of global communications revolution, people could write to others all over the world.

This October Karleigh Sue Digis is sponsoring our challenges at Outlawz Coloring Challenges. The owner and artist, Cheri, is offering our lucky winner a $10 GC to her Etsy shop as the prize.

You should definitely enter this challenge. All you need to do is color an open line image with any colorant you choose! You should also visit my Outlawz Coloring Challenge Teamies' blogs for inspiration! Carla, Dawn, Penny, and Laine  are seriously talented!

Here's my very large card which uses SCACD's Special Delivery, a wonderful MechAnimal, who is available in both rubber and digital formats.

Special Delivery was stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento ink onto Neenah cardstock that had been die-cut with my Alterations Postage Stamp Frame.  Special Delivery was colored with Copic markers to match the patterned paper I had chosen, which believe it or not, dates from 2006 and was made by Foofala. I found several sheets of this 12x12 paper and others from this collection in my stash. Yes. I used to buy several sheets at a time of papers I liked, then didn't use. *sigh* I'm over that now. Or at least mostly over buying 12x12 patterned paper. However, I have a huge stash of out-of-date patterned papers that I will eventually use or that's what I tell myself. Cry me the River Denial.

Special Delivery's eyes, beak, and talons were coated with several layers of Clear Gelly Roll Glaze pen to add glossy dimension and shine. When I was done coloring him, I edged the Postage Frame die-cut with Gathered Twigs Distress ink, using a Mini Ink Blending Tool. The round shape of these made it really easy to get the indentations inked.

Leather-look paper by FiberMark, who left the papercrafting market bereft, was die-cut using a Die-Namics die and an old QuicKutz die. The "airmail" and postmark are from the Elements Remnant Rubs sheet and were applied the luggage tag's insert.

That's it for me today. Thank you for visiting!

Book Text Challenge!

Corrie is the hostess this week at Stampotique Designers Challenge blog and her challenge is "Book Text"! Here's what she had to say about her challenge.

"Hello everybody and happy Wednesday to you all! Today it is my turn to host the Challenge and I would like you to use book text. This is such a versatile material and when I get a bit stuck, I regularly reach for an old book to use the pages. I think everybody has an old book or magazine lying around to use. I can't wait to see what you come up with, but most of all have fun creating !!!

 If you'd like the chance to win $30 worth of Stampotique stamps, you should play along. Visit Stampotique Designers Challenge blog and be sure to read the rules so that you'll have the chance to win a great prize!!!

Here's my card, which uses Unicorn's Cousin (Kira Nichols).

Unicorn's Cousin was stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento ink, colored with Copic markers, then fussy cut. His eyes were coated with Diamond Glaze to add bulbously glossy dimension and shine. His center horn was highlighted with Gold Spica Glitter pen, then he was set aside while I created a setting for him.

As this was a text challenge, I grabbed my trusty Roget's Thesaurus that was salvaged from that bwitch-Irene-caused flooded basement, a sheet of music claimed from my mother's Sandy-flooded basement(with pencilled notes from my violin teacher dated 1966 in which he told me to watch my intonation), and the German paperback that my husband purchased for me to rip up. I don't think he realized that it was a translated bodice-ripper by an American author, so it has all this German, then words like "Navy Seal" in it.

I tore several of the pages and adhered them to a 6x8 sheet of 140 lb. Mixed Media cardstock by Strathmore using Media Matte Medium by DecoArt. When it was adhered, I sealed it with an additional layer. When the Matte Medium was dry, I sponged Dioxazine Purple, Ultramarine Blue, Quinacridone Burnt Orange, and Diarylide Yellow DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics, which are all transparent acrylic paints, over the text and let it dry. It was a bit dark and flat looking, so I watered down some  Titanium White MFA, sponged the diluted paint over the Latticework and Harlequin Layering stencils by Idea-ology., and wiped it back with a baby wipe. Much better. I let it dry, then hit the seams between the torn papers, which were slightly raised even through the layers of paint, with my beloved Black Soot Distress ink. 

Music paper was die-cut with SCACD's Breezy Branches Statement Corner, then colored with Copic markers in autumnal hues. Another piece of music paper was painted with Phthalo Green-Yellow MFA, then sponged with Diarylide Yellow MFA to add some contrast. When dry, this was die-cut with a Grass Border by Poppy Stamps. 

The German book text paper was painted with Picket Fence Distress paint, heat set, then die-cut with Puffy Clouds and Marshmallow Clouds dies by Memory Box. Milled Lavender and Spun Sugar Distress markers were used to add a bit of detail to the clouds, which were then edged with a Silver Wink of Stella glitter pen. Yep, I added a silver liner to the clouds. It's those kind of details that make me chortle and chortling is good for the soul. You can quote me if you'd like.

Black cardstock was die-cut with the Cat Set dies by Impression Obsession. A tiny Dragonfly punch was used to punch black cardstock. The dragonfly punchies then received a coating of Clear Wink of Stella glitter pen. The "Happy Birthday" sentiment was die-cut from black cardstock using a die from Elizabeth Craft Designs.

The die-cut elements were then adhered to the painted text paper substrate and Unicorn's Cousin was added to his scene. The finishing touch was to add letters to the clouds and the bottom sentiment using Label Letters by Idea-ology!

Thanks for visiting today!

Life just gets...

This week's challenge at Outlawz Coloring Challenges is Alice in Wonderland in honor of Mad Hatter Day on October 6th!

This October Karleigh Sue Digis is sponsoring the challenge. The owner and artist, Cheri, is offering our lucky winner a $10 GC to her Etsy shop as the prize.

You should definitely enter this challenge. All you need to do is color an open line image with any colorant you choose! You should also visit my Outlawz Coloring Challenge Teamies' blogs for inspiration! Carla, Dawn, Penny, and Laine  are seriously talented!

Did you know about Mad Hatter Day? I didn't. So I googled it to find out more information. Here's what I found.

"Mad Hatter Day is a great day to be silly and celebrate silliness.

The Mad Hatter is a fictional cartoon character depicted in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The Mad Hatter is always acting silly. So, on Mad Hatter Day, it is only fair and fitting to act a little silly yourself.  

Despite being a silly day, the selection of the date was actually quite logical. The Mad Hatter wears a top hat. On the front of the hat is a slip of paper with "10/6" written on it. The paper is believed to be an order to make the hat, and that it costs ten shillings sixpence.

Grab yourself a top hat, and have a a very silly Mad Hatter's Day!" - Holiday Insights

Here's my card using SCACD's fabulous digi The Hatter.

Isn't The Hatter fantastic? I love that he's very Alice in Wonderland but also very Steampunk. You know I love Steampunk!

  

The Hatter was resized in PhotoElements,  printed out onto Neenah cardstock using my laser printer, and colored with Copic markers.

I love sketches because then I don't have to think. These days, that's a good thing! The design is based on Papertake Weekly's Sketch #64. The patterned paper is a hoarded card sized scrap of a sheet from Graphic 45's retired Halloween in Wonderland collection. A piece of purple/black Core'dinations cardstock took a ride through my Big Kick inside my Cuttlebug Clockworks Embossing folder. When it came out, it was sanded to reveal the purple core. The strip along the top is actually Washi tape over black cardstock with a Dymo sentiment that says "life just gets".

Here's the sketch so you can see how I did.

Thanks for visiting today!

I shall enter this card in the following challenges:

• Papertake Weekly Challenge Blog: Sketchie Free For All

• PunkYouGirl Challenges: Anything Goes/Halloween
• Sandee & amelie's Steampunk Challenges: Steampunk Couture

It's good to be the King!

Kim is the hostess this week at Stampotique Designers Challenge blog and her challenge is "Masculine Projects".  Here's what she has to say about her challenge!

I'm so excited to host the challenge this week as it's one I'm always struggling with. In a home where the males outweigh the females, you wouldn't think it would take much to create a masculine card, but it's something I have a hard time doing every time I sit down to make one. I challenge you to show me your best masculine cards this week-are they ones that come naturally to you or do you draw a blank when you need to create one as well?

Can't wait to see all the possibilities you come up with this week!

If you'd like the chance to win $30 worth of Stampotique stamps, you should play along. Visit Stampotique Designers Challenge blog and be sure to read the rules so that you'll have the chance to win a great prize!!!

Here's my card, using Stampotique's Happy Lion (Kira Nichols).

Happy Lion is from Stampotique's newest release, which you must go check out asap because these new stamps are fabulous! Happy Lion was stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento ink, colored with Copic markers, then fussy cut. His eyes were coated with several layers of Clear Gelly Roll Glaze pen to add glossy dimension and shine. He was set aside while I created a suitable background for him.

The Alterations Ornate Frame die by Sizzix and the Trellis Border die by Memory Box were used to die-cut metallic gold cardstock. The patterned papers are all from DCWV's  Once Upon a Time 8x8 pad. The patterned papers and die-cuts were edged with Golden Glitz Delicata ink then layered according to Sketch #87 by Dawny at Papertake Weekly.

Happy Lion was adhered within the frame. My Die-namics Dimensional Banners die was used to die-cut patterned paper, then edged with Golden Glitz Delicata ink, and the sentiment was added to it using rub-ons by Maya Road.

The crowning touch (literally) was to add a golden punched crown to Happy Lion's head.

Here's the sketch I used.

Thanks for visiting today!

I shall enter this card in the following challenges.
• Papertake Weekly Challenge Blog: Sketchie Free For All
• Die Cutting Divas Challenge #185 : Keep Calm and Anything Goes
• The Crafter's Cafe Challenges: Use Punches and/or Dies
• Hobbybook Designer Challenges: Include an Animal

SCACD Digi Day!

Today SCACD's DT and the Friends of SCACD group are showcasing SCACD's Fall digital stamps. Some of SCACD's digi stamps will have a special twist to make them seasonally appropriate.

If you want to see all this fabulous inspiration and win a shot at some yummy blog candy, Susana's offering a sweet FREE digi image through October 5th. Head to the SCACD Store Blog for details.

Here's my seasonal offering, featuring Mrs. Bones and Gothie Feline.

PhotoElements was used to reduce Mrs. Bones and Gothie Feline. It took a bit of playing to make Gothie Feline somewhat proportionally correct to Mrs. Bones. A new document was created and the reduced versions of both were imported.  Gothie Feline was duplicated and flipped, then both kitties were positioned on either side of Mrs. Bones. I printed out a test copy and realized that the scene size was huge, so I flattened the scene, saved it, reduced it, and printed out another test copy. Much better. I printed out the final copy onto the good stuff, Neenah cardstock, using my laser printer. 

Mrs. Bones and the Gothie Felines were colored using Copic markers. The Gothie Felines's eyes, the cats' flower's skull, and Mrs. Bones's earrings and necklace were coated with several layers of Clear Gelly Roll Glaze pen to add glossy dimension and shine. I used my Spellbinders A2 Card Creator dies to die-cut the image panel.

The patterned papers are from a very old Ambrosia 6x6 pad by Basic Grey. Some of the layers were roughed up a bit too add some color and textural contrast. One of the two dies included in SCACD's fabulous Classic Corners die set was used to die-cut one of the solid sheets from this pad.

The Mrs. Bones digi stamp comes with a sentiment, "No bones about it, style never dies." This would have been perfect. Alas, I did not leave enough room for it or the alternate "Accessories are everything" that I thought about using. Oh well. Poor planning on my part!

Thanks for visiting today. I hope you are inspired by what you see here, at my teammates's blogs (blogroll to the right --->), and at the Friends of SCACD's blogs.

I shall enter this card in the following challenges:
• Die Cutting Divas Challenge #185 : Keep Calm and Anything Goes
• The Corrosive Challenge #209: Halloween Colors