Cute, cute!

I've been waiting all week to put up this card! I stumbled across a new blog, Buttons for Brains, and I loved how she didn't color all the way to the edges of her images. If you look back to Monday's post, everything in my humingbird is nicely blended...and I like that effect, but sometimes, this approach is just right for a more "cutesy" image. {My yellow flowers in the last post are a little of this technique, to have some rougher edges but in the photo is just looks ugly - in real life the strokes are not so pronounced!!}

This little gal is from the popular Wonder and Joy set and I colored her with copics. My card is based on the sketch this week (sorta kinda!) from The Angel Company...be sure to give it a try and play along. If nothing else, check out the Card a Day hop because you really will be inspired!

One of my favorite color schemes...from the retired Mulberry Meadows. The words are from the set Dear Friend which is retiring the end of June but is on sale now with a whole slew of other wonderful sets. You can take a peek at them here.

Tune in Tuesdays - Kraft

I was really taken with artsy_em's style over on SCS and this card inspired me for my krafty post today! I also love what Heather came up with. Isn't it so fun?





I love the depth my Copics give me when coloring...that's what I used here. But, what I realized is that you can use this same idea -- 3 shades of one color -- for any coloring medium you choose and you'll love the results and see what a difference it makes!




Psst! Have you heard that the latest Retirement list of stamps is out from The Angel Company?!? You can find all the stamps here...and they've come up with a fun way to either save big or plan and stretch your purchases.

For instance…
Shop from April 18 - May 1 and save 45%
Shop from May 2 – May 15 and save 40%
Shop from May 16 – May 29 and save 35%
Shop from May 30 – June 24 and still save 30%

WOW!

Let me know if you need help finding stamp sets in your catalog or online in my shop: http://chris.ismyangel.net

Be sure to check out the stamps tucked in under Serendipity and Fall Supplement!

Yahoo!!!!

Practice makes perfect! Okay, just this one time...because I'm sure if I try to replicate this card, I'll never be able to color this little gal like this again.

I know that I have been boo hooing about my Copic marker learning curve. The other night my daughter was out with friends, my son was watching WWE wrestling on TV while my husband sat and sorta watched and did some work on his laptop. Great family time - and a chance for me to just sit and color! I took things slow and made sure not to get too close to the lines. I'd also been studying how other folks out there in blogland color clothing, etc... I have just four of the new Copic bundles from The Angel Company but luckily I had a set that included "dark suntan" - and Mischelle, the owner of TAC, had encouraged me to get the set with the blue jean colors and I'm so glad I did. I find having 3 shades of a color is essential and the new Caboodles bundles them in families like that...

Card Materials: all stamps and papers from The Angel Company

Stamps: Wonder and Joy

Accessories: Kraft paper, ribbon, buttons, Copics

Remember that you have only until tomorrow (12 August) to sign up for my Embellish blog candy and to participate in the color challenge! The glue is just drying on my latest bird card that plays along and was inspired by several of the participants. There are over 100 entries for the contest I am sponsoring and they really are worth checking out! See all the details HERE!

I haven't shared a recipe in a long while and this is the perfect summer salad - but warning, you must like beets. :) Even if you don't, be sure to check out the candied pecans in this recipe because they are delish!!

Sweet Pecan Apple Salad

1 Tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp butter

1/3 cup pecans (I also make more!)

3 Tbsp oil

5 tsp cide vinegar

1 can sliced beets, drained

1 apple, cored and diced (they recommend Golden Delicious but I usually use Granny Smith)

Melt sugar and butter in skillet; add pecans. Cook and stir over low heat 3-4 min until caramel colored. Cool.

Combine oil and vinegar; toss with beets and apple. Add pecans just before serving. You can serve over lettuce if desired...and you can also add diced chicken.

I hope you like it!

Win - Win!

Random Sequence Generator
Here is your sequence: 2
6
3
10
8
1
7
5
4
9
Timestamp: 2010-05-10 19:11:26 UTC

So congrats to Angela (disneychickstamper) - you won this Welcome Home set and a package of pearls...have fun creating! :)

This weekend I finally snuck in some stamping time - woohoo! I got this cute little card done and another elegant one that I can't wait to show you, I am really excited by the way it turned out!!

I called this post "win-win" because this month the Wonder and Joy set is on sale for just $14.95 if you have a $30 order...and with a $30 order, you also get a free stamp and have even more choices of discounted stamps during our May/June Jubilation!

I have made a few cards with the little gal holding on to the balloon (just click on Wonder and Joy in my sidebar), but I thought it was about time to use this little boy. I have seen quite a few folks cutting apart the sentiments these days and it worked perfectly for fitting in a longer saying in a smaller area. I hope you'll give it a try!

The colors match much better in real life, honestly!, but I think I over set my white balance because it was so late in the afternoon when I snapped this. He's such a cute little guy, isn't he?

I hope you have a super week!!

"Go Green" Blog Hop!

Welcome to February's blog hop sponsored by Paperwings...I love being part of such a wonderful group of angels and thanks to Stacy for putting it all together!

The idea is to either recycle something or make something green! I did both...I found this cheap frame at TJ Maxx for 70 cents on clearance...and I pulled out my beloved (sniff, sniff) last sheets of Mulberry Meadows, a retired paper pack from The Angel Company.





I got busy measuring, cutting and gluing down my cardstock - I found YES glue worked the best after I had sanded the frame a bit. I had it in my head that I wanted to color and cut out this cute little gal from Wonder and Joy - what lovely colors to choose from in this paper.





During my first iteration, I just stamped this verse from Seeds of Blessing but in the night it came to me that the Swirlies would make a wonderful addition and that I should "fussy cut" (as Barb calls it!) some extra flowers and float them around the inside...





I used Brilliance White and the Versamark Champagne pads with the Swirlies stamp set and it tied the blue panel to the swirls in the green pattern paper. I was giddy with excitement I tell you! {argh...That one leaf is floating a bit too high but the glue dried so fast that now I just have to get used to it!}


Well...time to see what the rest of the gals created so hop on over to:

Shirley http://glitteredpaws.blogspot.com/
Christine http://christines-creativetherapy.blogspot.com/
Rita W http://stamp2stamp2.blogspot.com/
Laurie http://laurieunger.blogspot.com/
Diane http://www.thesmilinstamper.blogspot.com/
Stacy http://stacy.typepad.com/angel2389
Rita K http://web.me.com/ritasangels/Angelic_Impressions/Blog/Entries/2010/2/14_Angel_Art_Blog_Hop_-_Go_Green.html#

Wonder and Joy

I have not yet jumped on the copic bandwagon (you see my problem with papers, I really do NOT need one more coloring medium!!) but I did pick up a package of 24 assorted BIC markers and so when I feel like coloring "bold", they work pretty well. By waiting for the first layer to dry, you can just come back in with the same color to add a deeper shade. Since I don't have a skin tone (and that's where I may break down and get a copic or two to round it all out...) I've used Prismacolored pencils.

Just a very simple card using the new set from The Angel Company, Wonder and Joy...the new Serendipity magalogue hits the streets on 1 February and I'm taking preorders for it now!




Card Materials: all stamps and papers from The Angel Company
Stamps: Wonder and Joy
Accessories: Lilly Anna Soar with it Collection and cardstock, BIC markers, colored pencil/gamsol, corner rounder, Crystal Lacquer on the balloon

Thanks for all of the great ideas to deal with my paper "issues"...some of them really made me laugh too! But, let me announce the winner of my Paper Packs blog candy...

Random Sequence Generator
Here is your sequence:

11

So congrats to Melissa W! If you send me your mailing address, I'll get these two paper packs out to you tomorrow.