Clean and Simple

Time to return to the classroom after a long absence. I had printed this tree digital stamp from the Kit and Clowder Elements of Nature class out eons ago and now was the time to color it up.

Using my Prismacolor colored pencils in a myriad of colors, I applied the various layers to the paper. I used Strathmore Paint Pad paper, which I love as it allows me to layer the pencil colors over each other again and again to produce vivid color.

Once colored, I trimmed the image and then adhered it to a green Paper Studio Simple Basics cardbase.

I adhered the word "hope" as the sentiment. I had previously cut a bunch of single word sentiments out using my Silhouette electronic die cutter and the Honey Script font. This is a lovely cursive font that has enough body in it to make it easy to cut out on the machine.

What better way to inspire hope than a huge tree that has overcome the odds of life for many, many years!

General supplies:
Strathmore Paint Pad paper
Cardbase from Paper Studio Simple Basics collection
Black cardstock cut sentiment
Digital Stamp from the Kit and Clowder Elements of Nature Class
Prismacolor pencils

Entered into the Crafting From the Heart Anything Goes Challenge #188
Entered into the Alphabet Challenge Blog T for Trees Challenge
Entered into Stamp ink Paper Challenge 130 – Say No to Xmas

Happy Anniversary

Being that hubby and I are celebrating our anniversary today, I had to make a card for him of course. Especially since he was the one that decided I needed a set of Prismacolor pencils in the first place.

I used this really cute image from All Dressed Up Stamps called Love Is. I felt it suited us so well. I printed the image out onto blue Canson Mi Tientes paper from their variety pad and then colored it up with my pencils.

Using my Gina Marie Designs stitched heart die, I cut the image out and added two little hearts punched out of red foil cardstock with a small punch.

I printed the sentiment out on the computer, cut it out with a laced oval die and layered it onto a vellum oval. I then added the elements to a card panel with a paisley pattern design (hubby likes paisley patterns).

Finally, since this card was being hand delivered, I added some dimension to it with some Wild Orchids Crafts roses. The rose colors were chosen to depict the various colors that have come home over the years.

I completed the card with a box envelope made out of antique gold metallic cardstock with custom dimensions to fit the card perfectly.

General supplies:
Canson Mi Tientes blue paper
Reflections 110lb heavyweight carstock for card base
White cardstock
Red foil cardstock
White vellum
Gina Marie Designs stitched oval dies
Gina Marie Designs stitched heart dies
Gina Marie Designs lacy oval dies
Digital stamp from All Dressed Up
Roses from Wild Orchid Crafts
Prismacolor pencils

Entered into Crafty Catz ANYTHING GOES Challenge #396

Grayscale Christmas

Today I have different sort of card to show you. This time a Christmas card in largely non-traditional colors. I used only red and added gold sparkle to make it a Christmas card. The image is another grayscale with a spot of color - a technique I love whether colored or as a photo manipulation.

This is Molly from the Molly Winter Bundle by Conie Fong. I colored her in shades of French gray with my Prismacolor colored pencils. Then I used primary colors on the J, the O and the Y that make up her garland.

To put the card together, I cut the image with my Gina Marie designs oval die and then cut an oval a size bigger from gold glitter cardstock. I applied this to the corner of a red cardstock panel that I had cut out with a Gina Marie designs rectangle die and then embossed with a snowflake embossing folder.

I glues the panel to the cardbase and then added a sentiment from a retired Stampin Up set. I stamped the sentiment with Versafine Onyx Black ink and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder.

I had used this technique previously on Bouquet Benny. This will definitely not be the last image I do with this technique.

General supplies:
Strathmore Paint Pad paper
Reflections 110lb heavyweight carstock for card base
White and red cardstock
Gold glitter cardstock
Snowflake embossing folder
Gina Marie Designs stitched oval dies
Gina Marie Designs stitched rectangle dies
Versafine Onyx Black ink
Clear embossing powder
Sentiment stamp
Prismacolor pencils

Entered into The Crafty Addicts Anything Goes with an option of Non-traditional Christmas colours Challenge #43

A snowman in Florida??

Not very likely in real life, but with stamps and pencils anything can happen. This sweet stamp called Snowman and Birdie Friends is by Conie Fong - I love her images as you may already have noticed.

I printed the stamp out onto Strathmore Paint Pad paper and colored it with my Prismacolor colored pencils. I then cut the image out with a Gina Marie designs stitched oval die.

The card panel is red cardstock that I embossed with a snowflake embossing folder after cutting it to size with the Gina Marie designs stitched rectangle die.

Using a retired Stampin Up sentiment stamp, I stamped the Merry Christmas onto white cardstock with Versafine Onyx Black ink and then heat embossed it with clear embossing powder. I then glued it onto the panel which I in turn glued onto the card base.

General supplies:
Strathmore Paint Pad paper
Reflections 110lb heavyweight carstock for card base
White and red cardstock
Snowflake embossing folder
Gina Marie Designs stitched oval dies
Gina Marie Designs stitched rectangle dies
Versafine Onyx Black ink
Clear embossing powder
Sentiment stamp
Prismacolor pencils

Entered into the Sparkles Christmas Challenges Challenge #83 Snowman/men
Entered into the Alphabet Challenge Blog S for Snow People Challenge
Entered into Stamp ink Paper Challenge 128 – Let it Snow!

Teddy Bear Christmas Cards

Those of you that know me, know that my "job" is to make teddy bears. Also that I make teddy bears to raise awareness and work closely with a few causes. Three bears get adopted in bigger amounts each year, they are Matthew Bear, Chelsea Bear and Aidan Bear. So the responsible parties needed Christmas cards.

Here I used the Wild Rose Studio Teddy Behind Present clear stamp and stamped it with Momento Tuxedo black ink onto Strathmore Paint Pad paper. I then colored the images with my Prismacolor colored pencils, using the colors that identify the respective bears.

Once completed, I cut the image out with my Gina Marie Designs stitched oval dies and glued it onto a card panel that I had cut out with the largest Gina Marie Designs stitched rectangle die and embossed with a snowflake embossing folder.

Using a sentiment from a retired Stampin Up stampset, I stamped Happy Holidays in Versamark ink and embossed it with white embossing power.

A little green, red, gold and silver gel pen finished off the holly leaves, berries and the star.

General supplies:
Strathmore Paint Pad paper
Reflections 110lb heavyweight carstock for card base
White, black, orange and purple cardstock
Gina Marie Designs stitched oval dies
Gina Marie Designs stitched rectangle dies
Snowflake embossing folder
Momento Tuxedo Black ink
Versamark ink
White embossing powder
Sentiment stamp
Prismacolor pencils
Red, green, silver and gold gel pens

Entered into the Stempelsonne Anything Goes Challenge #196
Entered into the Scrapbook Stamp Society Anything Goes Challenge #131
Entered into the Crafting From the Heart Anything Goes Challenge #186