Birthday-Whoopie

Co-worker had a birthday recently and I made her card.  At the office, when someone has a birthday, we celebrate with cards and whatever dessert they choose.  You also get to wear a crown during this celebration and a photo is taken.  

Humiliating? Naaaaaaaa.  We laugh and have fun.

When I saw this image at Mo's Digital Pencil, I just had to have it!  It was perfect! 

I put it inside to surprise her.  Her expression was priceless!

This was on the front.

I make cards to bring a smile or chuckle to someone's face...even if it is for just a fleeting moment.  I did my job on this one!

Netta

Ice Cream Splatter

I joined the Bloobel Stamps Progressive Challenge and for August we got to pick one of 7 images available.  I chose one called "Ice Cream Cool".   I made this card for a girlfriend as her birthday is coming up early September.  I have a little bit of time to come up with something cute for the inside before I have to mail it off.  The Happy Birthday die came from Amazon and is one of the "no-name brands" from China.  The image was colored with Copics and fussy cut out so I could glue it down on the background.  For the background I sponged 2 Distress Ink colors Spun Sugar and Picked Raspberry around the top.   

I learned how to oil paint many years ago and there was a technique I use to use to make the ground look like it had tiny rocks or sand.  You used a toothbrush and some oil paint that was thinned down with linseed oil.  Now I see that same technique is now used on cards all the time.  I used that technique on the card above with black splatters.  I love the pink with the black look.   I took a few photos on a white copy paper to show you how I got the black splatter on the card.  

Drop a few drops of re-inker onto the cover of the ink pad along with a couple of drops of water to make the ink a little thinner and mix it together.

Drag a toothbrush in the ink to cover the bristles... making sure to grab enough ink.

You might want to protect your area as this next part may splatter ink where you do not want it to.  You also will want to wear disposable gloves unless you do mind getting your fingers full of ink.  It was hard to get a good photo, but I used my finger to run along the bristles of the toothbrush. This causes the ink to splatter against the paper.  In the next two photos, I used the bristles to face down toward the paper and up towards the ceiling.  They both give you a different kind of splatter on the paper.

The splatters on the left came from pointing the bristles up to the ceiling. They are more spread out.  The splatters on the right are from the bristles pointing down toward the paper.  These are more contained into an area.  

Try the ink splatter technique using sponges or different size brushes.  It will give you different types of splatters.  Also experiment with holding the tool higher or lower from the paper.  

I hope you give this easy but messy technique a try and let me know what you think!

Happy crafting!

Manetta

Betsy & Her Bouquet

Is she not adorable!!  She is another image from Mandy's Art and Soul and a perfect image to practice coloring the folds in the clothes, hair and flowers.  I wish I had kept out all the markers that I used but it was overwhelming having them sprawled all over the table.  I put them away without thinking.  

I think I found my new addiction....

Manetta

Don't do Anything on Father's Day

I am practicing coloring with copics today.  I need lots and lots of practice, but I am up for the challenge!

Bloobel Digital Stamps has a Progressive Challenge on her Facebook page.  Each month we get a free image.   As long as you create and share, you automatically get the next months image for free.  

May's Progressive Challenge image was called "Bored at Work".  My Father's Day card is my submission to May challenge.

(Inside: Pretend your in Congress.  Happy Father's Day Dad!)

Come on and join us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/bloobelstamps/

Manetta

Owls Times Two...It's about digis..

(This is my 2nd post today...scroll down for the 1st)

Today I decided to use this adorable digi image called "Owls Times Two" from Mandy's Art and Soul.  It was a monochromatic color challenge to myself to use just 4 markers..Copics # BV00, BV04, V22, V28.  I "fussy cut' the owls out and went around the outside edge of everything with #V28 to get rid of the white paper that shows on the edge.  The image is popped up with pop dots to give it some dimension.

(Inside card:  Another birthday...it'll only HOOT a little.)

My niece Mandy is extremely artistic and has recently decided to join the digital stamping world on the internet to show off her skills.   Many of us call them...digi stamps.   Mandy's site is at Mandy's Art and Soul and she is always adding new images to color.  I already have my sights set on a few more that I will need to pick up!

For those who do not know what a digi stamp is... digi stamps are black & white digital images that you download onto your computer.  This allows you to be able to resize them before printing out. Once you print them out with black ink, they are now like a regular rubber stamp image you would stamp on a piece of cardstock.  You can also print them out with very light colored ink to do the no-lines coloring technique.  

 I like digis' as they are easy to store in folders on my computer and are inexpensive.  Each digital image has a tag attached to it, so I know exactly where I got the image from and if it was a freebie or not.  Each folder on my computer matches my book of rubber stamps.  If I am looking for an image of a flower, I look in my book under Nature or on the computer, which is also under Nature.  

Digi stamps do have the same copyright laws as rubber stamps so be careful and pay attention to the terms and conditions that comes with your digi stamp.  If you do buy any, please be respectful and do not pass it around to your crafting friends.  The creators spent a lot of time creating the images for us to use and they do not charge that much for them.  Passing them around as a freebie is actually stealing from those who graciously share their talent with us.

I had a lot of fun coloring the Owls and challenging myself today.   I am off to go start coloring another image from Mandy...after a dip in the pool to cool off!

...until later

Manetta

Gracie

Do you keep a stash of cards and when you need one, you just pick one out....or are you like me?  I do not have a stash of cards and make them as I need them.  I try to think about the person as I make their card.

Someone I know had a birthday on Valentines day but I didn't want to make a card that had a Valentine theme.  I wanted something totally different.  She has a Yorkshire Terrier named Gracie, so I found a free image online and colored it with Twin Markers.  I used a picture from her FB page to use as a guide to color her with.  I used rectangles to cut the image so I could layer it up.

The background took a bit between the layers and drying.  I cut a piece of black cardstock in the size I wanted.  I brushed a layer Lumiere  Metallic Bronze all over the cardstock.  I was not fussy and some of the brush strokes left black showing through. After I was done, I tilted the cardstock up over the trash can and sprayed Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in colors blues, greens, peach, lemon and candy red.  I just kept spraying the colors to let them run down mixing in some areas. After I was happy with those colors my final coat was Heidi Swapp white color shine which I just sprayed over it in different areas.  I linked what each product was in Amazon in case someone wanted to see what they looked like.   I ran it through the Sizzix with an embossing folder while it was still a little bit damp.   

I popped it into the mail to her and had to wait to post the card here so she would not see it ahead of time. she has received the card so I was safe to post it!

Manetta

Spot's Get Well

I had fun this morning coloring the free digital image from Mo's Digital Pencil called Spot.  I needed two get-well cards and this image was perfect!

Thank you Mo's for the image!

Microsoft Word was used to print out the image.  I used Twin Touch Markers on the brown Spot and used Dick Blick Markers to color the grey Spot. You cannot see the background very well on the brown spot card but I used the old Stamping Up  Watercoloring crayons on both cards.

Thank you for stopping by.  I am now off to go make my cards I need in March.  

Manetta

Bloobel Progressive February Challenge

I wanted in on the progressive monthly fun so I bought the Bloobel February digital stamp "Bake Me a Cake".  I make a lot of birthday cards so nothing wrong with having one more stamp to play with!

Here is my card using the Bake Me a Cake digital stamp.

https://www.bloobel.com/blogs/news/bloobel-progressive-challenge-february-2017

I used Tim Holtz Window and Window Box Sizzix to cut the window out.  The cardstock was all scraps from my scrap paper pile.  The candles were punched from a Stamping Up punch.  The image...of course...is from https://www.bloobel.com.  Love Lisa Bloobel's digital stamps and have several. 

 If you are looking for something different for your cards, check out her store!  Lisa is also offering a progressive challenge (check out her blog  where each month you get a free image emailed.  The requirement you must post your creation before the end of the month to be "in" on the next month.  If you want to join...just purchase the digital stamp and get creating! 

https://www.bloobel.com/…/products/bake-me-a-cake-digi-stamp

Thank you for visiting!

Manetta

Submitting this card into Bloobel 2017 February Progressive Challenge

Valentine's Day Cards

This year I bought 4 digitals images from Mo's Digital and right now there is a great sale going on for the Valentine images.  

Spent Sunday coloring while waiting for the big game to begin. On Monday morning, all 4 were mailed off!  I wish you could see the sparkle on each card but I still struggle with trying to get the glitter to show up when I take a photo.  I used the Spectrum Noir Sparkle Glitter Brush Pens on each card and they look super cute.  The images were colored with a mix of Copic and Spectrum Noir markers. 

(click on each photo to enlarge)

I am not a huge lover of Valentine's Day.  I try to get my husband to stop buying me something.  He normally buys me a fruit bouquet which I share with everyone at the office.  I think it is a day for companies to make money.  I believe we should be showing love 365 days a year in many small ways each day.

With that said.....kids do not understand it all.  They think of it as a nice party day at school!  Being one who loves to make cards, I can't pass up making my 4 Grandkids a Valentine card but they are the only Valentine's Day cards I make.  

Thank you for stopping by!

Manetta

The East Wind-Flag on the Play

Over at The East Wind blog, there is a challenge to use a banner, fishtail flag, bunting or a pennant shape on your creation.  I am using the image we received in the January 2016 newsletter.  If you want the freebie image...head over to The East Wind and sign up for their newsletter!

This is my card I am submitting to their challenge.

I printed the image out twice.  Once on just copy paper and the second on Georgia Pacific white cardstock.  I colored the image using markers on the cardstock.  The second image was to cut out and used as a mask on the image to protect it while I sponged on ink around it.    The ink I sponged on was Stampin Up ink colors Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron, Tempting Turquoise, Pacific Point, Not Quite Navy and Whisper White.  

Let it Snow banner was a die cut and stamp set from Marianne Design.  My creation was finished off with Star Dust Stickles to get snow to sparkle. 

My sister and I...to keep motivated all year to get Christmas cards done..started our own weekly challenge for the next 50 weeks.  This week was Anything Goes.   

Thank you for stopping by!

Netta

We ARE the Walking Dead Family

To all you Walking Dead Fans....Tonight is the night!

Premier of Season 6!!

My youngest son got me hooked on The Walking Dead about 3 years ago.  For those who do not know, it is an American horror drama television series and tonight begins its sixth year.  Many of us are very excited.  There are two more in my family who are hooked.  Two years ago my Aunt V and my sister Faye came to visit me for about 4 weeks.  I had to watch my show each week..not missing an episode while they did nothing, but make grunts noise and faces...making fun of my show.  *insert rolling of eyes from me* lol

Fast forward to about 3 weeks into their visit.  I came home one day from work to find the two of them huddled in the craft room with all the lights off. Both faces up very close to an ipad. They were staring at the ipad so much, they never heard me come into the room.  I found out they had been spending their time during the day...not outdoors in the nice sun, but inside trying to get all caught up from Season 1 to the current show!!  

So you can imagine the excitement that has been happening with tonight's show coming so when Mo's Digital Pencil came out with the Zombies digital stamp, I just had to have it.  It's perfect for now and perfect for Halloween.  I whipped up 3 cards and mailed them out...One for my son, one for my sister and one for my aunt.   They loved getting them.

Inside it says

They are coming..............

The Walking Dead

I had one more image that I turned into a Halloween Card.  This one I put white around the Walking Dead to give them a glow.  

If you like the Walking Dead...give me a shout!

Enjoy your crafting day!

Netta

SBR-Us Challenge 61-Valentine Heart

Hello Hello!!  

Merry Christmas

Happy New Year

Happy Valentines Day

Did I miss anything while I was away?

Yes I am still here!  Yes I have still been making cards.  Just time got by me so I apologize!

I am taking a much needed break from busting out 130 Christmas Cards which I used all but 4 cards.  Not much of a head way for 2015 Season but I will get there soon enough.  Lately I have been practising on how to color images for my cards.   The classes that I am taking are from Kit and Clowder.  If you ever wanted to take a class to color images (all types of alcohol markers, pencils and watercoloring), ...now is the time!  Not only is the time is right due to the ratio of Aussie to USA but the classes themselves are the best!  Lots of support, feedback, videos and complete books you can print out.  Right now I am taking the skin and hair class.  I colored an image for my husband's Valentine first and then I did the class.  

WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!!  The classes really work...lol

My first attempt looks like she hit the tanning booth and got a yellowish tan..UGH..

Here is my card after the first two lessons in the skin and hair class.  Many more to go as you can tell.  At least I have a "before" and will have an "after" as soon as I finish the coloring hair lesson.  That class is next in the lessons.  My husband loved the card and saw beyond the fact that the hair needed serious work.   That is what you call love *S*.

I bought this image from Slinky Tart and is called "From The Heart".  She has some serious cute images!  Will be buying more in the future from Slinky Tart.

Thank you for stopping by!

Netta

Happy Valentines Day!

This is a free Digital image from http://www.meljensdesigns.com/ that was printed on white cardstock, cut down to size and colored with Touch markers.  I printed another on printer paper and cut it out to mask the image.  With sponge, ink and a ripped piece of paper towel...I went to town making clouds and grass!  The edge was distressed.  The heart with red glitter frosting on the cookie topped off the card!

Happy Valentines Everyone!

Netta

Happy ThanksChanukah!!

Wow!  I like this!!  Hanukkah and Thanksgiving all in one card!  

How great is that!  

This is the first time since 1888 that the two holidays combined.  I am guessing I won't be seeing this happen again so I took advantage of it.   Instead of making 10 cards....I only had to make 5 cards!!

I found the digital online.  Printed them out with my new printer onto my favorite white cardstock-Georgia Pacific.  I have not been able to figure out how to print in fast mode for my digital images so I wasn't sure if the ink would smudge when I colored it with my markers right away.  No smudging and no extra drying time thank goodness!!

The gold paper was embossed with Sizzix folder, trimmed with a Stamp Up edger and glued down to a navy blue mat that was edged with Fiskars punch.  After taping down my Turkey (off the mat so I trimmed part of the circle off), I wrapped a gold thin cord around three times.  To make sure everything would stick down well, I used my Scor-tape to hold it together with.  Yellow stickles and a couple of gold sticker bling finished off the card. 

 The cards are A2 size.

All 5 have been signed and ready to go in the mail tomorrow.  

To those who celebrate both holidays.....Happy ThanksChanukah!!!

Netta

Touch marker colors: 94, 101, 103, 35,R13,  77, 89, RP6 and 183

Specturum Noir marker colors: OR1 and GB5

Digital I found online: Coloring Pages For All Ages

May the Wind Always Be At Your Back...

My brother loves to ride and does so at every moment.  I knew I needed to make him a birthday card about riding.  I found a free digital image online and it was perfect although I had no idea what the rest of the card would be! 

It took me a couple of quick image prints to get the correct size for the A2 size card I wanted to make.  I got a photo of him by his bike for all the colors and colored the image with my touch markers.  After I was done, I cut the image out.  The image had hair but I hand cut out a bandana  & glued it down on the head like he wears it.  I also put his initials on the pocket of the jacket. With my favorite white pen, I created the beard he has in the picture.  With pop dots stuck to the back of the image and I set it off to the side.  

Not sure why I could not get a good picture but the brown on the bike is actual silver and the grayish is actually black!

I grabbed a couple of stamps, sponges, ink and scrap paper to create the background.  

If you look at the photos, you can see where I even made reflection of the weeds in the water.  To make the reflection, I stamped with the blue on the back of a piece of plastic.  Because the plastic is so slippery, I pressed the image down very carefully onto the water but opposite of the weeds. 

The cardstock was folded to form an A2 Easel Card.  I matted the background on black and glued it down onto the Easel card.  The biker was stuck down on the background.  

 It looked funny with a biker standing in front of water, so I sponged black along the bottom to look like dirt.  To continue the land out from the water edge, I made the rest look like a highway and a great scenery for a biker to stop and rest!

 I had some yellow tape that I layered on black paper to make a road.  The words were printed out with my Cricut and sponged with ink to look the background.

I had one issue....Somehow, even with measuring, I stamped the Happy Birthday too low, but I still think it came out well!  

I know he will enjoy receiving the card just as much I enjoyed making it for him.  

*Happy Birthday Big Brother*

*S*

Netta

Valentines Cards 2013

These first two cards are for our Grandchildren.  Both cards both free digitals that I downloaded.   The first one is from Mo's Digital Pencil.  I love this one!  Perfect for the grandchildren who are a little bit older.  I used my printer for the inside verse "Right from the start...You stole our hearts!!  Happy Valentines Day!!!"

This next image was perfect for the younger Grandchildren.  It was a free digital image from
  Bugaboo Stamps
The inside states "Happy Valentine's Day to Ewe".  Both the image and verse is a set.

This card has a free digital image from Sassy Studio Designs and for my husband.  I do not make him very many cards....I know...I am bad!  I make them for so many others, I decided he needed a special one from me.

Now that Valentines is done...can you believe I already have Christmas cards on the brain?

*lol*
thanks for stopping!
Netta

Be Careful What You Wish For....

Is this not funny or what!!  

I found the image of the woman stripping off the good looking parts on the internet. 

    This was a birthday card for one of our sons.  

I can't wait to hear what he thought about it!!

have a great day!

Manetta

Digital Birthdays

My brother-in-law had a birthday last week so I made him a couple of cards!  Both are digital downloads from Bugaboo Digi Stamps colored by Twin Touch Markers.

Thank you for stopping by!

Manetta

Valentine Jasmine

Valentine Jasmine...perfect Valentine card for my granddaughter who LOVES the Disney princesses.  

I got this image from a coloring page online.  I used my new Touch Markers to color the image.

The inside of the card has lots of sparkles!

Manetta

Back Aches & Pregnant

8 of us at work chipped in and bought a co-worker baby gifts (she is having twins). Of course, I offered to make a card! She is having a lot of back aches lately. This digital image and words are perfect for her. I created this card like a very large matchbook card. Inside is a large chocolate bar. The size of the card is 8" x 6. The teal pages inside was added to give place for the 8 to sign. I covered the entire Pregant lady with liquid glass.

Thanks for stopping by!

Netta