Weddings and Ants

Hey there People!! I bet you thought I fell off the face of the earth (again)!  The last couple of weeks have just been in the crazy fast lane.  I'll spare you specifics, but here is a quick summery:

Work.  Loooong hours at work.
Ant invasion.
More work.
Catching up with medical appointments.
Another ant invasion in a different area of the house.
Dang...seems those ants are pretty much finding every nook and cranny in this house: Let's see:
                               First invasion in the kitchen, resulting in a much needed cleaning and purging of 
                               two cupboards.
                               Second invasion in the master bath
                               Third invasion from the front door, across the entry to the dog's food.
                               Fourth: my  office and  in a different area of the kitchen...no cupboards, YET
                              Invasion Five outside (thankfully) but all along the edge of the house and trash 
                              cans.  
                             I think the ants are not enjoying our three digit temperatures.  And yes, spraying, ant traps, ant "food" has been applied.  Numerous times. Sigh. 
                              
And some more long days at work.

Pretty exciting huh?!  And I wonder why there are no reality shows as to what reality really is!!

But, despite the exciting life I have been leading, creativity was pushed to the top of the priority list last night! A co worker is getting married today and a wedding card is needed by this afternoon!  I will admit to a brief consideration of buying a card due to the fact that I think the ants have carried away my Mojo. But I took a deep breath and carried forth!

The wedding colors are light pink, white and grey.  The photo makes the roses look darker than they are in reality.  But, I don't have time to retake the picture! LOL!  Remember:  you can click on the photo for an enlarged version.

Some basic details:  Sentiment printed on the computer using a very similar font from the wedding invitation.  Embossed around the sentiment with Sizzix embossing folder Wreath. Sizzix Flowers 3D die used for the roses.  Roses were cut out of some Brazill card stock that I had gotten at my LSS.  **I swear that I am the only person in the "crafting" world who struggles with the making of  these rolled up flowers. It takes me FOREVER to get them to look like flowers! I may take a slight detour from my goal for this year of using the all the unloved supplies I already have versus buying anything new.  I think I NEED to get Donna Salazar's/Spellbinders Rose Creations.  I think I'm a layer flower gal versus a rolled flower gal!! LOL!!  Light sponging of Distress Ink in Victorian Velvet and a spritz of Tattered Angel's Pearl glimmer mist complete the flowers. 

Self adhesive pearls were added to some of the embossed areas as well as a few extra lines that I felt helped tie it all together!!

That's it for me right now!  I need to finish cleaning out all the wonderful grime left in the washing machine from washing the car towels and start making myself presentable for the wedding!

I hope you all have a wonderful creative weekend!  Let me know if any of you are interested in obtaining some ants for house guests.  I'm ready for them to LEAVE! lol!!

'Till next time!!

Wedding Vows

First, let me just say, that it never ceases to amaze me how people I have only met in the cyber world are so willing to share, care and be there!  I really appreciate the comments and encouragement about my hum-drum state of creativity of late.  I'm still not sure that my mojo is back, but I'm forging on ahead!

This weekend we have a wedding to attend.  The time frame didn't allow for me to wallow in despair about my absent mojo so this is what I came up with.

The card base is Pure Luxury Ivory (vanilla) in a 5 1/2" square.  A small black mat frames the computer generated poem that was printed on SU's textured Very Vanilla card stock.  The doves where re sized from the doves that were on the hand made wedding invitation.  They were traced onto more textured Very Vanilla card stock, offset onto some black card stock and misted with Tattered Angel's Pearl Glimmer mist.  The bottom dove is slightly smaller than the first dove and is adhered with dimensionals. 

The flourish pearls were cut to fit the design.  I'm sorry, I can't remember which company these come from and I'm at my in-laws borrowing their Internet and don't have the supplies with me. 

To be honest, I'm not completely thrilled with how the doves look, but!  I made a card!! It will fit the bill without embarrassing me (I hope!)

HEADS UP:  Friday the E-Team will reveal a new RIDE for you all!!  I think it is going to be the HIT OF THE SEASON!  Stay tuned......



It's Better with Color, Part 2

Are you ready for another epic ride with the E-Team?!  Along with the amazing projects and helpful hints and tips you'll find on E-Team member blogs,  there are the eclectic offerings and prizes that Daisy is so generous in giving!  Check this out: For leaving a comment on each team member's blog from Thursday, June 16, until Sunday, June 19, you will have the chance to win:

a $25 gift voucher to eclecticPaperie (two random winners will be chosen from the E-Team member's blogs)

Leave a comment on the eP blog for an additional chance to win an assortment of flower stamps and 4 New Copic Color Sketch Markers.

Winners will be posted on eP blog on Monday, June 20.

NOTE:  eP is going to discontinue to carry Copic ORIGINAL & CIAO styles so you will want to check out the clearance price on those items. Sketch Markers are also on sale. There are also some Copic cases that will be slashed to clearance price. There are also an overstock of the PALE Copic Color bundle that Daisy is going to slash at clearance price, too. Finally, there will be some "Flower Stamp" grab bags that will be available for purchase.

E-Team Blogs

Daisy

Broni

Latrice

Linda D

Micki

Sherry

Starla (me!)

eP Blog

Ok!  Enough of the business details!  Let's get this hop going, shall we?!

A frequent request of the E-Team follower's blogs has been for more details on how we color with Copics, and more specifically, how we color floral images with Copics.  Today, I would like you to look at your Copics as more than just a way to color a stamped image.  I would like you to consider using your Copics to CREATE your image.

I started by die cutting two of the largest daisy's from Spellbinders Daisy Head from Pure Luxury card stock.  In case this is your first time visiting my blog, let me catch you up to speed on this paper.  It is my FAVORITE paper for coloring with Copics!  I started using it as a base for my cards due to it's 120# weight.  I loved the fact that it was strong enough to hold up on all the layers, embellishments and various ink treatments that I wanted to use, without "buckling".  THEN I discovered the bonus fact that I could color images for single layer cards with no bleed through.  I will admit that I have not tried any of the other popular papers used with coloring with Copics, so I cannot compare.  I am very happy with this paper and haven't felt the need to change (at this time, anyways!)

Lousy picture, but you get the idea! 

I did not emboss the die cut image.  There was a very faint impression of the center of the die that I used as my guide for cutting individual petals.  You could also lightly trace a "center" with a pencil.

After I made my petals, I  went online and found some pictures of daisy's for inspiration. 

I then picked what colors I thought I might like to work with.  I always pull out my Copic Color Chart to help me get started.  I printed this chart out on Pure Luxury card stock and have filled in the "blanks" of the markers that I own.  This gives me a more accurate idea as to what the colors look like on the paper that I am using, versus my previous method of "scribbling" on whatever scratch paper that I had lying on my desk.  Starting with my lightest color (in this particular case, RV21, light pink), I made broad swiping motions from the center of the flower to the tips of the petals.  I did not worry about covering everything evenly or any overlapping of lines.  I wanted the texture this type of stroke makes.

 I then took a slightly darker marker and made more random swipes from the center to the petals, but varied the length of the strokes and did not make as many strokes.

Already, this "image" looks more realistic!  But to add a bit more detail, I then took two darker markers and repeated the above steps, but with shorter, swiping strokes with each color.  I used the last two chosen markers to make the center of my flower.  Instead of "coloring" the center, I just made random dots, first with the lighter of the two markers, then added more "shading" with the darker marker. 



If you look closely at the photo (click on the image to see it larger), you will notice that one of the darker colors has a more "lavender" or "purple" hue to it.  To me, this just adds to the realism.  I do not stick to keeping my chosen colors in the same family of classifications. Don't be afraid to mix your color families!!

At this point, you may chose to leave your daisy image as is, or go back with the first, lightest, marker that you started with and again, make random, swiping motions to "blend" all the colors a bit more. 

NOTE:  I did color the backside of my "image", using the same technique, but in a much sloppier version! LOL!  I wanted some color on the backside as I planned to curl the petal a bit, but wasn't too concerned with "details".

I also wanted to show that this "technique" of coloring will work on other mediums as well!  I used the same markers as above (with R59, Cardinal, added to the mix) on Wendy Vecchi's Clearly for Art Whiteout.

The flower on the top of your screen was done on the Whiteout.

It is difficult to see, but in real life, the lines on the Whiteout are a bit more "streaky".  Helpful hint:  when using Copic markers on Clearly for Art Whiteout, or another "glossier" type surface, let the ink dry just a bit between colors.  The alcohol stays "wet" longer and trying to apply more color or a new color too soon, will actually cause you to remove the previous color.  After you have done your basic coloring, if you'd like to add more color, to increase the intensity, let the ink dry for a several minutes THEN apply more color.  I used my heat gun on the alcohol ink on the Whiteout to shape the flowers with no change in the color intensity. 

DONE!  You've now created an image with your Copic markers! 

And for a project using the daisy's cut from the Pure Luxury.

I am in need of a wedding card for this weekend.  The jury is still out as to whether or not this looks like a wedding card or a fru-fru baby girl card! LOL!

Being in the overloaded, panicked phase of an over booked week, I used the Mojo Monday Sketch 194, as my starting inspiration.  Card base is a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" Pure Luxury (I told you this is my favorite paper!) with an SU Pink Pirouette, sponged along the edges with Distress Spun Sugar, matted onto basic black card stock.  Scrap Pure Luxury card stock was embossed with a Cuttlebug embossing folder and scalloped along the bottom with SU's scallop punch. All the white panels and the flower were spritzed with Tattered Angel's Glimmer Mist in Pearl to add a lovely shimmer in real life, that for the life of me, I could not get to show in a photo!  The sentiment is from SU's retired Warmest Regards, and was stamped using Archival Jet Black ink. 

And because the jury hung on the Wedding card versus Baby Girl card~~~same song, different verse



I used C1, C3, C5, C7 on the flowers.  Shimmer applied to all the white panels.  Still couldn't get that to show!!

I hope this little tutorial on creating your own image with Copics will inspire you to try creating your own images! 





One Love

How in the world did we get to Wednesday already?! I think I'm stuck somewhere in Thursday of last week!!

Anyhoos! 

I needed to make a wedding card for a "celebrate our marriage" open house that is this weekend.  The invitation was fairly simple, the information is typed on white, with a vellum " triangle "gate" fold that is held together by a simple embossed seal.  I knew I wanted to include the vellum element somehow.  While rummaging through my embossing folders, I happened to look up on the top of the shelving where I "store" cards and other projects that I have not found a home for yet.

Bingo!! 

I decided to CASE (copy and share everything) myself.  Hehe.

Yes, I used the dreaded PINK color again!!  I'm thinking that I might be running a fever!

The original card was made waaaaay back in July, '09, as a "Dare to Get Dirty" challenge on SCS. This would be special challenges brought to Fan Club members by current and past Dirty Dozen members.  I even considered just trying to change the original sentiment to a more "newlywed" sentiment and giving that card.  But there was a couple of problems with that idea.  A) The base of the original card was rather flimsy, in my opinion.  I am TOTALLY in love with the thickness of the Pure Luxury card stock for my bases of cards.  Especially cards that have some extra elements and layers to it!  B) I wanted a softer color of roses that fit the theme of the couple's invitation better.  C)  I totally tore the card up trying to remove the flowers to replace the sentiment!

The layout came from a challenge sketch by Cindy Hafner.  The base is a 5 1/2" square of Pure Luxury.  The background squares use SU's Pink Pirouette and Basic Black as a mat for the Cuttlebug embossed squares.  The sentiment was computer generated and printed out on more Pure Luxury.  For once, my printer accepted this thick paper!! But, I will admit to printing it out several times on printer paper and even Georgia Pacific before trying the Pure Luxury.  The Pure Luxury also has a beautiful, true WHITE to it! I used my Spellbinders classic and scalloped circle dies to cut the sentiment layers.  Light sponging with Pink Pirouette was done along the classic circle border. 

Now for the roses.  Ahhhhh!  Can I just say that these turned out sooo much better than I had thought?!  I initially tried to make the rolled roses, like the original ones, out of vellum from SU.  Insert a heavy sigh here________.  Vellum tears.  And it does not hold the rolled shape like paper does.  After several frustrating attempts I gave up.  I decided to try another idea.  First, I inked up some vellum with Distress Ink in Worn Lipstick.  Then I used my Grunge Flowers #2 and #3 from PaperArtsy and cut out several flowers, some from the pink and some from the plain vellum, using the smaller of the two dies.  I then made the roses using a tutorial from Leandra (The YouTube link is on her side bar).  The smaller roses were made with the same die.  I just did not make as many layers!  All the layers were adhered using Glossy Accents. After all the flowers were dried, I spritzed them with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Pearl.

OOOO!! Just the perfect shimmer!!

The roses and leaves were adhered using more Glossy Accents.  The pearls and gems were recycled from the original card, as that one is now a gonner!

In all honesty, I think I like this one better than the original! Even if it does use PINK! haha  The vellum roses just add that something "extra". 

I've already got my desk area cleaned up and have started on the next project!! Yep....you'll want to tune in on Friday, February 18, for the next E-Team adventure!!  

'Till then.......................create something new, or better yet, recreate something that you enjoyed before.  You just might like the second round even better!