Saturday, June 30, 2007

Run, Don't Walk!

Today is the day to head on over to My Favorite Things to pick up this set, Hit the Beach! It was just released today!

This is a 4 1/4 square card made with Hit the Beach and another MFT set, Setting the Stage for the faux ribbon. I also used the end of the solid scallop stamp to create the sun. The PP used is the same as the last card I posted, made by Creative Imaginations.

I colored with Prismacolor Pencils and a Prismacolor Marker (Brick Beige) for the skin. I used my scallop scissors for the Blue Bayou layer, and stamped Bayou ink on River Rock CS for the ribbon. Hope you like it!

Tomorrow I'm taking a brief break of MFT to show you a House Mouse card that I made. See you then!


xox,
k
.............................

Fine Print...
PP - CI; CS - Rock, Bayou, WW, Papertrey White; Prismacolor Pencils and Marker; Scallop Scissors; Markers; Ink - Bayou, Palette Noir, Sun; Stamps - Hit the Beach, Set the Stage (both from MFT)

Grab Your Suits!

It's nearly time to Hit the Beach! This is tomorrow's My Favorite Things release, and I'm having so much fun playing with it! I absolutely LOVE the accessories that come with this mini set!

I used my neglected SU! Metal Edge Tags for this, and the little pieces fit into the small ones perfectly! I also used some of my newer Creative Imaginations paper for this and the card that I'll post tomorrow. I colored the images with my Prisma Pencils, and highlighted them with a Prisma Marker (really light gray). The ribbon is May Arts, and I stamped the images and sentiment were stamped with Palette Noir. Lastly, I used my small scallop scissors from Michael's on the Blue Bayou paper (the base is Soft Sky).

Have a wonderful Saturday, and I'll see you tomorrow with another Hit the Beach card!

xox,
Kirsten

Friday, June 29, 2007

Give Thanks

This my second card with the MFT Falling for You set, and I'm really loving it! I love how all of the stamps coordinate! I also used Setting the Stage for the scallop border and leafy vine. You can find these and other sets like it here.

This is some AC paper that I found when I was at Hobby Lobby in TX. This line is perfect with this set. I colored the images with my Prismacolor Pencils and created shadows with a Prismacolor Marker Cool Grey 10% (it's super light, so the shadow looks very realistic).

Hope you're having a wonderful week! Today was a much more relaxing day for me...for the most part! ;) (I DO have and almost 3 year old!!!) {smile}

xox,
Kirsten

Fine Print...
American Crafts PP; CS - Summer Sun, Olive, Cranberry, WW; SU! ribbon, small oval punch, and brads; QuicKutz photo corner die; Tool Kit; Prismacolor Marker and Pencils; Sponge; Stamps - My Favorite Things

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Long Day

Although I'm still riding high from my Big MFT Announcement in the previous post, I'm feeling quite tired and lazy right now! We took the kiddies to the Naples Zoo today (though I didn't get a SINGLE picture! And I even already have the SB paper! Grr.). It was FULL of all sorts of "special moments". They were mainly having to do with transportation and a blown out tire, though my "charming child" did NOT have a good day, either. Let's just say "obedient" was not his middle name. Anywho, we were with wonderful friends, so that made the day tolerable. (Waves to my wonderful friends! :))
I'd love to do some stamping tonight, though I'm not sure that I will be able to get my mojo revved up to do so! I may need to refuel and try again for tomorrow!
Thank you to all of the wonderful congratulations wishes about the DT! I appreciate every one! I love my online friends! :)

Hugs to you all,
Kirsten

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

The Big Announcement

So, without further ado, I'm now able to tell you that Kim from My Favorite Things has asked me to join her wonderful Design Team! Yeah!!! I'm so excited that I can't stand it! Have you NOTICED the extreme talent in that group??? It's a bit intimidating, to be honest...but still I'm still super psyched! :) I LOVE her stamps, and I'm so thrilled to be working with them! Thank you, Kim - it's an honor.

Now onto the card. This is Falling For You from MFT. Isn't this chick too cute with this sentiment??? The scallop frame is from QuicKutz, and the paper is from Doodlebug. I don't have time to elaborate on all of the "fine print" right now, because we're about to leave on our very rare "date" for our anniversary, but I wanted to share this before I did.

Have a great Hump Day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow!

xox,
k

P.S. Yes, Donna and Julie, you were right! ;)
P.S.S. I ended up having to pluck a card from my stash for the hubby - in case you were interested. :)

Stamps: MFT Falling for You, PTI Faux Ribbon
Paper: Pumpkin, Summer, Rust, WW, Doodlebug PP
Ink: Palette Noir
Accessories: Prismacolor Pencils, QuicKutz Revolution, May Arts Ribbon, Tool Kit

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Super Big News!

I have a little teaser tonight for you. I'll be posting a really big announcement tomorrow, so stay tuned! I'm so excited I can't stand it!

StampFest Orlando! (Part 2)

StampFest started out with a bang! I had everything right by the door so that I wouldn't forget anything. My DH made me a "goodie bag", as he called it. Is this not the cutest thing?!? He even wrote my name on it - first and last! I think he did the name bit partly as a joke...I think. ;) Anywho, after a late start, I met up with the girls (Mimi and Milissa). Then, after we started off on our journey, I realized I forgot the tickets! Grrr. We had to stop at the 7-11, and wait for my hubby to bring them to us.
After all of the fun and excitement at the "Fest", we had a nice and relaxing meal at Bob Evans, before heading home. I was really looking forward to seeing my little Wyatt, organizing my new goodies, and chilling out on the couch to watch some TiVo with my hubby.

Below is a pic of my treasures. I got some Impression Obsession stamps, Inky Antics stamps, Rubber Romance stamps, and lots of MFT stamps! I found some Taiwan stumps. Someone said they were very superior to my Chinese stumps?!? I had to find out about that! I also got the Liquid Pearls I have been looking for. And, in addition to my other unnamed necessaries, I also got a coolio new polka dot bkgd stamp. So, after an exhausting day, I get home to THIS (below). My husband had completely reorganized my ENTIRE stamp room. (Is your jaw on the floor yet???) I walked in the room and just stared. Not sure if you can tell a difference from the pic, but here is how I left it. My stamping table was piled with TONS of stuff all over it, and NOTHING was where I left it!


What he did was install a countertop on the back wall, and move things to fit. Bless his heart, he DID try and put things back in an organized manner, but, being that he's a nonstamping male - his and my idea of an organized stamp room are two different things! He also moved the computer from the office to my room.

Now, before you start thinking about what a wonderful husband he is (yes he is, BUT...), let me tell you WHY he did this.

What he SAYS is, "I wanted to surprise you for our anniversary (which is tomorrow)!" Sweet, right??? What he really was doing was kicking me OUT of his room! He's been telling me for months that he didn't want the computer in his (now) MEDIA room, anymore, and that he wanted it in MY room. He thinks that I "mess his room up" by my spending so much time on the computer, and therefore, Wyatt (including his toys and mess) is too. I didn't want to do this, because there wasn't any room for it. Well, he made room.



While I'm still finding and looking for my beloved treasure - and REorganizing them, I AM getting kind of used to the computer being in here. Below is the pic of how it looks today. I'm still shuffling things around, but all in all, I thank him for it. I love my room.

Tomorrow should bring posted card! I mean, after all, I DO need an anniversary card, right! :)

xox,

kirsten

Monday, June 25, 2007

StampFest Orlando! (Part 1)

So I, along with Mimi and my new friend Milissa (from Serendipity Kits - no pix of her - that's weird?!) drove up to Orlando yesterday to StampFest. We had THE BEST TIME! {As you can see! (wink)} I got to meet Kim (from My Favorite Things), Sherry Cheever, Jeanne Streiff, Christie Ortman (from Paper Pretties), and Kristi Ferro (Kristi Lynn)! Holy links, Batman!

I spent all of the money I brought with me on yummy goodies, had a wonderful road trip with some friends, and got to put some smiling faces to some wonderful blogs/SCS galleries - what could be a better day! Above is (in order from L to R) Kim, Sherry, Me, Jeanne, and Mimi. I'm not sure whose idea this was, but I think the pic turned out hilarious! I think I mentioned something about the Rockettes, and the next thing I knew, my hand was firmly grasped around Jeanne S's thigh! (Wow, I'm lol as I write that! heehee)

Kim is such a sweetheart, and she has the cutest daughters! It was a pleasure to meet her, and the whole family! She asked us over to her house after the show for an IN PERSON Jeanne Copic coloring tutorial, but sadly, we were unable to go, as we had a 2 1/2 hour drive in the opposite direction and families waiting for us. (Super bummed about that...)
Can you see my totally cool MFT bag in the pic!? I LOVE it! And I especially LOVE that it arrived in my home FULL of MFT stamps! :)
Jeanne and Sherry were, as you could probably guess, a riot! I only wish that I could have been there for the whole weekend, shopping with them - because you KNOW that I'll be kicking myself when I see them use something that I now HAVE to have, and could've gotten there at the "Fest"! lol Of course, I'd be coming home a whole lot more broke! ;) It was SO nice to meet them, and I hope that it won't be the last time! Did I hear someone mention StampFest '08, Clearwater??? ;)

This super sweet lady is Christie Ortman (lovinmy4boys), and she came all the way from Canada! Wow, what a trip! It was so nice to meet her! And last, but not least, this is Kristi Ferro. Another totally sweet chick! She is also Kristi Lynn, on SCS. I LOVE being able to put the face to the name! She didn't ring a bell, at first, and then I went on SCS to look her up last night, and thought "oh! I remember seeing her cute stuff!"!
So, as you can see, this is a Part 1. I'll show you all of my loot, and a story or two on another post. This one has enough pix, and my little guy is really hankering for some mommy time! {Plus, I'm going to be late for a playgroup! ;)}
Inky xox,
Kirsten

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Cherish

Reposted: This card and envie were published in the Nov. issue of Cards, pg. 118-119.

This is my first Baroque Motifs card. I am pretty happy with how it turned out. The new PP is going to have to grow on me, although I DID like stamping on it. The colors are kind of uninspiring to work with, but after the card was completed, the colors seemed less boring and more elegant. I also created a matching envie for this card, I got so carried away with the flourish! This set is one that I thought I could do without, until I started seeing what everyone else was doing with it! (Yes, I am ALSO a victim of enabling! :)) I tell ya, SU! really needs to get some SCS input before they start designing their catalogs!

I've been in both a sponging and a organdy melting mood lately! I can't seem to stop doing it! I think, at least for the organdy part, the reason is that I have no other ribbon (and I have a LOT of ribbon) to match the new INs. Anyone else have this problem???

I also used my new Ice Rhinestone Brads from the Preview! I really like them! Mimi and I went in together on the new brads and spit them up, so as not to break the bank! :) They're very yummy!

So, in conclusion, I really like the new set, really LOVE the new INs, and am SO EXCITED to go to StampFest tomorrow! I'll have pix for you when I get back! Have a great weekend!

xox,
k

Fine Print...
Stamp - Baroque Motifs; Baroque Background PP; CS - Burgundy, Olive, Rock, VV; new Brad; Olive Marker; Tool Kit; Cutter Kit; Sponge; Heat Gun; Organdy; Ink - Burgundy, Olive, Rock

Friday, June 22, 2007

3 Little Monkeys

ETA: Check it out! This layout was published in the October/November, '07 issue of Ready-Set-Create, pg.55! Yeah! :)


This is the other page I made for last Thanksgiving. Still working on bettering the pic quality. I think I need to invest in a piece or two of poster board and an Ott Light or two. Hmmm, I'll add that to my must buy list! ;)

All of the Mommies were in the kitchen preparing the food for our big feast, and we heard a bit too much giggling going on, so we went to investigate... This is what we found! Three little monkeys jumping on the bed. There's just not much cuter than 3 two year olds giggling and having fun together!

Hopefully I'll have a card soon for you! TGIF! :)

xox,
k

Fine Print...
Stamps: Rough Edges Alpha, Genuine Article, Stamp of Authenticity, On the Spot, Papertrey Ink (Green Thumb, Faux Ribbon)
Paper: Pumpkin, Marigold, Bazzill White, Doodlebug
Ink: CC, Pumpkin, Marigold, White Craft
Accessories: QuicKutz, Chipboard, May Arts Ribbon, Buttons, Linen Thread, Brads

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Anyone Have Any Ideas...

ETA: Check it out! This layout was published in the October/November, '07 issue of Ready-Set-Create, pg. 70! Yeah! :)


on how to get decent pix of 12x12 scrapbook pages???

This is a page that I made the other day of last Thanksgiving. We had a wonderful day at our friend's house, and this is the first of a double page layout. I hate the pic, but have tried and tried to get a better one, and have failed miserably! Any suggestions would be appreciated!

The journaling talks about how these pix remind me of the book Green Eggs and Ham. "I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like them, Sam I Am!" Then, "Say, I do like green eggs and ham! Thank you, thank you, Sam I Am!" I'm sure that this is self-explanatory, but Wyatt wouldn't eat the yummy dinner we slaved all day over, and then once he tried it, he decided that he loved it!

I'll try to post the other page soon. Not today, though, as this is the 3rd post of the day, already! :)

xox,
K
ETA: I have fiddled around with this pic long enough, BUT, while it's not perfect, I feel like it's "good enough"! I just messed around with the angle that I was taking the pic, and tried to get it completely STRAIGHT ON, and then cropped it. Major pain in the hind end, but I'm much happier with the end result. I know...kind of anal, huh!? ;)

Fine Print...
Doodlebug PP; Caramel, CC, and Pumpkin CS; HPH; May Arts Ribbon; Circle Punches; White Craft ink; Black Just Journaling Pen

Happy News!


So, I noticed that I got a comment on SCS for this card from Shadowcatcher. I went on over there and checked it out, and it said "congrats on your win...". Well, I headed straight over to CPS, and found this post.
They announced their "Final Prize Winners" for their Card Contest that they had a few weeks ago, and I'm one of them! Yeah!
I won the Prism Papers Prize Pack, which I've totally been drooling over, so I'm super psyched right now!
Had to share! Have a wonderful evening!
xox,
k

Pamper Yourself

This is a card that I created with my first Impression Obsession stamp set. I think that I'm happy with how it turned out. I had a gift certificate to use at their site, and this set is one of the things that I found there. Their stamps are of a slightly different style than I usually gravitate towards, but the images in this set (Rest, Relax, and Enjoy) are very comfy looking, and sorta "shabby chic", so I chose this. There is a chair, bathtub, bunny slippers, sentiment, and this robe in the set. They are pretty when colored. I paired the robe up with my MFT set for the sentiments. The flowers are from Carte Postale, and I used my PTI Faux Ribbon set for the other detail.

On a side note... A friend of mine said to me today that she didn't like the last card that I posted because it wasn't my usual cutesy style. Well, I say we shouldn't stick with a particular style for every card that we make. I like to challenge myself to create different looks for my cards, so that I don't get stuck in a rut, you don't get bored of looking at them, and I don't get bored of making them! So my challenge to you is to stretch your creativity, and make a card that is totally outside of your "usual style", post it somewhere, and link it here. I'd love to see it!

xox,
kirsten

P.S. Small tip - True Thyme looks great stamped on River Rock.
P.S.S. That friend that I mentioned is STILL one of my very bestest friends, and one of the reasons I love her is her honesty! :)

Fine Print...
CS - Pomegranate, Guava, Sky, Rock, VV; Word Window; Tool Kit; Brads; Organdy; Sponge; Ink Pads and Aqua Painter to color

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Missing You

Yeah! I LOVE the new INs! I only ordered the multipack of the new colors, so far, but I'm SO getting the big ones...SOON! Soft Sky and Blue Bayou look so pretty together, and I like all of the other ones (almost) just as much!
*
This is also the first time that I played with this set, Touch of Nature, and I really like this one as well! I watercolored the bird/branch with all of the new INs, plus C. Chip on Watercolor Paper, then sponged the edges of the piece with the Blue Bayou. I heated the ribbon with my heat gun to "ruffle" it a bit - be careful NOT to over do it! When the organdy starts to melt, it really goes fast! The little charm tag says Missing You, and I stamped that in Encore Gold. The little pearls are from Ellen's Store.

Happy Hump Day, and I'll talk to you soon!

xox,
Kirsten

Fine Print...
CS - Guava, Sky, Bayou, CC, WCP; Stamps - FFP, Touch of Nature; Pearls; Gold Cord; Cream Organdy; Tool Kit; Sponge; Ink - Stazon Black, Gold Encore, and ink pads to color

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

StampFest, Here I Come!

So I have no cards for you today! I've been feeling less than motivated to get into my stamp room the past coupla days. :( It will be/has been a very busy week! I DO have 2 scrapbook pages to show you, but I can't get a descent pic of them to save my life, and it's cloudy today, so it'll have to wait till tomorrow. I even got my new In Colors that I'm dying to play with, but such is life...

I AM excited about one thing this week, though...STAMPFEST ORLANDO! I'm going up there on Sunday, with my sweet friend Mimi, and I can hardly wait! Rubber Romance, Inky Antics, Impression Obsession, and especially Kim from MFT will be there (among many other vendors), so it's sure to be a good time! I can't wait! I'll have my camera in tow, too, so look for some pix on Monday!

Hopefully, I'll have some eye candy for you tomorrow!

Inky xox,
k

Monday, June 18, 2007

Life's Simple Pleasures

Now, I only have one more House Mouse stamp to make into a card. I was inspired to buy this stamp, in honor of my mom, who loved hummingbirds. I also figured that there were a variety of sentiments that could go with this, in with it getting hotter this time of year, it just looked refreshing! This one was sort more challenging to color, due to the "layers" (ie., lemon and straw). I colored it with my Prismacolor Pencils, and the sentiment says "life's simple pleasures". There is also Stardust pen on the lemon and word "pleasures", though you can't tell in the picture.

Well, I hope that you all have a wonderful Monday. Tomorrow, I have another scrapbook page, and hopefully, also a card!

xox,
Kirsten

Fine Print...
PP - Three Bugs in a Rug; CS - Galore, Pretty, WW, CC, Saffron; Tool Kit; Ribbon - May Arts, SU!; Brads; Stardust Pen; Markers (CC and Pretty); Prismacolor Pencils

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Red White and Boom

This is the other page that I made on my Crop Night. I took the pic in the grass, and I though that, with the theme, I wouldn't crop it out! This is from the Fourth of July (obviously, right!?) last year. I'm fairly happy with how it turned out.
I should have a card for you soon! Hope you had a great weekend!

xox,
kirsten

Fine Print...
Love It; Ink - Red, Navy, and Mustard Craft; White Gel Pen; Heidi Swapp Letters; Red Tag CB Alpha; Kraft and Navy CS; PP - Karen Foster; May Arts Ribbon; Bazzill Brads

Friday, June 15, 2007

Father's Day Cards, Part II

If you read yesterday's morning post, then you know what this post is about! These are the other two Father's Day cards that I made for the special men in my life. The above card is for my dad, who is all about the recliner! I reverse masked and sponged the Summer Sun, to create a square in which to stamp the recliner. I also pieced the recliner with some more PP (as if it needed any more, right!?! lol). The circle was made with the Marvy Mega punch, and the sentiment is from My Favorite Things.
This card is for my other FIL, whom we just visited in TX. I used the Marvy punches again with this, and sponged the "table" (masking the fan), using a sticky note and Going Gray ink. I have had the hardest time with this fan, and there's no real reason why. Frustrating, I tell ya! Anywho, there is a little yellow Twinkle Sticker in the fan center.

Well, I hope that you enjoyed these little cards (all are 4 1/4 squares), and I hope that you, too, have a FAN-tastic day! (I know, corny! heehee)

xox,
k

Fine Print...
Stamps - A Muse, MFT; Marvy punches; May Arts (green) and SU! ribbon; AC PP; Papertrey CS; Ink - Olive, Gray, Ruby, Sun

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Finally I Scrap!!!

I had my MOMS Club girls over last night again, and I finally got some scrappin' done (last time I made a card or two!). SO, as promised, here is one of the two pages that I created yesterday.
This is Wyatt and my Dad hangin' out on the couch, all snuggly, with Wyatt and his coolio spaceship jammies. I just loved how relaxed and happy they both looked - it's hard to catch a 2 year old with a look of happy contentment!
The paper/layers aren't really crooked, I just had to crop it that way to remove my ugly sidewalk from the edges of the pic! LOL
This page was lightly inspired by a layout by Janna Wilson, from this month's BHG Scrapbooks Etc. I needed a slight bit of "umph" to get me going again.
Possible details of interest...I used one of my QuicKutz Goosebumps dies on the arrow (also a QuicKutz die), and inked it with some Garden Green. I doodled
around the Marvy punch with my White Gel Pen. The stars are stamped on a transparency with White Stazon, and the astronaut is stamped with Brocade Craft ink. The cutey spaceship brads were a gift from my friend, Mimi. The match perfectly with this page!
Well, this turned out to be a late post! I've got 2 more Father's Day cards to post tomorrow, so I'll see you then! Dave rented Music and Lyrics for us (me, and him appeasing me!) to watch tonight!

xox,
k

Fine Print...
PP - Reminisce; CS - Red, Brocade, Transparency; Marvy punches; White Gel Pen; SU! ribbon; Stamps - Autumn Leaves (Astroboy) and All in a Row; QuicKutz; Corner Rounder; Brads (?); Heidi Swapp alpha

Father's Day Cards, Part I

This is a set of four cards that I created for Father's Day. I thought I'd stick with simple this year for all of the dad's in our lives. Each card is made with A Muse stamps and this Play line of American Crafts.

The above card is for my hubby. I used the Big Block with my Summer Sun pad to make the yellow background. The lamp and chair were pieced with the PP. I covered the seam created from the Marvy square punches by the ribbon.


This card is for my FIL who loves to fish. His idea of relaxation is a good fishing trip. The sentiment is from MFT, and the circle is the Marvy Mega Circle.

I hope that they like them, and you too, because I'll have two more tomorrow! lol

I actually got some scrappin' done last night with my MOMS Club group! I'll be posting a pic later today, so check back! :)

Happy Thursday!

xox,

k

Fine Print...

Papertrey White CS; AC PP; Marvy punches; SU! Ribbon; Slit and 1/8 SU! punches; Ink - Palette Burnt Umber, Ruby, Olive, CC Marker; Stamps - MFT, A Muse

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

You Asked For It...

***At the end of this post, I've edited to answer some of your very good questions!***


I've listened to all of your comments from yesterday's Nuggets, and so many of you said that you wanted to learn more about Prismacolor Pencils, Gamsol, and Stumps.


Well here goes! First of all, I'll give you a little info about what those things are. The Prismacolor Pencils are a high quality "art brand" of pencils, NOT watercolor pencils. They blend real nicely, and they're really smooth to color with. They come in a myriad of colors (I was lucky enough to receive the set of 120 for my birthday!). I absolutely LOVE mine. They create such vivid and smooth colors, as you can see from today's dinosaur (another one courtesy of Ana:)).



Gamsol (picture of the container that I purchased is to the right) is the blending medium usually used with the pencils. It is odorless mineral spirits. (I'm not sure if regular mineral spirits would work? If someone knows that answer, let me know!) I purchased one of those pump bottles that nail techs use to produce a "puddle" of the Gamsol in a little "well" when the top of the pump is pushed. I think that this works best for me. I bought mine at a local place, called Craft Depot, though I'm sure it can be found at most art stores.
The Gamsol is "applied" or used with Stumps. These are sort of like paper pencils. They are densely wrapped "sticks" that can be sharpened with sand paper, or an emery board. With the Gamsol and the friction of the "rubbing", the stump breaks down the wax in the pencil, and allows you to easily blend colors. They come in a variety of sizes, and are sold at craft stores like Michael's.

*******

Now enough of that pseudo-scientific stuff! The very top picture shows how I almost always start out for a project like this. I have my stamped image, Prismas, Mug-o-Stumps, bottle of Gamsol, and the patterned paper that I want to match the image up to.

The third pic shows what I do first. I outline the image with all of the colors that I "think" I want to use, making sure to pay particular attention to the "shade marks". On this particular image, they used little dots and lines. I make sure that the color is especially dark there.

Next thing I do is lightly, with the side of my pencil, color in the rest of the image. If you make the marks too dark, they are sometimes difficult to blend. I said above the colors I "think" I want, because some colors look lighter when they're "gamsoled", and some look darker, so many times I need to adjust accordingly. The beauty of the pencils, though, like I said before, is that the colors blend very nicely.

The next picture shows me, and my finely manicured hands (yeah, right!), using the stumps. Make sure, if you're thinking of taking the plunge with these pencils, that you also grab one of those erasers (Magic Rub) when you're at the store. It's a miracle worker. Not only will it erase mistakes, but it also is a shading tool!

As you can see in the next pic, I'm "recoloring" the yellow. I'm doing this because I wasn't matching closely enough to the yellow in the PP.

Do you see the slight light area in his face? That is supposed to be there. You can either color it that way from the beginning, OR use your eraser to remove the color. THEN reblend it with your stump. The idea is to blend the color in from the outside edges, so that when you get to the center of the image, you have less color, looking like light reflecting off the image - making it more life-like.

The next pic shows the dino fully colored in the yellow areas, but it needs some more shading. Also, it shows the "grass and sky" around the dino. Like "inside" the dino, I paid close attention to where the artist placed the shading marks. (The beauty of a Whipper Snapper stamp! House Mouse stamps are even MORE shade-friendly!) I blended the grass by "pulling" the color from the "foot-line" down till the color runs out. This technique creates an even shade and an elevated "mound". I did the same thing with the blue, pulling it out from the body.

This next picture (we're almost done!) shows the nearly finished product. I colored the orange area (don't know what that thing's called!) and nose, spikes, and nails. I decided to add a bit more shading with a shade darker pencil for both the yellow and orange areas. This just adds more depth. Again, I concentrated on the all of the image lines, and blended.

He's pretty bright, but I think he turned out pretty cute. Keep scrolling down, you're nearly there! :)



So here it is! The completed card. I hope that I didn't disappoint or bore you to tears with this tutorial! I apologize for the extreme wordiness, but I don't know how to describe the process in any other way! If you have any other questions, regarding the Prismacolor Pencils, please don't hesitate to email me.

[Reposted: This card was published in the Nov. issue of Cards, pg.165.]

Have a super great Hump Day, and I'll see you tomorrow!

xox,
k

**********
ETA: A couple of people had some good questions that I wanted to address - I knew I'd forget something! lol First, YES Stampin' Up! Whisper White is what I use for this technique, NOT Watercolor Paper. I tried that on an earlier card, and I really had to "scrub" the colors to blend them. (Thanks, Leslie!)

Also, I use the Palette Noir ink for this, rather than the Stazon, because the Gamsol will make the Stazon bleed. Basic Black should work okay, too, though.

And lastly, the dragonfly is one of my tattoos. (Blushing.) There were a few of you who got it right! But the several comments about it being a metaphor for me in my crafting journey, etc... really made me smile! ;) I'm kind of sorry that it wasn't more insightful than that, now! LOL (Thanks for reminding me, Heather!)


Fine Print...
Stamps - Whipper Snapper, Papertrey; CS - Red, WW, Sun, Pumpkin, Galore (sponged with Olive to better match the paper); Ticket Corner punch; May Arts ribbon; SU! Oval Punches; Imaginisce PP; Twinkle Stickers; and of course, Prismacolor Pencils, Stumps, Gamsol

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

And We Have a Winner...

I just had the number 90 randomly drawn from www.random.org, and, assuming my counting is correct, the winner for this Naptime Nuggets is Susan Liles!!! Here is her comment...
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Susan Liles (susiestampalot) said...
kirsten, congratulations on the blog milestone!! cool! as far as tutorials---i NEED someone to give me instruction on working with glitter and the many ways to do it! i managed to dump a whole container of it on myself the other day. so please include how NOT to do that!!
June 9, 2007 11:16 AM
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Hooray for you, Susan! Please email me with your home addy, and I'll get this shipped off to you as soon as I can!
As for the glitter, I'll have to work on that one, as I don't use glitter a whole lot, though it WAS a popular suggestion, so I'll be thinking about it! I DO have a tutorial for everyone tomorrow, however! (Here's a hint, it was one of the most requested tutorials...) Hopefully it will be helpful to someone! :) See you then!

xox,
kirsten

A Scent-Sational Day!

**Today's the day! Leave your comment on the Come One, Come All! post today before noon, so you don't miss out on some Naptime Nuggets!** This is a cutey little card I made for the Featured Stamper #18 challenge for Sunday. The FS for this week is seewah, or Sarah Vrolyk. She is a super talented chick, make sure you check out her gallery!

The card that I chose to case is this one. I made several changes, but kept the color combo, stamps, and general layout. I used Jen's "faux eyelet" technique on the Marvy scallop punch, and placed it on point with the cutey skunk in the center. The sentiment is stamped on a transparency with White Stazon.

This was the first time I actually played along! It was fun, but then again, I had some good inspiration!

See you later this afternoon for the announcement of the winner!

xox,

k
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Fine Print...
CS - Passion, WW, BB, Transparency; Marvy punch; Ribbon (?); Rectangle punch (SU!); Tool Kit; Stamps - A Muse

Monday, June 11, 2007

Love This Paper!

Reposted: This card and envie were published in the Nov. issue of Cards, pg. 116-117.

**Make sure that you check out my Come One, Come All! post for your chance to win some yummy Naptime Nuggets - one ONE day left!**

This card was made with paper designed by one of my favorite fabric designers! Amy Butler recently started designing scrapbook paper, as well, and I love it!

I was playing around with an upcoming watercolor tutorial (it looks to be one the clear favorites in the Naptime Nugget post, though I think I'm going to scrap it, and start over - pix didn't turn out great), and came up with this card. I LOVE this MFT stamp, and I think "the ladies" look great with this paper. I used my QuicKutz Revolution die for the scallop around the main image, and added some doodling. The ribbon is May Arts.

Hope you have a wonderful Monday, and remember, tomorrow is the end of this Naptime Nuggets contest. I've read every comment, and already have my next tutorial's pix taken, so stay tuned on Wednesday to check it out!

xox,
Kirsten

Saturday, June 9, 2007

Little Baby Bee

**Make sure that you check out my Come One, Come All! post for your chance to win some Naptime Nuggets!** This is a card that I made the other night, feeling very sleepy, but still enjoying stamping with a good friend. I was able to borrow this stamp set from Mimi (said good friend), and stamp a few images on some of my new Baby Bee Crate Paper. I love how these silhouettes look on the colored paper. The stamps are from Stampendous, and the set is called Sassy Silhouettes. I also used my Papertrey set for the sentiment, and I don't know if you can tell, but there is Stickles on the bkgd paper.

I'm so enjoying all of the comments for the Naptime Nuggets! My mind is buzzing with upcoming tutorials! For a couple of the suggestions, though, I'd need my OWN tutorial first! LOL And for the dragonfly question, some of those answers are very interesting, as well! Keep 'em coming, and have a great weekend!!!
xox,
k
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Fine Print...
Crate Paper; Celery and BB CS; Black Stazon, Black Craft; Stickles; Marvy Punches; Brads; Ribbon - May Arts; Stamps - Stampendous, Papertrey Ink

Diane's Sweet BRAK


A BRAK (in case you're not familiar) is a Splitcoast Blogger Random Act of Kindness card that was sent to you from another person in the BRAK group. You can join through the SCS RAK group. (If you have more questions on this, just shoot me an email.) This particular one was made by Diane Gilbert. Isn't it SO cute! I love the Aida bkgd and the little "stickled" flowers! Thanks so much, Diane!
Make sure that you check out all of her other creations at her blog, My Little Stampin' Spot.

Friday, June 8, 2007

Come One, Come All!

I can't believe that this blog has surpassed 40,000 hits, already, and has 260 email subscribers... I think it's time to say THANK YOU with some Naptime Nuggets!
Shamefully, I mentioned this forEVer ago, and am only just now getting to it, BUT here it is... (Sorry the pic is so dark! Click on it for a better view.)

Here is what the package is...
1 Best Blossoms Stamp set
1 box of white Adornments
1 handful of yummy Primas, and
3 yards of delicious May Arts ribbon

What do you do??? Just leave me a comment on this post by Tuesday at NOON (EST) and tell me what tutorial you would like to see here on this blog. I know that people appreciate them and I wouldn't mind doing them, but I don't want to be redundant, or bore you to tears with something that you've already read on another blog! If, however, you'd like to know more about a particular subject that you've seen on this blog, please leave a comment.
OR
If you're not interested in tutorials at all, you could just comment to tell me...hmmm, let's see...what you think the significance of the dragonfly is on my banner/watermark. (That might be kind of easy, but should be fun for me to read, anyways!)
I will draw a random number with one of those really scientific-type number drawing websites, on Tuesday afternoon and announce the winner. Have fun!

xox,
k

PS And Jeanine and Mimi, please don't answer the second question! {wink}

Blueberry Martini, Baby!

This is for a friend of mine who turns 30 today! (This is also the card that I made for my Bella swap.) I hope that she likes it. Happy Birthday, Jeanine!!!

We went out to Outback for another friend's birthday a couple of weeks ago, and I tried a Blueberry Martini (yum). I shared it with the girls, because it was THAT good. That's why Miss Bella has a blue martini. (It even has a blueberry on a toothpick! ;))

This is the first of a few posts today, so check back often, because remember, I'm posting Naptime Nuggets today!!!

xox,
k

Fine Print...
PP - SU! Sarah; CS - WCP, Brocade, and Celery; SU! Ribbon; Cuttlebug; SU! Brads; Marvy Punch; Ink Pads to color, and Black Stazon; Tool Kit; Stamps - Cosmobella, A Muse

Thursday, June 7, 2007

Is This Guy Cute, Or What???

This is one of the cutey images from Ana, that I got in the mail yesterday. I love him, and may have to go buy the stamp! LOL I like how he turned out. I colored him, as usual, with my Prismacolor Pencils, and may have gone a bit overboard on the background coloring, but I think I like the way it kind of blends into the green PP behind it. I used my Big Pieces to stamp a flower behind the sentiment with Lovely Lilac. I stamped off 3x first, though, so that it would match the purple on the PP that I managed to almost completely cover up with the sentiment! LOL Oh well, such is life!

Tomorrow, I'll have a Bella for you AND the long awaited Naptime Nuggets! See you then!

xox,
k

Fine Print...
PP - Imaginisce; CS - Teal, WW, Passion, Lilac; Punches - Marvy, SU! (Slit and Circles); Ribbon - SU!; Brads - Bazzill; Prismacolor Pencils; Stamps - Whipper Snapper, Papertrey Ink (Faux Ribbon)

Check THIS Out!

{I can't believe I almost forgot this!}
Isn't this card gorgeous?!? I LOVED it when I saw it on Miss Ana's blog a while back (a blog that I LOVE!), and yesterday, I opened up my mail, and there it was! It's even more pretty IRL! She used Stickles on the butterflies, and now, thanks to this card, I MUST have more colors of Stickles!
And if the card wasn't enough, she sent all of these yummy images! I can't wait till Naptime!!!
Thanks, Ana! You ROCK!

Have You Seen My Mojo???

Okay, so I think I have it back now, but this is the card that I made while looking for it. I'm not crazy about this, but got tired of fiddling with it. So, I'm letting it go, and posting it. After all, like Amy said in a post a while ago, withholding the cards you're not crazy about could be construed as false advertisement, right??? Kind of like guys say about push-up bras??? Well, I don't know about that, but since I've nothing better to show you right now, here it is...

Oh yeah, did you notice my coolio new watermark??? Dina Kowal designed it for me, and I'm thrilled with it! Did you notice that it matches my banner??? No, probably not, but it does. She was wonderful to work with, and I'll definitely go back to her again! Make sure you check her out here.

I plan to do some serious stamping later, so there MAY be something posted later on, so check back!

And I promise, that I'm getting to that Naptime Nuggets! {Now that I'm now at 40,000 (!!!), and I first mentioned 20,000!}

xox,

Kirsten

Fine Print... A Muse stamps, AC PP and ribbon, Papertrey Ink (white) and SU! (Thyme) CS, SU! Ink (Night of Navy)

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Bizzy as a Bee

So this has been a slow blog week so far. I'm hoping to get something new for you tomorrow. I've been busy completing a Bella swap (will post card on Friday) and mailing cards out that were accepted for a publication in October (yeah!). Today, I was exhausted, and got nothing done. :(
Hope all you in Blogville are having a much more relaxing week!

xox, and talk more soon!
Kirsten

Monday, June 4, 2007

Take Two of These, And...


You know the rest! I'm on a roll with the House Mouse stamps! I have a couple more to go, and then I'm going to offer a House Mouse image swap. Several of you said that you had some of these stamps, and I thought that we could "share the love", and trade some images, since there are so many of them. Let me know if you're interested, and once I've made cards with the other two, you can just check my House Mouse label on my side bar to see which images I have.

Now for the card... I was trying to expand my "layout" horizons with this. That is the hardest part for me. I know that there are plenty of wonderful sketches out there (ie., Beate, Amy, SCS), but I like to have cards that are "just mine" once in a while! I've been trying to submit more cards, and I can't do that if I've CASED a layout. KWIM???

Anywho, I used some yummy Crate Paper for this, and took colors from those papers. I used my Giga and Mega punches for the card corner accents, trying to take advantage of more papers. For the main image photo corner, I cut two 1in squares, folded them in half, and trimmed off the corners. (I know that AmyR did a tutorial on photo corners, but I didn't read it, so this may be old information to you!) Lastly, I added my super yummy May Arts ribbon, that I got from Jacksonbelle Embellishments. (You've got to check out Lindsey's store - AWESOME service!)

Happy Monday, and I'll be back soon!

xox,
k

Fine Print...
PP - Crate Paper; CS - Ruby, WW; Stamps - Papertrey, House Mouse; Prismacolor Pencils; Brads; May Arts Ribbon; White Gel Pen; Marvy Punches; Ink - Palette Noir, Ruby, Perfect Plum

Saturday, June 2, 2007

Thank you, Mammaw!

This card is for Wyatt's Mammaw (or my mom-in-law). We not only had a great time in TX visiting her, but she also got me lots of goodies, including, but not limited to, the outfit that I'm wearing today, and this adorable stamp! She's just starting out stamping, and bought this stamp, while we were at Hobby Lobby. I asked her to stamp a few, while I was there, and must have looked real pitiful, because she ended up giving it to me! :) I love this, and am starting to love all House Mouse stamps! Again, they're so much fun to color! I also got this AC paper at Hobby Lobby, along with several other pieces. (Only $0.30 a piece! You don't find AC paper for that in my area!)

I sponged the main image and added the brads and photo corner (Cuttlebug). All in a Row (one of my absolute FAV SU! stamp sets) was used for the dots above and below the main image. I rounded the top corner, and added some yummy ribbon.

Well, that's about it for now. I'd better finish this up since Wyatt is liable to run in at any moment (outside with Daddy) with another emergency. Hope your evening is more relaxing!

xox,
Kirsten

Fine Print...
PP - AC, CS - C. Chip and WW, Cuttlebug, Prismacolor Pencils, Brads, May Arts and SU! Ribbon, Stamps - House Mouse, Papertrey, and All in a Row, Corner Rounder, Sponge

Friday, June 1, 2007

Relax!

I SO wish that this pic was brighter, but it's rainy here today (good for the fires, but bad for pictures!), and this is the best pic I could get. Maybe I'll retake it tomorrow if it's nicer outside. Anywho...

This is another MFT card, and I had so much fun with this. The "wallpaper" was cut out of some AC striped paper. The mirror frame was cut out of a piece of Going Grey, and the actual mirror was cut from a piece of CS Vellum (over top of the striped PP) to make it look like the reflection of the opposite wall was all fogged up. I used some Chrystal Effects on the wine glass, and plenty of Stardust pen and Platinum Stickles on the bubbles. The sentiment was embossed with Silver EP, and the image was colored with my Prismacolor Pencils.

LOTS of details. Not a card I would send to just anyone. My DH even said, "Geesh, Honey, next thing you know you'll be designing sailboats in bottles!" Men...they just don't understand...

Hopefully, I'll have lots of stamping time this weekend. I hope that you will too! Talk soon!

xox,
Kirsten

Fine Print...
PP - AC; CS - Gray, Vellum, and WW; MFT Stamps; Prismacolor Pencils, Gamsol, Stumps (from now on, just know that when I'm using my Prisma Pencils, I'm also using Gamsol and Stumps); Stardust Pen; Platinum Stickles; SU! and AC Ribbon; Tool Kit; Ink - Palette Noir and Versamark; Silver EP; Chrystal Effects; Gray Marker