Monday, April 29, 2013

Penny Black Dahlias

Penny Black Dahlias by judkajudy
I wanted my card to have a "royal" look and so I chose purple Copics to colorr the Dahlias from Penny Black's transparent set "Dahlias".

The white loops are new border die cut from Memory Box called "Benjamin Border".  The patterned paper (which I thought went very well with my "royal" theme) is from Penny Black's Madison paper pad. "Blessings" is from a Penhy Black transparent set "Tree-mendous".

Couldn't resist adding a few white dots to my flower and a couple of white butterfliies just to brighten things up!!

I am concerned that I have become a collector of metal dies!! There are so many out there now and I think they add so much! I have a friend, Sally, who has become my "die dealer".  She has access to a LSS and enables me beautifully!!

We are enjoying 70 degree weather today with sunshine; a welcome change from the weekend's stormy weather! So happy you came to visit! Hope your Monday was good!

Friday, April 26, 2013

Penny Black "Angel Among Us"

Penny Black "Angel Among Us" by judkajudy
I could hug this cutie until her wings rattle!! This is a Mo Manning image from Penny Black and the minute she came out of the package, I had to ink her up. I smiled the entire time I colored her with Copic markers.

Of course, I had to add dimensional wings with glittery accents!! I mounted the image on polka dotted pp from Penny Black's Madison 6x6 pad. Like their stamps, their paper goes from cute to elegant, and bold to pastel.

Mo Manning makes irresistible baby and kids' drawings; would love to own them all!

I'm entering this into a new challenge blog I found, aptly named "Mo's Challenge". The current challenge is to create a card using one of her images colored in pastels. You can check it out
here

I must put away the stamping toys for now. The weekend is coming and tradition says I must clean house ... or maybe go out to lunch with a friend ...

Thanks for stopping by! And it's ok if you pinch this little sweetie's cheeks as you leave.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Share Laughter

Share Laughter by judkajudy
This set has always been one of my very favorite Hero Arts sets. The flower and the leaves go so well together.

I used Hero Arts midtone inks, Butter Bar, Pale Tomato and Soft Olive and charcoal. I am prepared to toss all my other ink pads in favor of these midtone inks! I added a wooden butterfly, topped with bubbles! Just cause I could!!

I am also entering this into the CASology challenge where the word is "giggle". Bubbles make me giggle!! And my sentiment includes the word "laughter": close enough!!





Another rainy day today which means I don't have to water the new rose bushes today. So glad you stopped by.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Poppies by Penny Black

Poppies by Penny Black by judkajudy
This little stamp has escaped ink even though I've owned it for a couple of years! Coloring it with Copics has brought this sweet image to life! One of my favorite color themes is black, white and red and that seemed so right for these poppies!

 That's a Sizzix texture folder providing the chevrons and dots in the background. Isn't it fun that I don't have to choose between dots or chevrons, I can have both!! And of course, I still have some bubbles left!! They remind me of dew drops just waiting to land on those flowers ....
I am entering this card in the CAS-ual Fridays CAS challenge to make a birthday card.

                    

We are planting Knock Out rose bushes today. The weather finally looks reasonable for planting. These roses are supposed to bloom from spring until the first frost in the fall. According to the tag, they need little or no maintenace .. just water and enjoy!! My kind of flowers!!

I am so pleased you stopped by today ... hope you can plant roses where you live pretty soon!

Friday, April 19, 2013

Penny Black To You

Penny Black To You by judkajudy
Penny Black has some of the most beautiful floral stamps on the market!! I love this bouquet from the transparent To You set! Wouldn't it make a great Mother's Day card?

Colored the flowers with Copics and added white enamel dots. Tied a twine bow and added a tag. That lovely background paper was a gift from my friend Sally who spoils me!! And of course, one of my new bubble buttons just because I could!!

I discovered a Penny Black challenge blog called "Penny Black and More" and I will be entering this card in their current challenge "Blossoms and Bows". The challenge runs all month, so you have time to enter, too!

Another dreary, rainy day! I know the trees and flowers love it, but the humans I know are weary of so much water!!!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope the April showers are bringing May flowers to your corner of the world!

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Penny Black Hedgie Friends

Penny Black Hedgie Friends by judkajudy
Whenever I need a dose of "cute" I reach for my Penny Black Hedgie stamps; this one is from a transparent set called "Hedgie Friends". I think it is most appropriate for Spring and April showers.

The idea of using sequins for rain drops is Julie Ebersole's and I thought it was so genius that I blatantly copied it!! The stripes are made from Washi tape. I added glossy accents to Hedgie's feet, and the umbrella and puddle.

A fun card to make and a fun card to send. I am so happy you stopped by today.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Penny Black Blooming Garden

Penny Black Blooming Garden by judkajudy

After seeing Iwona's CAS card on the Penny Black blog this morning, I was inspired to try one of my own.

I love the Blooming Garden set because it has five beautiful flowers to choose from. Spring is all about tulips and sunshine and rain. I knew I wanted to use some of my Washi tape that I buy and collect but seldome use!!

And I couldn't wait to use my new "bubbles", recently purchased at Michael's. I may put a bubble on every card I make ... they make me happy! And if you don't care for bubbles, call them raindrops!

We are wallowing in Spring!! Sunshine, breezes, warm temperatures, blooming trees and a happy dog playing in the yard!

If Spring hasn't reached your part of the world, enjoy the bright yellow tulips of my card! And thank you so much for your visit.

Monday, April 15, 2013

The Last Rose

The Last Rose by judkajudy
This is an image from a line of stamps called Gor Juss. I fell in love with the moodiness of the sample card and had to try to imitate that look.

I didn't think I could do it with Copics, so used watercolor pencils (Inktense) and a water brush. I like the "looseness" of the color!


I've decided to enter this card in the Watercolor Wonder Challenge at the Moxie Fab World blog.  This is first for me ... the talent there is amazing!

I made a card wtih the second stamp I bought in this series, but managed to ruin the coloring while trying to "fix it a little"!! Sometimes it's just hard to stop!!

I'm enjoying the freedom that watercoloring brings!! I look forward to making a more cheerful version of this image soon!

Thank you for stopping by on this beautiful Spring day!!!

Saturday, April 13, 2013

A Challenge

100_5177 by judkajudy
Jacqueline, a frequent contributor to the Flickr gallery at the Hero Arts blog, makes beautiful collage cards and tags.

Recently, after a discussion about inchies, she issued a challenge to make what she has called a "grid tag". It is a style patterned after an inchie template, but using only three tags.

I used the word "birthday" to further delineate the grid and added embellishments in each section. What began looking like a masculine card, ended up being feminine because of the embellishments I chose.

I am happy with the way this turned out but wish it hadn't taken me half a day to decide how to go about making a grid tag!!

It was an absolutely beautiful Saturday here! I hope Spring is making its way to your part of the world!! Thank you for stopping by!!

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Skyland Birds Printable

Skyland Birds Printable by judkajudy
One of the challenges this month on the Hero Arts blog is to use a Printable. A Hero Arts Printable is not the same as their digital stamps. Printables are a pdf file that prints out ready to use. While possible to make the image smaller using the printer functions on your printer, they cannot be made larger.

I printed out the sheet of "Skyland Birds" and chose the birds on a branch image for my main focus. I cut up one of the collage images and made my own mini collage in the right hand corner.

After coloring with Copic markers, I distressed the entire card with Scattered Straw distress ink. I stacked two of the wooden bird embellishments I just added to my embelli collection!

Printables are a good way to go if you have not tried any digi images. You just print them out; no special software programs needed (other than Adobe reader, which usually is installed on your computer already). They are ready to go! The fast food of the digital world! No need to Supersize, either!!

It is a glorious day where I live!! Tomorrow is to be rainy and stormy so I will do my errands today and enjoy the trees in bloom and the bright sunshine!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Cooper

Cooper by judkajudy
Guess who burried his rawhide "bone" in the backyard this morning! And guess who got a bath!!

This picture reminds me of our kids' birthday photos after they had dived into their chocolate birthday cake!

Cooper keeps us busy!

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Printable Butterfly

Printable Butterfly by judkajudy
One of the options for the Hero Arts Challenge this month is to use one of the several "printable" images available in the Hero Arts store. These are images that print in pdf format, no complicated software neede! Just print, color, cut and use as desired.  I chose to use the Printable titled "Winged Friends".

I white embossed the Leafy Vine image on patterned paper purchased on clearance at WalMart!! I originally colored the butterfly in a bright array of colors using my Inktense water color pencils. The colors seemed too intense and gave the appearance of a striped butterfly!! Not what I had imagined at all!

In order to tone down and blend my colors I went over the image several times using my Tumbled Glass distress ink applied with the blending tool. Much better!!

Ala Cathy A. I added white enamel dots for texture and more interest. What does not show up in the photo is the delicate shimmer from the Pearl Glimmer Mist. The moisture from the Glimmer Mist spray enabled me to gently curve the wings of the butterfly for a more natural look.

Because the butterfly is so large, I made this card larger, 5x7 inches. The sentiment is from a Hero Arts clear set, Special Note of Thanks.

All in all, I am happy with the way it turned out. Printables are an easy and inexpensive way to add to the images at your disposal for making just the right card!!  I learned how to make the printable images smaller after I had made this card; easy peasy!!  Next time, a smaller version of this card.

Another cold, rainy day here in Huntsville!! So glad you stopped by; your visits add sunshine to my day!

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Coloring with PrismaColor Pencils on Kraft

Coloring with PrismaColor Pencils on Kraft by judkajudy.
I follow the tutorials produced in the "Academy" of My Favorite Things. The latest tutorial was coloring with PrismaColor pencils on kraft.

The tutorial states it is not necessary to use Gamsol or other medium to blend the colors. However, I prefer the look of blending and so that is what I did, using Gamsol.

I used my reverse wonky rectangle Nestie to cut out the image and mounted it on kraft that had been embossed with a wood grain pattern. The little butterfly is done with a Martha Stewart punch.

I am on the hunt for the perfect white pen. I have so many that don't work or if they work, it is only for a short time!! Here's the link to the "Academy" at My Favorite Things:  Academy


Have a great day!! I am enjoying time off from household chores due to my cleaning frenzy preparing for Easter company!!

Thanks for stopping by!!