SSS I Was Wrong the Christmas Version

*This post contains affiliate links to Simon Says Stamp.

Happy Halloween!  I'm bucking the current holiday and sharing a Christmas card instead.

This card has been percolating in my head ever since I saw this card that Beth Opel created.

I immediately thought of this quote from Elf and then remembered that I actually had a stamp with that quote...Mama Elephant's retired Alpine Carolers set.

I stamped the kids and speech bubble from my I Was Wrong stamp set with Gina K Amalgam ink on Neenah Solar White cardstock, and used Copics to color.

I used R22, R24, and R29 for the reds, YR0000, YR000, and Y31 for the skin, E13, E15, and E18 for the little boy's hair, and Y21, E31, and E33 for the little girl's hair.

For the background, I thought about inking it, but decided to go with Copics instead, using G03, G05, G09, and G17.

I added some gray accents around the inside of the speech bubble using C1 and C2, and then stamped the sentiment with Versa Claire black.

I decided that it needed a little something else, so I masked off the stamped images, and added some snow using paste and the Falling Snow stencil.

This was lots of fun to make and had me smiling the whole time!

Found items and a Mish Mash of Companies

Hi all!  We're freshly back from vacation and I'm simultaneously digging out from being gone, and gearing up for school to start for the girls.  One of the benefits of my recent craft room cleanout/purge was that I found a bunch of items that I had previously stamped/colored/die cut, but hadn't used for one reason or another.  I decided I needed to put those items to use.  The first little guy to get used is this sweet squirrel that Elena Roussakis illustrated for Neat & Tangled a while back.

I decided to pair him with the retired Charmed set from Mama Elephant, they go together perfectly since Elena illustrated both.  It was around this time that I decided I would go ahead and create two cards using the same basic formula, so I stamped/colored/die cut two sets of the wreath, banner, and bow.

I knew I had used Warm Grays to color my squirrel, so I used more muted colors for the elements on this card.  The wreath was colored with G20, G21, G24, and G46, the little flowers in the wreath and bow were colored with R20, R22, and R24, and I used W0, W1, and W3 to add some shading to the banner.

I picked a simple pink print for the background and a frame using a couple of my go to dies, the large scalloped frame from the Neat & Tangled Scalloped die set, and a frame die from MFT with a great hash detail.

The sentiment for the banner was also from the Charmed set.

The wreath was adhered directly to my patterned paper, but everything else was popped up with foam tape, including the frame.  

For the second card, I decided to create a Christmas version since I need to keep building my Christmas card stash.

For my 'main character,' I picked this sweet little penguin from Neat & Tangled's Santa's Wonderland set.  He was colored with Cool Grays, and I used those to add accents to the banner also.  I went with some deeper/richer colors for the wreath and bow using G21, G24, G28, and G29 for the wreath and R32, R35, R37, and R39 for the reds. 

The card was assembled in the same way, but I used a red print for the background and kraft for the frame.  The sentiment is from Hello Bluebird.

It was fun to use some items from my stash and also get the Copics out.  I feel like I haven't done a ton of coloring lately, and I do enjoy it!  

Thanks for visiting!  I'm busy working on STAMPtember samples!  If you follow me on Instsagram you might have seen that I have started illustrating again and I have several new designs that will be available from Simon Says Stamp as part of the STAMPtember release.  I'm thrilled and so happy to be illsutrating again!

The Daily Marker 10 Day Coloring Challenge Finished Cards, Day 3

I've got two more cards featuring images I colored during Kathy Racoosin's most recent coloring challenge.

Today's cards both feature journaling cards from my scrapbooking stash.  I have a ton of journaling cards, and I'm always looking for ways to incorporate them into my cardmaking.  

This first card features a pretty common journaling card format - there's a pattern on the top portion of the card, and then a white band at the bottom.  This format is perfect for cardmaking because that white space is just right for a sentiment.

I added a couple mats to the journaling card, a print from a My Favorite Things paper pad, and then a simple white cardstock mat.  For some texture, I added stitching around the white mat.

The image and sentiment are from Neat & Tangled's Slow and Steady set.  

I was really excited when I was flipping through my journaling cards and found the one I used for this second card.

I thought all those letters were perfect for a reading themed card.  

My stamped/colored image, from My Favorite Things Magical Friends set, was fussy cut and adhered directly to the journaling card, and then added a sentiment from Mama Elephant's Good Reads set.

Since the journaling card/image really stand on their own, I just added a simple dark gray mat.

Thanks for stopping by.  I'll have some more finished cards to share next week.

*This post contains affiliate links to Simon Says Stamp.

I Love You and Dim Sum

Tomorrow is the first day of Chinese New Year, this year is the year of the Ox.  I've had Chinese food on the mind all week (we're celebrating with my mom on Saturday night), so I thought I would pull out this oldie but goodie Dim Sum Fun set from Mama Elephant.

I stamped each of these images twice (although I didn't use the second teapot) with Gina K Black Amalgam ink, and then colored with Copics.  I used a lot of different Copics on this one:  E30, E31, E33, and E35 for the steamer baskets; R22, R24, and R29 for the reds; W0 and W1 for highlights on the dumplings with the wider/fluffy tops; E50 and E51 for highlights on the buns with the peaked tops; Y21, YR30, and YR31 for the yellowish dumplings; and E42 and E44 for the tea.  I also used N1 to add a bit of shading just below where the images were adhered to my white cardstock and around the edges of the teapot to make it pop a bit more.

The images were all fussy cut, and then I played around with them a bit until I got an arrangement I liked.  

I used an old Crate Paper print for the background, and added a wide strip of white cardstock with a red mat to adhere my stamped images to.

The sentiment, also from the set, say I Love You, and then the words for Dim Sum in Chinese.

This one took a little longer, but only because of the coloring and fussy cutting.

Hope you're able to enjoy some yummy Chinese food this weekend too, but if you don't get around to it, Chinese New Year lasts for two weeks, so you have plenty of time!

*Affiliate Link Below

Mama Elephant Whimsical Winter

This Whimsical Winter set from Mama Elephant is another one I pulled out the other day.  I really love the animals and the great pine tree in this set.  I created a bunch of cards last year using this set where I watercolored the images, but this time I thought I would pull out my Copics.  

The images were stamped with black Gina K Amalgam ink.  I used my MISTI to stamp them all at once, and then colored them while catching up on my DVR.  Then I created two groupings and set out to make them into cards using the same basic formula.  

This first card features a print from Lawn Fawn's Knit Picky 6x6 pad.  I also freehand cut snowdrifts into a scrap of white cardstock which I used for the bottom of the panel.  The images were adhered to the panel and then the entire panel was adhered to a scalloped die cut piece (from my retired Scalloped dies set).  

I finished things off with an embossed sentiment from Neat & Tangled's retired Nativity Play set.

The second card uses the same basic formula, except this time I used a journaling card for my patterned paper background.  I thought this journaling card was just perfect because that middle star becomes the tree topper.  I again cut a little snowdrift piece for the bottom of the card, this allowed me to essentially extend the card just a smidge so it fit in my scalloped piece better.  

The sentiment, from Hello Bluebird's Typed Christmas set was stamped directly on my snowdrift piece.

I added a simple green mat to set the panel off, and adhered it to another scalloped die cut mat.

Two more cards for my stack, and I've been coloring other cute images to put on Christmas cards which I can hopefully share with you next week!

Mama Elephant Me & My Robot

Happy Thursday!  I really loved this robot set when it first came out from Mama Elephant, it's such a fun and unique concept and perfect for masculine/boy cards.  When I saw that this was part of ME's summer sale, I snatched it right up, and inked it up as soon as it came in the mail.

I colored both of the big robots and a few of the smaller images, and then set about creating a couple of cards.

The robot for this first card was colored with the Copic Cool Gray familiy.  I used C0, C1, C2, C3, C5, C7, and a very little bit of C9.  He was colored symmetrically, so both sides matched.  

I wanted a very bold background, so I pulled out an older stencil, The Crafter's Workshop Spiral Staircase.  I started by inking a panel with Altenew Misty Morning ink.  The stencil was then added and inked with Dark Night.

I cut a strip of subtle gridded paper the edges of which were inked, stamped the sentiment (also from the set) on it, and adhered it to my stenciled panel.

The stamped images were then adhered with foam tape over top.

This second card is a little more subtle.

This robot was colored with Warm Grays: W0, W1, W2, W3, W5, W7, and W9, and instead of the symmetrical coloring I did on the first robot, I colored him i a more patchwork fashion.

I chose a couple more neutral/masculine patterned papers, stamping the sentiment directly onto the background, and then adhered my stamped/colored piece.

These robots were really fun to color, and I have a feeling they will get a lot of use on boy birthday cards here.

Hope your week is going well!

Affiliate Links below:

Scotch Foam Mounting Tape

Me And My Robot, Mama Elephant Clear Stamps

Me And My Robot, Mama Elephant Creative Cuts

Obsidian Amalgam, Gina K Designs Ink Pad

Misty Morning, Altenew Crisp Dye Ink Pad

Dark Night, Altenew Crisp Dye Ink Pad

C0 - Cool Gray No. 0, COPIC Sketch Marker

C1 - Cool Gray No. 1, COPIC Sketch Marker

C2 - Cool Gray No. 2, COPIC Sketch Marker

C3 - Cool Gray No. 3, COPIC Sketch Marker

C5 - Cool Gray No. 5, COPIC Sketch Marker

C7 - Cool Gray No. 7, COPIC Sketch Marker

C9 - Cool Gray No. 9, COPIC Sketch Marker

W0 - Warm Gray No. 0, COPIC Sketch Marker

W1 - Warm Gray No. 1, COPIC Sketch Marker

W2 - Warm Gray No. 2, COPIC Sketch Marker

W3 - Warm Gray No. 3, COPIC Sketch Marker

W5 - Warm Gray No. 5, COPIC Sketch Marker

W7 - Warm Gray No. 7, COPIC Sketch Marker

W9 - Warm Gray No. 9, COPIC Sketch Marker

Mama Elephant Rowdy Raccoons

Sometimes you just want to make an easy cute card because you don't have a ton of time, but you need to create.  I seem to find myself in that position a lot these days.  Sometimes I give into my bad angel who tells me to just veg in front of the TV, but the other night I was bound and determined to make something before bed.

I pulled out this older set from Mama Elephant called Rowdy Raccoons.  I just love the images in the set, they are adorable, and I often use them for boy cards.

This time I chose a great encouraging sentiment from the set.

I colored the raccoon with my cool grays, added a bit of ground line, the sentiment, and the thinnest mat, and voila.

Super quick and easy!

Hope you're maintaining that balance!

Mama Elephant Cool Penguins

I had created a couple cards using the penguins from Mama Elephant's Cool Penguins set last year.  At the time I had stamped/cut out several penguins, but hadn't used them all.  I found my 'leftovers' the other day.

After coloring them with Copics, I added a very slight ground line with some inking, and then arranged them to create a scene, adhering them to my panel.

The sentiment is from Concord and 9th's O Christmas Tree set.

I finished things off with some patterned paper from a very very old AC 6x6 paper pad.  I need to go scavenge around the craft room and see if I can find anymore leftovers!

*Affiliate Links Below

Jet Black Amalgam Ink Pad, Gina K Designs Ink Pad

Black Soot, Ranger Distress Mini Ink Pad

Cool Penguins, Mama Elephant Clear Stamps