Quality Stamps

     I am so impressed with my first purchase of Avery Elle clear stamps that in addition to showing you my first project with their stamps, I wanted to share my opinion on quality stamps.

Avery Elle Balloons

My Oldest Daughter Turns 18!

     My daughter's birthday is tomorrow and she loves the Fall.  She loves EVERYTHING about the fall . The pumpkins, the fall themed foods, Halloween, and the beautiful colored leaves.  As I drove her to Community College a few days ago we saw a fox darting through campus.

Hampton Art Ki Memories Greetings
Lawn Fawn Critters in the Forest

Hummingbird and Trumpet Vines

     I love, love, love hummingbirds.  We have a family cottage with trumpet vines that attract the hummingbirds and they are such little fairies.

Papertrey Ink Ruby Reprise Sentiment (Mini set that was a gift with purchase)
Inkadinkado Hummingbird with Flowers

Love Those Flowers

     I just love the flowering branches by Clearly Besotted that we used for our practice sheets in the Online Card Classes Copics for Card Makers class.  I don't know the name of the stamp set it came from because it seems to have been retired-at least I can't find it online.

     We were taught several ways to color them . I previously posted another card that I colored as if the sun was shining directly onto it, however, these were colored as if the sun was shining down from the upper left, and they were colored with more vibrant colors. 

     I also colored the mats behind the focal points with matching Copic markers.  I also added white gel pen to the centers to bring out the detail.  The sentiment is from Hampton Art KI Memories Greetings.

Copic Storage

   I have a storage dilema for my Copic markers.

Initial Storage Solution

My Copics Arrived and a Thank You Card!

Hampton Art KI Memories Greetings sentiment

Backgrounds

     Today I decided to try the brick background that was taught in day 9 of the Online Card Classes Copics for Card Makers class.  Here's what I came up with.

Gina K Designs Heartily Yours by Nina Brackett (Discontinued) sentiment

Operation Write Home Card for Two Challenges

   

Fiskars All Year Greetings, Hero Arts Dotted Snowflake

World Card Making Day

     For Operation Write Home's World Card Making Day we were challenged to make Love cards.

Gina K Designs Heartily Yours stamp set by Nina Brackett (discontinued)

Copics Day 10 - Pen Details

     In my Online Card Classes Copics for Card Makers class today I combined several techniques on this masculine card.

Fiskars Birthday Bash
Focal Stamp is an Magenta Made in Canada Stamp

     The first technique was to add pen details.  The stamped image was rather "Sketch like" with loose edges to the boxes around the images.  I went over the image edges in black to define them more, drew squares around the printed squares, and added details to all three of the images (the fanlike effect in the circles of the mushroom, the vertical lines to the edge of the acorn cap, and the dots at the end of the veins of the leaf).  

     Then I embossed the outer edge of the entire rectangular focal piece in black.  I didn't do a good job and will need to practice that technique, but when done well, it looks very nice.

Copics Day 10 - Create Embellishments

     For my Online Card Classes Copics for Card Makers class today I used my Copic markers to create gemstones the colors I wanted for my Christmas card.

Hero Arts Many Branches Tree
Hero Arts Merriest Christmas Wishes greeting

     I have gems that are purple, orange, clear, lime green and a few other colors.  No dark blue or red though.  I EASILY colored the clear gemstones the colors I wanted.  Whoa - never again will I buy colored gemstones.  Now I can easily get a perfect match.  I also tried coloring adhesive pearl gems but wasn't happy with the results.  At least I know for future reference.

Copics Day 10-White Outline

For the Online Card Classes Copics for Cardmakers lesson today I stamped and colored a leaf image with various fall colors. Then I wet embossed over the top of it in white.  I am shocked that I lined it up so well.

Hero Arts Fresh Pressed Leaf
Savvy Stamps greeting

Copics Day 9:Backgrounds - and a Purple Haired Ballerina

       For today's Online Card Classes Copics for Card Makers class we learned several ways to incorporate backgrounds into our cards. 

Ballerina  image courtesy of Kristina Werner
TPC Studio Brush Stroke Greetings

Copics Day 8: An Orange Boo Card

   For today's Online Card Classes Copics for Card Makers lesson I made this card per the recommendations of the class.  The design is the same but the papers are different and somehow I managed to cut off part of the cape.  Drat.  I'll have to make another one and be sure not to cut off the edge of the cape that time.  I want to make a total of 4 of these to send to my Nieces and Nephews.

Tiddly Inks Robot Holidays

Copics Day 8: Create a Card

     For today's Online Card Classes for Card Makers lesson I was instructed to make a card using some of the images we had already colored in class.

Fiskars Birthday Bash
Packages and Balloons courtesy of Sandy Allnock

     

     Ok.  You don't have to twist my arm.  Any excuse to make a card is fine by me and if my instructors "INSIST" that I make a card I must oblige.  I used a card sketch from Mojo Monday #365 called "Tall and Skinny", and images from my first day of practice sheets.

  

Mojo Monday Sketch #365