Kit and Clowder's Orlando Retreat

Oh my, did I have a FABULOUS time at the Kit and Clowder Orlando retreat, or what?  Only thing that would have made it better was sitting down with Alyce Keegan in my craft room for about a week (probably holding her hostage!).  She's such a wonderful lady, and so very talented.  It was hotter than blazes, I think near 100*, but not as humid as usual.  Got a little bit of swim/sun time on the first day and the last day I was there.  Can't wait to go back!

If you get a chance, you HAVE to check out Kit and Clowder's coloring classes.  Alyce offers both markers (she gives substitutions for those of you that don't use Copics like me) as well as her new pencil classes.  She also has new classes that you can subscribe to where you get a new class every month - both in markers, and pencils, separately.  Once I have a bit more down time, I'm certainly going to sign up for those as well ...

These are the three projects we created while at the retreat:

This first one is a frame that we used all kinds of mixed media on.  I've dabbled a bit in mixed media in my art journals, but this was so much fun, using Lindy's sprays and stencils.  The image is from Saturated Canary called Dew Drop Fairy.  I colored her with Copics and then distressed the edges so it would be a bit smaller than the frame opening.  I also added some Shabby white frontage.  I just LOVE the way it turned out.

This next one is a card made using a LaLa Land image called Heart Cupcake Marci.  I colored her with Copics and did all kinds of distressing.  Isn't she cute?

This last card is made using Polkadoodles' Octavia Rose.  Again, Copics, distressing and some lace.  Isn't she pretty?

 

Hope you enjoy.  Anyone interested in starting a Go Fund Me account for Alyce to come back over here from Australia?  Or maybe send me OVER to Australia - yeah, that sounds like a better treat, lol.

 

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Ching Chou Kuik/Kit and Clowder Altered Wings Challenge

This week, Kit and Clowder's Facebook Page and Ching Chou Kuik's Facebook Page have combined efforts for a magical coloring challenge.

I've noticed so much improvement on my coloring of both the hair and clothing in my images, thanks to Alyce and her Kit and Clowder Skin/Hair and Clothing classes.  They can be found here at Kit and Clowder. 

I've also purchased the Perfecting Pencils class for colored pencils, but am still practicing.  I can't believe the gorgeous depth of color Alyce has achieved here in her sample using just pencils.  One day, I hope to be half as good.

For this Altered Wings challenge, I chose the Treasure in Hand image from Ching Chou Kuik's Etsy Store (because I love, love, love books and reading). 

I printed the image 3 times and cut the 2nd and 3rd images wings off to alternate and layer them to create a 3D effect.  I also added a bit of diamond Stickles to the edges to give them the little extra 'pop'.

This one was colored with Copics.

 

Here's a close up of the image:

 

I hope you have a chance to check out the cross-challenges on the Facebook pages of Ching Chou Kuik and Kit and Clowder,  as well as the Kit and Clowder classes - there's technique classes as well as shorter fun project classes to choose from. 

 

And DON'T FORGET to check out Ching Chou's Etsy Store.

She's offering a 20% discount at the moment using the discount code:

SPRING20

 

Have a wonderful day!

Another Challenge at Kit and Clowder's Facebook page

This weekend over at Kit and Clowder's Facebook page, they're showcasing some cute images from Scrapper's Delights

I got to use Shaylee's Fairy Digi which included a background with 3 butterflies on it.

 I colored Shaylee with Copics and then fussy-cut her out so she would be 3D above the background.  For the background, I colored in the butterflies, and then went to town on the background.  It was all done with Copics.  First, I scribbled some purples and blue-greens randomly, then went in with my colorless blender to blend them together and take up some of the color.  Next I took a Q-tip soaked in alcohol and dripped a few spots all over ... I'm really happy with the way the background turned out.  I added some paths for the butterflies in diamond Stickles, some roses, a ribbon and a computer generated sentiment.

Here's a close up:

 

Have a wonderful day!

Kit and Clowder Challenge

Kit and Clowder's Facebook page is having another couple of challenges ...

     1.  Use your favorite color combination, using any PPinky Dolls image,

     2.  Crayons/ wax medium

I'm so excited, the wonderful Alyce of Kit and Clowder has asked me to be one of the guest designers for this week's challenge, and I couldn't be more honored!  I created two cards for the first color combination, both of them from Ppinky Dolls' Etsy Shop.  This first one is called "Some Flowers for You", and it just called out to be a birthday card.

They were both colored with Copics.

This one, I kept the colors purple, teal and mint.

I don't know if you can tell, but this is a gate-fold card.

The entire top layers are connected to the left flap.

 

Here's a close up ...

 

The second card for the color combination was made using "Mushroom Fairy". 

Again, she was colored with Copics.

I distressed all the edges of the digital papers and the image panel and smudged them

with Rangers Vintage Photo.

 

Here's a close up of this one ...

 

Hope you enjoy them, and have time to check out

Kit and Clowder's Facebook Page

for this next challenge.

 

Thanks for stopping by ...

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Color Challenge over at Kit and Clowder's Facebook page

This is my contribution to the Color Challenge over at Kit and Clowder's Facebook Challenge for this month.

These are the colors we were to be inspired by:

And here is my card, created with Ching Chou Kuik's Green Moth Fairy.  You can find this and more over at Ching Chou's Etsy page.

She was colored with Copics.  Don't you just love the way her hair looks ?

Cardstock was Stampin Up; designer papers are from the now closed Bearly Mine Design. 

I added some liquid pearls to the butterflies and finished off with a butterfly and grosgrain ribbon.

 

Here's a close up of the image:

Hope you like her as much as I do.

Remember to check out Kit and Clowder's Facebook page ... click on the Photos tab and look for the Color Challenge for this month.  Kit and Clowder also has some wonderful online classes by the wonderfully talented Alyce Keegan.  They're EVER so amazing!!!

Hope you have time to join in on the color challenge - it lasts all month!

Have a wonderful day - if you're in the northern hemisphere, try and stay warm.

Chin Chou Kuik Snowman

This is an image from Chin Chou Kuik, done for the Kit and Clowder Facebook Coloring challenge.

 

The image was colored with Copics.

Added some Stampendous Shabby Blue embossing enamel to the sky and some multiple colored Stickles for the trees.

DP is a freebie from Bearly Mine Designs

Dies are from Silhouette Cameo, as well as an EK Success border punch.

I added some diamond Stickles to the starbursts for more sparkle.

 

I need to keep better track, not sure where the digital sentiment is from.

 

Hope you like it.

Head over to Kit and Clowder's Facebook page to find out how you can get this beautiful free image ... as well as Chin Chou Kuik's Etsy shop - she has some BEAUTIFUL images over there.

 

Have a wonderful day!

Day of the Dead Monochromatic

Got this digital image, Sugar Skull Alex, from Simply B digital stamps for a Kit and Clowder facebook challenge - Monochromatic with a splash of color.

This is a new image was a freebie ... but you have to be a Facebook friend of Kit and Clowder as well as Simply B Stamps ... and you had to leave a comment in the post as well as share the post to collect the image.

I colored Alex with Copics and then added a bit of inktense pencil around her for a hazy feel.  I also splattered some of the same inktense pencil over the entire image to give it a slightly distressed feel.  The cardstock used is Stampin Up's River Rock and Black.  The designer papers (all 3) are from Bearly Mine Designs' Black and White Essentials paper pack.

I added a black flourish.  The sentiment is computer generated ... I googled Day of Dead sayings, and came up with this on the card ... Google says it means: "To hell with death while we're still alive" ... however, someone on the Kit and Clowder facebook page said that the literal translation is:  "The devil to death, while our life lasts".  6 to one, half a dozen to the other ... pretty much the same thing to me ...  I look at it as if I'm saying "the HECK with death, who needs to worry about it while I'm still alive" ...  ANYWAY, my splash of color would be the red on her lips, choker and dress trim, as well as the ribbon on the card.

Copics Used:
     Skin:  W3,1,E00,R20
     Hair/Dress:  W9,7,5,3,1
     Red accents:  R59,46,43

Hope you like!

Have a wonderful day.

 

Pair o' Princesses

This is one of Saturated Canary's new digital releases called Friendship.  I love the medieval look and feel to these new images ... and can't wait to sit down and color them all ... I love books and movies from the Camelot, Robin Hood, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones genre, so this was right up my alley ... Thank you, Krista Smith, of Saturated Canary for creating such lovely images that allow me to expand my coloring skills.  Thanks also to Alyce Keegan of Kit and Clowder for helping me hone and perfect my coloring.  I'm having so much fun coloring, especially these beautiful images from Krista.

These images were colored with Copics on Xpress Blend it paper.

For the Background paper, I wanted some old time looking material, so I chose some burlap from Grepic (Etsy) digital paper and then fed it through again using some Bearly Mine Designs' script found in the Black & White Essentials paper pack found here. 

I finished it off using some Not Quite Navy from Stampin Up that I border punched on each side.  I finished off with a soft creamy crocheted ribbon/bow.

 

Copics used:

     Skin:  E04,11,21,00,000,R20

     Hair:  E29,27,25,21; E49,47,44,43,42

     Left outfit:  B99,97,95,93,91; YR27,23,Y26,23; E37,35,33,34,31

     Right outfit:  R29,27,24,22; W7,E59,57,55,53; YG67,63,61

 

Hope you enjoy looking at these two beauties as much as I enjoyed coloring them up.

Have a wonderful day!

I'm over the moon with Excitement!

Okay, can I tell you how excited I am? 

Krista Smith and her wonderful Design Team over at Saturated Canary have chosen me to be one of their Guest Design Team members through December ... I'm over the moon, giddy about it!  Can you tell?

 

I only recently started back into card making, and found Saturated Canary digital images while I was taking some classes from Alyce Keegan at Kit and Clowder's Facebook Page. 

Saturated Canary Digital Image Shop

 

Krista Smith, the artist, has stunning images that just MAKE you want to color them up and create beautiful projects with them.

Join us at the Saturated Canary Inspirational Blog
or their Facebook page and Join up.

I truly hope that the projects I make meet the standards of their WILDLY fabulous design team, even if it is only for the next 10 weeks. 

Have I said how excited I am?

 

(Pinch me, am I dreaming?)

Daphne Sprite at Kit and Clowder's Facebook Challenge

This cute little sprite is called Daphne and she's a digital image from Aurora Wings.  Click on the link to go directly to the Etsy shop.  She is the theme behind a new challenge over at Kit and Clowder's Facebook site that you can find here:  Kit and Clowder's Facebook Challenge: 

The Daphne Sprite challenge is open through 10/19/14. 

All you have to do is go to Facebook; become friends with Kit and Clowder; click on the Photo's tab and you'll see further directions for the challenge for this cute little sprite.  Before you go to Aurora Wings, become a friend of Kit and Clowder to get this image for 50% off.

Aurora Wings has some of the cutest and prettiest (yes, there's a difference, lol) fantasy images that are drawn so beautifully, you'll instantly become a fan. 

I colored Daphne with Copics ... I started with the purples for the flowers, and thought the red would look good as her base.  When I was finished, I dotted the centers of the flowers with Diamond Stickles.  SU cardstock was used Artichoke, Cobbler and Black.  The designer paper is from Bearly Mine Designs.  I first printed the red polka dot from the Mini Dots paper pack and then re-printed with an all over flourish from the Black and White Essentials paper pack.  I finished with a black flourish border from Sizzix and a red satin bow.

Copics Used:
     Skin:  E04,11,21,00,000,R20
     Hair:  E29,35,33,21
     Flowers:  V15,12,01,000
     Outfit:  R24,22,32,21; YG67,63

Go to Facebook, become a friend of Kit and Clowder, head over to Etsy to pick up the Daphne image from Aurora Wings and play along ...

Hope you enjoyed the card, have a wonderful day!

Kit and Clowder Facebook Fun

Lots of fun happened this past weekend over at Kit and Clowder's Facebook page.  Lots of freebies and discounts and challenges.  I was busy with coaching my cheerleaders at back to back games on Saturday, then on Sunday I attended Cheer University all day (yes, there is such a thing, lol, and VERY helpful for coaches).  Needless to say, I didn't have the energy to come down and be creative until today. 

AND, of course, it's 11:14 at night, which is when my color cartridge decides that I wasn't going to be able to squeeze one more sheet of Bearly Mine's designer paper to match the image I picked out ... alas, I found an old stash of Stampin' Up DP that worked just fine.

This card was made for two of the Kit and Clowder challenges for their 4000 member weekend party: 

Use this color palette

Use designer paper, flowers, ribbons and/or lace

 

This digital image is from Saturated Canary, and she's called Fashion.  I love her hairstyle, and have been dying to color her up.  I sure wish my hair looked as good as this turned out!

 

 

I didn't realize how tall and skinny she was.  I'm just realizing the need to get some narrower dies or figure out everything my dearest Silhouette can do. 

This beauty was colored with Copics, and I used Rich Razzleberry, Daffodil and Navy SU cardstock and designer paper.  I punched a lattice border out in the daffodil and added some half-pearls.  I also used a flourish punched from the daffodil underneath the flowers.  Finished off with some sheer golden ribbon and a bow.  I have to show you a close up of the leggings, I love the way these came out, too - I kind of miss leggings from the 80's, lol.

Thanks for stopping in, love to hear what you think.

Hope you have a fabulous day!

Kit n Clowder Party Weekend

This weekend, Alyce at Kit and Clowder is celebrating 4000+ members by throwing a virtual party.

This morning, some of the goodies provided were a couple of free digital images. 

This first one is from Polka Doodles is an adorable bear.  Sadly, one of Alyce's good friends and someone you all may know out there in the Copic coloring world ,Amanda Reed, passed unexpectedly.  This digitial image is being given away free for any donation given through the You Caring fundraiser set up by Alyce to help raise money for Amanda's family.  For more information regarding this, please click In Memory of Amanda Reed, and you will find the appropriate links.  I did not know Amanda personally, but I understand she was on several design teams including the Kit and Clowder team, Mo's Digital Pencil Too team and a few others over the years, so some of you visiting may be aware of her. 

 

Copics Used:

Bear:  E37,35,33,31, 43,42,41

Cat:  N5,3,1

Heart: R27,35,22,21

 

I colored this image with Copics and used some wonderful digital paper from Bearly Mine Designs (that's typed paper with the floral already on the page).  I love the papers Donna's designed, and I love any kind of script or typed background paper.  I used SU's garden green and melon mambo to layer the panels.  Also added were some pretty white cotton lace, a Martha Steward doily and some paper flowers I got from Paper Temptress.  See people, I'm trying to go for more embellishments - it's a slow process, and you know what they say, "slow and steady wins the race".

 

After I colored just the bear's fur, I used a scrap of terrycloth and some Copic blender solution to give the fur that texture you see, then I proceeded to color the rest.  I actually think this turned out pretty darned cute.

 

For this second card, Sugar Nellies donated this cute image of a fairy decorating a cupcake.  Click on Kit and Clowder's Facebook link again and the pinned post will tell you how you, too, can get this image.  Simply go to the Sugar Nellie's Facebook page, become a member, and you'll get the digital image, but just for this weekend.  I heard a rumor that Sugar Nellies is going to be making many of their rubber images into digital images (YAY!).  I love me some rubber, but I have to say, when it comes to stamps from the United Kingdom, I just have no patience ... I need my images now!

This little darling was also colored with Copics (you're shocked, I know).

 

Copics Used:

Skin: E04,11,21,00,000,R20

Cupcake: Y31,Yr24,21,00, RV95,93,91, R29,35,22

Hair: E35,31, Y32,11, YR31

Clothes: RV14,13,10

Wings: BG15,11,10,000, V000

 

Again, I used SU's cardstock, Eggplant and Melon Mambo to layer some more beautiful Bearly Mine Design paper - this is a purple-y diagonal plaid and light floral.

 

I added some pleated lace at the bottom of the image panel and a pretty polka dot ribbon tied in a bow to finish it off ...

 

Hope you enjoyed them ... Head over to Bearly Mine, Kit and Clowder's Facebook page, Sugar Nellies and Polka Doodles and check them out.

 

Have a great day!

Thanks again for stopping by!