Archive for the ‘Mojo Monday’ Category

I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers. 
               ~Claude Monet

 

 

We've been bustling with activity to get ready for our new house in Waco. We're so excited about it. It was built in 1959 but has been updated with a lot of loving care. Even though we can't move in until after June 25, my Tom and Caitlin spent most of Saturday and Sunday picking out pots and configuring them to make a beautiful fountain for the back yard. It was hard to resist buying a truck-load of flowers, but, with my not-so-green thumb, they would die before I even got them planted. So, I did the next best thing – I made a card.

I knew when I saw this sign at our favorite nursery what I would make this weekend – a card with my new Impression Obsession stamp, Zinnias. Hey, they're 25% off (the Zinnias at my nursery, not the stamp). 

 

 

My photography skills don't quite do the image justice. I stamped the image on Neenah paper and colored them with my Copic markers (see below). Then, I used a paint brush to apply Crystal Lacquer. Before the lacquer dried, I sprinkled just a little bit of glitter onto the lacquer. Hopefully, the end result is water glistening in the sun.

I didn't quite make the deadline for the Cupcake Inspiration Challenge this past week (CIC60), but I still loved the inspiration. Don't these look yummy?

I almost didn't make the deadline for the Mojo Monday sketch this week. Just under the wire I used the Mojo140 sketch. What a great sketch.

Here are the Copic Markers and the rest of the recipe.

• Embellishments – Oriental Trader Garden Charms, Button from Mom's button jar
• Fibers: Sorry, this was just a scrap of ribbon – I'm not sure where I got it
• Ink – Memento Rich Cocoa; Copics (currently 25% off at Paper Garden Projects)
• Paper – Basic Grey (Kioshi – yummy!); Neenah, Prism
• Stamp: Impression Obsession Zinia E2313
• Tools: EK Success Punch
• Misc.: Sentiment is from computer font, Crystal Lacquer, Stampendous Glitter

I hope you're all enjoying a three-day weekend and the opportunity to honor our service men and women.

The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size. 
                               ~Gertrude S. Wister

 

I love this image from Cathy St. Clair at Paper Garden Projects. It's part of the Spring Blooms Digital Stamp set you can get for free here.

I did my research before coloring this flower and learned crocus blossoms can bloom as early as February. I've never planted them (not sure how they'd do in our Texas heat), but I can remember them pushing up even through the late snows in Mom's backyard garden back in Indiana.

Paper Garden Projects just invited me to be a part of her Paper Garden Projects design team – and I'm so incredibly, unbelievably, ridiculously excited. I love everything her store carries. Just follow the link on my side bar to see what Cathy and her team are up to and to visit the other incredibly talented Paper Gardeners.

I'm very picky about participating in design teams. I don't do many because my job is so demanding that, when I get a chance to play, I want to play with images I absolutely adore. I turned down an invitation from a different company to join Paper Garden Projects because I'm so enthusiastic not only for what Cathy offers (stamps, etc., from a variety of high quality manufacturers like Penny Black, Mo's Digital Pencil, Eat Cake; Copic markers; Neenah and Prism, Nestabilities . . . ) but also because of Cathy's great customer service.  I hope I do PGP justice!

 

For inspiration I turned to always reliable Mojo Monday Sketch challenge (MoJo133).

Since I haven't colored many (any?) flowers before with Copic markers, I turned to the Copic Creations challenge this week, CCC25, Flowers! The challenge runs through April 15 and it's sponsored by Paper Garden Project. It's not too late to enter for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate.

And, finally, Our Creative Corner is challenging us to use bows. Well, snap! You know I love the bows.

Here are the Copic markers I used and the rest of the recipe.

 

• Embellishments – Dew Drops
• Fibers – Stampin' Up! 5/8" satin ribbon
• Ink – Copic Markers (see above)
• Paper – Neenah, Stampin' Up! Barely Banana, Basic Grey Urban Couture
• Stamp: Spring Blooms Digital Stamp
• Tools: Nestabilities, Martha Stewart border punch
• Misc.: Tim Holz Crackle Paint (peeled paint), Tim Holz Distress Stickles (Rock Candy), Flower Soft

 

 

Star Light Star Bright,
First star I see tonight,
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have the wish I wish tonight.

 

 

Oh yes, I must have muttered that little rhyme under my breath a thousand times growing up. I can't remember what my little girl wishes were, but I do know the stars aligned for me – all my dreams did come true!

 

This is my second card as a guest designer of Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge blog. Being Mo's guest designer has been such a blast. Thank you all for the kind comments and sweet congratulations!
 

This week we get to make a card that's anything but your regular A2 shape (4-1/4" by 5-1/2" card). I call it the "get in shape" challenge. My biggest obstacle with this challenge was that the biggest circle scallop die cut I had was only 4-1/4" by 4-1/4". I had to shrink Mo's image down to 2-1/4" by 2-1/4" – practically an "inchie." That really put my coloring and paper cutting skills to the test.

 

 

I bought the Bazzill In Stitch'z piercing template ages ago and have been wanting to add some hand-stitching to my cards. Grandma Black would be proud of me for remembering the satin stitch she taught me ages ago. I love the effect. 
 

Tip #1 – Cross stitchers know you never knot the thread under your projects. The same is very true with stitching on cards. Just tape the tails of your thread to the paper on the back to keep your project from unraveling.

 

Tip #2 – Want to add some shading to paper-pieced pattern paper? Just pull out your grays. I used C1, a cool gray, to add shading to the sleeping bag.

 

Tip #3 – I used a template from a Mojo Monday challenge that expired a few weeks ago, the MoJo127. If you're thinking about participating in this week's challenge over at Mo's place, it's a great sketch for both round and square cards.

 

Here are the Copic Markers I used and the rest of the recipe:

 

• Embellishments – Cosmo Cricket Garden Variety Buttons, Karen Foster Mini Charms (camping)
• Fibers – DMC embroidery floss (#725), Stampin' Up! Dotted Grosgrain ribbon in Crushed Curry. I found the twill ribbon in a garage sale – Score!
• Ink – Copic Markers (see above), Spica Buttermilk Pen
• Paper – Neenah. Stampin' up! Stampin' Up! Crushed Curry and Dusty Durango card stock, Bo Bunny Kitchen Spice Nutmeg, Reminisce Star Swirls
• Stamps – Mo's Digital Pencil Camping
• Tools – Bazzill In Stitch'z piercing template, Stampin' Up! Circle Scallop die cut

 

 

Be sure to stop a Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge blog to see some of the other beautiful samples for this week's challenge. If you play with us, leave me a comment so I can see come visit you and see your "get in shape" card.

 

We have a skeleton in our family's closet. I know, it's shocking. Try as we do to conceal it, it's true, we have a Sock Stealer! The name will be removed to protect the innocent. (It's Caitlin!) The Sock Stealer takes our socks, leaves them for the puppies to chew, and returns them mismatched and dirty. So, I bought her an adorable pair of socks for her birthday – white with a big ole' pink heart on it. The Sock Stealer said it was too cute for her taste, so I put it in my sock drawer – and she stole it!

Even Sock Stealers deserve a Valentine's Day card. So, I made the Sock Stealer this card for Valentine's Day.

And, here's the inside:

Isn't that just freakin' adorable? It's even makes up for all the missing socks.

I used the Mojo Monday sketch by Maria Gurnsey, MOJO125.

I won the last challenge for Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge Blog (#17), and got to choose any of Mo's Digital Pencil images as my prize. Oh, my, there are so many great ones to choose from. I picked Hope's Socks to use to enter, yes, the next challenge. Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge #18 asked us to use pink, white and red and to include a heart.

Here are the Copic Markers I used for the outside of the card.

Aren't those little sock charms adorable? I've never done this before, but I ran my Shrinky Dinks sheet through the printer to get Mo's sock image on the Shrinky Dinks. I let it set overnight to dry and then colored it with pencils. (I tried coloring with the Copics, but pencils actually worked better.)

And, finally, I used the Copic Creations Challenge #21, Feather Blending, to blend my baby girl's hair (using E37 and E97).

• Embellishments – Rose Art Shrinky Dinks (and my own, handmade jump rings), Stampendous Red Ultra Fine Jewel Glitter (applied with Crystal Effects)
• Fibers – Stampin' Up! Satin Ribbon Pretty in Pink
• Ink – Copic Markers (see above)
• Paper – Stampin' Up! cardstock: Real Red, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White. Neenah Classic Crest Solar White. ki memories Heartbeat Loving
• Stamps – Mo's Digital Image Hope's Socks
  
• Tools – Stampin' Up! Label Punch, computer font, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Nestabilities Classic Scalloped Circles Large and Standard Circles Large.

Happy Valentines Sock Stealer! 

                                All you need is love.
                                All you need is love.
                                All you need is love, love.
                                Love is all you need.
                                         – John Lennon, 1967

As promised here's my answer to the next Copic Creations Challenge (CCC), Challenge #19, Fur. What a fun challenge.

If you click on the image, you'll see I added a little Crystal Effects on the puppy's nose, and a tiny bit of Flower Soft on the bird's nest.

I used the sketch from the Mojo Monday 120 challenge to make this early Valentine's card.

Okay, admittedly, I may have tried to accomplishment too much with this card. I'm afraid it may have come out a little on the busy side. When I showed it to my daughter she said, " Wow, my eyes don't know where to go." – not a good sign. Oh well – it was still good practice and the tutorials on the CCC site were, as always, great.

Such a busy card takes a lot of ingredients . . .

• Embellishments: Stampin' up! Sweet Pea Stitched Felt, Nut Brown Flower Soft

• Fibers: Stampin' Up! Ribbon Original Flirty (retired)

• Ink, Copic Markers –
  • Dog: E00, E29, E31, E37;
  • Eggs/Dog Collar: BG45;
  • Cat: W00, W1, E5, W7;
  • Bird: R85 & Y21;
  • Sky/Grass: B20, G24, BG10

• Paper: Stampin' Up! cardstock: Regal Rose, Chocolate Chip and Tempting Turquoise; Stampin' Up! Designer Series Paper Love Me (retired) Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

• Stamp: Mo's Digital Image, Coexist

• Tools: Stampin' Up! Circle Cutter and Coluzzle system, Martha Stewart Picket Fence Edge Punch, Nestabilities Classic Scallop Circle, Cuttlebug embossing folder.

I created the sentiment on my computer using Quigley Wiggly font and RGB code R68, G28 and B28 to match the Stampin' Up! Chocolate Chip paper.

I'm loving these challenges. Hmmm . . . which one shall I tackle next?

I kind of went crazy rounding up challenges this week with just this one card. But, oh, I love how this came out. 

Round Up #1 – I got to hang out with the Libby Hickson, Jimmye Sue Mitchell and Jimmye Sue's adorable daughter, Maggie, last weekend at our crafters' garage sale.

I had so much fun hanging with these stamping celebrities. Libby is the sweetest, most adorable doll. She does gorgeous projects on her blog, and I love following her challenges, Courtney's Closet.

Jimmye Sue and Maggie are the brains behind and owners of Texana Designs. Jimmye Sue and Maggie started Texana Designs when they couldn't find suitable graphic designs and rubber stamps for their Texas-themed gifts to sell. All of their mounted rubber stamp images are designed by local Texas artists.

Well, I nearly spent all my proceeds from my garage sale on Texana stamps – they're amazing. The stamps I used in today's card if from their Jam'n series, designed by Joyce Meyer.

You can purchase Texana Designs stamps at their Etsy site, here. 

 

 

 

Round Up #2 – I used the sketch from Mojo Monday (MOJO 106). This was my first time ever to use one of their sketches, but it was so much fun. When I felt a little snagged, there were so many beautiful examples to help me jump start my design.

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Round Up #3 – Then, I was just cruisin' the net as I do way to often, and found this from the Crazy 4 Challenges. C4C is a new site where 12 extremely talented craft artists have collaborated to bring challenges each week and, like Mojo Monday, give us beautiful samples to inspire us. Sometimes there's even prizes! This week's challenge, C4C5 is called "Sew Happy." Ah, snap! That's exactly what my card needed.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

Round Up #4 – It's World Card Making Day, and I wanted to get this card done for today in time for Paper Craft's blog tour. You know I'm a sucker for blog tours.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Shew – Is that a hard-working card or what? Hope you enjoy World Card Making day and get a chance to create yourself.