Elfy Holidays

I FINALLY got around to getting one of the new Christmas inspired images from Tiddly Inks coloured up. Christy Croll asked for suggestions and I suggested an elf Wryn, and holy smokes!!, she drew one. So of course, I had to buy her. The name of the image is Elfy Holidays.

I coloured her with Copics. The striped paper is from Stampin' Up, the glitter paper is scraps leftover from last year and I can't tell you what brand. The sentiment is from Verve Stamps, and I used By Diezyne stitched circle dies. I am entering this into Tiddly Inks' Holly Jolly challenge on their blog.

Thanks for stopping by and having a peek!! xx

New Release at The East Wind

It's Friday, and that means a new release over at The East Wind!! Today's new image is Aurora "Siesta III". 

I coloured this with Copics and Prismacolor pencils (just on her hair). I did the background using one of the techniques in the Background Workshop that came with the Create & Learn class for November over at Kit and Clowder, changing the colours to suit my project's colour pallette. The sentiment is a stamp from Unity Stamps. I used a white Molotow marker to make the stars. The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts.

We are getting ready to have a 1,000 Members Celebration over at our TEW group on Facebook. Unky has so many awesome sponsors lined up and some really fantastic prizes that are going to be given away to random winners. There are going to be a lot of contests to take part in, so make sure you are a member of the group and check in on December 11! It runs the entire weekend, and the colouring contest will run for an entire week! 

There is also the "Coffee, Tea, or..." contest running in the Facebook group until December 17. Use any TEW image with a beverage in it (or use your imagination like our DT girl Kim did HERE).  PLUS, there are twice monthly challenges on the BLOG. 

Thanks for stopping by my blog. I hope you like my little card this week. You can also check me out on Facebook HERE. xx

A New Challenge at The East Wind

A new challenge starts today in The East Wind's Facebook fan group. The theme this month is "Coffee, Tea, or..." Pick an image from The East Wind that includes a beverage, and make it the focus of your project. I picked Lucy Loo "Morning Coffee": 

This is pretty much me every day. Comfy clothes, coffee, cat on my lap, wearing sheepskin slippers though, not boots. No shoes in the house. That's the rule. 

I coloured this with Copics, giving her a little blue/black hair for fun. The DP is from DCWV Black Currant stack that I bought AGES ago! The sentiment "I Like You a Latte" is overused (I know!), but I like it anyway, and it is from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps.

Pop over to our Facebook group and join in on the challenge. You have the chance to win 3 free images. That's a pretty awesome prize, if you ask me! The runner up gets a 25% off coupon. 

Thanks for visiting!! xx

Karaoke!!

I personally do NOT sing in public, or in front of anyone, for that matter. But if I'm by myself, I'm Mariah Carey. I'm beltin' it out and singing loud!! The new release from The East Wind today is "Karaoke" and I have never been drunk or dumb enough to do Karaoke. It would be a crime against humanity to give me a microphone and a song to sing. ;-)

I coloured this with Copics, and the background is from the background class that is in November's Create & Learn class over at Kit & Clowder. I only tweaked the colours to go with my image using purples and pinks instead of the blues she used in the class. If you are not doing the C&L classes, you should. November's projects are awesome!! There is a marker class and a pencil class, and they are both top notch. The background class is only available to class subscribers, and you're really missing out if you don't have this background class. You can just buy them one at a time, if you are not into subscribing for a whole year. It's a super flexible way to learn new techniques.

We have a new Facebook challenge starting TOMORROW (Nov 21) in the Facebook group, so pop in tomorrow and see what theme we have this month to test your colouring skills! ;-) Don't forget there are also twice monthly challenges on the BLOG, so check that out and make sure you're signed up for the newsletter so you get your freebie image on the 1st of every month!

Memento Mori

Hello! I coloured this image by Aurora Wings just for fun. They are having a Day of the Dead contest on their challenge blog and I thought I might as well enter it. I have so many AW images and I need to start colouring them up! This is called "Memento Mori", which means "Remember that you can die" in Latin. I think of what has happened in France in the last 24 hours, how we can lose someone we love with no warning, and I think we should all make sure we take time during our day to disconnect and focus on our loved ones because life is unpredictable and uncertain.

Memento Mori

I coloured this with Prismacolor pencils. The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, and the DP is DCWV.

I am entering this into the AW Day of the Dead challenge HERE! Check out Mitzi's Etsy shop too, if you like fantasy art, because she has some of the best I've seen!

You can also check out my work on my Facebook page HERE!! Thanks for visiting! xx

New Release at The East Wind

Hello Tuesday!! It`s New Release day over at The East Wind, and today is a fantastic one! (Well, every new release is fantastic, but this one is extra fantastic!) It`s called Marvelous Spatuletail and it is beautiful!

I coloured this with Copic markers, and did a watercolour background. The background didn't come out quite like I hoped, but I wasn't fussy cutting the image out to put it on a different background, so next time I will do the background FIRST. ;-) I printed it out at 5"x5.5" because I wanted to have a lot of space to get in and do her wings. I usually print out at 3.5" (no bigger than 4") for images I'm going to put on a card, but I knew I was going to need a bigger image with this one. 

Pop on over to the Facebook group and join us for contests, and also on the BLOG because they have twice monthly challenges over there! And if you sign up for the newsletter, Unky will send you a sweet freebie on the 1st of every month! On top of that, The East Wind just became a sponsor of Kit and Clowder, so you can see some collaboration between us and Alyce in the near future! See you around crafty land!

Thanks for stopping by!! 

Creepmas Challenge!

The East Wind and Simply B Stamps are joining up for a Creepmas Challenge on Facebook. You can choose one, or both, of the two images that I've coloured up below to enter the challenge.

The East Wind's "Creepmas"

Simply B Stamps "Gothic Elf"

For the next 24 hours you can get them for just $1 each before they are raised to full price, so hurry over now. You have to make a complete project in order to be eligible to win. The Facebook event is HERE, or you can visit The East Wind's page for the link and to join in on our other contests.

"Wings" by The East Wind

We have a new release today at The East Wind called "Wings". She looks like a bit of a fallen angel perhaps, so I made it a little dark, giving just her wings a pop of colour.

I used Michele R digital papers in Winter Frost and gray scaled them so they were black/gray instead of the original blue/brown. I coloured the image with Copics.

Stop by our Facebook group and join in on some of the fun stuff happening over there. We are getting ready for a fun event in the beginning of November, along with our regular Facebook challenge, and our special Halloween mini-colouring contest which closes on Halloween. Jump over there and join the group if you haven't already, and show us some of your work! There are also twice monthly challenges on the BLOG, so a lot of chances to win and have fun colouring!

Thanks for stopping by! xx

New Facebook Contest at The East Wind

It's October 21, so time for another new contest in The East Wind's Facebook group. This month's challenge is a Support/Encouragement/Ribbon theme. So we want to see your projects using a TEW image for someone who needs a little extra love, encouragement, and/or support, or use an awareness ribbon for a cause close to your heart. 

I used Diva Lisa "You" with a lavender ribbon for general cancer awareness. A full listing of all the ribbon colours and their associated causes can be found HERE, if you're interested. It's quite a comprehensive list. 

Diva Lisa "You"

I coloured her with Copics, and searched through my paper scraps for everything else. I kept it simple and didn't add too many embellishments. Just a couple of pearls and the ribbon. I used Glossy Accents on her coat buttons and her earring after first using silver gel pen to colour them.

Search through the store HERE to find an image you would like to use on a project for a person who needs a little lift during a difficult time in their life. We are getting close to the holiday season, and the holidays can be hard for some people if they're going through a hard time. Share your make with us on Facebook (see the pinned post at the top of the page) and you might win three free images! Check out the BLOG too for twice monthly challenges, and even more chances to win free images.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Fall Colours!

Our Fall is lasting a decent amount of time where I live, instead of being bitterly cold and unbearable WAY too early in the year, so I was inspired to a do a card in some Fall colours. I used an image from Tiddly Inks called Wryn - Hanging Around. 

I cut the leaves out with my Cameo in a variety of sizes and scattered them among the bottom and up the sides a bit. I lined the brown mat with some brown jute string and added a couple of brown pearls. I coloured the image with Copics, using a little Sienna Brown Prismacolor pencil in her hair for definition. It's just a fun little card that I will probably send off to my daughter, who is enjoying her first semester in college.

I hope you like it! I am entering it into the following challenges: 

Tiddly Inks - Fall Colours

Through The Craft Room Door - ATG

Crafting From The Heart - ATG

Craft Your Passion - ATG

Happy Halloween & a Mini Contest at TEW!

Halloween is approaching! We've started up a mini colouring contest at The East Wind's Facebook group HERE with this cute little Aurora stamp. She is half price during the duration of the contest so pop over to the Etsy shop and grab her up HERE! (You will get the image after purchase, not the TEW banner shown in Etsy) It doesn't have to be a finished project just share your colouring skills with us! You have the chance to win a free digi of your choice! 

Here's my make with little Aurora, and we can't wait to see what you do with yours! I used Michele R Halloween digital papers, Copics to colour the image, and cut a Halloween themed corner with my Cameo. 

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you like how it turned out!

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

Whimsy Stamps - ATG or Halloween

Get Creative Challenges - Halloween

MarkerPOP - ATG

Our Crafty Corner - ATG/Halloween

'Hibiscus' from The East Wind

Today there is a new Aurora image release at The East Wind called "Hibiscus". I think this is a beautiful image, and I love the little sloth in her hair. 

I coloured the image with Copics. The rest of the products I used are: 

Paper from Kaisercraft

Flowers and lace from Wild Orchid Crafts

Pearl string from Live & Love Crafts

Dies are Stitched Ovals from By DIEzyne

Head over to Facebook and make sure you are part of our community. We are getting ready to celebrate 2,000 Likes of The East Wind and we are going to be doing some giveaways and a colouring contest. There is also a monthly contest in the group as well as TWO challenges every month on the blog HERE. We would love to see you join in on the fun! Unky has so many awesome images planned for the rest of this month! 

Thanks for stopping by and letting me share my project with you!

I'm entering this into the following challenges:
MarkerPOP - ATG
Our Crafty Corner - ATG/Halloween

Aurora Wings' Himalayan Blue Poppy

This is Himalayan Blue Poppy by Aurora Wings. It is also the first image I coloured completely with pencils. There are big flowers and it was my practice for doing the flower ballerina in a previous post. I think it came out pretty well, and she was just sitting on my desk waiting for something. There is still time left in the ATG challenge on the Aurora Wings challenge blog, so I got myself in gear and put her on a card so I can enter one more creation into the challenge. 

Himalayan Blue Poppy

I used Prismacolor Pencils only to colour her. The paper is from DCWV. I used Aged Ivory Frantage on the base mat. I cut the butterflies out with my Cameo and inked them up with some Tsukineko Dew Drop inks and added some teeny tiny pearls. The ovals are By Diezyne dies in Stitched Ovals. I kept the overall design simple. As with most AW digis, I just don't feel like over-embellishing the project and detracting from the image. But that's just me. ;-)

I hope you like it! I'm entering this into the Aurora Wings ATG challenge on the challenge blog. Fingers crossed!! Thanks for stopping by!!

Avalokitesvara

Avalokitesvara is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. It is depicted as either male or female in different cultures, and in Unky's rendition at The East Wind, she is depicted as female in today's new release image. I think she is so beautiful!

Avalokitesvara

I created a mixed media canvas because I was itching to do one, and I wanted to make something for my mom for her birthday. I am pretty happy with how it turned out. I used a small 5x7" canvas, which I coated with gesso, along with all the bits and bobs that I glued on. I used flowers, butterflies, buttons, chipboard, lace, a paper doily, and denim. Then I used Lindy Stamp Gang sprays in Victorian Bouquet and Viva Decor paint in gold. I also went around the edge of the image, which I distressed, with the gold paint.

Stop by our Facebook group to join in our challenges there, and also by the blog, which has twice monthly challenges. There are quite a few opportunities to win some free images if you join in on the contests!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you like my project! xx

Flower Ballerina

There is an ATG challenge at Aurora Wings and I have been working on this ballerina digi for a couple of weeks now with my Prismacolor pencils. It has been a slow and arduous process, as I'm not usually one to use pencils, so there is a learning curve, plus there is a lot of work with pencils. It's not quite as easy as markers, I'm finding. It is a lot of fun and relaxing for my mind, although I think I am going to end up with carpal tunnel syndrome soon. I am being a bad student and skipping around the Kit & Clowder Perfecting Pencils class, and not doing the actual projects in the class, but watching the videos for "how to" advice. I think Alyce will just be glad I'm using the classes to learn, however I'm choosing to do it. 

The image I used for this is Flower Ballerina. It is very intricate, which is why I wanted to use pencils versus Copics. I thought it would give me a better chance of shading without the ink moving into places I didn't want it to. I printed it at 3.75" tall, so that is really not very big. I had to have very sharp pencils.

The colours I used for her tutu are: Black Cherry, Pomegranate, Pink, and Deco Pink.
I kept the layout simple. I feel like Mitzi's images are so beautiful and detailed, it can be a real disservice to add too much bling to the card itself.

I am entering this into the ATG challenge on the Aurora Wings blog. If you love Aurora Wings, you should head over there and check it out!

Well I hope you like how it turned out! It was a labor of love. Thanks for stopping by!! xx

Lovin' the Animals Challenge

It's time for another challenge at The East Wind, and our challenge theme this time is "Lovin' the Animals". Find a TEW image with a pet in it and submit your entry in the Facebook group HERE. I used Aurora "BlueJ" because people usually think cats and dogs for pets, but my mom loved to have birds. We had lovebirds and cockatoos when we were growing up. They scared me. I thought they were going to bite me or peck me (I saw Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" as a very young child and have been scarred since). I would never put my hands in their cage and I hated it if they got out and were fluttering around the house. Freaked me right out.

I always envisioned doing this image in pastel colours, and here it is in black and red. Well, you never know sometimes where it will take you when you sit down to colour an image. 

Make sure you join the Facebook group. We are running this contest, and mini colouring contests as well. The dates are pretty fluid with those so you have to check back often to make sure you don't miss it. Also, there are twice monthly challenges on the blog HERE. I hope you are signed up for the newsletter so you are getting the freebie each month! The sign up for that is on the blog.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you enter our challenge on Facebook!! xx

Apple Seed by The East Wind

It's Tuesday, so there's a new release today from The East Wind! Today's new release is "Apple Seed" and she's spookily good for any Halloween projects you are thinking of doing. 

I used the .png file (that you also receive along with .jpg version) with transparent background over a skull print digital paper from Michele R Designs Halloween collection. I coloured the image with Copics, and used Glossy Accents over part of the apple, but it's nearly impossible to see in the picture. I'm not really a Halloween person, so I am short on Halloween themed embellishments. Oh, well, a reason to go shopping, I guess.

Make sure you pop over and submit a project for our "It's All About the Hair" challenge in our Facebook group. It closes on the 17th, so you have some time, but don't miss out on the chance to win some free digis!! There are also twice monthly challenges on the blog HERE. 

Hair!

Hello and Happy Friday!! It's new release day over at The East Wind and today is a new Lucy Loo, "Hair".

Lucy Loo "Hair"

I put this together in my art journal using some sprays, gelatos and gel medium. I coated the page with gesso, then sprayed Totally 80's Lindy's Stamp Gang sprays after the gesso had dried. I mixed some black gelato with gel medium and applied it over a polka dot stencil. Then I applied the black gelato on it's own over the dots after they were dry so there was some resist. I coloured the image with Copics, and used a white gel pen to add the dots in her hair. I found the quote on Pinterest, and thought, that is EXACTLY what Lucy Loo would say to someone because she has ATTITUDE! 

I hope you come over and join our Facebook page, if you haven't already, and join in on our monthly challenge "It's All About the Hair". Plus we have twice monthly challenges on the BLOG. There are lots of chances to win some free images at The East Wind. I know Unky is about to start her colouring therapy videos again, also, and they are fantastic!! 

Thanks for stopping by and letting me share my newest project with you!!

A Berry Sweet Fab Friday

It is my last Fab Friday on the Tiddly Inks Design Team for this term. It has been an amazing four months and I am so grateful and lucky that Christy chose me to represent her brand. I hope I did her stamps justice! I am using "Wryn - Berry Sweet" for my final DT project. I hope you like her! She's nice and bright!

"Berry Sweet"

This stamp is available in digital and clear stamp formats, so if you are one who likes to have the physical stamps, you can get her in clear photopolymer HERE.

I coloured her with Copics, and I did the background with Copics also, using a background technique that I learned at Kit & Clowder. The August Create & Learn Class has a free Background Technique booklet included in it for quick and easy backgrounds you can make with your markers. It was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be and I didn't screw it up, so "Yay, Me!!"

I kept the finished product simple because there is quite a bit going on in the image itself. I had some red polka dot paper that I have been saving for forever, and finally found the right project to use it on. The red paper is just basic paper from my stash.

Make sure you check out the blog and all the other Tiddly Inker's projects! There are always amazing projects to admire there! Don't forget there are challenges there also, every other Tuesday. Don't miss out on your chance to win some free images.

I hope you like it, and thanks for stopping by and letting me share it with you! xx

It's All About the Hair!!

Time for a new challenge over at The East Wind's Facebook group!! The theme is "It's All About the Hair!" We want to see your wild and crazy hair ideas over there using any TEW image. Crazy hair, crazy colours, both!! Let your hair down and let us see what you can do! 

Here is my DT inspiration using Lucy Loo "Scent of Spring": 

I coloured the image with Copics, and used Gelatos around the edge. I matted it on a silver metallic card stock, then again on silver glitter card stock, and I used a black card base, so you can't really see it in the picture. The hair was time consuming, lots of little flicks!! 

Don't forget there are also twice monthly challenge on the blog, PLUS we'll be running another mini colouring contest in September. Keep checking in for info on that. The current mini-contest closes on Sunday, so get your makes in by then for a chance to win!!

Thanks for visiting!!

"Foxer Upper" from Tiddly Inks

I'm so privileged and excited to tell you that Christy Croll at Tiddly Inks chose my card using her new image "Foxer Upper" as one of the cards for a feature on Tiddly Inks on the blog Paper Crafter's Library. Paper Crafter's Library is a great place to find trends, tutorials, and info about great stamp artists like Tiddly Inks!

At first I wasn't sure which way to go with the colours. I was thinking something more neutral and earth toned, but for some reason this paper from Michele R Designs was screaming to be used, and I ended up going a little shabby with the design.

In addition to colouring the image with Copics, I used the following supplies:
Michele R Designs digital papers in Isabella
Flowers and white decorative gallon lace from Wild Orchid Crafts
Pearl string from Live & Love Crafts
Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Victorian Velvet
Beacon's 3-n-1 glue and Zots for adhesives

Thanks so much for visiting!! I hope you like how it turned out. Like I said, I'm so excited and privileged that Christy chose my card. Her DT is amazing and the work they produce is above par!!

Magical Things Are Happening...

A new release today from The East Wind: Aurora "Magic"!! Let's get ready for some Christmas spirit! I know, it's August. It's still hot outside, but I am ALWAYS late with my Christmas cards, if I even get them out at all, so I really do need to start thinking about them NOW.

Unky has some reindeer centaur action going on with this one, and I LOVE it!! How many reindeer centaur have you seen??

"Magic"

I coloured the image with Copics. The papers are from Michele R Designs - Santa is Coming. I bought some berry stems from Michaels and trimmed some of the berries off and made a little bauble on the side with some paper leaves from Wild Orchid Crafts. I also used some Aged Scarlet Frantage around the image and the card corners. The sentiment stamp is from Verve stamps.

Right now we have a colouring contest going on in the Facebook group. It is strictly a colouring contest, no finished project is required. Head over there and check it out! We just finished the "Once Upon A Time" contest there too, and another theme will be announced on the 21st, so make sure you log in on the 21st and see what we have up our sleeves! Don't forget that there are twice monthly challenges on the blog as well. So many opportunities to take part in the fun and have a chance to win some free images!!! Don't miss out!!

Thanks for stopping by and letting me share this card with you! xx

Have Heart!

This is my final challenge as a part of the Tiddly Inks DT! (Insert sad face here) The theme this go round is "Have Heart!". I chose a beautiful little image called "Wryn - Mom & Me". My mom is so important to me, and when I think "have heart", I think of my mom, because she must have one of the biggest hearts around. I'm sure most of us feel that way about our mother's. Pop over to the Tiddly Inks Challenge blog and show us what "Have Heart" means to you. Here's my DT inspiration for you: 

Wryn - Mom & Me

The quote is from Honore de Balzac, "The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness." Isn't that the truth?

I coloured this with Copics; used the Designer Grunge set of digital papers from Michele R Designs; Shabby Blue Frantage; and the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and I Am Roses.

Make sure you check out the blog and are signed up for the newsletter so you are getting all the latest and greatest from Christy! Take a wander through the rest of the DT ladies creations too! They are so fantastic! leave them a little love on their blogs too! Thanks for stopping by!!

Fab Friday at Tiddly Inks

It's another Fab Friday at Tiddly Inks, and my DT term with them is coming to an end at the end of August. It's a sad thing, to be sure. I'm going to take a little break this fall as I get my twins into pre-school, and will be hauling them to the University of Alberta on the weekdays. I'm going to focus on only a couple of DT's until I see how my days are going to go, so I won't be putting my hat in the ring for another term with Tiddly Inks until I see how my schedule is going to look.

Today I'm using "Fairy Tenderhearted" for my make.

The papers are from Bo Bunny and Kaisercraft. The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, the lace from Live & Love Crafts, and the dies are from La La Land Crafts. I coloured this with Copics, and a little Clear Star Gelly roll pen on her wings and shoes.

I hope you like how it turned out! Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting! xx

Paws for Thought Challenge at Tiddly Inks

A new challenge is LIVE at Tiddly Inks' challenge blog, and the theme is "Paws for Thought". I see "Paws" I think cats!! I love cats. I love dogs. I really love most animals, but we have a cat so cats are what pop to mind. I used the Cat Love Fever set which is awesome because it comes with not just the one image. There are also sentiments and cats by themselves. It's a very versatile set.

Cat Love Fever

The paper is all from Bo Bunny (from a nice little spending spree a couple months ago). It's from the Jazmyne Glitter collection. I love the colours! I coloured the image with Copics, using E40's for her hair and RV11-17 for her dress and shoes.

Head over to the challenge blog and submit your project for a chance to win! Share with us over in the Facebook group too! I hope you like how she turned out! Thanks for stopping by! xx

Out of This World

This is the last blog post for Slinky Tart until October 1. We're going on a little break to enjoy the rest of the summer and give everyone a little time off.

I am using Astronaughty for my make this week. I coloured her with Copics, and used some glitter gel pens for the dots around her. The paper is bits and pieces from my stash, except for the back mat which is from the Rock Star mat stack by DCWV.

Astronaughty

Check out the shop HERE for lots of other great images; also there is Spunky Tart HERE, and Illustrations by T, which is Tamara's new brain child of mandalas for you to colour. Here are a couple examples of her work:

They are so awesome! I can't wait to sit down and start colouring one. Thanks for stopping by! I'll see again with some more Slinkies in October, but we're still crafting away elsewhere, so you'll hear from me again soon enough! xx

Fab Friday at Tiddly Inks

Hello lovely crafters!! It's another Fab Friday at Tiddly Inks, and I had so much fun colouring this one up. I killed two birds with one stone, making a project for Fab Friday and a birthday card for my twin girls, who will be three in September. They are growing up so fast.

Wryn & Emmy - BFF

I coloured the image with Copics. The paper is from Kaiserkraft. The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, the lace is from Live & Love Crafts, and the little pearl string is also from Kaiserkraft. Make sure you check back into the challenge blog to find out who won the last challenge, and to participate in the new challenge starting on August 4. It's going to be a cute one!!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you check out the other DT members makes too. They are a talented group of ladies! I'm so lucky to be in the same group with them!

New Aurora Release at The East Wind

It's new release Tuesday at The East Wind. Today's new image is Aurora "Swim with Betty," and she's provided me with another opportunity to practice my underwater colouring technique. I know, I know!! All I seem to be doing is water scenes the last few projects. I love this technique I learned at Kit & Clowder, and you know what they say: Practice makes perfect! Check out Unky's post about her inspiration for this and her fish Betty HERE!

Aurora "Swim with Betty"

I didn't want to make her into a card, so I took a small laser cut frame that I got at Michaels, put a base layer of gesso on it and found a few embellishments in my stash, painted them with gesso too, and applied them to the frame with Beacons 3-in-1 glue. After all that dried, I sprayed the frame with Lindy's Stamp Gang sprays in Mermaid Shells. I hope you like how it turned out. You can't see the sheen on the frame from the sprays, but they look really nice in person.

Make sure you check out the current Facebook challenge in our Facebook group HERE. The theme is "Once Upon a Time". Use an image from TEW to create a project based on a fairy tale or story book, and try to think outside the box and not just use the Alice in Wonderland images that Unky has. There are also twice monthly challenges on the BLOG: one using the freebie on the first of the month, and another in the middle of the month. The freebie comes with the newsletter that is sent out on the 1st of the month, so make sure you are signed up for that. Look for the pink box near the top of the home page on the blog.

Thanks for stopping by and letting me share my project with you!! xx

Once Upon A Time

It is time for a new challenge in The East Wind Facebook group. The theme is Once Upon A Time. We are challenging you to find an image from The East Wind's Etsy shop and make it fit a fairytale or story book theme. Think outside the box. Think of villains and not just the protagonists of the story. Think of the original stories, and not the Disney versions we all know so well. I took the easy way out, I will admit. I chose Lucy Loo "Mermaid", but I researched a bit and found a quote from the original story by Hans Christian Andersen. His story is a bit darker than the animated movie we are more familiar with, and I think the darker story goes with Unky's images. 

Lucy Loo "Mermaid"

I coloured this with Copics. I added some scales to her using a technique I learned in the Skin & Hair Class at Kit & Clowder. It had been a while since I did them so I was crossing my fingers they turned out. They didn't blob together, which is good, but they are hard to see in the picture. I had some Canson watercolor paper that I used to watercolor a background. None of my papers really gave it that sea feel I was looking for, but this turned out pretty well, I think.

After reading some excerpts from the original story, I think I might have to give it a read. The Sea Witch cuts out the little mermaid's tongue, which is pretty hardcore. I wonder if it would give my kids nightmares. 

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at my DT inspiration for the new challenge. Make sure you head over there and pop your own make into the challenge folder. Check out the blog too! There are two challenges a month there, including the 1st of the month challenge which involves the freebie you get in your newsletter. You're not getting the newsletter? Sign Up!! There's a bright pink box near the top of the page for you to enter your email address.

I'm entering this in the following challenges:
Freshly Brewed Designs - Let's Go Swimming
Crafty Sentiments - ATG
Digi Choosday - All About the Girl
Through the Craft Room Door - ATG
Artistic Inspirations - ATG
Craft Your Passion Challenges - ATG

xx

Summer Song Challenge at Tiddly Inks

This next challenge theme at Tiddly Inks is "Summer Song" and it goes LIVE today. I picked "Under the Sea" because I have a couple of little girls that are CRAZY for mermaids these days, so of course "The Little Mermaid" is a big hit in our house at the moment. When they saw me colouring a mermaid they went bananas!! And for me, the ocean makes me think of hot summer days, but I spent several years living in Florida, so that's to be expected. 

I used the image  "Mermaid Miranda" for my card. I also used some techniques from a Create & Learn class over at Kit & Clowder to create an underwater scene.

I coloured this with Copics, using the Hex Chart to find colours that were similar, though not necessarily all in the same blending family. Her tail is a mix of Y and YR. I worked some of the same yellow that I used on her tail into her hair.

Make sure you check out this challenge and share your makes on the Tiddly Inks Facebook page too! We love to see what you come up with! Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at my project.

xx

Equality

We are preparing to take a summer break at Slinky Tart, from August 1 – October 1. This is one of my last two projects before the break starts. My last one will be on July 31, and then it will be vacation time. Today I used an image called “Equality”. Tamara drew this up for when the Supreme Court of the United States made it legal for same sex couples to marry.

I coloured the image with Copics, and kept the design simple. I printed it out A4 size, so it is pretty big on its own. Make sure you check out the Slinky Tart blog and visit all the other DT ladies. They have some really fabulous creations for you this week. Also, go check out the Facebook group. Tamara had an awesome sale a couple weeks ago and if you weren’t part of the group, you probably didn’t see it.

Thanks for stopping by! xx

Fab Friday at Tiddly Inks

Thanks for taking the time to visit today! It is Fab Friday at Tiddly Inks and I have coloured up "Wryn - Building Queen" this week. My husband is a civil engineer, and while he spends more time in the office than in the field these days, I think this little Wryn is just the cutest with her little hard hat and tool belt. I think this could be a great card for a little girl to give her dad for his birthday or Father's Day.

Wryn - Building Queen

I am currently out at our cabin for the next several days while one of my daughters attends an overnight summer camp about a half hour away. I had to bring my crafting stuff with me, without going overboard, so my makes are going to be clean and simple (CAS) for a little while. I couldn’t realistically bring my entire craft closet with me, now could I?

We have an Anything Goes challenge happening right now over at the challenge blog. Make sure you head over there and submit your Tiddly Ink make, and share it on the Facebook pagetoo! Christy regularly offers up free images and discounted images, which you will be the first to know about IF you are signed up for the Newsletter, so make sure that you are getting that!

I appreciate you stopping by! Please feel free to leave a comment below! I love to read what you have to say! xx

New Release Friday at TEW

It's another new release Friday at The East Wind. Today's new release is "Scarf Lover", and I can relate because I love scarves. It's the only thing I don't like about summer - too hot for scarves.

I colored this with Copics, and since I'm still on vacation at our cabin and have limited supplies, I kept it CAS. The filigree butterflies from Wild Orchid Crafts was as blinged out as I got with this card. I also used the no lines version of this image, which you get when you buy it, along with JPG and PNG file versions. Lots of versatility!!

In case you didn't know, there is a DT call going on at TEW. It closes on the 19th, so you are running out of time to put your application in. You need to be able to take clear high resolution photos of your projects to best represent the images when they are released. And you don't have to have a fancy DSLR camera, you just need to know how to take clear, in focus and well lit photos. Make sure you check out The East Wind Facebook page HERE for more info. 

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at my take today's new release. xx

Mixed Media Attempt

I really love mixed media. I don't know all the ins and outs of it yet, but I'm learning, and that's half the fun. The other half is frustration and uncertainty. "How do I do this? Is that enough? Should I do more?" The questions are endless in the beginning, or so it seems. I have a lot more questions than answers, and not a lot of time to watch tutorials on YouTube. Apparently, I'm going to need a few more hours in my day, and a much bigger jug of gesso. 

So here goes, a little mixed media piece I did for my niece's birthday. 

I picked up an initial at Michaels, a couple of wooden embellishments ("love", the dolphin, and a butterfly), used a metal butterfly from my stash, along with some flowers, buttons, and a polka dot stencil. I made some texture paste from talc powder (have a good collection of that from my twins, now that they're out of diapers), white glue, and gesso. Did I mention I need a bigger jug of that? I will need some more glue too, from the looks of it. My husband will be so happy I need to go buy MORE stuff for my crafting addiction. 

I applied gesso on everything. After it was dry on the letter I used the stencil and the texture paste to create the raised dots. Then I glued everything on with Beacon's 3-in-1 glue. Then I started spraying. And that was the hard part. I used Lindy's Stamp Gang sprays in Victorian Bouquet. Mostly I used the Purple Teal and the Hydrangea Blue, along with some Rambling Rose Pink. I used the other two colours in the set also, but didn't like the way they were coming together, so I went over them. After it dried overnight, I added some Pretty in Pink Pink from the Totally 80's set. This was the hard part because I had a hard time deciding when to stop, what to spray where, and what colours. I was really overthinking it. 

After the sprays dried I randomly applied some Viva Decor Inka Gold in Silver. Then I went over the raised bits with Viva Decor Precious Metal Colors in Silver Red. And that was it. Done! I'm not putting anything else on there. I could keep adding and adding, but I really need to step away from it. 

I hope you like it. Thanks for stopping by!!

Anything Goes Challenge at Tiddly Inks

It's time for another challenge over at Tiddly Inks and this time the theme is Anything Goes Challenge. I used a new release stamp called Wryn Floating Along, which is actually pretty representative of my family's life right now. We are spending as much time this summer at our cabin as we can, and floating along in the lake is a daily must. 

I coloured this with Copics, the paper is from my stash, and the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts.
The Copics I used are:
Skin: E000, E00, E21, E11, E04
Hair: E35, Y26, Y21, YR30
Hat: E30's
Dress: YR07, YR16, Y38, Y17, Y13
Flip Flops: G29, G28, G05, YG06
Tube: B39, B26, B24, B32
Water: BG09, BG07, BG49, BG45, BG53

Grab your favourite Tiddly Ink stamp HERE and join in on the challenge over at the challenge blog. Make sure you are sharing your TI makes with us over on the Facebook page too! We love to see what you come up!

Photo Inspiration Challenge at OMCF

One of only two more challenges left at Open-Minded Crafting Fun Challenges starts today with the theme "Photo Inspiration". Our sponsors for this challenge are:

Bugaboo Stamps - prize 7 stamps

Faery Ink - prize 3 stamps

Kenny K - prize 3 stamps

Oakpond Creations - prize 3 images

The photo inspiration for this challenge is this: 

I was immediately drawn to the blue of the wall and so that was my inspiration. I chose an image by Faery Ink called Granmargaret Fairy. I decided to make a tag, which I've never done before. I really had no idea what I was doing. I went on Pinterest and tried to come up with some ideas. I used a Tim Holtz dot stencil, a small Cricut flower embossing folder, a vintage white butterfly stamp with some white pigment ink, gelatos, flowers, buttons, and ribbon.  I just started adding things on and this is what I ended up with. I tried to not overthink it too much. That usually leaves me stuck. To be honest, I'm not sure what the point of tags are, except to maybe look pretty. My seven year old likes it so she's going to put it in her room as a decoration of some sort. lol!

Granmargaret Fairy by Faery Ink

Make sure you head over to OMCF and submit a project for the photo inspiration challenge. Our next challenge is our LAST challenge!! Get in on the fun while you can!