Sunflowers

Hi people!  We’ve been busy these last few days.  I was able to go the wedding of two former youth leaders we had and it was in the next province and in the mountains.  What a beautiful setting!  The autumn leaves were amazing, the weather was gorgeous, and it was such a lovely heartfelt wedding.  Tomorrow I’ll show you what I made for them, but for today I thought I’d show you what I coloured up most recently.

This is from Gina K’s Stately Flowers 5 set,  Autumn is such a beautiful time to showcase these sunflowers because of their amazing yellow and orange hues.  I thought it would be fun to pair it with a really soft blue/green background and this week’s Mojo Monday sketch.  I did a little piercing, and stamping of the “sunflower” word from the set through the design to soften the effect.  

I added some washi tape into the tag top, a button and twine to finish it off.  Another contribution to the 30 Day Colouring Challenge too!

Thanks for popping by, see you tomorrow!

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Sunflowers

Tops of 2013

Here’s the first installment of my favourite designs I created in 2013.  Enjoy!

JANUARY

a 10 Minute Design for Flourishes.  

I adore these Inside and Out You sets from Flourishes.  This sunny one makes me smile.  

Playing with Melanie’s SD Pasque Flower from Gina K 

FEBRUARY

Tweet shows how much I love to colour with Prismacolor pencils on Kraft cardstock.

I loved using embossing over top of all this pretty Copic colouring.  

MARCH

Hello Honey! showcases all that’s great about hexagons and honey.  

Garden Gate is a stunning set from Flourishes with these gorgeous roses.

The Lawn Fawn Blog Hop was a fun one to play in! 

APRIL

Photography Inspires Me - inspired by a picture I took in Cancun. 

OH Snap! is one of Torico’s Birdie Brown images.

A Zoo-Per Day was fun to play with the curvy lines.  

MAY

Party Cat with another of Torico’s Birdie Brown images.  

Playing with rich colours, hexagons and over embossing in this vintage phone design.  

A loose watercolouring style makes this Old Tea Rose design special.  

JUNE

I wanted to re-create the feeling of my blog design with stamps.   

Light it Up with this vintage camping lantern.  

And one of my favourite fruits to round of the first half of 2013.  

Thanks so much for stopping by!  

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Tops of 2013

Branching Out with Melanie

One of the really wonderful things about this hobby is the joy of making connections with people.  You meet people creating that are around the world, and yet you know if you'd be together in person, you'd be friends.  I was blessed to work with Melanie Muenchinger recently at CardMaker Magazine Blog and she's just one of those lovely people.  Melanie invited me to play a little with one of her sets - Branching Out which is part of her new book focus Fabulous Stamped Frames.  I'm happy to show off some new ideas for you.  

This set incorporates a number of framing elements that can be mixed together, or used with some of the smaller elements in the set too.  I had a lot of fun looking at the pieces in a different way. 

One of the frames in the set is a square box.  I decided it would be fun to create a boxed wreath for Christmas with the smaller leafed elements in the set and the outlined box.  

I began by stamping the square frame in a dark green Memento Ink and then adding numerous inked leaves onto the box to form a wreath in 3 different Memento greens (Bamboo Leaves, Olive Grove, Northern Pine).  Stamp until you feel like you have a full enough wreath to your liking.  Then I added the small berries from the set in Memento Lady Bug ink.  Then I trimmed out the wreath and centre carefully with my scissors, popping it up on the rich green card stock and adding some rhinestones as extra berry glitz.   A silk ribbon makes it hang, as if it was from a door, and a pretty sentiment (from Melanie's set Stately Flowers 5) makes it festive.  

Isn't it neat that you can make the frame into a wreath?  

Now for something a bit cooler...

I wanted to create the feel of a moon-lit night with the circular frame from the set, so I embossed it in white and punched out a little 1/2 inch circle from Eclipse Masking tape.   Then I sponged some gorgeous Memento Paris Dusk ink around the design and the mask, leaving a hint of light around the moon for it's glow.  I added the pretty black bird popped up on the vine giving him a wee bit of white gel pen for a highlight on the moon side.  I've embossed vines on the deep purple cardstock as well as the sentiment.  

I always think its the coolest when you take off a masked element to a design and see something like a crisp and pretty moon behind it.  

Now for the last creation today, 

An easel design that shows off how to add accent with embossing and Copic markers.  I embossed the oval frame from the set with white and added some pretty flowers to the vines.  Then after the embossing was cooled I added some light outlines with my BG57 Copic Marker, which is just deeper than the tones of the cardstock.  It gives the white a real pop on the design.  You just have to be careful not to touch your Copic nib to the embossing or it will clog it, but the effect is really great.  

I also stamped the leaf elements from the set onto the designer paper to really tie everything together.  The sentiment is from Melanie's set A year of flowers.  So pretty don't you think?  

Be sure to pop by Melanie's blog to see this great set she's showing off and tell her I sent you!  Thanks Mel for a fun round of creating with your wonderful designs!  

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Branching Out with Melanie

Happy Hopping with Melanie!

Good morning!  Today several members of the CardMaker Blog team and Gina K. Designs team are  showcasing stamps used in Melanie Muenchinger's newest book Fabulous Stamped Frames, published by Annie's. This cardmaking tutorial book features 36 projects using seven of Melanie's bold and line art frame stamp sets from Gina K. Designs.  These versatile setseach contain a frame stamp large enough to fill an A2 card front, which can be rotated portrait or landscape style, along with coordinating images and sentiments, that allow both beginners and advanced crafters to enjoy endless design possibilities for year-round themes, occasions and styles. Not all sets are needed to get a ton of instruction and ideas from this book! Melanie challenged us to each put our own spin on one of the sets, so we hope you enjoy what you see today!  She and Gina will be sharing videos as well to show more of the book and some of the stamps in action.

Here is what I made :)

I got to play with Melanie's beautiful set Branching Out.  It has numerous elements in square, circular or rectangle fashion that can be used alone, or other elements from the set added to accent the frames. I love the delicate feel to the set and the numerous elements that you can mix and match together.  All the bits and pieces are interchangeable.  I stamped the circular framing piece in black adding the pretty perched bird and then all the other coloured flowers and berries with soft peaches and blue-y greens to match this pretty Teresa Collins Summer Stories  paper.  Just those little bits of dimension really accent the frame.  

I've paired it with some metallic black paper, pretty pearls and some button, lace and iridescent twine.  I wanted it to have that simple delicate feel because it has that sort of dainty feel to me.  Lovely and peaceful isn't it?  

Here's what this lovely stamp set looks like:

Now you'll want to know this fun SALE NEWS from Gina K...

And here's where you can hop along to get tons of inspiration from Melanie's sets in the book...enjoy!

Melanie Muenchinger

Gina Krupsky

Cathy Tidwell

Debbie Corbari

Latisha Yoast

Lee Murphy

Michelle Woerner

AJ Otto

Sean Fetterman

Tami Mayberry

Theresa Momber

Christine Okken (you are here)

Beth Silaika

Brooke Smith 

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Happy Hopping with Melanie!

CardMaker Blog Hopping with Gina K!

It's a great day today as the CardMaker Magazine Blog Team is linking up with the Gina K Team to bring you some creative and fun inspiration!

I created two cards with this month's adorable StampTV Kit Spring Parade.

For this first card I took this pretty petaled flower bloom and inked it in white craft ink onto the Gina K card stock in the kit in this pretty teal colour, embossing with white.  After it cooled I came back and added little bits of colouring with my BG57 Copic marker.  Instant depth!

To tie in the background stripedy paper from the kit to the main image I also stamped the leaves from the set onto the dp, and sewed the panels together.  Then it's just a wee bit of pretty ribbon and brads, and I love how it turned out!

For this next card I went for a bit more of a whimsical feel...

What do you think - butterfly or dragonfly?  It could be both right?  First I stamped and embossed the lovely butter/dragon-fly onto Gina K Black cardstock and then also did a second stamping onto White cardstock just cutting out the inner wings and popping them up for a real look of flight.  The paper from this kit is such a fun design.  

I tied a double bow of gingham and this pretty teal organdy ribbon, and I love how it softens the effect.  

A pretty pair of cards that were so fun to make!

Now for more fun you can head on over to the lovely Sharon Harnist for more Gina K Inspiration! 

Thanks so much Gina K for the fun!  Be sure you also head on over to Gina's Blog...she has something fun to give away today!  

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CardMaker Blog Hopping with Gina K!

South Dakota Pasque Flower

I have the privelage of showing you a beautiful set illustrated by my CardMarker Blog Teammate Melanie Meunchinger today.  It's especially cool because we lived in South Dakota when we lived in the US, and the sister-in-law I'm sending all these card sets to lives in SD.  So, it's really fun that I can show off the SD State Flower, the Pasque Flower, from Melanie's Stately Flowers 5 set.

I began by stamping the image with Memento Toffee Crunch ink to get that no-line look for colouring.  Then I coloured up the pasque flowers in deep purples shades of Copics.  These flowers have a really textured petal, so I tried to capture that lined look in the colouring.  Then I trimmed them out carefully and used some Ranger Distress ink to age and stamp the background behind the flowers.  

On this card you can see I added texture behind the flower with an embossing folder, and on the other card I added designer paper.  Each it's own look.  A little grossgrain and faceted gems as accent.  

Isn't it a pretty flower?  Its called a Pasque Flower because of the time of the year it blooms, which is right around Easter.  Fun fact that I thought I'd share today!  

Copics:  V01, V05, V06, V09, BG90, BG93, BG96, Y23, Y26, YR24.  

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South Dakota Pasque Flower

A Spring Bouquet

A quick post tonight....I have been painting our bathroom, and have been at it yesterday, today and hopefully finishing up tomorrow....the ceiling, the cupboards, the walls...it's a big job. I'm so thankful my mom is helping me.

But, after painting today I needed a break, so I used the Color Challenge colors of Pretty in Pink, Baja Breeze and Kiwi Kiss and some beautiful Gina K flowers to create this bouquet. All the flowers are masked and watercolored...after I had the main image done, I realized that one of my tulips was floating without a stem, it looked wrong, so I added another one with a stem over top. I've outlined all the flowers with a copic marker to give it sort of that blue glow.

Do you notice this gorgeous flower ribbon? I made it! We saw it in a WOW presentation at the SU Regional we went to on Saturday....I'll show you the step by step another day, but it's definitely a WOW effect!

I'll be back tomorrow to show you some of the projects I made for my sweet new niece!

Recipe: Stamps: Gina K - A Year of Flowers, Ink: Black Stazon, Paper: Baja Breeze, Pretty in Pink, Watercolor Paper, Walk in the Park DSP; Accessories: Aqua Painter, Reinkers, Copics, Baja Satin Ribbon, Pink Brads, Dimensionals

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A Spring Bouquet

A Taste of Summer

After days and days of absolutely COLD weather...today it was above freezing. What a beautiful respite...one of our sons asked me today how long winter would last...oy...it will be a while, but I'm so ready for spring!

How about those warm days of summer though...when the flowers are blooming!? The Featured stamper challenge this week is Jaydekay....a fabulous gallery full of wonderful coloring and layout.

I wasn't going to stamp tonight, but my husband is away with our HS students on a ski trip, and the kids are in bed, and the dishes are done, and the laundry folded, so I pulled this one together.

Here's a link to HER CARD, I loved this card's use of the sunflowers in non-traditional colors. I don't have that stamp set, but I have a new Sunflower image in my Gina Kay set... I *fake* watercolored it. Inking the stamp directly with SW Markers stamping right on watercolor paper, letting it sit just a bit and then using an aquapainter to blend the ink a little.

Changes: Color, stamp sets, a little on the layout, addition of a sentiment and different ribbon.

Recipe: Gina K's A Year of Flowers, SU Itty Bitty Backgrounds; Ink: Rose Red, Chocolate Chip; Paper: Rose Red, Chocolate Chip, Watercolor; Accessories: SW Markers, Sponge, Wide Grossgrain Ribbon, Circle Punches, Dimensionals

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A Taste of Summer

Kindness

There's something so powerful and touching about unexpected, unmerited kindness isn't there?

We've been the recipient of kindness today in several places. I just had to tell you about them. (lots to look at here too...keep reading).


Today our kids are back at school, our youngest in Kindergarten is the *Star of the Week* this week. Part of being Star of the Week is that you get to take a special stuffed animal home and let him do everything with you, then journal about it. Our older two talk about this still as a highlight of Kindergarten :) So, it was so precious to see our little guy today bring *Katie Kitty* home, and to see his nurturing side come out. His sweet kindness "Katie Kitty, want to have a snack with me?", "how's your snack taste Katie?" Or the sweet way he'd bundle Katie up in the blanket. Sweet kindness shown in him. I just treasure it.



Then...my husband had to go to the Dentist this morning to repair a tooth, the dentist is a friend of ours, I grew up with him, and we also both went to college with him. He asked if we'd like his hockey tickets tonight, he couldn't go! Tickets to an NHL game here are pricey, My husband said the price on the ticket is $94 each! What a kind thing for him to give us! My husband is taking our daughter. It will be her first NHL game and she's so excited.


And then....I received a very sweet package in the mail from a SCS friend. Dawn, and on SCS her name is flowergal36. She's SO talented.

A gorgeous card - just look at her beautiful coloring! ....AND an entire Gina K set! Oh my goodness! Just look!




Could it be more perfect! Flowers! And my first Gina K's too. I'm so using these tomorrow! Thank you again Dawn, so much! You're a sweetie!

And here are some other sweet things sent to me for Christmas from friends...wonderful handmade creations... ok...I had put watermarks on each one of these photos coming but they are not showing...I'll try and replace them later!

This from my dear friend Jodi Collins, or Kharmagirl as many of you know her. She is so talented and I treasure her friendship and the chance we've had to work together on the DD...and I sure miss her too. We don't get nearly as much chance to talk ...especially with her all the way in NY....and me up here in Canada.


Just look at her rich coloring and layering. I love Jodi's designs!



This is one from my friend here named Leanna. We've been friends for about 8 years and have stamped together for a lot of them, she calls me her *dealer* and I supply her with her *stamping drugs* (LOL). She's full of life, energy, generosity and creativity and has been a blessing in my life. And she tells me she reads my blog every day.....:) Look at the pretty sparkle on the Big Shot snowflakes!

This is from my new cyber friend, the wonderful Julie Koerber, or on SCS outtoimpress. She's our Design Team head over at Flourishes, but I'm just so very grateful that I've come to know her. She's so fun and full of life and warmth. And her talent is really wonderful. I love all the great creations she makes. Just look at the creativity to this card with the jewelled crowns, the glittery red paper, the cb and the truth of the sentiment too.



This one from a fellow SCS'er Joelyn, we *met* through a stamp set! She was asking about a retired set I had used, isn't it cool how you meet some people? Look at the pretty silver tree!

And this from another local friend, and a former youth parent. Her name is Dee and this also came with a very kind gift for our family. The blue paper is shimmery...really pretty IRL, and a nice layout too!

And last but not least...from my friend and upline Susan. She really has a way of making cards look so eye-catching. This combines whites, gold and vanilla and sparkle too. Very classy. She's such a kind upline too, always supporting her downline practically and personally. I finally figured out where I have all my glitter from - it's from Susan when she sends us monthly goal gifts!

All in the name of kindness. Warmed my heart today. I pray that I can extend kindness in the same way.

See you tomorrow everyone!

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Kindness