Friday tutorial.

Hello dear friends on this beautiful Friday night!

Lots of info below!

TIP OF THE DAY! Fisker Punches. I used my new punch  today called: Craft Punch, Border Corner, Quilted Corners! My card below was made using  it. This is the most awesome punch I have ever used. It goes around the complete page, the corners are quilted and it is as easy as pie. So easy to line your paper...I could teach my young grandchildren to use it.

The punch has two levers. One for the corners and another for the border. See the ridges to the left of the levers.

Place your paper under both levers.

slide you paper to the next  ridge and only push the border lever

4 x 4 you only punch the border one time.   5 x 5  two times.  Turn your paper to the next corner and punch both levers.

Continue until completed

Isn't it beautiful? No guessing, measuring, perfect alignment. See my card below!

I was requested to make a 50th wedding anniversary card and this is what I came up with. I love it and taught myself some more things! Like you need special tape for Velum because reg tape or glue shows right through it. 

Layers: White card stock, gold foil paper, white card stock with fiskar border punch and embossed with Cuttlebug. A gold doily and computer generated sentiment on gloss paper and dry embossed.  Flowers were purchased at Michales Craft store in the wedding department and I took them apart. See pictures below again!

  Finally the end!!! Hope you love it like I do!

It's Friday!

Happy Friday everyone!  Ok, where did July go...I lost it somewhere? Talking about losing things, I have to tell you what happened the other day.


This might be one of those stories you had to be here to appreciate the humor! Any how...when I gained so much weight on prednisone, I had to have my rings re-sized larger. Unfortunately,  when we had it done I was very edematous (swollen) all over including my fingers and so the rings were made to big. They will actually fly off of my fingers when not swollen so I take them off all the time.  Sunday we were getting ready to go out and I went to my jewelry box on the dresser to get my rings and they weren't there and I distinctly remember putting them there!! I looked in the jewelry stand and they weren't there either. I checked the night stand, bathroom, desk and I am getting worried so I asked DH if he saw them. Now he is looking for them too! We are looking in the same places at the same time for about 15 -20 minutes, we were starting to run late for an appointment and I said "let's go and when we get home I will call Amy and see if I left them there" meanwhile if I did ...Amy would have called me immediately. As I am closing the lid to the jewelry box I happened to look at my fricken hand and there were the rings on my finger!!!! I hold my hand up for DH to see...he looks at my hand, we looked at each and cracked-up big time!  Now that is bad!

This cute and silly birthday card is using  Karen's Doodles digi image. I love silly images  on birthday cards for they make people smile! Isn't it bright and cheerful? It's for a man so I ditched the flowers this time!

• DP: Basic Grey
•  Brads: Basic Grey
• Copic Markers
• Elephant: C00, C01, C03
• Rouge: R20
• Skirt: G07, G05, G03, G02

I cut my paper with Paper Cow paper cutter which I will tell you about more tomorrow!

Friend

Hello!! Wishing this finds everyone in great spirits and health! Today was an awesome day for me! Hubby took my box of cards to work and sold 5 and orders for 4 more!! Nine cards on the very first day they were shown!! I'll tell ya that sure made my day, no my week, how about the entire year! Oh my gosh I am just so thrilled!


Tip of the day! Ok, you purchased all the Copic Markers you wanted! Guess what? It is not over for your markers are eventually going to run out of ink. Yes, they last a very long time however, when one goes dry be prepared for several more will follow. When ordering your first Various Inks which is what the refills are called and you color using shading from dark to light or light to dark, you only need to order the lightest and medium color refills first. Think about it. You only use a small amount of the dark color to your image. It is the lighter and medium colors you blend with or use more of on your images. My light and medium colors went dry and after a year of constant coloring, I have only refilled two markers, R29 and 39 which I used a lot of last Christmas...ya know Santa!


Never open a new or a refilled marker over your image. I have forced myself to make it a habit of not opening any markers over my images. Suzanna Dean warned me about this and I did not listen for it never happened to me until....I was doing a very detailed card and my marker went dry and I refilled it. Without thinking I opened it over the image and it splattered enough to ruin the entire project. It also happened when I opened a dark marker for the very first time. UGH, I was so angry with myself.

I am Home!

Hello friends!! Did you miss me like I missed you? Two and half weeks with no crafting...yikes and since I have come home, I keep looking for my mojo and can't find it! We had a beautiful vacation with our grandsons until the last two day when I developed food poisoning. Let me tell ya, I was so sick, it was horrible. I never, ever want that again. It is horrible and if you have it you know it. You are so dang sick.

My granddaughter, Abbie had a tonsillectomy after we returned and thank goodness, I was well enough to travel so I could be with her and my daughter, Amy in PA. Tyler and Travis grandmother and grandfather met me there and took the boys to Michigan. They live in Las Vegas and each summer spend time with both of their grandparents!  When I came home from Amy's,  I rolled up into a ball and my body just quit, it said "no more!"  I agreed too!  Good news: Abbie did great and was a real trouper. She is still recovering and each day gets better! Yahoo!

TIP OF THE DAY:  Have you ever used Stickles? Stickles is glitter glue with an easy flow tip made for paper products. There are very few cards I have not used Stickles on. I love it and it really gives your cards a finish, professional, glittery look! I have discovered you can not use Stickles on digital images printed on Cryogen paper. It makes the lines bleed.  So when ever you are using Stickles for the first time on a new paper, ink, etc. test it first to prevent heartache in the end.  Stickles is the last thing I use and ruined two beautiful cards today with it. It was a real bummer! Esp. with my mojo hiding on me!

This cute card "Dogs Day Afternoon"  from Karen Doodles! was fun to color! I was commissioned to make this card by one of my hubby's co-workers. This is the first card I have made for her and she picked this image out of the ones she saw.  I wanted to make a flowery,  oh my gosh, dead drop gorgeous card and yet it's a dog! I love this image, but you can't flower him all up!! Can you? LOL  Anyhow, doesn't he just make you wish you were the one on the beach with a cool drink in your hands! I know I do!! I found the beach umbrella by doing a google search for umbrella's and printed Happy Birthday on it! Easy peasy in Microsoft word! I put diamond glaze on his sunglasses and drink to make them shine. Diamond  Stickles on the sand to make it glittery. After I was done coloring the fur I applied colorless blender with an old wash clothe to give it a more texture look.  I love the end result! LOL in this picture it looks like a cigarette hanging from his lips!! It's a straw!  Maybe I should add some color to it!!!

Challenge: Party Time Tuesdays   This is fun challenge held every Tuesday. Decides the recipe you need to have a birthday sentiment on your card.  Let me tell ya it is super nice when you need a birthday card and you have one right there already made!

Supplies:

• Digi: Karen Doodles "Dog Day Afternoon"  Don't you just love it!
• DP: Basic Grey
• Nestability Scallop Oval
• Flowers: Prima
• Sentiment: Computer
• Ribbon: Ofry
• Diamond Glaze
• Diamond Stickles
• Copic markers:
• Fur: E49, E47, E44, E35, E25, E31...Yep, I used all of them!
• Scarf and hat: YG25, YG,23, YG,21
• Chaise lounge: YG25, YG23, G20, Y06, Y02, Y00
• Glasses: Prismacolor pencil

Thank you for stopping by and please leave some love...today I can use all I can get! LOL

Black and White

Hello and how did your weekend go?  Hubby and grandsons, Tyler and Travis went to the Smithsonian today! The boys sound tired and no wonder for last night they monkey around until 3 am.  I tried to tell them "your going to be sorry tomorrow" and I think today they KWIM!  They are 12 and soon to be 9. Tyler, the eldest cracked me up when they first came! I said "wow, you sure grew" his response was "I am starting to grow a mustache!"  I looked at his face "I don't think so yet"...he practically pulled me into the bathroom to show me in the mirror! It was so dang cute as he pulls the skin out from his face and says "now look"  and ah hah, if you look super close and imagine, you will see it!  I dearly love all the grands and they keep my life jolly!  Tomorrow we leave for Williamsburg!! YEAH, WaHOO and this will be my last card for two weeks!! I am taking my Copic's and images to color but, that's all! Bush Gardens here we come!

Tip of the day: 

   Coloring with REDS. So many have said that when they color with reds it bleeds out of the lines or their paper becomes tacky and streaky. There are several things that might be happening here and these are some tip you can try.

• Your paper:  Try a different paper. Gina K is a very hard smooth paper and the ink does not absorb into the paper and will lay on top. So when you are trying to blend you keep going over and over it and eventually the ink has no where to go and as it dries becomes tacky and streaky or bleeds out. You can use a  more absorbent paper such as One Sheet Wonder or Cryogen. However, remember it will not blend the same. Each paper blends differently. If you can't change the paper then change your technique.

• Letting the paper dry between coats. Let it dry a little...not completely or you will have to add more ink to get it wet again to blend. The paper can only hold so much ink at one time so if you allow it to dry it will accept the color without bleeding. 

• Don't use as much ink. If you color making little circles, try feather blending. This is how I color with all my colors.  The way paper is made today you do not need to soak it to blend it. I was using more ink by coloring in small circle and you need to.

• Avoid the color up to the edge. If your reds are bleeding, don't color up to the edge. I start with my darkest colors first. With darker colors R27-R29 or R35- R39 or the dark blues, I do not color to the edge. I will finish blending my medium and light colors and then look to see if the ink spread to the edges. If it has not, I apply a very light touch tip to paper and fill in what was not colored. Using a very light touch you should not have to re-blend.

Leaving on vacation tomorrow I wanted to make a card with less fuss. I love the ways this card turned out! I made a 4.25 by 5.5 card using white card stock as my base.  I laid down my second paper which is the black with white dots. White card stock and cut out corners with Cuttlebug die. Cut blocks at 1.5 x 2.25 inches. I printed out a digital butterfly in 3 different sizes and layered them. I love this technique for butterflies! Added black and white Prima flowers to the corners! Black and white leaves with Martha Stewart leaf punch. Don't you just love it the look! Sometimes less is more!

Challenge Flutter Fly Wednesdays and this week is open. Danni started this site and it is growing by leaps and bounds! I love it and if you like using angels, fairies or butterflies this is where you want to be!!

 Operation White House four squares. If you want to know what to do with your cards you have in the box...send them to Operation White House and they will be shipped to our troops who are deployed to use to send back home. Or thank you card for them to keeping us free!!

DP: Craft Secrets. Love their paper pads

I will have my laptop and will be able to blog! Thank you for stopping by!! Be safe!

Happy Friday! Christmas in July!

Hello everyone!  Today was the beginning of our vacation.To make a long story short my hubby was in a vehicle accident today. He is fine, the Tribecca is demolished. It happened when a fire truck was approaching from the other direction and the truck in front of him slammed on their breaks and our SUV went underneath. It happened in PA 3 hours from home. The SUV is new, but can be replaced... he can't ...so all is good! 

Tips of the day:  When placing flowers on your cards, use different color leaves to emphasized your card colors. On today's card I used white leaves which made the corner look brighter and matched the paper!    Small tight places like the bottom of Rudolph legs,  I color with Prima Color Pencils, it's so much easier and faster!

Santa and Friends, is part of the The Winter Wonderland Collection made exclusively for Susana Custom Art and Card Design! I just love this santa! His beard, cap and bottom of his coat has Doddle Bug white flock applied thickly and  Polar White Flower Soft for the snow. I cut away the gift boxes and added my own. The Color Combo at Simply Scrapping Crafts asks for Red, White, Blue and Brown.  The challenge at Follow Your Heart  wants faux or sewing on your card. Well, it didn't take an Einstein to know which one I would choose! Santa and Friends were faux!!! I love Santa and Rudolph, but I can still wait a bit for winter!!

Supplies: 

•  DP: Basic Grey
• Cryogen: for Santa
• Copics:
• Santa Suit R32, R35, R37, R39
• Skin: E11, E01, E000 Blush R20, R32
• Boots and Belt: C7, C5, C3, C1
• Rudulph: E17, E15, E11
• Chipmunk E27, E25, E21
• Eyes: B21
• Pointsetta: Stash
• White Leaves: Martha Stewart leaf punch
• Scallop Oval Nestabilitie die
• White marker: Sharpie Poster Paint, Extra Fine Point

Have a jolly weekend!

Simba and Bailey.

Hello and Happy Tuesday!! Did you have a great weekend and a chance to sit and relax? Hard returning to work today. I can't blame you either for it is gorgeous outside! Those who live in the eastern states, can you believe it's 97 with NO humidity! Awesome!


Today is TIOT Challenge for Susana's Custom Art & Card Design,  and the challenge is a sketch posted on the store's blog HERE! 

I chose   "Puppy Love" from the Hearts and Hugs, Summer Collection by Victoria Case made exclusively for SCACD!  If you follow my blog you will know I love dogs and when I saw this stamp I had to have it! My dogs, Simba and Bailey are Havanese brothers from the same litter and are 2 1/2 years old.

I made a little video when they were about 4 months old and you can watch it here! It's not very long and I hope you like it!

Isn't this card adorable? I had a lot of fun with it. I changed the sign on the front of the box which said "take me home" to "friends!"

Recipe:

•  Stamp
• DP: Basic Grey, Porcelain Paper Pad
• Nestabilities Circle Punch
• Martha Steward Border Punch
• Cuttle Bug dry embossing folder
• Sentiment: Stash 
• Distress Ink: Tim Holtz, Shabby Shutters
• Copic Markers:
• Blouse: R85, R83, R81
• Pants: YG25. YG23, YG21
• Dogs, E27, E25, E21 and C00, C01, C03
• Hair: E25, E31, E50..I love this combo and here is a link to it!  Video by Suzanne Dean
• Diamond Glaze to her eyes to make them shine
• Stickles: Diamond to shoes and her top! 
• Thank you for looking and hope you enjoy the video of my dogs and hair coloring by SD!

Happy Fourth of July!

Hope everyone had a splendid day with your family! Wasn't the weather just beautiful with sunny skies, no humidity and a little bit of a breeze! We were going to go to Washington DC to see the fireworks and everyone talked me out of it. They said it is so crowded your arms are pinned to your sides. YUCK! No, thank you, I like moving my arms and legs!! So what did we do? We stayed home and hubby finished the deck that was started 3 years ago! I am not complaining for that made me a happy camper!

Tip of the day: What paper should you use with Copic Markers? I have found through horrible experiences the paper you use makes a difference with your coloring. For over six months I struggle with my inks becoming tacky and streaky. I even went to Maryann Walker, Copic's Product Specialist for answers and tried every trick in the book.. I even took all my Copic's apart and soak the tips in Colorless Blender solution or I replaced them. Since I was using the top of the line paper, no one thought to tell me to try another brand.

Top 3 papers used in the States.

• Gina K 120 lb Luxury Paper:.  Heavy, smooth paper
• One Sheet Wonder by Couture Cardstock:  Heavy paper, but not as tightly woven as Gina K.
• Cryogen Irredescent or white Cardstock:  I love this paper! It is smooth with a little bit of tooth to it. You only need to touch it very lightly to apply color, it blends well, has a glittery sheen  when you tip it in the light. Using the colorless blender pen, you can remove any mistake, including red ink on Cryogen. My colors never streak or get tacky since I switched.

Elisabeth Bell designs  exclusive stamp lines for Susana's Custom Art and Card Design and  I used "Heartstrings" from the Sampler Edition 3 line! This stamp is one of my favorites!!! Isn't she adorable! She looks so dainty and I love her hair and dress!

Supplies

• DP: Crafty Sisters
• Scrolls: Sizzix Dies
• Ribbon: Offray
• Roses: Prima
• Flower soft on bird house
• Leaves: Martha Stewart Leaf Punch
• Heart Charm:  Blue Moon Charms can be purchase at  SCACD
• Stickles: Ruby Slippers and X-mas Red
• Pearls: Stash
• Copics
• Dress: R39, R37, R35, R32
• Bird House: G000, G00, G02
• White: C0, C1
• Skin: E11, E01, E000

Thank you for looking and commenting! It makes me smile BIG time!
If you have any questions about anything with making cards please ask and if I don't know the answer I will find it!

Teddy Bear Wedding!

Hello my friends and those who live in the states are you ready for your 3 day week-end? My hubby is thrilled!! We don't have anything planned. On Wednesday,  My daughter, Amy and her two children, Abbie and Andrew came and stayed overnight.   It was great seeing them and gosh they are growing so fast! Abbie's hair is past her shoulders and she looks so pretty with her braided pig tails.  She will tell you  "I am  leaving my hair grow really long, so I can give it to a sick kid"  She wants to donate her hair, so a wig can be made for a child!  Is that not awesome for a four year old to say and do? I tell ya...I am so proud of her!

Since it is summer and I love Teddy Bears! I am presenting to you a Teddy Bear Wedding! I just love this stamp and it's been a long time since I have used it. The challenge this week at  Teddy-stampers  is "Love My Teddy" and nothing says love like a wedding!

Tip of the day:  Copic's When coloring with Copic's and your final piece ends up with no real highlights or shadowing, there are several ways to correct to it so you  have more of a 3 D look.  If you are using light colors for ex:Y06, Y04, Y02, Y00. Darken you dark area again and blend without taking your lighter colors over the dark area. If you still want more of a 3 D look...take Y08 and go over what you were coloring withY06 and skip using the Y04 when you re-blend it.. If you are using the darker reds or blues for example: B39, B37, B34, B32 and your area is too dark with no highlight. Take your colorless blender and using the side of it...not the tip and slowly and lightly go over your light area. Let it dry and repeat until you have it light enough. However, at this point you might notice some uneven coloring. Take B32, using the side of the marker and not the tip and go over the light area again.
 
I used Stickles, Ruby Slippers on her head piece, flowers and corsage. I love this color. It is much thicker  like Frosted Lace and easier to make 3D effects!

Supplies:

• Rubber Stamp:  E-bay special
• Ribbon: Stash
• Bow Easy
• Copic markers
• First Bear: E37, E35, E 33, E31,
• Second Bear:E79, E77, E74, E71
• Shadowing the white: C00, C01
• Red: R39, R35, R32
• Green: G25,  G23, G21
• Stickles: Ruby Slippers
• Sentiment: Computer generated

Happy Weekend!! Thank you for looking!