Thinking Inking

Whipped Up Just for You: Club La-La Land Crafts March Release

Welcome! I'm pretty excited to share what I've been up to for the last few days--coloring up some sure-enough cute images from the March Club La-La Land Crafts Kit! Today I have a couple of cards to share with you, and I'll have an unboxing video ready on Tuesday, tentatively. On April 9, I will have a couple of different cards to show you as well as a coloring video. . . Yep--finally trying video again! ;-) 

Before I share my projects, I should probably explain how Club La-La Land Crafts works: it is a monthly subscription plan from La-La Land Crafts that includes three different kit possibilities, with this month's products pictured above.

PRODUCT KIT $39.99 (stamp kit AND die kit)

STAMP KIT $19.99

DIES Only KIT $29.99

Several project tutorials are also available to club members too!

Sign Up for the March Kit shown above will go through March 21.

So, here's my first card with Love to Bake Marci--isn't she a doll? I also used an image and a sentiment from the coordinating Baking Hamsters stamp set. And how about that Mixer die? It looks just like my 30-year old Kitchen Aid (that still works just fine, by the way). . . 

Shown above are the Copic Sketch Markers that I used to color the Love to Bake Marci and Baking Hamsters images. Patterned papers are from the Carta Bella Homemade Love DIGITAL paper Pack 2 (purchased from Snap Click Supply). I printed them out at 50" to get 6" x 6" paper. (I live two hours from the nearest brick and mortar crafting store, so digital/printable papers can be a great alternative if I need something specific in a hurry!) A stepped out .pdf instruction sheet of this card is available to kit subscribers.

How about more of those cute hamsters? (I googled "hamster images" to try to find different fur patterns, so that little guy on the left really IS based on a real hamster!) On the Mixer die, I used my Versamark pad very carefully to ink up the beater and the little knob on the front of the mixer so that I could use some silver embossing powder on them. 

Shown above are the Copic Sketch markers that I used on this card. Papers are from the same Carta Bella Homemade Love DIGITAL paper Pack 2 that I mentioned in a previous paragraph. 

So, do YOU want to play with these fun stamps and dies?
You can go HERE for the KIT details or to join the club!

Please note that affiliate links ARE used in this post.

Thank you for visiting,

Edited to add: Unboxing video Link is HERE. Thanks!

Every Day Is a Picnic

Welcome! I have a sweet little MFT Birdie Brown card to share today using the Every Day is a Picnic stamp set--isn't she a cutie?

These are the Copic markers that I used to color the image. Yes, THAT many. I changed my mind a few times, then at the last minute I added the sun image for a balanced layout. When I was ready to take a picture, it occurred to me that I had to change the shading and shadows because of adding the sun. So, I colored for quite a while on this image!

I used a "Dukes Mixture" of dies here--is that only a Southern term? I started with an MFT Every Day Is a Picnic Die-namics for the picnic basket, sun, and girl. Next I used a Blueprints Number 15 Die-namics for the pink patterned background. The little blue side strip was cut with a Vertical Stitched Strips Die-namics. Patterned papers are from the Carta Bella Summer Lovin' 6 x 6 paper pad. For that partial circle, I used a Spellbinders  Grand Circles die, trimmed on one side. Ribbon is white seam binding, dyed with my Copic reinkers to coordinate. The image is stamped on X-Press It Blending card with MFT's Black Licorice Hybrid ink. That's it for today--hope you have a great day!

Miss You!

Welcome! I'm starting to feel like a stranger to my own blog these days. I'm in South Carolina visiting my family for a few days, having taught a couple of Copic Workshop classes in Charlotte, NC, this past weekend. The Charlotte group was delightful--I thoroughly enjoyed being there! My trip there, however, was less than delightful. Some people have travel issues, and I'm one of them. ;-) My Friday morning flight was cancelled on Thursday morning due to an incoming snow and ice storm. So I had to leave on Thursday from a different airport and had only two hours to pack for both class and the trip on to SC after class. Then our departure was delayed an hour, meaning that we (son and I) missed the connecting early flight to Charlotte from Detroit. That's okay--Delta got us there, and that counts. After class and packing up/shipping on Saturday, we were supposed to take an Amtrak train from Charlotte to our little town in Upstate South Carolina. Unfortunately, the Yellow Cab (pre-scheduled at 10pm for 1:20am) never showed up. A second taxi company was called and promised to be there in 15 minutes. They never came either. (I couldn't make this up if I tried--honest!) Half an hour before the train was supposed to leave, I begged the desk attendant at our hotel to send someone in the hotel shuttle to get us to the train station. We arrived at the station thirteen minutes before the train left, and got on the train three minutes before it left. Really. It's *always* an adventure. . .

Before I left I was able to get a few cards finished anyway, so I actually do have something to share today--besides travel woes! The card above was for a sweet kid-let friend, using the MFT Pure Innocence Wish You Were Here stamp set.

These were the Copic Markers that I used, along with a Brown Copic 0.1 Multiliner with which I drew some wood texture into the bench.

I used a Spellbinders Classic Rectangles LG  die template to cut and emboss the focal image, a Charmed I'm Sure die template for the sentiment tag (evidently out of stock), and On the Edge for that heart border. I dyed the seam binding with some Copic B95 and colorless blender. Papers are from Carta Bella's Cool Summer 6 x 6 paper pad. That's it for tonight's card! Here's hoping that your travel adventures aren't quite as adventuresome as mine. ;-}

Debbie

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This and That Notepads

Welcome! We've had family visiting for the past several days. While they were here, my sister-in-law mentioned needing some small gifts for her ladies Sunday School group--hmmm, that's right up my alley, because STUFF I have! Now if you know me at all, you might know that I'm not fond of mass production. I like to make one of a thing and be done with it; but sometimes you have to make an exception. . . ;-)  (At least we needed only fifteen.)

We started with a couple of Papertrey Ink stamp sets, Take Note and Turning a New Leaf.  I pulled ink colors from some Fall-ish Carta Bella 12" x 12" paper that I had on hand from the Traditions line: Terracotta Tile, Spring Moss, and Enchanted Evening.

I used three Spellbinders die template sets to cut my pieces: Classic Scalloped Circles Large, Standard Circles Large, and Charmed, I'm Sure. Those little paper strips were just leftovers that we attached to add another bit of interest to the covers of the PTI Vintage Cream notepads.

For trim we used PTI Vintage Buttons and grosgrain in Enchanted Evening, Spring Moss, and Terracotta Tile. We left those large ribbon loops so that she could add a pen when she got home, if she found some that she liked. (We glued the pieces on so that they should be quite secure--here's hoping anyway! That's it, fifteen notepads later. Thanks for visiting my blog today!

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Just Sayin' Hi

Welcome! Today is Papertrey Ink's Stamp-a-faire event, with tons of activities, challenges, and fabulous tutorials. I hope that you get a chance to stop by Nichole's blog or the SAF forum at Papertrey Ink today!

On to my project: I have a card to share using the new Maile Belles Bubble Talk stamp set from the August 2013 release last week. I had some cute Carta Bella 6" x 6" Hello Again paper that I knew would be perfect with Maile's Bubble Talk--don't you think so?

Ink colors are Melon Berry, Lemon Tart, Ocean Tides, Aqua Mist, and True Black. Cardstock is Ocean Tides and Stampers Select White. I used the Bubble Talk die, Spiral Notebook Page die, and Large Scallop Edge die. I used quite a bit of foam tape to collage the bubbles and then stitched the outer edge of my patterned background. That's it for today; thank you for visting, and I hope you get to visit Stamp-a-faire too!

May Your Birthday Bring Happiness

Welcome! I just got back last night from a great weekend in Chicago at the Copic Color and Ink Workshop. {{{Waving to my new friends there!}}} For the first time, instead of splitting the group into two and both of us teaching both days, we kept the group together and assisted each other. (Cindy Lawrence and I were together for this class.) Anyway, I was really happy to get to sit in on the Airbrushing and So Many Surfaces section! In fact, I just had to pull out my Copic airbrush today just to play after watching all of the ladies airbrush on Saturday.

I stamped a sentiment from Papertrey Ink's Inside and Out Birthday II on Rustic White cardstock, then used a Spellbinders Timeless Rectangles die template to cut, emboss, and mask the sentiment so that I could airbrush my background with Copic BG02, G43, and Y35.

The rose is stamped with Papertrey's The Sweet Life stamp set, using Lemon Tart, Harvest Gold, and Berry Sorbet Inks, along with Limeade Ice and Simply Chartreuse for the leaves. I stamped the rose first, then stamped a mask on Eclipse tape and adhered it to the rose so that I could stamp the leaves tucked behind the rose. Other PTI Inks used were Summer Sunrise, Orange Zest , and Vintage Cream (to tone down edge of Berry Sorbet mat). Patterned papers are from Carta Bella's new 6" x 6" Hello Again paper pad. 

That's it for today--thanks for visiting!

Bugs and Kisses

 

Welcome! I have a little friend who has a birthday very soon and needed a suitable card to help celebrate. When I looked for a focal image, I found this Inky Antics Buggy Friends stamp in my stash--perfect for her!

I took pictures as I worked, showing all of the Copic markers that I used on each step--hope that helps!

You may not notice the Blue-Violets in the picture unless you compare it to the one above. I used the Blue-Violets to cool and mute shadow areas on the Yellow-Greens. Deep, hard-edged cast shadows for a bright, sunny day!

Here I added the flower and stem cap. I went back later and used a Spica Melon (bright green) Glitter pen to draw over those antennae.

Here I added some bright blue sky.

These sweet papers are from Carta Bella's Cool Summer 6" x 6" pad. I used three Spellbinders die template sets, including Classic Rectangles Small, Scalloped Rectangles Small, and  one that I think must be retired, Office Supplies. (I found it on Amazon, but not on the Spellbinders site.) Anyway, if you need a substitute, you could always use the spiral edge die template from the On the Edge set. Well, that's it for tonight's post. I hope you have a great weekend!

Congrats to the {Girl} Grad

Welcome!  Today I have my next girl grad card to share. I'm headed to Calgary to spend the weekend with Sherrie Siemens and our Calgary Copic girls, so my husband needed all five six (now he tells me!) graduation cards before I left. :-) For this card I used Papertrey Ink's Congrats All Ways stamp set, combined with the numbers from For the Graduate. Patterned papers are from Carta Bella's new So Noted 6" x 6" paper pad.

I thought that someone might have a question on how I got that card base with my Spellbinders Grand Labels Four die template, so I took a picture. I used the next to largest die template, making the folded card base about 5-1/2" wide and slightly less than 4" tall. I also trimmed the tips off after scoring and folding the die-cut shape, as you can see above. I did that to allow the card to sit flat on the bottom instead of wobbling from side to side on that pretty point. 

For the inside sentiment, I used Papertrey Ink's For the Graduate stamp set, stamped in Berry Sorbet ink.

The flowers are cut with Spellbinders Rose Creations die template set, from white coffee filters. I then dripped some Copic colorless blender on the filter-cuts, and then Copic R22 for the blossoms and Copic YG23 for the leaves. (Rose Creations is a simple floral die set to use because it does not require winding. Sometimes I'm winding-challenged. ;-}) The focal panel is cut with a Spellbinders Labels Four die template (largest one in the set), and then trimmed just the same as the card base and mat layers.

Okay--off to Calgary now! I'll have some guy grad cards for you a little later this week. Thanks for visiting!

Happy Birthday with Ice Cream on Top

Welcome! It's been another wild week here. Between some outside projects, some new release work, and life in a construction zone, my studio time has been shrinking lately. . . But that's life, and we ALL deal with it, right? My dining room floor is down--still needs stain and polyurethane--but it looks great! My kitchen and breakfast room are next on the schedule to be taken apart, so I spent time today trying to clear a few things out so that my husband would have room to work in there. I'm buckling in and expecting this to be a long ride, but won't it be nice when it's done? :-}

So, on to today's little birthday card! I started with Papertrey Ink's Sketched Shapes set and its coordinating Sketched Shapes die, combined with some pretty birthday papers from Carta Bella's Cool Summer 6" x 6" pad.

For the inside I used Stylish Sentiments: Birthday, taking my color cues from the patterned paper (Raspberry Fizz, Dark Chocolate, and Hawaiian Shores inks, in case you were wondering). 

I dyed a length of seam binding with Copic reinkers to coordinate with my Raspberry Fizz ink. That little circular cut came about because I love little flags that jut past the outside edge of the card front, BUT I hate to have to try to mail a card like that. I don't want a bent flag. :-) By using a die or punch to remove a chunk of the card front, I can still have a flag extending past the edge visually, but not past the edge of an envelope. Sneaky, eh? Well, that's it for today. I hope you have a fabulous weekend!

From Me to You

Welcome! My last posted card was a birthday card for a little girl. I started thinking about how big sister (almost 5) was going to feel if she didn't get a card too and figured I'd better make another little girl card! (Hey, any excuse for sweetness and pink, right?) As I was re-shelving some of the stamp sets that were stacked in my studio, I saw this little Papertrey Ink Heart-2-Heart #5 mini stamp set and knew that it would be perfect with some new Carta Bella Cool Summer paper that I had recently received.  The sentiment is from the Flower Fusion #6 mini stamp set.

I took my ink color cues from the cloud paper and used Hibiscus Burst, Simply Chartreuse, and Harvest Gold for my banners, as well as Dark Chocolate for my banner cord.  for the little bows, I used a Copic E49 to color some cotton crochet thread to coordinate with the stamped banner cord. I used two PTI die sets, Spiral Notebook Page die and the Chevron Stripes Border die collection. A bit of glitter, buttons, and stitching, and I have my big sister card ready to go too. :-)  Thank you for visiting today!

Birthday Wishes to You

Welcome! I've been playing blog hookie for the past few days so that I could get some work done, but tonight I had a chance to get a card made for a sweet little girl. I pulled out my Papertrey Ink Fancy Folk Art stamp set, along with Stylish Sentiments: Birthday for the inside sentiment. 

I thought that the Stylish Sentiments set worked well with the Fancy Folk Art set, even though the fonts aren't the same. They are both playfully mixed and have the same graphic feel to them.

These are the Copic markers that I used to color the folk art image--pinks and greens to coordinate with papers from my Carta Bella True Friends 6" x 6" pad.

I used several Spellbinders die template sets to frame my images, including Resplendent Rectangles for the bottom rectangular sentiment tag (except for the little green banner, which I hand-trimmed), Stately Circles for the lacey bottom mat, and both Standard Circles Large and Standard Circles Small for the focal image and its pink mat layer. Besides hand-trimming the little green sentiment banner, I also hand-trimmed the bottom of the flower image so that I could tuck it around the sentiment rather than just overlapping them or butting them against one another. 

I think that my little birthday girl will like her pink, glittery card. :-)  Thank you for visiting today!

Hope Your Day is Fabulous

Welcome! Today I have a masculine birthday card to share. It seems like I rarely have one of these available when I need one, so while I still had Heather's Boutique Borders: Birthday mini stamp set and its coordinating die out on my desk, I thought I'd make a card for the stash. I am not the best at aligning stamped images on a die-cut after cutting it, but I found this one to be relatively simple to align--got to love that! Ink colors are Scarlet Jewel and True Black, to coordinate with my patterned paper, which is Carta Bella's Well-Traveled 6" x 6" pad. I cut the burgundy banner strip by hand since the die that I planned to use was a little too short to cover the card front length. Ribbon is PTI's Scarlet Jewel Stain, and buttons are Cream PTI Vintage Buttons. Cardstock is Scarlet Jewel and Rustic Cream. Okay, that's it for my simple guy birthday card--thanks for visiting!