Merry Christmas to all!

Hope everyone has a very very lovely Christmas Day!

I know I have been among the missing.  I'm never sure what to say so I decided I would just ramble on.

One reason I have been among the missing is that I am busy taking Art lessons on-line!  I have always wanted to learn to draw, and lately have wanted to learn both mixed media and collage.  Beginning to get tired of doing cards.  Not certain what I will do with the new finished artwork projects, but I didn't know what to do with all those cards either.  It's all for fun anyway.

Right now I am busy with Tamara Laporte's Portrait class http://willowing.ning.com/, then I will do Whimsey and Art Journal (me, and Art Journal!!!).  Her Life Book series starts in January and from the looks of it will keep me pretty busy.  I also want to take several of Suzi Blu's classes http://suziblu.ning.com/.

When I finish something I won't mind people seeing, I will post it here.  In the meantime, here are a few cards I have done.  Could we call them a Christmas present?

So Excited!!

Boss Kut has not only a software upgrade but a motherboard upgrade as well.  The combo is primarily for Print and Cuts, which to be honest, I haven't had a big problem with - but I'm all for easier so I ordered my new motherboard as a Christmas present to me.

I can't say enough for Boss Kut, that they are not forcing me to purchase an entirely new machine for this upgrade.  Not many companies would go that far for existing owners.  They have the best customer service going as far as I am concerned.

I haven't used my little Gazy a fraction as much as I had planned to.  Got sidetracked with Copics - Taking lessons, practicing and practicing and so on.  Gazy sat by gathering dust along with my Prismacolor pencils, which I love, and a lot of other supplies.  Well, the new upgrade gave me a kick where I needed one to put Copics aside for awhile and start using my Gazy.

I have tons of gorgeous cutting files from Penny Duncan (side bar) and Paulo at http://scale-files.blogspot.com.  They are both such totally talented and amazing designers and they GIVE their designs away to us far less talented people.  I appreciate them both so much!

So now I'm guessing you might be expecting an example aren't you?  Well, I don't have any new ones yet, but I do have a couple of really bad photos of a couple I made with an intricate Penny Duncan file that cut just beautifully.

BAD PHOTOGRAPHY, GREAT FILE

Isn't that a gorgeous file (ignore how bad the photos are please - so embarrassing)?  I took the little wings off for the pink card, mostly because I tore the blamed thing taking it off the mat.  Since then I have learned how to remove delicate cuts from the mat without destroying them.  I tried that little Cricut spatula thingee and it gouged stuff to bits.  Then I discovered pins.  Plain ole pins get under and lift SO EASY!

Now for those of you who are gluttons for punishment and keep reading, or are designers who can enjoy a good chuckle (or a smug smile) I have one more card that I actually created a cut file for!  GASP!  Yes, it's true.  The little checked border.  Won't win any prizes, but yep, made it meself!  It is a card for my sister, in chemo after cancer breast surgery.

Black checked border by ME.  Image by Cheryl Seslar, colored with Copics.  Paper from stash.  Really big stash.

Well, that's it for today.  I'm going to get busy with my Gazy for the rest of the day.  Be blessed yall.

Autumn is in the air, so I'm thinking Spring

Autumn has arrived!  It is so gorgeous here in the Georgia Mountains.  Gotta love it.  But I would love it a lot more if it jumped right into Spring.  Autumn means Winter and 30 degree temperatures and snow.  Snow and cold are two of my least favorite things.  I have really tried to convince daddy God that a little adjustment would be very welcome, but as anyone can see, He has chosen to leave it as it is.  Sigh.  I can't be sure, but it just may be that He figures I am blessed enough as it is.  And I am.  Such a spoiled brat, really.

Meanwhile, there are still many mysteries to life.  For instance, while I truly intended to enter many challenges, this has not happened.  For one thing, you have to find a challenge that hasn't got 500 entries already.  500 to one is not the greatest of odds.  Then you have to create a card that suits the challenge.  Well, I can't slap one together in a day.  Takes me that long to pick out JUST the right paper.  Then a day to Copic the image and start assembly and then learning that what you had in your head is really not working out on the card.  So there is another day redesigning.

Not to mention the TIME involved in finding the challenges.  Exhausting really.  So as much as I love to win prizes, I think I will just post what I make and if it accidentally fits a challenge, terrific.

And --  I found one.  (yes, the crowd can go wild with applause and relief)  It is for the Color Me Copic Challenge group and is a 'boy' card.  Not sure how boyish this is, but little boys like dogs, right?

It's a little washed out from the flash.  The black cardstock should be, well, black.  And Bowzer is a nice dark brown.  Will I ever get the hang of this?



http://scrapbitzcopics.ning.com/group/cmccopicchallengegroup is where the Boys Boys Boys challenge is located.

Hope you enjoy.

BUNNY GIRL

Among others (way too many others) I love the prim images of Cheryl Seslar!  I am also in love with almost anything of Mo's Digital and A Day for Daisies and...... Anyway, this is a Cheryl Seslar I colored with Copics and my daughter put together.  Kind of a bonding activity, even though we don't need it.  We are Best Friends, which means I am major blessed.

This is being entered in:
Digital Tuesday Challenge challenge#134 Buttons and Twine
Crafty Sentiments Designs No Designer Paper challenge

If you haven't guessed, it is a Cheryl Seslar digi, colored very early in my Copic life.  Hope you enjoy.

A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR YA

Whoo Hoo!  I am entering a challenge!  Can you believe it?  My courage knows no bounds, right?  I've decided that most people are probably not like me and have to look at every single entry.  I'm also thinking that this is what blogs are actually for since most challenges want a link to the blog.

So this is a card using an image I colored with my Copics.  Don't know which ones.  I need to find a way to, well, first MAKE A LIST, then how to keep track of it with the card photo.  Anyone have a system that works?  Would love to hear it.

Miserable photo, I know.  But I have since found that just placing them on the floor on a white sheet of cs works best of all.  Never mind that light box gadget thingie.  I even bought one of those frogs and deco'd it up with rhinestones, but then I learned I still had to have a background.  Way too much to think about, doncha no.  So paper and card on floor is my way for now.

Hope you enjoy.  Am hunting other challenges I may add.

Challenge:
heartsonginspirations
lollipopcrafts
Did I do that right?  I don't think so.  Well, there it is, anyway.

Long time No write

Pathetic title, eh?  But true.  I don't know where time goes, just got up and went somewhere and forgot to take me.

Anyway, I am pleased to say that the eyelet card actually won a challenge on Outlaw Women Scrapbook Emporium yahoo group!!!   Gotta love random.org, right?  I sure do.  Totally nice prize too.  Got a bottle of Distress Stain, which I have been wanting to try.  Also some really awesome charms, one of which is a little heart that opens up, like the kind that were so popular when I was a teen.  AND a package of totally cool Glitz Whatnot's that are wonderful.  I had never heard of Glitz but now I have to find more don't I?

Shook myself loose and got lots of cards done.  I was really on a roll, mostly because I decided I really don't CARE if I sell any cards.  I used to have fun making cards as a hobby, but somehow or other which I can't recall, I ended up placing some in a couple of places for sale.  Which is fine, except I slowly evolved from making cards just for fun, to making cards I thought others might like and purchase.  That made it more work than fun.  I was also trying to be like those wildly talented ladies who make those wildly gorgeous cards with 10 layers and a garden's worth of flowers AND a big bow.  I so admired their work, but can't do it.  So I quit and am just doing what appeals to me at the moment, never mind if anyone ever likes it.  Anyone else ever been through that?

I've also been going through all my 'stuff' and have cleared out a lot I just never used.  Now I am mostly surrounded by the things I enjoy using and not the things that make me feel guilty because I don't use them.  You know - gee I paid X amount of money for that and there it sits.  Fine little budgeter you are lady.

In the process I found I have a zillion means of sticking stuff to stuff, most of which I soon learned didn't work too great or ended up costing an arm and a leg to replace.  I gave myself permission to THROW OUT the liquid glues that ended up wrinkling the paper, or that you had to sit on till the layers dried.  Some of them, even a little touch would soak through.  Eek!  I have used up all those little tape runners that are so expensive and am sticking with my big ATG gun, which is practically free per inch next to those little tape runners that always ran out when I was in a hurry.  For liquid glues I am sticking with 4 - Yes, Daige, Martha S, and for heavy embellies, Beacon Multi-Grip.  When my Martha S is used up, I will not buy more since Yes and Daige do the same and last forever.  Martha is really tough to squeeze too.  At least for me.  Wish I could afford a bunch of her punches though.  Love her score board.  I have those raspberry Crafters Companion boards but I never got along with them.  Crooked crooked crooked.  With Martha Stewart I have perfectly square corners and this is essential when you are a tad, ok, a lot, OCD like me.

Well, am going to find a challenge so I can post some of these cards, ok?

CDAC Progressive Freebie - Entry 1

I had a lot of fun with this image and I really did intend to submit it, but for the life of me, couldn't figure out all the rules.  So here it is.  Used the dreaded (for me) RV copics for her dress and shoes, discovered some forgotten punches I had buried and used them.  Used one of my many embossing folders I usually forget about, and finally my Viva Decor Pearl Pen.  Oh - used a little spica on her petticoat ruffles.  Image is from Whoopsie Daisy http://linnie-whoopsiedaisy.blogspot.com/.  Challenge is here:  http://priscillastyles.ning.com  (I hope).  

Here is a second one for the challenge, and I actually got him uploaded.  Went really wild with color.  This one I can enter into a OWSE Quickfire challenge as well - eyelets.  First I've used eyelets in awhile.  Why did they get un-trendy?  Or brads, for that matter.  And is it just me or are the ribbons and flowers getting bigger and bigger or more numerous?  And how do they put them in an envelope without destroying them?

I'm thinking I need to stick with CAS (clean and simple) because that's what I do.

The digi is from http://www.digistamps4joy.com/ , and he IS shown on the challenge page of CDAC Progressive Freebie Challenge - week 1.

Copic Cardstock Comparison

Since I am just a teensy OC I had to make color charts with each of the cardstocks I have.  I am SO not talking about how I ended up with all of them, but here are my conclusions on how they take the Copic colors.

GINA K:  Lightens the colors except for the darker tones (ending with 8 & 9) which will not blend, and get sticky.  I'm guessing here that the darker tones have more 'pigment' or something that cause this but I don't know for sure.  Is the smoothest cardstock (Number 1) and just fine for lighter colored images.  No bleed through whatsoever.

CRYOGEN - Has slight sparkles and is a kind of dirty white, not white white so colors are definitely muted somewhat.  Number 5 in smoothness - you can feel a slight tooth to this cardstock.

XPRESS IT - Lightens the colors somewhat but blends darker tones just fine. Number 2 in smoothness.

Marco's CLASSIC CREST #110 (Neenah) - Deep, clear colors. Number 4 in smoothness - you can feel a barely discernable tooth.

Marco's BECKETT EXPRESSION #130 - same as Classic Crest with deep, clear colors. Number 3 in smoothness.  Has the least bleed through, while all others (except GK) have about the same.

I compared these under an OTT lite.
These are personal observations only that I pass along to help others choose what cardstock they would prefer, given their own coloring style.

There are other cardstocks out there, but since I don't have samples on these others, I cannot comment.

CMC Copic Challenge entry

I so did not want to link to this sorry blog with this entry, since everyone else has such great blogs and mine is, well, mine. Where do you all find the time for them?????

Anyway, here is my entry if I can figure out that linky thingee. It is feathering with a bit of palette blending which I clearly have to practice more. Bottom dealy is a fiskars border, corners Sizzix and the two center layers are Spellbinders. Butterfly is Dover I cut out and covered with Glossy accents.

Over a month since I posted. Aren't I the busy little blogger? I'm still not sure what to put in this thing. Ramblings? Photos?

Guess rambling will work since nobody reads this.

My mojo went on vacation a week ago so I 'organized' my ribbon all week. I had 3 drawers full of ribbon spools and decided that was taking up way too much room, and http://www.amazingpapergrace.com/tutorial/organization/ had a great idea, so I used it. I had tons of mat board and finally had a way to use some of it. 2 drawers are now compacted into one of those small (11 x 11 ish) 3 drawered towers and used one drawer in my 3 drawer 12" for the printed ribbons. I just love it and it is so much easier to find what I want. Took lots of time, but since mojo was on vacation and I just HAD to watch the Casey Anthony trial on tv, it all worked out fine. Did all my lace at the same time, using much larger mat board pieces, but it is in a regular drawer. Instead of digging through tons of zip lock bags and tangles I can see exactly what I want now. Whoopee!!! I'll try to take photos and put them in here somehow or other.

I'm bad for remembering to take photos. I just took about 20 cards to the place I sell them and forgot to photo even one of them. For me it is more work that making the card. Now I have a handful ready and I will try to photo them to put on here for no one to admire and tell me how talented I am/not.

A JoAnn's has opened in Gainesville (30 minutes and $8 worth of gas to get there and back - boo hiss) and I thought my daughter and I were going yesterday but she didn't think the plan was set in stone so she picked up a dog and brought it here to groom so that kind of shot that. I want to go and I don't. I know very well that if I go I will find something I think I need and spend money I don't need to spend. Also, JoAnn's on line has great prices and often the shipping is cheaper or the same as the gas. Go figure.

So maybe I will go myself today. Or not. My craft space is now a mess that has to be straightened if I want to get back into cards. Or I could COPIC!!!!!

Will try to photo crap.

About time, huh?

Nearly 6 months since my last post! Lost my only follower too! But that means maybe I will post more because no one is expecting major work here. Just lil ol me. Well, not that I expect major work from me. Minor work.

How do you insert an image into the middle? Oh, ya.

Whoa! The old gal is a techie wonder. Anyway, girl with tulip is a copic colored image in the distress style. I am really liking this style. Love primitives and will add some here soon. HONEST. Most of the photos are sideways so I have to go in and fix them.

10 minutes later, all fixed. Will try to post more today since they are fixed.

Oh boy. The tulips were supposed to be to the left of this paragraph. I still don't know how to put things where I want them.

Anyway, the tulips are copics again, cause I am mad for them. cuttlebugged the background. Bow made with bow easy, but I made a bow maker I actually like better. You can see it here: http://www.amazingpapergrace.com/tutorial/becca-bows/ Becca is a GENIUS and so creative. I can't make anything even a fraction as well as she does, but boy can I APPRECIATE!

OK The card with the puppy up there that I thought would go here to the left but didn't - that is copic colored, again, and I used one of my spellbinder dies. Also Copic ABS to tint ribbon and the spellbinder die to match. So much fun!

Well, hopefully, I can start to do more crafty things. Got a job back in February and didn't have time for squat.

If anyone can tell me how to put photos where I want them, I sure would appreciate it!