Intimidation

One of the Bellariffic Babes, Crafty Cath, made this gorgeous card and I was totally smitten with her colouring - so much so, that I made her card my desktop background for weeks!  Cath very kindly stamped a few images and popped them in the mail to me.  I looked at them, then Cath's card, then the images, then her card and so on and so on.  I was completely intimidated and could not even start to colour one.  Well here we are 4 months later and I thought to myself, why stress so much?  My highest compliment to Cath would be to CASE her card....giving her all the credit, of course :) and so here is my card.

The image is Sorry Shanna from Stamping Bella and the paper was still on my desk from this card.  Yes, I know, time for a clear up!  I had Cath's card up on my computer and followed it bit by bit.  It took me ages and I can't remember the last time I used so many copics but I'm really pleased with the end result.

I even tried to draw in some grass!  Oh, and I used pencils blended with gamsol too for some shading on her dress and a bit of pale blue shading around the image - just like Cath!  I kept the card pretty simple as I wanted the image to be the main focus, so just the Open Scallop Border Die-namic from MFT and some SU Daffodil Delight ribbon.

So, thanks Cath for the inspiration, the images and the courage to finally try it!

Cheerio.....Leslie

Sweet Sunday Sketch - Siku & Shiya

It's time for another great sketch from Karen for  this week's SSSC132.  I thought I'd make another Christmas card as I need to keep the momentum going - Christmas is less than 4 months away - yikes!

My friend, Mo, gave me this Mo Manning stamp - how appropriate :)  I stamped Siku & Shiya in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured it with pencils and gamsol.  I tried to remember where the darker shading should go and welcome any of your tips on shading!

The patterned paper is Karen Foster Winter Stripes.  I used SU Night of Navy as the base and on the Lacy Squares nestie and one tiny circle of SU Baja Breeze on top of the ghost snowflake - oh how I LOVE these ghost snowflakes!  I added some Liquid Applique on Siku & Shiya's coats with some glitter on top and a bit of chunky glitter as the snow base.

I love the way they are "kissing" nose to nose - Eskimo kissing!

Cheerio.....Leslie

Bellariffic Friday - Cath's Sketch

Phew, what a week - I'm so glad it's Friday! Today's Bellariffic Friday challenge is a sketch from CathaBella and it's sweet and one I know I'll use again and again.

I stamped Gracie Lollipop in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured her with copics.

She's wearing such a sweet little dress, I knew I had to paper piece it - even the collar!  I added some sparkle with my Stardust Clear glitter pen along the bottom of her dress and her little socks. The SU oval punch and oval scallop punch fit the sentiment perfectly and I was able to add two bonbons on either side.  I actually made two of these cards and on one I used the Perfect Polkadots embossing folder on the white panel and on the one shown here I embossed with the D'vine Swirl embossing folder.  I edged either side with SU scallop trim border.  The paper is from Making Memories, Brooke Narr Stripe.  I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Cheerio.....Leslie

Thankzzz

I needed several thank you cards and they needed to be easy, fast and flat to mail so Canada Post wouldn't charge me a ton to mail them!  Here's what I came up with.

I love this cute little bug - he's from Our Craft Lounge and the set is called BugZ.  I stamped the image in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured it with my AquaPainter and SU Tempting Turquoise and Certainly Celery.  I used my Marvy circle and scallop circle punches for the image and my SU scallop border punch across the bottom.  A bit of paper piercing along the border and some glitter on the wings (of course!) finished it off.  I had a fair bit of this retired SU Designer Series paper so was able to make all the cards slightly different by just switching up the colours and papers.

Cheerio.....Leslie

Sweet Sunday Sketch - Happy Daisy

My card says "Happy" and that's what I am today!  It's my first day back to work after 6 weeks post-op and I am truly happy to be back!  I have a job that I love, a wonderful boss and I work with the best people!

I always go to Karen's blog on Sunday mornings to check out her Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge.  The SSSC131 this week was a great layout and I'm glad I had time to play along.  I stamped Daisybella in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured her with copics.

I am persevering with my sewing!  I tried some straight lines - well mostly straight :) - and used my D'vine Swirl embossing folder on the SU Baja Breeze paper.  I used my SU scallop border punch and paper pierced all the scallops on the piece of SU Chocolate Chip.  The pattern paper is BasicGrey, Oliver Adrian.  I added a brad to the middle of the flower and some Stardust clear glitter as well, because glitter makes everyone happy!

Cheerio.....Leslie

Bellariffic Friday - Huggabuggs

Is it Friday already?  Yikes this week went by fast.  I combined two challenges today - Bellariffic Friday and Jen's Sketch for You to Try for August.  I struggle with little boy cards but this one was really fun to make.

I stamped Miles Huggabugg in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured him with a combination of copics and SU markers.

I got him almost completely coloured and realized that I no longer have SU Taken With Teal marker (retired)!  Now how was I going to get that perfect colour?  Paper piecing!  So now his shorts and his cute little cap match the cardstock.

The pattern paper is Scenic Route Grafton Tyson Street and I added some crystal effects to his glasses and a bit of glitter on his wings.  I know just the boy this card will go to!

Cheerio.....Leslie

Fresh From The Oven - MFTWSC33

I had a few new images that arrived from MFT recently and Fresh From the Oven was one of them.  As with most PI girls, they are a dream to paper piece - it's like playing dress up with paper dolls I had when I was younger.....sheesh, now I sound old!

I played along with the MFTWSC33 but left off the bow in the sketch as I ran out of room.  I stamped the cute little PI girl in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured her with copics.

I used some of my new patterned papers, MME Lime Twist, Happy Go Lucky and paired them with SU Rich Razzleberry and Kiwi Kiss.  Her cute little hat and apron were paper pieced and I used the Pretty Posies Die-namic for the flower behind the sentiment.  Some glittery dots along the Simply Scallops Medium Die-namic and she's ready to go.  Hmm, now I have the urge to bake something!

Cheerio.....Leslie

Sweet Sunday Sketch - Tatiana Ketto

I'll admit it - Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge SSSC130 this week was tricky for me.  My desk was covered with papers and copics and I almost gave up but, in the end, I'm happy with it.  I have had Tatiana from Stamping Bella and never inked it -  I won't tell you how long I've had her :) 

I stamped Tatiana in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured her with copics.

When I stamped her on the scalloped white rectangle I was a bit off and missed some of the flower BUT remember, there are no mistakes in rubber stamping - I just cut and coloured another flower and popped it up!  I used pencils and gamsol to shade a bit of 'grounding' for her.  Some SU punches, the Scallop Edge Border and the Corner Rounder and the smallest Lacey Circle nestie fit the sentiment perfectly.  I added a TE Tiny Twinkle on her necklace and the paper is Paper Trunk, Jelly Bean. 

Cheerio.....Leslie

Bellariffic Friday - Paper Piercing

I had to consult with Danabella on this card.  You know, only an "r" separates piercing from piecing :) and I wanted to be sure I got the challenge correct!

A friend asked me to make a wedding card and the bride's colours were purple and green.  I stamped Sposabella in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured her with copics (sorry, I forgot to take a photo of the copics but I used E000, E00, E11 and E35) and just did a very pale wash of SU Elegant Eggplant with my aquapainter on her dress.  I used the Textile Texture embossing folder which I LOVE for wedding cards.  I added some glitter because all wedding gowns sparkle, a couple of prima flowers with a rhinestone brad and then the fun bit....paper pieRcing around the scallop oval nestie and the whole card!  I finished it off with a light spritz of Marshmallow Glimmer Mist which gives it just a subtle sparkle.  I hope the bride likes it!

Cheerio.....Leslie

Being Cute is What I do - MFTWSC32

I promised Karen I would attempt sewing again and today's MFTWSC32 was a great layout to try it on, or "sew" I thought! :)  It started out really well.  The outer edge was pretty good but when I sewed the pink dotted panel on I think there were too many layers and the tension went crazy.  These were my last bits of Imaginisce Fairest of Them All, Magic Meadow pattern paper so I just kept on sewing!

I stamped Being Cute is What I Do in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured her with copics.

I just LOVE her little outfit and can't resist paper piecing it!  The solid cardstock is SU Pretty in Pink and Bashful Blue which I ran through the BigShot with the SU Perfect Polkadots embossing folder.  I used the MFT Simply Scallops die for the border and the MFT Pretty Posies for the flower.  I added a little button in the center of the flower and tied a pink twine bow.  I was trying to follow the sketch but realized my little PI girl was too big on the piece of paper I had stamped her on, so just cut around her and mounted her on top - I like this look! 

Cheerio.....Leslie

Sweet Sunday Sketch - Snowy Birdhouse

I'm loving these sketches!  I hadn't put away any of my papers from the card I made for the MFTWSC31 so thought why not?  There's an advantage to not tidying up immediately :)  Karen had a great sketch for this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge (SSSC129) and I used one of my old stamps.....very old!  It's a Penny Black (1999!) called Snowy Birdhouse.  It's a long stamp, about 6" but I only used part of it.

I stamped the image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured it with copics.

The papers were from a TE Key Ingredients kit "Tinsel & Twig" and the scallop border was done with my SU punch.  The felt snowflake is from SU too, but it's retired now.  I added some chunky clear glitter for a snow border - it's so sparkly!

I remember now why I love this stamp so much - it's SO fast to make a card!

Cheerio.....Leslie

Snow Day - MFTWSC31

Oh my goodness, I love this card!  Can I say that?  Any little PI girl makes me happy but this one turned out better than I had hoped.  It's for the MFTWSC31.

I stamped Snow Day in Memento Tuxedo Black in and coloured her with copics.

There wasn't really much colouring as I decided to paper piece her hat and coat, then I did her scarf and mittens, then her boots, then her pocket!  I know, I went a bit crazy.  I added some liquid applique that I covered with a bit of glitter before heating.  I put crystal effects on the snowballs but it turned them a funny colour, so after it was dry, I added a little line of "snow" with my white gel pen.  I like the look it gave the snowballs.

The papers are from a TE Key Ingredient Kit "Tinsel & Twig" as are the little red dots and the buttons are Tiny Twinkles also from TE.  I used my Lacey Circles nestie  behind the image and my Perfect Polka dots embossing folder.  For a finishing touch I used one of my beloved Ghost Snowflakes.  This card makes me smile!


Cheerio.....Leslie

Bellariffic Friday - Metal

Metal?  Seriously?!  I was going to pass on this challenge until I remembered I had these little metal sentiments from Dollarama that I've had for ages and never used - do you have things like that too?  You see them at Dollarama and think "oh, those would be great for a card" and then tuck them away in a drawer and forget about them.

This card is for Christal and those of you who know Christal KNOW that she loves purple and she is a shoe-a-holic (in fact the sign on her desk says so!).  Yes, Christal loves her shoes and her boots and she has more than a few pairs!  Imeldabella was the perfect image and I loved that I could personalize the shoe boxes with two of her favourite stores.  I stamped the image in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured it with copics. 

I paper pieced the pants and added several coats of clear glaze pen to the top. The pattern paper is Basic Grey Oh Baby Girl, Lilly.  The Simply Scallops Die-namic is from MFT and the little shoe charm was given to me from Karen. 

Now if you look veeeeery closely you will see that I paper pieced those boots - yes, I did!  Each one of them!  In retrospect, I wished I hadn't sewn on the card but I know Christal will appreciate my attempt :)

Happy Birthday Christal!!

Cheerio.....Leslie