Bellariffic Friday - Popped Up

Hollyhock Bittybloom's balloon was perfect for this week's Bellariffic Friday theme "pop it up/add dimension to your card".  Earlier this year Lindabella taught a class at Stamping Bella on colouring/shading techniques.  I immediately signed up because I am in awe of Linda's colouring.  I thought some of her greatness might rub off on me if I took her class and I'm a little excited to say I think it might have! 

This is one of three cards we made.  Hollyhock Bittybloom was stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured with copics and then we used pencils with gamsol.  I can totally see now that using copics and then a little extra shading with the pencils really finishes the shading.  By no means is my card anything like Lindas :) but I'm very happy with mine.  Linda was a great teacher and I learned where to shade darker and lighter and the all important shading around the image with a very light blue.  I was a bit heavy handed with the blue and so decided to cut out my image and mount it again.  I'm kind of glad I did this because then I thought I could pop up the balloon and then I thought I could put some crystal effects on it and then I thought I could put some glitter on her little dress flowers and then I thought STOP! :)

So, thanks again Lindabella for a wonderful class and if you do another, I'll be there!

Cheerio.....Leslie

Making a List - MFTWSC39

This week's MFTWSC39 was tough for me.  My first attempt was a dud - trust me!  I wanted to try a card with the sentiment as the focal point but it just wasn't working so I went with what I love best - a PI girl!

I stamped the sweet, Making a List, PI girl in Memento Tuxedo Black ink, coloured her with copics and paper pieced her dress.  The pattern paper is Imaginisce Fairest of Them All, SU Bashful Blue and Certainly Celery.  The MFT Simply Scallops Die-namics was perfect as a base for the sentiment.  I put two TE Crystal Twinkles on her shoes and a few coats of clear glaze pen made them shine.  Sorry there is no copic picture - I forgot to take one and yes, that IS sewing you see around the edges :)

This is my very loose interpretation of this week's sketch - but that's the beauty of a sketch, right?

Cheerio.....Leslie

Bellariffic Friday - Pauline's Sketch

Soooo happy it's Friday - that means the weekend AND Bellariffic Friday!  Today we have a wonderful sketch from Paulineabella and you know how I love a sketch!  I used Turtle Tots-Picking Posies and I'm not sure if it's a he or a she turtle but it really doesn't matter does it?  It's cute and that's all that matters :)

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

I was surprised at how many copics I used being as it's just a green turtle but I'm trying to improve my shading skills.  The pattern paper is from an old TE Project Pantry kit called "Summertime".  In fact everything on the card is from that kit - the cardstock, the ribbon, the gems, even the Tiny Twinkles.  I used my Classic Square nesties to cut the turtle out.  This card is for my niece, Karen, who loves all animals....Happy Birthday sweetie!

Cheerio.....Leslie

Pretty Payton

I went a bit crazy with the new release from Stamping Bella and Payton was just too cute to pass up.  I think it was her hair that did it for me!  I loved this card that Jody made and copied her layout.

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

The pattern paper is retired SU and the rest is SU Chocolate Chip, Taken with Teal and Regal Rose.  I knew I wanted to paper piece her dress and hair bow but when I did it looked a bit too plain so I ran it through the BigShot with my Swiss Dots embossing folder.  I managed to keep a fairly straight line when sewing and added some brown brads in the corners and a couple of prima flowers.  I'm really pleased with how her hair turned out - if only my hair had such beautiful highlights!

Cheerio.....Leslie

Home Sweet Home

I came across these odd shape note cards I'd bought in England a few years ago and instantly knew the image and paper I was going to use for my card!

Karen had given me some new MME Lime Twist papers and I remembered seeing a cloud sheet in the package "Out of the Blue".  I mounted it on a piece of SU Not Quite Navy.  The hardest part of this card was cutting that piece to match....talk about angles!  I stamped the birdhouse  from Home Tweet Home by Gina K in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured it with copics.

Then I stamped it again and popped it up for some dimension.  I added a few coats of clear glaze pen to the roof.  It was lacking some "oomph" so I consulted with Dana and she suggested a TE Tiny Twinkle on the "perch" and a bit of glitter on the clouds....perfect!  The Picket Fence Border die is from Taylored Expressions.

This card is one of the fastest I've made.  Good thing, because I need two more! :)

Cheerio.....Leslie

Bellariffic Friday - Animals

It's been a full week of Christmas here!  This week's theme for Bellariffic Friday was "Animals", in the image, the paper or an embellishment.  I haven't inked up Merry Christmas Branch with Birdies in a while and need to keep plodding on with my Christmas cards.

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

The pattern paper is by 3 Bugs in a Rug, Candy Stripe and I paired it with some SU Real Red that I ran through my Polka Dots embossing folder.  I added some crystal effects to the words - a very generous amount of crystal effects thanks to the larger than life hole in the applicator tip!  A bit of SU Old Olive wide grosgrain ribbon, my Stardust glitter pen on the little dots and I was done.  I got the layout from my "Wishes" book (Pg 18) by Jeanette R. Lynton - an excellent book!  This really was a very easy and fast card to make and would be perfect for all my overseas friends as there are no bulky embellishments to add extra postage!  Have a great weekend.

Cheerio.....Leslie

Flurry of Love - MFTWSC36

I've missed a few weeks of the MFT Wednesday Stamp Club but am happy to be back with this weeks (MFTWSC36) card for my Christmas box - that's two this week and I'm pretty sure it'll be a full Christmas week with my Bellariffic card on Friday, hint hint! 

I stamped Flurry of Love in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured her with copics.

I paper pieced her hat, coat and scarf and had to stop or else I would have paper pieced her completely!  I used SU paper and the pattern paper is MME 12 Days of Christmas - I love the fun, bright colours in this pad.  Of course I had to add some glitter to her hat and boot trim and some chunky glitter for the snow.  TE Multi-colourTwinkles were the perfect size for her buttons.  I used the Let It Snowflake Die-namic from MFT for the snowflake with a red bonbon in the middle and a piece of SU Real Red ribbon finished off my card.

Cheerio.....Leslie

Sweet Sunday Sketch - Snow Gifts

I love Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge (SSSC133) this week.  The sketch is so easy that I made TWO of these cards...and might even make more! 

This image is perfect for watercolouring, something that I haven't done in ages.  I stamped Snow Gifts (a very old Penny Black stamp) in Memento Tuxedo Black ink on watercolour paper and used my much neglected watercolour pencils and three copics.

The paper is retired SU Merry Moments and I used a little bit of SU Old Olive ribbon and a trio of bonbons in the top corner.  My image was so big I couldn't put the banner across the bottom but that's the beauty of a sketch - it's open to interpretation, right?  :)  I used my Stardust glitter pen and some chunky glitter for the snow base. 

I'd forgotten how quick watercolouring can be!

Cheerio.....Leslie

Bellariffic Friday - Back to School

I wasn't sure I could play along this week as I didn't think I had any appropriate "school" images but then I remembered Noah the Computer Guy.  He looks like he's working on his homework already!  Remember when we had homework?  No computers, just a pencil and a notebook!

I stamped Noah the Computer Guy in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured him with copics.

I used the small and large square nesties to cut out Noah and mount him.  The cardstock is SU Tangerine Tango and More Mustard and the dark green is so old, I can't remember where I got it.  I meant to use the swiss dots embossing folder on just the More Mustard piece, but forgot and it was all glued together so I embossed the whole piece.  I guess it fits in well with the dotted paper from MME Lime Twist Out of the Blue and the two blue brads on the sentiment flag.  I'm starting to see dots!

Cheerio.....Leslie