The Librarian

 

The challenge this week at Monday Greetings at The Outlawz is sponsored by Oddball stamps. The challenge was to use a layer of parchment. This is the second card I did.  I originally made a card with a bride on it.  I just didn't like how it looked. I had tried coloring on the parchment and it just didn't work. My parchment layer is the doily die cut.  I then added a teal background and cut it to match the doily.  I then pretty heavily applied a glitter to the doily.  The image is colored with pencils.

Under the Sea

This was my project last night.  I am not happy with it.  I thought I would post it anyways because my blog is my journey.  It shows my successes and my failures.  I need to look at this one for a while to see if my impression of it will change.  I don't like the embellishments.  I had wanted the long strands of sea grass, but couldn't find them for the Silhouette so I went with this sea weed.  I don't care for it at all, but hey, once you glue it down, there it stays.  I also am not fond of the coloring.  I used Prismacolor pencils.  Can you tell what my mood is today?  I have been in lots of pain, sorry for complaining.  It has not been a pleasant few days.  This image is by Dawn Davidson Art on Etsy.

Update:  Funny, as my spine gets to feel a little better I don't dislike the card as much.  I  figured that would happen.  I was just in an awful mood the day I posted it!

Monochrome Blue

 

As I have said before, monochrome challenges are definitely a challenge for me.  They are the cards that I have the most difficult time with.  They are also the cards that find their way eventually to the circular file.  I think I may keep this one, though.  This image is from Jan's Digi Stamps.  I am tempted to color this image again with more colorful flowers.  This image was colored with Copic markers.

Copics: B0000, 000, 00, 01, 32, 34, 52, 66, C00, 0, 1, G14, 21, 28, Y35, 38

Christmas Carousel

 

I got this image from a friend many, many years ago.  I believe I have used it only once.  I have been in the mood for going through my old digis.  So here it is again.  I colored the image with Copic markers.  The paper is from Stampin' Up.  I just bought the poinsettias at Hobby Lobby.  They came in handy!

Four Calling Birds

 

 

This image is by Dawn Davidson Art.  I am really enoying making these larger Christmas cards.  This is my third card in the 6 x 8 format.  This image was colored with Copic markers and Prismacolor pencils.  I am finding that I really like the combination of the two.  The pencils are working well for me coloring fine detail, such as hair strands and eyes.  The Copic definitely work better in the larger areas.  The wings are outlined with Stickles. When I first bought this image I thought her face was very broad.  After coloring her face appears much slimmer.  Maybe, I need to color mine!  I have no idea who this paper is from.  I think it goes very well with this image.  My entire craft desk is covered with different paper that I was trying to choose from.  This paper was the winner.  I lied in my last entry to Maorgan's Art World.  I decided to make a third entry.  Now I can't do another!

 

 

 I am entering this card in the following challenges:

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge - Anything Goes/Twist  Christmas

Crimbo Crackers - Anything Goes/Christmas 

Moving Along with the Times - Animals and/or Birds

Digi Choosday Challenge - Anything Goes

The Holly and the Ivy-Anything Christmas Goes

Tuesday Throwdown - Make it Sparkle

613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes:  Winged Things

2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes with a Critter

Classic Design Challenge - Anything Goes

Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes

Crafty Animals - Anything Goes with an Animal 

Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes

World Wide Open Design Team Challenge - Anything Goes

Morgan's Art World - Anything Goes

 

 

Bugaboo Nutcrackers

           

        I chose the theme of Christmas for this week's Festive Friday challenge at The Outlawz. I chose five different nutcracker images from Bugaboo  and put them together.  They are colored with Copic markers.  The paper is from Stampin' Up.  Those who know me well know what an extensive nutcracker collection I have.  I have been collecting them for over forty years.  I've been giving some away to my kids in the past few years.  I don't have the energy to decorate like I used to.  I'm lucky if I can get the tree up now.  

Adventure Awaits

 

The Monday Greetings challenge at The Outlawz this week is sponsored by Oddball Art.  The challenge is Halloween.  I hope this fits the bill.  The image was colored with Copic markers.

Fae 31

 

This image is by Morgan Fitzsimons.  I think this is the third or fourth time I have used this image.  I think I will retire it now. I was on Morgan's DT years ago and have a slew of images.  I made this to send to my mother who is now is a senior facility on the east coast.  I did this recently in pencils and was not completely satisfied with the results.  This one is colored with Copic markers.  The papers are from my stash.   I figured I would enter in Morgan's challenge again.  This will be the second and last time this month.  I need to give their DT a little break!

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Morgan's Art World - Anything Goes

613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes/Twist-Wings

Crafter's Castle - Anything Goes

Crafty Friends Challenge - Use More than One Die

Classic Design Challenge - Anything Goes

Attempt at a Brunette

 I had the most difficult time with this card.  I feel like I have blonde down.  I thought it's about time to do a different hair color.  I just could not find the right combo of pencils to do the highlights correctly.  It ended up just looking brown.  I took a very fine point eraser and erased some of the pencil in streaks and added in a tan.  I'm not happy with it, but it looks much better than it did originally.  I also tried a little different shading on the skin.  I'm not happy with that either.  I used two different pencil brands.  I use mineral spirits to blend my pencil.  Prismacolor blends well with that Polychromos does not, apparently.  I read somewhere that they should be blended with baby oil.  It may not be as visible in the photograph, but I feel the skin ended up blotchy.  I'll just have to keep practicing.  I'll have to pull out some of my pencil lessons.  I bought a lot of them, but haven't used any yet.  It's probably about time I did.

 

Sweet Bear and More

This super cute bear is by Morgan Fitzsimons.  I colored it about three years ago.  It finally made it onto a card today.  It is colored with Copic markers. The paper is from JoAnn's.

I am entering this card in the following challenges.

Morgan's art World - Anything Goes 

Another card that sat on my desk already colored is this great little cowboy by Mo's Digital Pencil  It is colored with Copic markers.  It came with two sentiments to choose from.  I wanted a red ribbon and couldn't find what I wanted in my stash.  Sitting on my quilting table were red strips with polka dots.  I had cut them from my quilting fabric because my husband needed some strips to tie up the tomato branches and that particular fabric happened to be sitting on my table..  It made me realize that I have a massive collection of quilting fabric.  It could all potentially  be used on cards.  .

My last card for today uses an image from Whimsy.  I couldn't resist it.  Tacky yes, but funny!  This one is also colored with Copics.  The paper is from my stash.

Another Card Laden Post

 

I have been in a major card making mood lately, but I don't necessarily want to enter a lot of challenges.  I am just enjoying the creative process.  This blog is a history of my card making so I like to post them anyways.  This image is from Whimsy Stamps.  I actually used a real stamp.  I asked my husband if I could use this card for a male.  His answer was "Are you serious, no!"  So I guess I will be sending it to a female.  I had thought it would have been okay.  This image is colored with Copics.

My next card is an image from Mariola Budek on Etsy.  It is colored with Copic markers.  The papers are finally some new ones that I bought from Stampin' Up.  I think I actually have enough cards for this year, but since I'm having fun, I figured what the heck.

My final card today...maybe, is an image from Mariola Budek, again.  I fell in love with this image when I fist saw it.  Her face is just so precious

 

She is colored with Copic markers.  I had a little problem with the bee.  I got the yellow marker outside the lines of the bee.  I tried to correct it and that did not go well, the yellow ran.  I had to end up trying to fix it.  I added some light blue green around the bee.  If I hadn't colored the main image first I just would have tossed it.

Going Home for Christmas

 

The sponsor this week at The Outlawz Color Challenge is Jan's Digi Stamps.  The challenge is to use orange, red and green, but no pumpkins.  Pumpkins would have been ideal for October, but oh well.  I had to get my imagination going.  I chose this car image.  I originally tried to paper piece the gifts.  Ha, that was not happening so I colored them instead.  The image is colored with Copic markers.

The paper was interesting.  It is from Cosmo Cricket.  It had many different colored stripes.  I cut the paper in strips and taped back together the stripes that were in the colors of the challenge.  Even close up you can't tell that they are not one solid piece of paper.  I had to add some gray because no cars had orange, red or green bumpers in that era!  I also added some glitter to the snow.

 

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Jan's Digi Stamps - Anything Goes

Ike's World - V is for Vehicles

The Holly and the Ivy - Anything Goes

Jingle Belles - Snow Far Snow Good

The Artistic Stamper - Travel

Sparkles Forum Christmas - Vintage

Peace

 

 I fell in love with this image when I first saw it.  I just love the little mice in her scarf.  It is by Dawn Davidson Art on Etsy.  I colored the image with Prismacolor Pencils.  The papers are from my stash.  This is going to be a Christmas card for my brother-in-law and sister-in-law.  They look forward to their card each year so I hope this meets their expectations.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Colour Crazy Challenge - Anything Goes

Creative Fingers - Anything Goes

2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes with a Critter

Morgan's Art World - Anything Goes

A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes

A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes

Crafty Animals - Must include an Animal

Creatalicious - Anything Goes

Creative Craft Cottage - Include an Animal

Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes

World Wide open Design Team Challenge - Anything Goes

Moving Along with the Times - Animals and/or Birds

Classic Design Challenge - Anything Goes

Adorable Ghost!

 

I used this adorable Bugaboo image for this week's Festive Friday challenge at The Outlawz.  I think he is so dang cute!  I have had this Halloween paper for years.  I don't typically make Halloween cards so my stash doesn't go down.  I colored the image with Copic markers.  The spider webs are the first thing I have cut with my new Cameo 4.  I bought it for myself courtesy of "Uncle Sam."  I am sending my old Portrait to my daughter in Michigan.  I haven't really gotten to use the Cameo yet except for the spiderwebs, but it seems like it will be easier to use than my Portrait was.

Polka Dots All Over the Place!

 

This is my DT entry for The Outlawz Freebie Progressive challenge.  This is the image that is available free to participants this month, but you need to go and sign up. The image  is by Oddball Stamps.  I colored it with Copic markers.  The papers are from Hobby Lobby.