Friday, July 10, 2015

Gamer digital stamps!

Just a few coloring adventures from today! 😀 these are digital stamps from Make It Crafty. 

I'm looking forward to putting these onto cards! 

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

30 Day Challenge- Round 2

Omg, I'm a total slacker. I just finished an amazing 2nd round of Kathy Rac's The Daily Marker 30 Day Coloring Challenge and I didn't post a single thing here.... 

If you want to see my coloring adventures - follow me on Instagram. My handle is @coloringinprogress. It's wayy easier to post there on a daily basis. Of course I'm less verbose on Instagram too... Which may be preferred. Ha! 

This is what I posted this morning. I think it might have been the only non-person image i colored this month. I love love love how it turned out! This is a stamp from one of my old There She Goes Stamp sets. I Inked it in Memento Tuxedo Black and stamped it on Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb card stock. And of course colored it with my Copic Sketch markers.   


Friday, May 29, 2015

Make It Crafty - Penny & Scott Kissing and Sandy Allnock's HexChart

Yeah I love Digital Stamps. Big Big Love! They are so accessible and feed my need for instant gratification.  Oh and one of the best parts.... I can store, catalog and browse digital images much more easily than I can store traditional cling/wood mount stamps.  Plus - added bonus, my "hoarding" tendencies are less obvious. *nervous laugh*...

I love coloring people images!  Today's image is from www.makeitcrafty.com. It's called "Penny & Scott Kissing".  I adore this image.  It gives me those warm-fuzzy romantic feelings.  They both look so passionate and I can just image this kiss as a "Hello - I've missed you" kiss.  I read too many sappy romance novels.  haha.  oh well.... we all have our guilty pleasures. :)


I printed this image onto Neenah Exact Index 110lb card stock.  I also flipped the image so he guy was on the left, and the girl on the right. I printed 4 images on a single piece of card stock, so I could visualize the size and spacing on an A2 size card, while maximizing my materials.   Did I mention that I love the flexibility of digital stamps?

Tangent: I was able to cut down the 8 1/2 x 11 piece of card stock into quarters immedately and add to my stack of pre-printed digital images.  This way I could grab-and-go whenever I wanted to color... It's way easier to throw a gallon ziplock bag of my favorite copic markers and a stack of pre-stamped quarter sheets into my purse, than it is to cart around full sheets of paper and my entire collection of markers (current count 311!!)
 




























HexChart
Before I start explaining what I did - I should explain how I picked my colors.  My current favorite skin color combo is E50, E53, BV00 and R20.  However, I need to change the nib on my E53 marker - so I had to come up with a back up plan...  To pick out my colors, I referred to my handy-dandy HexChart.  I looked for a color that was close to E53 and tested a few out on a piece of scratch paper by blending it with E50 and BV00.  I tried substituting E31, E21 and E11.  I really liked how E11 blended over the BV00 so that's what I went with.  I also looked at R20 and decided it wasn't quite right.... I wanted something a touch brighter.  Why?  Who knows! I was just floating where the Copic Groove was taking me... I thought RV10 looked nice, so that's the first one I picked-up and tested on my sample.  I was happy with the brightness of the color and felt like it would give a nice romantic blush on the skin tones I had selected.   So that's how I started...

Skin & Hair:
Skin: I started with a base of E50, and then I lightly drew in the shadows with BV00 with the very tip of the brush tip.  I drew in the shadows at the hairline, eye sockets/brow bone, jawline, the fingers closest to the ground, and wherever I imagined a gap between fabric and the skin...  When I first drew in the shadows it really looked like my image was a victim of domestic violence: black eyes, bruises peaking from the hairline, roughed up knuckles... and then I remembered what Sandy Allnock says about her coloring - it usually looks like a "hot mess" in the beginning, but it works out in the end.  :)

After I laid down the shadows in the skin with BV00, I  went over the purple with the E11 marker.  THEN, I went back with the E50 to blend the lines.  I did go back with E11 a few times to cover a stubborn spot of BV00, and then blended it again with E50.  And what do you know! Sandy was right. It all worked out.  :)  I then put a little flush into their cheeks.  I used RV10 to get a nice rosy flush in the girl's cheeks, and then blended out with E50.  I couldn't bring myself to use RV10 on the guy's face though.  It was too pink.  I wanted to show a flush of excitement - but I didn't want him to look like he was wearing make-up.  So!  I took out my handy-dandy HexChart again and browsed for a subtle "masculine flush" that was closer to the flesh tones I was working with. And TA-DA! YR01 was right next to E11 on the HexChart.  I was pretty sure this was the shade I wanted to use. However, before I committed myself, I took YR01 for a test drive on the first sample I used to pick out my colors. My sample was a success - so I lightly applied the YR01 with a side swipe of the brush nib to where I imagined the guy's cheekbone would be.  Flicking with the side of the brush nib produced a softer smudge of color than if I had tried to use the tip of the brush tip.  This way, I didn't have to do much blending to get a look that I liked.

Hair: I started with the girl hair first.  Because, as a girl, I think that's the most fun to color.  I colored the hair with the same E50 base I used on the skin.  I then picked up E55, a nice "light camel" to add in some lowlights/shadows, whatever you want to call them.  I used the very very very tip of the brush nib to flick in strand detail.  (I think this is why I gravitated towards this image, because it would be a greate opportunity to practice coloring hair)

On the guy's hair, I wanted a little variety, so I covered the base with E35.  I didn't want them to look like twins - b/c that would be gross.  I then, with a heavier hand than I used on the girl's hair, I flicked in E18 in the direction I imaged neat combed hair would lay.  I then took E55 and colored over the back of the head to the side burn so the bottom hair would be slightly darker and less defined.  It was a quick brush over - no work to blend the colors at all.



 




His & Her Coats:
 
Her Coat: Surprise Surprise - I started with her coat first.  I think it was actually because I pictured her more quickly.  I picked out my favorite BV Color blending family BV20, BV23 and BV25.  I colored a base of the BV20, and then lightly sketched in with the tip of my brush nib where the contours/curves of her body were to show where the shadows would go.  I then went over those areas with the BV25.  Then I came back in with BV23 to extend the shadow areas, and blend the darkest color.  Then I went back with my lightest color, BV20, to blend the line between the base coat and the BV23.  I colored the inside of the pleats with BV25, because this is where the folds of the fabric would be darkest. 
 
His Coat:  I didn't have all my markers with me when I was coloring this image, so I had to work with what I had on hand.  When I was browsing my colors, I tried to picture coats that I've seen my family wear and see if I had markers to achieve the look....  My husband has this beautiful camel color coat and I love how soft and warm it is.  So I drew my inspiration from that.  I probably could have gone a little darker, but these were the only warm gray colors I had with me at the time.   I followed the same process that I used on the girl's coat, but with W0, W2, and W5 instead.  I did do a little tip-to-tip with the W2 and W5 when I needed an in-between shade.  This helped me achieve a more blended look. 
 




 



Accessories:
 
I really struggled with which colors to use when I got to this point.  The soft skin and hair colors, and then the dull BVs and Warm Grays were nice together.  I really didn't want to pull in a random florescent color to ruin the soft romantic look that was evolving.  So I went back to my HexChart....  *Quick thank-you-prayer to Sandy Allnock and the Copic Gods* 
 
I finally decided on these two blending groups (more of my favorite blending groups).  Blues for the guy's scarf and sweater cuff; and dusty rose reds for the girl's hat, belt and sweater cuff.  I colored the inside of the knit pleats with my darkest colors, because this is where the knits would cast shadows and naturally be the darkest.  I also added shadows where ever I thought there would be a curve to help add extra dimension.   
 
 



So that's how I finished this image.  Someday, when I have time, I'll put it on a nice card.  :)

Hopefully this post helped explain the awesomeness of Sandy Allnock's HexChart.  I will likely refer to it in the future because it is an awesome tool and will use it all the time.  In the meantime, I encourage you to pick up the HexChart from Sandy's store.  It's super reasonable! Just $5.99! Besides the personal use of this absolutely amazing tool - you will be suporting an awesome artist and a super nice person. And doesn't that just make you feel warm and fuzzy? :) 

Happy Friday. 

Saturday, May 2, 2015

My First Digital Stamp - Dragons & Baptisms


I just discovered the magic of digital stamps! *gasp!* 

So a co-worker asked me to make a card for a baptism for her. As a not particularly religious person, I don't have any faith based stamp images or sentiments. I did a search of the Stampin Up catalog, the simonsaysstamp website, and even Amazon.... I couldn't find anything that caught my fancy. Not surprisingly... 

And then I searched Pinterest - I should have started there first, I don't know what I was thinking....

There were a ton of ideas, and most of them didn't even use stamps! But I wanted to color... I found a few card ideas that used images by MoManning and I fell in "craft love".

I googled Mo Manning to find out where I could buy her stamps, because I know I've purchased a few of her stamps before (Penny Black & Stamping Bella make rubber versions of her images) and I found her blog and online store: http://www.mosdigitalpencil.com. 

She has a HUGE store full of digital images for very reasonable prices. I totally recommend you visit her store and take a peak at what she has. She's so talented! 

Well, to make a short story, shorter, I found cute baby boy and baby girl images in baptism gowns. It was perfect for what I needed, so I added both images to my cart. And then, because it's an instinctive impulse, I browsed the rest of her image library. All of it. Every image. I couldn't help myself, everything was so gosh, darn cute! Before I knew it, I had 25+ images in my cart. I had an internal argument about spending money on a product I didn't need... Well, I "needed" it, but you know.... 

So I compromised with my inner thrifty self. I purchased the two baby images, and this dragon image. It captured my heart as soon as I saw it. After all, I could go back and buy/download more images later. My instant gratification impulse would not suffer too much.

I liked how easy it was to print out on my copic friendly paper (Neenah Exact Index,110lb white card stock) and how simple it was to resize the image. Magic! 

Anyway I couldn't wait to color this dragon and little boy. I couldn't print it out fast enough! :-) I used my new HexChart to pick out the copic colors I wanted to use on the dragon. I'll post my review of Sandy Allnock's HexChart soon! I want to play with it a little more before I give you the rundown on it.

Here's the result...doesn't it make your heart warm and tickle your imagination?! I love it!!


Thursday, April 2, 2015

30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 30

Today is the last day of #thedailymarker30day challenge *tear* and I'm a little sad. I've had such an amazing time coloring and actually using stamps that I had purchased years *cough* ago but hadn't used yet... I'm determined to break that trend.... So today's image is actually from a brand new set called "indescribable gift" by Stampin Up. I just got it in the mail this week and figured it would be the perfect end to a great month. I inked it up with MFT Black Licorice Hybrid ink and stamped onto Neenah Exact Index 110lb white card stock. I colored with copics and finished it off with a little bit of stardust gel pen. I really like how it turned out. 


Wednesday, April 1, 2015

30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 29

I literally had 5 minutes today - just 5 minutes! This is what I came up with, including glitter & scraps! I was a speeeedy crafter this morning, and that almost never happens! Crafty time warp miracle! Haha :-) 

This image was quickly stamped using the new Stampin Up Painted Petals set. 

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 28

I'm so sad this 30 day challenge is almost over!!! I have really enjoyed coloring everyday! This is my submission for Day 28. This image is from the Scent-sational set from There She Goes Stamps. Stamped in My Favorite Things Black Licorice Hybrid Ink on Neenah Solar White 110lb card stock, and colored with copics. Of course! 

Skunk: RV10, RV11, RV13, C2 & CO
Ground: BG72, BG75, C5 & 0



Monday, March 30, 2015

30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 27


Here's my submission for day 27 of #thedailymarker30day challenge. 

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves....   Nope, there most definitely is not a bun in my oven. This is for a card. Not some kind of online announcement. When that day does come, I will of course do something clever and fun to share that good news.

Anyway. Back on topic. 

This is from the Plus One set by Lawn Fawn, colored with copic markers.

Sunday, March 29, 2015

30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 26

Another short & sweet post! This is a set from Stamping Bella called "Bentley gets BLOWN away."




Saturday, March 28, 2015

30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 25

This is my submission for #thedailymarker30day challenge! I used a Krazy Kreations Gild Fish Glitter Card Kit. If you would like one of these fabulous kits you can find them on www.krazykreationsstudio.com. 

Friday, March 27, 2015

30 Day Coloring Challenge -Day 24

Day 24! Wowza! This post will be short & sweet, as it is just after 12:30am and i have to get up in about 4 1/2 hours to go to work.... This is another Stamping Bella image, this one is called "Bubbles loves her Bubbly". I stamped it with MFT Black Licorice Hybrid ink on Neenah Exact Index 110 lb card stock and colored with copics. You can't really see it, but I also used a little wink of Stella in the round bubbles, and along the squiggly bubble lines in the bathtub. I was really happy with how all the colors came together. 

Okie dokie time to sleep! 

-xoxo

Thursday, March 26, 2015

30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 23

Don't be scared!  This is one of the new Art Impressions Big Mouth Stamps and it's my submission for Day 23 of #thedailymarker30day challenge. 

In addition to the mischievous gator - this set also includes a little birdy stamp, a die to cut out the "big mouth" and a sentiment that says: "A little birdie told me it was your birthday... so I ate him"

How can you not love that? 

This Art Impressions Big Mouth - Gator  stamped in My Favorite Things Black Licorice Hybrid Ink on Neenah Exact Index 110 lb cardstock and colored with Copics. 

I used YG00, YG01, YG63, YG67, YG93, YG97 and a 0.03 Copic multiliner to go over some of the finer details (eyes, teeth & fingers) to crisp up some of the essential lines.

I can't wait to put it all together and use it for my brother's 30th birthday card... Eric - you don't read this blog, right????.....If you do, you'll love the finished card even more than this sneak peak of a partially finished image.  Plus, I will be super impressed that you follow a card making blog - way to go for exploring new interests! It's hard to say that with a straight face... 

 

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 22

OH - MY - GOD!  BECKY - LOOK AT HER BUTT... 

Sorry...I couldn't help myself (I'm actin' like an animal), Sorry again... I see Sir Mix-a-Lot lyrics in the strangest places.... 

If you are laughing - it's because your brain radio is tuned in to the same station mine is. :)  Bringing back the 1992 hit: Baby Got Back....and blending it with 2015 card making.  Awesome. Dirty Pop Culture, twisted up by crafty gal's sense of humor. 

This AMAZING stamp is my submission for Day 22 of #thedailymarker30day challenge.  This is one of the new Spinner sets from Art Impressions.  This specific set is called the Fairy Spinner and you know what's super fabulous about it, besides the obvious fabulousness of the image?  *GASP*  There are matching Fairy Spinner dies! I am super super SUPER excited!  This means I won't have to fussy cut and pray the two images match up.  Which also means, I will be using this set for allllll kinds of things.... Birthday Fairy, Tooth Fairy, Christmas Angels.... look out, "I'm hooked and I can't stop starin'...ooooo Baby!" 

I don't know why this is making my laugh so much... I hope you're giggling too!

These images were stamped with My Favorite Things Black Licorice Hybrid Ink on Neenah Exact Index 110 lb cardstock, and colored with copics.

colors used:
Skin: E50, E51, BV00, and RV11
Hair: Y21, Y26 and Y28
Dress: R81, R83 and R85
Wings, Wand and Hat: BG10, BG11, B32, BV31, BV34 and Clear Wink of Stella
 
I can't wait to die cut these images and put them on a card. 
 
 
 
 
"So Cosmo says you're fat,
Well I ain't down with that
'Cause your waist is small and
your curves are kickin'..."
 
For such a sexualized song - I really like the message.  There's someone for everyone, and "beanpole dames in the magazines" aren't the only attractive body type. 
 
Much love to Sir Mix-a-Lot and Art Impressions. 
 
I'll probably have this song stuck in my head for days....
 
xoxo,
Amanda
 

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 21

Day 21 of #thedailymarker30day challenge!  It's hard to believe I am over 2/3 of the way through this fabulous coloring challenge.... there is a part of me that wants to continue coloring once a day until I use every stamp set in my clutter room, I mean Craft Room.  :-P

This stamp and sentiment is Uptown Girl Audrey Loves Makeup from Stamping Bella.  I love these cute skinny ladies.  I think this is what my inner goddess looks like...svelt, stylish and sophisticated...  Then when I walk by a mirror in real life, I actually look like the Art Impressions Girlfriends stamps...well-fed, sassy and up for a good time.   Do other people have that observation about themselves? 

I think thats why I love both stamp companies so much.  Both capture how I see myself in my head and in reality. 
 
This image was stamped with My Favorite Things Black Licorice Hybrid Ink on Neenah Exact Index 110 lb cardstock and colored with copics. 
 
I used my fave combos:
 
Skin: E00, E02 and BV00
Bows, Jewelry & shoes: R81, R83, R85, Clear Wink of Stella
Hat, Purse and Ruffles: BG10, BG11 and BG13 + a little silver Wink of Stella on the purse clasp.
Dress: BV20, BV23 and BV 25
Gloves: C01 and 0
Lipstick: R85 and Silver Wink of Stella
 

Friday, March 20, 2015

30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 19

I'm probably 7 weeks too late for this adorable love stamp.... But I figured it's always good to have a love theme ready in case I need an engagement card or an anniversary card...

This is my submission for Day 19 of #thedailymarker30day challenge! This stamp is from a clear set by Penny Black. Suuuuper cute. Stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Neenah Solar White 110 cardstock and colored with copics. 

30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 20

Here's my submission for Day 20 of #thedailymarker30day challenge. These images quack me up.... Hehe! So cute! These are from the Lucky Duck set by There She Goes Stamps. 

Stamped with Memento tuxedo black ink on Neenah Solar White 110 lb cardstock, & colored with copics. I never use yellow because I find it really hard to pick "the right yellow" so I figured this would be a good opportunity to practice! 


Thursday, March 19, 2015

30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 16

Over half way done with the challenge and I'm stilllll going strong! This is my submission for Day 16 of #thedailymarker30day coloring challenge. 
 
This is another fun one from There She Goes Stamps. This is "Birthday Bot". I stamped him in Tuxedo Black ink onto Neenah Solar White 110lb cardstock and colored with copics. I went a little nuts on the pointalism after I had an oops...I opened a juicy marker over the image and splat! Shower of light blue dots.... This has happened to me before, so you would think that I would have learned my lesson about opening markers away from my image. *sigh*  Sometimes I need to learn things twice....  Despite my juicy marker splatter, I think this image turned out pretty good!

I also covered the robot with a good coat of wink of stella clear brush pen.  You can kind of see the sparkle.  :) 


Wednesday, March 18, 2015

30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 15

I couldn't help myself, here is another cat themed stamp from Art Impressions. This one is from the Try-Fold set called "Cat Lady TF". This is my submission for Day 15 of #thedailymarker30day challenge! 

Image was stamped on Neenah Solar White, 110lb cardstock in tuxedo black memento ink and colored in copics.  My russian blue kitty looks just like the blue gray one that is laying on it's back...


Tuesday, March 17, 2015

30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 17

Here's my submission for Day 17 of #thedailymarker30day challenge. I tried to be quick today... The images are from a There She Goes Stamps set called "A Drink A Day". I did a little masking so my lady could hold her lemon drop martini in her grip. Otherwise it looks like she is ready to play Rock, Paper, Scissors and crush her lemon drop. =-)

Images stamped with memento Tuxedo Black ink on Neenah Solar White 110lb cardstock, and colored with copics. I tried to mimic one of Sandy Allnock's fabulous backgrounds. For this one I used BG10 and BG70. It isn't as smooth as I was hoping for...but that can probably be solved with more practice. =-)

30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 18

Here's my submission for day 18! This was my first time trying to color black hair with the Warm Grays. And I have to say that I REALLY like how it turned out. Super cute! I am sure I will refer to that color combo again in the future! (W4, W7, W9, W10 and 100)

These images are from the "Cutie Pi" set by There She Goes Stamps. I think this is another one that @torico27 may have designed for TSGStamps. It came with a bunch of punny sentiments about chemistry and science. Suuuuper cute and giggle worthy! 

Images stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink on Neenah Solar White 110lb cardstock and colored with copics. 


30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 14

I am a total cat person. Ok - back up - I am not really an animal person at all... It's more fair to say I am a "cat stamp" person.... Haha :) I love cat stamps! 

I love my real cat, but I'm like her 3rd favorite person. Which I guess is kind of a big deal for a cat.... She loves my Husband the most, which I understand... He IS the one that feeds her. But then she loves my husband's best friend the 2nd most.... And then I'm a distant 3rd. She only really shows me affection when no one else is around. 

Anyway - I love cat stamps because they are cute and cuddly without the excess cat hair. Adorable. 

This is my submission for Day 14 of #thedailymarker30day challenge.  This stamp is from the "Crazy Cat Lady" clear stamp set by Art Impressions and exclusively sold at Michael's. As soon as I heard Art Impressions was releasing new stamps and they would be sold at Michael's, I literally jumped in my car and drove right over. 

Now, I really do love this stamp company, but I do not like the clear stamps they produced with Hampton Art. I feel like they are made with sub-par materials and do not stamp a very good image. Even after stamping 15-20 times with an acrylic block, MISTI, and with the stamp press... no matter what tool I used, I still wasn't happy with the outline.  I even tried using different copic friendly inks (memento tuxedo black and black licorice hybrid ink from MFT). Rather than waste ANOTHER sheet of paper, I decided to color the best image of the bunch and then go back and outline the image with a copic multiliner. 

I stamped this one on Neenah Solar White, 110lb cardstock and inked the image with Tuxedo Black Memento ink. Colored with copics. 

Even with my stamping difficulties, I really do like this image. It is super cute. 

Sunday, March 15, 2015

30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 13

This is my submission for day 13 of #thedailymarker30day challenge!  These cuties are from a set called "Slugger" by There She Goes Stamps. I *think* @torico27 designed this set for TSGStamps. I love her illustrations, they are too cute! Torico designs for My Favorite Things now and continues to put out some fabulous stuff. 

I think I'm going to put these little guys on an accordion card... Not sure yet. 😄

Anyway, these were stamped on Neenah Solar White, 110lb cardstock & inked in Tuxedo Black Memento ink. And of course colored in copics. 


30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 12

WAHOOO!  Day 12! here's my submission for #thedailymarker30day challenge.  It's another one from Stamping Bella.  Super cute girlfriends.  I love it!

Both the image and sentiment are from Stamping Bella: Pattie and Dottie Friends Forever
 
Stamped with tuxedo black memento ink on Neenah Solar White, 110 lb cardstock. 
 
Colored with copics:
 
Boa: BG10, BG 11, BG13 & Wink of Stella
 
Ground: W0, W1, W1, W3, 0
 
Girl on Left:
  • Hair: BV00, C5, C8, 100
  • Skin: E31, E33, RV11
  • Dress/shoes: RV10, RV11, RV13
Girl on Right:
  • Hair: Y21, Y26, Y28
  • Skin: E00, E02, RV10
  • Dress/Shoes: BV00, BV02, BV04, BV13
 
 
 
My reflex is to color all people in the picture with the same skintone.  I think that was more of a learned habit because when I started coloring with copics, I tried to color all "people" stamps with my own skintone.  And I think I did that because it was easy to hold up my coloring against my own arm to see if my coloring looked like real skin.  Last January I took a Copic Workshop on coloring hair and skintones and I learned a WHOLE lot of combinations that were just amazing.  Since then, I have been trying to use what I've learned and I have been super happy with how well everything is turning out!
 
 
And gosh, I think I might need to do something about the picture quality ... I have been taking pictures with my iphone5s.  Perhaps I just need better lighting?  probably.  I need to figure that out... 
 
Anyway.  Happy Sunday.  I hope everyone has a good day!
xoxo,
Amanda

Saturday, March 14, 2015

30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 11

Here's my submission for Day 11 of #thedailymarker30day challenge!  I pulled a random flower stamp from my craft stash (Stampendous I think??) and embossed it with white embossing powder.  and then I tried the watercolor thing again with my Koi Watercolors.  I'm still not comfortable with watercolor, but I think I just need more practice. 
 

Friday, March 13, 2015

30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 10

This is today's submission for #thedailymarker30day challenge!  I love love love this new set from Hero Arts/Operation Write Home! This cute racoon and bunny rabbit is from the Stamp & Cuts Baby Animals set.
 
One of the Sandy Allnock classes I took back in January 2015 featured this stamp set.  I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.  As soon as Simon Says Stamp had it on their website, I couldn't put it in my shopping cart fast enough...  here's my first coloring adventure with this stamp set.
 

Thursday, March 12, 2015

30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 9

Here's my submission for Day 9 of #thedailymarker30day challenge!  Woo! SO Super excited about today's coloring adventure! 
 
I've had these stamps in my collection for over a year now, and I haven't really had an opportunity to spend much time with them, until now! I think they are from Penny Black (Mo Manning), but I'm not 100% sure.... let me know in the comments if you can confirm.... Anyway, to whoever designed these, I love them. They were a blast to color! 
 
These images were stamped on Neenah Exact Index 110 lb card stock, in Tuxedo Black Memento Ink and colored with copics.  I put a little wink of stella on the bubbles and glossy accents on the bubbles in the Boy picture.  I wasn't sure if I wanted to add glossy accents to the bubbles in the girl picture, so I am going to wait on that until I'm ready to put this image on a card. 
 
The bubbles are my favorite part... I took 4 or 5 of the super bright/light copic colors (BV000, B000, RV00, YG1, Y00) and scribbled a little blob of color inside the bubbles. Then, I took my colorless blender (0) and scribbled over the bubble (but inside the lines) until there were no crisp edges between the different colors.  Then, I covered the bubbles with Wink of Stella.  They look FAB. 
 
I colored the boy image first, and then the girl image.  Looking at them now, I see that my girl picture has a jaw line, and my boy picture has a flat neck....  eh, just goes to show me that I need to practice more.  I'll leave this image as it is, and try to provide more contours to the face and neck area on the next "people" stamp I color in.   
 

 
 
I never get tired of the comments from @kathyrac or the other wonderful crafters on Instagram.  Everyone is so awesome.    and hey.... it looks like one of my coworkers liked my coloring too.  
 
 
 
 
later.
xoxo,
Amanda

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 8


As each day passes, I am loving this challenge even more.   I am REALLY enjoying all of this coloring!  Today's submission for #thedailymarker30day challenge is this fun image from the "From the Herd" stamp set by Stampin up.  It's super cute. 
 
I stamped the image on Neenah Exact Index, 110lb card stock in Tuxedo Black Memento Ink and colored with my copics.  I'm happy with the result, especially the chicken's tail feathers.  I really love the multi colored tail feathers. :)
 
 
 
 
And as always, I LOVE the instagram comments I am receiving from my fellow Instagram crafters and, of course, @kathyrac!  *squeal*
 


Tuesday, March 10, 2015

30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 7

Another Short and Sweet Post!  This is my submission for Day 7 of #thedailymarker30day challenge! 
 
This stamp is from Smarty Pants set by There She Goes Stamps.  Sadly, this stamp company doesn't exist anymore, but I am sure I will enjoy coloring the stamps I have from this company for a really long time. 
 
 

Monday, March 9, 2015

30 Day Color Challenge - Day 6

This post is short and sweet!  This is my submission for Day 6 of #thedailymarker30day challenge. 
I used Memento Tuxedo Black ink to stamp these images on Neenah Exact Index 110 lb cardstock, and colored using Copic Markers. 
 
Stamps are from Art Impressions: Scrappie Front & Back and the Fence.
 

Sunday, March 8, 2015

30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 5

Here's my submission for Day 5 of the 30  Day Coloring Challenge. I used Koi Watercolors to create the sky, and 2 stamp sets from Simon Says Stamp. 


This was my first watercolor adventure.... and I'm not too thrilled with the results.  But @KathyRac gave some great advice in my Instagram comments! 


It gives me warm fuzzies to get feedback from Kathy! It's so nice to participate in a challenge (and crafty community) that is so positive and encouraging. It makes me look forward to the rest of this 30day challenge even more. 😀

Until tomorrow...

XOXO
-Amanda


Saturday, March 7, 2015

30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 4, A Zombie Birthday

Occasionally I need a masculine birthday card for one of the men in my life.  My brothers LOVE zombies,  my Husband & his friends LOVE zombies.... my male co-workers love zombies.... 
 
This seems like this is an easy equation.  Man + Zombie Birthday Card = Awesomeness
 
Plus, I'm gauranteed a genuine smile from someone who "doesn't get the birthday card thing".
 
This image is for #thedailymarker30day challenge.  I used the boy zombie in the Birthday Zombie Set from Art Gone Wild, Memento Black Tuxedo Ink, and copic markers.
 
 
xoxo,
-Amanda

Friday, March 6, 2015

30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 3 (and a lengthy back story)

First, I just want to say that I love my copic markers. It's a serious "what would life be like without you" kind of love...

(Husband - they're just markers - I really do love you more than any art supply!) 

Ok - back to it. Copics - I adore them. 

I was first introduced to this grand love (the copics, not my husband) when..... 

Ok I really should back up and explain this better. 

Husband: Met in High School - dated after High School - married 5 years after College...still married now even though I am now a craft-a-holic.  He's a private person, so I'm not going to give much more detail than that.

Copics: It was "like" at first sight... But we had a lengthy courting period because I was convinced copics were "out of my league".  It started while I was browsing the boards of Pinterest and there was alot of ooooooing and ahhhhhing.....All of the samples I saw were gorgeous and I wasn't sure I would be able to replicate the shading and other fabulous techniques.   And then, of course, I wasn't sure I wanted to invest that much money into a product I wasn't even sure I would use very often.  And I know myself.... I'm a collector. I "need" to complete the set. I "want" all the colors! 

I got to a point where I wanted to ask Copic on a date.... and I asked myself 2 questions:

Question 1: I like you - but I'm not sure if I know what to do with you.... What would it take to replicate these fantabulous techniques with alcohol markers? 
Answer: practice, classes, practice, YouTube, practice, Pinterest, practice, practice, practice....

And I thought about it some more... I like YouTube.... I like Pinterest.... Those are great resources and totally free! I can totally watch and practice on my own. After all - I love to color, I could color all the time....  and I would love to take classes wherever I could.  Who doesn't like taking art classes??!!

Question 2. Can I afford this relationship? (Don't laugh, eventually I grew to love my markers - we've been a lot of places together, seen a lot of things...its a relationship now.)

This only brought up more questions....what other brands of alcohol markers are out there? What is the "lifespan", are there ink refills? How many colors are available? What do other people say about them? Can I use any ol' ink pad with them, or do I need more special products to coordinate? What can I dooo with these markers?! Are there any kind of temperature or storage restrictions? What is my total estimated cost for the marker, refills, extra nibs, special ink, special paper, portable storage solutions, etc....???

I had to be smart about this. I knew I had to look at other brands too. I'm no silly head!  I outlined the pros and cons of copics vs. similar products.  After about an hour of research I had convinced myself that the copic sketch markers were the right choice for me. I was making a smart, financially sound *cough* investment decision. *nods head for emphasis*  While copics were a little on the high end of the price spectrum - they had a longer lifespan, they had refills, came in more colors, there were nib replacements, I could buy colors individually vs having to buy them in sets (reducing the risks of buying duplicates), there were copic specific apps to track which markers I had vs. still had to buy! There were A LOT of positive reviews from crafters of all levels.... and classes geared towards Copics were much more widely available than classes for other brands of alcohol markers....   The only real negative I could find was the price. BUT everything I read pointed me to a place that had a "good deal" so I wouldn't have to pay full retail price. So really - if I was looking at purchasing a lifetime-use product the copics sketch markers would be the ideal match for my coloring adventures. 

Not long after I decided to dive into the world of Copic coloring... My loving husband asked me what I wanted for my birthday.... This seemed like a good opportunity to get a basic set of sketch markers and see if I would actually like using the products. So in May 2013, my wonderful husband purchased the Copic 36-piece sketch, 25th anniversary set. As soon as I opened the box my true love affair with copic began. 

Ok now back to the verrrrry beginning of this novel length post.... 

1. I love my copic markers.

2. I also love Art Impressions, and their line of "Girlfriend Stamps".  This was the line of stamps that really blossomed my coloring addiction, and continues to remain a favorite today.   (wow, seems like I could have skipped that lengthy intro now...)


Today's submission for #thedailymarker30day challenge is an image from The Laughing Set by Art Impressions.  I love the emotion that the girlfriends show in each image.  I want to know what they are laughing about, and I think they must be great friends.  This is definitely something I would put on a card and send to one of my own IRL friends... awesomeness. 


until tomorrow friends....
xoxo,
-Amanda


Thursday, March 5, 2015

30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 2

Here's my coloring adventure for today. I was almost done with the image and decided I would add a little black gel pen to their eyes to make them pop... And then... on the last girl... my pen decided to play a nasty trick on me and drop a big blob right next to her nose.  Major bummer! I was so upset!

So I tried to think of ways to save the image. I thought about cutting her out of the picture entirely, but figured that would be too much fussy cutting (not TOOO much, but definitely more than I wanted to do).

And I thought about cropping off the end of the bike... But I didn't want to do that either... These four chicks needed to stick together.

And I thought about re-stamping the entire image, re coloring the bicycle and the last lady, and then and cutting out the other 3 ladies on my first image and pasting over my new image....perhaps adding a little bit of extra dimension.  At that point I was just exhausted thinking about it, and I really wanted to keep this a single layer. 

So then, I figured "go big or start over"... So I scribbled more black gel pen over the "black blob of disapointment" and fashioned some cool shades for my passenger. Looks good, right?  *sigh of relief*  Crafters crisis avoided.... 

It's always a risk when I try to modify a stamp beyond the original artist's design.  I feel a little rebellious, like I'm coloring outside the lines! *GASP!*  But in the end, I am super glad I took the risk because I love the result! I'm such a crafty rebel.... *wink*



Oh and I LVE all of the girlfriend stamps from Art impressions. I want to be just like these ladies when I "grow up"... This stamp is called Pedal Pushers, stamped using Memento Black Tuxedo Ink, and colored with copics. 

Not too shabby for Day 2 of #thedailymarker30day challenge.   

xoxo,
-Amanda

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

@kathyrac commented on my IG pic for Day 1!!!

I don't know why, but I am always wayyyy more excited about crafter feedback than spotting random tv or music celebrities.  Love it!!!



30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 1

@kathyrac is hosting a fantabulous 30 Day Coloring Challenge with the goal of bringing us back to our love of coloring. The challenge started today, 3/4/15 and ends 4/2/15.  You can find more details on her blog at www.thedailymarker.com

I kinda decided last minute that I wanted to participate.... HA!  That totally sounds like me. Bandwagon, I'm hoping on! 

Here's my first #coloringadventure for #thedailymarker30day challenge... Follow me for more on Instagram (@amanda.farhang)...



When I finsihed coloring this image, I just add it to my growing stockpile of coloring adventures and I will make a bunch of cards later. For now, I'm totally content to just color... 
xoxo, 
Amanda

PS: the stamp is "Uptown Girl BIANCA has a BIG CAKE" from Stamping Bella. I love this stamp company. I think you will see me use a bunch of their stamps in this 30day challenge!




Monday, February 23, 2015

Downton Crabby


So one of my favorite things to do is browse Pinterest... Several months ago I saw a card that someone made using Lawn Fawn stamps: a cute little crab with a sand castle in the background and a sentiment that said something like "Happy Birthday from Downton Crabby". It was adorable - super super cute...

My first thought after seeing this card was "OMG - my Husband would love this!"  I loved the idea and wanted to see how I could replicate it with a few fun dies. 
 
I used the Circle accordion die and Rocky the Crab die from Elizabeth Craft Designs, the stitched hillside boarders from Lawn Fawn, and the sand castle die from Impression Obsession. Oh, and I put the crab on a wobble spring. Love it! 

Here are a few pictures!




Friday, February 13, 2015

Neenah Paper Comparison

Review time!   

So all the crafty video people (the ones I YouTube stalk - um pursue - stalking is a crime) are always touting the virtues of Neenah Solar White 110lb card stock.   How copic friendly it is and wonderful it is to color on, etc....  Well I couldn't find it at Michaels, and I couldn't find it at Joann's, so I thought I would try Office Max....And while I didn't see "Neenah Solar White", I did find this "Neenah Exact Index". 

A ream of the Neenah Exact Index, 110 lb. cost $17.43. I did wince a little at the price because THAT  is a lot for a ream of 250sheets. But I figured I would be using them in Quarter sheets, and I really thought this was the paper everyone was raving about.   

It turns out I was wrong! The paper everyone was really talking about was the Neenah Solar White, 110 lb (not the same as Neenah Exact Index!). A ream of 250 sheets cost $57.10. *jaw on the floor* I know, right?! That shopping trip was expensive! had to hunt down this ream of Neenah Solar White from The Kelly Paper Store. (FYI- after I made my purchase I found  it cheaper on the SimonSaysStamp website!) 



You're probably saying "Silly Amanda - both are white, both are 110lb, both have 250 sheets/ream, BOTH are Neenah brand! How different could they be?!* 

My answer is "Not that different at all...." Smh...

Yes, the Solar White is nearly 3 times the cost, and while the paper is the same weight, the solar white is actually thicker. I'm not sure how paper thickness and weight correspond.... 

ANYWAY - after a copic coloring test using some fantastic Lawn Fawn stamps and My Favorite Things Black Licorice Hybrid ink - the difference was so minimal - I don't think it would matter to me if I used the Exact Index as my primary coloring paper forever and always going forward...

I do feel like the markers blended better on the Solar White, but again...it was minimally better than the Exact Index. I think I will save $39.67 and use the Exact index. 



Because most of my coloring adventures wind up on A2 size cards, I usually cut down my 8.5x11 cardstock into Quarter Sheets measuring 4.25x5.5.  So naturally I had to breakout the cost my quarter sheet too... 

Cost per Quarter sheet: 
250 full sheets x 4 = 1,000 quarter sheets.

Neenah Exact Index: $17.43/1,000 = $0.017 per quarter sheet

Neenah Solar White : $57.10/1,000 = $0.057 per quarter sheet

Cost per A2 size card base:
250 full sheets x 2 card bases/full sized sheets = 500 A2 size card bases

Neenah Exact Index: $17.43/500= $0.035 per A2 size card base

Neenah Solar White : $57.10/500 = $0.114 per A2 size card base. 
 

So if you like math - the numbers might sway you one way or the other. 

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Card Box Template


I put these together about a year ago when the box card craze hit the papercrafting community like a tsunami...    I decided to load it here so I don't "lose" it...  :)  You can also search my Pinterest Board for Box Card ideas - I have a bazillion samples pinned.  Super fun ideas!












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