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... 

 

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

 

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...

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. 

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.

 

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