GD for The 12 Kits of Occasions

So around the time my full-time job was cancelled, I got an email from my loyal blogging friend, Kim Heggins, asking me if I'd like to join The 12 Kits of Occasions team as one of their guest-designers for November.  Before the change in job status, I would have regretfully declined, as crafting has had to slip in the list of priorities in the past year. However, with only part-time work starting this month, the idea of creating with a kit of delivered goodies sounded delightful! 

In case you don't know about this fun blog, it has 12 permanent members, who take turns being hostess. Each month, the Hostess picks a theme and makes up identical kits of supplies to send to her team-mates, who, in turn, create 4-5 cards to post at the end of the month. It is amazing to see the variety and creativity the arises from the same materials.

Kim's kit arrived in early November and I had such fun with the supplies! Lots of polka-dot paper, Thanksgiving and Christmas themed sentiments and adorable critter images to colour.
I made five cards, and just kept going.
Here's a pic of all that was left of the original kit!

First, fun with Copics:

 

Inside the Beary Happy card...

Then a stab at watercolouring:

 Inside the ice floe card... (see the cool shades?)

Then, simple graphic paper-piecing (a favorite pattern from my quilting days).

 Then some Christmas cards with those big bold polka dots and shimmery washi tape:

And my favorite, a gate-fold card with those scampering mice:

Many thanks to Kim and the 12 Kits of Occasions team for including me this month. I had a blast playing along!

Check out the rest of the team's creations HERE:

Hugs,

Caroline

Birthday Cards

I've been following the newest Online Card Class: Stretch Your Dies.

Lots of great ideas! They inspired me to get caught up on my family birthday card stash. Don't worry, the intended recipients do not read my blog!

Here's the first:

Beautiful Bokeh background with Distress Inks and white pigment ink, plus home-made circle stencil. Then, those lucious-looking letters! These were inspired by Jennifer McGuire. The letters were white card-stock, cut with Avery Elle alpha dies, coloured with Distress Markers and inks to match the card, glossed with Wink of Stella, then covered with Liquid Glass for that shimmery, shiny effect.

Next up, one for my niece. This card is a shameless CASE of Laura Bassen. I used my rubber embossing mats to make the Polaroid impression with a Lil' Inker's die.  I masked off the edge, and stamped a photo-bomb scene, using Paper Smooches Chubby Chum Pals. Those were coloured with Copic Markers.

For the sentiment, I blended two Copic colours from the scene above, then die-cut the letters from Paper Smooches Sassy Script.

I tried a couple different colour combos before deciding on the blue and brown. Lining the dies up with washi tape helped keep them straight, even when using the magnetic platform.

One more view:

I am linking these up to:

And the Online Card Classes' gallery.

Have a crafty week!

Caroline

Radar Love

 Okay, maybe I meant "Radio Love."

I've been trying to follow along with Kathy Racoosin's 30-Day Colouring Challenge;

I can't say I've managed to do 5 minutes everyday, but the days when it DOES happen are feel-good days!

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of spending all day creatively.

My friend Heather Telford organized a series of technique demos by the attendees at her monthly card-making workshop. Some great tips, and many more media avenues to explore.

My husband just returned from a two-day trip to Chicago. He told me he turned his suitcase inside out, and couldn't find a love-you/miss-you card from me ☹. Normally I manage to tuck one in while he's packing. How could that have slipped my mind?! So, I'm going to put the card featured here into his briefcase, for him to find at work tomorrow.

This one's nice and simple. 

More Copic colouring of those cute vintage radio designs from Create A Smile. Speech Bubble border die set from Lil'Inker Designs, and word dies from Paper Wishes.

I'm linking this one up to the Stretch Your Dies Online Card Class, too (another good thing about this past week!).

Hope your day involves some colouring!

Happy crafting,

Caroline

Miss you (in colour)

 I'm enjoying the Coffee Lovers' SPRING Blog Hop this week.

Check it out HERE, through Friday March 6th, at midnight, PST.

However, today's post is to join in the fun at Kathy Racoosin's blog, where she begins the 30 Day Coloring Challenge.

I'm not sure I'll be able to keep up the pace, but I LOVE the idea of colouring, even for 5 minutes, every day.

Here's a card  I thought of mass-producing for Operation Write Home.

The products are from Create A Smile: the "Say it" stencil and "Perfect Tune" stamp set.

I coloured with Copics. Wouldn't you have a loved a hot pink radio when you were a 'tween?

 That's it for tonight, folks!

Check back tomorrow. I may have some more radios to color. Or maybe some flowers?

Happy colouring!

Caroline

Copic Coloring #3

Final post with Copic colouring homework.

I tell you, that Online Card Class: Copic Markers for Cardmakers was worth every penny. I’ve done the one-day Copic certification course (which was good) but the Online class has the advantage of all those videos that you can stop and start, review and digest at your own pace.

When I was a kid, I used to draw and colour all summer long (with my Crayola 24-pack of "pencil crayons"--so much more potential than the 12-pack…). I’d draw paper dolls, and then draw all their clothes and accessories, cut them out and dress them!  This class was a throw-back to those good old days, in a way.  There was a whole class on tips for colouring skin and hair.   The impact that some shading and implied texture make on a black-n-white image is almost magical.

 And those ballerinas… I have to admit I didn’t love the image we were given to play with at first (I’m not a huge chotsche-kind of gal), but once they started to emerge from the paper—wowsers! 

These were directly copied from the instructional videos (by Kathy Racoosin and Sandy Allnock); I can't take any credit for the colour choices or shading suggestions.

Make sure you check out Online Card Classes tomorrow--they promised to announce their next class...

Happy colouring,

Caroline

Copic coloring #2

While the Copic Coloring for Card-Makers class is officially over, you can still sign up for all the instruction, videos, PDFs, etc. Online Card Classes archives the content, so you can view whenever you like, and as many times as you like.

One really fun lesson was on colouring critters!

Suggestions were given for creating effects for fur, fuzz, corduroy, etc. 

I had particular fun colouring a dog to look like MY dog. He’s mostly white, with a little apricot around the ears.

He turned out so well (I think!), I had to cut him out and use him on a card…

 Also feeling a little guilty, as he did not get to make the trip out to PEI (we flew instead of driving, given the short visit). I added a little Liquid Glass to his eyes and nose.
Next summer, buddy!

Off to catch up with life, after a lovely four-day weekend...

Caroline

Your morning "blend"... Copics Day 1

Getting inky with Copics this week!

This is homework for Day 1, different colour combinations to practice blending.

I find it so Zen to sit and scribble away...

We're encouraged to upload our assignments, so I'm including my efforts.

A close-up of those cute little packages. 

I added some extra details with silver and white pens.

There's still plenty of time to sign up for the course!

Check out Online Card Classes.

Off to get inky again...

Caroline

From "Wallrus.."

The newest Online Card Class starts this coming Monday:

The Pre-class gallery is open, and participants are encouraged to share their work.

I went looking through my blog posts, and couldn't find this card.  I made it in January for one of my nephew's birthdays.  It features a great stamp set from the now defunct "Freshly Squeezed Stamps." It was kind of a build-a-bear set, with the makings for bears, penguins and walruses (if that's the correct plural!).  I had fun making the walruses different, using only three color families of Copics (coz that's all I had!).

I also included a bookmark with this card:

TTFA!

Happy crafting,

Caroline

Supplies:

Paper Smooches bookmark dies and border dies

Fresh Squeezed Stamps

Copic Markers

Memento Tuxedo Black inkpad

Cardstock and alphbet stamps, CTMH

Flower Soft "snow"

Baker's twine