3M: Hip Hip Horray!

Hi friends! 

What do you call an elephant at the North Pole?

Lost!

:)

 

It's Wednesday and we're half way to the weekend ~ woohoo!

Today's card is a celebration card for the 3M card group 

and I'm the hostess for January.

I posted this to the gallery at Splitcoaststampers

and I'm adding it my blog, too!

  

I am absolutely smitten with anything 'adorable critter' 

and cutsie animals!

I. just. cant. resist!

There's something so enlightening about making cute critter (anything!)

cards and they just make my heart smile ♥

 This is Ellie from Avery Elle Stamps.

I've also added the matching sentiment to the inside, too ↓

 

I was recently listening to a class video with Jennifer McGuire 

where she mentioned finding your card style.

Maybe you are a CAS card artist or maybe you are mixed media style artist

or maybe you don't have one style in particular and that IS your style,

just being comfortable making whatever you like when you feel like making it!

I LOVE THAT! 

I love to experiment with my cardmaking and there are some nights

where I'll just pull together a card and love it (like this one!) 

I'm learning, in the online class, to embrace who I am as a cardmaker

and not boxing myself in with a set 'style.'

Kinda like being fearless :)

Thanks for stopping by today!

Big hugs, bigger blessings ♥

~Kelly

Road Trip coloring challenge - class continues!

Hi friends!

Happy Monday!

It's a holiday here in the USA and many of the kids are off of school

and so many offices are closed.

But class is in session with Kathy Rac's online coloring road trip!

I am SO glad I signed up for these online classes 

as it's an immersive learning experience 

with so many tricks and tips

and it's always nice to connect with talented artists ♥

I watched and listened and taken lots of notes.

I've been practicing and been more FEARLESS in my coloring,

and am excited to make a few more cards with my practice pieces.

Here's my homework from Day 2/3:

 Color Mash:  We learned about color mashing, sweet spots and the trash factor.
I adored the instructions from Debby Hughes
from Lime Doodle Designs.
I used copic markers as my alcohol base ~
and with familiar color family, it's easier to get the blending to 'mash'and marry them together.

Here's my first attemp using Neat and Tangled Christmas Helpers.
I also used the lifting 'rag' technique we've learned from Kathy
although I need to practice this much more!

Faces:  Kathy also has a great learning session on coloring faces
and wow, light bulb moment for me!
Big difference when you use her fearless technique!
The difference is subtle yet you can see more definition
and oh. my. word.
Those dotted cheeks!
I learned that 'technique' years ago and looking at it now ....... oof.

Okay, moving on!

Dots and lines:  the use of pens to give your images that little lot extra!

 

Quick card for my sweet granddaughter, Alice ♥
I gave her dress some dots and 
shaded the hair and owl with the pencil/copic technique.

Homework done :)
I'm sure it's time to get up, stretch, and go for a Starbucks!
Yes, please!

Thanks for stopping by!
Big hugs, bigger blessings ♥
~Kelly

The Coloring Challenge - Road Trip!

Hi friends and happy Sunday!
Class is in session!

Today I'm sharing a little bit of coloring as a participant

 of Kathy Rac's coloring challenge.

Yes ... that Kathy Rac! ♥

She's been an inspiration to me for many years now 

and her celebrated #thedailymarker30day
 is one of my favorite crafting adventures.
  I was so SO sad when she came to Florida to the My Favorite Things boutique
 and the class was sold out so quickly.

It was on my daughter's birthday and about 4.5 hours from my home, one way!

 BUT!

 What's the next best thing?

  Sign up for her new online classes! 

I fell last week and was injured on my dominant right hand

 so I'm coloring one handed-ish and typing one handed-ish

but I. am. determined!

The ER sent me home with instructions to

 'be a little more careful and R.I.C.E. my hand."

I heard 'add a little rice to your hand" and 

thought white rice? brown rice? fried rice?" 

 Is this a new thing?!

My husband says I am constant entertainment.

I'm surprised he takes me out of the house, LOL!

*giggling!*

Back to class!

 I love love LOVE what we've been learning in the classes -

 what to do, what perhaps not to do.

 It's about about learning, practicing, trying our best yet keep it fun!

Which was a great tip for me ~

I'm an adventurous soul by nature.

There's not much I won't try and the higher, the wilder, the better!

However, I'm a cautious cardmaker.

I don't know why.

I fret too much a card design and layout,

is this the right color combo (i.e., "the pinks don't match!")

and I rethink the mess out of most of my image coloring.

I've tossed more than I can count and probably restarted double that.

One thing she's teaching us:

Don't overthink it.

Be Fearless!

I started out with a Gina K Designs Vibrant Blooms stamp and die set.

I think the best flower choice for learning in Class 1 could be bigger, bolder ~

but I was super excited to stamp it up and color it that I just went for it.

It still has the nooks and crannies

and I took a plunge into fearless

 by adding grey, bright orange and brown to my sunflowers.

Is it perfect?

Nope!

But do I love it?
Yep!

I love the pop of color from the orange and the sweet spot white spaces!

I can't wait to make this into a card :)

Thanks for stopping by today!
Big hugs, bigger blessings ♥

~Kelly

RSG: There's GNOME friend like you!

Happy weekend, friends!

Today's card is for the Ready, Set, Go card challenge

where we take card challenges and go way beyond ~

I like to call them the extreme card challenges :)

It's a group I started in May 2017

and these challenges are really out of the box!

The challenge for January from Jeanette was to use 

3 colors:  Red, Blue and Plum and

 3 embellishments:  Ribbon, twine and enamel dots.

Yes ~ all of that ~ on one card!

 

I used the 3 colors as the base of my coloring, paper choice

and the cardstock colors as well.

I've used the adorable Oh Gnome! from Lawn Fawn

and just adore this stamp set!

Gnomes are quite en vogue right now and all over the place!

Remember a couple of years ago when pigs were the fad

and you'd see those cuties everywhere?!

I paired the gnomes with a windmill stamp/die set from Avery Elle

for a whimsical look, added gingham ribbon and twine to the land.

I know - it's blue!

The enamel dots are flowers scattered about and the doorknob.

Check and check! 

 

Here's the inside of my card

which carries over the matching sentiment from the set :)

I attached the windmill with a brad popped up it up on foam
so that it would spin.

 You can see what Barb created here and Jeanette created here.

I have to put my thinking cap back on since I'm up next month

and ideas are getting harder to come up with :/

I had so much fun creating this card!

I would not have normally put these 3 colors together

but do love a good challenge.

My goal was fun and whimsical and I just love it how it turned out ♥

Today I get to sit back a bit and blog, catch up, and play with stamps!

And my little granddaughter, Alice, is coming over today

and we're having a play date - yay!

Thanks for stopping by!
Big hugs, bigger blessings ♥

~Kelly

Card entered to:  Word Art Wednesday - AG

CCEE2003 ~ Book Publisher's Day!

Hi friends!

Today I've got another card to share for the CCEE Stampers 

and the challenges continue with our hostess, Lynn, for all of January!

Today is National Book Publisher's Day.

Her challenge this week is:

 To celebrate books of all kinds, 

create a card which features characters, a theme,

 or a quote from one of your favorite books!

 Bonus points if it is on the current best sellers' list!

Books!

Now this is a holiday I can get behind! :) 

I'm not sure I could pick a favorite book

as I love so many of them.

In fact, my nightstand often has a stack of 3 or 4 or 20 books

at a time because I read them so quickly!

I decided to go with a classic children's favorite ~

How Many Dragons Are Behind The Door

by Virginia Kahl.

 

This book was published in the 1970's, I believe, 

and I remember being half entranced/half scared of it!

The 13 sisters with the strange faces always gave me pause.

But oh those dragons!

So very, very cute and it has the sweetest ending ♥

I've used MFT Stamps Magical Friends ...

I absolutely ADORE this stamp set!

It just landed in my mailbox last week and I *had* to ink it right up!

I added the grass to the bottom by using a stencil

and then stamped/colored/cut the images with my Brother Scan n Cut

and added them with glue and foam dots.

You can see all the card from the design team here on the blog

as well as link up your cards, too.

Thanks for stopping by!
Big hugs, bigger blessings ♥

~Kelly

DDD: The love of penguins!

Hi friends!

I love the 15th of the month because it's pay day!

it's the day we post our cards for the Dueling Darling card group!

The DDD, as it's lovingly called, has 2 teams: 

 The Divas -vs- the Dazzlers

where there are 2 hostesses (one for each team) but only one theme.

 Hence, a 'duel!'

This month, the talented Terry S and the lovely Laura Jean are the hostesses 

and they chose a super fun theme of:

Penguins!

 

 

Oh my heart, when I saw the card kit from LJ arrive in my mailbox,

I squealed! 

I so love Elzybells stamps ~ they are my cherished oldest stamps ♥

I loved this kit so much, I made 4 cards :)

Today, I'm sharing just one for the duel ↓

 

I made a peek a boo window frame 

and tucked the penguin behind this gorgeous paper.

It was hard to chose which of the papers to showcase! 

Here's a quick view of the side to show the dimension:

 

 You can find all the Diva and Dazzlers cards

on our group at Splitcoaststampers. 

I'm very excited that this is our 10th year as a group!

That's a lot of cards, 

a lot of themes 

and a lot of wonderful memories!

 Thanks Terry and Lj for a fun theme this month!

Big hugs, bigger blessings ♥

~Kelly

I Come in Peace(s!)

Hi friends!

In just one month, it will be Valentine's Day!

Time to start thinking of the cards 

we'll be making for our loved ones ♥ 

 

Today's card is ~ literally ~ out of this world :)

And it cost me 2 cents!

As in 2 American pennies ...

it's a slider card!

 

 Slider cards are always fun to make 

and really make interactive cards come to life.

I got my Ranger Ink distress oxides out this weekend

and created a galaxy background.

It took a couple of tries to get the blending right as I really wanted

a darker outer band and a lighter middle - ta da!

The stamp set I used today is Milky Way by The Project Bin.

Nothing scary about this Area 51 cutie ;)

After completing the background, 

I used a circular swirly die from American Crafts

and kept the cutout part for a multi layered look.

I popped up the top panel with 3d foam and glued the other one to the bottom. 

For the alien, as with most slider cards, I glued a penny to the inside 'swirl'

before adding the top panel.  I popped some 3D foam on the bottom penny,

and then added one to the back of the alien.

He's super cute to see him zip around the galaxy and a fun, interactive card!

This card will definitely be for my son ~

he's a fun guy and truly a really REALLY sweet boy! 

 

Here's another look at the full Milky Way stamp set.

Included is 16 stamps and a matching steel die ..

now that's far out! 

 Thanks so much for dropping by!

Big hugs, bigger blessings ♥

~Kelly