Whoop-Dee-Dooo

Hello my family of crafters and friends! I have been away trying to recover from a state of depression due to the loss of a family member and a decline in my health.  

After recovering from family matters I had to focus on my health.  It took a while (longer than expected) but now it is under control and my whoop-dee-dooo attitude has returned just in time to for me to re-engage myself by joining a few challenges. 

Here is the card that I am entering.  Hope you like it.

I used the "Mummu" image from Mo Manning.  She appeared to have the attitude that goes well with the greeting "whoop-dee-dooo" that was part of a Stampendous clear stamp collection called "Birthday Wish".

I used three different design papers from Maja Design and Bazzil to create the layout. My embellishments include flowers from Wild Orchid and Recollections.  

The lace, bling and cheese-cloth I found in my stash.  I used lace although I have equal amounts of lace and ribbon.  I mostly use lace simply because I haven't mastered the tying of bows and I think when you use ribbon you have to add a bow.

My friends say I do okay with bows but until my bows resemble those made by Becca Feeken, I will continue to use lace as often as I can but that's not to say that I won't tie a bow from time to time or use ribbon on my projects. 

On the inside I used different leftover scraps and a couple of sheets from the same Maja paper pad.  I added a corner flourish and used a Hero Arts stamp for my sentiment.

The card size is 6 x 6 and my image was colored with the following copic markers.

E00, 11, 23, W0, 00, 01, 03, 04, 05, 07, BV000, 00, 01, 02, BG90. BG93, and V28.

I'd like to enter the following challenges.

Southern Girls - #153 3 or more Pattern Papers (M15)

Crafting With Attitude - #24 Anything Goes (2/24)(M101)

Mo Manning - #272 Anything MO Goes (2/24)(M18)

Simply Papercraft - #43 Anything Goes (2/22)(M120)

Creative Fingers - #124 Anything Goes (2/16)(M129)

Polkadoodles - Week #6 Anything Goes (2/24)(M09)

Crafting With Friends - #36 Anything Goes (2/15)(M121)

Thanks to everyone for stopping by and leaving a comment.

Sending Hugs from Texas

~Lesia~

Little Witchy

Hello my crafting buddies.  I am smiling and doing a little happy dance because I finally have new counter-tops and a new back-splash.  I love the results so I posted a mini video on Facebook if anyone is interested.

Another reason that I am smiling is because I enjoy creating cute Halloween cards, although I only know 2 people with Halloween birthdays.  Creating cute spooky little cards is just fun for me.  Today I have a couple of those cards to share.

The image (Little Witch)) and greeting (A Little Witchy) is from Mo Manning.  The little cat is part of a collection of cats from an Impression Obsession die.  My selection of papers include purple and black as my main colors accented with a little orange to bring out my images almost pumpkin colored hair.  The card-stock is Bazzil, but the DP is unknown because it came from my scrap pile. I also pulled the flowers and the piece of ribbon out of my scrap pile, but I think they were part of a Recollections pack (not sure). 

I completed the inside using the same paper as the front as well as a second cat. Masked out a space for the moon and added a fence using a Tim Holtz die.

I used the following copics to color my image:

Cape:  BG45, 47, 49, 53

Outfit:  V04, 06, 09, YR07, 18, 19

Broom: E53, 57, 59

Hair:  E19, YR18, YR67

Kitty:  C3, 5, 7

Skin:  E01, 11, 13

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes (10/24)

The Paper Shelter - #269 Halloween (10/24)

Inspiration Destination - #108 Anything Goes (10/24)

House That Stamps Built - 0916 Photo Inspiration (10/25)

Colour Q Challenge - #364 Photo Palette

My second Halloween card was all about the composition of the paper.  The stamped image is from Stampin' Up and I thought keeping it black and white was perfect for this particular card.

The paper is a combination of sheets from My Mind's Eye and the Chillingsworth Manor collection released by Echo Park. A Spellbinders die and an EK Success border punch was used to create a mat for the image.

Here is a side peek of the inside.  It pretty much follows the layout of the front, which I often do with my cards if I have enough paper left.

Thanks Jen of iCreate for the inspiration to create this card.

I'd like to enter these challenges:

Cardz 4 Guyz - #142 Boo Halloween (10/23)

Kraftin Kimmie Stamps - Wonderful Wednesday ATG (10/24)

The Male Room - #46 Halloween (10/24)

Craftin' By Designs - Halloween (10/24)

Addicted to Stamps - #216 Anything Goes (10/25)

I hope everyone has a great week and for those that do go out for Halloween, I hope it's spooky and fun for the kiddos.

Thanks for stopping by.

Sending hugs from Texas

~Lesia~

"Remember to make time to make stuff"

Colors of Spring

Mema's Online Store - Click Here

Hello my fellow crafters! Mema here with warm wishes for everyone that visits my blog.  My heart is heavy today because of the attacks that took place in Brussels. I wonder how anyone can justify such devastation and the taking of another person's life.  

Although it is hard to find joy at this time, we must not allow these acts to change our way of life and make us prisoners of fear.  The attacks in Boston, France and now Belgium proves that no place is truly safe when there are folks without a conscience running free, so today take time to say a prayer for peace for everyone everywhere.

Now to try and brighten up this post I have an announcement.  One of my cards was selected as Spotlight #94 for the Hearts challenge at Crafting by Designs. That put a smile on my face!

Here is another attempt to brighten up things and that is a card filled with bright happy colors and I definitely needed to get back to coloring and using my array of markers. The old saying "if you don't use it, you'll lose it" is not a joke...trust me :)

The image is from one of my favorite illustrators "Mo Manning" and I believe her name is "Emma with Lamb". The paper collection is by Fancy Pants labeled "ParkBench". 

My embellishments include lace that I picked up at a local craft store "Big Mouth Scrappers" and my floral arrangement was created using Wild Orchid Crafts paper flowers. I added a few pearls, some stickles, a MS butterfly and a border punched with a really old EK Success border punch.   

On the inside I stayed with my typical habit of using any leftover scraps to maintain some continuity in the paper design.  I also added a sentiment from a set of stamps I just purchased from Stamp Simply labeled "He Has Risen" which is perfect for this time of the season.

Lastly I used a host of copic markers:

E57, 50, 51, 35, 34, 33, 25 

C05, 03, 01, 0 and R20

YR23, 21:  Y08, 21, 11, 06, 02

YG97, 95, 93: BG57, 53, 09

I would like to enter the following challenges:

My Time to Craft - #316 Flowers (3/24)
Sweet Stampin Challenge - Easter (3/24)
My Sheri Crafts - #177 Spring Fever (3/24)
Crafting With Dragonflies - Easter (3/30)
Allsorts Challenge - #355 Easter (3/24)
Gem of A Challenge - #365 Easter (3/30)
Scrappers Delight - Anthing Goes (3/29)
Digi Designs - Lots of Layers (3/25)
Crafty Friends - #27 Anything Goes (3/24)

Well that's all for today.  Hope you enjoyed my little card and will leave a comment.

Thanks for stopping by.

Sending hugs from Texas

~Lesia~

Spooky Cuties

Mema's Online Store - Click Here

Hello everyone.  October is almost over and the weather is finally cooling down to tolerable temperatures which is fabulous. Soon it will be time for the little goblins, princesses, fairies and super-heroes to make their rounds gathering treats here and there. I personally enjoy hearing the words "trick or treat" coming from the smallest of the little creatures at my door. They barely know the words but there they stand ready to get whatever treat they can.  It only last a few hours where I live and that works for me, but until then let me continue forward.

I have a few Halloween cards from years past to share with you. I pulled them out and thought I would add them to my store just in case someone was looking to purchase one and to share just in case you never got to see them or perhaps they can give a bit of inspiration.  At any rate, here they are for your viewing pleasure.

Okay, I think the image is from Bugaboo and is called "Happy Hween Cat" silouette.

The fence and the lamp post were created using dies and the paper is from MME.

As always I followed through to the inside.

  

This way I don't waste anything. Even the scraps were used to create a light on the lamp post and I used the extra from the fence die as well. 

This little cutie is from Tiddlyinks and she was colored with copics of course. 

I think the hair was supposed to be a not-to-orange color. A cutie but witchy style. 

You may need to look closely to see that the paper comes from the same collection as the front. 

Here you see more of it unlike the front that is covered with embellishments and of course the image.

I hope sharing a bit of my past has inspired you or maybe made you smile.

Thanks for stopping by and remember to come back next week to see if you're the winner of my "Comments" giveaway.

Since our first winner did not claim their prize I am going to select an alternate winner for that group of dies as well, so we still have Spellbinder Dies from Group A and Group D left to giveaway so make sure your name is on the giveaway list.

As always thanks for stopping by.

Hugs from Texas

Lesia

Back to Copics

Mema's Online Store - Click Here

Beware! this post is long!

Before I share my newest creations I have to let you guys know that I was a WINNER at Cheery Lynn designs!  Yahooooo! and I will get to go shopping for a couple of new dies which I have already picked out.  I just had to share that bit of news because I don't win very often and when I do I get totally excited.

Secondly, I've noticed that there are those out there that will join your blog if you're giving away something and then leave if they don't win. Personally, I find this to be very rude and don't appreciate that behavior. It is so unfair to those that do follow and visit from time to time...not every week or day but from time to time. So to those that are only looking to win a prize please go elsewhere and don't stop here!

I would hope that you join not only for the prizes although I know they are important but because you like my work and find inspiration or can get ideas from my blog. I follow over 200 blogs and I definitely can't visit them all on a regular basis but I do stop by from time to time for inspiration or to just read the post.

I'm sorry if my saying this offends anyone but it is how I feel and if this does not apply to you then please ignore and know that I appreciate your time and thank you for your support however small it is.

Now to share two very different cards with you.  Both cards consist of images that I have had for some time but for some reason never got around to coloring. However, now that my tub of boxes aren't grabbing my attention I have wandered over to my bin where I keep printed digital images ready to be colored. I think there were 18 images in this bin needing some color to bring them to life.  Whew!! I do truly believe I am a mini hoarder or perhaps I just want to do more in my craft-room but time just isn't on my side. 

I need to use some of these paper pads I have all nicely stacked up before I run out of space for new stuff (haha).  Having said all that I'll get started with what I have to share with everyone.

For my first card I used paper from Authentique called "Blissful" and standard Hobby Lobby card-stock.

The image is from Mo Manning called "Gimme B".  I used a glitter gel pen to color her pom poms but didn't do very good since the pens were almost dried out.  Phooey! The greeting is a clear Fiskar stamp and the dies are from Spellbinders.

 I kept the inside clean and simple but used papers from the same collection.

Did I mention that I have a son that is a Cheerleader and Gymnastics Coach and that is why I found this image to be such a cutie. 
Copics I used to color this image:
Skin: E13, 11, 01,00 
Clothes/Poms: Y21, 19, 17, W8, Black
Hair: E59, 53, 49, 25

I'd like to enter this card in the following:

Lacy Sunshine Color Your World - Anything Goes (10/15)
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Challenge #19 Anything Goes (10/15)

Yep I have another card to share with you.

I realize we haven't gotten past Halloween or Thanksgiving but this image just needed my attention and it makes for a great Winter or Christmas card.


It's another Mo Manning image but for the life of me I can't remember her name. I think it is "Urchin With Bird" but not sure.

I used Graphic45 Christmas paper collection from last year for this little cutie. I added some snowflakes that were punched and embossed using Tim Holtz's embossing glitter. Behind is tucked a bit of cheesecloth and a corner die from Marianne Designs and a paper doily cut with a Cherry Lynn die.

A few Recollection flowers, pearl stick pins and ribbon from Bo Bunny helped me complete this card.

On the inside I used a journaling tag and cut out a few border strips from the paper for the left side of the card and added space for a personal note on the right side.

The image was colored using copics:
Skin: E15, 13, 11, 00
Clothes (reds) R89, 39, 37, 35 and (browns) E99, 97, 55, 53

I'd like to enter this card in the following:

Glitter and Sparkle - Challenge #157 Anything Goes (10/09)
Crafty Hazel - Challenge #249 All Wrapped Up (10/08)
Crafting With Dragonflies - Challenge #44 Anything Goes (10/09)
Fab N Funky - #275 Anything Christmas
Crafty Hazelnut's - Christmas Challenge October (10/30)

I know this was a really long post and I thank you for hanging out until the end...so much so that I am going to select a winner from the comments on this post to receive a gift certificate from Mo Manning Digital Pencil.

Hugs from Texas

Thanks for stopping by

Lesia

Happy New Year

I've made it through another year of joy, pain, laughter, sadness, hope, and so forth.  As usual I will start the year with three resolutions the same as last year, and I'll reminiscence of the days past and imagine the days that will come this year.

What better way to celebrate the New Year than with a card and perhaps a small glass of wine combined with a sampling of various cheeses from around the world.  I just hope the effects of the wine isn't reflected in my card...you be the judge.

Created with basic Bazzill Espresso card-stock and My Mind's Eye "Portabello Road" Designer Paper. I printed the calendar from the Internet and re-sized it to fit my card. 

My embellishments include a velvet piece of ribbon and two  studded brads.  I also used a Petaloo flower and used a Martha Stewart fern punch to add some greenery. 

My image is Mo Manning's Digital Pencil "Herald Harry" that I colored with copics.  My inspiration came from Tracy McDonald.

Copics Used:

skin--E000, E00, E11, E13

hair--E21, E23, E25, E27, E29

clothing--B0000, B000, B21, B41, B45, B97

To all my lovely friends, crafters and followers

thanks for stopping by and don't forget

to join in our newest challenge by

clicking on the Challenge Tab above.

!!!HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Hugs

~Lesia~

The Frenzy Continues

Yep, I'm back with another imitation of a Mo Manning favorite.  I think I almost captured it completely, but there are still a few subtle differences.  Do you see the difference?...not to easy huh?

Anyway let me start with the original creation by none other than Tracy.  Hello my lovely crafting mentor person....

Tracy's coloring skills never cease to amaze me...just fabulous I tell you.  You can check out the details of her card by clicking here.

While you're there check out her tutorials and other creations.  You will find yourself wanting to try your coloring skills and what I like is her ability to create something lovely with very little.

Not a lot of over-kill and yet a creation that draws attention and shares a message.  Now to move on to my very own creation of which I am simply proud.  Now to share my lift of this delightful card.

My card doesn't appear to be as bright as the original but I am sure I used the same designer paper so perhaps I don't have the best lighting in my craft-room.

Anyway I followed the basic coloring scheme and layout using what I had on hand for the most part.

I managed to get the greeting using my PC and Word, and the buttons came in a pack I had gotten some time ago.  As I said I am getting used to coloring still but my own technique and style is starting to merge although I find it real interesting to see how others color.  

Light to dark or dark to light, or do they lay a base color and then start the shadows.  Everyone does their own thing and for some reason they all turn out pretty darn good.

I continued using the left over paper to finish off the inside allowing a space for a personal message but keeping the color scheme the same inside.

Additionally, I have made it a habit to always create an envelope for every card I make.  This way should I need to give it up, the inside will be complete, my stamp will be on the back, and there will be a endorsed envelope that matches the card making it even more personal and special.

For this card I used "7 Gypsies "Venice" DSP, Mo's Digital Image "Sailor Boys" Distress Inks, Miscellaneous embellishments and the following copic markers:  

Skin E00, E11, E13
Hair E55, E57
Clothing B93, B95, B97, R35, R37, R39
Boat E35, E37, E39, E000, E00, B000, B00
Shading E41, E42, E43, C00, CO, C2

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Sister Act Card - Challenge #74

Craft for the Craic-Challenge#8 "Something With Circles" (9/28)

A Creative Romance - Anything Goes (9/25)

Treasure Time Rubber Stamp - Anything Goes (9/19)

Suzy Bee's Blooming Challenge - Anything Goes (9/18)

Crafting At The Weekend - Anything Goes (9/25)

Lifting Case Frenzy

Hello everyone.  This past week I have been so busy just handling everyday things that I really couldn't get my noggin in the creative groove. Hackers make it really hard to keep trust in others...this week my debit card was compromised so I've had to deal with that mess.  Lucky for me "Bank of America" was on top of things and noticed an inconsistent or unusual spending habit for me and immediately began to decline charges against my debit account.  So we think the crooks got nothing! It had to be someone with a weight problem because the items were all around nutrisystem, treadmill, scales and stuff like that. Glad to know that folks want to be healthy but not at my expense.

So just to keep my faith and not lose sleep I went to visit my friend "Tracy" to check out what she had created that I felt I could case and I found quite a few, although my coloring will never match hers.



First let me share with you the original card that caught my eye and click here to go to Tracy's post where I found it.  You'll have to scroll down to around July 9th to get to it.

Isn't it absolutely adorable? I have several Mo Manning images and if I don't have one but need it, then its off to get it.  You can't go wrong with Mo's images.  They are all so perfect for any occasion and for any age as well.  But moving right along I want to show you my version of this adorable card.

And here is my inspirational version.  I know it is missing in so many ways but that's okay. I did try to follow the color scheme and capture the overall concept of the design.

I enjoyed coloring it and now that I have a complete set of Spectrum Noir, Copics and ProMarkers I feel like the Queen of Markers...I just have to learn how to master each of them.  One day at a time, right?

So what is the verdict? I think it turned out pretty good and my coloring on this one did make me smile for once.



I hope Tracy takes my mimic as a compliment because between her and a few other designers, I think I have grown quite a bit in my coloring, my style and my technique, but when I find it to stressing to sketch out a design its good to know that you can always find inspiration on the internet.

Different styles, techniques and designers.  From Shabby Chic, CAS, Steampunk, Whimsical and even the Gothic and Dark can be found.  I tell you when I stress I surf and it usually helps bring back that smile.  Oh such a delight this crafting is.

The paper used was from My Mind's Eye and I forgot all about writing down the markers.  I did mix both my copics and the Spectrum Noir... and yes they do blend together.  The new brush tip on the Spectrum Noir is a bit different from the Copic but work the same with less pressure.  Give'em a try.

Okay that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs

Lesia