A Trio of Tags

We have a brand new challenge at Top Tip Tuesday and it's Anything Goes. We're sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps and I'm using Snowflake Reindeer Silhouette on my trio of Christmas tags. I know it's a bit early for Christmas but I recently walked into Hobby Lobby and they literally have ALL of their holiday stuff out. I couldn't believe it and just decided to go with the flow and start on my holiday paper crafting a bit early this year. ;)

I used Taylored Expressions Frame It Up die for the base of my tags and Spellbinders Classic Ovals Lg. and Scalloped Ovals for the digital image. A red and green atyou Spica pen helped with my faux stitches and I distressed every edge with peeled paint and festive berries distress ink. The gingham ribbon was in my stash and I used a red button with twine on the middle tag. Simple and sweet!

Bugaboo Stamps

One lucky winner will receive 7 free digis!

Thanks Bugaboo Stamps for providing the DT with images to create with!

For more inspiration please pay my teamies a visit!

Have a great day,

Lisa xx

Playing with The Red Queen

{mixed media art journal page}

Here Comes Summer

We have a brand new challenge over at Top Tip Tuesday and I am hosting this one. We are looking for anything that reflects summertime on your paper project, hence the flowers on my art journal page. This fun digital image was supplied to me by our sponsor, Bugaboo Stamps, and it's called Bobblehead Kid Princess. However I used her to create the Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland via Tim Burton's version. I loved playing with this digi and I created another page which I'll share in a minute. 

First, a little housekeeping though because we have a brand new teamie here at TTT and her name is Kat. I hope you'll drop by her blog and give her a big welcome!

To create my page I used Faber-Castell Gelatos for the background, stamped the ranunculus rubber stamp on both sides of my page with Archival Jet Black ink and colored it with various Faber-Castell Pitt Pens. I added some texture to my page with Wendy Vecchi's Checkmake stencil and her fab white embossing paste. I titled my page using a font {Channel} that I found on Pinterest and matted it with cardstock and a Spellbinders die created my wrought iron fence and added the finishing touch. I should note two things-I drew heart shaped sunglasses on the digi to mimic those worn by the Red Queen in Tim Burton's AIW movie and after applying my gelatos and color to the flowers I white washed the background with Picket Fence Distress Stain, then I applied more color to the flowers. It toned everything down and gave my art journal page a subtle look.  

Here are a few close ups

Now for my second page which is quite different. 

I love Dyan Reavely's Luscious Leaves 9x12 stencil and it helped me create this awesome floor in the Red Queen's throne room. I spread a coat of Wendy Vecchi's black embossing paste over it and used white acrylic paint {2 layers} to provide the stark black/white contrast of a checkered floor. The card images are from a blueprint stamp set by Tim Holtz and I used them for the body of the knaves and a Spellbinders heart for the head. I drew the background freehand and colored the pillars and curtains with Faber-Castell Pitt Pens. Tim's harlequin layering stencil was used on my background to create depth and I added a few here and there just because I love them. :)  

The title was computer generated and matted to a piece of black cardstock

He may be in the shadows but the Mad Hatter makes an appearance

and a knave

and yes, It's all Fun and Games Until the Queen Arrives

I'm entering my art journal pages into the following challenges:
eclectic Paperie ePlay Challenge-Get Stenciled!
Craft My Life Challenge-Anything Goes
613 Avenue Create Challenge-Anything Goes 
The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog: May Challenge-In the Garden
{I am entering the first art journal page for this challenge, the ranunculus rubber stamp is by Stampendous and I stamped it twice on either side}


Thanks for looking and I hope you'll join us for our Here Comes Summer challenge at TTT.

For more inspiration please visit my teamies blogs, you'll find their links on my right sidebar.

Have a terrific day!

Lisa xx

Live Laugh Love

 {art journal page using sponsor's image}

 

It's time to kick off a new linky party at Make It Monday where your new or old paper creations are always welcome. We're sponsored this week by the popular Bugaboo Stamps and I adore their images. I used Live-Laugh-Love-Flower Fairies to create this mixed media page in my art journal. I'll share a few pic's to show you how in just a minute but first I want to congratulate our Winning Commenter and Featured Entry from last week. I also want to encourage you to visit my teamies to check out their inspiration using the images that Bugaboo provided the DT with. Thank You Bugaboo Stamps!

 

To create my page I printed my image on white cardstock, trimmed and set aside.

Chose four Gelatos to color with and black to do shading.

I grabbed my water brush and my water bottle. The picture below is just to show the colors I used, we'll get to that stamped image in a minute. It was a mid project decision to share my process so bear with me. ;) 

 

 

I filled the water brush to wet the tip and activated the Gelatos by spritzing them with water. To create my background I dabbed my brush in the color I wanted to use and began adding it to the page. Gelatos are very forgiving and you can move the color around easily which is why I love them. :) You can brush it on or swirl it around, whatever works for you.

 

Next I grabbed my Faber Castell Pitt Pens (look in upper left corner of photo above) and colored my image. I shaded with a black Gelato (again mixing with water) and used the side of my brush to add a fine line to detail the images on my digital stamp. I highlighted with a white Sakura Gelly pen and EK Success metallic silver writer pen. 

 

After I finished my digi I let it dry and stamped a leaf pattern (Dylusions) on each side of my art journal page with Staz On black ink. To create more color I stamped again on a separate sheet of cs (see photo above) and colored the leaves with Gelatos.

 

 

At this point you can add more depth to the leaves, mix lighter and darker shades together or combine all four colors. Just play and have fun! I fussy cut the leaves, outlined with a black Faber Castell Pitt Pen and added white dots along the edges (like Dyan does). I glued the extra leaves where I wanted which does two things-gives a 3D effect and highlighted color. A black Sakura Gelly pen was used to add dots along the vine and branches.

 

 

I adhered my digital image with gel medium and used Pitt Pens to outline the edges, added some cut out flowers from my stamped image to the bottom, and added a circular stamped image (Inkadinkadoo) around the edges. Oh, and a few tear drop dew drops (that's a mouth full lol) in coordinating colors to my image.

 

It was a lot of fun to create and I hope you'll give Gelatos a try if you haven't already. :)

 

 

SPONSOR

 

Bugaboo Stamps

 

 

Prize is winner's choice of 7 single digi's!

 

 

My  first Pick of the Week is...

#181 Lola

 

 

This floral wreath is gorgeous! I love the spring colors Lola chose and the stitching is an extra bonus. Be sure to click her link for a better view of this beautiful card.

Thanks for sharing your talent with us at Make It Monday!

and my second Pick of the Week is...
#191 Jen Leeflang

 

I love this image and Jen's coloring brings this beautiful girl to life. Her card is called Butterfly Kisses and I hope you'll pop over and take a closer look at it.

Thanks for sharing your talent with us at Make It Monday! 

 

I'm entering my art journal page in the All Crafts Challenge - February/March.
 

 

 Have a fabulous week!

 

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Playing in my Art Journal

 

 

Welcome to the new linky party that just opened at Make It Monday. We have an old favorite, Bugaboo Stamps, as our sponsor this week and I'm using Silhouette-Butterfly on my art journal page. A big thank you to Bugaboo for supplying the DT with images to create with!

 

I created the background by applying Tim Holtz's wax tissue paper with Mod Podge and using ink spray to add some color. Then I stamped around the edges, added some rub ons, and used a stencil to create the raised diamonds. (I mixed modeling paste with tinted Liquitex ink and rubbed it over a few of the diamonds then lifted the stencil and let it dry). The digital image was distressed with antique linen distress ink and dew drops were added to the centers of several flowers. I love this image and what the butterfly symbolizes-new beginnings. :)

 

 

SPONSOR

 

Bugaboo Stamps

 

 

Prize is winner's choice of 7 single digi's!

 

 

 

My PICK OF THE WEEK is....

#106 Nicole N 

 

 

I love how Nicole colored this image and the beautiful design of her card. It's sensational! Thanks for sharing your talent with us at Make It Monday!

 

 

For more inspiration please visit my teamies blogs to see their amazing creations.

Thanks for the visit today. :)

 

Hugs,

Lisa xx 

 

Merry Christmas

 

 

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

 

 

It's Christmas Eve and I hope you are having a wonderful time with family and friends wherever you are. Our Christmas will be a cozy but quiet one this year. There are no wee one's in our family for Santa Claus to visit and our son is spending his first Christmas with his wife's family. They dropped in for a few days and visited, we exchanged gifts and now we are babysitting our grand cat, Felix. :) They'll be back in a few days to pick him up and then head home. Our daughter is home from college along with our grand dog, Rosie, and we are thrilled to spend some quality time with both of them! 

 

I'm here today with a DT card for Top Tip Tuesday and our new challenge is **Christmas at Top Tip Tuesday**. We'd like to see/enjoy your Christmas paper projects. As always, you can enter up to 3 tips and 3 projects. If you do leave a tip please put TIP beside your name when you link up. We have two terrific sponsors, Bugaboo Stamps and Heather Ellis,  and they are both offering a fabulous prize to our lucky random winners. Top Tippers are also eligible for a Guest Designer spot so share those tips and maybe you'll be our next designer.

 

On my Christmas card I used Heather's Mr. Snowman 004 image which is super cute and easy to color. I've kept things low-key this month with all of the holiday activities going on. My dp's are from Echo Park's Winter Park by Lori Whitlock and my image panel was die cut from a Spellbinders's Labels Nine die. My sentiments, inside and out, are from Heather's Pure Innocence Christmas Caroler stamp set. A Nested Pennant flag from SB was used for my sentiment on the front and another Labels Nine die was used for the inside sentiment. Two felt snowflakes and some bling complete the inside of my card while the front received some more bling, liquid pearls and a button with twine bow.  I colored the image with Copic markers and used a red atyou Spica pen on the holly berries.  

Be sure to check out all of the wonderful inspiration by my teamies and leave them some Christmas love. Many thanks to our sponsors for providing the DT with images. We sincerely appreciate your support of Top Tip Tuesday throughout 2013! Also, to all who enter our challenges we salute your talent and creativity. You are the reason TTT is still going strong and we look forward to seeing your paper creations in 2014 and visiting your blogs!!

 

 

 

SPONSORS

 

Bugaboo Stamps

 

with a prize of 7 single digi's to one lucky random winner

 

 

 

 

and

 

 

Heather Ellis



 

One lucky random winner will win 3 images of winner's choice!

 

 

 

Merry Christmas!!!

Lisa xx

Just Wanted to Say...

 

Merry Christmas to all of you who join us each week at Make It Monday!

 

You guys rock out amazing creations each week and inspire us! So glad you choose to join our weekly linky party at Make It Monday. :) Congrats to our featured entry and winning commenter!

 

The new linky party at Make It Monday is officially open! This is actually the last one before Christmas, Michelle is giving the DT a break so we can be with our loved ones during the holidays. I'm so excited to have my daughter home for a few weeks and also to see our son and DIL before Christmas as they make their way to South Carolina to be with her family for the holiday. This is our first year to "share" our son so it will be different but it's only fair, Jessica (our DIL) spent last Christmas with us and it was their first one married. Maybe next Christmas I might have a grand baby or one on the way. ;) We'll have to see what 2014 brings!

 

As for my card I used an image, Sign It-North Pole, from our current sponsor Bugaboo Stamps. It was easy and fun to color with Copic Markers and I stamped my sentiment in the center of the sign. It's from Verve's Merry and Bright set and so are the frosty snowflakes which I stamped in Memento Summer Sky ink. A corner rounder was used on both center panels and the patterned dp is from Echo Park's Season's Greeting by Lori Whitlock. A Jenni Bowlin button, twine, Blue Moon snowflake charm, and red bling complete my card.

 

 

SPONSOR

 

Bugaboo Stamps 

 

 

Prize is winner's choice of 7 single digi's!

 

A big thank you to Bugaboo Stamps for supplying the DT with images to create with and for their sponsorship of Make It Monday in 2013! We appreciate you!!!

 

 

NOTE: This post has been edited to actually include a POTW. It was scheduled and I've been so busy I forgot to go back and actually choose a POTW. Thank goodness for teamies that keep me on the straight and narrow lol. Okay, here is....

 

My PICK OF THE WEEK

 

#51 Birgit

 

 Birgit's card is absolutely gorgeous and I hope you'll visit her blog to see the inside of it. :) I love the pretty trimmings and the vintage image of Ole Saint Nick.

Thanks for sharing your talent, Birgit, with us at Make It Monday!

 

 

That's all for me today, my teamies have some incredible inspiration for you so please drop by their blogs and leave 'em some comment love too. You can click HERE for the challenge blog or on their links in my right sidebar. Thanks for looking and spending some time with me! I'll see you on the 29th (30th in Australia) when we return from the holiday break. 

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

 

Lisa xx

Black Friday???

Gift Card Folder-front

(back)

 

 

No thank you!!!

 

That's right, here in America we celebrate Thanksgiving this Thursday and Friday the shopping rush begins. (Actually I think they've even moved it up to Thanksgiving night, good grief). I am not one of those people who get up in the wee hours, or camp outside a store, or stand in those long lines or any of that craziness. It's just not for me but you know what does work for me? Gift Cards. It may seem impersonal to some but my family loves them and they get exactly what they want. :)

 

 

I am hosting the new challenge - Be Krafty - at Top Tip Tuesday and I created a tutorial on how to make this easy and versatile Gift Card Folder. You can check it out HERE and see all the amazing inspiration by my teamies as well. The fun image is Bobblehead Christmas-Santa by Bugaboo Stamps and I used him for several gift card folders this year. I did create one without an image and here it is.

 

 

front was distressed with Concord Grape

 

 

(back)

 

 

and a few more using the fun Bobblehead Christmas -Santa image

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sponsors

 

Bugaboo Stamps

One lucky Random winner will win 7 Digi images for their choice.

 

 

and

Tammy Louise - Shape EZ

Tammy Louise is offering a fab prize to 1 lucky winner
2 Shape EZ templates or your choice.

 

 

Okay, it's your turn to get krafty. Have fun with this challenge and remember you can enter up to 3 projects and 3 tips.

 

To those celebrating Thanksgiving this week I hope you have a wonderful holiday and if you do get out in the mad rush please be careful, seriously. ;)

 

Hugs,

Lisa xx

 

 



Fall Is In the Air

 

It's Sunday in the US but Monday in Australia so you know what that means-time for the new linky party at Make It Monday to open. Yay! I love seeing the creative mojo from around the world and how everyone gets involved commenting on other entries. :) On that note, congrats to our winning commenter and featured entry, way to go!

 

Our sponsor this week is the fun and cute Bugaboo Stamps. I'm using Jar-Autumn which I happen to love. I can think of so many uses for this image and I let it take center stage on my card. I embossed the background panel with a honeycomb folder by Cuttlebug, colored my image with Copic's and distressed the image panel with antique linen and spiced marmalade. Twill ribbon and bling complete my card.

 

 

SPONSOR

 

Bugaboo Stamps  

 

 

Prize is winner's choice of 7 single digi's.

 

A big thank you to Bugaboo Stamps for supplying the DT with images to create with.

 

 

My PICK OF THE WEEK is...

 

#110 Tracy MacDonald

 

 

Tracy's coloring is always outstanding but she's also included a wonderful tutorial on how to create this fab sunburst. I love this card and click her link to see it for yourself. 

Thanks Tracy for sharing your talent with us at Make It Monday!

 

 

 

Check out what my teamies made to inspire you this week and feel free to leave them some comment love. You'll find their links on my right sidebar or click HERE for the challenge blog. 

 

Thanks for stopping by, have a terrific week!

 

Hugs,

Lisa xx 

 

 

Make It Monday #163

 

The Squirrel and The Fox DT post HERE

(Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness)

 

 

 A new linky party just started at Make It Monday and our sponsor this week is the cute and fun Bugaboo Stamps. I've used Halloween Skelekinz Tag on my wrapper and I tucked a Hershey's candy bar inside for a very special Trick-or-Treater. :-) Many thanks to Bugaboo Stamps for supplying the DT with images to create with!

 

My teamies have some amazing inspiration for you so please drop by their blogs, say hello and check out who their Pick Of The Week is. You never know, it could be your fabulous creation that's featured this week. ;) 

 

 

SPONSOR

 

Bugaboo Stamps

 

 

Prize is winner's choice of 7 single digi's.

 

 

 

 

My PICK OF THE WEEK is ...

 

#58 Nicole N

 

 

 Her vivid colors caught my eye and once I clicked on her entry I knew it was my POTW. I love the detail on the realistic looking fence behind Wryn and Nicole's coloring skills are phenomenal. This card just makes me smile. :-)

 

 

 Thanks for spending some time with me today and congrats to our winning commenter!

 

Hugs,

Lisa xx