HDH179 - Samhain Sunset challenge

So how was everyone's Hallowe'en holiday?!  I hope it was delightfully dark and macabre ;)  Mine was pretty quiet... stayed home to hand out goodies to all of the little demons about.  I ran out of candy around 7:30pm... WTF?!  Didn't we used to stay out until like 9 or something?  They started around 5pm, which is way too early in my opinion.  What IS trick or treating etiquette?  Oh well.  

I watched a few scary movies while all of the candles in the house were lit... it was quite delightful.

I've got photos of the house, but that will be another post ;)

Sooooooooo, back to a little bit of papercrafting goodness... over at Haunted Design House, we are having our LAST challenge of the year, which expires this Sunday at 5pm CST.  The Minions are in need of a little yard time from the dungeon, but will pop in now and again to keep everyone on their toes.

So, what is the challenge?

Macabre Monday challenge,

"Samhain Sunset."

You are to create a dark, Gothic, or Hallowe'en

based art piece that represents a 
Samhain Sunset.

We're looking for the colors of a beautiful fall sunset.
Think purples, reds, oranges, and yellows.

Use them as you wish, just keep it within our guidelines.

We are sponsored by the incredibly talented Mitzi Sato-Wiuff, of 

Aurora Wings.

She has offered up a very generous prize of $15 worth of digis (digis ONLY)

to each of our GTs this challenge.

Enter your sunset project here.

Mitzi does some AMAZING artwork and digital stamps!  There are so many beautiful images with which to work, I had a reeeeeally hard time deciding!  I went with her

Shades of Blue Orchid Fairy with Detailed Butterfly Wings:  

Isn't she gorgeous?!  And I only used a portion of this beautiful image!  Be sure to check out the whole image... seriously awesome!

Shades of orange and copper have always been favorite colors of mine, so this challenge was right up my alley.  I tried to create an ombre effect with the tones in her hair and wings from dark to bright, but the photos look a bit washed out... sorry.

The patterned paper is from Memory Box (I think.... Nightfall or something?).  And I used a TON of different Copic colors on the hair and wings... seriously.  I think I'll be adding a bit o' Stickles to the dots and parts of her wings... she needs some glitz, me thinks :)

Don't forget to enter the challenge... who wouldn't want to win some of these amazing images?!

What do you think?

HDH178 - Zombies and Creeps

I've been gearing up for the season!  I've got the house cleaned, organized and decorated, the creepy black vines twisted about & the bats hung in the tree.  I'm even hosting a little Girls'-Night-In combination Halloween & jewelry party on Thursday :)  Complete with creepy snacks & libations... don't worry... I'll be posting pics later!  But for now, how about a little Halloweenie card creation?

This fortnight's challenge over at Haunted Design House is Zombies and Classic Creeps and is sponsored by Simply B Stamps.  The Minions & I are using the Limited Edition Zombies and Creeps digis, one of the newest of the Steampunk Collections drawn by the fabulous Abigail Larson.

I used SBS's Collette image that I colored with Copics & then fussy cut around the frame.  I used 13th Hour paper line from KaiserCraft, an ancient metal word plaque, paper flowers & black satin ribbon.  The die cut you see at the bottom is actually the negative cut from Memory Box's DeLacie Border die... me likey!

skin:  BG96, 93, 90

purple:  V28, 25, 22

black:  T8, 6, 4

brains:  R56, 27, 24

curtains:  YR27, YR24, E13, E55, E99 shadows

She came out pretty muted, but the paper line is very muted, so it matches well.  I probably should have reversed the curtain color with her dress, but too late now!

You've got a few days left to join us in the challenge, so pop on by!!

What do you think?

HDH #176 - Who Are You Supposed to Be?

Where has the time gone... can you believe that it is almost October?!  I have been loving the small glimpses of Halloweenie-ness that have been floating about the web-o-sphere as of late.  It makes me wish the leaves would turn colors faster so I can get into full-on Autumn mode ;)

The crisp evenings have been soooooooo lovely.  It's hard to get out of bed when all I want to do is snuggle down into my light blankie in the mornings!

Anyhoo... here is a bit of shocking news:

I actually made a card.

Yeah.

I know.

CRAZY!

AND it was for a challenge over at Haunted Design House to boot.  Woo Hoo!

Hellllooooooo, Minions... didya' miss me?  ;)

I've missed you!

Why is it that life gets totally nuts just when I want to get my mojo on, get creative and enjoy my favorite time of year?

Karma, did I reeeeally f*ck up THAT bad somewhere that I don't recall?  ;)

Good gawd... it's been so long since I've blogged that I can't even reel myself in and stay on track.  

Ahem.  Back to the challenge...

HDH #176:  Who Are You Supposed to Be?

Basically, create something that reflects a costume that you have always wanted to wear for Halloween, but haven't been able to do so, yet.  This challenge is being sponsored by

I Brake for Stamps.

The Minions and I were given the new Rick St. Dennis images from IBS to work with, and they are delightful!  IBS sells digis as well as rubber stamps.

I have always loved the intricate styling of the whole Steampunk movement.  But to really do it right, it would cost a fortune for one night of frivolity... but maybe someday :)

So, I used Rick's Steampunk Peg image... love her!

Here are the Copics I used:

skin:  E42, 41, 40

brown:  E87, 84, 81, 89 (shadow)

orange:  E08, YR18, YR27, YR15, E19 (shadow)

teal:  BG18, 57, 53, 78 (shadow)

background:  E84, 81

(papers are from Graphic 45)

That's it!  And I might even surprise you in a week or two and create again... you just never know :)

What do you think?

HDH173 - Astrological Atrocities

It's getting ever closer to THAT time of year... and I am trying my hardest to get my creep on.

I am having an extremely hard time with my creativity as of late... well... for quite awhile now!  So, to ease on into it, I have created a couple of clean & simple cards for the

Macabre Monday Challenge over at HDH:

Astrological Atrocities

You are to create a dark, Gothic, or Hallowe'en 

based art piece that is somehow directly and obviously inspired by
the signs of the Zodiac or  Astrology.

Teri over at Delicious Doodles is being so kind as to sponsor us for this challenge, and she has worked up some AWESOME astrological sign digi's!  She has done two versions of each sign... one line for the more mainstream, and the other for those of us that prefer the dark side called "Horrorscopes" >;)

My first offering is her Horrorscope Sagittarius:

What is great about this line is that Teri has completed most of the shading for you!

My second offering is her Horrorscope Leo:

And how appropriate that I pick this one... it just so happens to be the hubby's sign.  Poot's birthday was yesterday, so I guess I should give this to him... or maybe I'll just show it to him ;)

That's it.  

Told you... super simple cards today.

I hope you're not terribly disappointed...

What do you think?

Tiddly Inks Challenge #110

I actually played along with a challenge!

Tiddly Inks' current challenge is to "use a Wryn"... and the Wryns happen to be my favorite line of Christy's images!  So, without further ado:

I used the "Wryn New Nest" image... isn't it adorable?  I know, I know... where is the creepiness, Barb?  I told you I've been mojo-less lately, and this image was springy and upbeat, so I decided to forgo the macabre this time around :)

Patterned papers:  My Mind's Eye

Grass punch:  Martha Stewart

Die:  Square Nestabilities

Main Copic colors:

skin:  E11, 00, 000, R20 cheeks

hair:  YR23, Y26, 23, 21

pink:  R85, 83, 81

tree:  E57, 53, 51

Yes, I DID fussy-cut the image!

I also drew in the higher branch of the tree to give a little more height to the image.

And yes, pop dots are my friends :)

What do you think?

HDH165 - Skeletal Remains Challenge

Super simple card today for the fortnightly challenge over at Haunted Design House!  The challenge?

HDH165 - Skeletal Remains

No problem for my fellow Halloweeniacs... skulls, bones, etc.

Bonus:  we are being sponsored by Octopode Factory!  Fun and quirky images with an edge.  Here is  my clean and simple, Copic-colored offering:

I used the dude from the Day of the Dead Couple, Hallowe'en Tombstones, & Skull Head Sticks.  What is great about OF's images, is that some of them come as png files with transparent backgrounds... perfect for layering up several and creating an entire scene!

You've still got a week to participate over at HDH, so don't miss out on the fun!

What do you think?

Coffee talk...

How about another card that is perfect for sending to a friend... just because:

Another Art Impressions stamp paired with BoBunny paper & a Paper Smooches sentiment.  Notice a pattern between this and the last post?!  I try to utilize most of a patterned paper sheet... some have three or more distinct sections/stripes that make it sometimes difficult to create the same card over and over again.  This way I can get about six cards from one lonely patterned paper :)

This was a fun image to experiment with different skin tones and hair colors.  And a few of the ladies are the same from the last post... nothing like a work out and then an iced-coffee, right?

What do you think?

Workout warriors...

Sorta.

:)

Check out these dedicated ladies:

Yeah, I feel like that bottom middle one during a work out :)  Which I haven't done in a LONG time, by the way... but IF I were to work out, I'm pretty sure I would be just as excited as her.

Yes, I cut out that image by hand... had to... otherwise you wouldn't see all of the cool paper, right?

The image is by Art Impressions, the sentiment is from Paper Smooches and the paper is an older BoBunny line.

I think I would rather work out alone than with a group...

What do you think?

Girlfriends...

If you haven't figured it out yet, I kinda like Stamping Bella stamps :)

I need to find out who the artist is that does the "Uptown Girl" series, because she is a fave of mine!  All of the girls in the series are super tall & thin with super-skinny legs... sooooooo unlike me ;)  

 The paper is by Three Bugs in a Rug.

LOVE how the ethnic skin & hair came out!  And blondie's dress was kinda fun, too.  Please note the Stickles overload on the boa ;)

And there is the wavy-ribbon trick... which was NOT easy to do with this double-thick grosgrain/twill ribbon!  Turned out pretty cool with the green stripe and all.

What do you think?

Cute kids...

More Copic coloring goodness...
These two cards are from a Copic 102 class last April:

This is a Stamping Bella image illustrated by Mo Manning, "Bronte and Louis".  LOVE it!  Look at that pudgy little dog, Bronte!  She makes me smile :)

I gave Louis a bit of a shocked look on his face, and added Glossy Accents to his eyeballs.

Next up:

Another sweet C.C. Designs image... can't remember the name, though. 

This one really makes me yearn for Spring... as if all the freakin' snow wasn't enough.

What do you think?

Oldies but goodies...

With the plethora of snow days as of late, I decided to schedule a few blog posts.  I know... shocking, right :)  I'm going back to last year's classes I taught at The Scrapbook Page for this, and the foreseeable future posts.  Today is from a Copic 101 class last April, so the Copic coloring is super-simple!

 

First up:

 

This little cutie is a Stamping Bella image... can't remember the name though.  She is so sweet.

 

 

 

Next:

C.C. Designs "Rainy Day Emma" (I think).  I still LOVE the Jillibean umbrella paper!

 

The umbrella, boots & parts of her jacket are coated with Glossy Accents for a super-slick look.

 

And last one for today:

This image is either Stampendous or Hero Arts, with a Paper Smooches sentiment.  The colors really are pretty together, and I think this is a real pick-me-up kind of card.

 

Well that's it for today...

What do you think?

Helloooooooo!

Have you missed me?  I can NOT believe it's been, what, six months since I checked in with the ol' blog!  Well, I'll try to keep it short and sweet... but you KNOW how long-winded I get ;)  A few updates:

My new business, Foster Technical Services, LLC, is really starting to pick up... I have a few home builders that I steadily work with along with a few remodeling jobs, so all is well on that front!  I also still work at The Scrapbook Page two-to-four days a week... plus teaching the Copic classes there.  Still loving it... it really IS my fun job :)

http://thescrapbookpageonline.com

 

Thor is doing very well, though he is blind now.  You can't tell by looking at him... you just wait until he bumps into something or looks in a different direction than where your voice is coming from!  He's got the ol' grey muzzle now, but is still the CA-YOOTEST little redhead EVER!!  He is very happy, lazy, loves getting treats and REALLY loves his mommy & daddy :)

  

I have been having uncontrollable urges to de-clutter & Spring-clean!  I have a stock-pile of clothes, pillows, blankets & towels that I have washed and bagged up, ready for donating!  Not to mention many other household items, stuffed animals, crafty stuff... etc.  I have no patience for garage sales, so I'm going the donation route!  Poot FINALLY got rid of clothes that were too small for him, and I got rid of clothes that are now too big for me!  I have a deep-seeded wish for a kitchen similar to this:

And perhaps a living room like this:

 Ahhhhh... to dream.  Ok ok... how about a dose of reality:

Uber-good news:  I have lost well over 30 pounds!  I haven't owned a scale in many years, so I can't be sure how much I really got up to, so I calculated it from what I remember weighing a couple of years ago.  Yep... well over 30 pounds!  All from replacing Coke & sweet tea drinks with water!  Oh, and a couple of times a week I eat "Healthy Choice" frozen meals for lunch.  I still sugar my coffee & eat chocolate and all of that, but I have noticed that I have been eating smaller portions in general.  I will say that working at The Page helps with keeping active... just from walking around so much.  Yeay!

But you didn't tune in to talk about fur-babies & weight loss... you wanna see some papercraft action, yes?  I'll admit it... I have been so swamped that I really only create cards for my classes now... how sad is that?  The good news is that they turn out pretty awesome :)  I have so many that I haven't blogged, that I have no shortage of card creativity to show you.  Now to just magically create more hours in the day to do that!

ANYhoo, check out this bit of awesomeness for my upcoming Spring Copic 101 card class in mid-March:

Love love LOVE this new Authentique "Seasons: Summer" line of paper!  And I am NOT a fan of yellow... but along with shades of warm grey & blue-green...

{swoon!}

 

The stamp is from Hero Arts, which is from a clear set with several cute images, and I'm sure you recognize Memory Box clouds when you see them :)

I want to make an entire set of these bad boys!  There is just a slight difference between these two cards, but I can't tell which one I like better... I think maybe the one with the chevron on top.

Clean, simple, yet delightful :)

I've still got to figure out the other three cards for class, but I can tell you right now that this is my fave!

What do you think?

(I've missed you, too!)

Mermaids...

It's been awhile!  I am ever-so busy with my new company, work at The Page & classes, but finally made time to post another past class from March.  You might have seen these on one of Sweet Pea Stamps customer submission days, but for those that haven't:

Seriously beautiful stamp image.  Done in aqua & copper... love it!

This shot shows the Glossy Accents & Stickles better.

All of these were Sweet Pea Stamps images.  If you haven't checked them out before, you really should.  They have fabulous fantasy art stamps!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

What do you think?