Sketch 75 and PP&P Challenge!

 

What do you do when your Mojo runs out? When your muse has gone on vacation without you? When you have piles of paper at your fingertips and can’t figure out what to do with it? Such has been my life, a little bit. I usually don’t struggle this way. Being down with my bum leg, I assumed, would give me loads of time to sit and scrap and just get better. As it turns out, I have no oomph. No inspiration. Help!

Here are a few ideas. . . one being the usual rescuer of my creative soul. . . the Stars & Stamps blog which always has great tutorials, challenges and sketches. Here is last Sunday’s sketch #75  which is different, and has turned out to be a whole lot of fun.

Here is my card – made with some favorite new paper from Imaginisce and a cute bear stamp set by Close To My Heart. I colored him with Copic markers. Kirsten, if you are reading this, you left your Copics at my house. :D

I love the summery campy look of this card. I used a wood grain paper in the background. Try as I might, I haven’t been inspired to make a sentiment on or in this card. “Wood you be mine?”   . . . “Wood you like to go camping?”   lol. . . help me out here folks. :)

So speaking of fun summery cards, Cindy’s latest challenge over at Papers Pads and Pictures is all about making a summery themed card. You should definitely check it out, and get yourself entered to win some fun paper goodness. These challenges have had only a few entries each week and so hey, your chances to win are fantastic! I’m just sayin’!!! Plus Cindy always has such fun things to see and do at her blog. I know that you will love it.

On the slate for the near future is a bunch of fun 4th of July things and a blog hop with Little Scraps of Heaven Designs  (see previous post!) that promises to be a lot of fun. Between the LSHD bear and the little guy on this card, you would thing I would be finished with bears, but I can’t BEAR the thought of being without my favorite critters. . . lol. . . (groan). . . . okay sorry.   :)  Thanks for stopping by!!!

The Truth About Markers!

 

So… I do get a lot of email questions about coloring stamps and digital images for making cards and scrapbook layouts. Coloring is fun – especially when you have a lot of down-time like I have had lately! I also keep a stash of stamped images and markers handy next to the couch, for coloring while watching TV or movies. It’s relaxing, and fun. . . and then when I make cards I have loads of ready-to-go images to just slap down on the card and I’m finished!

Markers. . . there are a ton of different brands and varieties. Permanent, water-based, alcohol based, washable, cheap, expensive. . . which ones are best? I must admit that in my stash I have several of all varieties. In my quest to decide which brand I love best I gotta say that each different type has its valuable uses. I think that today’s video tutorial will explain it best. I hope that you enjoy watching and learning. Here are three still shots of finished digi-stamps that I promised. The stamps used in this video are from Little Scraps of Heaven and it was awfully nice of them to allow me to use their stamp as an example. Thank you!!! They have so many cute digis. . . go see!

Click to see them larger. . . the first bear was colored with water-based, washable markers. The second, with permanent, alcohol based markers. The last was colored and blended with the same permanent alcohol based markers. . . the video demonstrates how this was done.

 

Thanks for stopping by, and thanks for watching! :)