Fall PSF/Dork Swap

Here is the card that I made for the Fall PSF/Dork swap.

The image is a retired SU stamp called Fall Feast. I've always loved this set. I colored the image with my copics markers and highlighted the leaves and the "Welcome" with the Spica Glitter pens. The paper is SU So Saffron, Burgundy, and Karen Foster Designer Paper. The brads were various color leaf brads that I had in my stash, so I embossed them in Old Olive and Brown to make them all the same color.

Not overly thrilled with the overall card, but since time was running out to get these done and in the mail, they are what they are.

Life has been VERY hectic here is PA lately. Hopefully things calm down soon and I can get back to my craft roon and creating more frequently.

Christmas in July

Boy, when I started this blog, I had hoped to post at least 2 or 3 thimes a week. Guess I had high hopes for myself. LOL!!!

I had a sick little one for 5 days, so that really put a clincher on me creating and posting the past week. Poor guy was running a fever (it got to 105 and scared the daylights out of poor gammy. My old heart can't take to many scares like that!!) I took him to the doctor and he had a sinus infection, strep throat, and a virus. Two doses of the antibotics and he was back to his old self in not time!!! Kids just should NOT be allowed to get sick.

Plus we've been having birthday parties for grandkids right and left this month. Three of my 5 grandkids were born the middle/end of July.

Now on to a card!! This card was made for a swap I participated in on Splitcoast. Two groups from SCS, the PSFs and Dorks, have been doing swaps between us for about the past year. This time the theme was Christmas in July. These swaps are so much fun and the talent of all the wonderful ladies is just amazing.




The stamp I used for this was by Sarah Kay called Christmas Magic. I just love the images from Sarah Kay. (Don't tell my DH, but I just bought 4 more of hers yesterday - shhhhh!!) I decided to create this card to make it look appear that you were looking outside through a window.

The paper is SU Purely Pomagranite, Blue Bayou and Basic Grey. The image is stamped on Neenah Solar White and colored with Copics Makers. The stamps I used at Sarah Kay Christmas Magic, Lovely as a Tree and Seasons of Joy from SU. Inks are Momento Tuxedo Black and Rich Cocoa. I airbruched the background using my compressor, ABS, and copics markers. Icecicle Stickles were added to the "ground" to appear like frost/snow. I colored the Bridal Flowers using copics markers and added gold stickles to the flower petals, then mounted on the window using diamentions. The brads were colored using copic markers also. (Can you tell I just LOVE using my copics markers - LOL!!!). I used the rectangle nestabilities to cut the "window", then put clear acetate on the window to look like "glass".

Hopefully I'll have a few more things to post this week. We have a pretty free weekend and I am hopeful that I can spend some time in the stamp room. We'll see how that works out!! The next few weeks are very hectic again, with Kaces birthday party next weekend, then the following weekend we leave for vacation!! YEA - we'[re going to Myrtle Beach for a week. This is the first whole week vacation we've taken in 7 years. We've just been doing 2-3 day things a few times during the summer that last few years. Now that Kace is older, we planned a whole week at the beach. I am so ready for the break from work and a week of fun.

Birthday Invitation and Rain Play

My grandson will be turning 5 the end of the month. Actually, we celebrate our birthday together - he was born on my birthday (But I won't tell how old I'll be - LOL!!!). What a better birthday present could I have ask for 5 years ago - my first grandchild born on my birthday?!?

We are having a birthday party for him and of course it will be a "dinosaur" party. I had ordered the Dino-Mite set from Our Craft Lounge a few months ago, so that is what I used to make his invitations.

I thought I'd do something "simple" and "easy", and this is what I came up with. Ummm - simple layout, but let me tell you - cutting those %^$#(^* dinosaurs out (20 of each) was a royal pain the the patootie. The stegosaurus was the worst - all those spines!!! But, it was worth it, Kace loves them and is sooooo happy with his invitations. ANything that makes him happy is well worth it!!

Anyways, here they are. The dinosaurs are all "cut out" and I used dimensions to adhere them to the cards. You can't really notice them "popped" up in the pictures. I used my copics markers to color them and then took the blender pen and added the "texture" to each dinosaur.

This is the front of the invitation.

Here is the inside with the royal pain stegosaurus!!!

And a close-up of the dinosaurs to show the "texture" of their skin.

I used the Dino-mite stamp set from Our Craft Lounge, Basic Grey paper, Really Rust and Always Artichoke from SU, Neenah Classic Solar White, Memento Tuxedo Black Ink, and Copics Markers. I printed the inside of the invitations on my computer.

Here are some recent pictures of the soon to be 5 year old. We had a really hard rain storm the other week (nothing unusual for this year, but didn't have any thunder or lightening with it for a change). So, Kace wanted to go outside and play in the rain - and believe me, I mean rain!!! It was pouring!! We have a spot in our yard where we used to have a 4 ft pool, that we took out 2 years ago. Well, the "sand" area is still partly there, and it made a huge puddle with the rain. He was having a blast playing in it.



I so remember loving to go play in the rain when I was younger (shhh - actually I still do like to sometimes - and I did go play with Kace in this one - but you don't get to see those pictures - LOL!!!).

New Layout and a card!!!

I'm finally done revamping the blog!!! Boy, what a process that was. I had such a hard time deciding on a new layout. Then the fiasco of loosing alot of my widgets and links and having to recreate them all. (If I'm missing your blog link, please let me know!!!). I mean come on, I am a computer programmer/analyst and this was not a real user friendly process to do. Plus, after doing this crap all day, I'm really not in the mood to mess with it in the evenings and on the weekends. Geesh - you'd think they'd come up with an easier way. I'll definitely be keeping this one for awhile. LOL!!

OK, onto the card. This is a very simple card. I made this card for my youngest sons Thank You cards for his High School graduation. (Now I just have to beat him up to write them out and mail them, BEFORE he leaves for the Army in August!!!). I'm happy for him but scared for him at the same time about going into the Army. He enlisted on the delayed entry back in September. He is going in as an MP.

The image is a Digi Image from Dustin Pike. If you haven't checked out his Digi's - you are soooo missing out. He has some of the cutest images, and every Wednesday he posts a "Freebie"!!. Ingredients - Dustin Pike Digi Image, SU Night of Navy and Summer Sun Paper, Neenah Colar Crest White Paper, Primas, copics markers, and silver brads (yes, I colored the silver brads with copics to match the colors!!).



On a funny note with this. Seth's GF was in the stamproom with me when I was making this. I said, "boy, I'm glad these are finally done". Her comment to that was, "Yep, you don't have to worry about it again until 2022!!" (That is the year that my grandson - whom I have "full" custody of graduates). AAAACCCKKK - reality check there!! Ya know - I USED to like Seth's GF!!! (J/K - she really is a sweet heart).

Cards from the Copics classes

Here are three cards that they made at the Copics class last night. I cannot take credit for these creations. Jackie at Stamp Express designed and created these ones. I just loved them!!! One of these days, I'll remember to take my camera down to the store and take some pictures of more of her creations - she does such wonderful work!!!

This first one was the sample we used to show everyone how to use the blender pen to do "denim", and a little bit more on skin and hair shading. The image is one from Sarah Kay. I just love these little girls!!!



This one is a sample of the one used to show the ABS system. The image is a retired SU image, but it was a great one to show how to use the airbrush to do the sand and sky.


This one was using the blender solution to texturize the dinosaurs. The dinosaurs are from a set available from Our Craft Lounge. I originally ordered this set for my darling grandson since he s soooooo into dinosaurs, but I am loving this set now!!!


Hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday. It is VERY rainy and yucky here today, so after I am done cleaning, I'm off to my stamproom to play some. Darn - I get to play instead of doing yard work. LOL!!!

Cute Bears!!!

Good Monday Morning!!

I got a chance to go play in my stamp room yesterday and I had a blast coloring and creating with these darling little bears!!! These bears are available atTimNShells Digi Downloads. Make sure to check out the other images available. They are ALL just so darn cute. You'll be seeing more of these digi images soon.


This adorable bear was colored with my Copics. The designer paper is SU So Saffron. I used my Nesties to cut out the bear. The flower and leaves are Primas, and you can't see it real well in this picture, but I put yellow stickles on the brad to give it some sparkle. The sentiment is from an acrylic set I have and can't remember who it is from. But it is actually "Be Happy", so I just stamped the "Be" first, cleaned my stamp real well, then inked up the "e Happy", lined it up to make my own "Bee Happy" sentiment!!!


This patriotic bear was just soooo much fun to color. I actually have him colored many different ways, but this is the first one I created into a card. The designer paper is DCWV from the Summer Stack. I colored the bear with my Copics markers. The pie pan was colored and then I went over it with the clear SPICA pen to give it a "metal" shine. He was then cut out and mounted with dimensions onto the Riding Hood Red paper which was cut out the my nesties.

Make sure you check out Shells Blog to see all the creations from the design team!!!

A card for a Special group of friends!!

Yes, shocker, but I finally have a card to post!!!!

This is a card that I made for a VERY special group of friends!! When I had my foot surgery back in April, this group of friends, most of whom I've never met, sent me and my family a bunch of Schwanns food. They thought that is would be a huge help to us when I was layed up to not have to worry about cooking. And believe me, it was such a trememdous help!!!

We all "met" on Splitcoast a few years ago. This group "met" and came together through Lauren Meaders daughter Alexa. It was during this time that Alexa was fighting the fight of her life against cancer. When Lauren would refer to her on-line friends, Alexa would say your "Pretend Stamping Friends". This is how the PSFs were formed and named. Thankfully, Alexa is now done with her treatments and is cancer free. But, this group of wonderful ladies still chat and provide tremendous support to each other every day.

Back in April, alot of the PSFs became RSFs when they had a PSF palooza out in Ohio at one of the PSFs homes. I was soooo bummed that I had to cancel going due to my foot surgery. But, I am sure that there will be another one, and I will be at that one!!!

Anyway, here is the card that I made for each of them to thank them for the wonderful gift, support, and prayers that they gave to me and my family during my surgery. Also, during this time, my MIL passed away and they were there for me then also. I honestly sometimes wonder what I ever did before I met this group of ladies. We have laughed together, cried together, prayed together, and are always there when anyone of us needs something, whether is just be a good laugh, or prayers.



I colored these with my Copics markers while I was layed up after my surgery. (I have to say, I did ALOT of coloring while I had to keep my foot elevated.) Then when I could finally navigate the basement stairs to get into my stamproom again, I designed the layout of the card. I masked the image and them used my compressor and ABS to airbrush the "sky". The sentiment is also airbrushed lightly. The start white just didn't work for me, so I just airbrushed a slight bit of color onto it and then used my nesties to cut it out. I also used my new score bug to put the piercing around the brown backing piece and then used my white gel pen to give it a "stitched" look.

I'm a bad girl!!!

I was a bad girl yesterday!!! My new toy that I bought is scheduled for delivery on Wednesday. It was such a good price so how could I pass it up? My DH was so sweet and told me if I wanted it to get it!!! So, I did!!! LOL!!!

Yep, I bought the Sparmax Air Compressor w/ Copic ABS-3 [Complete Kit]. I always thought I would not want/need the Copics air art gun, but after using one at the Certification class, I was hooked. I'm anxious to get this and start creating with it. I'll be sure to post some of these creations for you all to see!!

Copics Practicing

I took the COPICS certification class last weekend and have been practicing my coloring/blending with them. I soooooo love these markers.

Figured I'd post my practice images now and then I'll compare them to ones I do as I improve with them.