Lean on Me!

Hello everyone & Happy Sunday Evening to you all! My Washington Redskins will be on the tv soon gearing up for our first game of the season and against our most hated rivals the Cowboys (sorry if you like them but I hope you lose, lol)! I'm a big Redskins fan and have been my whole life so I'm definitely dedicated even if they're losing, lol! I'll keep this post a bit short as I'm in the middle of typing manuals for my CMC On the Road Copic Classes that I will be teaching around the US/Canada starting this coming weekend in Michigan--yikes! Over 70 images I colored yesterday, taking pictures of each step, editing them and now typing up instructions. So my eyes are a little wonky and I apologize if my spelling or wording is off, LOL!

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Tonight is a fun Blog Hop featuring Gina K's set "Lean on Me"! If you buy this set you get the card kit for free with it--how cool is that? Make sure to read to the end of the post to see the list of the rest of the designers who are in the hop tonight!

I decided to use some elegant fall colors this time with the set and used my new Basic Grey "Pyrus" set of papers.  I love the dusky aqua and bright pops of orange--so cheery!  This "Lean on Me" set is so versatile--you can create so many beautiful flower scenes for many occasions and seasons.

I lightly distressed my papers and then I stamped multiple mum-like flowers onto a circle of cardstock using my nestabilities of course.  I created a flat bow using my Scor-tape and added some more bling with my awesome glitter dots (they are addictive to use and come in yummy colors)!  I stamped the "Lean on Me" sentiment directly on some of the paper and attached it on top of my image with think pop dots.

I stamped my flowers out with SU inkpads and then I went in with my Copics (W3 & W1) to gray them up a bit to match the papers.  Then I added stickles to the tops of the darker orange flowers for some pretty sparkle!  I used my Inkssentials Blending Tool to ink the edges of all my papers as well!  Hope you like this one!

For even more inspiration with the Lean on Me stamp set, please visit these links below:

• Jessica Fick
• Colleen Schaan
• Suzanne Dean
• Lee Murphy
• Miesje  Flach
• Sharri Seffens
• Melissa Shultz
• Melissa Cash
• Karen Knegten
• Donna Baker

Along Came Autumn!!

Happy Weekend to you all--hope its a great one for ya! I'm working today as much as I can so I can enjoy tomorrow with my BOYZZZ! LOL! Alexa is at the beach with her friends and won't be home until late on Sunday. And let me tell you the weather here at night has been COLD--brrrrrrrrrrrrrr!  Me no likey that--does that mean winter is soon to come!  I don't like the cold very much and I'm not liking the 45-50 degree nights.  Once my patio is done I will be sitting INSIDE the fireplace, lol, like a chicken roaster!  Anywho, I'll stop chattin' and get to my project info for you!  On Sunday night Gina K's DT will be having a fun Blog Hop so stop by for that as well :)

NewsBitz:

-Don't forget to enter for Blog Candy HERE!

-I have a new PDF HERE (also linked on my Tutorials/Templates page at top of blog) called Copic Color Combos!  This is a list of multiple color combos for each color family, along with fave combos for hair, fall, metallics and more AND I've listed colors that are so similar you only need one of them to save you $$$!

-Back 2 School Special for the Color Me Creative Classroom is $5 off any class (cricut or copic) or $10 off any TWO Copic classes (only).  This will run thru Sept. 20th and you will be refunded the money after you've paid :)  So get in those classes while the kiddoes are in school!!


-I will be in Greensboro, NC on November 5th & 6th at the Stamping & Scrapbooking Room teaching my CMC Copic Classes (so if you're in the Raleigh or Charlotte area come on down)!  Pre-registration is now up on my site www.cmcroad.com !!

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Along Came Autumn!

I'm sharing an elegant fall card for you today using a fabulous NEW Lockhart Stamp Co stamp called "Basket of Leaves".  If you ever need an elegant stamp that is fun to color you've gotta go for a Lockhart Stamp--they're so different from most stamps, great still-life images and I just love them.  You can find the entire NEW FALL Lockhart Collection at SCACD HERE!

I created this for a few challenges (yes, cheer me on I'm sticking with the challenge thing & getting better at them, lol)!  The big one is for the SCACD TIOT which was a "2x2x2" Challenge--to use 2 papers, 2 embellishents and 2 products-details below! So I'm entering this into the 365 Cards-Wednesday's Challenge (Fave Tool/Fave Technique) and my fave tool is of course my Copics and Cuttlebug and my fave technique is adding bling with stickles and texture with embossing! Also entering this into the Anything Goes Challenge Blog (autumn/fall projects)!

I love fall colors--they're so much fun to use and so many different combos to use!  My new "Copic Color Combo's PDF" (also linked in my NewsBitz above) has tons of color combos for each color family and fave colors for many objects--one of them is FALL objects and you will find all my fave colors I use for fall images (which I used on this image as well)!  The cream cs was embossed with a new CB folder, love the small print.  Then I used some paper scraps for the two strips across the card for some extra color.  All the cs is from PTI (summer sunrise & terracotta tile) including the ribbon.  The fun shapes behind my image are layered cutouts from the SB Nesties "Labels 3"(25% off too)!

 So for the 2x2x2 TIOT Challenge I used 2 papers (cs counts as 1 and pp as 2), 2 embellies are Kaisercraft Rhinestones & ribbon and 2 products which are Stickles and Diamond Glaze!  Go Me, LOL!  Diamond Glaze on the apples and stickles (gold & copper) on the leaves and basket trim.  A fun fall card for you!  Hope you'll give some of these challenges a try as well!  And stop by the SCACD Blog to see the other DT gals fun projects too HERE!

See ya Sunday Night!

The Boogie Oogie!!

Happy, happy Friday to you all! Wow the weather here has been absolutely gorgeous lately--nice breezes and beautiful blue skies--I'm praying this doesn't mean winter will be horrible!  I cannot do another winter like we had last year--I will be u-hauling my craft supplies to SC for the winter (and my friend Pat J might get a long-term visitor in her house, lol)!  I'm having such fun reading about your shopping splurges, lol, I'm glad I'm not the only one who likes nice handbags!  I buy 2 a year--one in the spring and one in the fall and reuse them often--it is my one big splurge.  My other would have to be my patio this year--wow--but I know we will love it and use it bunches so that makes it hurt less, hee hee!  Other than that I don't really splurge much--I just like the basics and a great sale when I can KWIM! I'm not even that big into jewelry--my wedding/engagement ring, my diamond earrings and my watch are my big $$ jewelry that I own and I wear them all the time.   The rest of my jewelry is nice but definitely not expensive--it's just not my thing.  And the majority of my clothes come from Ann Taylor, LOFT and Nordstroms so I'm not too picky or splurgy there either, lol!  And although I love shoes I never pay too much for them--not worth it to me, I can find what I love for less most times.  I'd rather save my money for fun trips with my family or on furniture for the house, lol!  But that's just me :)

NewsBitz:

-Don't forget to enter for Blog Candy HERE!

-Back 2 School Special for the Color Me Creative Classroom is $5 off any class (cricut or copic) or $10 off any TWO Copic classes (only).  This will run thru Sept. 20th and you will be refunded the money after you've paid :)  So get in those classes while the kiddoes are in school!!

-7 Kids College Fund has some NEW products in that you NEED, lol!  All the super cute Fall CC Designs Swiss Pixies HERE (omg I need them), and wait for it.........YES 6x6 packs of mixed Doodlebug Cardstock (yippeeee) and the NEW Copic Xpress Cardstock as well (my opinion it's comparable to the Cryogen but not as thick)!!

-I will be in Greensboro, NC on November 5th & 6th at the Stamping & Scrapbooking Room teaching my CMC Copic Classes (so if you're in the Raleigh or Charlotte area come on down)!  Pre-registration will be up tomorrow on my site www.cmcroad.com !!

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The Boogie Oogie!

Today I have a fun card to share with you using a Bildmalarna image called "Millie Mouse Music"--aren't they CUTE!?  I'm the guest artist this month for the Bildmalarna USA Store/Scrapping Stamping this month--check out their Bildmalarna blog HERE too!  I just love these images and they are SOOO fun to color up!

Staying true to word I used this for a few challenges this week--Play Date Cafe Challenge #46 is to use black & white and either pink, copper or gold (I went for the pink)! I love this color combo! I also got honorable mention for entering last week how about that :)  The other one is that I used the OCC Sketch this week--I skewed my main image a bit but I had too!  The music was moving me, LOL! And last but not least for The Sisterhood of Crafters (1 ribbon, 2 papers, 3 flowers) and no I'm not counting my cs as paper, lol!  Find lots of daily challenges at my friend Deb Felt's blog The Daily Dare--it's fabulous for finding challenges!

Don't you want to dance a lil' boogie oogie with these cuties?  LOL!  This stamp is called "Millie Mouse Music" and I just love them!  The music note paper is from 7 Gypsies "Paddington Collection" and the polka dots are from PTI.  I used a MS border punch for that fun border trim and that thin black border is this beautiful thin velvet ribbon I got at Michaels the other week--it's so pretty but so thin, but I had to have it, lol!  I used a scroll punch here and my Nellie Snellen flower punches to create my black/white flowers--love those punches & they are worth the money I swear--and added Prima roses to the centers.  I love this punchy color combo--so striking!

Of course it's colored with copics (R22,R20,R00 for pinks/YR24,YR23,Y15,Y11 for golds/W5,W3,W1,W00 for mice fur/C9,C5,C3,C1,C00 for blacks).  Then I added diamond glaze to the victrola horn part, record and mice noses.  Her dress got some stickles as did the base of the victrola and needle.  They're so cute they make me giggle!!

Hope you enjoyed this post and I'll see you this weekend for another fun FALL post!!

Shop Til' U Drop!!

Hello everyone & Happy Thursday to you all! I love short work weeks, means the weekend is that much closer right?  LOL--although I still have lots of prep work to get done, but I hope to take Sunday off to spend some time with my KINDLE finishing my awesome book I started :)  Alexa is off to the beach with a group of girlfriends this weekend and its supposed to be beautiful weather so she'll have lots of fun.  I'm just hoping my pointer finger on my right hand feels better soon---yesterday I was fixing my industrial stapler (the kind that go thru chipboard) and YES I sent a large staple thru my finger and almost out the other side---owwwwieeee!  It is still hurting me and it's totally what I call a "Suzanne Accident"!  I mean how dumb was I to hold my finger over the stapler hole, LMBO---geez, not real smart me thinks!  Dumb thing bled for an hour and swelled up like I got stung by a bee---and yes my tetanus shot is still good, lol!  But I don't have time for that so I wrapped it up real good and got on with my work and my typing AND the piles of paperwork from the kids schools sent home for me to fill out (ugh the worst I tell ya), hee hee!  So note to you all---don't DO WHAT SUZANNE DID, keep all fingies away from tools with holes that shoot out stuff!! :)

And back to school my kiddo's have gone and so far so good!  Alexa loves her new highschool and Riley was happy to see his friends in 7th grade!  I have some pictures below--since we've moved here I always take their pics in front of the front door and it's fun to look back to see how they've shot up and matured.   Riley has gained 8 inches since last fall and is now officially taller than his mom & wearing a size 11 shoe--egads!  When the heck did that happen--my baby is growing up quick I tell ya!  Below my NewsBitz I have a short slideshow of the kids before school the first day and some pics of Alexa cheering at the football game last night!  Enjoy!

NewsBitz:

-I have a few new locations going up for my Color Me Creative Classroom "On The Road"--including Greensboro, NC and CT!  Stay tuned for those!  Also if you are close to the Medford Area of Long Island, NY we'd love to see you in the class in October!!

-SCACD has some awesome new products in stock including these COOL NEW BUTTON machines by Epiphany Crafts (I've got some coming to meeeee), awesome new Spellbinders (love those beaded circles) and Holiday Papers here!

-Work your way to the end of the post to win some shopping goodies of your own!!

SLIDESHOW: (if you subscribe you have to come to the blog to view)

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Shop Til' U Drop!!

I have a confession for ya, hee hee---- I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEE to SHOP! LOL!  Although these days I'm more of an internet shopper because (1) I can do it in my pjs (2) I can shop late at night (3) I don't have to fight crowds/traffic KWIM!  But I am definitely a marathon shopper when I have the time, lol!  So this card and project fit me to a "T"!  I have been dying to use this "Tilda Goes Shopping" from Magnolia-licious (and she's in stock too) since I got her and I had seen this fabulous template for a shopping bag/purse tote on Lauren Meader's blog and knew they would go together perfectly!  And I pulled out more of those yummy My Mind's Eye "Lost & Found" papers to use (yes I got all the color stories they offered cuz' I am a MME's addict, lol)!

And I'm staying true to my word and entering this into some challenges!  Two of the main ones are the SCS sketch (see link below) and the Moxie Fab World Challenge which was a inspiration picture challenge of red lipsticks above.  I don't wear red lipstick (it makes me look goth, lol) but I love pink lipstick and it reminds me of the fab cosmetic counters at the malls which MEANS SHOPPING like my project below!!  Also entering the Fab'n'Funky Challenges which is to create anything you like--fun!

So to create a fun city-like scene for my "Tilda Goes Shopping" I also used this fun Magnolia stamp called "Edwin's Town" which I'm sure Diana will be restocking  (Houses on the Street stamp would be cute too--see here).  My sketch is from yesterday's SCS sketch #297 which was a fun one and perfect for larger sized images.  The fun lil' sentiment is from one of my fave Gina K sets called "Retro Boutique" and no card of mine is finished until it gets some of my fave Marianne Designs scrolls on it, LOL!  The background was embossed with a new "CB folder set "Heritage" which I just love!

Tilda was of course colored with copics (R02,R00,R0000/C5,C3,C2,C1,C00/hair:E25,E31,E50).  I colored "Edwin's Town" as well but I kept the colors very, very light and soft so Tilda would really stand out--the windows are all stickled too!  I added stickles to Tilda's one shopping bag and then gave the other pink polka-dots for fun!  Tilda's boots & locket have diamond glaze on them and then I used my Viva Decor Pearl Pen in white to give her a pearl necklace.

This cute shopping tote was made using a My Time Made Easy template called "Tote-All Package" by Lauren Meader.  If you've never been to her blog or her store site you are MISSING OUT!  She was one of the first blogs I followed 3 years ago and she continues to pack in tons of great projects on her site.  This template is in her store and you can print the pdf file or a SVG cut file for your cutting machines after you buy it---very easy to make!  After I cut out both of my tote panels from my pink cs I embossed them with my CB "Heritage" folder and used my fave Scor-Tape to put it all together (lovee that stuff).  Then I added a panel of cs from MME--it already had the cool glittery border attached to it (score)!!  I gave it some ribbon handles and a bow and added some more fun scrolls and a button to finish it all off nicely.  This would be so cute filled with lots of yummy treats, gift cards or other medium sized treasures--its a nice size!

Since I'm unable to pull together myself and some awesome blog candy for my million hits (maybe I'll save it for December and make it REALLY BIG whatcha' think) I will continue to give away candy at least once a week!!

**So this week I'm giving away a $10 gift certificate to My Time Made Easy (you can get 2 templates with that or a stamp set) AND a Marianne Designs Die Scroll set AND a Shopping Tilda stamp!

So tell me "WHAT WAS YOUR MOST EXPENSIVE SHOPPING PURCHASE THAT MAYBE MADE YOU FEEL A BIT GUILTY or JUST GIDDY, lol?" and whether this is a 2 thumbs up or not project, lol!  Leave me a note by Sunday night on this post only to win!!

Have a great Thursday!

Bridal Joy Ride!!

Well hello and a Happy Tuesday to you all!  I hope you all had a wonderful 3-day holiday weekend (for those of us in the states anyhow)--I know I sure did!  The weather was beyond perfect, no humidity, blue skies and soft breezes.  We spent the majority of our time outside enjoying the weather, almost completed patio and just good ole family time.  I didn't work much this weekend so I could really spend quality time with my family and enjoy this last weekend of summer before the busy-ness of school, traveling and holidays come along.  And yesterday we braved the HUGE crowds of shoppers at our area's largest mall (Tysons and Tysons Galleria) to finish the much dreaded school shopping--ugh!  The lines were long but we managed to get in & out in 2.5 hours so that wasn't too bad and the kids are all done except for winter coats and some sweaters which we'll pick up later in the season when they're needed.  Then we came home, organized and labeled school supplies and the kids got in bed early after showers.  Alexa is super excited to start her new high school--her high school is brand new this year and it's beautiful!  They transferred kids from a few other high schools but the classes will remain small for a few more years and she'll be the first graduating class that goes all 4 years there which is kinda special.  Riley is of course excited to see his friends and his favorite class which is history :)  Poor Alexa has her first day tomorrow and then has cheerleading practice followed by a football game so she'll be there from 8:30 am until almost 10 pm.  We'll be going to the game tomorrow to see her cheer of course!

This week will be semi-light for me as I'm getting prepared to get on the road for my traveling Copic Classes (see locations and info at www.cmcroad.com )--I've got lots to finish this week including all the written tutorials and info packs which is a lot of work to get done. 

NewsBitz:

-Blog Candy winner of the "What's Your Fave Scent" is Linda of Linda's Stamping Blog! Congrats Linda--please email me your address!  Some of you asked about my fave scents and they are honeysuckle, fresh mowed grass and fresh baked bread!!

-Blog Candy winner of "What Kind of Packer Are You?" is Joynana of Love That Paper!  Congrats Joynana & email me your address please!  Seems most of you like to overpack like me, LOL (makes me feel a bit better)

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Bridal Joy Ride!!

So I'm breaking out some of my older projects I did this year for the first issues of the magazine "Through the Craftroom Door" that me and my pal Marti publish.  This was one of my favorites and I just had to use this one today!  I made a fun bridal thank-you note set that could be given as part of a wedding shower or wedding day present.  It includes a fun card for the bride & groom so you could stick some cash or a gift card in and a box of matching thank you notes.  The stamp set I used for this set is PTI's "Enjoy the Ride" set--which is really fun.  It includes all kinds of fun sentiments for the car's license plate and they also sell the matching car die that I used on the notecard set!

This is the card for the bride & groom and I kept the color scheme all yellow, white and black but you could of course change it for the season or to match the wedding's colors.  I colored the card with Copics (i'll add the colors later but I believe it was Y18,Y15,Y11,Y00,Y0000).  Then I added some diamond glaze to the back window and stickles to the headlights--the bumper got a subtle sparkle from a clear Spica Pen.  To add a touch of whimsy and romance I added some yellow Prima mini roses to the back window as well.  Then around the circle image and along the sentiment I added Viva Decor Pearl Pen pearls in cream for some elegance.  The paper trim was done with a MS border punch and the sentiment was popped up in the center with pop-dots for more dimension.

From the pictures above it's hard to tell but each notecard was scored with my Scor-Pal to create a basket weave texture on the white cardstock.  Then I used some of the fabulous papers from GCD Studios to trim the edges and added some paper trims with my MS border punch.  The pearls again were made with my Viva Decor Pearl Pen and the sentiment is from another PTI set.

To finish the set off I packed up the notecards and envelopes in a clear acrylic box (I get mine at www.clearbags.com ).  I wrapped the box with a band using all of my same papers and I also used the matching PTI car die and stamped the car on top of it again, added some more roses and tied it on with a pretty bow.  I know a lot of brides would love to get a coordinating thank you note set like this and it was soooo much fun to create!

Have a wonderful day!

Howdy Ya'll

Happy Sunday everyone!  I'm enjoying this last long weekend of summer with my family and the beautiful weather we've been having (77 & blue skies yesterday).  We had steamed MD blue crabs on Friday sitting on our patio, grilled out last night and Alexa and a friend camped out in the backyard.  Today we're doing some mulching and my parents are coming for a visit in the afternoon with their new Airedale puppy they're picking up here in Leesburg.  So nothing major although we will be doing a bit more school shopping (ugh) tomorrow and then home early to get the kids ready for their first days of school as a 7th grader (Riley) and a high school freshman (Alexa), yikes!  But I'll be back on Tuesday with a new post for you all and I hope you're enjoying your weekend as well!

Make sure to scroll down to my posts this past week for Blog Candy and lots of NEW Copic Video Tutorials!  Also visit my website www.cmcroad.com for news and locations of upcoming Copic Classes I'll be teaching around the US/Canada!!

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Howdy Ya'll

Howdy friends!  I've got a fun project to share with you today for the TIOT #82 which was to use 3 products from SCACD & a stamped image too!  I chose to use a cute Elisabeth Bell stamp called "Howdy" from the Sampler Edition #5!  I roughed up all the edges with my distress tool for a rough & rowdy cowgirl card!

Papers are all by DCWV and then I wrapped twine around the center panel.  The large round die cut in the back is by Marianne Designs and then I added some Kaisercraft rhinestones to it (product #1)!  To give this cowgirl some fun bling I added Viva Decor Glitter Liner in holographic to her shirt and top of boots which is product #2!!  Product #3 comes in the form of diamond glaze on her fabulous blue boots--perfect for some country boot-scootin'!!  I inked all the edges and added some fun swirls to the side of the image--you could use the fab Prima swirl stamps here to do that as well!



This card will be on it's way to my mother-n-law who thinks she is the original cowgirl, lol!!  Hope you like it and make sure to check out the other DT samples for this TIOT too at the store blog HERE!

See ya on Tuesday!

Fallin' For You!!

Hellllllllllloooooooo & a very happy Friday to ya! YAY--a 3 day weekend for some of us here in the states and I'm sooo gonna enjoy my last weekend of summer!  I LOVE reading your comments when I ask fun questions for blog candy--there is nothing better I tell ya!  I'm sooo glad I'm not alone in overpacking--it is a SERIOUS affliction for me I must say, lol!  I am PARANOID about forgetting something or not having the right shoes, or bra or jewelry so I always overpack.  When I went to Vegas last year with my girlfriends I had one suitcase with JUST SHOES, no lie!  LMBO!  They all thought I was nuts but hey I was prepared for every situation, hee hee!  I really do TRY to pack light, I always start out with good intentions and then it's like I'm possessed and something comes over me and I add more & more, LOL!  But you know what--I'm NEVER not prepared :) and this past CHA I was so glad I went over the 50 lb weight limit (yes, I ALWAYS have to pay extra for my luggage--I have resigned myself to that fact) because something spilled and I couldn't wear half my clothes.  So see it was good that I over packed, LOL!  Maybe some day I'll be able to get over this issue but I'm not counting on it!!

NewsBitz:

-Check out yesterday's post for some ongoing (thru Sunday) Blog Candy!!

-TWO NEW Copic QuikBitz Videos at the end of this post and in the Tutorials/Templates tab at the top of my blog!

-I have pics below of our almost completed back yard--it still needs a lot of work but it's getting there!  I'll share final pics of it done as well so you can compare, lol--remember it is still a construction zone and a lot needs to be done, but I'm thrilled so far! (you cannot view this slide show if you receive this blog by email, you have to come to the website)

-To keep your weekend full of laughs & smiles check out a few of my most fave YouTube videos--I watch these OFTEN when I need a laugh, lol! (all are clean & animal friendly, lol)
#1 HERE, #2 HERE, #3 HERE

Slideshow:

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Fallin' For You!

I was just thrilled to have been asked to be the Guest Artist this month for the Bildmalarna US store (the owner Cindy also owns Stamping Scrapping)--Cindy is just too sweet and I was so happy to meet her at CHA too!  And I mean hey--how hard is it to create with these super cute Bildmalarna stamps--easy peasy I say!  So this is the first of 4 projects I will have this month with these cute stamps! 

I also entered this in a few challenges (see I'm getting better about this, heehee)-- the Paper Garden Projects Challenge---fall or back to school projects, Charisma Cardz Challenges (use a song-mine if Fallin' for You by Colbie Caillat) and Stamp Something (make it cute)!  But the main challenge was for the Play Date Cafe (color challenge) which I picked my papers & colored my image to match as best I could--I love this color combo, so fall fabulous!

This image is from the Fall Collection & is called "Mimosa Autumn Walk"--isn't she sweet as can be!  I pulled out some more of my new My Mind's Eye papers (the red edition of Lost & Found see here)--they're just gorgeous!  I roughed them up with my Zutter Distress Tool and added some pretty flowers (Wild Orchid)--the leaves are from a MS punch, I punched them out and folded them and then inked the edges.  A few matching PTI buttons finish it off!

She's colored with Copics (E07,E04,E02/E57,E55,E53,E50/E35,E31,YR20)--I added stickles to her shirt and diamond glaze to her pretty boots.  Now when you use E07 & E04 together they look like they don't match--here's the trick:  Shade with E07 then feather blend out with E04 THEN take the tip of your E02 and pick up some color from E07 and blend out the rest and it will all match nicely!  It makes a nice rusty red which can be tricky.  (hmmmm perhaps a video I think, lol--soon to come)  The ground and shadows were all done with Copics as well!  I think she's such a sweetie!

Okay here are the two new videos for you (remember they are linked on my Tutorials/Templates page at top of blog too):

Video #4

Video #5

You're Just the Ticket!

Happy, Happy Thursday to you all! I'm here nor there today it seems, working and running kids to orientation and trying to get to the gym if I can! Are you sad like me that summer is over? I hate to see summer go but I know a lot of you are ready for cooler weather--me, not so much, lol! I am very excited to have my backyard down though. I met with our landscaper yesterday and he thinks it will be done by next Friday--yay! I will have a couple of pics to share with you from the beginning thru yesterday, which I'll share tomorrow with you! In fact they're not working this weekend so we're going to haul our patio furniture out this weekend and enjoy it as much as we can, hee hee!  I see some grilling in my weekend future :)  And below my NewsBitz I have a YouTube video that I think will make you smile, make you laugh and start your day off well---you must see it, lol!

NewsBitz:

-Want to Learn to Color with those Copics?? Please don't forget I have Copic Class registrations on-going for Michigan, Long Island NY, Charlotte NC, Wilmington DE, Buffalo NY, Ontario Canada & Florida!  You can find all the details on the website www.cmcroad.com !  So come learn how to use those Copics--I'd love to meet ya & teach ya!

-Don't forget the 3 new hair coloring with copic videos I have this week--page down to see post with links or click on the Tutorials/Templates tab (under my blog banner) to see the list of video links!!

-We are still looking for LOTS of Holiday Submissions for our Holiday Issue of Through the Craftroom Door!  Anything handmade and themed for the fall or winter holidays we would love to see---send to our email craftdoor@yahoo.com by Sept 16th!

-Tell me whether you're a light or heavy packer on trips and you might get something very sweet--read to end of post to see!! 

Dancing Dog--too funny, too cute & hard to believe!!

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You're Just the Ticket

Today I'm sharing my Magnolia-licious DT Sketch Project for September!  Becca Feeken is our lovely hostess this month and she asked us to use our new Bon Voyage stamps from Magnolia-licious to create BOTH a card and either a mini suitcase or mini backpack.  This suitcase tutorial was created by me a few months ago and you can access it HERE--very easy & fun to make!  The backpack tutorial, DT samples and other challenge details are all on the Magnolia-licious Highlites Blog!

I chose a pink, brown and cream color scheme using new papers from My Mind's Eye to create both my card and matching mini suitcase that holds a gift card!

I used a fun stamp called "Flight Attendant Tilda" from the Bon Voyage Collection from Magnolia-licious but I altered her slightly so she looks more like just a gal ready to take a trip :)  In the actual stamp image she's holding the handle of her roll-on luggage but it didn't allow the other stamp (suitcase with sign) to really show up well so I cut it out (gasp, hee hee)!  But that left her hand empty so I took the "suitcase with sign" stamp and stamped the suitcase again concentrating on the large sticker at the bottom.  I cut the sticker out from the suitcase image, colored it with copics, cut a slit in her hand and slipped her new travel ticket in there.  Now she's ready to take a trip!  Remember that when you're looking at your stamps--sometimes you can cut part of the image out to make it useful for other occasions or events!

I'm also entering this project into a few challenges--I'm trying to get better about that because I love a good challenge but don't always have the time.  So for some fun check out Stampin' for the Weekend (anything goes--use digi/rubber stamp) and C.rafty E.mmas S.tore Challenge (anything goes) and Practical Scrappers (use white pen, my fave accessory me thinks) and my first time entering the Just Magnolia Challenge (where the heck have I been,lol)!!

Both images were colored with copics (Pinks-R22,R20,R11,R00/skirt-E43,E42,E40/sign-E25,E35,E31,E50/hair-E35,E31,YR20/skin E11,E00,R20)--I also used W3 & W1 to tone down the brightness of the pinks a bit!  You could also do that with your N or T grays as well!  Then I added stickles to her skirt and a pearl to her lil' bowtie for some pretty bling--a gal always has to have some bling KWIM!! LOL!  The scrolls are from Marianne Designs dies (told you I love em, hee hee), flowers from Wild Orchid and the border punch is by Martha Stewart.  The ticket die I have is from Tim Holtz although PTI has a great one too--the stamp is from PTI's fabulous set "Just the Ticket" (love it)!

I love making these mini suitcases (see my tutorial here)--they're super easy to make and so many different ways to decorate them.  I made sure to make it big enough so it fits a gift card, jewelry or other small treat very easily.  I just decorated the front with the same papers and embellishments as the card.  For my "nailheads" I used pearls instead and inked all the edges to make it shabby chic.

And just because I had soooooooooo much fun doing this project I'm gonna give a lucky someone two Magnolia stamps of their choice from Magnolia-licious AND a $20 gift certificate to Emma's Paperie (one of my FAVE places to shop for awesome papers!)!!  But you have to tell me "Are you a light packer or do you pack like me--you know everything but the kitchen sink, lol?"  & what you think of my project too if you want (wink)--answer by Sunday to enter!

I hope you enjoyed this post and I hope you'll stop by the Magnolia-licious Highlites Blog to see the other DT's FABULOUS projects and join in on the fun too!

Magnolia Ink NOW Available at Magnolia-licious!!

Spooktacular Challenge!

Hiya and Happy First of September!  Wowza, can you believe summer is at an end, school's back in session and the holidays will be coming sooner than you can say "BOO"!  The kids have school orientations tomorrow and then they start school next Tuesday after Labor Day--yay!  No I'm not evil, but after awhile they start picking on each other, fighting and making me CRAZY so I welcome a quiet house again during the school year.  But not the last minute stuff, forgotten school work, school activities and their many social activities that keep me running around like a crazy woman, lol!  But by May I'm always ready for summer again, hee hee!  Although this year I'm really dreading winter and praying that its not as bad as last year---or I am for sure moving south, far south, lol!  Right now our beaches are gearing up for Hurricane Earl but it looks like it might only be lots of rain and nothing else--but Alexandria and parts of DC always flood after a hurricane so it's never nice for a lot of folks, so I'll keep everyone in my thoughts as this storm pushes thru!  To those of you in the path of the hurricane, stay safe please!!

Alrighty, after staying up till 3 am to type this I'm gonna make it short and quick for ya so I can get to bed and you can do something else, lol!  (but as always thanks for taking a minute to stop by with me, hope you enjoy today)!

NewsBitz:

-Blog Candy still ongoing at this POST HERE!  Yesterday's post (scroll down) has 3 new Copic QuikBitz Videos I did on haircoloring if you want to check them out :)

-Paper Romance has all the BRAND NEW High Hope stamps by artist Laurie Furnell--check them out HERE cuz they are Ca-Ute!

-SCACD also has some new goodies in stock including NEW Maya Roads chipboard shapes, SEI Velvet Papers (yummy) and new holiday papers by Memory Box & Kaisercraft!  Cool!

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Spooktacular Wishes!

Today is the first of the month so I've got a new Copic Creations Challenge project to share with you!  Our fabulous sponsor is Stamping Scrapping which is owned by sweet Cindy Echtinaw who I was lucky to meet at CHA and I'm their Bildmalarna Guest Artist this month too--yay--I'll have my first project & video up on Friday for ya on that!

And our challenge was to color fold/pleats on Magnolia images for you!  Make sure to stop by the Copic Creations Challenge Blog to see the rest of the DT's fab projects and info on how you can join in the challenge!  I also entered this in the Delightful Challenges challenge (which is to make a cute Halloween card)!

I chose one of my favorite Magnolia stamps from last year's So Spooky Collection (see all the Halloween stamps at Magnolia-licious HERE).  This cutie is called "Sitting Witch Tilda" and you can get her here (she will be in stock very soon)!  I used some fabulous new Halloween papers by My Mind's Eye called "Haunted" --I love the classic patterns on kraft and some of the papers are flocked!  The panel in the center is black cs that I punched with my MS cobweb border punch and then embossed it all with my Tim Holtz "wood grain" embossing folder.  The scrolls were done with my fave Marianne Designs dies (yes I do adore these and I MUST use them often, lol)--but this particular scroll has the cool pointy edges so they can be kind of spooktacular KWIM!  That fun sentiment circle is a set by PTI called "2009 Halloween Tags"--very cool set!  And I added some MS cobweb punches to the corners as well!

I used all my C Copics on this cutie (C9 thru C1) and the ground she's sitting on was done with W7,W5 & W1.  The brown accents were E57,E55,E53,E50!  Her boots and eyes got diamond glaze on them for shine and then I stickled up her bows and hat band for some fun bling!  I think she's just a super cutie--hope you like her too!

See ya tomorrow!

Whatcha' Doin'???

Hello my blurfing friends (that's blog surfing, hee hee)!!  How are you all this sunny Tuesday morning?  I'm up and all about today--got ants in my pants and lots to get done, LOL!  Tonight I will be sending out all the NEW Sept/Oct pdf subscriptions for Through The Craftroom Door publication---yay!  And if you get the paper copy they were sent out today so you'll have them in your hands very soon!  I will also be having a Live Chat at my CMC Classroom tonight at 8:30 pm EST and you all are welcome to stop by--it's always a lot of fun, make new friends and talk Copics & Crafts!

And now I have to have a small rant--LOL! You're free to skip this part but it always makes me better to type my frustrations out now & again :)  I took the kids school shopping this weekend as you know and my lovely daughter really likes Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister stores.  I think she does this to torture me in a way that is not at first apparent to myself, lol!  Those stores STINKKKK--and the music is too LOUD!!  Am I just an old fart?  Why do they insist on spraying those disgusting, obnoxious colognes thru-out the store---do they NOT want the parents in the store?  Cuz' HEY we're the ones paying for their overpriced clothes KWIM!  As a paying parent that doesn't like migraines and EVERY SINGLE SENSE overloaded upon entering I need them to STOP!! Blech, makes me sickie poo everytime we enter and I know I embarrass my daughter (ummm big surprise, lol) by holding my nose & making gagging noises thru-out the store, but HEY I'm trying to prove my point to the OBVIOUSLY non-smelling & non-hearing folks that work there!  Enuff said!!  LOL--thanks for listening!

**Okay--I edited and uploaded 3 NEW Copic QuikBitz Videos on hair coloring!  I have 2 more to come along with a separate copic coloring video in store for you later in the week.  See below for links & videos and I hope you enjoy them!  (they will also be linked on my Tutorials/Templates page above)**

NewsBitz:

-See yesterday's post for some great-smelling Blog Candy, hee hee!

-The CMC Copic Classes On the Road are still ongoing!  I have a new location up for pre-registration in Ontario, Canada in November at the Stamplicity Store!!  Visit the website at www.cmcroad.com for details!

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Whatcha' Doin'?

Okay, so yeah sometimes I think I live under a rock, lol!  I just discovered this fabulous site called "Tiddly Inks" by artist Christy Croll.  I knew she drew some of the images for Stamping Bella but had NO idea she had her own fabulous shop with tons of cute digi stamps!!  Well a few fell into my cart of course and I just love the little girl images--they are perfect for showing copic coloring techniques too!  So this cutie is called "Whatcha' Doin'?" and I used her for one of my Copic QuikBitz Videos below on hair coloring!!

Isn't she a cutie--I just love her!  I paired her up with some new & fun papers by Cosmo Cricket called "Togetherness", lots of fun patterns in this pad!  I inked the edges of my image again & used my SB's nestabilities to mat it.  The ribbon and cs is by PTI--I also added a scroll from my fave Marianne Designs dies and then added some pretty flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts (love this company for paper flowers, highly recommend them)!  The bow was made with my Bow Easy tool and then I added another flower to the center and some pearls to finish it off.  I love the happy & pretty color combo!

And yes, she's colored with Copics and then I added some stickles to her cute hair bow!  (Copics Used: E25,E31,E50/ Y15,Y11,Y00/BG13,BG11,BG000/E11,E00,R20).  Make sure to check out the videos below including one on how I colored her hair!  Hope you enjoyed this post today!

**If you subscribe to have to access the videos directly from my blog!!**  Also I apologize if the volume is not loud enough for you--I am speaking about as loud as I can for ya, so forgive me for not being a super loud gal :)!!  Make sure to turn up BOTH your volume on your computer AND the volume control that YouTube gives you on the video---that should crank it pretty loudly!!

Tiddly Inks Hair Color Video/Copic QuikBitz:

Copic QuikBitz Hair Coloring Video #1:

Copic QuikBitz Hair Coloring Video #2:

Live, Love & Laugh!!

Hello and Happy Monday to you all! Blahhhh it's Monday again which means another lonnnnnnng week of work for us all, lol!  I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of Mondays--my least favorite day of the week I tell ya!  But I am looking forward to our 3 day weekend coming up for Labor Day (for those of us here in the US)--yay--even if some of it we will be doing work around the house!  I got some of the kids school shopping out of the ways, but I have to do it in spurts for my own sanity, lol!  After we went school shopping we went to our gym so I could sweat out some of my frustration, hee hee--nothing better than sweating off some calories I tell ya!  I'll be going to work out again tonight after I get some of my work done--I have 2 appointments today as well as carting the kids to activities so we'll see how much work I REALLY get done KWIM!  I have to finish editing 7 videos--yikes--I dislike editing videos almost as much as Mondays, lol!  There is nothing worse than listening to yourself over & over and then having to cut seconds off of each video to fit in the DUMB 10 minute time frame that YouTube has!  But I hope to have most of them done and up by tomorrow or Wed. for you all---and the majority are all on hair coloring, different color combos and different images for you all.  It seems that is the #1 question and frustration I hear from everyone so I did a bunch more for ya!

NewsBitz:

-Don't forget the Copic Creations Challenge Blog HERE is still having their challenge for the next 2 days!!  Enter your project that shows "Reflections" with your copics and you could win a FREE Copic Class from my classroom "Color Me Creative"!!  So get coloring!

-If you want to check on some upcoming dates and pre-registrations for my Copic Classes on the Road check in at the website www.cmcroad.com!  I have some new possible dates/locations in NC, Canada & CT coming!!

-Hmmmm....read this blog post below for some possible smell good treats, hee hee!

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Live, Laugh & Love!!

I just love these Popcorn Bears--they have totally stolen my heart and are soooooooo much fun to color!  This lil cutie is from Paper Romance--they have quite a selection to choose from HERE!  This card is for the Paper Romance Challenge this week which is to use a cute critter on your project--find the challenge details HERE!  I also love the "Live, Love & Laugh" saying--it's how I try to live each day and with positivity KWIM?  You never know how long you've got on this planet so you need to make each day count--every morning I put my feet on the floor and am able to get thru the day I count my blessings!  So this card just reflects some of that joy and I had such a fun time making this--it just makes me SMILE!

This little Popcorn Bear set is called "Thanks a Bunch" & I colored the flowers the same way they appear on the package cuz' I had picked out these beeeutiful papers from Kaisercraft (Devonshire) already --so I had to match the orange tones.  Such a pretty combo of pale blue, orange and green me thinks!  The small sparkly square tiles are from my pal Marti's store called Pez-a-Bling---she's got them all on sale now so get yours while they last.  They come in so many fun glittery colors!   I also inked around my image with my Inkssentials Foam Blender tool--a must have tool I use on all my images--it really gives a soft look to your images and finishes it off nicely.

Of course I colored my image with Copics (fur: E44,E43,E42,E40/flowers: YR18,YR12,YR00,YR0000/YG67,YG03,G20)--see my fur coloring tutorial HERE on how I color these bears (also linked above on my Tutorials/Templates page)!  I added some stickles to the petals and then an awesomely cool PRODUCT from Art Institute (read below)!

Okay, so inside each flower I've added this stuff called Element Earth Textures from Art Glitter!  Think flower soft but with all natural earthly elements (like corn, wheat, cloves, grass, etc)--they ROCK!  And guess what?  They smell awesome too so your cards have a really nice scent to them.  You put your tacky glue (I used Aleenes & it worked fine) or the special glue they sell on your project, sprinkle & pat them on top and let dry.  They come in amazing colors and scents--the one I used above is called "CARROT" and it smells DIVINE!  So you're using something totally green, natural and great for the environment--very cool I think!

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And guess what?  I've got a secret blog candy for those who have read closely, hee hee!

Let me know "what your favorite scent in the whole world is?" 

and you could win 2 of these Element Earth Textures (carrot and maize) AND an Inkssentials Blending tool AND this Popcorn Bear set by entering your comment on this post by Friday!!

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Hope you enjoyed the post today & I'll see you back here tomorrow (hopefully I'll have videos to share with you tomorrow)!