Santa's Little Helper...

Santa's Little Helper

                                                                    

This is one of my favorite Christmas cards so far.  The image is fun to color and is capable of standing alone with minimal embellishment.  Definitely a plus for me.

It's a Mo Manning image - printed out three times.  The first is the base panel, the 2nd and 3rd are used to create the added layers to the image with paper sculpting.  You are able to see more of the depth in the photo below.  I colored with Copics and used Diamond Glaze on the tape dispenser to create the shine.  The elevation of all the parts is achieved with foam tape.  The panels, inside and out, were pierced around the edges to create faux stitching.      

INSIDE

The sentiment on the inside is a very old rubber stamp by Rubber Stamp Ave.                                                                                                                    

CHALLENGES:

Winter Wonderland – Red & Green Xmas
Through the Craft Room Door - ATG Always
Crafting From the Heart - #186 ATG Always
Addicted to Stamps & More - #271 – ATG
Tuesday Throwdown #371 – Christmas Scene
Crafty Sentiments – ATG
Aud Sentiments - #194 – Christmas + Sentiment  TOP FIVE
Penny's Challenge #358 – ATG  need to enter 
Inspiration Destination #139 – ATG /optional: Not Square
Crafty Creations - #356 – ATG Always
Crafty Girls Creations – #42 - ATG Always

Create wildly and color with abandon

~ginny

Let the Bells Ring...

613 Ave C has a new challenge... "ATG: optional Winter/Holidays".  You have the month of December to show your creative talents!  For details of the challenge and for some very creative ideas - check out the DT inspiration concepts HERE!


















This image and the sentiment are both from AI, Art Impressions [Bells Ring Set #4682],  it comes with the three unmounted rubber stamps, a die cut and one Action Wobble. 

• Used a Sizzix embossing folder for the cover 
• Colored the image with Copics and used white gel pen to add dots on the scarf & gloves  
• Die cut out the extra 'bootie' to mount on the Action Wobble spring
• Gold Wink of Stella used on the bells for sparkle
• A 1/8th inch hole was punched to insert the ribbon on the left front panel - it was brought around the edge and tied in a bow
• Used SU! punches for the sentiment and it's mat - this was layered over the ribbon hole to hide it

As you can see the you can shake his rear and make the bells 'ring'!  Amuses me - LOL!  If I can find really tiny bells I would love to glue them on.

• Inside has been embossed with a Cuttlebug E-folder that leaves a space for a personalized message 
• The sentiment from a 1994 Annette Allen Watkins rubber stamp has been die cut and elevated on foam tape 

CHALLENGES:

Through the Craft Room Door - ATG Always TOP THREE
Crafting From the Heart - #185 ATG Always
Crafty Sentiments – ATG
Shopping our Stash L:13 – SOS #331–Sno Much Fun
Penny's Challenge #357 – ATG
Simon Says Wed – ATG
Fab & Funky #373 – Christmas
Winter Wonderland – Red & Green Xmas
Aud Sentiments - #194 – Christmas + Sentiment
Inspiration Destination #139 – ATG /optional: Not Square
AI-Art Impressions Challenge #222 – Funny & Punny
Crafty Girls Creations – #42 - ATG Always
Oddball Art – ATG /optional: Christmas Lights


Create wildly and color with abandon!  
~ginny

One exhausted Fairy...

When I saw this image I was sooo excited to color him using my Copics - very soothing for my harried soul!  Amazing how your mind goes lazer focused and all else fades into oblivian.
Then I finish the card and lo and behold, the christmas decorations are still not up, don't have my presents purchased yet, and my husband's birthday is next week... heavy sigh.  Think my priorities are messed up??  Ya think??












Back to the card... don't wanna think about the other...

• I matched the blues in the image to the base card and then added in the traditional reds and greens.
• Mounted panel on a 1/4" black mat.
• Sprinkled on the ultra thick white EP and heated it from the bottom to create a little snow.
• Fussy cut the bottom of the wings, candy cane and his foot so they would hang off the edge.  
• Used a Corner Chomper to round three of the corners.  
• Added a very sparkly blue fuzzy ribbon and layered the matted panel over the top.

I also did this version that has been covered with a dryer sheet and fine glitter. Way too much glitter layered on and the image is lost in it - wasn't happy with it at all!  

Create wildly and color with abandon!  
[and do the shopping later].
~ginny







CHALLENGES:
Sweet Stampin' – Fave Xmas Colors [Blue & Green]
SheepSki Designs #8 – Show us Your WINGS
Crafty Girls Creations – #41 - ATG Always
Scrapper's Delight #72 – ATG Always
Pile it On #136 – Large Sentiments & /or Things with Wings
Through the Craft Room Door - ATG Always
Crafting From the Heart -#185 ATG Always 
Get Creative Challenges – #64 – Holidays  TOP FIVE
Crafty Sentiments - ATG

Shopping our Stash L:13 – SOS #331–Sno Much Fun Everybody Art Challenge #413 – Everything Works Crafty Creations - #355 – ATG Always Winter Wonderland – Red & Green Xmas

Kit xChange to the rescue...

I have been stamping for 40 years and I have a 'RubberRoom' that is about 100 sq. feet [10' x 10'] - you can understand that I am constantly looking for ways to organize and utilize every square inch!
These are three ways I have tried to organize my thin Die Cuts... [left to right] a binder with magnetic sheets, a wire desk organizer and a box with magnetic sheets layered in it.

 OLD SYSTEM

This is a close up of the wire basket... you can see it is a pain in the wazoo

 to find the die I want - or just to look thru them for an idea!

So here is the deal... there was a Scrapbooking Convention in Sacramento recently and at the Kit xChange booth I spotted the word "Organization" and stopped to talk to the very personable owner and designer, Alicia Klein. Her idea and product arose from a need to organize her jewelry, but the product has sooo many other possibilities!  As we exchanged ideas and I told her of my need to organize dies, Alicia graciously offered to set me up with a system to review.  
It has taken a while to start the organizational process - but I finally have some pictures to share with you:

Kit xChange System

 









This is what I came home with - a binder, three 'pages' of felt covered boards and two packages each of a set of medium and a set of large specially made bags - all designed by Alicia.  

Small bags

These bags have a zip seal to secure even tiny beads and Velcro melded into the tops that will adhere to the pages or the inside cover of the binder.  As you can see on the right, the bags will layer nicely, one right after another.  
I cut out the picture of the dies and the manufacturer from the original packaging to file with the die.  TIP: I could usually get two dies in each bag so that as you lift each bag you see the picture of the other die in the bag [pictured - two different 'Happy Birthday' dies in the same bag].
My system will be to label each row with subject matter: 'Sentiments', 'Shapes', 'Flora', 'Fauna', etc.

Large bags

I even started a row of rubber stamps and their coordinating dies.  The large bags were big enough to hold either sets of acrylic or fairly large red rubber stamps as in the cup cake seen on the right.

Add caption

And...
If the binder doesn't work for you for reasons of space availability... you can take the individual pages out and attach them to a hanger or rod.  You have the front and back of the hanging boards to use and the hanger can be hung on a wall, in a closet or even over a door [my choice]!  

My opinion?  This system will work nicely for my smaller die cuts.  I am able to organize so many on this hanging board system and as you can see it takes up so very little room!  Also, it certainly appears that the hanging boards are strong enough to accommodate the weight of front and back covered with dies - and even to add another two pages hanging off the bottom!  
My only suggestion is that larger bags would be very useful.  My plan instead will be to use magnetic pages in the binder to store the larger [thin] dies.  

 I encourage you to go to the Kit xChange web site ASAP because there is a

Black Friday Sale

Nov 24 - 27, 2017

While you are there - check out the Travel Organizer Envelope 
[looks like a purse on a shoulder strap] if you want 
something to carry your current projects!

Create wildly and color with abandon!

~ginny

Fall Apples in 3D...

Featuring another Mo Manning image called "Apple"... this card utilizes 3D paper sculpting to allow the image to pop off the page and give it depth.  The 2nd layers here are her head & hair, both forearms holding the apple, the cuff on her jeans, the apples on the ladder and, of course, the basket full of apples.

• image was printed out two times on Neenah CS 
• colored them with Copics
• fussy cut & sculpted individual sections to be elevated
• the edges around each cut piece are all individually colored with the darkest Copic color being used for that section of the piece.  
• mounted sections from 2nd sheet using foam tape
• the image panel and mat were die cut using Lil Inkers stitched circle dies  
• the mat circle was embossed with an E-folder to provide a little texture  
• a slot punch was used to punch two holes in the front of the base card [2nd hole is under the little bow]
• ribbon matching the apple colors was run thru the slots, gathered & tied with matching cord that is tied in a small bow 
• two corners of the base card are punched with a 1/2 in. Corner Chomper 

A little easier to see the depth with these two photos.
The inside has two stitched ovals by Lil Inkers stamped with the sentiment by Country Impressions.

Create wildly and color with abandon!  
~ginny

CHALLENGES:
Through the Craft Room Door - ATG Always
Addicted to Stamps & More - #266 – ATG Honourable Addict

Crafty Sentiments – Fave Stamp/ image  [ANY of the Mo Mannings are my fave!] Penny's Challenge #353 – ATG Creative Knockouts – L:8- #218 Embossing Aud Sentiments - #192 – Bingo + Sentiment  [Die Cut/stitching/Ribbon] Inspiration Destination #135 – ATG AI-Art Impressions Challenge #220 – 3D Really Reasonable Ribbon  #175 – ATG w/ ribbon or trim Crafty Girls Creations – #41 - ATG Always Scrapper's Delight #72 – ATG Always

Halloween 5/5 Boo-Frickity-Hoo!

Saved my favorite for last!  Another Mo Manning -  and my favorite of her Halloween images.  The base card is a dark purple and has been embossed with a cobweb folder by Cuttlebug - can barely see it - but it is there!  Colored with Copics & Prismacolor Pencils, mounted over a ribbon & called it done - clean and simple!  I think I spend so much time coloring that I don't have the patience for fiddling - not to mention how many I made all together!
Inside sports some leftover DP and my all time favorite Halloween sentiment - 'Boo-Frickity-Hoo'!

Create wildly and color with abandon!  
~ginny

INSIDE

CHALLENGES:
Crafting From the Heart -#178 ATG Always
Incy Wincy Designs – Dress Up [Costume or fancy dress]
Simon Says Wed – ATG

As You Like It – People or Animals & WHY [People - can't seem to color animals!]  TOP THREE Creative Knockouts – L:8- #217 Halloween Inspiration Destination #135 – ATG TOP THREE Oddball Art – ATG

Pile it On #135 – Fantasy/Spiders/Cobwebs

Halloween 4/5

Gena, my 'liddle' [she is actually MUCH taller than I am] pal from down the street and I were playing with bleach one day and we used some bleach on black CS.  The Skull and candle [Rubberstamp Ave.] were first heat embossed with black and we used white EP for the Halloween stamp [Craftsmart/Michaels].  There is another stamp of a candle in a candlestick on the far right under the ribbon - but I can't read the name on it.  Won't matter since you can't see it anyway.  I really like how the card looks in natural light - the contrast is more apparent and the images show up nicely.  I made two tags, one white & a slightly larger black one and stamped the 'boo!' using a set by All Night Media.  The font is 'Jazz'.  It is topped off with a snippet of ribbon with orange and black flowers and tied with black waxed linen in a bow.  Tags were mounted on foam tape for elevation.
All the papers used are leftover from previous projects including the base card which is an off cut.



I already wrote a personal message - so won't show the inside - I just know you are straining your eyes trying to read that!

Create wildly and color with abandon!  
~ginny




CHALLENGES:
Incy Wincy Designs – Dress Up [Costume or fancy dress]
Simon Says Wed – ATG

Creative Knockouts – L:8- #217 Halloween Inspiration Destination #135 – ATG Crafty Hazelnut's DP Challenge – Always ATG + DP Pile it On #135 – Fantasy/Spiders/Cobwebs

Halloween 3/5

This Oddball Art image of a child Zombie is probably the ooogiest image I have done all season!  Perfect for a young person who is really into blood and guts and the Zombie Apocalypse.
The image was colored with Copics and Prismacolor Pencils.  The front of the base card was cut off and a double sided Designer Paper was adhered to the front flap.  The sentiment, which comes with the image, was punched and mounted on a 2nd larger punched shape.  A small hole was punched in the top and then I used a small quilters tool to insert a plastic 'hanger' [similar to how retailers attach a price tag to a piece of clothing.]  This allows the sentiment to swing freely on the front of the card.

INSIDE

The inside utilizes the black strip from which I punched the mat. This created a 'window' for the "hello..." sentiment and a mat behind the message panel.  LoVe when I can use my scraps like this!! 

So - here is the behind the scene story about this card...
Oddball Art offered a free image to anyone who would color and send a card to a 9 yo boy who had health problems.  I'm thinking  - ok 9 yo, a boy - he will love oooogie.  So I ordered this image and got it ready to send and got to thinking about his health problem... he has brain cancer and PROBABLY would be facing brain surgery!  OMGawd!  What was I thinking!  Just LOOK at that image - soooo inappropriate!  So I switched out another card and quick emailed the Oddball people and told them of my poor taste in choices - heavy sigh.  The kid got a card, I caught the problem in time AND I got a free image.  It was a very good day afterall.                                   

Create wildly and color with abandon!  
~ginny                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
CHALLENGES:
Crafting From the Heart -#178 ATG Always
Incy Wincy Designs – Dress Up [Costume or fancy dress]
Simon Says Wed – ATG
Penny's Challenge #348 – ATG

As You Like It – People or Animals & WHY [People - can't seem to color animals!] Inspiration Destination #135 – ATG Oddball Art – ATG

Pile it On #135 – Fantasy/Spiders/Cobwebs
Fussy & Fancy  #199 – So Spooky

Halloween 2/5

Another Mo Manning image - I feel these images can stand alone with her wonderful detail!  Copics are my go to coloring medium with occasional use of Prismacolor Pencils for detail work and shading.  I did use a "Floating Image" technique on the card base to create a more interesting frame since I did not use embellishments. 

This technique is so simple to do...

• Cut CS 11" x 4.25" - fold in half with a top fold
• From the front panel - cut 1" off the bottom and then a 2nd 1" piece so that you end up with two strips, each 1" x  4.25"
• One strip ends up in its original position at the bottom as you see in these photos 
• The "magic" key to holding all this together is the 2nd strip that is turned vertically and connects the upper and lower portions of the front panel.  This should be affixed with a strong double sided tape as in a red liner tape or the like. 
• The focal image panel is then laid over that strip, again use a strong adhesive, and place it to hide the strip.
• Note: the vertical strip does not have to be centered, you could move it slightly one direction or the other - perhaps to reveal a sentiment on the inside.

Create wildly and color with abandon!  
~ginny

INSIDE

CHALLENGES:
Through the Craft Room Door - ATG Always
Crafting From the Heart -#178 ATG Always
Incy Wincy Designs – Dress Up [Costume or fancy dress]
Crafty Sentiments – ATG
Tuesday Throwdown #366 – Spooktacular
Simon Says Wed – ATG
Penny's Challenge #348 – ATG

Crafty Creations - #352 – ATG As You Like It – People or Animals & WHY [People - can't seem to color animals!] Inspiration Destination #135 – ATG

Oddball Art – ATG
Pile it On #135 – Fantasy/Spiders/Cobwebs
Aurora Wings #59 – Darkness Falls
Crafty Girls Creations – #40 - ATG Always
Fussy & Fancy  #199 – So Spooky

Halloween 1/5

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
I have several Halloween cards that I will post - this is #1 of 5.

This is a Mo Manning digital image that I have colored with Copics. Purple brads to secure the corners to the mat and a rubber stamped one word sentiment are the only embellishments - makes a flat, easy to mail card.

Create wildly and color with abandon!  
~ginny

CHALLENGES:
Crafting From the Heart -#178 ATG Always
Incy Wincy Designs – Dress Up [Costume or fancy dress]
Crafty Sentiments – ATG
Tuesday Throwdown #366 – Spooktacular
Aud Sentiments - #191 – Halloween + Sentiment  TOP FIVE
Simon Says Wed – ATG
Penny's Challenge #348 – ATG

Crafty Creations - #352 – ATG As You Like It – People or Animals & WHY [People - can't seem to color animals!] Inspiration Destination #135 – ATG Pile it On #135 – Fantasy/Spiders/Cobwebs

Fussy & Fancy  #199 – So Spooky

Creative Knockouts – L:8- #217 Halloween [Sorry! I didn't follow the instructions of 8 only & I can't delete my submission]

If the Shoe Fits...

Can you imagine having your birthday on Halloween and growing up with your whole world dressing up and celebrating by having home after home give you free candy?  Barb, my friend, you were a lucky little girl - and no wonder you grew up loving witches!


The legs with witches' shoes are from a Stamps Happen rubberstamp.  The sentiment is a freebie from Ginger's House which was die cut with Spellbinder's Celebrations "Tag That".












I colored the image with Copics, fussy cut the legs and mounted them on foam tape to elevate them.  The purple CS on top was cut in two and elevated to give the appearance of a stage and curtain or wall hiding the rest of the witches.  

The inside sentiment is by Penny Black.

Envelope

I hand drew the web and the spider on the envelope.  I will use an address label stuck just below the web's center to mail this.

Spider's Red Jewel

CHALLENGES:
Through the Craft Room Door - ATG Always
Crafting From the Heart -#178 ATG Always
Incy Wincy Designs – Let's Celebrate
Addicted to Stamps & More - #263 – Holiday
Crafty Sentiments – Halloween/Fall TOP THREE
Shopping our Stash L:13 – SOS #324 – If the Shoe Fits TOP THREE
Penny's Challenge #348 – ATG TOP THREE

Fab & Funky #366 – Word Art Crafty Creations - #352 – ATG Inspiration Destination #135 – ATG

Oddball Art – ATG  Top Three #2
Pile it On #135 – Fantasy
Crafty Girls Creations – #40 - ATG Always

Create wildly and color with abandon!  
~ginny

Aviator Birds...

613 Ave C has a new challenge... "ATG /twist of Masculine Card".  You have the month of October to show your creative talents!  For details of the challenge and for some very creative ideas - check out the DT inspiration concepts HERE!

This is what happens when I print out images and color them for fun... and then forget where I got them!  Somebody help me and let me know where to find these birds?  I know there were four different ones together. 
So, here is what I did - birds were colored with Autumn colors with Copics, fussy cut, sculpted and elevated with foam tape.  The clouds are from a die cut and the tree was cut free-hand from CS that had been embossed with an embossing folder from Tim Holtz / Sizzix.  The sentiment is one of the fabulous freebies from the very funny Ginger's House.  

CHALLENGES:

Sweet Stampin' – Autumn Colors
Crafty Girls Creations – #39 - ATG Always
Through the Craft Room Door - ATG Always
Addicted to Stamps & More - #261 – ATG
Crafty Sentiments – ATG
Simon Says Wed – ATG
Shopping our Stash L:13 – SOS #322 – Mildly inappropriate
Penny's Challenge #348 – ATG

Fab & Funky #364 – Fall Colors [Rust, Y, Orange, G] Inspiration Destination #134 – ATG Crafty Creations - #351 – ATG

Oddball Art – ATG
Pile it On #135 – Fantasy Sweet Sprinkles Award from Pile It On
Create wildly and color with abandon!  
~ginny

Life is like a balloon...

 These images and the "Life is like..." sentiment are all three by Mo Manning and can be found at Mo's Digital Pencil.

The details include enamel dots, matching ribbon and a hand drawn frame.

Inside

The inside is completed with designer paper left over from the front and a hand made envelope to house the philosophical sentiment.

 All coloring was done with Copics.  In an attempt to keep the scene airy I used a long unused [by me] Pointillism technique to indicate the ground and the sky. 












CHALLENGES:
Really Reasonable Ribbon  #172 – ATG w/ ribbon or trim
Sweet Stampin' – Cute and Cuddly
Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers L:10 - #93 – Lost/Found Stash/Technique [Pointillism technique]
Crafty Girls Creations – #39 - ATG Always
Crafty Hazelnut's DP Challenge – Always ATG + DP
Through the Craft Room Door - ATG Always
Crafting From the Heart -#176 ATG Always
Addicted to Stamps & More - #261 – ATG
Crafty Sentiments – ATG
Simon Says Wed – ATG

Create wildly and color with abandon!  
~ginny

Fantasy Zum Zum

 A neighbor printed out this image for me to color in honor of the many Hummingbirds here.  We estimate 165 Zum Zums [the name for hummingbirds in some South American countries - isn't that descriptive??] or more in the summer.  In the winter the number drops to around 50.  We make the sugar solution and fill up to 9 quart feeders everyday in the summer.
I colored the image with Copics [BV11, 13, 17 BG45, 49 ] and then used a Uniball Signo white pigment gel pen for the dots and wink of Stella to create sheen on his throat.  The vine is from a Martha S. punch and the flowers are from a Hanko punch with a light blue jewel for the centers.  
The "Hello" stamp is from SU.  
I used this card as a Thank you for my brother and his wife.




CHALLENGES:
Through the Craft Room Door - ATG Always
Crafty Sentiments – ATG
Simon Says Wed – ATG
Crafting From the Heart -#173 ATG Always DT Favorite
Sisterhood of Crafters – ATG
Tuesday Throwdown #359 – Punches or Dies
Crafty Creations - #349 – ATG
Oddball Art – Life in Technicolor/ATG
Pile it On #134 – Feathers &/or Scales
MarkerPOP L:10 –   #128: Use Dark Berry colors

Create wildly and color with abandon!  
~ginny