Ballerina for my niece

I have to apologize for not keeping up with my blog.  I have been doing this and that and I didn't realize it had been so long since updating it!  I've been taking some online coloring classes at Kit and Clowder, volunteering and other stuff.  I really enjoy my coloring classes and I need to post of of them here.  Today is a project that I made using some of my new copic coloring skills.  

I made this ballerina art piece for my niece's birthday.  She has been in dance and ballet so I wanted to make her something to remember her special day. 

I only used one paper from Paper Temptress store on this piece but I used both watercoloring technique and regular coloring with copics on it.  I love this paper because it has a wonderful texture to it that is great for copics, watercolors and inks as well as many other mediums that you may want to try.  The awesome paper is called Strathmore Bristol Bright White.  

I hope you can see the difference between the watercolor background and the copic coloring of the ballerina.

I took this photo a darker and angled it so that you could see the little gems that I added to this project. 

The stamp I used is a digital stamp by AuroraWings called Flower Ballerina.   I LOVE a lot of the digital stamps on this site!  In fact, I really liked that I could make this image as large as I wanted in order for it to be the right size for this project. 

Thank you for stopping by!  Hope you have a fun and craft-tastic weekend!

Counting Stars

Today I am sharing with you a box that I made for my DT position at the Paper Temptress Facebook Challenge which this month is Winter Whites.  It's fine to use color on your image but the papers and embellishments need to be white.  

This image was provided by A Day for Daisies and is called "Counting the Stars".  

I used the Silver Lustre paper pack for covering the box, making the decorative rectangle behind the image and for the flourish.  I backed the decorative rectangle, the flourish and the image with thin cardboard to make it more sturdy.  I'm giving this box to my 8 year old granddaughter so it needs to be pretty sturdy!  I'm sure she is going to like it.  

Here is another angle of the box.  

I hope you enjoyed this pretty box and I thank you for stopping by!  Please join us in the challenge, there are great prizes to be won!

  Don't forget to leave some love!

Paper Temptress starts new Facebook challenge!

Boy do I have a surprise for you!  PaperTemptress.com has set up a Facebook challenge page with a lot of great prizes offered each month!  November's challenge is:  
~Holiday design …no red or green!~

Here is the DT card I made for a new challenge which started today! 

November's prizes….Paper Temptress: $20.00 gift certificate to one winner. If you use Paper Temptress card stock, and you are the winner you will receive an extra $10.00 gift certificate. You must list the card stock used. Cryogen White is excluded.

The Stamping Boutique/Glitterbabe's: The winner will receive 2 images of their choice. PLEASE NOTE: if the winner used a STAMPING BOUTIQUE or GLITTERBABE image they will receive 1 extra image of their choice making a total of 3 images.

Oozak - $10.00 gift certificate to one winner

Deadline - Dec 7, 2015 @ 9:00PM EST

Rules are listed on PaperTemptress's Challenge Facebook Page

GOOD LUCK! The link is below:

Paper Temptress FB November Challenge

Card details:

I used Stamping Boutique/Glitterbabe's image On the Mantel.  I colored it with copics on X-press It cardstock.  The decorative circle frame is made out of Amethyst cardstock and I put a piece of Hambly Overlays #3 behind it.  The words "Merry Christmas" were cut from Razzleberry cardstock.  I added a little bling to make it sparkle.  Oooohhhh, shiny!  

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you will join us in this fun challenge! 

Halloween Cutie

Hello everyone! I'm here to share a little Halloween Cutie with you.  The little gal is a Sherri Baldy Bestie digital image.  I colored her and the background with copics.  I am taking some copic coloring classes at Kit and Clowder and that's where I learned how to color the background.  Don't get too startled about the prices because they are Australian dollars and it's much cheaper here in US.

I cut out the moon and put the colored image (popped up on pop dots) on top of the Incandescent Candido paper which also served as a border.   I added a little shading to the moon to add a little depth as you can see in the photo below.

I layered the top frame up on pop dots to add even more dimension and attached the bottom layer.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!  Below is a list of all the paper I used.

Copic X-Press Blending Card

Incandescent Candido

Amethyst 

Ruby Mica/Metallic

Blast for the Past - Asian Beauty & a Tutorial!

My project today  is Asian inspired and I have a little tutorial for you.  This was actually my very first post here on the Paper Temptress Blog back in June of 2013.  It has been such a pleasure to work with Patricia ( the Paper Temptress herself!) and the rest of the wonderful, caring team for the past two and a half years.  No worries, I'm not going anywhere BUT... there's a HUGE SURPRISE coming in November!  You will definitely want to watch this blog  and the Paper Temptress Blog for more details!  *squeal*!!!!

Now on to the tutorial!  First up I used a Sheri Baldy Besty digital stamp for my focal point image, isn’t she cute?  I printed her onto Cryogen White cardstock which has a bit of a shine to it.  I colored her with copics and then carefully cut her out.

I used Whip Cream cardstock for the base and cut it out using Spellbinder’s Grand Labels One.  I used #3 for the outside and #1 for the cut-out on the inside.

 Next I took a 6×6 piece of Bamboo Forest Screenprint and also cut it out using Spellbinder’s Grand Labels One.  This paper is GORGEOUS!  Notice how it shimmers and changes color in the light!  It’s also somewhat transparent as the last photo shows with the dark brown paper behind it.

You can see the brown paper behind the screen print in the photo below.

I layered the card as such:  First the Whip Cream base with cut-out,next theBamboo Forest,then on top I used Brown cardstock also cut with the Spellbinder’s Grand Labels One.

 Here is my card once I put it all together.

 The  reason I cut out a window in the base of the card behind the Bamboo Forest is because of how cool it looks with the light behind the front of the card.

Dontcha just LOVE it?!  Here’s a close up of the Asian girl and of the cherry blossoms which are from Flourishes.

The pretty blossoms in the corner is a stamp from Flourishes.

Here’s a photo I took of the Cryogen White to show the sparkles in it. This is the cardstock I used for the Asian Bestie and then  I colored her with copics.  You can see the sparkles!  The Cryogen White is super smooth which makes it an excellent cardstock for using copics on.

I hope you enjoyed my little tutorial.  Thank you for stopping by and I hope you have an inky weekend!  

Paper Temptress Design Team Call

FOR ALL MY CRAFTY FRIENDS: Paper Temptress is having a DT Call, details are listed below.

I have worked with Patricia Dunbar, owner of Paper Temptress, for over a 1 1/2 years now and I LOVE working with her and the rest of the team. These ladies are wonderful friends and we help each other out. This has been the very best DT I've been on and to top it off, the paper is amazing!!! I love the gorgeous specialty papers and am happy to use them on my projects. The details of the Design Team call are listed below. The email address is at the bottom of the post. I hope you will join us! 

"DT Call
Paper Temptress is having a DT call for the Paper Temptress blog. We are looking for 6 to 7 DT members who would like to work in a stress free and fun team.

Design Team Requirements
You must have an active blog that you post on regularly
You must be able to commit long term
You will have a 4 month probation period
Any level can apply, we want everyone to see all kinds of projects at every level so do NOT be intimidated
You do not need to have DT experience to apply
Looking for all types of paper crafters (mixed media, markers- any type, cards, etc.)
You are required to do two to three cards/projects each month
You may use any company's image/stamp UNLESS the requirement calls for something specific which we will supply you with
DT members will begin their term in December 2015

Design Team Benefits:
You will be supplied with products from Paper Temptress

PLEASE state Paper Temptress DT CALL in your email subject line and including your blog link, present and past DTs, a short paragraph about why you want to be on the team and attach 3 pictures of your work to labelle629@comcast.net . We will notify you by email.

Deadline for the call October 31, 2015"

Grown With Love ~ tutorial

Good morning!  I have a card and a tutorial for you today.

The card I made today started out one way and ended up a bit differently than I first imagined it but that's ok.  Sometimes it works out better that way!  The first thing I did was stamp my image onto Rose Vellum and then I embossed it with black embossing powder.  I don't have a photo of that stage but this is what is looks like after coloring it on the back with copic markers.

This is what the image looks like from the front after coloring it on the back.  I marked on the vellum where I wanted to cut it out to fit the seed packet.  (image coming up).

After it was all colored I added a touch of markers for shading on the front being very careful to not smear the black ink as shown on the berries and leaf below.

I stamped the seed packet image from Flourishes onto Heavenly White and embossed it with black embossing powder.  I used some of the swirl stamps and stamped and embossed in black onto the Rose Vellum. I then cut out the vellum and adhered it to the seed packet image.

Look how cool it looks with the light shining behind it!

This is what it looks like on the back.

I distressed the white a bit to give it a vintage look.

I marked and cut base of the card and the two layers of paper I wanted to use as mats behind the main image.  The gorgeous papers I used were Punch and Amethyst from the Mica/Metallic cardstock.  I used the text weight cardstock in the Amethyst color and it was quite a bit easier to cut than the heavy weight cardstock that the Punch color.  I have found that when layering or even dry embossing, the text weight works great and it's even cheaper to buy & ship!  I think I will stock up on some of my favorite colors.

Here's what the card looks like before putting on the top layer.  It doesn't matter that they don't match exactly because it won't be seen from the top.

Here's the card after gluing the top onto the other layers.  I'm quite pleased with how this turned out.  I hope that you like it too.

Thank you for stopping by!  I hope you're having a wonderful weekend!

Visit me at FancyCrafty{Me}

Sweet Peas

Good Saturday Morning!  I have a floral card for you today.  I've been wanting to use the new border die by Spellbinders so I used it on the purple and pink paper from the Basis Package at the Paper Temptress store.

 I stamped the image onto Heavenly White and colored it with copics.  I used quite a few copics and I put them all away so I'm sorry I don't have a list for you.  I will try to take better notes and list them for you next time.

I added a little bow with a light purple gem in the center which pulled it all together.

I hope you enjoyed my card today.  The lighting wasn't very good but I did my best to get it to look like it does in real life but it looks better in person.   Thank you for stopping by!

Spellbinders used: 

Nestabilites Card Creator - 5x7 Elegant Labels 4 

Nestabilites Labels 39

Blossoms & Butterflies

Good morning everyone!  I have a card for you that could have many purposes.  It could be used as a Sympathy card, birthday card, wedding card or for any other purpose you could think of... except maybe a masculine card.  hehe!

I stamped the image onto Baby Girl Pink from the Basis Pack and then colored in the branch, leaves and the shading on the flowers.  I layered the blossoms image onto Azalea cardstock and then onto Heavenly White cardstock which I had folded over before I cut it out so that it would fold like a card.

The butterflies are punched out of the Azalea cardstock and I added little tiny pearl stickers onto them and the centers of the flowers.

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Coloring With Copics - Great Paper Options

Hello everyone!  I would like to showcase some of the best copic paper there is on earth!  Oh yeah!  It's that good!  And of course, you can find it at the Paper Temptress store!  

My personal favorites are X-Press It Blending Card, Cryogen White, Heavenly White Premium Ultrasmooth Cardstock. and  Neenah Solar White.

The first paper I'm highlighting is X-Press It Blending Card.  It's a bright white paper that is very smooth so that copic and other alcohol ink markers glide very well along the surface.  The smooth texture of the paper allows the ink to mix and blend when you are adding in your shading or combining two colors as I've done in the photo below.  As you can see, the X-Press It is even brighter than the white paper it's sitting on.   This paper isn't especially thick so the ink will bleed through the paper some and of course the more layers you color, the more it will bleed through.  You will need to adhere it onto other cardstock when making a card.  Don't let that steer you away from using it though.  It's about the same thickness as the Heavenly White 80 lb.  I really enjoy using this paper.

This next project is one I made recently.  I have been taking some copic coloring classes over at Kit and Clowder and this is one of the projects I made in the class!  I used Cryogen White as my base and printed the digital stamp onto it.  I wasn't happy with my first try at the hair so I reprinted the stamp and colored it up and cut it out.  Funny story is that I printed it onto  X-Press It Blending Card instead of Cryogen!  hahaha!  After I cut it out you couldn't tell that it was different paper than the background because the background had so much detail.  I popped the mermaid and dolphin up onto pop dots and did the same with the little fishies.  I also put Crystal Effects on the bubbles so it gives them a more fluid and 3-d  effect.

You may be able to see the crystal effects on the bubbles in the image below:

The last paper that I'm highlighting is Heavenly White Premium Ultrasmooth Cardstock. 

I colored the girl, Tilda, below onto Heavenly White 80# and paper pieced her dress.  I cut her out and popped her up on pop dots.  You can read the blog post about this card here:  I Give You My Heart.

(ps: I colored this image before taking the copic coloring classes at Kit and Clowder.  I'm learning so much! )

Heavenly White Premium Ultrasmooth Cardstock is also very smooth and works well with alcohol ink markers.  One thing that's great about Heavenly White  is that is comes in 3 thicknesses.  There's the original Heavenly White Premium Ultrasmooth Cardstock , Heavenly White 100# Extended Archival Cardstock, and Heavenly White 120# Ultrasmooth which is thick enough that it will not bleed through the back.

If you are having a difficult time trying to decide which cardstock you will like the most then you could try the Copic Sampler Pack. This package includes 2 sheets of
COPIC X-Press It
Cryogen White
Heavenly White 80#
Heavenly White 100#
Heavenly White 120#
Neenah Solar White 80#
Neenah Solar White 110#

It's all a personal choice as to which cardstock you choose to use with your Copics and other alcohol ink markers but in my opinion, you won't find anything better than these!  So head on over to the store and stock up on your favorites today!

ps: I did not post about  Neenah Solar White soly for the reason that I have not used it in quite some time and I don't have any on hand or I would have posted something using it.  This in no way suggests that it isn't a perfectly good cardstock.  Afterall, Patricia only stocks the best!

Tilda with her Little Lamb

Good morning everyone!  I hope you are having a wonderful weekend so far!  Before I get too far along in my post I would like to give a shout-out to my new friend Linda who I met at JoAnn's yesterday!  I was drooling over all the dies and other fun things I could use with my wonderful paper from the Paper Temptress store when we struck up a conversation and  were there talking for quite some time!  Is it just me or are crafters just the nicest people on the planet?!  I sure enjoy coming on here and sharing everyone's creativity and friendship.

Today's card is kind of Eastery...  which really isn't even a word, but the lamb in this image made me think of the cute lambs, chicks and ducks we usually have around Easter.  On the other hand Tilda (by Magnolias) sure looks a lot like Little Bo Peep taking her lamb out for a stroll on a bright Spring day!

 

I stamped my image onto Cryogen White and colored her with copics.  I stamped her dress onto some patterned paper, shaded it with copics, fussy-cut it out and glued it on.  I then fussy-cut Tilda and her lamb out to go onto this fun Spring scene.

All the other paper I used are from the Basis Cardstock Package and the Astrobright Colored Package.   I used 3 different shades of yellow to make the sunburst and using a die to cute it out made it sooo easy!   Taylored Expressions carries that die!  

The image below shows the different layers and how the butterflies and flowers are shaped.

I hope you enjoy your weekend and that you get some crafting goodness time in!