I am beyond excited, over the moon, gobsmacked, and so happy I could squeal...ok, I did squeal a little! I have been invited to become one of the Instant Gardeners for....
Squeeeeeal! I have been a huge fan of Marcella's images for YEARS! For over a year I have been coloring one Power Poppy image a month as a "just for fun" coloring series. (See all those images and tutorials HERE.) Well, it seems all my coloring work paid off because I was asked to join the official Power Poppy digital release team! I am so excited, and very humbled by the invitation! The Power Poppy clear stamp and digital stamp teams contain some of the BEST colorists in the business! To be among their number is a coloring dream come true for me!
Read Marcella's welcome post over on the Power Poppy Blog, and help welcome the other new designers: Catherine, Barbara, and Lisa!
If you have enjoyed the coloring series, don't panic...I will still be doing the series once a month as part of my team duties! I will also take part in the new release posts, digital blitz posts, and other fun things throughout the year!
I want to share a few of my favorite cards using various Power Poppy images. I just love coloring them! I think all of these are digital images, but if you are a physical stamper, there are tons of choices for you, too!
These are just a few of the images I have colored. I am so excited to color more! I may wear out my markers and pencils! On another note, I want to try my hand at WATERCOLOR! I have been a water coloring failure in the past...but I am determined to give it another go! Stay tuned for...Gloria's Adventures in Watercolor! {giggle}
The November Ribbon Club Assortment is called Silver and Gold Mix. This collection of ribbon is perfect for all of your holiday card making! Silver and gold is so classy and classic! I love the pops of white in this mix, too! Since I need to get my Christmas cards all finished, I decided to go with a Christmas theme again this month.
This beautiful card is 6" x 6", but it probably won't fit into a standard envelope due to the bow! I like to keep some padded mailers and mailing boxes on hand just in case I cannot hand-deliver one of my "fancy" cards!
I used the NEW Graphic 45 Joy to the World collection for this card. I fussy cut around one of the ephemera cards for the focal image. I then inked the edges with gold ink to give it a more vintage and worn look. I love the colors in this paper because you can use gold or silver for your neutral color.
I made a large, loopy bow from the Old Gold Diamond Satin and glued it to the card. I love this color and always keep a stash of it in my...well...stash! I then made another loopy bow with the Old Gold Snowflakes Satin and glued it in place. You need to be careful making your bow from the printed satin because the printing is on one side only. I loop my bows a bit differently for that type of ribbon. The finished bow looks the same, but the print is face up! Bonnie has a great tutorial HERE.
Once I had my bows glued in place, I decorated with some Christmas do-dads to give some sparkle to the card! My favorite items is the gold spiral stamen! Thanks for looking! Now, hop over to Ginny's Blog to see what she has for you!
Here is the RRR Blog Hop Order in case you get lost!
Printed paper and ephemera card: Graphic 45 Joy to the World Cardstock: WorldWin Papers Natural; Bazzill Basics Jacaranda (blue) Flowers, berries, pine cones: craft supply; Really Reasonable Ribbon (gold spiral stamen, mulberry flowers) Pearls: Bo Bunny Ink: Tsukineko Delicata Golden Glitz Adhesive: white glue, hot glue, ATG tape, Scor-tape, foam tape
Welcome to the November project of the 2019 - 2020 Coloring Series! To read the introduction post for this series, clickHERE. To see all the coloring series projects, click HERE. I am a little late again this month. I had some bad migraine days recently, which put me a bit behind in all my craft work. I am feeling better now, so I hope to catch up quickly! The post this month is a bit "bare bones" as I try to feel better and catch my breath!
I decided to make a little scene this month using digital stamps from three different sets! If the images have a transparent background, it's as easy as pie (pumpkin pie, that is) to create a little scene! If your images are not on a transparent background, programs such as Photoshop can help you fix that issue. The directions are a quick Google search away! {smile} My card this month is a little smaller than 6" x 8". Not a standard size, but you would make yours to be the standard 5" x 7" or smaller.
I pulled out all the markers and pencils for this one. Not really, but I did use a lot of colors! Each pumpkin is a slightly different shade of orange! In the wild, no two pumpkins are exactly alike!
For my main image I used this image of pumpkins from the Pumpkins and Pears digital set. This is a little mini set for $5. If you want the full clear set, It is called Fortunes of Fall, and sells for $18.
I added the pumpkin containing a bouquet image from Season's Seatings to complete the scene. The pumpkin on the chair image is also part of the clear set So Grateful. For those of you who prefer physical stamp images, you can create a scene with masking, in the same way I created my digital scene. The only difference is that with digital images, I can resize them however I like to get the correct scale.
I chose the Painting Pumpkins digital stamp set from Power Poppy for my sentiment. (I used the jack-o-lanterns image from this set last month. See that HERE.)
I stayed with traditional (realistic) colors for my pumpkin table decor scene. I wanted this card to look festive and pretty for Thanksgiving. I once again colored with Copic markers and then went over the image with colored pencils to add depth, dimension, and shine. I started out coloring the pumpkins to "set the stage" for the other colors in the piece. I did not want to choose too many different colors, as that can make an image look "cartoon-like."
I did not write down my colors for you this month. Actually, I did write them down, but accidentally tossed the paper when tidying up my studio! Trying to figure out all the colors I used was an exercise in futility! But...that gives you a chance to try playing around with various combinations on your own. Try orange and yellow, with touches of red, brown, and cream for your pumpkins. Try coloring with markers first and adding some detail with colored pencils. See how you get on!
For the leaves, pick some deep greens, and for the pears, try for some pale greens mixed with yellow and brown. The pumpkin stems are a dull green. Color the flower bouquet in your favorite fall colors! I chose a deep burgundy and pale yellow, with pops of red.
Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you are inspired to color something! I will try to have it more on the ball next month for our December project!
Hello, Graphic 45 Fans! It is my turn to share my studio space with all of you! I am really excited to show you where I create. It has been a very long time since I have shared any photos or videos of my space, and some things have changed since the last time!
My space is in the “loft” area on our second floor, which is a large, open space approximately 21’ x 17’ in size. However, since it is a “walk through” space, I need to keep the walking path clear so that the guest bedrooms can be used!
I have a computer station, and lots of storage for office supplies, cards, envelopes, and tags, as well as shelves for Bible Journaling and Adult Coloring supplies.
I have two tall racks for storage. The one on the right holds Authentique papers, and the other one with drawers holds cardmaking supplies and other odds and ends.
I have two lovely, big windows which give me some natural light. I live where it is very sunny year round, and I get a lot of nice light through these two large windows. In fact, I sometimes have to close the blinds! I also get a sweet ocean breeze at certain times of the day! (I do NOT like when I get the super HOT Santa Anna winds in the autumn!)
I also have an extra working desk which I usually use for writing tutorials or doing other “office” work. This used to be where I did lessons for our kids when we homeschooled, but now it is just my office space!
The newest addition to the space is my die cutting station! After my last child graduated our homeschool, the full area became my studio! And since there was no one needing this desk space...it is the perfect area to set up my die cutting tools!
I keep my manual cutting machine here, with bins for my embossing folders. I also have a Silhouette Cameo and a Cricut Expression. There is plenty of space for those to sit on the workspace, too! When not in use, I have shelf space for my machines. (These shelves used to be filled with homeschooling books and supplies!)
I keep all of my dies on the shelves so that they are close at hand.
Tip: Store thin dies in plastic bins to save space. Insert each die set into a clear plastic envelope, label it, and store it upright in a plastic bin.
I love plastic storage bins! They are my favorite type of storage! They are not “pretty” or vintage or color coordinated - but you can see everything you have, label the bins easily, plus they are portable. This type of storage also keeps my items dust-free! I live in a dry, dusty area, and keeping the dust off my products is very important!
I love seeing my wall of goodies! Since everything is labeled, I can see in an instant what I need for a particular project!
Tip: Invest in a label maker! I would be lost without my label making machine! If you are on a budget, purchase a set of sticky labels and a permanent marker and label by hand!
I have a large work space, with plenty of storage around the desk. My desk is 71” x 36”, which gives me plenty of work surface! I keep my tool bag on the desk, along with bins of ink and adhesive. I like to have my most used items close at hand!
There are plenty of bins, totes, and cabinets for all my crafty items. I have a large storage unit on the back wall, as well as another work space and storage unit behind my desk. I use the top surface as my paper cutting and scoring station. (To see inside all the storage, view the video below!)
I love to look out and see all of my embellishments, stacked up and ready to be used!
I particularly love my Graphic 45 paper totes! I have six carts at the front and side of my desk to store all my G45 papers, by collection! I have some of every Graphic 45 release from the very first to the most recent! (I may be something of a FAN of G45!) Each tote holds 12x12 paper, plus all of the other components of each collection. Each tote is portable. I can pull the toteI want, take it to my desk, and get to work creating! Edited to add: The carts that I use for my paper storage are THIS style. You can find them at local stores such as Michael's, The Container Store, WalMart, etc. They are Iris brand, and each cart holds six totes for 12x12 paper. (If you order online, make sure you get the cart that holds the totes for 12x12 paper. There is a narrow cart that looks the same, but it cannot fit the 12x12 paper! I take the wheels off and sometimes stack two together to make a tall cart (as shown below). The black/clear carts above contain six totes, plus I have an extra tote on top of each cart for a total of 28 totes of paper. (You can purchase the 12x12 totes separately. The size of the totes that come with the carts is14.4"L x 14.1"W x 3.1"H.) The carts in the photo below are white with clear totes. The white carts are cheaper, for some reason. And the black are harder to find in stock. I did not care if I had to mix and match, so I have some of each!
I also have eight more carts to hold cardstock, various pattern papers, and the G45 Christmas collections! These carts are stacked with the wheels removed, giving me a nice “wall of paper”! I keep lots of finished projects on the top. Being surrounded by some of my projects keeps me in a creative mood.
Tip: Sort cardstock by color to make it easy to find what you need for each project. I have a 12x12 bin for each color or color family. The paper is kept flat, and out of direct sunlight and dust! I store my 8 ½ x 11 paper in drawers next to my desk.
To see a video tour of my space, see the link below. I give you a peek into each of the storage areas along with giving you more tips and tricks for storage. I even give you a look into the “overflow” closet! I do NOT allow you to see the “room of requirement” which is what I call my oldest son’s bedroom. He no longer lives at home and I am ashamed to say, his room has become the holding area for things that need sorting, discarding, and donating!
Thanks for coming along on my tour!
To see more about my ribbon storage, please click HERE.
Hello, and good morning! Can you believe that November is almost here?! It has been hot here (in the 90's) so it still feels like summer, not like fall in the least bit! So, with all this hot, dry weather hanging around, I decided to take a little break from making Halloween and Thanksgiving projects and make something PINK!
I pulled out the Graphic 45 Princess Collection and had some fun! This is another collection that I have had in my stash for a while and had not yet cut into! (I know...I buy things and then...life happens!) I decided to use this sweet collection to make a journal. Remember when I made THIS journal, I told you that you could buy extra inserts? I had some extra notebooks, and decided to make my own journal from scratch and add the G45 notebooks to it!
I created my journal to be 9" tall, 5" wide, with a 1 1/4" spine. Inside there are two notebooks and a waterfall photo element. If you wish to make your own journal, follow the directions HERE (this journal is slightly smaller, but it is easy to adjust measurements and number of notebooks).
I added lots of yummy seam binding as tie closures, and for decor on the spine. The front of the journal has one of the Princess Ephemera Cards and lots of flowers.
I love seam binding! You can buy it in tons of colors (HERE) or you can buy the white and color it yourself to match any project!
I love to add some fun to the spine of my journals. If you plan to take your journal out and about with you, and maybe put it into your bag or purse, you may want to keep the covers and spine a bit plain and flat.
Inside the front cover there is space for a photo and some journaling. The cover of the first notebook also have a journaling flap.
The first notebook has lined paper, and also has a pocket and tag in the front.
And another pocket and tag in the back. I used the G45 Large Kraft Tags (with 1" cut off the bottom).
The second notebook has watercolor paper. If you want to make your own notebooks, they should measure approximately 8 1/4" x 4 1/2" to fit this size journal.
This notebook also has pockets and tags.
Feel free to decorate your notebook pages as well.
The back of the journal has a waterfall that can hold 21 photos! For help creating a waterfall element, please see THIS tutorial (scroll down until you see the section on making a waterfall).
To see all the pages, please view the video below.
Thanks for watching! If you liked the video, please give it a thumbs up!
I am happy you came by to visit me today! I hope you enjoyed my little project!
Graphic 45 Supplies Used:
Princes Collection (12x12 Collection Pack, 8x8 Paper Pad, 12x12 Patterns and Solids Pad, Tags and Pockets, Chipboard, Ephemera Cards)
