Hello Stampers!


These are three of the many tags I created during the Tim Holtz online card class last month.  WOW - what an amazing class this was!  I will certainly be sharing some of these techniques at SGD in upcoming classes. They were awesome - and so much fun!


The top left tag is pretty cool.  The bright orange and bright yellow images were stamped with bright archival inks and heat set onto white glossy card stock.  Then I applied distress ink to the whole card - and rubbed it off the stamped images with paper towel.  Heat set again.  Then stamp the butterflies and text with black archival ink.  Heat set again.  Pretty fun, huh?


The top right tag is one of my absolute FAVOURITE ink techniques!  This is alcohol inks - with ink blending solution - and metallic fixatives.  GORGEOUS.  I love this technique.  Go check out Tim's video if you haven't seen it before - so worth it.


I'm excited beyond words to be going to CHA in Chicago in July - and have fingers and toes crossed that I can just hang out near Tim for a while!!


xx

This is Suzi with Bunny from Whimsy Stamps.  I ordered her a while ago, and hadn't inked her up yet.  Isn't she adorable?


I've coloured her with my Copics, and gave her a little shading with Prismas.  I've given her a watercolour background, which I think brightened her up even more.  


The background is one of my "old is new again" faves: the 6x6 Impression Obsession stamps - so perfect for a 5" square card background.  I've stamped it with a wheat chalk ink to stand out a little more.


I'm super, super excited to be heading to back-to-back Copic certification sessions in Toronto next week - hope to gain all kinds of new skills and come back with my badge for my blog and my lapel pin!  Going with my BFF, Andrea - so a girlie weekend - bonus!


xx

Springtime yellows

Hello Stampers and Happy Spring!

I had a great time colouring this little cutie in bright, spring colours with my Copics!  This card was for a class I taught last week.  I wanted a really vibrant yellow for the dress, that wasn't pastel, and that still had lots of depth.  I was pretty happy with how she turned out.  And I was so excited with my R30's - I think they made just the perfect shade of strawberry pink.  

E13, E11, E00, R20, R01

Y26, Y19, Y06, Y02, Y00, Y0000

R35, R32, R30

YG25, YG03, YG00

E25, E49, E53, E59

Stamp:  Sweet Day (Penny Black)

in the mood for some yellow..

Hello Stampers and Happy Monday!

Boy, it's a windy one here in London, phew!  Don't blow away out there!

This is a card I created for a class I am teaching next week - my monthly "Copic cards" class.  last month, I had my students vote on stamps for the following class, and this lovely lady was one of the winning stamps!  This is a brand new Mo Manning by Penny Black!  Don't you just love her?  I have a personal quest to constantly find stamps for my Copics that aren't cutesy little kids.  Now, don't get me wrong, I ADORE my Magnolias and La La Land kiddies.  But, sometimes you just want a change!  With the new releases, Penny Black has had some AWESOME new images!!  I just love them!  And then there are my beloved Paper Smooches, oh how I love thee... I just can't get enough!  And I HAVE to mention Hero Arts!  Once resigned to Michaels-type choice in my opinion, they are now WOWING me with their phenomenal stamps!  And matching dies - and amazing inks - and outstanding open line images for my Copics - that aren't even people!  Be still my heart...

Stampers - never before have we been so spoiled for choice!  And SGD has them all!!

So - this lovely lady on the bike - I am in a "yellows" mode lately.  I'll post another image shortly with my bright yellows.  This lady needed some more subtle tones of yellow, so I went for more of a muted look.  The key to this is using only one or two colours at the most - with the rest very neutral (here I've used W's and E's).  One thing that will really elevate your colouring is to keep your shades to a minimum.  Of course, not your Copic tones - I still like to use 5 or more in an area - but number of colour choices in an image.  Here there is really only yellow - with a tiny bit of pink and green.

Colours:

E01, E00, E000, R20

Y26, Y23, Y21

E44, E43, E42, E41, E40

W4, W2, W0

YG25, YG03, YG00

R35, R32, R30

BG10

I've kept the layout really simple - to focus on the colouring.  And also as it's for a class.  Now call me crazy, but we will attempt to finish 4 images!  Phew, wish us luck.

And - if you haven't already heard - Suzanne Dean will soon be again IN THE HOUSE - AT SGD!  Oh yes - I just confirmed the date with her this weekend - and we couldn't be more excited!!  August 11 is the weekend - and she will be running three fabulous workshops with us!!  DO NOT MISS IT!  Last year we had folks from across Canada join us for this unequaled workshop.  Sign up quick - we sold out last year!

Bellas, Copics, and Prismas

Hello stampers!

Happy Easter!  I am thrilled to have a long weekend - to catch up on my time with my boys and my friends, to sleep in, and to craft!  Oh - and a little chocolate in there too, tee hee!  And - possibly - some late night insomniac online shopping!!

I've really been in a Bella mood lately!  Also, I was lucky enough to go to the Bella store in Toronto a couple of weeks ago - so excited!!  I picked up some Flynns and some gorgeous fruit & scenery images that I'd never even seen before.  So much fun!  I'm also spending lots of quality time with my beloved Copics - and have been having a blast incorporating my Prismas & Gamsol.  LOVE!  I'm super psyched to be going to the Copic Basic & Intermediate certification courses in Toronto next month - so I've been trying to practice when I can.

To get back into my stamping groove, I coloured these two lovelies for the pure joy of it.  I didn't write down a THING - wow - talk about unusual!  I just went with my mood - and brought in some  yellows, peaches, and light greys, warm & cool.  That's just what I thought these pretty images called for.  I'm really into the more muted tones lately with just a little pop of colour.  Copics have such a fab range of browns, greys, and greige options.  I'm even opening up to their yellows lately.  I'm still not quite there with the orange & peach tones, but I am happier than I was - I think bringing in the little pop of Prisma really helps perk them up.

I happened to pick up this gorgeous 6x6 pack last week - all my latest happy colours in it - and of course the latest hot commodity - chevrons!  This is Plumeria by Basic Grey, who I'd kind of written off lately, especially as I'd been so distracted with all the scrummy MME from CHA!

Lots to look forward to - with my Copic certification courses coming up - and got my registration to CHA this week as well!!  It's going to be the Spring & Summer of Crafting - hurray!

Happy Sunday!

Sarah

xx