High Hopes Snowflake Challenge

Hello stampers!

With snowflakes teasing us almost every day here in London, High Hopes is challenging you all to get our your paper snowflakes!

My gorgeous Tim Holtz snowflakes were anxious to escape their drawer and come out to play.

They've joined this gorgeous little High Hopes Santa (Santa's List) from the fabulous new 2011 Christmas release in my attempt to merge "cutesy Santa" with "antiquey distress".

I've stamped Santa on Copic XPress It with Memento ink and coloured him with Copics.  I've punched him with an oval Nestie and mounted him on another oval paper.  I've used the gorgeous new Christmas paper 6x6 from My Mind's Eye.  Tim Holtz has a great choice of snowflakes out this year and I've used his edge die and his snowflake dies.  I used my Xyron to adhere the snowflakes.  I've distressed everything within an inch of it's life here.  I've used Glimmer mist, distress inks, and glitter.  He took a while to dry!

Come and join in the fun - create with snowflakes & High Hopes and enter to win some GORGEOUS new stamps!

Challenge # 122 is open for two weeks starting today!

Come on over and see what the other designers have created this week.

If you are in need of a High Hopes stamp, check out our Diva stores:

Lacey Stephens - Stamp and Create based out of the US

Nikki Fairbairn - Bunny Zoe's Crafts based out of the UK/Europe

Amy Wegener - Stampin' Stuff based out of Australia

High Hopes Website

Stamp:  High Hopes Santa's List
Paper:  My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Christmas
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Antique Linen distress ink, Picket Fence distress stain, Versa magic chalk ink (aquatic splash)
Accessories:  Glass effect gel, Deco Art glamor dust, Inkssentials opaque white pen, Gelly roll pen, Glaze pen
Dies:  Spellbinders petite ovals large, Tim Holtz Movers & Shapers mini snowflakes set, Tim Holtz On the Edge Snow Flurries
Copics:  R59, R46, R27, C7, C5,C3, C1, C0, C00, E01, E00, R20, BG10, E42, E41, E40, W1, W00, W000

Christmas card with Copics and Nestabilities

Go here to win my blog candy!

Hello all - and Happy Halloween!

As I'm getting my little guy ready to be a Ninja for Halloween, I'm starting (slowly but surely) my Christmas cards!  I have my ideas in my  head, but haven't actually started mass production yet.  I know, I know.  It's time to get moving - after all, I do make 50 per year. 

This card might just get me inspired to start my work finally!

I really love a Christmas card that is all about Christmas, but I don't particularly love the old fashioned colours of deep red and pine green.  So when I saw this colour scheme by My Mind's Eye (12 Days of Christmas) it was love at first sight (or stamp)!  And anything that incorporates my beloved teal & turquoise colours is a bonus!

I spent at least a couple of hours colouring this scene, and really enjoyed it.  I had lots of fun adding layers to the different sections and trying to really get some contrast in the colour shading.  I always start with choosing my image, then the paper, and then I match my copics to my paper.  These colours just make me happy!

I didn't use any unusual colour pairings here.  I stuck with natural blending partners.  But if you're like me, and always looking for colour inspiration (or if you have this particular paper and want some guidance) here are my colours:

BG18, BG15, BG13, BG11, BG10
YG17, YG13, YG11
R29, R27, R24, R22
E35, E33, E31
YR20
BG07, BG05, BG02
E29, E27 E25
YR24, YR23, YR21

I have used my beloved Nestabilities by Spellbinders to accent the focal image.  I'm not sure I ever make a card that doesn't use at least one die!  I've punched out the Nativity scene with an oval, and then I used my new lattice die to punch out the accent paper.

For once, I've even decorated the interior of my card!  This almost never happens, but there was the most perfect paper in the My Mind's Eye 6x6.  And I used it to add the sentiment as well.

Happy stamping!

Sarah

xx

snowmen and Kimmie day

Hello all!

First of all, I just have to say what an AWESOME day at Kraftin' Kimmie Day! If you didn't have the chance to attend this second annual event, be sure and check it out next year! I'll include a few photos here. I sat with craftin' buddy and SGD co-worker Cheri - and we had a BLAST. We even managed the most yummy buffet brunch (omg - who doesn't love brunch?). But now I am POOPED out! Phew, time for a hot bath and BED....

While I was there - we made 4 make and takes - and they were GORGEOUS! Finally I managed to get my shadow technique Copic lesson with Melanie Holtz - I've been wanting to do this for over two years - what a treat!

And I managed to finish my design team High Hopes creation for this week (be sure and check out our challenge on Tuesday - what a fantastic way to win some beautiful stamps of your choice). If you haven't seen the new High Hopes release - you have to see them. They are honestly my favourite ever. And some of my favourite Christmas stamps. Sheila JUST got them in (I was snooping on the weekend - shhh - don't tell her!) so make sure you drop in or online and grab them before they're GONE!

So here is my High Hopes creation.

I LOVE this new Christmas paper in non-traditional bright colours. It's My Mind's Eye 12 Days of Christmas. It has some of my favourite colours in it, and those who know me well know how I will take any opportunity to use my BG's! I've also used some brand new Spellbinders I picked up today - can you ever have too many of these?? And the gorgeous gems are brand new as well from Prima. So many beautiful new things in the store - it's a good job I work here to pay for my habit! Good grief!

Tuesday's challenge at High Hopes will be "ribbon, lace, or twine" so I've used some twine from the Twinery that we got at Kimmie Day today (thanks Kim!)

Copics: G16, G14, G12; R29, R27, R24, R22; YR24, YR21; Y00; E41, E40; C4, C2; YR18.

Paper: Copic XPress It, My Mind's Eye 12 Day's of Christmas, Bazzill

Adhesive: Sticky thumb.

Gems: Prima

Dies: Spellbinders

Happy Stamping!

Sarah



High Hopes Stamp Challenge

Hello everyone and happy August!

We are having a beautiful summer here in London - absolutely fantastic!  And for some reason it is motivating me to craft!  Well, that along with the fact that I had my crafty Mother-in-Law here for two weeks, AND I've been making time to get together with my stamping and crafting friends lately!  We had an awesome time at Friday night crop at Scrappin' Great Deals last week - if you live in the area - definitely come and hang out with us some time!  It's a blast!

I am also LOVING this weather and spending so much time outside - enjoying my backyard and deck.  Even sharing my son's little pool with him!  It fits my bum, so it works for me!  And I happen to really like taking photos of my cards outside - instead of inside.  I just like the look of the outside shots personally.

I'm especially motivated lately because I'm beyond excited to go to a full day workshop with Suzanne Dean this Sunday!  HURRAY!  I've been looking forward to this for MONTHS!  If you don't know of her, and you're a Copic fan, you really need to check out her blog - and her FABULOUS YouTube tutorials!  I really love them - they are so helpful.

I've been re-discovering my High Hopes stamps lately, which were buried in my stash.  They are beautiful images to colour with Copics.  I really love little people, and love colouring skin and hair especially, so these are perfect for me!  You can find a full selection of them at Scrappin' Great Deals.  Sheila keeps all the latest in stock!  And my beloved friend and fellow stamper Andrea happens to be on their design team - so that certainly helps - as she's one of my crafty inspirations!  (Definitely check out her beautiful blog for some inspiration - she is so talented).

I stamped this little girl with Memento tuxedo black, on XPress It cardstock.  I always pull my Copic colours from my paper, and this one is My Mind's Eye, Lime Twist - Fly a Kite.  I coordinated with Stampin' Up Pumpkin Pie and Buckaroo Blue to pull from the papers.  I really like working with the 6x6" paper stacks and pulling all my other colours (card, flowers, Copics) from there.

I started by colouring her overalls in blue with B00, B02, B04, B06, B18.  I've feathered over with the colourless blender a little to bring in some more highlight.  I then coloured her t-shirt, bows, and patches in orange with YR07, YR04, Y38, trying to get a little contrast at least, even in those tiny spaces.  Then I picked up the red in the flowers & ladybugs, with R14, R24, R26.  I've coloured the little hearts in R14, R12.  The skin I used my usual combo of E11, E02, E01, E00, R20.  I like having lots of depth in the face and lots of shading.  I just like the effect on my little characters faces.  Her hair I've used my favourite combo E35, E31, YR20, which can really give different effects depending on how many layers you do, and how much white space you leave.  The shoes and buckles are with E29, E27, E25.  The grass and leaves are done with G20, G21, G24, G29.  I've highlighted her eyes with B00 (I'm not fond of leaving "empty" eyes) and as I usually do, outlined the whole image with BG10 (my favourite colour).  I've highlighted the little "dots" in B00, added some diamond glaze to the bugs and the flowers, and some stickles to the dots and lines, just to perk it up a little!

I added some Prima flowers, some rhinestones, and a cute sentiment from My Favorite Things - stamped on some of the Lime Twist paper and punched with a die from My Favorite Things.

I've entered this card into these challenges:
High Hopes:  anything goes
Oldie but Goodie:  Outdoors
Creative Craft Challenges:  summertime
Everybody Art Challenges:  summer
Craft Your Passion:  favourite season
Have a great week!

Sarah
xx

High Hopes Bear Hugs Thank You Challenge

I had a wonderful week of crafting with my mother-in-law who's been here visiting from England!  Sadly my inlaws went home today, and it's back to work for me tomorrow - boohoo!

Here's a card I finished up this morning, for the High Hopes "Thank You" Challenge!
also for the Crazy 4 Challenges C4C95 Challenge.

I've stamped High Hopes "Bear Hugs" in Memento, rich cocoa, on X-Press it paper.  I've coloured her in Copics, punched out with my Nesties ovals and mounted her on My Mind'sEye, Fine and dandy, "tickled pink" paper (punched with Nesties scallop ovals).  I used another piece of paper from the same 6x6 paper pad, and mounted all on SU! cardstock. I also used SU! certainly celery (which I've embossed with a Cuttlebug folder) and kraft cardstock, and topped with an SU! taffeta ribbon.  The "Thank You" sentiment is a SU! stamp, which I've stamped on the "tickled pink" paper with Memento, tuxedo black, and used my Nesties scallop ovals again, and pop-dotted.  I've added some self-adhesive rhinestones, and some paper roses, which I've accented with liquid glaze (thank you Andrea for this great tip!) to look like dew drops.

Copics used:

Bear:  E35, E31, E53, E50, R20, RV11

Skirt/ flowers:  R89, R85, R83, R81

Shirt/ shoes:  YG97, YG67, YG63, YG61

Socks/ t-shirt:  C1, C00, C000

Hair:  E31, E25, E29, E49

Bandage:  E13, E11

Skin:  E11, E01, E00, E000, R20, R00

Grass:  G21, G24, G29

Outline:  BG10

Happy Summer!

Sarah