My New Toy!!!

So I have been oogling over all of the wonderful cards and projects made with alcohol markers, ie Copic Markers, but my cheapo brain couldnt wrap my head around the expense and choosing colors was daunting.  Weelll, that all changed when I received an email from www.hallmarkscrapbook.com about Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers.  I was hooked at 1st glance!  Of course, i resisted for a while, doing my research, but ultimately I had to have them.  It ended up being $112 for the intial set of 72 markers.  Not bad if you have ever priced out Copic Markers.  So far, i love them.  In my research, i found lots of people doing comparisons between the different alcohol markers.  Copic people say they dont blend as well, and they like their brush nib better....  Well that may be true, but im never gonna know the difference, lol!!!    I do have a couple minor complaints.  The colors are supposed to go 1= lightest, 9= darkest...but some dont make sense that way.  I downloaded and filled out the color chart, so I can figure it out, just wish it made sense.  The other thing is that the barrel falls apart on some of the markers.  The "ink well" can go flying and wreck your project.  However I have found a fix for that...  I did make a little video that I will post below this, and you can see my fix...  I will also say that I consider myself a "crafty" person, and not so much an "artsy" person.  This goes much more into the "artsy" realm, so I will be PRACTICING!!!  Oh darn, lol...

The 1st card I made.  The digital stamp is from http://linnie-whoopsiedaisy.blogspot.com/.  I have been using Georgia Pacific paper from walmart.  Once I get better, I will venture into some spendier paper...

 And some of my other practice pieces.  The fish, duck, bird, and ant are all from www.doodlepantry.com

The rest of the images are from http://sliekje.blogspot.com/

Thinking of You

I a card this weekend for my uncle who is in the hospital after surgery for colon cancer.  He also happens to have a totally unrelated 2nd cancer, lymphoma that he will have to battle simultaneously.  And to top it off, his wife had surgery this week, too!  It is a tough time for them and I just want them to know they are on my mind and in my prayers...

I used some papers from a Walmart stack, inks from CTMH, a chipboard shape from CTMH, and matching cutout from Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge.  Hemp tie to finish it off...

From My Craft Room Blog Giveaway

Wow, Ive been looking at my blog list that I follow and I have been truly inspired!  I expecially love this blog From My Craft Room.  She has this awesome tutorial on a round side step card that I am totally going to try!!!  And, she has a giveaway for her 3rd anniversary going on.  Follow the link in the page to go to it, ... or on second thought, no dont go there, I want to win!!!  LOL

Shabby Chic

I have been inspired lately by all the shabby chic cards and layouts I have seen.  I am impressed by how a card or LO can almost be more of a work of art than "just a card".  It has never been my style, but I am a good faker, lol.  I decided to try my hand at the shabby chic style, and this is what I came up with.  It is a birthday card for my mother-in-law.  I really like how it turned out.  Luckily she saves every card I have made for her, so the effort is not lost on her!

I used lots of distress ink, the lace is dyed with distress ink.  The flowers are hand-cut because I dont have a flower cart yet.  There are real pearls in the center of the flowers.

Card Swap

I joined a Birthday Card Swap on the Cricut Messageboard.  I have to create a set of man, woman, girl, and boy cards.  The card in my last post was used for the woman card.

I found the man card on Pinterest.  The coolest part about it is that the pocket can fit a gift card in it!!  LOVE IT!!!!

The boy card is from the Batman Cricut Cart.  

And the girl card is from the Smiley Cards Cart.  I only have this one in digital form on my gypsy, so I overlook it  a lot, but it is SO CUTE!!

http://mytimetocraft.blogspot.com/

I scraplifted this card idea from the cricut messageboard and this blog, A Time to Craft.  

Imitation is the best kind of flattery, right?

Easter '07

Here is an Easter layout for a LOAD challenge over at Storytellers.  I cant decide if I am going to add more of a title, or stick with just the journal tag...  what do you think?

Feb Storytellers Challenges

Here are a couple more challenges from the Storytellers blog.  Really loving these kits and having some inspiration to get things done!!!

Feb Technique Challenge - Storytellers

This page was for the Ink-y Heart Challenge at Storytellers.  I inked the hearts and then I stamped the word LOVE on the large heart in the center.  I love the challenges.  Makes sure I actually get stuff done!

On a Card Roll...

Heres another kiddie card.  I had already pieced the puppy together earlier, from the Create A Critter Cricut Cartridge.  I completed the card for Connies Card Challange on the Storytellers Club Forum.

Cindy Loo Card from Custom Crops

So I saw on Pinterest a super cute card made with the Cricut Cindy Loo Cartridge.  Pinterest linked back to Custom Crops (I love CC!!).  http://www.customcrops.com/article_info.php?tPath=2&articles_id=429  The author created a .cut file for the card, but I havent switched my copy of design studio to my new laptop, so I did it myself with my gypsy.  Here is my copy of the project.  I think I will make more of them and play around with the colors.  

Scrappy Scrappy!!

Here are a couple more LOs of Tommy, i will get caught up some day, lol!!!

1st, one of Tommy with my sister, Auntie Colie.  Using the Storytellers Kit Urban Expressions...

The 2nd one is Tommys 2nd Birthday party, an Elmo Party!!!

Cards and more cards!

My grandma was talking about never having a card when she needs one, so I made some cards for her to have on hand.  I made 3 copies; one for her, one for my mom, and one for me.  

I also made a Valentine Card, well actually 2.  I couldn't decide whether to use the heart with vellum overlay as an element on the card, or "the card" so I did both, LOL...

I am using this 1st one for a Valentine Card Challenge on the Storytellers forum.  www.storytellers.lefora.com

This one is going to be uploaded for a Fabulous Friday Challenge and Blog Hop at Frosted Designs.

http://frosteddesigns.blogspot.com/2012/01/winter-wonderland-blog-hop-fabulous.html

Storytellers Club Layouts!!

I think I touched earlier on me joining a kit club.  I got my 1st kits last week and have finished my first 2 LOs this weekend.

They have great papers and cute embellishments...  Here they are...

Im on a roll!!!

Here are some more pages I got done over the weekend and got photographed last night....

Every 6 months I make a page of pics that I want in his book but dont have another spot to fit... This is one of those pages

I won a kit from CTMH at a craft show.  This came from papers from that kit.  It is the Felicity kit :)

More scrappy pages

I have a few more to share, i hope i can keep this up!!  I joined Storytellers Club this week to help me get caught up faster.  I havent received any kits yet, but they have a cool forum that I have done some of the challenges for.  Keeping me motivated... ;)

Wow, its been a while!

Well, I have been MIA from this blog for a long while.  havent had much new to share.  Been doing a lot of the same stuff over and over for my etsy site.  I am setting a goal for the new year to get more caught up on my scrapbooking...I will do it!!!  LOL...

So here are a few of my recent pages, I did 2 of them today...