Hop Art Studio

Maddie

New gal's in town!

I just finished her this week and colored her in.

Didn't have a chance to create a card but I hope that's okay.

I love to color.

Cards, well....it's been a while.

So artist first, cardmaker....when I can.

Copics -E00,E50, E53,Y11,YR31, YR23, Y17,E81,E33,E23,E77,RV21,R17,R59,B32,B95, G14

Maddie and Cat can be bought at Hambo Stamps.

(There are some cute saying that are part of this set.)

Profits of the sales of my new digital stamps go to support OWH. (See blinky on my sidebar.)

Daisy

 

My new digital stamp is now available at Hambo Stamps!

I'm so excited to be able to share my illustrations again.

I just bought some new Copic markers.

I was such a good girl last year. Nothing bought. Really!

Just yarn and some magazines. 

Okay a few books too!

And since I sold so many of my stamping supplies I had a bit of cash stashed away.

So I decided to spend a bit of it on the new markers.

I will also be getting the set of Ciaos that I don't have.

Then, of course, there are the refills. 

Yikes!

Have a great weekend.

 

Josephine

Copic Markers- W1, W3, W5, 0. B95. YG67, E50, E51, E35, E47, RV00, RV23, RV34, R46

Josephine can be found at Hambo Stamps.

I hope you guys are okay with me posting cards again?

It's actually weird for me.

I've been away from it for so long that when I see a card posted on my blog, I have to wonder if it's mine!

Yikes!

I have a new gal coming out this weekend.

Hopefully I'll be able to get a card done this week so that I can share it with you.

If not....

I'll make sure to post her and links to the hop here on my blog.

Here's my puppy.....

My son took this picture while there was a strong wind blowing and he was just enjoying all of the smells.

(I'm a dog person. But if I could find a cat that didn't shed I might, maybe, someday.....own one.)

Linda

 

Copic Markers-  E00, E21, E33, E35, Y08, YR04, Y38, RV10, BG05, BG90, R29, 0

OMGosh! I'm always running around.

And around,

And around!

This is Late Linda, one of my new digis for Hambo Stamps. Profits of these go to OWH.

Did you know that Hambo Stamps have some really fun challenges?

Now that I'm starting to get back in the game, the stamping and coloring game that is, I want to start working on something fun every week.

They have a great challenge this week, extra folds.

I want to work on it next week. I'm rusty! But I'm gonna give it a shot.

Take a look at all the beautiful cards the design team created.

Hambo Hoedown

I'm so inspired.

And oh my!

Look at the gorgeous fairy card created by Sarah.

It's so nice seeing what people create using my drawings. And I'm so happy to be able to help out OWH.

Not to change the subject....

But a mom can't help but brag....

James passed his first exam this week, missing only 4 questions. He's so excited.

Watch out for Army Geeks!

Celeste

 

 

Copic Markers - E50, E53, RV00, RV10, RV21, Y11, Y31, Y61, YR23, Y38, YG41, G02, BG93, W1, W3. W5, R46, E08, E37, 0

Meet Celeste. I printed her out twice. Then after I colored in the images, wings and mushroom only on one of them, I cut out the body and adhered it to the front of the card. Using foam dots.

I'm thinking now, glitter may have looked really nice on the wings. Maybe next time!

I cut out strips of the grey paper and layered it for the ground. To give it some texture.

(Okay....really to cover up a mistake! But texture sounded better....hehehe)

Fairy Celeste is part of my new digital stamps to help support OWH  sponsored by Hambo Stamps.

I already have 3 new gals drawn up. 

Just need to make them into digis.

Can't wait to share them with you.

I hope you have enjoyed the new digital images that I've created.

I can't wait to hop around the web and see what beautiful cards you make with them.

Please, leave me a link to your creation.

I would love to be able to see it!

Thank you for supporting OWH.

Thank you for supporting Hambo Stamps.

Addison

 

Meet Addison. I had a blast drawing her. You can find her here at Hambo Stamps Digital Store.

Copic Colors- E00, E21, E53, E31, E33, E35, E37, E47, E93, B00, B97, B95, C00, C1, C3

Remember that the profits from the sales of my new digital images go to OWH.

Last year when I decided to take a break from stamping and illustrating everyone, including my family, thought I was nuts! LOL

Really....a break?

But you're obsessed about it.

Look at all of those markers? $100's of dollars....let just add it up, hubby said one day....let's not! I replied.

(And I don't have ALL the markers! Imagine what he would say if I did have every one. All I have are the original 4 Ciao sets plus the 0000 set)

But I was serious. 

I quit teaching, I quit stamping and I quit illustrating. 

I learned to knit. 

And I enjoyed the year I had with my son before he left to the Army's basic training.

Sometimes.....we have to let go of something that we love inorder to focus on something that is more important.

I will always be an artist, just like I've told my son that he will always be an artist.

Just because he's in the Army doesn't mean that he has to give up drawing. 

I just sent him a care package and in it a little surprise.

A new sketch book with a set of black and a set of colored markers. No, not Copic. But thin ones for illustrating.

(Like the new Prismacolor ones, without the brush tip.)

So....

this year.....

with some of the stresses of last year gone....

with the joy of knowing my son is doing something he loves....

with my passion for illustrating tapping again at my heart....

I'm so happy to be able to share on my blog again.

Hang in there.....

it's gonna be a process for me to get back into stamping again.

And...

I honestly don't think I'm gonna get as involved as I once did.

This time...

It's on my time!

Serena Mermaid

I have some exciting news!

One of my dearest friends has been sweet to host my illustrations on her site. Hambo Stamps !

Not only that but the sales of my new digital images will benefit Operation Write Home.

As you know from reading my blog my son is now in the Army.

And I can't tell you enough how important it was for him, as well as for us, to receive a card or letter.  

I'm nervous and excited at the same time about this premier.

I've been having a blast playing with my new illustration style and I am so happy to be able to share it with you. You already got a glimpse of 2 of my new gals, Trena and  Bella, but now you get a chance to see all of them!

To see samples of all the new images please go to the Hambo Hoedown.

I hope you enjoy using them on your cards as much as I've enjoyed drawing them.

Meet Serena.  

She is printed out on Neenah Classic Crest White Super Smooth paper. I then spray the image with Krylon Workable Fixatif. This makes sure that the ink on the paper, from your printer, will not smear when you color in the image. I have tried other sprays but found that, for me, this one works the best.

Copic Colors - E50, E51, Y02, Y15, Y11, YR23, W00, W1, W3, YG03, YG63, YG91, 0, B02, BG05, RV14, RV21, R17

You can purchase all the new digital stamps at Hambo's "New Arrivals"

Please remember, all digital images are copyrighted Asela Hopkins for Hambo Stamps.

You can use them for your own personal use and to create cards. Handmade, not mass produced.

I think this clears up Copy Right questions. (Thanks Maurie J Manning!)

Coffee Please

Copic Markers: R0000, R20, RV13, R22, RV29, C1, C5, E00, E53, E33, E37

(Oh Yes! The paper I use, thanks for asking -Neenah Classic Crest Solar White Super Smooth 80 lb. Or you can use just Neenah Classic Crest if you can't find Super Smooth.)

My coffee maker died. Yep, the second Keurig I've owned in one year. So I went out and bought something different.

Now, I like the machine I found. It makes single servings.  No K cups. The coffee tastes great to me.

But....hubby....well not so much.

So I'm off to buy the good ole' stand bye Mr. Coffee maker. Yep, no more single servings at my house.

Oh well. Pick your battles I always say.

This is another adorable digital image by Hambo Stamps.

I printed her twice and cut out the little hand and popped it up over the coffee cup.

 

I have become a drawing fool lately!

I'm on my third drawing, a mermaid. She's cute.

I'm thinking I may post them as freebies for everyone to use.

I'll explain why, if I do decide to share my artwork, I will not be making them into rubber.

Or selling them as digi stamps.

And why they will be for free.

Changin'

Copic Markers -BG0000, BG01, BG09, RV10, RV23, YG0000, YG03, YG63

 

Isn't he the cutest? Just gotta love Tim's digital illustration for Hambo Stamps.

I wish, beyond wishing, that I had half the talent that Tim does when it comes to illustrating cartoons. Man can he draw!

I've also created one more card this week. Crazy, huh? 3 cards in one week. I must have a fever. 

Coloring fever that is.

I'm still trying to learn how to draw cartoons. Don't get me wrong I can illustrate, in my own style. But I want to get to the point of being able to just draw silly little cartoons like I see my boys drawing. Both my boys are really talented. 

I know it's just practice, practice and more practice. And then you find your own unique cartoon style. 

I'm just more of a realistic illustrator. Need to have something to look at to either get inspired or as a reference for an illustration.

I'm not giving up, but boy is it frustrating....lol.

Hope you enjoy my cards. 

(I'm using old paper packs from last year, can ya tell? Wink....not ready to get back to spending on paper, embellishments, keeping up with the Jones. Not stressing....this is all about having fun!)

Yes, I'm still knitting and crocheting. It's so relaxing. 

Mummy!

Holly cow Batman! I made a card. It's been a long while. And boy did it feel awkward. But it was fun coloring in Tim's new digital image. I've always loved Hambo Stamps and when I saw this cute little guy I just had to have him. You can find more of thier wonderful stamps and digitals here

I've updated my SU! sales page. All orders have shipped. There are still plenty of stamps left. I'll leave the page up till the end of the year. After that, what's left will most likely go back into storage.

Christmas Window

The chill in the air makes me want to start making Christmas card. I used Christmas Window by Hambo Stamp for the focal image. It reminds me of our living room. The tree sits right next to our fireplace, stone with a large wooden mantle. Above it a mirror.

I tried to use a softer color palette with my Copic markers.

The snow was created with Liquid Applique by Marvy.

By the Fire

Boo! I love campfires and scary stories. This is a cute digi stamp by Hambo Stamps. With the weather really cooling down, especially in the evening, it makes me want to sit around a nice hot fire.

I used that really cool black ribbon that I just bought from Hambo Stamps. You can find all kinds of beautiful ribbon on sale. 

Colored in using Copic Markers.

Over the Fence

 

Well it's been a busy week. I've been working on photographing more stamps to add to my Etsy shop and also working on previews for next weeks new stamp release for Ginak. I can't wait to share my newest set with you. It's a subject that I love to draw!

I'm still on my Halloween card making binge. I love the bright and fun colors of the season. Hambo Stamps has really fun images for me to color. I actually combined 2 digital images together using Adobe PSE. I opened the fence and then opened the witch, making sure to make the area around her transparent. Then dragged her over top of the fence image. I printed it out twice and colored it in using Copic markers.

 Have a great weekend.

Wee Vampire

 

Eeeek! I'm loving working on Halloween cards. And using Hambo's adorable Wee Henry Vampire was so fun. I used my Copic markers to color in the image. Added a bit of green to his complexion. The front of the cape is popped up.

 I'm diligently  working on photographing my Halloween cards so that I can upload then to my Etsy site. I wish at times that I had a Genie that I could use to do these tedious chores. But alas, I don't!

Bewitched...

 

Getting into the Halloween card making spirit. This is another fun image by Hambo Stamps. I colored her in using Copic Markers. Lots of fun!

 

Now for the winner of my newest set Boo!...

Congrats...

Carrie C said:
"Ooooo, I love this set - and the card you made with it. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Such fun to make Halloween cards and decorations. Thanks for the chance to win!" 

Email me your mailing address and it will go postal ASAP.

Thanks everyone for the comments.

Ice Cream

 

Having cute images to color is really easy with Hambo Stamps Digital images. I love Tim's art! I wish I could draw cartoons like he does. But I don't even have to 'cause I just hop on over to Hambo's site and find what I want. Easy peasy.

 Ice Cream Man  was so much fun to color and create a card with. It's the perfect card to help celebrate this last weekend of summer fun.

Have a great Labor Day weekend.

Time Out

 

Well it's back to school week and I'm enjoying my mornings again. I just need to get into a new routine. Still have my oldest here who starts college next week, but after that I should be able to get more done around here. It's funny even when they are older they still take up some of my time. (Granted, not near as much as when they were little.)

I'm really loving coloring in Hambo's stamps! This image reminded me of my boys. They had and still have quiet the imagination. I can picture them at the playground pretending that they have a friend dinosaur to play with. 

Creating a smooth background with Copic markers is really hard. You can achieve a smooth look by masking off the images and then airbrushing the background. Or you can do what I did, not even try to make it smooth! I cross hatched 3 blue marker colors over and over again to create the background blues. I like it. It's a nice contrast between the dinosaurs smooth skin and the layers of the background.

Lots of Copics used!

B32, B95, B12, B39,0, Y02, YR23, E51,E53,  E35, R27, G0000, G000, G02, YG41, BG96, W1, W3, C1, C5 

Copic Creations Challenge 33 - Reflections

 

This copic challenge is reflections. It can be on anything that has a reflection. Hop on over to the Copic Creations Blog  and you will find a list of tutorials that will help you with your coloring. And the samples by all of the design team is amazing!

This weeks prize is by Suzanne Dean! You won't be disappointed.

 

0,C1,C3,C7, E00, E21, E35, E29, YR23,YR07,RV10,R27,R59,B00,B05,B45,B95,YG11,YG67,BG96

I used this oh so cute digital stamps by Hambo Stamps. For the reflection I cast the shadow into the water.  I colored in the darker colors into the water first, the browns, some red and so forth. Then I went over it with the blues to blend it in. I wanted to create a sense of depth underneath the peer and his feet.

Just Beecause

 

Oh goodness have I been in a major funk this week! I don't know if it's because of all the stresses that I've been dealing with around our tiny little neighborhood (why can't everyone just get along?). Or maybe it's because summer is coming to an end and school is about to start. But I really hope to pop out of what ever has got a hold of me and get my creative juices flowing again.

I used another adorable image by Hambo Stamps as the focal point. I colored it in using Copic Markers and added a bit of Diamond Stickles to the beehive. I then used Cosmo Crickets Tiny Type stickers to create the saying.

Peeps!

 

 
This little birdie image is so cute. I know I'll be using him again and again. I stamped him one on top of the other and then stamped him again 4 times on a separate piece of paper. I colored these images in and cut them out. Adhering them to the ones stamp in a row using adhesive dots. Copic markers were the perfect coloring medium for them.

You can find this bird image at Hambo Stamps.

Say Cheese

 

I just couldn't resist using this paper with this cute Hambo Stamps image. The little mouse and cheese are two images and they are perfect together.

My son has the sweetest hamster. This little mouse reminded me of her.

  I'm a big sucker for animals. Grew up with a dad that raised every abandoned bird and helped every injured animal. He still has a ton of critters, from pigmy goats to Koi's. If it was up to me I'd probably be following in his footstep. But..... one has to be practical. (Oh ya and then there are those pesky zoning laws! LOL) 

I colored him in using Copic markers.

The background paper is Max & Whiskers by Basic Grey. 

Thank you everyone for the sweet comment about my first video. I'm so glad it was helpful. I will definitely plan on making more in the future, as time permits.

Beast Friends!

 

I'm a huge fan of Hambo Stamps. I love all of their images. Being the mom of two boys I love to be able to find stamps that are perfectly suited for boys. 

,This dinosaur-monster is great! When my 13 year old saw him stamped on my paper he just had to ask if he could color him. Since I had stamped several of this image I gave him one to work on. He made him green with yellow spikes! Way cute.

I used CPS- Card Sketch Challenge, for this week, as the inspiration for the layout. I love using sketches to motivate me to create something. There are often times when I get a creative block and the sketches are exactly what I need to get me started.

(I decided to go with the darkest color next and then follow that with the medium to blend.)

Finishing my blending with the lightest colors.

All done! I'm going to have fun with this little monster, coloring him all kinds of ways. 

Copic Markers- V000, V12, V15, V17, YG11, YG63, Y08    

  
 

Copic Creations Challenge 29 - Animals

 

I'm so excited to be able to use a digital stamp image from one of my favorite stamp companies Hambo Stamps!

This weeks challenge at Copic Creation Challenge Blog is coloring animals. And Hambo has really fun stamps, perfect for this challenge. I used this adorable Prince frog digital for my card. Hop on over to the Copic Creation Blog and see all of the gorgeous samples that the design team created.

               
 

Normally I color the entire body with the light color, but in the first picture I decided to just color in the light areas and leave the darker areas untouched. Just something different. I still went over all of the image using the lightest color to blend.

 

Copic Markers - Y11, YG03, G24, BV0000, BV00, BV13, Y17, YR23 

It's Hambo Time!

The very first design team I was on was Hambo Stamps and I have continued to love Tim's illustrations. Monica's sayings are always hilarious and I loved working with the 2 of them. 

In honor of them today we are having a special blog hop.

You're next stop will be to the very talented Colleen's blog to see what beautiful creation she has made using Hambo stamps

 http://www.distinctivetouches.com 

 

This cute image was one of the first stamps I got from Hambo. Isn't she a hoot! I used Copics to color her in.

The other wonderful bloggers joining in today will be

  Isabelle Jane Libby MacKenzie Melissa

Beary Thanks

 

Have you tried digital stamps yet? They are a wonderful alternative to rubber or acrylic. What you get is a digital image sent to your computer that you can download and print out. Please respect the illustrators when you purchase these types of digital images and do not reproduce them for profit (except when you are using them on card fronts etc.) Also, don't forward them to your friends. I don't want to get into the specifics of copyright laws but ignorance is no excuse for doing something that is wrong, KWIM?

Okay, anyways. This adorable bear is illustrated by Tim for Hambo Stamps. Isn't he the cutest ever! (The bear I mean, well....Tim you're adorable too. Wink, Monica.)

I printed him out on card stock, not copier paper. When you are coloring in digital images that you print out on your home ink jet printer just remember to either heat set the ink or spray it first with a fixative other wise the ink my smear when you start to color them.

I used Plaids Acrylic Spray Sealer. I sprayed it very lightly. Warning: Please, if you use this stuff spray it in a very well ventilated area as it has a really strong odor. I am going to try to find something else to use on the print outs. I will let you know what I find works best for me.

I used Copic markers to color him in (arghhhh...wrote all the marker colored down and now can't find the list!)

You can see from the first picture, of another cute digital stamp by  Hambo Stamps, that when you color over the lines the ink will smear. It seems to be worse with the lighter browns that we like for skin tones.

In the second picture  you can clearly see that the ink lines are nice and crisp. I was able to blend and had no problems with the lighter colors.

Now remember I said to spray lightly if you are using Plaids sealer. I tried another print out and applied the sealer with a heavier hand and even though you can still color with your Copic Markers the sealer created a surface that I didn't like. It was harder to blend and it looked mottled. So experiment when you are appliying a sealer over your print outs.

To see Tim's awesome digital and rubber stamp illustrations you can visit their site Hambo Stamps.

Found my list!

Copic Markers: C3, C5, B95, G21, G94, YR23, E21, E33, E35, E08, E47, R20, R46

Wishing You Well

With the cold snap hitting a large portion of the US right now I hope my friends stay well. Especially hard to do when you have little ones bringing home all kinds of germs!

I'm sharing anothercard I created using a cute stamp I purchased from Hambo Stamps.

I went with the St. Patrick day's theme with a bit of a twist. I thought that the Well and the saying played perfectly into the theme of the holiday.

I used mostly Prismacolor Markers with a few Copics to color it in with.

To create the clovers I used a flower punch. I trimmed one of the flower petals with my scissors to create a stem. How cool is that!

 I have lots of stamping to do this week. I'm waiting for a special package to arrive from GinaK Designs!

I'm really excited for the time when I can share with you what came in the box.

Yippee Yahoooooooo!

Finding cute boy images can sometimes be hard. But Hambo Stamps always has the funnest images. I love this little guy that Tim drew for Hambo Stamps! Ain't he just darling?!!!

http://hambostamps.com/

I just clicked on their new stamps. Oh my! I need to get on the phone and order some. The Surfer Pig and Party Sheep. How fun!

I stamped the little cowboy using memento ink and colored him in using Copic and Prismacolor markers.

For the mountains in the background  I colored them in first in orange and then started adding layers of grays and browns to mute it.

The background is Cuttlebug embossing folder Paisley.

Ahhhhhhhhh! Looks like a missed a finger. Well....I'll just need to go back and color it in. LOL.

That's one thing that is so cool about alcohol based markers. You can always go back in and color and layer. The new marker strokes re-activate the old layers.

My hubby was looking at something I was coloring in last night and said that the image looked watercolored. Yes! Now that's the kind of compliment I love to hear.

Honey, Bee Mine!

What a week! I've been busy with all sorts of stuff. Some fun, others not. But hey that's life, right? Makes things interesting.

Aren't these just the cutest mushrooms you ever saw! I couldn't wait to color them in when my package from Hambo Stamps arrived. I can see so many different sayings working with this stamp.

I used another of GinaK's sayings.

I didn't keep track of the markers I used (Note to self:GET BETTER AT THAT!)

I used mostly Prismacolor markers. If you practice a ton with these markers you will get really good at using the larger chisel tip. Even being able to color in small areas. The key word here is "Practice". Like with anything else in life it just takes time to get really good at it. Now for some, it may take less time, and others a whole lot more time.

But in the end you will be much happier with the materials and methods that you are using if you stick with one thing long enough to become proficient at it.

Some Bunny's Sick

I'm a big fan of Tim's illustrations for Hambo Stamps. His drawings are so fun and whimsical. Lately I've been enjoying how he takes their stamps and creates these amazing scenes with them. On Monica's blog  http://hambostamps.blogspot.com/ you'll find a wonderful array of Tim's step by steps of how he draws and colors.

This is one of Hambo's newest stamps. I just love this little bunny. Reminds me of when my oldest son broke his foot. He hobbled along in JR High, from class to class, with crotches. Poor thing.

I stamped the bunny using Memento Black. I love a true black ink when I stamp my   images. And it works beautifully with Alcohol based markers. So far, knock on wood, I haven't had any problems with it smearing.

Now I want to apologize for not knowing the scrapbooking papers I use on my projects. You see I have very, very, very limited space to work in. Actually, if you ever saw where I create you would think I'm crazy! (And it's not the spot I showed before, I've since relocated. That cute little alcove is now used only for illustrating and coloring.) And since this is the case, I will come home and cut my larger sheets of paper down to 6x6 sizes. And then they all get dumped into one place. I wish I had the room (one day-dreams can happen, right?) to have my 12x12 sheets nicely organized by manufacturer.

After I punched out the corner embellishments I embossed them with my Cuttlebug folder and then lightly smeared Close to Cocoa (SU!) ink on them.

I used my Prismacolor Nuetral color Markers and 1 Copic brown to color in the bunny. To make the cast I used Prismacolor Eggshell and then the blender pen to create that smeared look.

Stamps: Rabbits Foot (Hambo Stamps) Get Well (Impression Obsession)

Ink: Memento Black
Cardstock: SU!, Bazzill, Scrapbooking
Accessories: Brads,
Tools: SU! round flower punch, circle punch, EZ Corner Tags punch, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder
Prismacolor and Copic Markers

Happy Birthday Monica!

Happy Birthday Monica!

My very first design team was for Hambo_STamps. I love Monica's wonderful sayings and Tim's perfect illustrations. Unfortunately, I had to resign my position on Monica's design team when I joined CHF. But I never stopped using or promoting Hambo Stamps because I love them so!

So enjoy your day today Monica and thank you for your friendship, encouragement and wonderful stamp line!

Hop on over to all of these wonderful blogs to see the special creations made for this special day:

http://web.mac.com/cschaan1/Site/Distinctive_Touches/Distinctive_Touches.html

http://toyzhaven.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com

http:// inkerbelle.blogspot.com

http://janesaddiction.typepad.com/janes_addiction/

http://jarfullofjoy.blogspot.com

http://www.inkinitupwithkendra.typepad.com

http://stampinlibby.blogspot.com/

http://midnightscramper.blogspot.com

http://tayloredexpressions.blogspot.com

Relax and Enjoy the Day

I made this card last week. What a cute image! You can find it at Hambo_Stamps.

I stamped the image twice and I colored it in using my Prismacolor Markers. For the skin I used Copics. I cut out the feet and the head.

For the bubbles. (Which were a blast to make!) I added some pearls. They come with adhesive on the back. A lot of different manufactures are making them at the moment.  I then surrounded them with Ice Stickles by Ranger (Crystal Ice Glitter Glue). It is so cool in real life.

I watercolored around behind the tub and drew in the line for the floor.

The saying is by Stampin' Up! I embossed it and then punched it out using Martha Stewart scallop circle punch. I placed a button on top to cover the small gift package in the center. The decorative edge is by Martha Stewart.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Missed Ducky

Living next to a new pond has it's challenges and rewards. One thing is the explosion of growth! Shall I just say the frogs have been busy! LOL.

And Cattails. My hubby and boys were thinning them out the other day. Messy, messy!

As time goes by the pond will come to it's own. The fish will grow and there will be less frogs. And eventually the ecosystem will be balanced.

I love Tim's illustrations. I'd give anything to have his talent for drawing cartoons. Wow! You can find this cute duck at Hambo_Stamps. I stamped him using Archival Brilliance Black and colored him in using my Prismacolor markers. (I actually bought 2 Copics at Hobby Lobby last week. Hmmmmm...)

I drew the background and colored it in using my markers and outline them in black. I used SCS sketch challenge for Wednesday the 2 on this card.  I stamped the word "missed" and punched it out using a Martha Stewart punch.

I found the little pearls at JoAnns.

What's Up Chick?

Can you believe the temps got up in the 80's! Ouch....today it's going back down to normal temps for this time of year. The warm temperature made me think of spring. I love spring.

I pulled out another adorable new stamp design by Hambo Stamps. Dirty_Bird.

Love coloring it in with my Prismacolor markers. I added some stitch lines on the background paper using my Signo Gel Pen.

The saying is also by Hambo Stamps and can be found on the new arrivals page.

I finished the card off with some flowers.

Thanks everyone for your kind words, prayers, thoughts, and emails for me. You guys are so sweet. Really enjoy all the stories you have shared with me about your experiences building a house. And you always encourage me to keep on doing what I love to do.

Big hugs.

Bee-Hive Yourself!

Last week I ordered two wonderful new stamps from my dear friend Monica, owner of Hambo Stamps. This is one of their new spring line of stamps, Tree Hive. It can be found at New_Arrivals.

I stamped the image using SU! Black and colored it in with my Prismacolor Markers. See, I still haven't bought new markers!! Use what you've got baby....hehehehehe

I embossed a sheet of SU! Barely Banana paper by putting it in the Cuttlebug Tiny Mosaic folder and smashing it with my Sizzix. Then I passed my SU! Saffron ink pad over the raised areas of the paper.

Using my Signo white gel pen I created a line just inside the black square behind the hive.

Monica also has a wonderful blog and a amazing team of designers. Check it out http://hambostamps.blogspot.com/

Things move fast some days and then slow down again at the home site. I'm getting a bit anxious for it to come to an end and move in. We will still have to wait one more month after we move in to get all of our belongings. I figure that I've waited this long what's one more month any way. One thing is for sure, I'm going to be selling a ton of stuff once I do get them out!

Orange and Black

So I'm in a Fall kind of mood. Got in the swing of things yesterday and created two similar color themed cards. So I thought I'd share both of them today.

The first one is fairly simple.

I used a Michaels $1 stamp of pumpkins I found. I colored them in using 4 Prismacolor markers - Canary Yellow, Spanish Yellow, Orange and Terra Cotta.

I first did a base coat of Canary Yellow. Next I added Spanish Yellow, allowing the Canary to show through as the highlights. Orange is next and then Terra Cotta along the edges.

Again, just a little bit of shadow added around the pumpkins with my Cool Grey 10%.

On the next card I used Impression Obsession's MC149_Build_A_Tree. This is a really versatile set. I just knew it would be fun as a Halloween tree.

The bones and the saying are by  Hambo_Stamps. I used a white gel pen to color in the bones. How did I make the tomb stones? Glad you asked! I used a stencil I made using SU! window punch. I placed the stencil over the paper and colored it in using my Prismacolor grey markers. And guess what? That's how I made the moon. I used a circle stencil I created and colored it in with my Prismacolor marker. Oh yea.!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far. I know I sure am.

Oh I Believe

Making_Angels and Snowflake_Duo are the cute stamps that I used to create this card. I've used this layout before. I thought it was a good way to highlight the watercolored image.

This time I didn't use dye inks to watercolor this image. I used Prismacolor Watercolor Pencils. Yep! I figured if I own Prismacolor pencils and markers, and love both of them so much, I should add the Watercolor Pencils. I used my Michaels 40% off coupon to purchase them some time ago.

Working with watercolor pencils is very different than using dye inks or watercolor paints. I first colored in the areas that I wanted darker. For instance the blue around the edges of the girls body. Then I wet my brush and placed it over the darker edge and drew the pigment outwards. I also applied the wet tip of the brush directly on the pencil to pick up the color. Then I applied it to the paper.

For the snowflake background I first stamped the snowflake using a darker blue than the paper. Then I stamped once again over the blue snowflake using white craft ink. This offset image makes the snowflake appear three dimensional. Very cool!

I stamped and cut out the smaller snowflake within the larger one. Adhered it to the corners of the image and applied some sparkle.

The sayings is also by Hambo stamps.

Hanging out

I'm going batty!

Naw, not really. But ya know once a month I sure feel that way. LOL ....shhhhhhh don't tell anyone.

I stamped Hambo's Flying_Bat twice on SU! Shimmering white card stock. Then I drew in a tree branch and colored it in using Prismacolor Grey 20%. I hand lettered the saying.

For the corners I used Marvy's Square Scallop punch (large) and created some scallop corners.

Just take a look at the pictures to see how I did it.

Really easy, actually.

Just cut the edges off of the square scallop. I used an exacto blade but you can use scissors. And check out the cute square that's left over! Oh the possibilities.

I love to use the supplies that I already own in new ways. Instead of going out and buying something.

Talking about buying.

I really tried to find something at Michaels to use my 50% off coupon. It seemed like such a good deal to not try to find something to use it on. But I just couldn't. Again, I just don't want to buy something and have it sitting there. So I gave my coupon to the check out lady at the grocery store. Brought a big smile to her face.

Worth millions!

Cornucopia

I have so much to be thankful for. I'm sure you do to.

This is Hambo's Cornucopia stamp. It was really a great stamp to color in. I used my Prismacolor pencils. I also added some extra lines on the horn using my black Micropen. While looking at this stamp don't miss out on the fun Turkey!

This is a pretty straight forward card. I stamped the saying (also by Hambo) and punched it out using my SU! window punch. I love that ribbon. I believe I found it at Michaels.

Hope everyone has a wonderful and productive weekend.

Which Witch?

I have a confession to make. I don't really own Halloween stamps. Oh don't get me wrong, I think they're fun. But since I don't send out any cards for the celebration, or make decorations I just haven't had any need for them.

Well, that was until now!

Monica sent me Hambo's Witch stamp and a few other fun ones, including Bone. So I just couldn't resist the urge to make a few Halloween things.

I stamped the witch using Archival Brilliance Graphite Black and heat set it. I then colored her in using my Prismacolor markers. (Yep, I'm still playing with them. But I think this week I'm going to play with my pencils. They are feeling neglected.)

I created a circle mask by punching out a circle in some scrap card stock with a Marvy punch. Placed it over the witch and colored it in using  my Cool Grey 20% marker. (I used Cool Grey 10% to outline the witch.)

I then created crossbones by stamping one bone, masking it off, then stamping the other bone over it. Oh wouldn't it be fun to use with some Pirate stamps? Guess I'm going shopping!

The crossbones are also outlined using Cool Grey 10%. The saying is by Hambo Stamps.

Boo!

When I was a little girl I was terrified of spiders. I would run screaming just at the site of one. And then horror of horrors when I was about five one bit me. I put up such a fuss that my grandmother took me to the hospital. Luckily it wasn't anything bad.

Well, I did get over my fear when I grew up. (When you have to spend one year of your life living out on farmland, in an old house,  you just have to get use to them.)

This little guy doesn't scare me in the least. I actually think he's adorable. So the saying cracks me up. Come on, who'd be scared of that face?

You can find him and the saying at Hambo_Stamps.

I stamped him and his web using versamark and them embossed in black.

Now for the big news, the winner of my blog candy is.......

"I love your blog and check everyday. My next purchase is some of the Marvy punches. I love all the card ideas using the punches. I also need some new stamps. Thanks for sharing your great card." Mary Campbell

Congrats Mary!!!  Send me your mailing address and I'll get the goodies to you ASAP.

Thanks everyone for all of your comments. I love reading all the things that you want to buy next. I definitely will be adding a few more things to my wish list!

Big stamping hugs.

Thumb Thing Big Sale!

 

Oh don't you just love it when you get to celebrate something special. Well, thumb-thing special is happening today!

It's Monica's birthday, the big 40! Happy birthday Monica.

And to celebrate Monica is doing something extra special. I tell you this is a sale you just don't want to miss out on. Now is the time to purchase all those cute Hambo stamps that you have been wanting.

Find out all the details here http://hambostamps.blogspot.com/. This sale only last one day. August 13-August 14. So you have to hurry and place an order.

Now back to the cute stamp I used. I stamped Hambo's  Fingerprint using dye ink in several colors. Then I drew the little faces, hands and feet.  The saying is also by Hambo.

Lastly I added the Cuttlebug background embossing folder to dress up the card.

I Love Peas!

I have to confess that I have made a mistake. I didn't know I was making a mistake. And honestly, this mistake hasn't been a problem for me. But when ya make a mistake you should fix it!

I have been using Stazon Ink to stamp the images that I color in with my Prismacolor Markers. Now my understanding is that you can't use Stazon because it is a solvent based ink just like the markers. Opps! But since I wasn't having any bleeding problems when I was coloring, how was I to know? I guess I was coloring fast and within the lines. So the ink didn't bleed.

So DON'T use Stazon. Use a permanent black dye ink, such as Archival or Ancient Black. I'm going to experiment with these today.

Sorry about this. Like I've said, I'm learning also. And mistakes, well, they're just part of the process.

I used several Hambo stamps on this card. For the background I used their Strawberry and Cherries. http://www.hambostamps.com/food.htm I stamped them in black ink and colored them in using Stampin' Up! marker, So Saffron. (Saying is also by Hambo.) 

Now for the Peas, I stamped them using Stazon Ink.  (Okay, I know, I know...I said don't use it...but I found my mistake after the fact!) Now here's the funny part.... stamped on to plain ole' copier paper! Yep! Sure enough.

Why copier paper? Well, my 15 year old son, who is an amazing artist, was using my markers and coloring in his drawings. And they were perfect! The colors were seamless and so professional looking. So I thought I'd give it a try.

Sure enough. The markers blended so well. The paper allowed the ink to bleed just enough to create that flat area I desired. (Just remember, if you are experimenting with this, to stay a bit away from the outside line as you color, it does bleed outward.)

See that cute oval under the peas. What I did  was create a stencil by using one of  my Stampin' Up! oval punches. I punched out the oval on a scrap piece of card stock and then I placed it over the the pea where I wanted the shadow to be. (You place the negative space, the hole left behind, over your stamped image.) I took my Cool Grey marker and colored it in. How cool is that!

Happy Fall

Well, okay....it's not fall...yet.  But I sure do love it when it comes. I remember that fall is a really beautiful time of year here. Yep, the leaves do change their color. (No it's not as beautiful as up north where I grew up.) But it still has it's own charm, and I'm looking forward to it.

This fun scarecrow is by Hambo Stamps. You can find it here Autumn. (Check Monica's blog to see when she will be back from vacation to place your orders. http://hambostamps.blogspot.com/)

I stamped him using Stazon Black and then colored him in using my Prismacolor markers. Then I added some more details using my Prismacolor Pencils. I decided to add some cute scrapbooking paper that  I found at my LSS, Diamonds by Necessities. (Oh boy I'm in heaven now. Not only do I have a new Michaels next door but I have soooooooo many other great stores to shop for supplies)

Remember to continue to experiment with all of your supplies. Just because the new thing might be Copic Markers doesn't mean you have to forget about your watercolor crayons. And mix it up. Use different things together to achieve a new look. Who said we have to follow the rules!

Hambo Christmas Tree

Okay, so it's hot as the Dickens outside and I'm sharing a Christmas card! LOL. Nothing better than thinking about the Holiday season when the meters hitting close to 100!

This little Christmas tree can be found here http://www.hambostamps.com/christmas.htm. Oh my, Monica is sharing the cutest story about Tim's illustrations. Hop over to her blog  http://hambostamps.blogspot.com/

I colored the tree with Prismacolor Pencils and SU! markers. I then used a gold metallic pen to color in the garland. Add some fun trim on the hat with my Applique pen and it's too cute!

The background is Cuttlebug's embossing folder Snowflakes. I used my Metallic Gold stamp pad and went over the whole card to highlight the flakes. Add some faux stitching and fun red ribbon from Michaels and it's ready to send to a friend.

Now don't forgot to enter my Anniversary Contest. (See post below.)

I'm touched by all the kind comments and it's fun to read how you found me. 

Thoughts of Snow!

We spent the day yesterday in St. Augustine, Florida. One of my favorite places. I love that town. It's full of history and has lots to see and do.

So to cool things off a bit once I got home from the hot and humid day I made a fun Christmas card.

(Mind you, I'm loving the heat!)

Another cute Hambo stamp. Don't forget to run over and buy the stamps while the sale last. http://www.hambostamps.com/sale.htm

I used their 2 snowflake stamps (unmounted) and placed them on a clear acrylic block. I then stamped them, alternating the placement on the blue paper, using white craft ink. Oh, I loved the background it created! I'll definitely be using this pattern again.

I stamped the snow family using Stazon ink and then colored them in using my dye inks. I added some texture using Liquid Applique.

Hope everyone is having a great day!

Christmas in June!

Okay I'm making a promise to myself that I will create at least one Christmas card a week, starting right now!

I always find myself without cards come Christmas time each year. Oh you know, we swear we will take the time to make them, then something always comes up. School, Youth sports, In-laws come to visit, etc. And then the holidays are here!

Well, not this year. Nope. No way!  I'm going to commit to making and sharing at least one holiday card a week. (Mostly Christmas, but I may throw in a few other seasonal cards in there for good measure.)

To start the ball rolling I created this oh so cute card using the Toy_Soldier from Hambo Stamps. Did you know that Monica has some awesome Holiday stamps on sale right now? Man they the cutest! Seriously Tim has such a fun illustrating style. I love using his images.

I stamped the little guy 3 times using black ink and then I colored him in using SU! markers and Prismacolor pencils. The Happy Holidays is also by Hambo. The background is by Cornish_Heritage_Farms. I don't remember where I got the fun red ribbon. I'll bet it was Michaels.

So take a few minutes. Hop on over to Hambo Stamps. And grab up a few of the Holiday sale stamps before they are all gone.

Sale! Sale! Sale!

I have some great news to announce.

First one is a welcome to the newest member of Hambo Stamps design team Colleen! If you haven't been to her blog you've been missing out. So hop on over there and give her a huge warm congratulations.

Second one, Hambo Stamps is having a huge Christmas in June Sale!!! Whew whoooooooooo...how totally fun. I love Christmas time and more so if I can get a jump start early on my cards. So you don't want to miss out on this one. Sale last the month of June or until the stamps are sold out. So what are you waiting for? Get on over there http://www.hambostamps.com/sale.htm

Oh I can't wait to get my hands on some of these cute stamps.

Long Time!

Hubby came home safe and sound Monday. I had no problem getting to the airport, besides the heavy traffic on the 405 and the Taxi's cutting me off at the airport! It went really well.

We had fun all day yesterday, talking and looking at all the flyers he brought home. Man there are a lot of beautiful homes for us to chose from. For once in our lives we are blessed to be able to have all these choices.

I thought this card would be perfect to share for my mid-week design.

Long time, no Sea...Florida! Ha, soon it will be Sea ya California! It's just around the corner. I'm way too excited.

Okay, can you say how totally fun this Seahorse by Hambo Stamps is?  Sure you can! I did something a bit different when I colored him in this time. First I stamped him on watercolor paper using Stazon black ink. Then I colored him in using my SU! markers. Since they are dye based I knew that I could blend in the colors using a wet brush. Plus, I could also pick up the color and leave some areas lighter. Very cool! You can see where I used my wet brush to take out color on the belly and cheek.

The background is Cuttlebug embossing folder Spots & Dots. The saying is by Hambo_Stamps.

12 Moths

Potential. I tell ya! That's what this little stamp by Hambo has. I have a bunch of fun ideas swimming in my head. But first I just had to make this one!

I love butterfly images and now I love moths.  You can find this cute little guy here http://www.hambostamps.com/bugs.htm. The saying can be found on the same page as the Moth. Easy Peasy!

I stamped several moths onto post-it notes and cut them out. I then added some adhesive to the back (temp. type) so I could use them as masks. I stamped 11 moths onto white card stock using black ink. I then colored them in using my Prismacolor pencils. I then stamped one moth on scrap white paper and colored him in. I cut him out and went around the edge with a black marker. This eliminates the white line and makes him stand out more. I added Diamond Glaze and some gold glitter to him. Set him aside to dry.

I assembled my card and then attached him to the front using dimensional tape. Ribbon is by Martha Stewart. (Yep, I'm digging this ribbon...LOL)

Come on now, I know there's a birthday card that you are dieing to make. Hmmmmmmm...wonder if I've inspired you? Hehehehehe.

Contest!

How would you like to win a FREE stamp!

Get on over to Monica's_Blog and place a guess to see if you can win a free Hambo "Fractured Funnies".

It might help to check out the sayings first before you make a guess.

http://www.hambostamps.com/fracturedfunnies.htm

Good Luck!