Missing in Action / Christmas Cards

Sorry for being gone so long. My old computer's monitor died and everything for the blog I have been doing is stuck on the tower. I have to get some cases to salvage my hard drives and make them portable drives. So I had to establish my laptop as the main computer and load files I needed, hook up to the internet, let Windows update itself several times a day (I never connected the laptop to the internet). I am also working on another tatted Petal Doily which takes time. So I thought I would share my Christmas cards I am sending out this year.

I started with Canson Watercolor Greeting Cards for the base since they would be good and sturdy. I found a poinsettia pattern in one of my painting book and used a lightboard to trace onto the cards. I then colored the base colors with BIC and Sharpie markers. Highlights and shadows were added with Prismacolor pencils. The inside message was printed, torn to fit, and then edged with Real Red Ancient Page by Stampin' Up.

CARD FRONT

INSIDE

Two-fer-One Challenge

Stamp Something Challenge Blog is having a Brown Plus Something Challenge, where the main color must be brown with other colors. Stampin' for the Weekend is also having a color challenge with the colors Orange, Brown and Leafy Green.

Since these two challenges were so awesomely similar, I am submitting one card for both challenges. The Pilgrim girl is by Inger Harding Design and is colored with BIC markers and Prismacolor pencils. The flower and leaves are by Tracey Lynn Miller of Fred,She Said Designs The green paper is a digital scrapbooking paper by Terrell Sanzone. The orange paper and brown cardstock are unknown.

Digital Tuesday Challenge #25

This week's challenge is Falling Leaves . I used some leaves I cut from a sheet of House Mouse paper, fall leaves paper from my stash, and Dustin Pike's new scarecrow freebie. He was colored in BIC markers and Prismacolor pencils.

Stamp Something Challenge

This week, the Stamp Something Challenge is Animal Somethings . I decided to make a Halloween tag. Both stamps are by Stampin' Up! and the tag and papers are from my stash. The bear is colored with Prismacolor pencils.

Digital Tuesday Challenge

This weeks challenge at Digital Tuesday Challenge is "Hop to It". I used my usual magazine backing board for my base, Easter Bunny from Dustin Pike and a tea bag medallion and paper, ribbon,eyelets, stamps and a rhinestone from my stash. Bunny is colored with BIC pens and Prismacolor pencils and then attached with pop-dots for a 3-d effect.

Stampin' for the Weekend Challenge #12

This week's challenge is 'Pink and Grey'. The bird stamp is a hand-carved one I made myself. The flowers are 'Fred's Faux Foldy Flowers' by Tracey Miller at Fred, She Said Designs......The Store and everything else came from my stash. The flowers were base colored with BIC permanent pens and detailed with Prismacolor pencils blended with baby oil.

Digital Tuesday Challenge #20

This week's Digital Tuesday Challenge is Male Cards . I decided to use an image by Dustin Pike that I colored with BIC markers and shaded and highlighted with Prismacolor pencils.

Stampin' for the Weekend Challenge

I guess I'm on a bit of a roll this week! :) This is for another challenge site I discovered: Stampin' for the Weekend. This site uses good old-fashioned rubber stamps to create with. They post a new challenge every Friday. this week's challenge was 'masking'

Since most of my stamps are smaller images, I created an ATC for my submission. Every element was masked by the time I finished stamping. I colored everything in Prismacolor pencils.

Digital Tuesday Challenge

This week's challenge at Digital Tuesday Challenge is 'simplify'. I went back to the very basics with this card. The digi-stamp is a doodle-dallion by Tracey Lynn Miller of Fred, She Said.

I wanted to capture the sunflowers blooming wild in my neighborhood. I did my base coloring with PITT pens. Shading and highlighting was donw with Prismacolor colored pencils and blended with a colorless blender. I then mounted the cut-out image on gold paper. The dark brown square has accent lines in copper (unfortunately they didn't scan well).

Daily Sketches

The blog had a major hiccup last night and wouldn't let me upload images, so here are three to enjoy. The little mousie is a valentine wish. :)

Daily Sketch

Something a little different. I'm trying to learn a new style of illustration popular in Japanese comics (manga) called 'chibi'. The people and animals are drawn cuter than normal. I'll be sharing my progress as I learn. I hope you enjoy. :)

Daily sketch

Portrait Commision

Today was a slightly strange day art-wise. A neighbor girl came by asking me to draw a picture of her to use as an invitation to her birthday party. Portraits are NOT my stong point, but how could I turn down a nearly 10-year-old? I did my best and colored it with Prismacolor pencils...she was tickled, so I figure she is a satisfied customer (noooooo I didn't charge her). The odd thing is, her mouth really is that wide in her face!