Mission Control...

So this card is the first time I have tried my hand at a slimline card.  I am not sure I really care for the format, but will probably give it another try.  This card was made for MFT stamps slimline challenge, using MFT Space Explorer stamps and dies, colored in copic markers.  I used a base of Stampin Up Night of Navy with layers of Basic Gray and Whisper White.  I wanted it to look like the inside of a spaceship, looking through a porthole.  The sentiment is stamped on MFT Electric Red and embossed with white heat embossing powder.  Inside the sentiment is stamped on Whisper White and the large sentiment is from Hero Arts.  Thanks for looking!  April

MFT Design Superstar 2020: Innovaton Master

This one was a challenge for me but I think it turned out well in the end.  I doubt I would try to mass produce this but for a solo card, it was fun.  I chose to try a window slider card for this challenge.  Jennifer McGuire has a great tutorial on YouTube.  The base is MFT Electric Red, heat embossed in white using the MFT Candy Stripe stencil. 

The center panel is made by masking the snow by using the MFT snow hills dies.  The sky is inked in Tim Holtz Distress Inks in Tumbled Glass, Blueprint Sketch, and Chipped Sapphire.  The images are MFT Sweet Holiday Penguins colored with copic markers.  I also used the MFT Interactive Labels stamps on the pull tab.

Thanks for looking!  April

MFT Superstar 2020: Clean & Simple Genius

This is my entry for the My Favorite Things Superstar 2020 Clean and Simple Genius category.  I trimmed a top folding piece of copic-friendly Neenah Solar White 80 lb cardstock 1/4 in smaller than a standard A2 piece.  

I centered the stamp (MFT Polar Bear Pals) a little high of the center and stamped in Black Tuxedo Momento ink using a stamp positioning tool (mine is a Stampin Up Stamparatus).  I opened the card and stamped the bear in the exact same spot inside the card.  I also stamped the inside and outside sentiments at this time.  

I used the matching bear die and a circle die to
partially die cut the opening on the front.  Inside, I added the bucket of fish, then used post-its to mask the bear and fish.  Next, I made a mask for ground by cutting a scrap piece of paper with the MFT snowy hill die-namics.  I taped the hill mask in place then inked the background with Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks in Fossilized Amber, Carved Pumpkin, and Picked Raspberry.  I peeled off the masks, then colored the images in copic markers. 

Last, I used a white gel pen to add snow to the sky and a black glaze pen to highlight the eyes and nose on the bears, before mounting the card on piece of MFT Cotton Candy cardstock that is 4 1/4x5 1/2.  Thanks for looking!  April

MFT Sweet Holiday Penguins Christmas cards

My idea for the MFT Summer School Challenge number 5 (White Space) ended up being the template for my family Christmas cards.  I finished 50 cards and the extras will end up being sold at the craft fair at my son's school.  The base is kraft pre-made cards from Hobby Lobby, layered with Neenah Solar White #80 for copic markers, and strips of red glitter 12x12 paper.  I cut the strips at 1/4" x 5.5" and had enough to use on all 50 plus enough left over for a few more cards.  The images are from MFT Sweet Holiday Penguins.  I popped the white up on foam tape and the glitter paper is glued to the base.  I wanted to keep these very minimal, clean and simple for easy mailing.  Thanks for looking!  April

MFT Weekly Sketch Challenge #500

This birthday card is for MFT Weekly Sketch challenge.  The base is Whisper White cardstock.  I used a piece of Whisper White and inked with Carved Pumpkin, Picked Raspberry, Seedless Preserves, Blueprint Sketch and Chipped Sapphire  Tim Holtz Distress Inks, layered with Whisper White cardstock cut with MFT stitched snow dies then popped up with foam tape.  The image is MFT Sweet Holiday Penguin colored with copic markers.  The sentiment is from MFT Gift Card Greetings.  Thanks for looking!  April

Mission Control

This is another card featuring MFT Space Explorer set and copic markers.  Can you guess the inspiration for my color combo?  Buzz Lightyear, of course!  I also used a little white gel pen to make highlights on the visor area and window before covering those areas in liquid glass (aka glossy accents).  The astronaut and ship are popped up foam tape.
The base is SU Whisper White.  I used distress oxide inks to try my hand at a galaxy background before spattering it with white distress paint, flicked off an acrylic block with a paintbrush.  I will admit, I used SU cardstock and totally would do this again with watercolor paper.  I had to be very light with the water to keep it from warping.  I love the chalky finish.
The sentiment is stamped with versamark and heat embossed in white.  I took a tip from Jennifer McGuire for the teather line.  Use a bit of glue on your fingers to spread glue on the twine, then shape into place and leave to dry on a silicone mat.

As I mentioned in the last post, the planet is made with a cutting two large circle dies, then using various size dies and punches to make holes in one layer.  I used matching ink and sponged around the layers and added some shadows.  I cut the finished planet in half to make two cards.
I am entering this into MFT Birthday Project Challenge featuring circles. 
Thanks for looking!  April

MFT Color Challenge 140 & Sketch 486

While I am stuck at home, I am using the time to brush up on my copic marker skills, so this challenge was a good excuse to color up some of the MFT Space Explorer set.  I did several color combos you will see in the coming posts but here is the first.
I am entering it into two MFT challenges this week.  The first is MFT color challenge 140.

The second is weekly sketch challenge.  I will be honest and say I took some liberties with it by flipping the image, and moving the sentiment flag.  I also removed the second rectangle layer.  (Annnd, I totally missed the deadline.  I thought it was before noon on Wednesday!  Oh, well.)

I decided to use a SU Night of Navy background and the MFT Starry Night dies to cut the night sky, then backed it with holographic paper.  I put a few holographic sticker stars as well as the planets. 
The large planet is SU Smoky Slate and I die cut two large circles, then used smaller circle dies and punches to punch out one of the circles.  I inked the circles and added shadows on the planet, before popping it up with foam tape.  I cut the planet in half to use on two different cards.  The astronaut is popped up on a double layer of foam tape.
The sentiment is stamped in versamark and heat embossed in black, then die cut with a banner die.  Thanks for looking!  April

Harry Potter Birthday

gift bag with copic colored characters

Butterbeer with straw and wood owl

With teens, our go to birthday gift is a movie rental kit.  We put in a gift card to our local rental place, popcorn, and their favorite candies.  My son was invited to a Harry Potter themed party and insisted we put together a HP themed movie kit.  There are several pics but not everything in the kit is photographed.  We included a homemade "Liquid Luck" potion, packed in a gemstone shaped box, a decorated bottle of Butterbeer, a paper haystack filled with candy, Hershey's kisses decorated as Dementor Kiss-Aways, boxed candy wrapped in Honeydukes wrappers, an origami Howler (complete with Mrs. Weasley's rant), and several other surprises.  The kids went nuts when it came time to open it and it was the hit of the party.  Every kid told Alex they would definitely look forward to their birthday gifts!

gift card envelope, sealed with wax

origami Howler

Thanks for looking!
April

Sending Birthday Wishes

This card base is Whisper White with layers of red SN@P, Smoky Slate, and Whisper White.  I used a doily and washi tape to embellish this.  The image is from Whimsie Doodles, colored in copic and cut using nestabilities labels eight.  The sentiment is from SU Endless Wishes and Endless Birthday Wishes in Basic Grey and Red Riding Hood, punched with the decorative label punch, and mounted with dimensionals.  Thanks for looking!  April

Happy Birthday, Cupcake!

This card is a base of Whisper White with layers of Old Olive, retired SU Birthday paper, and Tempting Turquoise.  The image is TGF's Cupcake Anya, colored with copic.  I used cork paper and the SU banner punch for the embellishments and the sentiment is stamped in Basic Grey, using stamps from SU's My Paper Pumpkin May kit and Inkadinkado.  I kept this flat as possible for mailing.  Thanks for looking!  April

copic coloring

Ugh, okay, I am back to practicing coloring with my copic markers.  After this one, however, I need to go over some water and night tutorials.  This was the best I could come up with based on the colors I had and my skill.  The image is from YamPuff on Deviant Art...she is amazing.  I saw this and thought, it's totally Isle Esme.  I will use it on a later project, but figured I would show my failures as well as my success...it is how we learn, after all.  Thanks for looking!  April 

The Artist

So it's been forever since I have practiced with my copic markers and I found some fantastic line art pieces on pinterest from Yampuff on Deviant Art.  She seems okay with people pinning her work and downloading the images, which I pulled directly from DA.  My daughter is big into Manga art and she went crazy for this cutie, asking me to color it for her locker.  I had a hard time with the tiny details but I chalk that up to being out of practice.  Oh well.  She is pretty cute anyway.  Thanks for looking!  April

Copic swatch book

 

I found this great copic swatch book on pinterest.  The fantastic site even has a download of all the pages.  I added a few extra of the blanks so I could practice different techniques.  I printed the pages then took my favorite copic paper (neenah solar white) over to the copy shop.  I printed the sheets on my paper then trimmed.  I got them in the order I wanted and brought two chipboard pieces with me already cut just a bit larger than an A2 size card front.  Next, I took it to the counter and had the staff help me pick the best binding based on the size.  With copies and binding, it cost less than $5.
I finished the cover with SN@P papers, doily, an image from The Greeting Farm, and a title made from Michael's dollar mini wood alphabet and the decorative label punch.  Last was a few gemstones.

copic color chart

technique sample page

I stamped some of my favorite images in after making a mask for the ovals and using a post it for the squares.  I have the marker list filled in and am starting doing samples of techniques.  Thanks for looking!  April