Strawberries

I hope everyone is having a great start to their week! 

Remember the fire I talked about in my last post that wasn't that big and was under control and in Colorado Springs?  Well Mother Nature had other plans for the fire and cursed it with high winds.  As of today, the fire is 75% contained and so far 14,200 acres burned, 502 homes/businesses were lost and 2 lives. This area of CS is very much horse country, and the community did a great job of rescuing as many of the large animals as possible and providing them with sanctuary. The local emergency crews, county and state as well as those from the federal government (Fort Carson, Air Force Academy and Peterson Air Base) did an absolutely amazing job of fighting this fire and saving oodles more structures, lives and livestock than what was lost. Kudos to them for fighting this fire in 90+ degrees and ever changing winds and gusts and being away from their families.

Well onto a happier subject...I finally had some free time (since being outside for long periods of time was not an option due to smoke) and got to play with some of my Flourishes stamps.  This set is one that I'm using in my current Copic class, and it is just perfect for coloring.

This set is called Strawberries.  I've paired the image up with some fun summer papers from American Crafts.  The sentiment is also from the Flourishes strawberries set.  I created a little bit of a sugar border using polar white fluffy stuff and some glitter and the gems were from my stash.

 Of course they were all decorated in copics.  I used two different red combinations...R29, 24, 22, 20 and R39, 27, 14, and 12.  The leaves were done with YG63, 17, 13, 11, and 0000.

inside

Thanks for visiting today, it is definitely appreciated!!

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

ABC challenges:  Summer

Cheerful Stamp Pad:  You're Sweet

Crafty Bloggers Network:  Bright and Cheery

Kaboodle Doodles:  Summer

Sweet Stampin":  Something Sweet

A little bit crafty:  Something Sweet

Crafter's companion:  Summer

Kreativenkauf:  Strawberries

Dandelions

Wha wha what?  Two posts in a short period of time, I'm kinda impressing my bad self:)!! I finally found some time to get myself sorted and caught up on some sorely neglected tasks and have time to give some attention to my blog.

We are having a scorcher of a week weather wise, but I love me some hot weather.  However, with the heat and extreme dry conditions come the forest fires.  I think as of this morning the fire closest to me is somewhat under control but there are two other fires burning south of Colorado Springs.  Fortunately as of now, there have been any loss of life, but unfortunately, people have lost their homes.

Anyhoo, onto something a little more happy than large forest fires.

This most adorable fairy is from Mo Manning and is called Spring Fairy Aleta.  I've paired her up with some newer Little Yellow Bicycle 6x6 papers.  The pearls were from my stash, the flowers from WOD and the die cut from MB.

She's been all dolled up with her copics.  The skirt was done with RV69, 66 and 63; the hair with E49, 59, 25 and 53.

Inside

Thanks for swinging by today, and I hope everyone has an awesome rest of their week.

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

DP2:  Children of all ages
Bearly Mine:  Anything Goes
Deep Ocean:  For a girl
Through the Craftroom door:  Anything Goes
Card and Scrap:  Use Flowers
Kreativeinkauf:  Anything that Flies

You Rock

 Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Happy Monday to everyone!  The weeks seem to be flying by, and I'm in the process of trying to catch up!!  

My next round of classes started a couple of weeks a o and the prep time leaves very little time for actual crafting much less blogging.  But I love love love teaching and each class I think I actually learn as much as the students.  I have a great group of students, and they have done an awesome job of picking up on new techniques and applying them and asking the best questions.  I've also picked up a couple of private clients who want to focus on very specific techniques and genres, so I'm looking forward to meeting their needs as well.

Fortunately, I had to plan ahead for Father's Day knowing I would be incredibly busy until the end of August which gives me a little somethin somethin to post!

This fab digi is from Kenny K called Cool Trucker.  The papers are from Echo Park, the sentiment from Technique Tuesday and the gears from Tim Holtz.

As always, he was colored up with Copic markers.  The mud was created using Viva Decor Liquid pearls and I think the color was Copper.

Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope everyone has an awesome week.

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Ladybug Crafts:  For the Men in our lives

Cards for Men:  Boys will be boys

Craft your Passion:  Father's Day

Crafty Cardmaker's:  Father's Day

Creative Creations:  Father's Day

Kenny K:  Father's Day

Pile it On:  For or From a Father

You give me Butterflies

I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday weekend and spent some time doing activities they love.

I'm trying to get into the swing of the summer schedule with the kids and still carve out time for myself in my craft room.  I've been a big fat failure for the first 5 days (finding time in my craft room), but fortunately, I had this card made up before the beginning of Armageddon.  And apologies for not being around to visit, but I'll banish the kids to the outdoors at some point and spend time visiting.

The sweet adorable little wind blow girl is called Cammy in the Wind from Chelsea Le.  I've paired her up with papers from Echo Park called Sweet Girl.  The sentiment is from Artzy, the border die cut is from Memory Box, the butterfly from Prima and the crystal swirls were from my stash.

Of course she put on her copics today.  The pinks were done with RV55,52, 000, skin E21, 00, 000, hair with E41, E310 and YR30 and the yellows with E15, 11, 000.

Inside

Thanks for visiting today!!

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Celebrate the Occasion:  Fluttering By

Party Time Tuesday:  Anything Goes

Card Mania:  Spots or Stripes

Joanna Sheen:  Girls, girls, girls

Happy Memorial Day

I hope everyone in  the US is enjoying Memorial Day and find all of their loved ones safe and in good health.

And more importantly, thank you to all of the GIs who made the ultimate payment of our debt so we may enjoy the freedoms our Founding Fathers gifted us in their last will and testament. 

Laura and Henri

Happy Sunday to everyone!  I hope you've been able to find time to do things you love this weekend and aren't dreading the upcoming week too much.  The weather here is just perfect.  Mid 70s with lots of sun and no winder!!  So I'm heading outdoors in a few.

Is it bad that I already know how many weeks until the first day of school and school isn't even out for the summer yet?  Not that I don't like having the kids home for the summer, but oh how I miss the quietness after about two weeks of them being home.  And I have one who is going to middle school next year and that girl has entered the "I'm all that" phase combined with the hormonal changes (probably hand in hand), and there are days I want to knock her into next week.  I have to tell her there is room for only one beotch in this house and last I checked I'm the Queen!!  She does do her best to try and wrestle the throne from me:)

Anyhoo on to today's card.  I've had this card done for a bit of time now but just getting off my lazy keister to blog it.  Is anyone else having issues with blogger loading pictures?...it's taking forever.

 This sweet and adorable stamp is from Sarah Kay and called Henri and Laura.  I've paired them up with some Authentique papers and the gems and sentiment was from my stash.

 Of course they were colored up with copics and her dots on the dress were done with liquid pearls.

 Inside

Thanks for stopping by today.  Your visit is much appreciated!

Ladybug Birthday

Now that was one hell of a long hiatus from blogging:) My poor lil ol blog has just been sitting and sitting waiting for some action!  Between being busy (sometimes busy doing just nothing or playing Candy Crush Saga) and just not feeling like crafting much, blogging feel off the table.  But alas, I'm back and hopefully will be a bit more timely in getting cards and projects blogged.

Nothing overly exciting around here...the kids are out of school at the end of next week and start the forever long summer break.  I got a bit of snit on a couple of weeks ago and decided I was sick and tired of seeing that much dead grass in my back yard every spring (and mowing it over the summer) that I called the landscaper and told him to rip up the grass and put down rocks. Oh and since the town put us on water restrictions several years ago, and their plan worked perfectly and less water was being used by the community, they rewarded us with a substantial water rate increase (since they couldn't make budget because less water was being sold...typical government), our water rates are scheduled to double.  We pay about $300/month in the summer to keep grass alive (rendonkulous).  I was in such a foul mood that he had to convince me I really didn't want a sea of rocks and perhaps I should put in some trees with those rocks.  Once I got over my bad ass self, I decided perhaps some bushes and trees and paths might look okay in the sea of rocks.

They'll be finishing up hopefully tomorrow and once again, I can sit on my deck and enjoy the mountain views instead of seeing either dead grass or grass that needs to be mowed.

Anyhoo, on to today's card.  I colored up this cutie pie from Saturated Canary a month or so ago and just recently gave her a home on some paper.

The ladybug die from Elizabeth Craft designs and the border die cut is from MFT.  The sentiment is from MFT as well.

Oh my Blogger is have a bit of a fit as well and taking forever to upload pictures!  So I'll just leave this post at the one pic and if blogger plays nice later, I'll add the others.

Thanks for stopping by, and hope y'all have a great rest of your week.

Roses are Red

I hope everyone has had a great week and got a bit of their crafty on!  Seems like I've been spending more time developing classes and coordinating all of the odds and ends related to teaching that I haven't been able to post as much as I would like to.  And I definitely have been the craptastic blogger who hasn't done much visiting and commenting either:(  I'm going to try and carve out some time over the next few days...that is if the kids don't get on my nerves too bad as they are out of school the next two days and only go in for testing!

My next class that I'm teaching is related to Nature, and I've been pulling a lot of color palettes together that I think would work well and trying out a lot of stamps that would work for differing levels of copic skills.  I've always enjoyed coloring up Flourishes stamps, and as I pulled them out to see if any would work well for class, I found quite a few of them (too many actually:)) would be just perfect...not too many dark lines that takes away from shading but just enough lines from the artist to give an idea of the direction of the lighting.

This wonderful stamp is from Flourishes and is in the set called Roses are Red.  Mother's Day is just around the corner here in the US, and though, my mom has been gone for about 7 years now, I figure someone might be able to use a Mother's Day card!  The papers are from Authentique, the pearls were from my stash and the sentiment is from MFT.

Of course the image was colored up with copics.  The reds were done with R29, 24, 22, 20 and RV69.  The leavesw were done with YG0000, G46, 43, 40 and the background was done with B63 and B60.

Inside

Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope y'all have a great ending to your week.

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Crafting by Design:  Anything Goes

Penny's Paper-Crafty:  Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp:  Anything Goes

The Perfect Sentiment:  Mother's Day

Through the Craftroom Door:  Anything Goes

Artistic Inspiration:  Card for a Lady

Rugby Birthday

The taxman cometh today...ugggghhhh!  But on a happier note, it was Brucey's son's 10th birthday today, and he was just pleased as punch that he made it into double digits:)!!  So a big happy B-day to JG.

I must make a confession...I didn't make him a card for his birthday but had the kids buy him store bought cards that play the music stuff.  I thought Brucey was going to have a heart attack and I had to confess that I simply ran out of time to get a proper one made. Yes, I know, it's not like his birth date changes each year, but it was poor calendar watching on my part.

But he will be getting a bit of copic work for his birthday albeit a bit on the late side.  I didn't put in my schedule the proper amount of time for custom framing:(  But hopefully in the next week, it'll come back from the framers and he'll be pleased with it.

JG has been playing rugby for a couple of years now, and I admit that I know nothing about the sport though the youth program is beginning to grow, at least in the Colorado Springs area.  But I guess I don't really have to know anything about rugby to be able to color an image for him.  If there are rugby fans out there who find a mistake, give me a bit of leniency:)

I know what's more shocking than me not coloring people but not doing a card!!

This is the image I colored up for him and it measures about 10x10".  His team is black and yellow and his favorite colors are Laker's purple and silver.  Hopefully, he'll be able to enjoy some proper decoration in his 10 year old boy room.  I colored this image over several days and used oodles of different colors so I didn't write them down.

That's it for me today...no decorative papers, no embellishments, just plain ol copic work.

I hope everyone has a great rest of their week and didn't have to give their first born to pay the taxman!

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:
Artistic Inspirations:  Anything but a card
Crafty Bloggers Network:  Anything goes
Love to Create:  For the Guys
Hotshot Craft:  Anything but a card