Thursday, October 28, 2010

Mo's Challenge #55




Pick a Season!


The challenge Dawn has for us this month is to use one of Mo's images to make a card or project that reflects one of the four seasons. With summer and half of autumn behind us and the rest of autumn and the long winter still ahead of us, I chose spring. 




I've used Mo's fantastic image of the Mad Hatter from her Alice in Wonderland series. Isn't he fun?!
I just love the look of movement and all his zaniness. ( Is that a word? LOL!)

I've heard that the term "as mad as a hatter" came into use because hatters used mercury to cure the pelts used to make hats, and inhaling the fumes over the years caused neurological damage resulting in confusion and 'madness'.

The inside of this card will say, " A Very Merry Un-birthday to You!".  I'll probably send it to my younger sister, because I never manage to get a birthday card off to her when it is her birthday!
The left hand inside will have the Mad Hatter quote, " No wonder you're late. Why this watch is exactly two days too slow."


Image: Mad Hatter from Mo's Digital Pencil

Tools: Copics, Prismacolor Pencils, White gel pen, Gold metallic pen, MS Checkerboard border punch, Mounting Tape, Circle Punch, Nellie Snellen Embossing Leaf punch set

Papers: SU! Melon Mambo, Barely Banana, Gable Green, Neenah smooth white, Basic Grey DP

Embellishments: Coiled flowers, Gathered gingham ribbon (Reasonable Ribbon), Pearl heart cabochons, Pearl heart hat pin (Wild Orchid Crafts)



So, pick your favorite season and your favorite Mo image and join us in Mo's Challenge for a chance to win a wonderful image from Mo's Digital Pencil!

Thanks for dropping by!
Elaine

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Mo's Challenge # 54



Mother Earth
Our hostess for the month of October, Dawn, has asked us to use earth tones on our projects for this challenge. This is right up my alley...I love the earthy, warm colors, and they're perfect for the Thanksgiving cards I still need to make!



I love Mo's scarecrow from her Wizard of Oz series! He's just the happiest, goofiest guy and wonderful  for fall cards.
In a departure from my usual habit, I colored him first, then found that the Pyrus papers from Basic Grey were a great complement to him. That collection is beautiful, and I could have used any one of them for this card...I had a difficult time choosing!

Images: Scarecrow from Mo's Digital Pencil, Sentiment from SU!

Tools: Copics, Prismacolor pencil, White gel pen, Cuttlebug with Nesties (Scalloped Oval, Plain Oval, Sunflower)  Quickcutz Swirls, and MFT Die-namics Button Quartet , Nellie Snellen embossing leaf punch set,  Mounting Tape

Paper: SU! More Mustard, Really Rust, Old Olive, Garden Green, Neenah smooth white, Basic Grey Pyrus and Origins DP

Embellishments:  Natural Hemp, Pearl cabochons

This one should be easy! So make something wonderful in earthy colors using one of Mo's fabulous images and join the fun at Mo's Challenge Blog!  
We'll be waiting!

Thanks for visiting,
Elaine


Thursday, October 14, 2010

Mo's Challenge # 53


A New Start

"Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it."
Anne Shirley





A Simple Sketch

Dawn is our hostess for this week in Mo's Challenge Blog, and she has this wonderful and versatile sketch for us to use.
 



I chose the image "Prince Edward Island"  for this card. It's Mo's version of the literary character, Anne Shirley, from Ann of Green Gables

I loved coloring this image, especially her old-fashioned carpet satchel! You can really go wild with color on those, although I chose a more muted palette this time.
The flowers in the foreground are the last of the black-eyed Susans and zinnias from the yard. There's not much left blooming after a few cold nights.

 I just got the new 6" x 6" pads from Basic Grey: Jovial and Pyrus. You must know by now that I have an affinity for BG papers, but these two are just the prettiest collections ever! Usually there are a couple of designs in a pad that I just have trouble warming to, but I love every one of these papers!
I've used a design from the Pyrus collection on this card. To me, it looks like a wallpaper you might find in an old Cape-style house On P.E.I.


Tools: Copics, Prismacolor pencils, Cuttlebug with narrow embossing folder and Nesties Sunflower dies, Sponge daubers, Distressing tool, Dimensional dot, Glue Dots

Papers: SU! More Mustard, Really Rust, Summer Sun, Certainly Celery, Neenah smooth white, Basic Grey Pyrus DP

Have fun with the sketch and enter your creation in Mo's Challenge for a chance to win an image from Mo!

Thanks for visiting!
Elaine

Monday, October 11, 2010

We Have a Winner!

And the winner is...... 
# 28, Mervi!

Thanks to all who took the time to comment and help us celebrate the one year anniversary of Mo's Challenge Blog! I hope you've all had as much fun as I have had with Mo's sweet images over the past year. She's always coming up with something new and wonderful!

Please continue to play along. We have lots more interesting challenges in store for the coming months.

Thanks for stopping in!
Elaine

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Two Cards....Two Looks

Scroll down for the Rainbow Challenge!

Autumn in Provence


I love this image! Her dark, curly hair reminds me of our daughter's when she lets it grow long. Everyone else has always said how much they envy her gorgeous mane, but she always hated it when she was younger. Now she knows how to deal with it and somewhat tame her abundant curls.
This little girl makes me think of the French countryside. This time I actually colored the image before going through my DP and was pleasantly surprised to find this perfect Basic Grey paper. I think it's from their Marrakesh line.

Images: Sadie with Apples from Mo's Digital Pencil, Computer-generated sentiment

Tools: Copics, Prismacolor pencils, Cuttlebug with embossing folder, Martha Stewart Cosmo punch, SU! Oval and Label punches, Nellie Snellen Embossing Leaf punch set, Slice with Vintage Findings design card,  Mounting tape, Glue Dots, Distressing tool

Papers: SU! Wild Wasabi, More Mustard, Really Rust, Garden Green, Basic Grey Marrakesh DP, Neenah smooth white

Embellishments, Corduroy button brads, Pearl cabochons, Fringe trim


In the Arms of an Angel


I was thrilled to see this image when Mo first came out with it. People were always asking for pet sympathy cards, and I never found any images that I thought were really right. I think this one is just perfect! 
There are four different versions....two with long hair; this one holding a kitten and another holding a puppy., and two curly-haired angels with a puppy and a kitten. All of them are just as sweet!

Images: Angel from Mo's Digital Pencil, Sentiment stamp from SU!

Tools: Copics, Prismacolor pencils, Cuttlebug with Nesties, CM Oval-cutting system, Mounting tape, SU! Bashful Blue ink pad,  Dauber

Papers: SU! Bashful Blue and Certainly Celery CS, Martha Stewart DP, Neenah smooth white

Embellishments:  Satin ribbon, Pearl strands, Flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts and Paper doilies (both daubed with Bashful Blue ink)

Thanks for dropping in for a visit!
Elaine

Friday, October 8, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving!



I've been making Thanksgiving cards to send to our distant relatives this year. I found a  digital artist named Rick St. Dennis who has some really cute, unusual images. All the designs in these four cards are from his Thanksgiving sheet. 

The Pie Baker


 What's your favorite pie! I love them all! I make six different kinds for Thanksgiving...all with homemade crusts. Yum!
I was going to color this little lady's dress gray, but remembered from our trips to Massachusetts'  Plimouth Plantation living museum (Yes, it's spelled with an 'i'!) that the pilgrims wore bright colors...it was the Puritans who dressed so drably.

Images: Pilgrim from Rick St. Dennis, Computer-generated sentiment
  
Tools: Copics, Prismacolor pencil, Cuttlebug with Nesties, Martha Stewart Branch border punch, Nellie Snellen flower and leaf embossing punch sets, SU! Oval punch, Mounting tape, Glue Dots

Paper: SU! Sage Shadow, River Rock, Blush Blossom, Vanilla, Neenah smooth white, Basic Grey Capella DP

Embellishments: Grosgrain ribbon, Brads (colored with Copic marker)

Thanksgiving Bounty

I loved coloring this classic cornucopia! My husband fills one every year as a decoration for the sill of our dining room bay window. The grand-kids can hardly wait to tear into it when the meal is over!



 Images: Greeting and Cornucopia from Rick St. Dennis

Tools: Copics, Prismacolor pencils, Distressing tool, Martha Stewart Zig-Zag border punch

Paper: SU! Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron, Bazzill Textured Toffee, Neenah smooth white CS

Embellishments: Ribbon Slide, Grosgrain ribbon, Natural hemp

Native Wampanoag Mother



 I love her fringed doe skin dress! This card was fun to make because I love all the autumn colors. The leaves here in New Hampshire weren't very bright this fall due to the unusually hot, dry summer we had, so I have to get my fix somehow!

Images: Native American from Rick St. Dennis, Computer-generated sentiment (hiding behind the miniature vine wreath)

Tools: Copics, Prismacolor pencil, Cuttlebug with Leaf dies and Nesties, Martha Stewart Branch border punch.

Papers: SU! More Mustard, Ruby Red, Always Artichoke, Creamy Caramel,  Bazzill textured Toffee, Neenah smooth white CS

Embellishments: Buttons, Linen Thread

Apples for Sale



Apples are such an iconic fruit for this time of year! They're fun to color, too!
I used three layers of UTEE on this image and cracked the glaze a bit near the sentiment.

Images: Apple Bucket and Sentiment from Rick St. Dennis

Tools: Copics, Prismacolor pencils, Cuttlebug with Nesties,Martha Stewart Checkerboard border punch, Nellie Snellin Embossing Leaf and Flower punch sets, Corner rounder, mounting Tape, Glue Dots, UTEE, VersaMark stamp pad

Papers: SU! Real Red and Old Olive, Bazzill textured Toffee, Neenah smooth white CS, Green gingham DP

Embellishments: Prima flowers ( red colored with Copic marker), Brads

Check out Rick's Etsy store for more cute images!

Thanks for stopping for a visit!
Elaine

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Mo's Challenge # 52

And the winner is...... 
# 28, Mervi!

Thanks to all who took the time to comment and help us celebrate the one year anniversary of Mo's Challenge Blog! I hope you've all had as much fun as I have had with Mo's sweet images over the past year. She's always coming up with  new and wonderful!
Please continue to play along. We have lots more interesting challenges in store for the coming months.

This week we are celebrating the one year anniversary of Mo's Challenge Blog! The theme for the week is

Colors of the Rainbow

Each of us was assigned a color to use in creating our project for  the Challenge.

If you've come from Peggy's blog and  her wonderful orange objet de' art, you're on the right track!

 My Piece of the Rainbow!



I got yellow! The first thing I did was to pull out every paper, ribbon, and embellishment I had in yellow. Then it was just a matter of finding which items blended well before assembling the card.
I think this is the first time I've ever made a card without using even one piece of SU! card stock! They really don't have much of a selection when it comes to yellow, although I haven't seen the new daffodil yet. I used several different shades of textured Bazzill paper, the lightest of which  is called "Pollen". 
The image is one of a set of five little fairies from Mo's Digital Pencil.  They are all in different poses and are all equally as sweet as this little one.
I love yellow, but when I went looking around the house for something to use as a prop while photographing this card, I  found that, aside from card-making supplies,  I don't own a single yellow item ! Very odd!
  
Images: Little Fairies from Mo's Digital Pencil, Sentiment from SU!

Tools: Copics, Prismacolor pencil, Yellow stamp pad, White gel pen, Gold and Silver Spica pens, Cuttlebug with Nesties, SU! Oval punch, Martha Stewart Hydrangea and Branch punches, Mounting tape, Glue Dots, Tacky Tape

Papers: Bazzill Textured card stock in shades of yellow, Neenah smooth white

Embellishments: Flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts (colored with Copic marker), Pearl cabochons, Narrow satin ribbon, Lace, Star charm

Enjoy the rest of the hop and try your hand at creating something using one of Mo's images in your favorite color of the rainbow!
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Leave a comment on my blog. I'll be choosing someone at random to win a free image from Mo's Digital Pencil!
You have until 12:00 PM  EST,  Sunday, October 10th, to leave me a comment to be entered to win the image.
Of course, you have until Wednesday to enter a rainbow card in Mo's Challenge Blog  for a chance to win an image there!
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Your next stop on the hop will be Paola and her gorgeous green creation!

Here's the list in case you lose your way!
Dawn red
Peggy orange
Elaine (me!) yellow
Paola green
Cathy blue
Sheila purple
Lisa indigo
Lydia violet
 Thanks for stopping by!
Elaine