Laurel Burch Blossoming Woman - Shine

Let nothing dim the light that shines from within.

Maya Angelou

Stampendous stamps, Copic markers, word die (shine), gold metallic card stock,blue glitter card stock,
gold leafing pen, Spellbinders circle frame die, Elizabeth Crafts Beaded Circle die, iridescent gems,
white gel pen, 6 1/2 x 6 1/2 card base

Hey there,

I have loved Laurel Burch's brilliant artwork since I first saw it in the sixties.  I am still heartbroken when I think that she left this world at the young age of 61. Sadly, she was born with a rare bone disease that caused her crippling pain all her life.  Her art was a way for her to find her "happy place" to keep her spirits up.  She created a magical place of  bright colors and designs that drew me in the first time I saw it. Her legacy lives on and her joyful artwork is still popular today.  Happily, Stampendous has created some gorgeous stamps using her signature aratwork and I think I have every one of them.  THIS is one of my favorites because the elements come separately and I can play with the face and flowers to make my own dazzling blossoming woman .  I try to color them with the bright colors Laurel used in her paintings to get her iconic look

I created this card for my beloved sister-in-law who lost her husband and best friend of 54 years recently. He died at the age of 78 from an illness unrelated to covid. He was my husband's brother and a very kind and courageous man who will be greatly missed by his family and friends.  My SIL fought like a warrior to get him released from the hospital amid all the covid restrictions and frenzy.  He was able to say goodbye to his family and die at home surrounded by loving care.  She shines like an angel to me.

Thanks for visiting.
Go forth and be a light in someone's life.
Nancy

Playing along with:

Two Sisters on a Blog Challenge #40

SheepSki Designs Challenge #39

Everybody Art Challenge #471

The Paper Girls Challenge #202

Stamping Sensations June Challenge - Make it Colorful

Color Crazy Challenge #23

Ike'sworld Challenge #133

Crafty Creations Challenge #410

Stampendous Christmas Card - Laurel Burch and Copics

Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.  

Hey there,

Laurel Burch and Copic markers go together like Christmas cookies and hot chocolate, don't you think?  It was a delight coloring this sweet little cat and dog duo from Stampendous in vivid colors (ala Laurel Burch) for the focal point of a Christmas card I recently created for my besties. I thought this cute, cuddly image fit well  with my message of "peace on earth."  I used a Lori Whitlock svg for my side step base, cut coordinating mats for the card front and stairs, and sized it to my favorite 5 x 7.  

The "PEACE ON EARTH" letters were a snap to weld to the separate card mats in Cricut Design Space and provided stability and precision when I glued the glossy red letters on top. I cut a few pine sprigs for embellishments to fit the steps and added Christmas Red Stickles for berries. My  handy go-to Nuvo drops worked perfectly on the  spots and fringe to add a little texture and shine. 

One note of caution, though. Glue and glossy card stock don't make the best marriage.  Even the smallest amount of  glue shows on the card stock and it's hard to clean up or disguise.  I used a small alcholol wipe for clean ups, but it removed some of the color on the cardstock in some areas.  A little glossy card stock goes a long way...something to remember in the future!

Side step cards leave a lot of  fabulous "real estate" for imagining and creating.  I definitely need to design cards with this versatile base more often.

Thanks for visiting.

Go forth and create something fabulous.

Nancy

Playing along with:

        Through the Craft Room Door - December 4

        Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #420

        Crafting From the Heart - Challenge #231

        Cupcake Inspirations - Challenge #459

        Pammies Inky Pinkies - Challenge #1848

        Path of Positivity - Challenge #64

        The Paper Girls - Challenge #165

        Moving Along With the Times - Challenge #85

Laurel Burch Mermaid Side Step Card - Have a Magical Day.

I can't help being a little obsessed with coloring these fabulous Stampendous Laurel Burch stamps with my copics. They're so coloricious!  I couldn't wait to work on this beautiful mermaid stamp set and I decided it would be perfect for my daughter's birthday next month. Aren't we all a little fascinated with magical creatures like mermaids and unicorns?  I think my 30-something daughter will love it!

I used the bright Stampendous Laurel Burch copic pallet and added some gold glitter paper and Starform glitter stickers for accents to make my sea lady sparkle.  To my amazement, I created the side step file by myself in Cricut Design Studio.  My brain almost exploded but I finally got it right and now I can use the file to make other side step cards in a snap.  I even figured out how to size the insert pieces (with a lot of trial and error). It's not hard...it just takes a little perseverance.   The finished card measures 5" x 7".  The sun, cloud and waves are from the Cricut image library. I love that I can just type in "sun" or "waves" in the search bar and I get to choose from tons of images.  Since I have been a Cricut geek for many years I already have many purchased cartridges loaded in the library and with my added monthly subscription, I rarely have to buy an image.  The stamped greeting is one I found in my stash.  

I had the best time creating this ocean scene on my Cricut for my sparkly mermaid.  And as for having a magical day, as my sentiment suggests, I'd say most of the days I spend in my craft room are magical...even if it's just enjoying the miracle of a card turning out the way I would like it to. We crafters are blessed that way!

Thanks for visiting.

Go forth and be fabulous.

Nancy.

Playing along with:

        Cupcake Inspirations

        The Fairy and the Unicorn

        Crafty Gals Corner
        Dare 2 B Artsy

        

        Creative with Stamps

Stampendous Laurel Burch Doggies - So Glad We're Friends!

  

What could be more fun than coloring these beautiful Laurel Burch images from Stampendous!  I think these doggies are absolutely adorable. There are several in the set and I had the best time auditioning the ones I wanted to stack for my focal image.  It was hard to pick just two but that's all I could fit.

Stampendous has published this helpful copic chart to help with the bright Laurel Burch pallet.  I must say,  the colors aren't the ones I would have picked right away, but they really work for the Laurel Burch look.   For the base of this card I used the Lori Whitlock center step SVG file and sized it as large as I could in Cricut Design Studio.   It measures about 5 1/2" by 5 1/2".  The layering panels are included in the file so it was very easy to cut the card stock pieces to fit  my background.. The sun is from the Cricut image library, sized to fit my center panel.   Gotta love Cricut Design Studio!!!  The grass is a die cut I had in my stash and the sparkly embellies are Starform Stickers.  I love using these stickers because they look like gems but they don't add bulk to my card for mailing. The cute butterfly is from the Laurel Burch cat set.

I'm going to make a few of these for my equally adorable and  colorful besties.

Thanks for visiting.

Go forth and be fabulous.

Nancy

Playing along with:
        Through the Craft Room Door
        The Sisterhood of Crafters (I'm from sunny California)
        Time Out Challenges
        Addicted to Stamps
        The Crafty Addicts
        Color Throwdown

"Sup Kitty Cat - Stampendous Laurel Burch

I desperately needed a break this morning from our busy tax business so I cruised on over to Splitcoaststampers where I know I can always find an interesting challenge.  Sure enough, they had a fun sketch challenge so I dove right in and colored this delightful Laurel Burch kitty with my beloved copics.  It worked!  Now I can go back to my pile of paperwork feeling renewed and energized. Sometimes you just have to do something artsy to clear the cobwebs!

Adding my card to Addicted to Stamps Challenge

Thanks for visiting.
Go forth and be fabulous.
Nancy

Copic Heaven - Stampendous Laurel Burch

I can't even begin to express how excited I am for the new Stampendous Laurel Burch stamps! I have been enamored with her whimsical, vibrant images forever.  I was so sad when she died a few years ago at a young age, but she leaves a wonderful legacy of rainbow colored fantasy images. With her stamps, a few of my  brightest copic markers and some blingy embellies I can create my very own sunshiny masterpieces. Stampendous even has this color chart to help you  with a your Laurel Burch copic pallet.  I made this card for my darling daughter's birthday next month.  She's a legit artist, with an art degree and everything, but she assures me that anyone who creates is an artist and she is wonderfully supportive of everything I do.  How blessed we are to have brilliant artists like Laurel who are willing to share their gifts with all of us in a very personal way.  Now I can't wait to get started on some of her adorable felines...with doodled butterflies.  Laurel was a zentangler before zentangle was chic! So was I.  How about you?

Thanks for visiting.

Go forth and be fabulous.

Nancy