Shellabrate Like a Mermaid - Julie Nutting Sea Sally

Be a mermaid and make waves. 

Julie Nutting mermaid, Cricut Design Space tag card, Cricut seaweed shapes,
shell and writing feature, metallic flower, Close to My Heart Designer Paper,
 white Nuvo Drops for pearl necklace, white gel pen, aqua sequins for fin

Hey there,

Amid all the chaos and confusion around us, my world continues to be a thrilling adventure.  My hubby and I have just returned from St. George, Utah, were we found a beautiful new home!  I couldn't be more excited for the move, but packing up my craft room looms large as  an extremely daunting task.  I'm having some last minute fun creating a few cards to add to my blog que before I have to take a reluctant hiatus from crafting.  I know I'll be frantically unpacking boxes on the other end and arranging things in my shiny new craft room as soon as I get there.  It's #1 on my priority list, ahead of food and sleep.  I'm taking all my same furniture, so my room will look much like the room I have now,  only squeaky clean and organized for about 5 minutes.   I'm trying to keep the end in mind, so I won't get too overwhelmed but it might be too late for that.  I'll post my progress as I go along.

While going through my Julie Nutting paper dolls, I came across this darling Sea Sally in a folder with her fins and top already stamped in patterned paper.  I was elated that I had already stamped her cute face with a Peachy Keen stamp.  Some gorgeous Close to My Heart ocean themed paper, gifted to me by a friend, has been waiting to be used for the background of this tag-shaped card.  To my delight, I had already saved  the tag card base cut file  in Cricut Design Space.   I chose the shell shape from the image library and added the sentiment in a curve with the writing feature.  I easily found some sea weed images,  sized them to fit my tag, cut them on white card stock and  colored them with  Copics to coordinate with the designer paper.

I actually had the pleasure of taking a class from Julie Nutting a few years ago and I could hardly function because I was so awed by her presence.  She's a fabulous teacher and I came away with some fancy new skills for creating paper dolls.  Now I'm excited to  see what other treasures I discover while plunging head-first into my stash.

Thanks for visiting.

Go forth and plunge head-first into YOUR stash and find some fabulous forgotten treasures.

Nancy

Playing along with:

Inkspirational Challenge #217

The Fairy and the Unicorn July Challenge

Colour Crazy Challenge Week 28

Pattie's Creations Design Challenge #172

Polkadoodle Craft Challenge Wk 29

Papercraft Challenge #31

Papercraft Challenges #60
Seize the Birthday #195

Ching-Chou Kuit Red Poppy - She is brave

Courage is fear that has said its prayers. 

Anne Lamott

Ching-Chou Kuit Red Poppy digi, Copic markers, Spellbinders frame die,
silver card stock, lavender dp, gems, white gel pen, silver leafing pen, sentiment stamp

Hey there,

When I get a free moment, I love to sit and quietly color an image with no particular purpose in mind, just being in the moment and enjoying the process.  This state of mindful relaxation is not a new concept but has become a big deal these days.  Our crafty secret to tranquility is out! Google says: Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens. We used to call it meditation. Whatever they call it, it's my happy place and my key to sanity.   

When I have several images finished, I spend some time auditioning backgrounds, frames, and embellishments to create my card designs.  I like doing this for several cards at a time because I can move things around and what doesn't work with one image might look fabulous on another.   In the end, I have a panoply of cards in my stash,  just waiting for a sentiment and a recipient.  You'll often see tiny sentiments tucked away in obscure places on my cards because I haven't left space for them in my design. It's always a fun challenge finding places to put them.  

I still create cards for specific recipients and purposes, but it's nice to have a process where I don't have to consider every element from start to finish.  In this case, I had THESE gorgeous images from Ching-Chou Kuit's Fantasy Fairy Set 1 on my desk waiting to be colored and showcased on a card.  Her stunning images gave me many blissful hours in coloring paradise.  

Thanks for visiting.

Go forth and maintain some moment-by-moment awareness. 

Nancy 

Playing along with:

Creative Moments Challenge #194

Crafty Creations Challenge #411

Crafty Sentiment Designs Challenge ATG

A Bit More Time to Craft Challenge #119

Crafter's Cafe Challenge #246

Creatalicious Challenge #185

Createful Heart Design Challenge #21

A Gem of a Challenge Week 14

Grazia Salvo Woman of Flowers Digi - For the Love of Daisies

You have the power to change the world.  Use it to make a difference.

Grazia Salvo digi, Copic markers, Spellbinders frame die, paper daisies, gems,
white gel pen, silver leafing pen, lavender glitter card stock, white glitter card stock,
 silver glitter card stock, swirl paper punch, 6 1/2 x 6 1/2 card base

Hey there,

In this season of bewildering quietude,  I have been enjoying some extra time browsing my digi downloads and rediscovering some stunning art from my favorite artists.  The new pile of coloriscious images on my desk calls to me like a luscious box of See's chocolates.  If you've lost a little of your mojo and are starting to feel like a beached mermaid lately,  I  implore you  to go on a treasure hunt in your stash and dust off some abandoned gems to reignite your imagination.  I found THIS gorgeous Grazia Salvo Woman of Flowers image and couldn't wait to create a birthday card for my posy-loving bestie. All of  the design elements are there  for inspiration, so it came together quickly after I finished coloring.

The image fits nicely into this die cut square frame and I just happened to have a few small daisy flowers in my stash to embellish it.  I added some tiny lavender gems to my dainty blossoms for a little sparkle.  The finished card measures 6 1/2 x 6 1/2. 

There are oodles of incredible artists out there who are eager to share there creations with colorists like me. It's a match made in kaleidoscopic heaven.  

Thanks for visiting.

Go forth and find some fabulous inspiration in your stash.

Nancy

Playing along with:

Arty Divas Challenge #25

Through the Craft Room Door - July 7

Classic Design Challenge - July 7

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge #77

Daisy Chain Challenge #43

LeAnn's World Challenge #28

Colouring in Scrapland - July/August

Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenge #2027

DT for Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge #7 - Morgan Fitzsimons Fantasy Fae Digi Stamp 16

 

Morgan Fitzsimons Fantasy Fae Digi Stamp, Heartfelt Creations flower stamps, dies and molds, 

Cricut cutting and writing, Elizabeth Crafts Peel Off gems, clear rhinestones, Copic makers, 

gold leafing pen, white gel pen, white glitter card stock, purple glitter card stock

Hey there,

Each time I color a Morgan's Fantasy Fae digital stamp with my Copics, I grow more enamored with  the beautiful detail in her incredible artwork.  This lovely fairy looks so ephemeral and regal with her bedazzled crown, I just had to place her in a magical garden where I imagine she rules as queen.  It's a dream I have in my own life but my family doesn't share the same vision.

I created the arbor in Cricut Design Space and decorated it with handmade Heartfelt Creations flowers and leaves.  Her crown is made of clear rhinestones and the beads in her hair are Elizabeth Crafts peel off gems.  I used the writing feature in Cricut Design Space for the sentiment.

Now it's your turn to use your imagination to create something fabulous for our challenge.

Click HERE to go to the current challenge.

We would love to see you join Morgan's ArtWorld Facebook Group.Group Link HERE!

Morgan has a new shop that will be fully open soon but there are some digi images available for purchase now. HERE

Thanks for visiting,

Go forth and share your creative skills in  this month's Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge.  

Nancy

Playing along with:

World Wide Open Design Team Challenge #6

CD Sunday Plus Challenge #38

Try it on Tuesday - Scene

Crafty Sentiment Designs Challenge - ATG 
Digi Chooseday Challenge #26
Creatalicious Challenge #190

Watercooler Wednesday Challenge #278

QKR Stampede Challenge #401

Ching Chou Kuik Party Girl

The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise.  It is not that we seize them,
but that they seize us.   Ashley Montagu

Anna Griffin Fantastic Flip Card in Cricut Design Space, Cricut Maker, Copic markers, Xpressit Blending card stock,
pink glitter card stock, silver textured card stock, "party" die, white gel pen, heart 3-d embellishments

Hey there,

It's birthday season for my creative card-making friends and I'm having a blast creating cards to suit  their unique personalities.  I think this Love Balloon digi by Ching Chou Kuik is perfect for the lady who enjoys a festive birthday bash.  A fancy dress and a glitzy heart balloon screams "let's rock and roll, " even if your guest list consists of your close family members wearing masks and standing six feet apart.    

For this shimmering kinetic card, I used my favorite Anna Griffin Fantastic Flip Card design, which I have used many times and is already downloaded to my Cricut Design Space projects.  I sized my digital image to coordinate with this 5 x 7 card base, colored her with Copics, and fussy cut her to layer off-center on my front panel.  This card actually flips twice so I have some extra real estate for an added decorative panel and my inside sentiment.

I used my fave color combination of aqua and red, with a little hot pink for some extra pop. Black and white stripes always add contrast and elegance to a vivid palette.  All of the panel pieces are part of Anna's design so they cut to size perfectly.  Even the lovely scripted Happy Birthday is included in this design as a writing option.  I used a regular word die to cut the "party" sentiment on the front panel..

Thank you for visiting.
Go forth and party on.
Nancy

Playing along with:

Dream Valley Challenge #228

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #134

Crafter's Castle Challenge #30

Creative Fingers Challenge #188

Daring Cardmakers - Glamorous

Just Add Ink Challenge #510

Everybody Art Challenge #472

Digi Choosday Challenge #25

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

Happy Father's Day to My Guy - Mo Manning King For the Day

Dads are most ordinary men turned by love into heroes, adventurers, 

story-tellers, and singers of song.   Pam Brown 

Mo Manning King For The Day digi, Copic markers, Cricut Maker, Cricut
Design Space cutting and writing features, silver leafing pen, designer paper

Hey there,

I must admit, I'm pretty proud of myself for stepping up my card making for my beloved hubby this Father's Day.  Since guy cards aren't my thing, I usually download a fun manly svg file from one of my favorite sites, cut it out on my Cricut, assemble it and present him with a cleverly designed card  of someone else's invention.  This is the second time this year I have spent time coloring and designing a special card made just for him from my own imagination.  I hope I'm not spoiling him, but he deserves the best of my efforts.

I've had this THIS charming Mo Manning digi for years and I'm happy I pulled it out of my files and printed it on Xpressit paper to color with my Copics.  I paper pieced the chair and  shaded it with Copics and I think the texture almost looks real.  The striped and wood grained papers come from the same paper pad. The arch is cut on my Cricut and, after a little tweaking, I was able to create a curved sentiment with the Cricut writing feature to mimic the arch shape. I layered a red panel on a white 6 1/2/ x 6 1/2 card base and added a beige panel edged with a silver leafing pen.  I used dimensional tape to adhere my image and sentiment to my arched panel and added that panel to my base layers.

I had such fun designing and coloring this card!  The guy in the image just happens to be the spitting image of my handsome hubby. Isn't it delightful and gratifying to create something from our heart for someone we adore?

Thanks for visiting.
Go forth and celebrate the lovable men in your life.
Nancy

Playing along with:

Paper Funday Challenge #18

Cards 4 Guys Challenge #246

Try it on Tuesday - Make it Masculine

Unicorn Challenge #55

Always Fun Challenge #166

Use Your Stuff Challenge #399

Love to Scrap Challenge #134

Pearly Sparkles Challenge #52

Dragonfly Dreams Challenge - Make it Masculine