Paper Maniac's Magical Mystery Blog Hop

"Anya in the Sky with Diamonds"

Welcome to the Paper Maniac's Magical Mystery Blog hop! If you arrived here from Emily Niehaus' blog, you are on the right track. If not, go back to the beginning at the Paper Maniac Store blog.

PRIZES!

Prize #1: One random blog hopper will win a deluxe prize package that includes one mini-deck of all three new Cosmo Cricket papers, a package of American Crafts pearl brads, and the new Flourishes clouds background stamp. All you have to do to win this prize is leave a comment on each of the participating blogs.

Prize #2: if you are not a registered customer, Sign up in the store now! One new customer registering January 30-31 will be randomly selected to win a $20.00 gift certificate.

Our blog theme was to pick a Beatles song to inspire us. That was a tough one! One of my (many) favorites is "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds".

"Picture yourself in a boat on a river,
With tangerine trees and marmalade skies
Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly,
A girl with kaleidoscope eyes.
Cellophane flowers of yellow and green,
Towering over your head.
Look for the girl with the sun in her eyes,
And she's gone.
Lucy in the sky with diamonds....."

Or, in this case, Anya in the sky with diamond butterflies. ;o)


Supplies:
Stamps: Unity - Trees, The Greeting Farm -Flutter Anya
DP: MME, Cosmo Cricket-Nutmeg
Copic Markers
Cuttlebug embossing folder -stars
EK border punch, Martha Stewart butterfly punch
Rhinestone bling
Stickles-Platinum

NEXT BLOG ON THE HOP: Joni Mastronardi

Sweet Pea Stamps DT Blog Hop ~ Day 2!

Again, a HUGE THANKS for all the wonderful comments you left on my post Tuesday! Yesterday was the last day of CHA and I am exhausted!!! I will getting around to visiting all of your blogs soon!!

Welcome to day two of the Sweet Pea Stamps DT blog hop! If you would like to start at the beginning of the blog hop, please start here at the Sweet Pea Stamps blog.

Today is the last day of the hop and the DT will be featuring more images from Sweet Pea Stamps newest releases, available for purchase today!

Please, be sure to visit all the blogs on today's hop, because you need to leave a comment at EACH DT member's blog to be entered to win a $10 gift card from Sweet Pea Stamps! One winner will be picked from Tuesday's posts, and one winner will be picked from Thursday's post. So be sure to leave a comment on each blog, each day for a chance to win. Comments must be posted by 12am EST. Friday, January 30th. Winners will be announced on the Sweet Pea Stamps blog.

My card features the amazing *new* image "Nostalgia" from Ching-Chou Kuik's Fantasy Art Collection, Sheet #7, Plate #30.

Today's blog hop participants:
Randi {you're here!}
Traci
Micki
Jennifer
Holley
Mag
Alex

NEXT STOP ON THE BLOG HOP: my girl, the wicked amazing:

Traci Porter


Also, please check out the beautiful Haiti relief stamp, "Shining On" available here. Lynette, the owner of Sweet Pea Stamps is graciously donating 50% of the proceeds to Doctors Without Borders.

View my post below for a card featuring "Shining On ".

Thanks for participating in our first blog hop!

Sneak Peek: Chibi Digi release at The Greeting Farm!

DIGI image: The Greeting Farm - Punk Chibi

First off, a HUGE THANKS for all the wonderful comments on my blog this week! Yesterday was the last day of CHA and I am exhausted!!! I will getting around to visiting your blogs asap!

The new release countdown has begun at The Greeting Farm!! There is an AMAZING rubber release on the 1st AND a surprise coming around Valentine's day!! And don't forget to "HOP" on over to Club Anya today for a sneak peek of a special Anya release!

Today I have a sneak peek of the new Chibi line, illustrated by the sweet and talented Jessica Hymas. And there will be three new digis by the amazing Marina Neira. Be sure to check out the beautiful samples from my fellow TGF Farmers at the TGF blog.

It was SO wonderful to meet Marie and Jess in person!! They are even COOLER in real life! ;o) Such sweethearts and they both worked their magic at the booth! The booth display was SPECTACULAR!!! Wait til you see the pics!! I'll dish more details on my FFF post on Friday!

I have to go fall into bed now!!

Sweet Pea Stamps DT Blog Hop ~ Day 1!

Welcome to the very first Sweet Pea Stamps DT blog hop! If you would like to start at the beginning of the blog hop, please start here at the Sweet Pea Stamps blog.

Today and Thursday, the DT will be featuring images from Sweet Pea Stamps newest releases, available for purchase today!

Please, be sure to visit all the blogs on today's hop, because you need to leave a comment at EACH DT member's blog to be entered to win a $10 gift card from Sweet Pea Stamps! One winner will be picked from Tuesday's posts, and one winner will be picked from Thursday's post. So be sure to leave a comment on each blog, each day for a chance to win. Comments must be posted by 12am EST. Friday, January 30th. Winners will be announced on the Sweet Pea Stamps blog.

My card today features a very special stamp! This exquisite image called "Shining On" was created by the artist Ching-Chou Kuik for an auction to benefit Haiti Earthquake relief.



You can purchase the beautiful Haiti relief stamp here. Lynette, the owner of Sweet Pea Stamps is graciously donating 50% of the proceeds to Doctors Without Borders.


Here is a complete list of today's blog participants:

Mag
Connie
Chrissy
Jennifer
Alexandra
Micki
Jennifer
Randi {you're here!}

I'm the last stop on the blog hop today!
Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to visit the Sweet Pea Stamps blog on Thursday, 29th, for the last half of the Sweet Pea DT blog hop!

FFF at The Greeting Farm! Jess's Sunny Challenge!

Welcome to Farm Fresh Friday at The Greeting Farm! This weeks FFF challenge is brought to us by the one and only Jessica Diedrich ! Jess's challenge:

Jess's "Sunshine-y Sendoff" Challenge:
Celebrate CHA week with Marie and Jess while they trek to SUNNY (hopefully!) CA to attend Winter CHA! Create a summer themed card :)

My card is a WELCOME to Sunny So Cal, Marie and Jess!! SOO excited you are heading out. I will try my best to make this strange rain go away!! Even if I have to do an anti-rain dance! ;o)

Check out the line up and view the challenge rules at the TGF blog!!

Supplies:
Stamp: The Greeting Farm - Mermaid Anya
Cuttlebug embossing folders - Asian Bundle
MS leaf punch
Copic Markers:
Hair: RV02, RV000, E40 Skin: YR000, R01, E11 Tail: YG11, BG01, B00, V12 Shading: W3



Also don't forget to check out the Club Anya & Friends blog for this weeks challenges:

Monday Mania:
The incredible Jen Shults agreed to be this week's Monday Mania host! Here's the card "Recipe" to be used: Olive green, Pink, Dark Brown, and Sparkle!

Wild Card Wednesday:
Guest Designer, Lysa Rohrer's Wild Card Wednesday challenge is to create a Valentine Treat holder! See her adorable sample at the CA&F Blog!

See the blog for rules. Hope to see you play along at TGF and CA&F this week!

Another Fluttery Whimsical Wednesday

Stamp: Paper Makeup Stamps - Penelope

Welcome to week 19 of the Diedrich Dare's Whimsical Wednesday challenges!! This week is a fun sketch challenge created by Jessica's son, Nikolas! This week's hostess is our hard working, super talented, supergal, Jacquie so be sure to check out the DD blog for her always amazing feature card!

If you play along, please link up your creation to Mr. Linky at the Diedrich Dare Blog or with keyword DDSC19 over at Splitcoaststampers.com
Please be sure to check out the rest of the wonderful Daredevil crew:
Heather Schlatter
Jacqueline Nordaune
Jacquie Peifer
Jessica Diedrich
Kris Palakiko
Rebecca Ednie
Sandra MacLean
Val Urtiaga
Darla Wilson
Cassie Larson

Also be sure to stop by the all new Flutter By Wednesday challenge blog!! This week's challenge #93 is to use embossing--any kind--with your butterfly, fairy or angel!! I used my brand new Valentine bundle of Cuttlebug embossing folders! Love these!

Big THANKS to Katie of Paper Makeup Stamps for being Whimsical Wednesday's first sponsor of 2010 .... Much appreciated Katie!!



Thanks for stopping by! Sorry if I've been quiet! I am busy prepping for CHA, 2 Blog hops next week, NEW release projects.....AND getting some Valentine Copic tutorials together so stay tuned.......

Kim's Photo Challenge for FFF!

Welcome to The Greeting Farm's second installment of Farm Fresh Friday for 2010! This weeks FFF challenge is brought to us by the super creative Kim Nath! Kim always has the most amazing project ideas!

Kim's "PICTURE THIS" Challenge invites YOU to incorporate a photo in your card, scrapbook page, or project. Just make sure to incorporate a photo and use your imagination! can't WAIT to see what you come up with!

I don't have a photo in mine yet. But, I'll be sure to snap one of my mergirls Marie and Jess next week! I also thought this would be a cute card idea to send to someone, so they can use it for a picture of their own.

Check out the line up and view the rules at the TGF blog!!

For the fish's fin, I stamped and colored an extra set of fins for an under layer. I then cut up the top one and bent them back slightly for a dimensional effect.

Supplies:
The Greeting Farm: Mermaid Anya, Down by the Pond
Copic Markers
Stickles
MS leaf punch

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you play along with our FFF challenge this week!

Happy Whimsical Wednesday Week 18

Stamp: Sweet Pea Stamps: "It's My Birthday"
[click pics for larger view]

It is week 18 of the Diedrich Dare's Whimsical Wednesday challenges!! This week is another wonderful sketch challenge created by Jessica's son, Jack! This week's hostess is the amazing, Kris so be sure to check out the DD blog for her adorable feature card!

If you play along, please link up your creation to Mr. Linky at the Diedrich Dare Blog or with keyword DDSC18 over at Splitcoaststampers.com

Please be sure to check out the rest of the wonderful Daredevil crew:

Debbie Lee
Heather Schlatter {delayed -feel better Heather!}
Jacqueline Nordaune
Jacquie Peifer
Jessica Diedrich {delayed due to a 'tea incident' ;o) hugs Jess}
Kim Ross
Kris Palakiko
Rebecca Ednie
Sandra MacLean
Val Urtiaga

Also be sure to stop by the all new Flutter By Wednesday challenge blog for some amazing blog candy opportunities! This week's challenge #92 is an open call for winged creatures! FUN!

Supplies:
Sweet Pea Stamps: "It's My Birthday" Ching-Chou Kuik's Fantasy Art Collection
Copic Markers
DP: Sassafras, DCWV, K&Co
Sakura clear stardust gelly roll pen
MS heart punch

Flutter By Wednesday's New Blog

Stamp: Sweet Pea Stamps - "Come Softly"

Flutter By Wednseday has a new blog! In honor of the new blog, this week's challenge is to use something Fluttery and New!! So, I inked up my newest Sweet Pea Stamp! I love this gorgeous sprite and her moth! Be sure to check out the Flutter By Wednesday blog for some more fluttery goodness from the DT!

I have more exciting news!! The AMAZING, Traci Porter, aka Wickedpixie is the newest DT member for Sweet Pea Stamps!! Check out her exquisite first post here! Her work is SO magical! Congrats Traci!!


This is a fast and easy hair coloring techinque. I used E40 to outline some areas, added a few RV000 highlights which I blended into the V12 colored swirls, and shaded with W3. I then added some streaks of Sakura Clear Stardust.

This image is "Come Softly" from Ching-Chou Kuik's Fantasy Art Collection, Sheet #5, plate #25.

Copic Markers:
Skin: E50, E11, RV000
Hair: E40, W3, RV000, V12
Eyes: BG15, Boo
Moth: BG15, B00, E55, E71, E47
Background: YG21, YG0000, B00

Prima: Black pearl swirls


THANKS FOR STOPPING BY AND HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!!!

Mary's GLITTER Challenge for FFF!

Stamp: The Greeting Farm-Wild Sprout, Dahlia
[click pic for larger view]

WELCOME BACK to The Greeting Farm's first Farm Fresh Friday of 2010!
We're excited to be back with some super fun challenges for you each Friday and can't wait to see how YOU get Fresh with the Farm!

Today we also are excited to announce the new "Brand Name" for Marina Neira's animal line! We are SO pumped about the TGF "Critter Crew" brand of stamps that we are actually celebrating by putting a little blog badge out there for all of you to proudly display on your blogs, too!

Marina's animal stamps come in digital designs and rubber! There's something for everyone in the TGF Critter Crew line of stamps!

Also, please join me in welcoming our Jan/Feb 2010 CRITTER CREW GUEST DESIGNERS! We've put a team of three AMAZING gardener-alum together for a limited time to celebrate the official name and and re-launch of the CRITTER CREW....and when you SEE how these gals can color, you won't be surprised to welcome back:
MERCY KERIN
SANDRA MACLEAN, and
SPARKLE SMITH!

These super talented and sweet gals will be bringing you tons of critter cuteness so be sure to check out the blogs!

Now, onto the challenge!

This week's challenge comes from our beloved new Farmer Mary Giles! Mary challenges us this week to Use Glitter....and Glue! in your project. Could be loose glitter (ack!), Stickles, whatevah ;) Just make it sticky and sparkly, LOL....and you're there!

Fantastic challenge Mary!! You know how I LOVE sparkle! For my card I used Stickles AND glitter!

Want some inspiration? Check out the line up and view the rules at the TGF blog!!

My card was also inspired by this weeks all new Wild Card Wednseday CASE challenge over at the Club Anya and Friends blog! Hope you play along with our challenges this week!

**Please be sure to check out my latest Copic Tutorial below!! Thanks!**

Sweet Pea Tutorial Newspaper Color Wash

[Click images for larger view]

Hello everyone! Wow, I feel like I'm just about fully recovered from the holidays! Hope everyone's New Year is off to a great start!

Today I have a tutorial featuring Sweet Pea Stamps Fantasy Art Collection by Ching-Chou Kuik! To view more projects featuring these images, please be sure to visit the Sweet Pea DT blog!

For this project I used the image "Purple Woods" from Ching-Chou Kuik's Fantasy Art Collection, Sheet #4, plate #24.

This is a variation on the color wash technique and I call it the 'newspaper color wash'.

NEWSPAPER COLOR WASH TUTORIAL:


Stamp your image and then cover the entire image in a grey shade. Here I used Copic Markers in W00 and W3. I put down 2-3 layers of W3, then a layer of W00. You can repeat this to saturate the paper even more. This would work with any of the W shades from W00-W3 and probably any of the C, T, or N shades of grey.

While your coats of grey are still wet start adding your color. Be sure to add your color with a light hand. The key is to have a lot of the grey show through. Sketch or Ciao is best to get the light, brush strokes. Here I added a touch of BOO to her hair.

I then added some BG01 to shade/darken some of the areas I colored with BOO.

Next, I outlined her skin in R01 and colored the eyes in YG03, YG23, and added some RV02 to her lips and the fairy cat's ears.

To add a little more color, I used V12 and YR000 around her. I used the V12 first and then blended out with the YR000 to give it a slight glowy appearance.

I then took my favorite grey, W3 and added some shadows to the fairy cat and other areas that need a deeper shade.

Once I was done with my Copics, I added some Spica glitter pen in mint to her hair and used a Sakura Clear Stardust pen on the fairy cat's wings. I also edged the image in Versamagic Midnight Black.

To make it a little more edgier, I added some black speckles.

This technique is fast and fun! There are so many variations. You can lay any light color down first for a color wash.

Hope you enjoyed the tutorial!

Whimsical Wednesday Week 17

Stamp: Paper Makeup Stamps - Penelope

It is week 17 of the Diedrich Dare's Whimsical Wednesday challenges!! This week is a super fun inspiration challenge chosen by Jessica's daughter, Madelynn! This week's hostess is the awesome, JACQUELINE so be sure to check out the DD blog for her feature!

Madelynn's Inspiration Challenge #17


Exciting news: THE DIEDRICH DARE is so excited that we will now be able to offer a MONTHLY PRIZE beginning in January 2010! Our GENEROUS SPONSORS will be offering a prize the FIRST week of each month and we are so grateful for this!

Our first sponsor and PRIZE for 2010 is Paper Makeup Stamps! For my card I used one of the adorable fairies, Penelope, from the PMS Beautiful Day Fairies line. Thanks for the sponsorship Katie! To see more cards with PMS stamps, be sure to check out the rest of the Daredevils blogs this whole month and check out the beautiful PMS blog!

If you play along, please link up your creation to Mr. Linky at the Diedrich Dare Blog or with keyword DDSC17 over at Splitcoaststampers.com
Please be sure to check out the rest of our Daredevil crew:

Val Urtiaga
Sandra MacLean
Kris Palakiko
Kim Ross
Jessica Diedrich
Jacquie Peifer
Jacqueline Nordaune
Heather Schlatter
Darla Wilson

Anya's New Year's Mask-erade Ball!

Happy New Year!!! Please see my first TGF/CA&F post below for detail on today's festivities!!

WELCOME to my challenge hour at the IN WITH THE NEW bash at the new and improved Club Anya and Friends!

ANYA'S NEW YEAR'S MASK-ERADE BALL!

Make a creation, using any mask technique. Regular masking, reverse masking, or alter with masking.

Here's a few tutorials for you.

Technique #1: MASKING TO COMBINE IMAGES

Stamp your image twice. Cut one image out to use as your MASK.



Cut the image along the black lines to get the best results.



Place the cut out image directly over the top of the other stamped image, to MASK it, or in other words cover the image. If you want, you can use some temporary adhesive to hold it in place.

After covering your image with your mask, stamp over it with your second image.



This is what it will look like. Press down evenly to get the image to stamp all the way up to the lines of your first image. If some of the lines don't show up, just use a fine black pen to fill them in.




This is how your image should look so far, once you remove the mask.



Add as many images as you want!





Technique #2: REVERSE MASKING

Stamp your image twice. (I've used two different color cardstocks so you can see better)



Cut out your skirt. (Or, what ever part of the image you want to isolate, to stamp on.)




Place the mask over your image.

Stamp your decorative stamps over the mask.



Here is the result.




Hope you have fun with these techniques!! I am looking forward to all of your creations!! Thanks for playing along with us today!!