Aurora Wings Candy Cane Fairy

Boy time just gets away from me.  I haven't colored for almost a week.  How did that happen?

I had hoped to get this cutie done in time for the Kit and Clowder Advent Calendar day for Aurora Wings. But so busy with the holiday!  If you haven't yet, go to the Kit and Clowder page and click "Like" so you don't miss out on all the goodies Alyce is always posting.

This is one of the new stamps for Aurora Wings called Candy Cane Fairy.  She's so cute.  And gosh, I love Alyce's clothing class at Kit and Clowder which shows me how to put in pleats and folds in the fabric.  You can grab Candy Cane Fairy at the Aurora Wings shop on Etsy.  Click like on Mitzi's page too.

I do wish the picture could capture the glitter on her wings and stockings.  It is definitely way cuter in your hands!!!

My daughter's boyfriend's parents will receive this card tomorrow as we spend Christmas Eve with them.

Colors Used

xoxo,
Jo

Stamps by Julia Spiri

I love the cute images over at Julia's Etsy shop.  Kit and Clowder is running a promotional right now for 50% off until December 21.  Here's one I colored up called Nia and Owl.  She's available for free from Julia's blog.

xoxo,

Jo

All Dressed Up Three Little Christmas Girls

Yay!  Head over to Kit and Clowder's Facebook page where they are doing an Advent Calendar.  Today's sponsor is All Dressed Up.  There are some great prizes over there!  Here is Three Little Christmas Girls.  Make sure you head to the store to pick this cute image up!

She's so cute...I don't want to give her away.

Colors Used

xoxo,

Jo

Kit and Clowder Create and Learn Classes

Have you seen the December 2015 Create and Learn classes from Kit and Clowder?  They are so cute, and I can't wait to work on them.

I want to tell you how much it is worth the money to purchase these classes.  Alyce walks you through the whole process with step-by-step written instructions and a video.  And she is always available to help if you have questions.

Markers - December Create and Learn

Pencils - December Create and Learn

Below are the ones I've completed.

May 2015 Create and Learn - Markers

The image is Sea Fairy from Saturated Canary.

Techniques learned:  Water effects, glowing globe, mermaid scales, texture on the clam, sand grains!

You also get a few bits of information that is available in the Hair and Skin class.

July 2015 Create and Learn - Pencils

This image is called Hydrangea from Yam Puff on Deviant Art.

Techniques learned:  pencil blending, transparent wings, water ripples, rain.  There is a full technique class called Perfecting Pencils at Kit and Clowder.

October 2015 Create and Learn - Markers

Eeeeee...this image Gabbie Halloween Witchfire from Faery Ink is so cute.  I would have never tackled coloring it, but Alyce makes it so easy.

Techniques learned:  glow from a beaker, cat fur, bushes, wood grain, mirror reflection. concrete steps.  The skin and hair and clothing are all detailed in this Create and Learn but there are lots more techniques and information in the Skin and Hair Technique Class and Clothing Technique Class which are available at Kit and Clowder.

October 2015 Create and Learn - Pencils

Another image from Faery Ink called Destiny Graveyard Vampire Kit. 

Techniques learned:  stone with cracks, bronzing on the gate, ombre effect with colored pencils, moonlight, fog, and ground cover.

Alyce releases past editions on a quarterly basis, so these projects should still be available.  You will learn so much from them.

xoxo,

Jo

Craft Hoarder

I try not to use the word "hoarder", but who am I kidding.  When it comes to craft supplies, I may fall into that category.  I mean when I walk into a store..."look at those stamps, OMG all the paper and oh wowee, distress inks, markers and dies..oh my".  Yes I guess when you walk into my scrap book room, some people would call me a hoarder.  BUT, at least I'm an OCD hoarder.  Almost all my stuff is neatly organized.  I'm one of those people that spend as much time organizing as I do creating.  Which causes things like posting to a blog to go a little on the way side.  So sorry!

And since my last post, I've had a wedding, a couple of trips out of town, and the holidays!  Whew!

So I am now posting things I've done in the last few months but just haven't gotten to putting on here yet.

This one is a card I made for the ladies at my local crafting store.  They are dabbling in Copics, so I thought I would make a card so they can see what their Copic markers can do.

Stamping Bella's Uptown Girl Callista Loves to Craft

Colors Used

Below is a birthday card for my father.  I used a digital stamp called Man at Work by Just Ink Lined. Colors are by Pan Pastels and Distress Inks.

I made this card for him too but I felt like I ruined it with the brown distress ink.  So I put it away. Now he's kind of growing on me.  It is a digital image from Polka Doodles called Ranger from the Work N' Play Country Life collection.

In June, a group of wonderful women attended the Kit and Clowder Retreat in Anaheim.  We got to meet the lovely Alyce Keegan and work on some really great projects.  We also were able to spend some time together at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.  We all took some really great pictures. I tried to commemorate our time together with a few of them.  So I spent some time putting together a quilt for Alyce.  

Sewing isn't really my ball of yarn...but I think it turned out nicely.

Here is the Bone Queen from Aurora Wings!  I love Halloween and I've been wanting to color her up for quite some time.

Colors Used

Another Halloween image that I've been dying to color.  This one is from Ching-Chou Kuik called Wicked Musing.  I was a little nervous to try out the stone wall, but really like how she turned out!

Colors Used

And thanks to Alyce at Kit and Clowder, I've been working on some colored pencil images.  All the images below are from Ching-Chou Kuik.  Still have some practice to do!

Thanks for letting me go back in time for a few months!  It's nice to finally see these on the blog.

xoxo,

Jo

Christmas in July

Here are my cards for the Kit and Clowder Christmas in July Card Swap.  It was fun making these two cards.

Summer Christmas Luka from La-La Land Crafts

Summer Christmas Marci from La-La Land Crafts

The dies for both cards are also from La-La Land Crafts.

xoxo,

Jo

You and Me

I love this image from Tiddly Inks called You and Me.  It's for a couple getting married from my husband's work.  A special thanks to Alyce Keegan at Kit and Clowder for her coloring classes.  It gave me the confidence to color a white dress.

xoxo,
Jo

Seasons - I Choose Spring

There's a new challenge going on at Kit and Clowder.  We are to use the image "Love is Spring" by Ching-Chou Kuik.  You can get her here.  The challenge is Seasons and you can color for spring, summer, fall or winter.

This is my version of spring when all the flowers and nature are coming alive from the winter.

Since I missed the ombre challenge at Kit and Clowder, I decided to do her wings in ombre. Below are the markers I used for this image.  I also used Prisma Color Cerulean Blue to bring out the highlights in the birds feathers.

Looking forward to seeing everyone's entries!

xoxo,

Jo

I am loving snails!

I don't know why, but snails have really been catching my attention.  Wanted to share my latest creation.  This is an image from Ching-Chou Kwik called Dandelion Fields.  The snail was a challenge for me but a lot of fun to color.  I tried to create an atmosphere of night and magical twilight which is why the dandelions are glowing.  It's my next development phase - how to do backgrounds.  Oh well, I hope you like her and her snail!

These are the supplies I used for this card:

Copic Markers (the colors used are pictured below)
Distress inks - Dusty Concord, Chipped Sapphire, Stormy Sky, Mustard Seed, Crushed Olive and Forest Moss
Wild Orchid Crafts flowers and lace
paper from my supply
wooden heart embossed with Fran-tage embossing powder

Xoxo,
Jo

I Get Carried Away!

Sally and Her Snail

I made this sweet card for a new, but already very dear friend.  She's an amazing artist, and it surprises me that she wants hand made items from me.  I did enjoy coloring this one up.  The stamp is a rubber stamp from Stamping Bella called Tiny Townie Sally and Her Snail.  I thought the saying was appropriate, because I really have been carried away by her personality and kindness.  It is from the hostess set Time to Celebrate by Stampin Up.

These are the markers I used to color Sally and her snail.  I used watercolor for the background.

Xoxo,
Jo

Copic Marker Holder Case

I think one of the challenges anyone has with Copic markers is how to store them and make them useable.  I like to be able to find my marker quickly, but I also like to be able to transport them.  I've tried the Art Bin and the grid made from lighting covers but quickly noticed that my markers don't fit in the slots straight and are "very tight".  The Copic Bag is nice but all the markers are thrown together making it hard to find the marker you want quickly.  So I've searched high and low for a bin and then asked my husband to make inserts for it.  This is the result:

There are slots for 374 markers.  Plenty for all the Copic colors plus additional pens or markers. It's great because you can lay it down or on it's side while you are coloring.

And it comes with a great lid that latches shut with the handles.  Transporting them is very easy.

The boxes are for sale on my Etsy site TJandThings.  They are available in smoke, teal, pink or purple transparent bins.

Also available is an insert for the Copic bag.  It has slots for 274 Copic Sketch markers. 

***UPDATE ****

Bins that hold Copic Originals, Spectrum Noir, and Promarker markers are here!  You can order it from TJ and Things on Etsy!

xoxo,

Jo

*Shipment will occur 3-5 business days from date of order due to the hand made nature of these holders.

Father's Day 2015

It's fun making my husband a card, but it's also challenging because cards for men are so "plain" to me.  For this one, I used Big Guy Grilling by Mo Manning.

His shirt is paper pieced with Kaiser Craft paper called Sears & Son.  Copics used are:

Skin E13, E11, E21, E00, E000

Pants, Hat and Charcoal Bag  B99, B97, B95, B93, B91

Grill R59, R39, R29, R24, R22

Glove and Grass G99, YG67, YG63, G28, G24

Hamburgers, Sandals and Utensil Handles  E49, E59, E57, E35

Silver C7, C5, C3, C1, C0

xoxo,

Jo

A Friend that Does Her Own Thing

Do you have or have you had a friend that just dances to her own music?  I have one leaving to hike the Appalachian Trail all by herself for 4 months.  I thought this card was fitting for her.  The image is Diva by Mo Manning.  I just purchased her yesterday after seeing her at the Kit and Clowder retreat.  Chelsea is definitely one of a kind and this sweet girl exudes that attitude, only in a dress instead of hiking gear.

Colors used:

Skin E04, E11, E21, E00, E000

Hair E18, E15, Y21, YR23

Dress BG10, BG53, BG57, BG75, BG78

Boa BV00, BV13, BV08, 100

xoxo,

Jo

Happy 23rd Birthday to My Daughter

This is a birthday card I finished up after a wonderful retreat with Kit and Clowder in Anaheim, California.  With all the chaos in trying to pack everything up, I totally forgot which Copic colors I used.  But the image is Let Us Eat Cake Sweet Tooth from www.tiddlyinks.com

xoxo,
Jo

Hannah Is An Angel Now

A friend that I graduated with lost his 22-year old daughter, Hannah, to a senseless murder while she was at Indiana University.  It was the week of the Little 500 and she was celebrating with friends.  They were all graduating in two weeks.  She left her friends around midnight and no one heard from her again.  They found her body the next day.  I will never understand the evil that exists in our world.

The one thing I do know is that God has us in his hands.  It has never been more evident than in watching my former classmate, her father, through Facebook.  The grace and spirit of this man, father, husband and friend is indescribable.  I never met Hannah but she must have been an incredible young woman.  There was no funeral, but rather a celebration of her life.  Her younger sister said she spoke to Hannah about death in one of their many talks together, and Hannah didn't want a funeral.  She wanted people driving up in limousines and laughing and talking about her life.  That is what they did.

I have witnessed her father not give into grief but embrace the wonderful 22 years he had with her.  He has shared many pictures of them together.  They are snapshots of memories he has of his wonderful life with her.  What a testimony of his faith.  I am humbled.  There are no worries or struggles that can match what he has gone through.  I have no reason to do anything but praise, just as he has done.  I only hope to live my life in the way he has exhibited through these difficult times.  God has a beautiful child with him right now and one day another beautiful soul will rejoice when he joins her.

I could not attend Hannah's celebration.  So I made a card as a tribute to her.  Hannah had long black hair. She was a member of Gamma Phi Beta, a sorority whose colors were purple and green.  My goals was to create a representation of a small portion of Hannah in the card.

I purchased a digital image called Clouds of Glory from AmazingPicturesbyMTP from Etsy for the background and used Photoshop Elements to layer an image from The East Wind, also Etsy, called Angel.

The following Copic colors were used on her.

Hair - C9, C7, C5, C3, C1

Skin - E000, E00, E21, E11, E13, E04, R20

Eyes - B37, B34

Wings - C1, BG000, BG0000 Wink of Stella Clear Glitter

Dress - BV08, BV13, BV02, BV00, BV0000, YG25, YG23, YG05

The floral leaves are dies from Shabby Flourish from La-La Land Crafts' April 2015 project kit.  I used seam binding and colored it with distress inks from Tim Holtz.  The flowers, paper and ribbon are from my stock.  The Fly High Hannah text was created in Word.

May God keep us all safe!

Thanks for looking,
Jo

Organization Update

My husband made the embellishment shelves I wanted, and they turned out great.  There is a 12 foot section of wall in my scrapbook room that was blank and I've been saving it for shelves.

  

    

And here is the embellishment wall that was added.  I love that I can see all my flowers, buttons and scrap ribbon and just grab the items I need.

He also made a topic bin for me.  I purchased an art bin from the local office supply store.  He took the dimensions of the bin and made this beautiful Copic sketch marker holder.  Umm, yes, I love this.  It can lay flat or on its side while you are using them.  The lid clips securely on and has side handles that snap over the lid to make a more secure latch.  It has 374 slots which is more than enough for all the Sketch markers and a few extra slots for Molotov pens and black liner pens.

I am a lucky girl!  

xoxo,
Jo