I’m over on the Picket Fence Studios blog today with a fun birthday card idea that is great for anyone on your list! Let’s face it, everyone loves a shaker card. What is not to like?! Even my boys go a little shaker crazy when I show them one I have made.
So I thought it would be a great way to highlight the Rough Around the Edges background stamp and the Happy Happy Happy Birthday sentiment set. But other backgrounds or sentiment would work great too! I have the how-to over at the company blog so hop over there to take a look.
I love the mint color on this for a fresh feel but any color would be fun. Find some sequins or jewels in your stash, pick coordinating ink and paper, make a quick shaker, send a smile to someone! I hope you enjoy this card. Let me know what you think!! Thanks for stopping in today. So happy you did. See you soon!
As with many things, this post has been overdue for a bit but I really wanted to make sure I had time for a real product review. Because lighting is SOOOO critical to all we do as crafters, I feel like I have been in search of the right lights for a long time. And then something crazy happened. I won some! Like a whole, insane group of some! Sarah of Sariditty is a brilliant quilter. BRILLIANT! She is a designer and artist and creates beautiful things. And she swears by the lights from the Daylight Company. Enough that she joined with them as a promoter. And then she had a contest and I won!! All of this happened during the chaos of my life so only during the holidays did I get a chance to properly set some of the lights up in my craft room. And I have only begun to really assess all that I got. But I’m going to start today with two of the products. The first is the Luminos and the second for today is the Smart Travel Lamp.
In my first photo I wanted to show you a bit of what my set up looks like from afar. I have been using the Luminos as my lighting for my desk for about a month. It is a difference maker! It provides a natural lighting that is great for all my coloring. Bright enough to reduce eye strain but my colors remain true. You can see that it clamps to my desk on the far side which works well for me to maximize my table space (translated, I can make a bigger mess). The Smart Travel Lamp is a supporting actor for this post though. Because all of these pictures were taken at night. Yes, AT NIGHT. Daylight photography is the holy grail, as many of us know. But how many times does that just not work out?! So I brought over this little travel light on the side to help balance my shadows while I took photos of this card for my Picket Fence Studios post a couple of weeks ago.
This give you an idea of exactly how good the lighting was for my pictures. My photos were simply taken with my iPhone 8 Plus with no additional features. This was an aha moment for me!! Less stress, less time, night time work can actually still get done!
A little more close up you can see how good the lighting is on my work station too. Again, this is really a big help since my crafting time is not always on a good schedule for the best lighting. As a reminder, here is the photo that was the result of of this set-up.
You’d never know that it was not taken under optimal conditions or that it was 9p when taken. Now while I have focused on how it works with photography, the real plus for me has simply been how much I feel a difference in my eyes while coloring. I love to color!! But my eyes do not. And given that my eyes are one of the most important things in my flying, I will do what I need to protect them from strain. Much of the time that has simply meant I cannot color as long as I’d like. But the Luminos has changed that for me. I don’t say that lightly.
So now the rest of the story. Sarah is a Brand Ambassador with Daylight Company and as such she is able to offer us all a deal. You get a 20% discount with this code: SARIDITTY. Just enter that at checkout and you get the savings. Super easy, right?? That said, I do have some other products that I’m going to be testing soon. These include the Slimline Light, the Halo Lamp and the Wafer Light Box. If you have specific questions about any of these, let me know so I can address them for you. I intended to do this all with just Instagram but found that it was so much easier to give specifics here. Thanks so much for stopping in today. See you tomorrow for the latest from Freshly Made Sketches.
Hello my friends. I’m going to start off with a brief explanation. I know that my posting right now seems to come inconsistently. The truth is, I’m working very hard on balancing a lot of things. The biggest of them has been my mom’s estate. My mom lived in Orlando and I’m not there. That makes things hard since there are many decisions to be made and many beloved treasures to be sorted. So I’m going down there as much as I can to help handle that. When added to my flying schedule, I admit that my blog is the thing that seems to get the short end of my attention. I promised more details on my PFS January release and then promptly didn’t provide them all. I’m so sorry. Please forgive my distraction. The last trip was highly emotional for me and I’m truthfully feeling a bit overwhelmed. But stamping helps. And my family is the best. I’ll find my new normal soon but until the estate is handled, I think this is my normal. Thank you for your patience and support. It means the world.
And with that, I’m on to this week’s FMS card. I love this sketch by the lovely Kim Singdahlsen. It is fresh and clever! And, as usual, I think I may have stretched it a little too far. But whatever comes out of my head when I’m crafting is what I go with these days.
I love the Be a Unicorn of the Sea set by Picket Fence Studios and I thought it might be fun for the sketch. But what about the diagonals? Oh yeah….the new stencils!! And an idea was born. The Sunburst Stencil seemed perfect when I chose a few select “beams” and inked them with Distress Ink using the Life Changing Blender Brushes. I chose one of the small brushes because it fits in the beams perfectly without me having to tape and cover the others. Nice and simple! I inked up another piece of Bristol and then cut it out with a stitched circle as a background for my narwhal.
I have to confess that I love narwhal images. And this set is the BEST! The sentiments are such fun and useful for so many occasions. They are encouraging and kind!! I colored the narwhal with my Zigs to coordinate and then chose some Audrey Blue (SSS) as a background to make the colors pop. I love the Shark Bite Sequins too so of course I added a few.
Thank you so much for stopping in today. I’m grateful you choose to spend a few moments of your day with me. Make sure you hop over to see the inspiration from the whole team. See you soon!
As promised I’m back today with more details on my card using the new Aeonium African Succulent set from Picket Fence Studios. So the second I saw this, I knew the color palette that I wanted to use. Why you ask? Because I have a little set of plants on my kitchen table that were chosen by my 12 yo son. He is a total character and he has a tendency to name things. There is no rhyme or reason to the names but they are always funny. So introducing Timmy, Jimmy and Timmy Jr.
While I was coloring the image, he would come down as ask me how Timmy was doing. Or I’d say I was going to hang out with Timmy. To be fair, the coloring of this happened over about 4 days. No, it wasn’t a whole 4 days….I just did it in bits and pieces because it does take a bit of time and blending. But oh is it worth it!!
I stamped the image using Momento Tuxedo Black Ink. I used my Misti (of course) to get perfect coverage for such a big image. I shaded first with the lighter colors and then came in with darker ones to add depth. It took a bit of going back and forth for the the transitions to blend out but just be patient. Here are the colors I used:
After I was done with the coloring, I cut the image out. I debated cutting the size down but just couldn’t bear to lose any of the image. So instead, I chose to make a 5″ x 5″ card. So what about an envelope for that? No problem. I made one! I used an Envelope Punch Board and some pretty purple card stock (Gorgeous Grape by Stampin’ Up) to create one that is perfect for the card. Behind the image I used Fog Gray card stock to give a little richness and depth without taking away from the image. I splattered it with ink before adding the image. The sentiment comes from the Rose Bouquet set (should look familiar, I used it on Friday) and I simply put it on black card stock with Versamark and heat embossed in white. I added a few sequins, of course, to complement the splatters.
I hope this card inspires you to get out your Copics and mix colors. It is easier than you think! Even with green and purple (see Lydia’s discussion on breaking the “rules”). I’ll be back tomorrow with another of the cards from the release. See you then!
FINALLY! I can share some of the new sets for the Picket Fence Studios January release! This release is timed to coordinate with the reveal of the same products at Creativation and I’m so excited to show you some of the products. In order to keep this post in check, today I’m mostly just going to show you three projects. Then I’ll come back over the next few days to give you more of the details on each. Let me know what you think of that method or if you’d rather just see one long post. I’m curious what works better for you. With that, let’s get to the cards!
The first of the day used a new set called Wild Heart, Gypsy Soul. It has a boho style that is unique and really beautiful. I chose watercolor as my medium and went with a loose style of coloring. The sentiment is from another new set called Exhale Worry. It needs to be on your must-have list!
Next up is a card using Today Is All About You. It is so cute and the little selfie (or in my case, it seems like FaceTime) llama is hilarious. I colored her using Copic Markers and used the coordinating die to cut her out.
Finally is a seriously spectacular image. It is called Aeonium African Succulent. It is a large image and it is unbelievable!! I have a funny story about my color choices that I’ll share tomorrow so make sure you come back for more info. I colored this using Copic Markers and then cut it out by hand. It is on a base of Fog Gray card stock.
Now make sure you hop around and see what the team has created. Between us all, we are showing the whole release. And I hope you’ll come back for all the details on this cards starting tomorrow. Until then, have a great weekend!
Happy Friday!! It is my week to share on the Picket Fence Studios blog and I’m so excited to share my card with you. And then there is tomorrow….the start of Creativation (a huge industry event). The January release has been timed to correspond with the start of all the fun there so make sure you come back tomorrow to see projects with the new products.
So for today, I used one of the first sets I got from Picket Fence called Rose Bouquet. It is gorgeous!! And it is meant for coloring of ALL kinds. I chose Zig Clean Color Markers. I love these pens for the precision tips and nice blending. I find that they work best on a Bristol paper so that is what I stamped the image on using the Black Hybrid Ink which I love for watercoloring. It doesn’t budge!
I layered on pinks and reds for the roses and then moved to olive greens for the leaves. To make the image pop more, I used a gray marker around the edges and blended it out. Once I had most of the coloring done, I went back and added the deepest of each color to get more depth and shadowing. While this takes a bit of time, I love coloring and I enjoy watching the project develop as I add shading. Since I didn’t want to cover up any of the image, I chose vellum for my sentiment. And you know what?? I found that I had this sentiment already stamped and heat embossed sitting right on my desk. It was left over from a design where I changed my mind but it was PERFECT for this card. So nice when that happens! I finished the card with some sequins from Pretty Pink Posh and found this pretty pink envelope from Simon Says Stamp to match.
Thanks so much for stopping in today! I hope you have a great weekend and I’ll see you again tomorrow!
Happy Friday everyone! A quick post today to show you a card I’m sharing over at the Picket Fence Studios blog today! I got a little bit of stamping time and I just HAD to color this gorgeous new girl named Kiesha!
I stamped Kiesha using the Picket Fence Hybrid Ink with my Misti. Then I started playing with her shading. I learned something from Lydia recently about adding a violet hue to ethnic skin colors for depth. Wow, what a difference a little makes!
Once I had her skin tones like I wanted, I delved into her hair. Just look at the lovely art there! All the details in the image are mesmerizing. I played with grays and browns to create some highlights. Still need to work on the shading for dark hair but I’m overall happy with my first attempt on this image.
I hope you like this one too and I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Make sure you go check out the whole line of “Girl” stamps too. They are all gorgeous!! Thanks so much for stopping in today. I hope you have a fabulous day!
It is the 14th of the month and that means today is a super fun day at Picket Fence Studios! Time for the December release!! I have two cards to share with you for the release and I know the team will have lots to share too.
Let’s get started with this ADORABLE image! Oh. My. Word. So cute. And such fun to color. I stamped her in the Black Hybrid Ink and then colored with my Copic Markers. Super awesome news here too….there are dies on every release now. I do love a coordinating die!!
So I cut her out with the die and decided to keep the rest of the card simple so as to focus on the image. I cut a scalloped frame and stamped the sentiment from the same stamp set. With all the Christmas cards I have been trying to make last minute, this release is a great change of pace!
With my next card I tried to do what I never do enough…make a masculine card. I have so many men in my life that need cards so you’d think I be a pro but nope. I thought this set really called for me to give it a go. I stamped in Versafine Ink (because it stays wet long enough to emboss) and then heat embossed with clear embossing powder. Out came the Life Changing Blender Brushes again and I blended on oranges and yellows until I was happy. I cute my inked panel down with some stitched rectangle dies and then used part of the cut off piece for the sentiment panel (all the coloring was done, after all). I found some sequins in my stash that matched and then put the panel on a black card base. My high schooler agreed that it looks like a “man card” so I’m going to call it mission complete.
Make sure you hop over to the Picket Fence Studios site to see the whole release! You will love it! Thanks for stopping in today. Hope you have a great weekend.
Happy Friday to you! I’m here with a quick share of a card I created for the Picket Fence Studios blog. I’m super behind on Christmas cards so it is a good think they have stamps that practically make the card for you!!
I love these fun reindeer and the sentiments from the Santa’s Sleigh Ride set. I colored them quickly with Copics after stamping them with Picket Fence Studios’ Black Hybrid Ink. (Don’t forget to enter my GIVEAWAY over on Instagram for a chance to win this awesome ink.) I created a chalkboard look for the background after embossing the sentiment with white embossing powder. Super simple to do and I love this look! Things needed a bit more holiday cheer so I found a retired candy cane paper from SU and some green glitter paper from Concord and 9th to add color. Then I added some colored pearls to finish.
I hope you enjoy this one! So glad you stopped in today! Hope you have a great weekend….lots of fun and games! As long as you remember that Santa eventually checks that list!
I thoughts I’d share a sweet little Monday card with you. I created this just for fun using the new Rustic Floral set from Picket Fence Studios. I love this darling little image and the sentiments in the set are perfect for note cards for many occasions. I stamped this in the new Black Hybrid Ink from Picket Fence and wow! Hybrid it is! I tested it with Copics and this was my watercolor test. PERFECT! I love a one stop black ink! It doesn’t budge or smear with either. Not sure how that is possible but some things just don’t require an explanation. I’ll accept that it is crafting magic!
I love it so much that I’m going to gift it and the Crafty Friends stamp set to one lucky person. I’m going to make this an Instagram drawing so hop over and follow me there and enter for your chance to win. You can find the details HERE.
After coloring the image and the background of this with Daniel Smith watercolors (just some quick and easy coloring) I cut it out using the Wonky Circle Dies by Gina Marie Designs. The stitched background is made with the same set…it cuts the stitches separately from the circle cutting die. So clever!
That’s it for today. I hope you hop over and find me on Instagram to enter. Back on Wednesday with an awesome announcement from Freshly Made Sketches! You will not want to miss it! Until then, have a happy start to your week.
Primary Sidebar
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
So I thought it would be a great way to highlight the Rough Around the Edges background stamp and the Happy Happy Happy Birthday sentiment set. But other backgrounds or sentiment would work great too! I have the how-to over at the company blog so hop over there to take a look.
I love the mint color on this for a fresh feel but any color would be fun. Find some sequins or jewels in your stash, pick coordinating ink and paper, make a quick shaker, send a smile to someone! I hope you enjoy this card. Let me know what you think!! Thanks for stopping in today. So happy you did. See you soon!
