Monarch

Hey there 🙂 I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy, and also managing to hang on to some semblance of sanity in this crazy/scary worldwide situation that we’re living through. This card is my last inspiration for this month’s Ching-Chou Kuik Facebook challenge. Our theme this month is Animals…..and that includes anything in the animal kingdom!!! I used this gorgeous image, Monarch, from the Flora and Fauna set. I colored the image with my Copics, then die cut it with a octagon die.

I used larger octagon dies to partially cut the front of the card, and the pretty butterfly background paper. After layering them up, the image needed a bit more definition, so I matted it with the same kraft paper that I used on the inside of the card. I rummaged through my flower collection and found some blossoms that coordinated beautifully with the image. To finish things off, I added some doodled stitching and a couple Card Candy (colored to coordinate with the card) and some sparkle on the inside corners, that also show when the card is closed.

I’d like to enter this in the following:

The Butterfly Challenge – #140 Spin the Wheel with W – I used the color wheat and butterflies 🙂

Jan’s Digi Stamps Challenge – April 2020 ATG

A Perfect Time to Craft Open Challenge – #4 April ATG

Classic Design Open Challenge – #4 Fourth Birthday Challenge

Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge – April ATG with Patterned Paper

Anniversary Gnomes

Hello 🙂 This is a bittersweet post, as it is my last one as a DT for the Sheepski Designs Facebook group. Much as I love working with Andrea’s fabulous images, with the world situation, I’m finding myself sadly lacking in mojo, but having an over abundance of stress!!! Not a cool combination!! I used one of the adorable gnome images available in the Etsy store for this card. I colored up Giant Daisies with my Copics….trying to match up the colors found in my background paper.

And then….everything ground to a halt, as I fiddled around with layouts and accent colors…for a WEEK!!! No wonder this last inspiration piece was late for the challenge!! 🙁 I settled on orange and white, and did a simple layout, with a stamped sentiment on a die cut banner, with a big orange daisy to match the one in the image as a simple embellishment. A cheery card for a special couple!!

I’d like to enter this in the following:

Classic Design Challenge – #4 Fourth Birthday Challenge

The Crafter’s Cafe Challenge – #240 Flowers

The Paper Shelter – #424 Happy Colours!!

Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge – April ATG with Patterned Paper

Crane of Peace

Hi there 🙂 I have my second inspiration project for the Ching-Chou Kuik Facebook challenge this month. Our theme is Animals, and this week I decided to go with birds as my animal of choice, and used the beautiful Crane of Peace for my card. I colored the image with my Copics, adding a few accents with gold gel pen, and some white stars in the night sky with my Posca pen.

I was super excited that these new dies I got from Frantic Stamper were PERFECT with this image!!! I added some color to the cranes to match the one in the image. I layered everything on some black card stock, and added a few black pearls to the flowers, and some black and white matting to finish this off 🙂

I’d like to enter this in the following:

Classic Design Challenge – #4 – ATG 4th Birthday Challenge

Creative Moments – ATG #188

Cute Card Thursday – #630 Wings

Color Crazy Craft Challenge – Week 15 ATG

Crafty Friends Challenge Blog – #133 ATG

Exotic Hello

Hi there 🙂 I hope you are all doing well and staying safe and healthy 🙂 Since time seems to always pass so quickly, I hope that the time that this pandemic is here also passes quickly!! Speaking of time passing quickly, another challenge has started at Creative Fingers. All of our challenges are ATG, as we love to see whatever your creative muse has led you to create!! This time we have the fabulous Ching-Chou Kuik as our sponsor. I’m sure that anyone that comes to my blog, knows that this is one of my favorite artists 🙂 I chose to use the image called Peony for my card, and colored her up with my Copics. I’ve really been struggling to put any cards together lately, with my mind being so distracted with other things going on, my mojo has slipped into a dark corner 🙁 This rather simple card took me almost a week to complete!!! I found the paper before I started coloring, so matched up the colors, and thought it would go well from there…..HA!!! I finally settled on die cutting the image with a pretty oval die, and matting it with a larger size of the same die. I layered this on top of some flourish die cuts and finished off with a coordinating die cut sentiment 🙂 I think it works with the busy background paper, and I’m loving the rich color scheme with this exotic image 🙂

I’d like to enter this in the following:

DL Art – April ATG Linky Challenge

Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge – April ATG with Patterned Paper

A Perfect Time to Craft Open Challenge – #4 April ATG

Jan’s Digi Stamps Challenge – April ATG

Spring Friends

Hello 🙂 Happy Easter! I hope everyone had a peaceful, happy and healthy day <3 I’m popping in to quickly share my first inspiration project for this month’s Ching-Chou Kuik’s Facebook challenge. Our theme this month is Animals…..that includes anything in the animal kingdom 🙂 I used Spring Clover, with the beautiful girl and her little bunny friend on this card. I colored it up with my Copics, and framed it with a pretty die cut.

I found the background paper in my stash, and was happy with how well the colors matched my image. For embellishments, I added a pretty bow, some flowers and pearls 🙂

I’d like to enter this in the following:

A Gem of a Challenge – Week 8 ATG

As You Like It Challenge – Animal or People? People to color….probably because I find it easier to color people….but most of the time I like animals better in real life lol

Through the Craft Room Door – ATG week of April 7th

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends – ATG #129

Coffee Thoughts

Hi there 🙂 I hope everyone is doing well, and staying safe, healthy, and relatively sane!! I’ve been so swamped, trying to get set up to work from home. It’s been a real comedy of errors, with so many little, and big, road bumps along the way, it makes a person’s head spin!!! I’m working now, but still have a few things to figure out, to make things a bit more streamlined. Anyway, this card is my inspiration piece for the current ATG challenge at Creative Fingers. We love to see whatever your crafty heart wants to share with us 🙂 Our sponsor this time is Angelique, who is offering this fun stamp set as a prize.

I used stamps from a few sets that Angelique had recently gifted to me for my card. I stamped and embossed the Thinking of You on a scrap of vellum, then added some more stitching detail on the edges with a fineliner. The coffee, beans and donuts were stamped, colored with Copics, then fussy cut out. I added a bit of glossy accents and sparkles to dress things up a bit. I’ve been trying to use some of my stuff that’s been sitting for forever, so, for the background, I dug up this piece that I’d marbled with shave cream….how long ago??? who knows?? Let’s just say a long time ago!!! I layered everything up and added a few black pearls to balance it off….and done 🙂

I’d like to enter this in the following:

Your Scrapbook Place – April ATG Challenge

Pixie’s Snippets Playground – #375 ATG with Snippets

Allsorts Challenge – Week 566/7 Something Old (marbled paper), Something New (Stamp sets)

DL Art – April ATG Linky Challenge

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies – #2014 ATG

Aurora Wings April New Release

Hi there!! I hope everyone is safe and healthy, and doing their best to stay that way <3 Since so many are self isolating, it’s the perfect time for a new release of Aurora Wings images!! Plenty for you to play with 😉 As you can see from all the stunning examples from my DT sisters on the Showcase Blog, these are truly droolworthy! I can guarantee that, when working with these, your mind will be on much happier things that the situation the world is in! 🙂

I’ve included links to the individual listings at the aurorawings.com digi store, or you can check out the whole collection here on Etsy or here at aurorawings.com

First up, there’s the lovely Taurus (found here as part of a 2 pack)…the third in the flowery zodiac signs 🙂 Taurus is also Mitzi and Donna’s astrological sign…so that makes this extra special! I colored this beauty with my Copics, using deep, rich colors – because I grabbed a marker, didn’t double check the color, and started in on the red flowers….they were supposed to be pink, lol.

I went with this new color palette, and love the result. I decided on a CAS card, with a stamped sentiment, and a few pearls in the angled corners. The die cut shape gives this card a bit more zing.

As You Like It Challenge – Buttons or Pearls? Pearls!!! Why? Because they add such a classy touch, without overpowering the card. Also, they come in many different colors 🙂

Crafty Creations – #408 ATG

The Taurus beauty is also available in a No Horns version as part of a 2 pack HERE. After printing this up with lighter lines, I colored this one up in my originally planned color scheme….I made sure to check the marker color before diving in!!! Lol. I gave a bit more definition to the eyes, since the light lines made them fade out, with a fineliner pen.

She looks like a lovely spring maiden with her flowers and pearls. Some lace, a bouquet of coordinating blooms, and a stamped sentiment finish this spring card off.

I’d like to enter this in the following:

Crafty Gals Corner – #205 Use Flowers

Crafty Friends – #132 Spring

Flowers seem to cheer and comfort at the same time, so this new release is full of them!!! It IS spring, after all 🙂

This image is perfect for a wedding related project. I colored Peony Bridal Bouquet (JPG or PNG)with warm greys, before going over it with some pastel shades. I think it gives it a lovely aged and romantic look.

I fussy cut the image out, then placed it on a background that is a inked die cut over some shimmery green (I know..looks more blue) paper. I placed the die cut sentiment on an inked strip, that I’d attached a heart charm to, then wrapped it around the base.

I’d like to enter this in the following:

Creative Inspirations – April Showers and Flowers (could also be used as a wedding shower card 🙂 )

DL Art – April ATG Linky Challenge

Another beautiful floral image is this Peony Corner (JPG or PNG). I colored this in the colors of one of my peony plants at my old house. It was the most abundant plant, with so many gorgeous blooms!! I messed around with a few ideas, before settling on this design, with the front of the card folded back to show part of the inside.

It fit with the shape with the image beautifully. I added an embossed panel, silver bow and some silver pearls on the outside, and a stamped and embossed sentiment peeking from the inside.

I’d like to enter this card in the following:

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies – #2013 With Ribbon

Craft-Dee BowZ – April ATG with a Hand Tied Bow

My very favorite of the new releases is Spring Posey (JPG or PNG). My all time fave flower is the pansy. It was also my mom’s favorite, and we often had competitions on who could have the biggest variety of color combos in their garden….I think the record was something like 37!! My mother-in-law’s name was Violet, but she got the nickname of Pansy from my mom and I – she was very flattered, as she knew how much we both loved this flower. Both of them are gone now, but, as I colored, I was filled with many precious memories <3

When I was done, I wanted to use this on something that I would look at often. I found this miniature paint can that I received a flower arrangement from my kid in….and used that. Some simple twine edging is all I used to embellish….the image says it all!! I don’t know what I’ll actually end up storing in the can, but the brushes and flowers made for a pretty picture 🙂

Kreativ-Tanten (Creative Aunts) – #40 Packaging

Classic Design Challenge – #4 ATG 4th Birthday Celebration

Here are some special savings codes for you to use this weekend on all digi purchases (not just the new release!).

Remember that we have an ATG challenge every month at the Stamps by Aurora Wings Facebook group. We love to see ALL your makes, whether they be full projects or colorings, and we also love to see your past works…looking forward to seeing you there 🙂

And finally……

As a special gift, Mitzi has drawn this gorgeous image full of peace and hope for these trying times <3 She is offering this full version of A Healing Prayer as a gift with purchase this weekend!!! I colored this amazing image up with my Copics, and the only thing to do with it was to frame it.

I transferred an uplifting quote onto the painted frame as a reminder that tomorrow will be brighter <3

I’d like to enter this in the following:

Cute Card Thursday – #628 ATG

Through the Craft Room Door – ATG for the week of March 31st

Be a Mermaid

Well, I’ve been a crafting/blogging maniac this weekend!!! Keeps my mind off the uncertainty in the world. It’s been ages since I’ve done a project with a Julia Spiri image….so I closed my eyes and picked!! I was delighted that his beautiful Mermaid with Lotus was the one that my cursor landed on 🙂 It’s such a peaceful and relaxing image. I colored her with Copics, adding some white Posca accents and a sponged sky background.

I picked out the dotty base paper, but when I lay everything out, I decided that I needed to whiten up some of the dots with my Posca pen. I die cut the cattails, and layered the image with some cheesecloth and the cut. The sentiment was one I printed up on the computer. I was a bit stumped on how to add a bit more color, and then came up with the idea of folding the pink daisy flowers, so they looked like lotus 🙂 I cut a few leaves to place them on, glued them down and everything balanced out perfectly. I really wish I could follow the advice of the sentiment….both to keep calm, and to be a mermaid!!! LOL

I’d like to enter this in the following:

Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge – March ATG with Patterned Paper

Crafty Gals Corner – #205 Use Flowers

The Fairy and the Unicorn – March Any Fantasy Creation

World Wide Open DT Challenge – #03 March/April ATG

Creative Craft Cottage – #127 For the Girls

Lily Splendor

Hi there 🙂 I hope everyone is staying safe <3 I’m here to share my last DT inspiration of March for the Ching-Chou Kuik Facebook challenge. Our theme this month is Easter/Florals. There’s a lot of images in the Etsy store that fall into this category, and we’d love to see your make!! This week, the DT were given an extra challenge, and that was to use lots of layers. I chose Lily’s Lullaby II for my card, and colored her with my Copics.

My mind has been all over the place lately, and as I went through my stash, choosing what to use on my card, I kept thinking of other ideas, and when I sat down I wondered where to start! LOL I managed to get the layers of lace, patterned paper twine figured out, but it needed a backdrop and embellishments…..gah!!! I liked the look of the kraft base, but it was bland, and had me thinking for a day or 2!! I finally ended up die cutting it, layering it on white, and adding some pearls. None of the embellishments that I was trying were really working for the side, so I sat down and made me some darn lilies!!!!! I’m not a big flower maker, so I am absolutely thrilled to bits with how they turned out, and how well they finish the card!!! A few more pearls, and some die cut greenery, and….Woohoo!! Done 🙂

I would like to enter the following challenges with this:

Creative Craft Cottage – #127 For the Girls

Crafty Gals Corner – #205 Use Flowers

Digi Choosday Craft Challenge – Week 11 ATG

Coloring in Scrapland – March Challenge – Spring

Dragonfly Dreams – Make it Feminine

Candy Christmas

Hi there 🙂 I’m getting a nice little jump on my crafting and blogging this weekend!!! Trying to put a positive spin on all this :/ It was time to add another card to my Christmas collection, so I printed up this cutie from Faery Ink. It was a freebie a long time ago, and I’m not seeing it in the store now, but there are so many other droolworthy images, I might be in trouble!! I don’t know if it is supposed to be an actual Christmas image, but by using traditional red, green and gold colors, and some festive papers, it sure fits the bill!!

After coloring it with my Copics, and choosing my papers from the bits and pieces folder, I was having some trouble deciding on a layout. This sketch at Tuesday Throwdown came to the rescue!!! 🙂

A stamped sentiment and some doodles to border the image, and I had a cute Christmas card done and ready to add to the (still small) pile 🙂

I’d like to enter this in the following:

Pixie’s Snippets Playground – #374 ATG with Snippets

Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper – March ATG with Patterned Paper

Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge – #482 ATG Christmas, with optional inspired by a Christmas song – Hard Candy Christmas by Dolly Parton

ABC Christmas Challenge – E,F,G I used the F for Freebie…the image, and the sentiment stamp was also a freebie in a magazine 🙂

Tuesday Throwdown – #453 Sketch, shown above