The "H' Party

We have had a fun and very enjoyable weekend, celebrating my nephew's 21st Birthday - it was a dress-up themed event. We were all asked to come dressed in something beginning with "H". Wow! - everyone got into the spirit of the night, and there were some amazing costumes we had Hercules, Hannah Montana, Humpty Dumpty, Highland & Hip Hop Dancers, Helicopter Pilots, Housewives and the list goes on. I have a few photos to share with you - wish I could show you them all... but once again I took 100's LOL!... and it really is impossible to post them all!

This is my family and I - the Hawaiian Tourist, Hockey Player, Hostess and Hippy! - long hair and chockers are not the most flattering accessories for me!!

 ....and from left to right:  my nephew the Hotdog with his mate the Hedgehog, My sister the Hairdresser and her Hooker daughter! and family friends Hannibal Lector and Henry the Octopus - cool costumes aren't they??

and here are some more family friends .... dressed as a Hobo couple and with their very cute duaghter the  Hawaiian Princesss. 

The most popular costume of the night appeared to be all the different variations of  Hippies, closely followed with an array of Hawaiian dressed guests - as I mentioned before, it was a lot of fun and we giggled at ourselves and our silly costumes all night.

The dressup theme also inspired my card creation today - I rushed this card a little but I really needed a little R & R in my "happy room" today, after such a hectic weekend. This is Mod Marci from the La La Land Crafts Stamp range - I thought she had a little bit of a "hippy chick" look to her - she is seated on another La La Land image the Garden Bench....both available at Mad for Markers.

Copics Used:

Skin: E000, BV000, E01, E11, Lips: RV42, Cheeks: R20

Hair: E31, E35, E29

Hat/Boots: V12, V15, V17

Vest: R81, R83, R85

Top: YR00, YR12, YR18

Pants: Grey -  W1, W3, W5

Guitar: Y21, Y23, Y26, YR12, YR18

Garden Bench: YG91, YG95, YG97, E51, E53 E55, E57

I have added some white highlights to my colouring using a Size 0 brush and my new pot of Copic Opaque White.... watch out for white highlights all over my upcoming projects LOL! and while on the subject of upcoming projects...stay tuned....while tidying up my "happy room" today I found a few "treasures" -  a big bundle of stamps I have purchased over the past 12 months and forgot about - they have never used - sad but true!!

Hope you have a wondeful day and I will be back soon to show you my new found treasures!

Birthday Blog Hop

Welcome to the Mad for Markers Birthday Blog Hop.....this month the store has been busy celebrating it's 2nd Anniversary with lots of giveaways, the release of exclusive digital images and some wonderful inspiration on the store blogs.... it's been great to have you along for the "party". Today's Blog Hop ends the festivities - the hop is all about sharing birthday celebrations and you will discover some wonderful inspiration for your own Copic Creations...if you arrived here from Kate's Blog , then you are right on track...if not, please go over to the Mad for Markers Challenge Blog and start at the beginning - you won't want to miss a thing!!!

I created two Copic Card Creations for today's Blog Hop - using different images but the same colour palette, both stamps can be found in the Mad for Markers store along with an array of other fantastic stamps featuring birthday themes.

This card was created using a La La Land Crafts Stamp called  Birthday Marci she is super cute with her ribboned pigtails and little panda friend....very appropriate for today's theme.

Copics Used:

Hair - E21, E25, E27

Skin - E00, E51, E11, - Cheeks - RV42

Dress/Shoes - R22, R24, R27

Gift - G00, G03, G07, - Ribbon - B00, B12, B14

Panda - C1, C3, C5, BV000

... this is a "close-up view" of my colouring... you will notice that I have added some thin stripes to Miss Marci's dress - I used a fine-tip felt pen (that I have had in my craft stash for years) and I really like the effect....I think you may see more of this felt pen appearing in my future creations LOL!...I also used my B14 and the very tip of the marker brush to add a dotted pattern to the gift.

my second card was created using a Some Odd Girl image called -  Balloon Kaylee she always colours up a treat - I decided to keep the card design very simple so that Miss Kaylee was the star of the show.

Copics Used:

Skin - E00, E11, E15 - Cheeks - E93
Eyes - B00, B01
Hair - E21, E25, E27
Balloon/Top - G00, G03, G07
Shoes/Skirt - R22, R24, R27
Jacket/Socks - B01, B12, B14

There will be "hidden" prizes for those of you who "hop-along" and visit each of the blogs today - so be sure to leave a comment as you follow each blog for a chance to win a prize or two!!

Now head on over to Alyce's Blog to continue your Blog Hop Journey - enjoy the trip :-)

All things Australian

I am having an extra long weekend thanks to the public holiday, for Australia Day. Our national day of celebration, has left me feeling a little patriotic. I have spent the last couple of days, colouring up all the Aussie images I have in my collection, with my beloved Copic Markers! :)...and finishing off Week 3 and 4 of my photo-a-day Family Album. The photos that feature in my layouts for these weeks, are very typical of  Australian Summer activities and icons - backyard BBQ's, cricket, swimming, thongs (flips flops to my overseas friends!) and lots of time outdoors - who could ask for more?!

 As you can see, my youngest daughter has left today for Fiji as part of a Volunteer Eco Students Abroad

program - where she will be in a little village working with the children teaching English and basic sanitation, installing new play equipment, repainting the school and constructing bathrooms. I am sure her adventures will be well documented in Week 5 and 6 of our Family Album.

These are a couple of the Aussie themed cards I have worked on this weekend. The first is Digger Marci she is a relatively new release from  La La Land Crafts Stamps - designed especially for us Aussies and available to purchase now in the Mad for Markers online store.

Copics Used:

Skin -E11, E01, E000/Cheeks RV42
Hair - Y21, Y23, Y25, YR23
Boots - E31, E33, E35
Shorts -YG97, YG95, YG93
Top - YG95, YG91
Dog Tags/Socks - W1, W3, W5
Flag - B18, B16, B12, R27, R24, R22

I used a white gel pen for the stars and the outline of the Union Jack and to cover up some of my colouring mistakes LOL! - I need a bit more practise colouring in finer detail! The papers used were from My Mind's Eye - Stella & Rose collections - Gertie & Hazel 6 x 6 Paper Pads. I also made a discovery while colouring this image and if you are curious as to what that discovery was... pop on over to the Mad for Markers Blog to find out LOL!

The wonderful "Boss Lady"- Sammi at Mad for Markers created some fantastic Australia Day Freebies to share with you -

....and I was very eager to colour the Aussie Gal and Mr Cool Ray. I saved the images emailed to me, in a word document - resized them to fit on my card, then printed them (on my home printer ) onto some X-Press IT A4 Blending Card.

Copics Used:

Skin -E11, E01, E00, E000/Cheeks RV42
Eyes - B12, B16
Hair - Y21, Y23, Y25, YR23
Dress/Shoes - B12, B16, B18, R27, R22
Sun - YR23, Y23, Y21, B16, B12

again, I used a white gel pen to add detail,the sentiment was printed on my computer and the patterned paper is also from the Gertie paper pad.

The Mad for Markers DT would love to see your creations using these Aussie images - feel free to share them on our Facebook Group Page and while you are there, remember to send Sammi some love.

Happy Colouring,

Love, Sunshine and lots of Photos

We are two weeks into the New Year and I am sure it is still ok to say "Happy New Year"?!?. As readers to my blog, you know that I love taking photos and I'm very addicited to my Copic Markers and 2012 will be no exception!! That is why I thought, I might dedicate my first post of the year to a bit of both!!

Over the past few years I have participated in a Photo a Day type project. In 2009 I joined a group of friends online and we encouraged and challenged each other to commitment to the project. In 2010, I played along with my online friends again and continued to take my scheduled "photo-a-day". It was  fabulous and a whole heap of fun! At the end of the year I completed a two volume  Digital Scrapbook....below is look at the pages pertaining to my Week 5 of this project.

In 2011 I continued to take my scheduled "photo-a-day", but sadly the photos I took are still sitting on my computer. Sometime during the year I got a little lost...life was throwing me a few curve balls and my project came to a bit of standstill. I was still taking photos -  but not daily! - and when the year ended I was very disappointed with myself....I stressed over it for awhile then decided not to worry...I could always go back and present my 2011 photos in a monthly format and slowly this is what I am doing. Now in 2012, I am going to make the effort of continuing the tradition of recording my daily activities and family life in photos.

These 2012 layouts are all in Digital format and were created in Creative Memories Storybook Creator Plus using the Digital Kit "Garden Tranquility".

I really love the concept of a Photo-a-Day...it makes me look at ordinary things in extraordinary ways, it improves my photography skills, and leaves me with a snapshot of "the year that was" for our family. I encourage everyone to give it a try - you won't be disappointed!

My feature photo for Week 1 of 2012 was the inspiration for my latest card creations. It portrays Summer Fun.... as does Beach Marci, a sweet stamp from the La La Land Crafts Stamps range, available in the Mad for Markers store. The bright pink inflatable ring, blonde hair of my daughter and the blue/green of the water all inspired my chose of Copic colours for these cards.

For my first card I reached for my favourite pink and purple colour combinations -

Copics Used:

Skin -E11, E01, E000/Cheeks R20
Hair - Y21, Y23, Y25
Sun-Hat - BG11, BG13, BG15, R81, R83, R85
Swim Suit - V12, V15, V17, BG11, BG13, BG15,
Inflatable Ring - R81, R83, R85, BG11, BG13, BG15

I also used a little bling in the centre of the floral design of the inflatable ring and the sun hat...and some more of that great adhesive paper lace I mentioned in my last post!

I was a little more adventurous for my second card, challenging myself to use a more vivid pink combination of Copics and a little air-brushing.

Copics Used:

Skin -E11, E01, E000/Cheeks R20
Hair - Y21, Y23, Y25
Sun-Hat/Inflatable Ring - RV02, RV04, RV06, RV09, V12, V15, V17
Swim Suit - V12, V15, V17, BG11, BG13, BG15
Sky -B12
Grass - BG10

The sentiment "We all grow better in Sunshine and Love" is something my Mum says - I generated it on my computer using the font CKJournalling...which is the same font I used on my 2012 Photo-a-Day layouts.

I love how you can take one image and get so many different looks for your cards just by varying your colour choices. If you would like experiment with some new colour combinations yourself... be sure to pop over to the Mad for Markers Challenge Blog where the DT team have been sharing their wonderful creations and some fabulous Copic combinations....and remember, now is a perfect time to add some new colours to your collection - every marker purchased from the Mad for Markers store.. earns you some free goodies in the Copics Rewards Program.

I'm Back!!

....did you miss me??? - my apologies for taking so long to get back to the "world of blogging". The winter plays havoc with my "mo-jo" I find it so hard to get motivated when it is so cold and miserable...but I have managed some creative time. The past few months I have been busy doing some design work for Creative Memories and have been out and about teaching some scrapbooking ideas to consultants...it's been fun, but it is now time to get myself back into the "happy room" and spend some time with my Copics and my Camera!

There is no doubt Spring is my favourite time of the year - I love days filled with warm sunshine and a garden in full bloom. I thought I would share these photos of my cherry blossom - a beautiful sight to behold, when I open my curtains in the morning :)

I spent last weekend with some of my favourite scrapping buddies and this is one of the cards I created.

....when I first saw Mermaid Marci from La-La Land Craft Stamps I knew instantly that I wanted to give her beautiful mermaid tail, a shimmery look and with a bit of experimenting, I am really pleased with the effect I was able to achieve. I started by colouring the tail in with BG11, BG13, BG15 and my usual method of shading. Then over the top of this colouring I applied a thin coat of Tim Holtz Perfect Pearls ( Berry Twist mixed with water ) and finished it all off, by tracing over the tail image (scales) with clear Spica Pen. The effect was a little difficult to photograph, but if you have ever seen the children's book The Rainbow Fish this tail has the same wonderful shiny foil appearance :) I can't wait, to try this technique again, it would be perfect for all my princess & fairy themed stamps!



Copics Used:


Skin - E000, E00, E11 - Cheeks/Lips - R20
Hair - E31, E33, E35
Top & Star - R81, R83, R85
Tail - BG11, BG13, BG15 / Clear Spica Pen

...well now I am a back and the "mo-jo" is returning.... stay tuned for more regular posting :)

A Little Bit of Colouring

I have been fighting off some sort of virus for a couple of weeks now - so my "playtime" has been a bit spasmodic...that's to say the least!!  However, it hasn't all been about lazing on the couch, or taking to my sick bed LOL!! I have managed a quick trip to Melbourne to visit Sammi from Mad for Markers at Paperific -  and I did come home with a "air brush system" and a few more copics to add to my collection!! I also got to do a little bit of colouring on the weekend - well I had to! I have had a few requests from friends for wedding & birthday cards....so I thought I would share a few of them with you.

The first is a Wedding Card for a young couple getting married next weekend. The sentiment I made on the computer using the font "Beyond Wonderland" and I have since added their names in the bottom right corner using the same font. The stamp is the "Loving Bridal Couple" from Magnolia's 2010 Wedding Collection. I used B91 for the dress and shirt - B91, B93, B95 for the pants and the roses were coloured in with my new purchases RV91, RV93 and RV95. I used some silver metallic cardstock and lots of silver glitter on the card to make it a little more fancy LOL!

This card is for a cute little 2 year old and one of my new La La Land Stamps - from Mad for Markers, Marci with Rose - she is such a delight to colour - Her hat & rose are  Y21, Y23, Y26, her dress is V12, V15, V17 and the green higlights are Y21, BG01, BG05. I did a bit of "pen stitching" in lilac just to put some finishing touches to the card.

I've been practising my "fur" colouring technique with the gorgeous kitty "Mollie Mittens with Flower" from Tickled Pink Stamps....as you can see I still need more practise!!!!!!! - but hey! a girl has to start somewhere!! The fur is my favourite brown combo E33, E35 and E37 - Mollie's dress is V12, V15, V17 and the yellow highlights are Y23 and Y26 - and as you can see, I got my glitter liner out for this card too!!

I also wanted to share this photo of myself with Sammi the store owner of Mad for Markers - we met just on 12 months ago and this lady has taught me so much - it is such an honour to be on her DT.

This photo was taken on Friday when we got to catch up again at the Paperific event in Melbourne. It was also a pleasure while there to meet Tracey, Annette and Emma - these ladies are also on the M4M Design Team and have been so encouraging and inspiring - imagine the fun we could all get up to!! - you can take a peek at the girls,  the fun and their beautiful colouring creations at the Mad for Markers blog http://www.madformarkers.blogspot.com/

New Stamps, Cards & Digi Papers

This post is long overdue and although I have lots of things to share,  I have no excuses.... just haven't found the time to blog.... I do however, have some exciting news to share. Firstly a little "Woo Hoo" to me!! ;) Last weekend I attended the Copic Certificaton Course in Melbourne - it was a lot of fun, I learned lots and can now share some wonderful new techniques with you.

Here I am with the lovely Mandi -  who was our instructor and as you can see we were a little weary after our long day in the classroom....but not as tired, as my new colouring friend Natalie from Seriously Scrapbooking in Adelaide, who flew in just for the day, to attend the class. Thanks for sharing the day and your wonderful chipboard designs with me Natalie.... it was lovely to meet you.

I came home very enthusiastic and had a great time experimenting with new colours and techniques. However, I have also been busy putting the final touches to the new design team and challenges at http://www.fortheluvofart.com/ - be sure to visit and check out all the fun and inspiration we have in store for you there. This weekend I spent my time combining my love of Copics and Digital Designs and created these cards.

This card uses one of my favourite little Hanglar images, combined with some gorgeous B/W patterned paper from Angel Hartline's Digital Kit - "One Fine Day". This is one of my all- time favourite kits it is a stunning collection of papers and embellishments in classic Red, Black and White - you can find it here http://angelhartline.com/angeltown.html

..and this little Hanglar cutie is called - Allahjartns which aptly means girl with heart ...lots of pink and glitter on this one LOL!! - Pink Stickles used on the heart, Distress Stickles - Antique Linen added to the flowers and the lovely Music print is a Digital Paper from  ATC Art v.1 from Angel Hartline Designs. 

During the Copic Certification we got to play with the new La La Land Craft Stamps and I have the pleasure of announcing that the La La Land range of stamps are now available to order online - at the Mad for Markers store  - http://www.madformarkers.com.au/ - Woo Hoo!! - these are just some of the cutest little images you have ever seen! The stamps are deeply etched cling cushion rubber, all cut, ready to use on your acrylic blocks...the Marci and Luka characters truly are gorgeous images to colour and the animal creatures are simply adorable - especially the sweet little "Easter Bunny"! - perfect timing for your Easter Card making.

I chose to share "Luka with Truck" with you today - just to follow along with our Male Card Theme over on the Challenge Blog at M4M - and if you look closely at the photo you will see a "sneak peek" of Miss "Sugar & Spice Marci" - very cute!

 
Copics Used:


Hair - E31, E33, E35

Skin - E00, E11, R20

Jacket - YG93, YG95, YG97

Pants - B93, B95, B97

Shirt - Y21, Y23, Y26

Truck - C-3, C-5, C-7, YG23, R35, R37



If you would like to see these stamps in person don't forget to visit the Mad for Markers stand at Paperific (Melbourne ) on 1st-3rd of April - the full range of Ciao and Sketch markers will be available and we will also have the April release of The Greeting Farm stamps -We look forward to seeing you there!