My Life...as I now know it!

I haven't written a blog entry since September 24th of 2010 and the reason is because my life kinda went kattywompus and I stopped making cards and/or blogging about them. Unfortunately or fortunately depending on what day you ask, my Spouse of 14 years and I split up in October after some longstanding problems, and I started the process of "finding me" again. I'm still looking in the couch cushions and everywhere I can think and some days I actually do find little pieces (of me). There are days I take two big steps forward and other days I fall ten steps backward, those are the days I forget to take my Prozac. I still have my son with AS whose almost 9 and my daughter who is 19 and in college living with me. I am in the process of finding a job in this down-turned economy. As you may have read I haven't worked outside the home in eight years so this process is extremely scary and difficult, and I haven't had very many promising leads as of yet so right now I am in within the ranks of the unemployed. The good news is we made it through the holidays and I am doing my best to keep the faith that all will work out for us in the near future. In trying to pick up my pieces I have once again found my blog and I'm trying to get back to my hobbies and the things I love. Happy Scrapp 'n! ~Cheryl~

In Style Stamps/OWH Birthday Challenge

Here is a HAPPY BIRTHDAY card I submit for the challenge over at In Style Stamps. No sentiment needed -who could have a sad birthday with all these colors! This cute clown digi came from my freebie stash but I can't remember who drew her, if anyone knows please advise so I can give proper credit. Thanks for looking! have a wonderful weekend!
~Cheryl~

Sparkle Challenge and Copic technique for cheapos!

   Hey ya'll! I am entering this first card in the challenge over at Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps, the request was for any card that makes you think of fall. I had just whipped this card up the other day using this AKV Bugaboo Stamps freebie and some miscellaneous papers that were in my scrap folder. To color the image I used a combo of copic, sharpie, and cheapo kid markers. I was able to get a little shading by first coloring with the fine point sharpies then immediately using the lighter copic to blend toward the center, it may not be as good as using all copics but so far I only own six of them in the very lightest shades so I do what I can with those.

When I started the hobby of making cards for Operation Write Home; though I absolutely love it, I had  no idea what it would truly cost to build up a supply trove. For months I spent no less than fifty bucks a week at craft stores including my cuttlebug, then folders, spellbinders dies etc...thank god I hid the receipts from hubby...shhh. I must admit I put copics last because they really are expensive, they are also worth it for the exceptional blend-ability. One marker for four bucks is a lot of moolah in my neck o' the woods- and that is the SALE price! lol. As you can tell I used my "skin" marker to shade around the image, something I tried the other day and I liked it -kinda' looks a little antiqued. My next batch of copics will include at least one other color to represent another ethnicity because right now I'm limited to white skin.

I tried to buy my copics according to which I would need for the largest areas of my images. For example I started with the lighter browns for all of the bear(s) and even one very light green for turtles and frogs. I heard that by buying the lighter shades first you can get away with having less colors because you can build up color with the lighter ones by going over and over the same spot you want darker -it works! Since I only have a few copics - I "outline" a little darker with my cheapo markers -I kinda' prefer this method. I did splurge on a $16 collection of fine point sharpies which I really like for a variety of card-making purposes. They write very smoothly -love me some smooth writing pens- and of course they do include a darker and lighter version of each color which gives them some versatility, copics WILL blend with them if you do it in a hurry. For example below, check out the wings on this little bugaboo angel. I first used my pink sharpie to outline the inside edges (zoom close) where it would be naturally darker then quickly used my pink copic to blend toward the middle. A cheaper way to achieve some depth.Nothing could be done for the moon, however because I had no lighter color of yellow...note to self...need light yellow copic too!

While you're zoomed in notice there is a little sparkle on the middle band there. That there is OWH APPROVED glitter paper. This paper has glitter literally baked into the paper so there is absolutely no flaking whatsoever. I think I now have this paper in EVERY color because sometimes you just NEED glitter and even though I really haven't been using this paper as much as I thought I would, buying it and owning it and knowing you do have a way to add glitter is really fun, almost like breaking the rules without getting caught. lol.

...and just one more thing, it doesn't really show up in this pic all that great but I've added some real cheap bling there in the corners. Glitter paper is great for use with your punches to add a little flower, then pop a cheap as dirt sequin, then a little gem on top of that. It doesn't really translate here but this card is really bedazzled in person and who doesn't love that?

OWH Sketch 35 Challenge

  Hi there, this time I wanted to make a birthday card for a boy since my last two were obviously for girls. It wasn't easy because I didn't have much colorful paper on hand but I found this in my scrap folder. Birthday cards are not my favorite cards to make either. I like to just make general cards and if they are to be used for a birthday I figure the soldier can write inside "Happy Birthday" but since many of the OWH birthday challenges of late are specifically asking for Birthday cards I am stretching myself. So the little alien monster I got from the freebies blog but (I feel really bad about this) I can't remember who submitted it, if you know please advise. I then added three googly eyes. I made the little sentiment sign on my scrapbook factory program.

By the way is anyone else's blogger acting funny. Mine keeps highlighting errors instead of turning them red and it won't let me type text except in link form with an underline unless I go and put a jump break which is got me baffled. I must have inadvertantly changed some settings but have no idea how to get back to normal blogger. It is really drivin' me insane! LOL

     This last card here is just a random I scrapped up from this image by Elizabeth Dulemba, theres a link on my blog that will take you to all of her wonderful digital freebies! Happy Scrap 'n!