Blue Skies Ahead, Flamingo Style

Why not a Flamingo? I don't know. I pulled this set out just because I ran across it. It's from Hampton Art and called Layer Tropical (retired)  The colors I chose went wild and tropical on me, Four colors total, and actually a lot more considering the pieces are multi-layer. Lots of stamping here. The basis of the design of the card comes from the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge for this week:

Here's to looking forward to blue skies,

Alicia

I Just Love You So Much

I have about six of these girls that I haven't worked with before. I thought it was about time I pulled them out to see the like of day and some card stock.  She's called No. 15 The Black Star from Gorjuss. I fell in love with them and it's apparent by how many I bought. She was fun to color, very simple. After I placed her on the card I had to figure out what she was saying. That was a good question. She seemed a little sad to me, I was going to place a greeting like "I'm Sorry" or "With Sympathy". I wasn't convinced. After a few minutes I felt like she was timidly saying that she loved someone. That was more fitting for this little sweet girl.

She was created for a sketch challenge, in particular the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge for this week:

Here's to loving someone so much,

Alicia

A Totally Different Succulent Stamp Set

I decided to take an interesting turn when it came to the color challenge over at the My Favorite Things blog. Pink cactus? Why the heck not?! Yellow, heck ya. I did throw in a green one for good measure. The stamp set comes from Pinkfresh Studio called Simply Succulents, as if I need to add to my succulent stamp set collection. Sad thing is that there are more on the way. I added a fun little pin dot background to set off the card. It's an old one from SU! (retired).

MFT Color Challenge:

Not to say that I am ever prickly,

Alicia

Even Elephants Forget

I figured I better have a few "sorry I forgot your birthday" cards on hand since I do that once in a while. Well to be honest more than once in a while. Actually I had better make a lot of these. I was a little heavy handed with the pink on this little guy. Oh well, we'll chalk that up to learning.

Just because I forgot doesn't mean I don't love you,

Alicia

Mom Card, Yellow Please

Thought I'd try another color scheme for the "Mom" card. Such a cheerful little elephant in yellow. :)

MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge:

I like both,

Alicia

Mom, I've impressed Myself with this card. Lol.

I didn't head out to make a Mother's Day card. But I ran across this stamp and die set from My Favorite Things and the three letters of the word MOM worked perfectly with the sketch challenge over at the MFT Challenge Blog. Then I HAD to throw in a little sea-foam elephant. I love the sentiment here, very me. The stamp and die is called All About Mom by MFT, elephant comes from Adorable Elephants from MFT also. the heart punch is from SU!. Be sure to look at the second photo to see the cool twist!

MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge:

I hope mom likes sea-foam green elephants,

Alicia

You're Cray Cray...

I've been wanted to use this sweet unicorn-horned girl from the stamp set Magical You by Mommy Lhey.  Check her stamps out they are a little on the fringes of the main stream, but that is probably why I like them. I used my copic markers to color her, to come up with the specific colors needed for the color challenge I had to do some tricky blending. They aren't spot on, but they are a close fit. The greeting is from Hero Arts Hello Gorgeous! (retired). The challenge is from MFT. It's a color challenge, I didn't use any MFT product on this one, I just didn't feel it. I may go on and use some later and give it a try.

Ain't it good to be cray, cray,

Alicia

You're Doing a Fantastic Job, Really.

Really, you are.

A quick card for The Paper Players Challenge:

When card making is a job, is it fun too?

Alicia

Free Hugs, Want One?

I think one of my first posts used this stamp set. I decided it was about time that I dug it out again for some fun with a sketch challenge.  I took the sketch quite literally this time, didn't play with the proportions or direction of things. I even kept the little arrow type thing on the upper layer. I did add an image, the cute cactus and the pinked heart edge is a tiny addition on my part also. The shinning little face peeks through with green shading done with copic markers. While the black card stock keeps the texture going with embossed polka dots. Lots of little details here to keep the viewer interested. That's the way I like a card. :)

Created for the The Paper Players Challenge:

Only the best hugs are free....

Alicia

Update:

Winner at The Paper Players!

A Little Love

There's a little story behind this card. A few posts ago I talked about struggling with a sketch. I threw one card in the bin that I ended up hating... I just don't keep cards that I don't like. I've had enough with them no matter how hard I worked. Today I saw her, that little perfectly colored in face sitting on top of my recycling staring at me. I couldn't let her go to waste. So I pulled the card out of the trash and pulled her off gently. Luckily no damage. I thought for a moment. Next I gathered a few items and this card was born. I think she belongs here, so much better than the first card. And I am glad to say that I saved her from the recycling can.

A few items used, Little Love Tags by Concord and 9th, Dotty Angles by SU! (retired) and I don't know the name of the little girl set, sorry!, The circles dies are my favorite and they come from Lil' Inker.

Use and reuse,

Alicia

Things Will Get Better

This is my first attempt at "no-line coloring" with my copic markers. What do you think? I've found that the challenge is making the elephant or image look like it is what is is with out the aid of all the lines that naturally come with the stamped image. It all has to come from the lines and blending of the markers. A little forethought comes into play here. This is a pretty simple image that I am familiar with coloring and that's why i chose it for my first attempt. The balloons were easy, just round. I do like the look of this and I'll continue to work on it. I used Antique Linen Distress Ink from Tim Holtz to stamp the image and the lines eventually just disappeared after I colored them in. It was sort of magic. Give it a try, fun stuff.

Things will get better, especially my no line coloring,
Alicia

Love Your Hugs

Last card with moss and plum... no guarantees. I still have the inks sitting on my desk upstairs. lol. Doesn't the bear look so darned cute in plum? and that checkered background in moss. oh I could die of sweetness overload here. I wasn't going to add the hearts in the first place, but I stamped something on the background that i didn't like that I had to figure out how to cover up and that's how the hearts became part of the card. Now they have grown on me. The teddy bear is from Alpaca Pals by Tracy Hey, it's called Love You.

Color Throwdown Challenge:

Dying from sweetness overload here,

Alicia

Update:

Favorite - 

Plum Accented Cacti

Here I go with these darling little cacti again. A very, VERY similar layout to the last time i used them. They are all in color this time and in my new/old fav colors moss and plum. It was a breeze to put together just took some time to get all the pieces cut out and assembled. I can use this for the same challenge as the last card, but I don't know. Should I?

Color Throwdown

Cacti crazy,
Alicia

My Favorite Succulent Stamp Set

I love these two colors together - moss and plum. These are classics from the good ol' Stampin' Up! days of Mellow Moss and Perfect Plum. Don't you love there alliteration of everything color? The stamp set is from Stampin' Up! and it's called Live, Love, Grow and unfortunately its retired. Check ebay, you can usually find one there. I created this card with a challenge in mind, the Color Throwdown Challenge in fact. I had to check myself for a moment though, it required cream card stock... haven't used that for a while. I liked using it, I'll have to do it more often. I used Copics to create the soft blue look around the edge of the bell jar. Such a soft card, perfect for the greeting.

I'll be there where ever there is,

Alicia

The Sweet Life

Oh how long can one card making girl struggle with one sketch. Perhaps I should have just left the desk and done something else productive. But no. I stayed here like a stubborn mule and made a super ugly card that will not be shown. EVER. It has been destroyed. I finally spent the last wee hours of the night making this little tidbit of a card that I am finally pleased with. Holy moly. I rarely get so frustrated. But those darn double circles. i tried replacing them with so many different things. Its funny that I ended up with circles anyway.

The card is for the Fusion Challenge:

Life is sweet, when you are done with a card you like,

Alicia

So Proud of You

I think these can be five of the most important words I say to my kids sometimes. I am so very proud of you… Sometimes it's hard to pass those words on, so how about doing it with a card? I'm so glad I found this saying. I just wish I knew what it was called, if you do please comment with the name. I think the rainbow colors of the leaves are encouraging and so cheerful. We can all use a nice note and a little more positivity in our lives.

Good proud is healthy,

Alicia

You Got This, 70's Style

Ok, this just might be the most 70's style card I have ever made in my entire life. I din't see it that way until just now. seriously. The brown, the reflected mountains and sunset. Birds off in the distance. Geesh it could be on the side of a van. I kid, I kid. I actually like it quite a bit. You'll get where it came from when you see the sketch. I flipped it on its side. The reflection idea came to me when I was looking at the two triangles and then I started seeing them as a reflection of each other. Then I thought of the smaller one as a lake of sorts. So here is my creation, a little crazy piece of what's in my head.

I did a previous creation for this sketch, you can find it here. I created this card for the same Cas(e) This Sketch, here's the funny sketch:

You got this people,

Alicia

Update: