Ink color swatches - happiness!

Who loves to organize, besides me?! I have swatched my inks (all but my distress colors, but they'll be done soon) and my complete Copic collection -  what a great feeling. This will be so much quicker when searching for a particular color/shade than having to test all the possibilities individually. Bliss!

For my copic project (which I did some time ago) I used the Waffle Flower Swatch Tag dies. What a huge time saver that project has been! I used heavyweight cardstock for the tag, then for the color swatches I used Copic Xpress it Blending Cardstock to get a true version of the color. Be sure to saturate it well. 

I hadn't really thought about doing this for my inks until I saw this awesome die set by Catherine Pooler and my organizational mind went crazy. I HAD to have it!!! Game changer, my organizer-people. And if you have Catherine Pooler inks, even easier - there are color labels and swatches available premade for her line of inks. 

For my other swatches, I did the same and used the Copic Xpress it Blending Cardstock for the color patches. I did it this way because I typically use the Xpress it paper when coloring and this will give me the truest shade of color when I use that ink or marker. This is a personal preference, so if you typically use a different cardstock for coloring, that is the one I would suggest you use to make your swatches for a true color match. 

I do not have the complete line of oxide inks, but what I have is now swatched and by the end of the day will also be copic matched. I tried a couple of ways of doing this and ultimately decided to cut the shape first, then ink over directly with the pad. I also tried making color patches then cutting them out, but it's harder to keep track of the color names that way (for me), so this was the best option. Also, I got a pack of latex gloves at the dollar store, and rather than wear a full glove, I just cut off the fingers and used them as "little condoms" to keep from inking my fingers. To prevent colors from mixing, I used a baby wipe to clean between colors. 

This makes me so happy! :) 

Pinkfresh Studio 

Hero Arts, I have just these 8 colors.

Anyway, I hope this inspires you to organize your ink colors and maybe even your markers. I guarantee it will save you so much time in the long run when it comes time to choose colors for whatever project you're working on. 

One more thing to note, you can find all different sized binder rings at the office supply store. I ordered mine from Staples online some years ago and will never in a million years use up all the rings I now have. LOL

Have fun, crafters! 

Boo!

There. I said it. Halloween is on the way and I'm trying to stay caught up. Soon it will be Christmas and I'm not even in the ballpark for that, so ... anyway, I digress. Here's my box card for the My Favorite Things, Outside the Box challenge. 

Check out these adorable cityscape dies. They're the perfect size for cards but can also be used on scrapbook pages and other paper crafts. The bats and moon are heat embossed. 

The little ghosts are by Mama Elephant and the bats are an old die from My Creative Time. For the moon, I die cut a circle, then die cut part of it off to leave the crescent shape. 

The row of pumpkins is from the new MFT stamp set, Greatest Blessing. I stamped them twice and cut them from the wheelbarrow, trimming and adjusting to fit. 

Folds flat for mailing. Super fun card design! 

Product List:
My Favorite Things, Outside the Box, Level Up dies
My Favorite Things, Outside the Box Cityscape dies
My Favorite Things, Greatest Blessing stamps

My Favorite Things, Greatest Blessing dies

My Favorite Things, Eiffel Tower cardstock (cityscapes)

My Creative Time, bats dies

My Mind's Eye, Something Wicked 6x6 paper pad (pattern papers)
Mama Elephant, Little Boo (ghosts, boo sentiment)
Papertrey Ink, white cardstock

Copic Xpress it blending card

Copic Sketch Markers
   B79  G24 G99 W1  Y21  Y23  Y26  YR24

Black embossing powder, yellow embossing powder, gray ink pad, blending brush, acetate strips, scor-tape, foam tape

Autumn Blessings

Yep, my first fall card. I had to use the new My Favorite Things, Greatest Blessings, stamp set! I love how my card turned out and the fall colors are making it hard not to put on a sweater (it's 95F outside, so I'll try my best to leave the sweaters in the closet for the time being). LOL 

In addition to this new set, I used a previous fall set, Autumn Blessings, for the sentiment. I liked the large font of this sentiment and wanted to stamp it in a color instead of black. But, again, I had to improvise as I don't have the exact color ink I wanted to use. I'm pretty particular, I guess. So I experimented a little and came up with the perfect shade. It's the same color I used for the background stencil. Hmm. I should probably try to come up with a name for it so I'll remember it next time. 

Product List:
My Favorite Things, Greatest Blessing stamps
My Favorite Things, Greatest Blessing dies
My Favorite Things, Autumn Blessings stamps (sentiment)
Tim Holtz, Stencil, THS007 Burlap
Tim Holtz, distress inks Shabby Shutters, Pumice Stone, Gathered Twigs
Copic, Xpress it blending card

Copic, Sketch Markers

    C3  C4  C5  C6  E07  E08  E09  E43  E84  E97  E99  Y26  YG91  YG933  YR21  YR24 

Papertrey Ink, white cardstock

Foam tape, blending brushes, glossy accents

Best Ferns

Nature Walk stamps and dies by Julie for Ellen Hutson are my current faves. Here's a shaker card using the set with a few other goodies. The colors are from the August Challenge palette on the EBE blog. 

Again, no rocks are included in the set so I MADE SOME using the tops of the mushrooms stamp. Patting myself on the back for that clever idea. ;) Thinking outside the box, that's what that is.

I used the gazebo die by Pinkfresh Studio to jazz up the arch window, cutting out the center portion. It fit perfectly into on of the EBE arch dies! And there's that rock to the left of the snail.

I'm loving this stamp set and the colors are getting me in the mood for fall. I thought that would never happen with all the fun summer stamps that happen to join my craft room the past couple of months. Soon I'll be making Halloween and Christmas cards ... eeek. But now I'm getting ahead of myself. 

Hope you're fitting lots of crafty time into your schedule. If school hasn't started for your area yet, it will be very soon. Chin up, moms, it's almost here. 

Product List:
Ellen Hutson, Nature Walk stamp and die combo

Ellen Hutson, Essential Arches dies
Pinkfresh Studio, Gazebo die
Papertrey Ink, white cardstock

Copic, Xpress It blending card

Copic, Sketch Markers
     E08 E09 E19 E43 E70 E84 E87 W6 YG91 YR00
Foam tape, sequins, acetate, glossy accents, scrap of yellow cardstock (arch frame)

Shitake Happens!

We all know it and have all experienced it, right? Everything is fine until that moment when it isn't. My apologies for being MIA but I had that experience myself last week, and while it still lingers, it's almost over. The WORST sciatica I have ever had! I was completely immobile - couldn't stand, sit, walk, lie down - nothing was comfortable, and in fact, every movement was excruciating. I was very near tears on many occasions, let me tell you. When I can't even sit in my craft room chair, you know it's bad. Today is the first day in a week I've been able to move without using a walker or crying. And so far, knock wood, no meds today either. Yay me!! I was finally able to finish a card today that I started earlier this week. 

This one is another for the Ellen Hutson August challenge. I used Julie Ebersole's card and the color palette for my inspiration and I'm in love. This stamp set is amazing and I could sit and color these mushrooms and ferns all day. LOL! Putting Julie's spin on life, I've used her adorable sentiment, "Shitake Happens" from the Nature Walk stamp set.  

I also used the Ellen Hutson Essential Arches dies for this card, and using what was left on my blue blending brush, added just a hint of blue for sky behind the scene. 

You will notice that the stamp set does not include rocks. Or so it would seem. This is where I got tricky, y'all. I used the solid stamps for the mushroom tops as my rocks!!! If I do say so, I thought I was so clever. :) The panel is popped up with foam tape, but the images and sentiment are all adhered flat to the front panel. 

The copic colors I used for this one, and the Distress Ink cubes for the leaf bunch. I made my own color as I didn't have anything in my 100s of inks that was a color I wanted. Isn't that the way?? LOL So for the leaf bunch behind the flowers, I combined Shabby Shutters and Pumice Stone which gave me just the right amount of brown to green I was looking for. 

EBE August Challenge color palette

I hope you like my card. I'm in love with this stamp set and, as I said earlier, I could color these mushrooms all day, they're so much fun. Hope you're in better shape than I am at the moment. LOL Have a crafty week. 

Product List:
Ellen Hutson, Nature Walk stamps and dies combo
Ellen Hutson, Essential Arches die set
Copic Xpress It Blending Card
Copic Sketch Markers
     C3  C4  E42  E43  E70  E84  E87  G99  YG91  V000  W6
Papertrey Ink, White cardstock
Distress Inks, Shabby Shutters,  Pumice Stone
Foam tape, glossy accents (on the slug)

My Favorite Things, Color Challenge 195

This month's color challenge is nearly the same as the color palette from last month, with very minor differences. So subtle, I didn't even realize at first it's a new challenge. :) Here's my entry. 

The magnolia branch is from the My Favorite Things, Floral Focus stamp. The sentiment is by Honey Bee Stamps. You may remember, I used it on a previous card but ended up switching to a different sentiment. It works perfectly here. The small brick stencil by MFT is one of my favorites for soft backgrounds. 

Foam tape and pearl dots for dimension.

Super quick and easy card using only a few supplies. 

Product List:

My Favorite Things, Floral Focus stamp

My Favorite Things, Floral Focus die

My Favorite Things, Small Brick Wall stencil, ST46

Honey Bee Stamps, On The Line Succulents stamps and dies (sentiment)

Pinkfresh Studio, iridescent pearl drops

Copic Xpress it blending card

Copic Sketch markers, R35  YG01  T2  T5

Papertrey Ink, white cardstock

Pinkfresh Indigo Vines

I'm always scoping out ideas for card designs and color combinations for inspiration, and when I came across a card on the Pinkfresh Studio card blog by designer TaeEun Yoo, I fell in love with her unconventional color choices. From the September 2021 release, Indigo Vines, here is my card inspired by TaeEun Yoo. 

Product List:
Pinkfresh Studio, Indigo Vines stamps

Pinkfresh Studio, Indigo Vines stencils

Pinkfresh Studio, Indigo Vines, die

Pinkfresh Studio, inks Stargazer, Apricot, Ballet Slipper

Pinkfresh Studio, gold metallic pearls

Copic Sketch markers, B37  R12  YR00  YR15

My Favorite Things, Basket Weave stencil, ST152

Navy enamel dots, foam tape, gold embossing powder

Pinkfresh Studio, Pears and Pomegranates

From the July release by Pinkfresh Studio, these pears and pomegranates are my favorite. For this card, I've used the washi tape and die from this suite. I love the muted tones and these colors combine so well for a really elegant look, I think. 

The subtle brick wall background is a stencil from My Favorite Things, called Small Brick Wall. (Currently on sale, coincidentally.) I used Pinkfresh Fresh Pear ink, very lightly for a soft look. The sentiment for this one is from the Modern Script Sentiments suite, which I hot foiled, and the Pinkfresh gold metallic pearls are a must-have for any bling lover. 

No copics or coloring (aside from the inked background) on this card, as the washi tape is already colored for you. But there is foam tape. After all, dimension is life I've always said.  

Product List:
Pinkfresh Studio, Pears and Pomegranates washi tape

Pinkfresh Studio, Pears and Pomegranates die

Pinkfresh Studio, Fresh Pear ink

Pinkfresh Studio, Gold metallic pearls

My Favorite Things, Small Brick Wall Stencil, ST-46

Papertrey Ink, white cardstock

Foam tape

My Favorite Things, Sketch 606

UPDATED: I changed the sentiment but the rest of the card is the same. 

I am back in my comfort zone with this one, using green for leaves and yellow for lemons. I absolutely love this set by My Favorite Things, as well as all my other lemon stamp sets. LOL Not only are they fun to color, lemons are just refreshing, you know. Anyway, I hope you like it, I do.

(I didn't replace all the images with new ones as I only changed the sentiment as seen above.)

Product List:

My Favorite Things, Main Squeeze stamps and dies

My Favorite Things, Basket weave stencil (ST152)

My Favorite things, clear drops

Ellen Hutson, Squeeze the Day (flowers)

Honey Bee Stamps, On The Line succulents (sentiment stamp and die)

Copic, Xpress it Blending Card

Copic, Sketch Markers 

   leaves YG 01 YG03 YG17

   lemons Y00 Y11 Y15  Y18  W0 (shadow)

foam strips, glossy accents