A Magical Read

This stamp is from A Day for Daisies and I looovvee it! It's so sweet and reminds me of my daughter, who would rather read than almost anything. She taught herself to read at age three, by saying, "point to the words" as we read to her. So we did. And I remember her getting the little words, a, an, and the right away in a Berenstain Bears book. It wasn't long until she cracked the whole code and I could get her books from the library that she could ready by herself at age 3 and a half.

I made this notebook over by tearing text from old books (painful and yet a great way to upcycle stained books), and adhering them with Mod Podge. Then I used distress inks to smudge color about. I colored the image with pencils, trimmed and adhered with more Mod Podge. Then I added white gel pen accents and a sentiment and use some sequins to make a galaxy.

My darling daughter is twenty-two now and still devouring all the books...and gives me recommendations along the way. I'm so glad she found the same magic in books I did. There are worlds and people and ideas you've never dreamed of found in the pages of those books and I learn so much each time I pick up a new one. I remember my husband saying he only read superhero comics as a kid until about 16, when he discovered Stephen King. Now he has a special limit from the library on how many books he can have out at a time. The limit is 50 and his is 75. And thanks to Thor comics, he knows his Norse myths history when we play Jeopardy.

So, whatever your kids are reading, let them read. Our son loved Captain Underpants and I seriously disliked it. But it got him reading and he ended up starting Harry Potter books in the 4th grade. That would never have happened without Captain Underpants.

So, yeah, we love books here and believe in the magic of reading. If you want to get this Magical Read digi stamp, head to ADFD.

Happy Monday!
Chark

School Days

I got this adorable image from A Day for Daisies for free (you can pop over and pick it up too!) and had to color it up. I used my Prismacolor pencils as usual and then mounted it on graph paper and then Amy Tangerine paper. 

I wanted to add something school-related, so I used a paper clip and ruler ribbon I had in my stash. I just know I'll be using this little guy again...even though I had a bad experience with worms and fruit once. When my son was in kindergarten, he came home with a bumpy green fruit from his day at school. It was pretty cool and looked like this. I didn't know the name at the time, but it's a hedge apple or Osage orange.

It sat on the window ledge that day and we were talking about how cool it was. And then Ben said, "Look, a worm!" and sure enough, a tiny green worm head was sticking out. I freaked out, because ew! worm and also worm in my house and probably a lot of worm friends in that fruit. I decided that hedge apple had to live outside after that little discovery. So, technically, I shouldn't like this image from ADFD...but I do anyway :)

I'm up on the a2z Scrapbooking site today with a few cards if you want to stop by...using brand-new dies from the Winter Hero Arts catalog.

Happy Wednesday!

Chark

Mermaid Love in Ombre

To enter A Day for Daisies' new 2-color challenge, I used my fave colors, green and blue, to color up this adorable mermaid. I fussy cut her and then mounted it on cardstock that I stamped with my favorite water drop stamp by Designs by Ryn in different colors.

I printed this digi as a 4x6 image, used my blues and greens from my box of Prismacolors, added scales with a black pencil and then marker and added white highlights with a gel pen. After that, I used Diamond Stickles for her whole tail, though you can only really see it the end of her tail. Then I put some sequins in some of the water drops and I decided to stop decorating. 

I love the classy, free-flowing drawings at ADFD, and the fact that you get a free digi for the challenge if you don't own any of their stamps. But once you start browsing their store, I'll bet you find something you gotta have. I know I always do!

Happy Thursday!

Chark

Lacy Texture

I'm joining in another A Day for Daisies challenge, using this wonderful digi stamp of theirs. If you want to play along, you have to use a ADFD image but they kindly let you borrow a freebie for the challenge.

This isn't the freebie, but one I own and I trimmed out her dress and added lace and pop dots under it, and added a resin rose on the dress and black rhinestones in her hair. Love this image, so elegant!

I trimmed the image and mounted it to a purple base. She makes me smile with her pop out dress!

Hope you'll join in with me at ADFD!

Happy Monday!
Chark

Celebrating Kelly

I was lucky enough to serve on the a2z Scrapbooking Supplies DT with Kelly Latevola for a few months and her projects always rocked...like, always. She has got to be some sort of Color Magician, because her coloring skills are magical. We miss her over at a2z Scrapbooking, but luckily she's all over the web. And she has those fun and helpful videos now, too, so we don't have to miss her too much. 

THANKS FOR ALL THE INSPIRATION AND TUTORIALS, KELLY!! YOU ROCK!!

For my CASE of Kelly, I had more than enough inspiration and things I've seen her do and want to try. It was difficult choosing just three!

This one I saw first at A Day for Daisies and loved. That fairy stamp is so cool and I like how she's part of the frame with the flower.

This one is adorable and uses Lawn Fawn stamp with the funny sentiment, Alpaca My Scarf. I really enjoy how Kelly faded the stenciling here.

And this one features what I love most about Kelly's work--fabulous coloring. Now, in normal hands, this stamp is pretty, but in Kelly's hands, it's outstanding. Look at those flowers!!

Here's my CASE of Kelly. From CARD 1: I took a Day for Daisies stamp I have (Water Talk) and framed a flower (Vintage Poppies from A Day for Daisies). From CARD 2: I used a circle stencil (from Latina Crafter) that I only sponged intermittenly with Distress Ink. From CARD 3: I used my Tombow markers to flick the flowers toward the center to try for highlights like Kelly. Now, I didn't quite pull it off, but I do like how they turned out.

And to make it my own, I added Black and Xmas Red Stickles to the center of the poppies. Glitter? Really? Chark? Yes. Yes. Yes, of course! I also made her hair gray so she didn't compete too much with the poppies, plus I'm all salt and pepper now, so gray hair doesn't disturb me :)

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to enter to win the wonderful prizes the hop has lined up from these generous sponsors including:

• the Winter 2015 card kit from Create a Smile Stamps

• $25 gift certificate from Simon Says Stamp

• $25 gift certificate from the Ink Road

• a Police Woman digi stamp from Lia Stampz

• $25 gift certificate from a2z Scrapbooking

• a crafty goodie bag from a2z Scrapbooking

• a crafty goodie bag from Hero Arts

• a $25 gift certificate to any online craft store (winner’s choice) from djkardkreations

Leave a comment by 11:59 pm EDT on Thursday, October 29, along the hop. Each comment increases your chances of winning a prize. The winners will be notified by email after October 29th.

 

a2z Scrapbooking Supplies 

Altnew

Create A Smile Stamps 

Stamplorations

 djkardkreations

 Hero Arts

The Ink Road 

Lia Stampz Shop 

Simon Says Stamp 

Here's the hop list—hope you get a chance to see all of these fun CASEing Kelly projects!

a2z Scrapbooking Supplies

Amy

Ardyth

Brandi

Chark--YOU ARE HERE--Char

Cindy

djkardkreations

Dawn

Debra

Deepti

Donna

Elizabeth

Ellen

Heather

Jennifer

Joan

Kara Lynne

Kathy

Katie

Kristie

Kristina

Kymona

Laura Jane

Leigh

Lin

Linda

Lindsay

Lydia

Maria

Marika

Martha Lucia

Michele Cunningham

Michele Ferguson

Michelle Lupton

Michelle Williams

Monica

Niki

Nina-Marie

Ruby Naz

Shelly

Taunya

Thordis

Vera
The Woman of the Day--Kelly Latevola

Happy Hopping! Thanks for stopping by!

Chark

It's A Challenging Day

Actually, it's a lovely day and I'm entering some challenges with this post. I'm joining in with the Sparkle and Shine Challenge I told you about in this post, using their glittery pumpkin image.

Here's my take on it. I've used a Day for Daisies free! digi stamp to make a candy bag for Halloween. Love this image of these friendly ghosts! I'm linking this up for their Make It Sweet Challenge too.

Instead of glittery pumpkins, I used Tombow markers to watercolor and Stickles to glitter up my ghosts. That little girl is having a ball! I put some mini candy bars in a lunch sack and used this panel to dress it up for Halloween. I love that ribbon, it's so very Halloweeny. Yep, that's a word...at least it is here :)

Hope you'll join in the challenges with me!

Happy Weekend!
Chark