There's No Place Like Gnome

I admit I finally joined in the gnome craze, because My Favorite Stamps have the cutest gnome stamps. I stamped and colored the gnome with Parkoo alcohol markers and then I swear I was trying to join a MFT challenge using Orange, Red, Blue and Yellow...but I'll be darned where I saw the challenge. MFT runs a color and sketch challenge, but these colors weren't either of the last two challenges. So, basically, this little guy just wanted to be on a card and not in a challenge!

I made the sky by using water and the beautiful blue in my Viviva Colorsheets to smoosh the card panel into. Then I fussy cut the scene I made, popped it on the dry background and added a rainbow from Sizzix, hand cut some clouds (cuz I was too lazy to find the cloud die) and added a sentiment from Taylored Expressions. I'm an affiliate for the colorsheets, but I looove how handy and saturated these are. I keep them in a pencil case with a water brush and I'm good to go at a moment's notice.

I did manage to make a balloon card for the November MFT balloon birthday project challenge. These dragons from MFT are stinkin' cute and I added the background castle and sun/cloud stamps. I drew in the balloons and hills. I used my fave Prismacolor pencils to color and used white gel pen and black marker to differentiate the grass.

Do you enjoy challenges? Sometimes they're the only things that motivate to make things—because, one, prizes and two, there's a specific theme, company, color scheme, etc. I've had these stamps for a long while and finally used them because of the real and imagined challenges. ha!

Happy Friday!

Chark

Am I Blue?

I love my blues and greens, so when I saw the National Coloring Book Contest over at Stamplorations, I knew I'd color up the lovely free digi stamp with my blue and green Prismacolor pencils. 

I added some white uniball pen accents, trimmed it out and mounted it to a kraft card I stamped with a text stamp. There's a black stacked sentiment and a gold piece of cardstock under it. I love how it turned out. If you want to join in the coloring challenge, here's the link, you have until the end of August to join.

Thanks for the freebie, Stamplorations!

Happy Tuesday!
Chark

Bearly Hungry

Today I have another entry to share for the Lawn Fawnatics Fun with Food Challenge. 

I pulled out the cute Love You S'more stamp set and made a little bonfire night scene. We always have s'mores outside when the weather gets cooler. I don't actually invite the wildlife, but these guys seem like buddies, so they're having s'mores themselves.

I used Prismacolor pencils and Stickles on the stars and stamped onto kraft paper.

You have another day to join in the challenge, so ink your Lawn Fawn stamps up and link up!

Happy Saturday!

Chark

May I Have More, Peas?

So, I'm loving the Be Hap-pea stamp and dies over at Lawn Fawn and have been stamping and coloring away. The challenge this month is a Fun with Food challenge, so yay! I get to use the peas for this one!

I CASed the design from the Lawn Fawn blog and the card Yainea made here. She inked a circle for the focal point and put her peas in there, so that's what I did too. I just recently realized that LF also gives you sketches for some of their stamp sets to help get you started on your card making, which is super helpful!

I used the Lawn Fawn 6x6 watercolor paper pad too, I am in love with this paper pad! Here's a close-up of the peas that I colored with Prismacolor pencils. I love all the little faces you can choose for these guys!

Hope you'll join me in this challenge for a chance to win a gift certificate to a fab store!

I know I have more Lawn Fawn stamps with food, so I'm going to have to enter again...this is a fun challenge!

Happy Wednesday!

Chark

Fourth Freebie Friday

Okay, friends, this is the last of four giveaways this month...this one is open internationally and features some specialty papers, stencils, sequins and more. All you have to do is leave a comment here and/or on Instagram (click on the sidebar) and you're entered, it's that simple. There are more chances to be entered on IG if you tag friends or repost as well.

This is a pic of just some of the goodies you'll receive if you win this week's prize.

And I also have to share some cutey gingerbread boys that I got from Craftin Desert Divas. Their stamps are just so great and they had a sale and I totally got a couple digis I've been eyeing. They also carry real stamps, but I like the immediacy of digis sometimes. 

I had to get a lot of cards ready quickly, so I printed the already colored versions (there are line drawings included too). However, after the fourth page, my printer began to run out of color, so they were looking a little anemic. I used some Prismacolor pencils to shade and bring back their toasty colors. And added some highlights with white gel pen. I'm totally a fan of gingerbread boys/girls. They make me happy and these are super cute!

Good luck with the four giveaways! The deadline to enter is extended to December 6, 11:59 pm and the 4 winners will be announced the following day here and on IG.

Happy Weekend!

Chark

Cat Nap with 2 Cute Ink

I've had this digi cat stamp for awhile (I actually have a bunch of 2 Cute Ink Stamps) and I printed it out on kraft paper and of course, used my Prismacolor pencils to color them up. I added them to some paw paper from a 6x6 pad I found at Michael's on sale. The washi tape is from the same collection...I love a good sale!

Can you tell I used up half of my dark blue pencil? lol. Don't forget to stop by here and IG on Friday for the start of my Thanks and Giving giveaway! Four Fridays of crafty stuff just for you!

Happy Wednesday!
Chark

Kitties in Digi

My daughter has requested a cute cat card for a friend, so I searched for some cute cat images. I found some called Meow at Isabel Cristina's etsy shop here. This whole set is just $1.92!
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I haven't made the card yet but I did color the image I plan to use. I tried a couple of different cat types that I looked up for coloring help. Which is your favorite?

I used Prismacolor pencils of course, and added the ground and hearts to the image. I think I prefer the bottom but they were both fun to color.

Happy Monday!

Chark

Hey, Chick!

I got a free digi stamp of this adorable chick from From the Heart Stamps and decided to try him in two colors. I added the words and clouds and some doodling on the images. He does come with some phrases. Can you believe this was free? So stinkin' cute!

I used my favorite Prismacolor Pencils while watching Poldark on PBS...I'm a big fan of historical fiction, even in tv form! If there's a manor house, a cloak, a carriage or someone saying, "Forsooth," I'm in.

I think I like the blue chick best...but you can't go wrong when the image is cute to start with!

Happy Wednesday!

Chark

Anne Taintor Inspiration

If you like those vintage women cards with snarky sayings, then you like Anne Taintor...she was probably the first to start them. I think they're funny and I got caught up in making them for the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop this summer.

Here's another. I promise it's the last one for this hop (I have two up at a2z Scrapbooking and one more from Friday).

Here's a close-up for the saying, I just googled coffee quotes and picked a few of my faves for these cards, typed them, printed them and then trimmed them out. I thought they looked like they were friendly, but that lady on the right is trying to tell her co-worker to calm the heck down until she's had her morning brew. This image is from the a2z Scrapbooking store and called Hero Arts Make Your Own Sewing Fashion.

I colored them with Prismacolor pencils in the summery red, white and blue colors, and added some rose ribbon trim to the corner. It's Tim Holtz ribbon.

Giveaway: Leave a comment on any or all of my Coffee Hop posts this week here on my blog (you can leave one comment per post for more chances to win) and you'll be entered to win either two Hero Arts stencils (for overseas friends) or this Lawn Fawn Large Stitched Rectangle die set (for U.S. buds). 

Commenting closes July 1 at 11:59 pm EST.

Happy Hopping!

Chark

Star Fairy at Night

I used this Hannah Lynn digital stamp of a fairy to make a card today and I looovve her. Well, to be fair, I love Hannah Lynn in general. They are so fun to color and so pretty. 

I used Prismacolor pencils to color her after I printed her on a Laser Jet b&w printer. The only trouble I had for smearing was with the color blender pencil and the black lines. I used white Univall to add accents and a die from Neat & Tangled to add blue watercolored stars with Stickles glitter.

Happy Cinco de Mayo...I didn't celebrate yet, but I do have some pulled pork in the fridge that I could put into a burrito if I was feeling sassy and I just might. But look at this recipe. Yum! Buffalo Chicken Quesadilla...yes, please.

I'm adding a little craft too, just because why not? It's Cinco de Mayo! Aren't these Little Pinatas cute?

Happy Friday!

Chark