Can't Stop Coloring

I joined about midway through the current 30 Day Coloring Challenge at The Daily Marker and here are some things I haven't yet posted. I love watching/listening to the tv and coloring at night with a cup of decaf tea. It's kinda become a thing now.

Here's a page from this Adornit mini coloring book. The images are printed on heavy textured cardstock (suitable for watercoloring or markers) and I used my new Arteza brush markers on this one. I've noticed the markers are hard to move around once they're on the paper versus the Tombow dual tip markers, but the colors are lovely and you get a ton. These little books are 4"x 6" and they have a ton of designs. I have some images from other books up on Instagram @chark99.

I love the Arteza markers for lettering, I can actually pull off some kind legible script with them, perhaps because they are true brushes and not felt tips. In this card I wrote the sentiment with an Arteza marker and then fussy cut it out. I wouldn't attempt to write directly on a card, I barely pull off stamping directly on a card!

I won this adorable stamp set from the Your Next Stamp blog during the Coffee Lovers Hop. I used Prismacolor pencils on the images and the marker just for the sentiment. I stamped her in light brown ink.

Here's a close-up. It's a pretty simple design, but I wasn't sure what else to do with it, so I'm leaving it as is until some inspiration strikes...or I need a thank you card!

Happy Friday!
Chark

Journaling Cards in Card Making

I have a little problem...I love the journaling cards (like these) made for pocket scrapbooking...and I don't pocket scrapbook. Which means I have a box of these pocket cards in my stash. Not a little box, but a photo box full of them. So, I decided to use some of them recently. Although I have used them on traditional scrapbook pages, today I've got a card to show you. The aqua base is a larger pocket card cut to fit and then I used three more for the layers. I added the thanks embellishment that I've had forever and some Silver Stickles to finish it off.

It's a thank you card for my aunts, who I inherited when I got married 27 years ago. They are little Italian aunts who are around the 80-year-old mark and who live together. They are a hoot when we visit them. Aunt Katie is the elder sister and she tells Aunt Mae what to do, like constantly. And Aunt Mae (who lived for years alone until her sister's retirement) pretty much listens. 

They'll say pretty much anything and give you stuff whenever you visit (like pizelle cookies, homemade rolls, a casserole dish, a cookbook and old photos). One of my favorite Aunt Katie moments is when she was giving us a wedding party picture and naming all the people in the photo. At the end, she said, "everyone in this picture is dead, except me," very matter-of-fact and just calmly. It cracked us all up. 

They are generous to a fault and we love them like crazy, and I often send them thank you cards because they often give us things. I got a watch from Alaska recently that "a friend" gave Aunt Katie years ago and that she can't wear anymore. There's a story here but I don't have it yet. I intend to ask sometime in the future though. I'll bet it's a good one.

Here's a close-up. I like how this turned out, so I may actually use some more of these journaling cards in the future.

Happy Wednesday!
Chark

Watercoloring Like Mad

I spent the better part of the day on Monday just playing with watercoloring (with Tombow markers, I love their vibrancy). And I actually made a few into cards too. My daughter needed some thank you cards for her graduation gifts, so I took out the Heidi Swapp thank you die I got on sale and put it to work.

I snipped it apart here and added star sequins.

For this one, I die cut from one watercolor panel and attached it to another. I added Diamond Stickles to the words.  

For these, I used the die cut and the negative space to make two cards. Don't you love how bright the Tombow markers are? I colored on the card itself and then added water.

This last one is just cut from a rainbow (ROYGBIV) piece of watercolor. It looks trickier than it was.

And that's all I have for today, but aren't you impressed I actually made cards and didn't just color or paint? I am! Next I ought to use my digi stamps that I color to make actual projects...wish me luck on that!

Happy Wednesday!

Chark

Pretty Little Thank You Card

I used my colorful and vintage images from Pretty Little Studio to make a thank you card for my aunt. She loves purple, so I thought I'd go all purple. For my card, I punched circles from their Neapolitan collection. I used some Darice glitter tape and a white gel pen for "stitching." I added some heart stickers I got for 50 cents at Michael's today.

I used the inspiration sketch from PLS too, so I can enter it in their monthly contest to win a goodie bag. If you're like me, you'll love these new blue sequins they offer. You gotta check Pretty Little Studios out on Facebook to see the previews of new collections.

Join me in the challenge to try to win, and just see if you can resist their wonderful (made in the USA) papers, tags and stickers. Love the gold word stickers.

Happy Wednesday!
Chark