Sunflower Studio

SOCCER THANKS

I am so excited to be featured on the TIDDLY INKS CHALLENGE BLOG as this Wednesday's Guest Artist.  I know that I've mentioned this before but I am totally enamored with so many of CHRISTY CROLL'S fun TIDDLY INK digital images.  I have quite a few of them stored on my computer - just waiting to be all colored up and used on a card for someone special! 

This week, I pulled out the SOCCER KING image.  I print these directly onto Papertrey Select White cardstock with my inkjet printer and then color them with Copic Markers.  Easy peazy...no smearing or feathering either.  And, I do love that you can size these images to suit your needs and they don't take up any space in my already full-to-the-brim craft room. 

We are at the end of a dismal soccer season for our U12 boys.  The fact that half of the games were cancelled due to rain didn't help us at all and, at this point, we just can't wait to the season to be over.  I can't say our coaches didn't try to impart knowledge of all things soccer to the boys in the short time that they had...thus a thank you card for them!  These are our uniform colors - green and black.  I love this sweet boy with his shaggy hair and big ole shoes.  I paired the image up with some fun paper from an old K&Co. pad by Donna Ingemanson and then added striped ribbon from SU! and green ribbon from PTI with some big buttons from Creative Imaginations and twine from Divine Twine.

Make sure that you stop in and take a peek at the feature and then visit Christy's store (and her Tiddly Inks Basement store too) to see what you might like to add to your collection!

KNEE-D NEW KNEE?

Corny?  Well, this is for my dad who's having knee replacement surgery tomorrow.  Get it...KNEE-d new KNEE?!?  (Kinda like robot beeping sounds if you say it fast!  I crack myself up...if no one else, I at least laugh out loud at ME!)  Plus, my dad is a big Apple guy.  The man loves his iPad and his MacBook Air!  This adorable image, called LOVE AT FIRST BYTE, is a digital stamp from TIDDLY INKS.  I created the sentiment - inside and out - on the computer.

All of the patterned papers here are from the Off To School 6x6 paper pad from Fancy Pants...even the chair!  I printed the digital image directly onto the eyeglass paper and then cut and paper pieced the chair onto my background layer.  I colored and cut out the robot and then popped him up on top of the chair.  I dug deep into my drawer and found these fun screw brads to add a manly touch.  A little brown baker's twine from PTI finished it off.

YOU MEAN THE WORLD TO ME {sssc130}

I've been wanting to use this adorable little boy image for a few weeks now.  I am completely enamored of him.  I mean, take a look at his alien t-shirt! CA-UTE!  The image is called USE YOUR HEAD and it's a digital image from TIDDLY INKS.  The sentiment here is from A MUSE. I paired him up with new BOARDING PASS papers from OCTOBER AFTERNOON to go along with Karen Giron's SWEET SUNDAY SKETCH CHALLENGE #130.    He's all colored up with Copics and I added CHERRY DIVINE TWINE and a tiny red rhinestone to finish it all off.

 

DARE TO GET DIRTY CHALLENGE WEEK {scs}

Are you a Fan Club member over at SPLITCOAST STAMPERS?  Well, if you are then GREAT.  You're already in-the-know.  If not, what have you been waiting for?  The powers that be at Splitcoast keep their all seeing eyes out for fresh new stamping talent each and every month.  They select the best of the best and those people become member of the DIRTY DOZEN design team.  Each month a new theme is revealed and the team works on dozens of cards and projects that will WOW and inspire.  They truly are amazing!  The catch is that you've gotta be a member to see all of that fabulousness.  How do you become a member?  Go HERE for lots more info. 

More to the point though is that you've gotta sign up now!  Each year, right at this time, past Dirty Dozen designers come up with seven days of fun and unique challenges for fan club members to try out.  New ones are revealed each day.  And each challenge is accompanied by eye-goggling samples that are made by still more DD designers.

Here's my first sample.  It's one of yesterday's challenges but I can't give you the challenge details since you've gotta be a member for that, silly!  My card uses another of my new digital stamp images from TIDDLY INKS.  This one's called ROYAL PROCLAMATION.  I love her.  In my mind she's the Red Queen.  I used patterned paper from October Afternoon (red check) and Basic Grey (floral).  I colored some cream seam binding ribbon red with a Copic reinker for my fluffy bow and then added small paper flowers (Prima). She's even got glittery gloves and boots!

I'll have a few more samples that I've made for other challenge hostesses later in the week.  And then I'll have a challenge going as well on Thursday, 8/4.  Check in at the DTGD thread and give something a try, why don't ya?!

YOU ROCK!

Gotta love new stamp images!  In this case...digital images.  AMY reminded me this week about TIDDLY INKS.  That's where you can find these adorable images drawn by Christy Croll.  They really are irresistable so that's why I found myself there a couple of days ago with a cartful of cuteness.  And, I swung by the LSS on Sunday and found this sheet of cool number paper in the MME Lime Twist Out Of The Blue collection.  How did I miss that before?  I am a freak for anything in the mustard color range and this had some teal too.  EEK!  LOVE IT! My card layout is based on this week's SWEET SUNDAY SKETCH CHALLENGE #126.

As for the details, I colored my printed image, YOU ROCK, with Copics.  I'm still not quite there with my "halo" technique.  (Not sure if that's what you call it but it's something that I admire in some of my most favoritest stampers!)  I started with pale yellow colored pencils and used Gamsol to pull that color out around the little boy.  That lead to lots of Walnut Distress Ink sponging around the die cut shape.  (I think I got a little outta control.)  I also added some "dirt" to his face and clothes and the ground with the pencils.  A little sentiment stamp from A MUSE, some rhinestones, and matching buttons and twine complete the look. I'm actually thrilled with how it all turned out!

DADDY'S GIRL {sfytt}

Aha...getting my SFYTT card in just at the wire.  Sometimes it just takes longer for the inspiration to come.  I was taking a peek at the blog feeds that I receive this morning when I came across a link for Christy Croll's digital stamp store, TIDDLY INKS.  (Christy draws images for stamps at Stamping Bella too.)  This adorable little girl is called Daddy's Girl and I couldn't resist her.  I had in mind that I'd make a Father's Day card for my dad but, hmmm...maybe I should have given her my hair color then.  (I have a thing for red hair, I've noticed.)  Anyway...still just love her!

I took a little liberty with JEN's sketch this time - making it a vertical card instead of a square one.  A great opportunity to use these great new papers from the Basic Grey Green At Heart 6x6 pad.  I added PTI buttons and ribbon, TCP Linen twine, and cut a felt flower using a PTI flower die.  The little sentiment is from A Muse.

Pop in on the other SFYTT girls this week and see what they've made of this sketch.  That's what I'm gonna do when I get back from the pool!

Susan Liles
Amy Rohl
Amy Sheffer
Megan Lock
Amber Hight
Sony Christoph
Jodi Collins
Jenn Diercks
Kelly Lunceford

and Jen del Muro with a new special guest designer for June, Andrea Ewen.  Jen's still looking for new Guest Designers so be sure and upload your card to her blog.  Next week....a prize!  Be sure to stop back by.