Raining Cats & Dogs!

CRITTER ALERT!!!

Since I have been on the road I haven't had a chance to do a few Hero Kit blog hops but I am BACK!!! I'm so excited about this month's kit because it's FULL of animals.

We got to spend a lot of time with the Hero Arts crew at Creativation - their booth was right next to the one I was working in - and can I just say again what truly NICE, great people they are? I wish all of you could meet them - because they just radiate goodness and fun. It's fun to buy craft supplies any time - but it's REALLY fun when you know you are spending your crafty budget with awesome people with great character. So it was very hard to say goodbye to my friends there, but at least I can virtually hang out with them today.

And I'm not sure if you saw this since I've been MIA - but now they have a subscription option for these kits, so you don't have to worry about getting them before they sell out if you subscribe. So good for you, Hero Arts - FOMO sufferers rejoice! (I suffer from acute FOMO - Fear Of Missing Out - part of being the youngest, I suppose, so I subscribe to ALL THE THINGS.)

Before I tell you about my card - let's all have a laugh at me, shall we? Because I didn't realize until I had photographed, blogged, filmed video, edited video and voiced it over that I GLUED MY BACKGROUND ON UPSIDE DOWN.

(Pause for laughter)

So here's what we are going to assume. First - this card takes place in a universe where gravity is exerted from the SKY and raindrops get sucked up FROM the earth.

Second - in this universe, some alien in the sky is stealing our pets by sucking them up with gravity.

Third - I need more sleep and better vision.

ANYHOO.

I started by die cutting a piece of watercolor paper - this is my favorite - with the (upside down) Cloud Raindrop Confetti die.

Then I added Brusho to that which I activated with Perfect Pearls mixed into my water.

I die cut the critters (STOP STEALING THEM, ALIENS) from marker paper and colored them with Copics - watch the video below for a cool tip on doing a bunch at once with the MISTI. I glued a piece of Whisper White cardstock to the back of the Brusho panel, and glued the critters on there. I should have videod how I did the sentiment on the clouds using the MISTI, but alas, I had already turned the camera off. I stacked them the way I wanted them - there are three clouds there - and then masked off the lower clouds, stamped the partial greeting on top, removed the top one, masked the bottom one and stamped a partial greeting on that one, removed that and stamped the bottom one. Then they were easy to line back up. All supplies linked below.

So without further ado - check out my alternate universe with upside down gravity!! For once, you can see the shimmer in the photo, so there's that!

all supplies linked below:

InLinkz.com

And of COURSE I have a video! The video does not document my hilarious mistake, but you'll get the idea :). This card took 40 minutes, so I sped up the coloring and watercoloring.

Now of course my awesome friends have more adorableness for you on the hop, and you know the deal - comment on all and you might win a kit! Here's what comes in the main kit - I used the add-ons  listed above for my card. This one - it's more than $70 worth of goodies for $34.99 - look at the dies! With a subscription, you get free shipping too. (PS - you're past the cutoff date for subscribing for the February Kit - I made this mistake with my first Mystery Experiences kit and wanted to save you that heartache - so you will need to buy this one and then subscribe if you want to for future kits. )

So leave some love for my buddies to be entered to win, and please try not to notice if any of them did their stuff upside down. 

Most of them left half their brain in Phoenix too! At least, that's what I tell myself!

The Hero Arts Blog
Jennifer McGuire
Yana Smakula
Wanda Guess
Amy Tsuruta
Clare Prezzia
Kathy Racoosin
Debby Hughes
Kelly Latevola
Lydia Fiedler
May Park
Jessica Frost-Ballas
Libby Hickson
Michelle Short

Since I don't like rain - I like my universe better anyway - where it all gets sucked up into the sky.

Anyway - thanks for stopping by today - it's nice to be back in my routine for a bit, so I hope you enjoyed this card. 

Playing in Puddles

I don't know how I ever survived Rochester, honestly. It was so rarely sunny there, and now I completely lose my furry mind if there's one cloudy day every quarter here. If a cloud even goes across the sun for a MINUTE, I freak out. It's funny how you get acclimated to things.

It has been a greyer than normal "winter" here, and as I've suffered through these uncharacteristically sunless days, my cards have gotten brighter and brighter.

Made me wonder if some of my favorite painters painted their surroundings, or painted what they wanted them to look like. I've certainly never seen as much color in the world as Van Gogh or Monet showed us. What pretty places.

I'm taking part in the month-long hop featuring the Mirror Image stamp from So Suzy today, and so I thought I'd paint the sky that's in my head.

What's funny is that even though I hate rain (and really all forms of water outside of ice cubes), I absolutely ADORE making puddle reflections on my cards with mirror image stamping. (Here are some earlier mirror image stamp creations with a puddle and a pond with Lovely as a Tree) It's just fun. Especially when I can make them super colorful. And I know everyone loves the Beautiful You stamp set, but let's face it - I love it the MOST. Don't even pretend you love it as much as I do. DO NOT SASS ME.

So while I was falling asleep the other night, I came up with this design - at first, I wanted there to be multiple puddles behind her, but there wasn't enough detail to pick up her reflection well, so I settled on this design instead. I colored her in with a fine paintbrush and the pen white ink listed below.

LINKS TO ALL SUPPLIES USED

InLinkz.com

I love how bright it is - wouldn't you want to be standing in front of that wall of light and color? Just makes my eyes happy.

This is surprisingly easy to do. So of course, I made you a little video. As a BONUS, during the video - I did NOT edit out the part where Maddie brings me a mouse, and makes her super weird little "I brought you a mouse" noise. It's hysterical. She's still mad at me for not throwing it for her during my voiceover. It's sitting there on my floor right now - a small, furry, blue and white ball of feline injustice pointed right at my face. She loves to play fetch. Sorry Maddie! So enjoy her cameo in a tutorial! 

This video is now part of my Master Class on Shadows & Reflections.

You know what will make YOUR eyes happy? Happy as Maddie with a mouse? The list of prizes you can win in the Mirror Image Event this month. True fact - Suzy's mom is the one who makes the Bunkie Bags! They are adorable!

• 3 - MISTI's in your choice of Original or Mini
• 4 - $25 Gift Certificates to The Ton
• 4 - $25 Gift Certificates to So Suzy Stamps
• 1 - Memory MISTI Tote (sss)
• 2 - Regular MISTI Covers (sss)
• 2 - Mini MISTI Covers (sss)
• 2 - Bunkie Bags (sss)

All you have to do to be entered is comment on each of the blog posts in the event throughout the month. Suzy has a full list at her blog.

Leaving you with a few random things. Making a Food Wishes recipe this weekend for blue cheese dressing that involves freezing and then grating the blue cheese. I'll let you know how that goes. And yes, blue - I'm not French, and in fact, blue cheese came BEFORE the pretentious "bleu" cheese, which appears to be a counterfeit word that has made its way onto labels everywhere. Fascinating rundown on that story here. Do not mess with me and my BLUE THINGS.

Now that my friend Michelle has hers, I can now reveal the cutest thing I've seen in a while - the Hello Kitty Taco change purse!

If that's NOT the cutest thing you've seen all week you might already be in heaven. Better ask around.

Go make some pretty puddles!

Loveyameanitbye.

Memory Lane - Pencil Edition

I go through little art supply phases from time to time. I really don't have very many different "go-to" mediums - I love watercolor, and I love pencils - but I get into phases where I use one supply more than others, and recently, that's been watercolor.

But I tried the new Chameleon pencils at CHA and it was like a pencil virus took over my body - it's all I wanted to play with when I got home.

On the plane on the way back, I had fond memories of my first colored pencil "tutorial" (in the pre-YouTube days) - and that was this book. It's such a well-executed book, and he's such a great teacher. I still have it and I still look through it in rare analog moments.

I especially love pencils on rough, darker paper - so I thought I'd play with the little succulents from Oh So Succulent this week - it's the first chance I've had to use this set. You can buy the pencils I used in open stock (one at a time) - so I've linked both the set and the open stock individual colors below.

InLinkz.com

Succulents are an exception to my anti-green policy - maybe because they are a dustier, bluer green. Or maybe because they're just so darn cute!

In Austin, we have this AMAZING succulent garden center called East Austin Succulents. I'd heard about this place for years, but only just visited recently. If you want to see my photos of some of those amazing plants, check out my Facebook photo album here (you don't need a Facebook account to see this).

My favorite succulents are the ones called Living Stones. Strange, marvelous little things.

I made a partly sped-up video for you of the coloring process for this card - it's really quick and easy.

Three big pieces of news - registration for my June retreat is now open on this page! I have a limited number of spaces available, and that inventory is reflected in Paypal, so registration will not work when it's full. I allow past retreat attendees to register first, so more than half the spots are taken.

I'm also having a mini-retreat in November before OnStage Live! These also fill up fast, so register soon and I look forward to seeing you there!

If you're ready to start some Easter crafting, I have a new online class available, featuring the Easter Message stamp set - I have two versions with these images - a religious Easter class, and a general spring class.

In the random things department - I'm loving my subscription to the Mystery Experiences company! I can't tell you how much fun these are - I love all the little puzzles, the hints, the phone numbers to call - it feeds my Nancy Drew heart!

I also love the Jane Davenport collection at Michael's - gorgeous mixed media products - perfect if you love art journaling. Her washi tape is positively other-worldly.

I just got the Black & Decker cordless glue gun that I saw at CHA - SQUEE! I can't wait to try it out - it's a SERIOUS tool. There are few things I hate more than tiny, wobbly, corded glue guns, so I am stoked.

I found DOMESTIC ginger from Gilroy, California. Please note that the Ginger People products come from China, and nearly all imported ginger has a growth retardant sprayed on it - pretty sure that's not good for you. Maybe that's why I'm so short! :)

If you've never tried any Evolution Fresh juices - you must! My favorite is their coconut-pineapple water - I get mine at Whole Foods - it's in the cold section.

Also - if you're having trouble getting your Facebook Lives to be horizontal instead of vertical - and you use an Iphone, it's because of the "zoomed" - or as I call it - THE I CAN FINALLY SEE AND TYPE - setting. Take off zoomed, and your phone should then rotate for FB Live. Of course, you'll never be able to see or type anything on your phone anymore, but whatever. :)

Don't forget the awesome starter bundle deal during Sale-A-Bration - you get two extra stamp sets in the bundle, no strings attached - making it basically a half off sale - $200 worth of goodies for $99. You will have access to my FB group through at a minimum at the end of July, and will be able to choose one of my online classes for free! We have an awesome group of people and we have fun together. You would also be eligible for my team event in June.

Hope you have a great weekend - for some reason this week has felt really long, so I'm looking forward to the weekend and my class Saturday with my stamping buddies.

Loveyameanitbye.