Just playing around

With so much time on my hands, I have been playing a bit with things I haven't done in quite a while, namely coloring digital images.  I have a ton of images from Bugaboo.  I used to be on their design team eons ago and I love their Friday Freebies.  Here's some cards I made with last week's Friday Freebie:

I used some dies that I got from my friend Judy Bennett on the first two and then a Stampin' Up! die from the Ornate Layers die set for the last one.  All the paper used is from Stampin' Up! but the coloring tools are from various alchohol marker and watercolor marker sets that I have in my stash.  So fun to play with these toys that I purchased and never used until now.  I think I still prefer using my Stampin' Blends as the colors are already associated both with each other (i.e. light and dark of each color) and also that they match the paper and ink colors so perfectly.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are all staying healthy and safe!  

If you have any questions about the techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

More coloring fun!

I have recently been getting back to coloring digital images.  Many moons ago, I was a design team member at Bugaboo Stamps and I love their images.  Here is another one that I colored up and made cards from:

The top card has a Balmy Blue base and the image was stamped on a birthday frame die cut that I got from Reasonable Craft Dies.  There is a die for a birthday sentiment but I just didn't cut it out.  The bottom card has a Highland Heather base and the layer is another plaid I created using the Concord and 9th diagonal stamp set.  I cut a label from Gorgeous Grape using the Ornate Layers dies and added a layer with the image cut with the Stitched Rectangles dies.  I love to color these images - so much fun and I got to use some of my fun coloring tools from Arteza that I purchased, but never used.  Going prospecting in the craft cave has proved to be a great experience!

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are all staying healthy and safe!  

If you have any questions about the techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

New Release Day at Catch the Bug

Tuesday is the day for new releases from Jodie over at Catch the Bug. Today is no exception! Here's my card (please, please excuse the poor quality of the photo - the sun finally came out today after days and days of rain, but I took this one during the dark time - ETA: I took another picture of this card in the sunlight - the other one was truly awful. I am going to make myself a light box!):

Card base is Tempting Turquoise (believe it or not) and I stamped the butterfly stamp from the Sprinkes set and colored their wings with a white gel pen. The image is colored with re-inkers and my aqua-painter (I've devised a hopefully safe method of packing some of these to take with me to Alaska - we'll see how they endure the trip). Contrasting card stock is Green Galore. There are really fun images today so be sure to stop over and check them out!

I'm using my new signature and watermark that were designed by the lovely and talented Ann Vento. You can check these out HERE and get some for yourself. I tried designing my own, but Ann's are soooooooo much nicer!

Thanks for visiting!

~chris

Design Team Member:
Sentimental Sundays
Catch the Bug
Kaboodle Doodles

If you have any questions about techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

It's Challenge time at Catch the Bug

This week's challenge on the Catch the Bug Challenge Blog is to "Show Your Colors" and wow did the design team create some great projects to inspire you. Here's mine:

Card base is Lovely Lilac and my image panel is mounted on black - purple and black - the colors of our hometown Colorado Rockies baseball team. I'm a big baseball fan and dh and I had Rockies season tickets for many years.

Be sure to pop over and check out the creations from the design team and while you're there why don't you play along. You could win some great images from Bugaboo!

Thanks for visiting!

~chris

Design Team Member
Sentimental Sundays
Catch the Bug
Kaboodle Doodles
If you have any questions about techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

It's Freebie Friday on Catch the Bug

I always look forward to Fridays - for lots of reasons! One of them is that Jodie always has some fun new images to give away. Hop on over to the Catch the Bug challenge blog and check out the dt's cards using this week's freebies. Here's mine:



Card base is just white with my Just Soccer ball stamped in red to create a background. I cut a circle in Garden Green and embellished it with some punched soccer balls that I printed out from a ball image I grabbed online. The Soccer Nut is colored using SU markers and I layered it on Real Red. Sentiment is punched with the large oval punch and layered on a scallop oval punch. Easy peasy and now that I have two grandchildren playing soccer I imagine I'll put this image to good use.

Thanks for visiting!

~chris

Design Team Member
Sentimental Sundays
Catch the Bug
Kaboodle Doodles
If you have any questions about techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

New Release Day at Catch the Bug

Jodie has some more fun images for us today at Catch the Bug. Here's one of the cards I made with this fun set of images and I'll have more to show you later of the rest of these fun giraffes!



Card base is Certainly Celery and the image is mounted on Pumpkin Pie that I put through the Big Shot in an embossing folder and Close to Cocoa. I colored the image using re-inkers and an aqua-painter - I know you're really shocked at that!

There are several fun images in this set and I colored them all. I just haven't finished making cards with them yet. Coming soon though, promise!

Thanks for visiting!

~chris

Design Team Member
Sentimental Sundays
Catch the Bug
Kaboodle Doodles

If you have any questions about techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

New Release day at Catch the Bug

It Tuesday - time for a new release at Catch the Bug. Here's my card made with one of the new images:



For this card, I again took one of Jodie's floral motifs, colored it and created digital designer paper with it. It's fun to create your own paper colored to match the image! I colored my image using re-inkers and an aqua-painter using Real Red, Elegant Eggplant and Close to Cocoa ink from SU. The yellow background, her face and her sunglasses were colored in my graphics program and then printed. Card base is Real Red with a mat of Elegant Eggplant under the dp. The ribbon is also from SU and the flowers were punched with a flower punch from SU. I added some of my little gems to give this card a bit of bling.

I'll be back a bit later with a couple of cards featuring poppies - one of my favorite flowers this time of year!

Thanks for visiting!

~chris

Design Team Member
Sentimental Sundays
Catch the Bug
Kaboodle Doodles

If you have any questions about techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

Time for a Challenge at Catch the Bug

Well, it's time for another challenge over on the Catch the Bug Challenge blog. This week, it's a themed sketch challenge! Here's the sketch:The theme is to make a male oriented card. Here's mine:


Be sure to stop over at Catch the Bug and check out all the great creations by the design team.

The day dawned sunny and bright, so I'm headed to the garden. I'll be back later with some more cards I've been working on.

Thanks for visiting!

~chris

Design Team Member
Sentimental Sundays
Catch the Bug
Kaboodle Doodles

If you have any questions about techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

Freebie Friday

I am way, way late with this post today. Been working on some stuff that I will be showing you over the weekend. Here's my card with today's Freebie Friday image from Catch the Bug - isn't she a hoot!


My organization project is progressing - slowly but surely. Hope to have lots of time outside this weekend. DS is hopefully coming to help mow the lawn and I think it may finally be safe to plant my annuals and the tomatoes and peppers.

Thanks for visiting!

~chris

Design Team Member
Sentimental Sundays
Catch the Bug
Kaboodle Doodles

If you have any questions about techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

First Fruits and an Oldie Bug Goodie

Take a look - my first harvest:


I added it to my salad and it was yummy!

Today is Oldie Bug Goodie day on the Catch the Bug challenge blog. Here's my card:


I was home from work today with a sinus headache - couldn't keep my glasses on for more than about 1/2 hour at a time. Come on summer!

Thanks for visiting!

~chris

Design Team Member
Sentimental Sundays
Catch the Bug
Kaboodle Doodles

If you have any questions about techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

New Release Tuesday at Catch the Bug

It's Tuesday - that must mean fun, new digi images at Catch the Bug. Here's my card with one of today's new releases:


Once again I colored her sweatsuit with a pattern in my graphics program and printed out a sheet of the same pattern to use as dp on the card. Card base is Garden Green and the accent color is Pacific Point. I used green and blue brads too! This card is also for the EONAC17 challenge - Brads Galore!

Thanks for visiting!

~chris

Design Team Member
Sentimental Sundays
Catch the Bug
Kaboodle Doodles

If you have any questions about techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

Flower Power Challenge on Catch the Bug

Theres a Flower Power Challenge over on Catch the Bug - pay a visit and play along and get a chance to win some great prizes. Here's my card along with a couple others I made for a co-worker who wanted some cards to send to her friends who were mothers!




Thanks for visiting!

~chris

Design Team Member - Catch the Bug
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles

If you have any questions about techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

TGIF - It's Freebie Friday again already!

I can't believe it's Friday again - hey, not complaining at all though! Once again Jodie has some great freebies up for grabs. Head on over to Catch the Bug and check out the great cards made by the dt with these images. Here's mine:

Isn't he adorable! I printed out a travel map of Colorado to use as my dp and he is colored using my graphics program. Sentiment is computer generated from my endless font collection. Nesties and SU labels die and Modern Label punch used here too.

I have added a slideshow to the top of this blog to share some of my photos. I have added captions to hopefully help identify some of the flowers that I am currently growing. Iris and poppies are looming on the horizon - probably in the next two weeks and the veggies are just starting to poke their heads through the mulch. DH is headed east on Wednesday (weather permitting) and so I will be the head gardener around here after that. Hopefully, I won't kill everything! I haven't put in the tomatoes and peppers and the shade garden has to wait till we have consistent nights above freezing and no more threats of snow.

Thanks for visiting!

~chris

Design Team Member - Catch the Bug
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles

If you have any questions about techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

It's Oldie Bug Goodie day on Catch the Bug and it is my turn to make a card. Here's one of my faves:


I also have another flower picture to share. I'm thinking about setting up a slideshow at the top of my blog that would contain ongoing pix of my gardens. What do you all think of that idea? Here's today's tulip pix taken just after the sprinkler gave it a drink:



Thanks for visiting!

~chris

Design Team Member - Catch the Bug
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles

If you have any questions about techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

It's New Release Tuesday on Catch the Bug

Jodie has 4 new releases today, so be sure to hop on over to Catch the Bug and see all the totally awesome creations from the design team. Here are a couple of mine:





Thanks for visiting!

~chris

Design Team Member - Catch the Bug
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles

If you have any questions about techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

It's Freebie Friday on Catch the Bug

Well another Friday has rolled around and it's time for another Freebie Friday on Catch the Bug. Jodie has more goodness to offer today and here's my card:


I searched and searched through all my digi paper and my paper bins and could not find any bandana paper and I really, really wanted to use some on this card. I flashed on a mini background set from SU called Fresh Fillers and sure enough - voila - a reasonable facsimile of bandana background. The image is colored with my watercolor crayons and an aqua-painter (my new go-to coloring method). I haven't abandoned my koh-i-noor pencils, just having so much fun playing with the watercolor crayons!

I've also been playing with a new online color toy that I will share with you this weekend using Flickr. Totally cool and so easy to lose yourself playing with it! I'm also hoping to get my April Christmas cards done and - NEWS FLASH -Libby is bringing back my favorite challenge - From Courtney's Closet - and this week's outfit is right up my alley - it's purple!

Thanks for visiting!

~chris

Design Team Member - Catch the Bug
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles

If you have any questions about techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

New Challenge on Catch the Bug!

There's a new challenge posted over on Catch the Bug. The theme is April Showers and it's a sketch challenge:

My fellow buggy buddies and I have made some very fun creations, so be sure to stop over and check them all out! We'd all really love it if you played along too. Here's mine:


I just love this little guy and he is so fun to paper piece! This wonderful striped paper is from a new dp pack from SU called Designer Oasis that goes on sale on May 1 in the Spring Mini Catalog. Gorgeous stuff! The flower is a die cut from PTI out of the same paper pack. The ribbon is Old Olive satin ribbon from SU and I added some dew drops. Sentiment is just computer generated in my word processor! I am working on some sentiments that I may share here in the near future. I love fonts and I love graphics and I have been having some fun creating some sentiments so keep an eye out.

Today is our big Spring Stamp Camp! I think that I am ready and that maybe I'll actually have a workshop where I don't forget something! It will be a first and I'm excited! We have about 50 gals coming to stamp and I think it's going to be great fun. I'll try to get some pix and be back later to share them with you.

Thanks for visiting!

~chris

Design Team Member - Catch the Bug
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles

If you have any questions about techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

TGIF - It's Freebie Friday at Catch the Bug

Jodie has some more goodness to share with everyone today, so be sure to stop over at Catch the Bug and check out all the fabulous projects from the dt. Here's mine:


How fun is this image? I'm still feverishly prepping for tomorrow's big Spring Stamp Camp. One of these days I will actually hold a workshop where I don't forget anything - maybe this will be the one? We'll see.

Blog candy winner is: Lorena! Diane took herself out of the drawing this time so that means that Lorena is #15. Congratulations Lorena!

Thanks for visiting!

~chris

Design Team Member - Catch the Bug
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles

If you have any questions about techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

Oldie Bug Goodie!

Today is Oldie Bug Goodie day at Catch the Bug. Here's my card:

I am feverishly cutting paper, making kits and trying to stay organized for our big Spring Stamp Camp on Saturday. Should be loads of fun and I'll try to take some pix to share with you of all the gals.

Thanks for visiting today!

~chris

Click here to check out the current blog candy I am offering!

Design Team Member - Catch the Bug
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles
If you have any questions about techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

Some More French Greetings

Here's some more cards for my aunt. I'm almost ready to box them up and ship them out. She has reached her summer headquarters so it's time. Aunt Ellie, if you are reading this, your box will be on it's way by the weekend! Love you!








Thanks for visiting!
~chris

Click here to check out the current blog candy I am offering!

Design Team Member - Catch the Bug
Design Team Member - Kaboodle Doodles
If you have any questions about techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.