Squirrel!!! card by Dori Mendiola

 Happy Thursday AI Friends!

My card today is inspired by the current challenge "Artful Architect".  What is better than a treehouse?  Well, I can think of alot of other houses I'd rather live in, but these cute little critters are happiest in their treehouse.

I made this as a shape card by using the tree die and partial cutting only the right edge of the card front.  After cutting only the right edge, I used my scissors to cut from the top down to meet the first cut of the tree and did the same on the bottom.  Depending on how far in from the right side that you make your partial die cut, you may need to cut in between to get a continual cut all the way down the right side.  I hope that makes sense.

I stamped the images onto copic friendly paper with Memento black ink and colored with my copic markers listed below.   I then cut each of them with the coordinating dies included with the stamp set.

I adhered some of the images into the windows and doors before adhering the colored tree onto the partial cut right edge.   The bunny and the birds were popped up with foam dots. 

The Squirrel! sentiment was die cut using the tag die from the #5718 - Mini Journal Template.  I glued only the right edge down so that this tag could latch onto the front for a nice closure.  See video below.

That's it for me today!  I hope you enjoyed my card and it gives you inspiration to enter our current blog challenge for a chance to win a free stamp set.

Have a great day and keep creating!

Copics used:  C00, C0, C1, C2      R20

E30, E31, E33, E35, E55, E57

Y13, Y15, Y17    G40, G43, G46 

B000, B12, B14, B21, B23, B24

Hello Sunshine by Dori Mendiola

 Happy Thursday AI Friends!

Have you seen the newest AI release?  This one is fantastic!  I know, I probably say that about every one of them, but let's be real - they ALL are fantastic!  This is definitely a fave of mine!

Two new stamp sets were released - #6103 - Baby Keepsake and #6106 - Spring Keepsake, which is the one I used for my pop out card.

I stamped the images onto copic friendly paper with Memento black ink and colored with my copic markers listed below.  I cut each of them out with the corresponding dies that are included in the set.  Love it when dies are included, don't you?  Adds so much dimension!  Check out this cute little frog!  He is definitely my favorite, however, the bunny and duck are just as adorable.  

I created a pop up card so that I could layer each of these cute little images.  I added a few images from other sets, like the flowers in the water can (#5935 Fairytale Houses), the Easter basket (#5869 - Easter Bunny Puppet) and the bird (#5100 - Woodland Tree cubbies).  The sun was from my stash.

I used the #6009 - Basic Green PP for the grass and the #5873 - Mini Birthday PP for the cloud background.

That's it for me today!  Make sure to check out the new release!   It includes some beautiful valentine papers and a new scalloped rectangle die set.  Great bundle!

Hope you have a wonderful day!  Keep creating!

Copics used:  N0, N1, N2, B000

G20, G21, G24      V12, V15

R02, R05, R08, R20

B12, B14           YR12, YR16

Y11, Y13, Y17, Y19, Y32, Y35, Y38

Frosty Valentine by Gennette Houghton

 

Hello and welcome to Watercolor Weekend! I know most of you are probably already dreaming of spring. I know I am, but I decided to take a frosty twist to Valentine’s Day. 

For my first card I used the 5056 WC Fairy Doors Set, and stamped the tree on my watercolor paper using 969. Using a pencil with the die I plan to use, I extended some of the branches to meet the edge of where the frame will sit. After pulling the color out, I then added more 969 from my palette. I sketched in the hearts with a pencil, and added some definition with more 969 around the heart on the tree trunk to make it looked carved out around the edges.

I then added in 526 for the sky, being careful as I went around the tree branches. Keeping the hanging hearts white I deepened the color around them so that they would stand out more.  I used a black micron pen to add in the strings connecting the hearts to the tree branches. I then used 565 at the base of the tree and along the edges of the white hearts for dimension. Using Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bleed Proof White, I added in some snow on the branches and around the base of the tree, adding a touch of 565 to give depth to the snow. 

I then cut out a white frame using a die from 5588 Journal Oval Frames Die Set, and popped it up using foam tape. Placing it over the tree and securing it down, I then used my scissors to cut away the excess paper from my painting, angling my scissors under the frame. I stamped out 2 of the little birds from 5100 Woodland Tree Cubbies in 969/565, and stamping them off. I colored the main part of the birds with 526, leaving their bellies white, and added some 565 for the shadows.  The beaks were colored with 025, and I used a black micron for the eyes, feet and the outline of the beaks. After die cutting them out with the included dies, I then attached the birds at the top of the frame, I then matted my card with paper from the 5892 Easter S2 PP, and attached the frame to the front of the card to finish it off. 

I am not ready to give up the snowmen yet, I love painting them! The couple from 5467 WC Snowmen Set, I felt were perfect for my next card.  In 969/565 and stamping off, I stamped in my sweet couple on watercolor paper. I also created a mask and stamped in the tree from 4807 Old Barn Mini Set in 969 after I put in the sky with 526. 

I pulled the color out of the tree first before working on the couple, adding a little extra to the areas that would be more shadowed.  On the eyes, mouth, and buttons I used a black micron, leaving a hint of white on the buttons for a highlight.  Before adding any other colors on the snowmen, I first went in with 565 to define and create shadows. For the carrot nose I used 025 and on the bottom portion 026. N15 was used on the top hat, and 856 was used for the rest of the outfits, with a touch of 969 on her coat button. I then used the Bleed Proof White to add in the heart on the hat band and his scarf. I also used the white to create heart shaped snow, outlining them with a little more of the 526 and blending it out a little bit just to give them a little bit more of a pop.  I then cut my image out with the 5064 Circle Double Stitched Dies, using the 2^nd to largest one and matted my card with paper from 5741 Valentines Paper Pack.

Thank you for joining me today, and I hope you enjoyed my cards! Until next time. Create….Share….Inspire!