Seas the Day | By Jessica Shier

Hello Ai Fans!

I have another Flip card to share with you today. This time I'm using the Octopus Flip card set. These flip card stamp sets make such cute little scenes and you can have them hold up the sentiment in so many different ways. This time I used a die from the Flag Double Stitch Die set to have the octopus hold a flag sentiment.

I started by stamping the octopus flip image on to a piece of Neenah 80lb Solar White card stock, with Amalgam ink. Using purple orange, pink and blue Copic markers to color in my image. I left just a bit of the image white like I do a lot when coloring. While coloring the Octopus I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with the background. I decided on a simple underwater scene. 

All the Copic markers I used are listed below. The sand was easy, simple blending of some E markers adding a little definition and interest. I wanted this simple because I knew I was going to ink blend over the top of it. I added texture with a few of the darker markers by adding small dots through out the sand. For the water I did streaks or flicks of blue starting with the darkest color at the top, then fading to the lightest blue. Also adding more of the darker colors through out the panel.

I used Distress Oxide ink in Faded Jeans and Frayed Burlap to darken the edges. Using the makeup blending brushes I was able to get pretty close to the image with out masking or inking over it. I also blended Distress Oxide inks in Picked Raspberry and Spiced Marmalade on a piece of Bristol Smooth card stock, that I trimmed down with the second to largest Rectangle Double Stitch die. I concentrated the color around the outer edge because I knew it would mostly be covered by the Octopus copic colored panel.  I adhered those panels together then added a black card stock layer below the orange and pink blended card stock before gluing everything to a side fold A2 card base. 

I used both sentiments that come with the Octopus Flip stamp set. Stamping them onto Neenah 80lb card stock with Versafine Clair Nocturne ink. I let the ink sit for a moment to dry before running it through my die cutting machine with the banner die from the Flag Double Stitch die set. 

I could have made the inside similar to the front but I kept it simple and easy. I used a smaller Art Impressions Rectangle Double Stitch die and stamped the flip image of the Octopus. Using the same Copic markers I mirrored the coloring. The points of the flag should be on the other side to make it more mirrored, but that is ok! 

Copic Markers Used:

BV04, BV02, BV01, BV00

YR04, Y21, RV55, RV52

B14, B02, B00, 

W3, W1, W0

B29, B16, B14, BG11, B02, B00

E43, E35, E34, W31, W3, W6

Thank you for joining me today! Happy Stamping!!

Girlfriend Blend Coffee Card | By Jessica Shier

Hello Ai Fans!

Today I'm sharing another coffee themed inspired card. I couldn't resist coloring up the Girlfriend blend set! Don't forget to enter in your own coffee cards in the current challenge. 

Using a stamp platform, I stamped the Girlfriend Blend image on Neenah 80lb Solar White card stock with Gina K. Amalgam ink. I really had coffee on my mind for this one. Which is why I kept my coloring to mainly neutral tones. I used BV00 to add shading to the caffeinated ladies light skin tones. Blending that out with E51 and E00. I shaded in a table for them to lean on and sketched in the blue sky, B41 & B00.

Once the coloring was done I used the largest Hexagon Double Stitch die to die cut the Girlfriend Blend image. Since I was die cutting I went ahead and die cut a green card stock with the Stitched Rectangle Double Stitch die and also the ovals, or petals/leaves. Twice with a shimmer green card stock and four times with a Chartreuse felt. The oval die is from the Tag Double Stitch die.

I added a strip of Simon Says Stamp Dark Chocolate card stock to the bottom of the image. For the sentiment, "Never underestimate the power of being properly caffeinated." I heat embossed with white embossing powder on Papertrey Ink Dark Chocolate card stock. 

Copic Markers Used:

W9, W6, W3, W1, W0

C5, C3, E81, E77, E74

E59, E51, E43, E35, E34, 

E31, E18, E17, E15, E07

E00, RV55, RV11, R81, 

R83, R27, R17, R14, R12

B41, B00, BV00

Thank you so much for joining me today! Happy Stamping!!

Cabin Circlet MTF Shadow Box Card by Jil Lebel

Hello Ai fans!

I decided to make another shadow box card.  They are quite simple to make and the end result makes you look like a magician!  I followed a video on You Tube to make mine and found it very easy to do that way.  I'm sure you'll have similar results.

The images were stamped onto Copic X Press It paper with Gina K Designs Black Amalgam Ink and colored with Copic markers.  The colors used are listed at the end of this post. The top two images were cut out with a Circle Double Stitched Die as well as the matching die from the stamp set.  The image with the writing around it was cut out with a Circle Double Stitched Die. I cut my patterned papers out and added them to the cards and die cut all of them with a circle die where my circlet image would show.  I did that for the two circle images without words.  I attached the layer with words inside the shadow box so it could be seen when the card was closed.

Copic Colors Used:

Fence - E31, E33, E35
Barn - E13, E15, E18, E37
Greenery - YG11, YG03, G24
Mountains - BV0000, BV00
Sky - B000, B00, Blender
Water - B000
Boat - C1, C3, C5
Deer - E70, E71, E74

Thanks for stopping by and Have a Great Day!

Happy Birthday Sloth Flip Card By Jessica shier

Hello Ai Fans! 

I wanted to create some flip cards this month. The first one I'm going to show you is this Happy Birthday design using the sloth flip card set, which I paired with the Flip card die. 

I used various Copic markers (list below) to color in the sloths. Stamping both the front and back on to Neenah 80lb Solar White card stock.  I kept the shading simple and used a very limited amount of markers. I've said it before, but I love the full colored packaging of Art Impressions stamps because it gives you such a great example of how to color and shade! 

Once I was done coloring I fussy cut both of the sloth images out. I decided on a easy watercolor background using a Everyday Tintable from Concord and 9th. These have a emboss resist background pattern and I chose the herringbone for this card. I got out my Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolor set and used several of the paints to create this blue to green gradient wash background. 

While that dried, I used the Flip card die and followed the easy directions on the back of the packaging, to create a Neenah 110lb Solar White card base. I accidentally scored all the way across the card base instead of just the areas around the flip portion. Luckily it didn't cause any issues, with this design. The Sloth Flip Card set also comes with some fun sentiment stamps but this time I used the die words from the Flip card die set for the Happy Birthday, I die cut those using black card stock. Before I adhered the Happy die cut, I scored a piece of light gray card stock that is trimmed to cover the flip portion of this card. This gave it a decorative border and added some interest. It also helped to conceal the score mark. 

I trimmed a portion of the watercolor background down and saved the strip for the inside. I adhered the large portion of that to the front of the Flip card. Then attached the sloths over top, positioning them so it looks like they are holding up the Happy! I did the same for the backside of the sloths and the small strip of watercolor. I also used the black Kuretake watercolor paint to add some shadows to where the sloths are sitting.  

Copic Markers Used:

E77, E74, W3, C1

E31, E35

Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolors:

50 Pale Aqua

57 Turquoise Green

52 Ocean Green

20 Black

Thank you so much for joining me today! Happy Stamping! 

Yoga Ladies | By Jessica Shier

Hello Ai Fans!

It's Design Team member Jessica here and I'm back with another birthday card! This time I'm fussy cutting the Yoga Set. These two ladies are part of the whole group image but can be easily cut apart from the rest to be used separately.

I stamped the Yoga set image on to a piece of Neenah Solar White 80lb cardstock with Amalgam ink. For these ladies I used Copic Markers to color them in. The list of colors I used is below. Once I had them colored up I used my Fiskars scissors to fussy cut them away from the rest of the group. I also used a craft knife to get into some of those harder to reach areas. The lady in purple does have a pony tail but it couldn't be salvaged, so she has a shorter hair cut. 

I've been experimenting in the craft room so the background was a trial run but I like the way it came out. For this I used Black cardstock, a stencil and texture paste mixed with Neon Aqua Pigments (neon pink and neon blue). This gave me a lovely pastel pink, purple and blue background. Which pops against that black cardstock! I let that dry and mounted it to a Neenah Solar White 110lb A2 sized cardbase. 

The Yoga mats I made for the ladies, are cut from pink and blue craft foam using the second to smallest Art Impressions Rectangle Double Stitch die. Normally I use the foam as a dimensional but I liked the texture of this craft foam and thought it fit well with the Yoga theme. Using a larger rectangle die I cut a piece of Neenah 110lb cardstock and adhered the yoga mats. Then I stamped the sentiment "Keep calm and yoga on" in black ink using my stamp platform in case the foam got in the way, which it didn't! Next I stamped the balloon that also comes in the Yoga Set. I situated it so that it looked like the yoga person at the top of the sentiment was holding it. Since the balloon was a little long, I stamped it again on a scrap piece of cardstock, colored it in and fussy cut it out. 

I attached the white cardstock panel to the texture emboss with some strong glue. Now all I had left to do was adhere the ladies to their yoga mats and attach the cut out balloon. I used some scrap craft foam  behind the presents and cake, so that they were even with the Yoga ladies. 

I forgot to get a photo of the inside but I did use another sentiment from the Yoga set that says... 

"It's just a birthday! Nothing to get bent out of shape over!

lol! 

Copic Markers Used:

W6, W3, W1, W0

E59, E77, E74

E51, E35, E31, E00

Y00, Y02, Y21

YG01, G40, YG41

BG13, BG11, BV11

RV93, RV55

Thank you so much for joining me today! Happy Stamping!

Birthday Laugh Lines By Jessica Shier

Hey everyone!

Today I'm sharing a birthday mashup! I thought it would be funny to combine two sets from Art Impressions, the Birthday Laugh Lines with the Yoga set. This ole' guy has some stretching to do!

To start off with I stamped the Birthday Laugh Lines guy on to a piece of Neenah Solar White 80lb cardstock. I did the same for the Yoga ladies too. Using Copic markers I colored them in, list of markers used below.  I also stamped the sentiment that I thought paired hilariously with these two images. I inked that up with Gina K Wild Wisteria ink and trimmed it down to a slim rectangle. 

I wanted the ole' guy in the foreground with the ladies in the background. So I trimmed most of the area on the guy's left, using a trimmer to get straight edges when I didn't have to fussy cut.  These are both larger images and this is an A2 (4.25 x 5.5inch) card so there wasn't a lot of room to place these funny people. Both images are brightly colored so I needed something to separate the two. For that I used some vellum cardstock. This worked and gives a window feel to the design; like the Yoga ladies are in another room. 

I also created a black cardstock edge, using the Art Impressions Rectangle Stitch die, second from largest. Then used the same rectangle die on the ole guy so that the panel fit into the black frame. All I had left to do after that was layer and adhere everything. The layers are; Neenah 110lb cardbase, Yoga ladies, vellum, Birthday guy/black frame and then the sentiment. 

Copic Markers Used;

100 Black

W9, W6, W3, W1, W0

W74, W35, W51, W34, W31, W18, W17

E00, Y02, YR02, R14, R27

Y26, Y23, Y21, YG67, YG03, G14

BV04, BV02, BV00, RV09, RV55, RV11

Thank you so much for joining me today! Happy Stamping! 

Tropical Island Window | By Jessica Shier

Hello Ai Fans!

Today, I'm sharing a fun tropical card, using the Island Window set. I've enjoyed using these Window stamps over the last month! I know I've said it before, but one of things I most like about these style of stamps is that they are great for quick cards! This time of year can be so crazy busy yet these style of stamps also give me enough area to experiment with coloring, so they are also fun! For this one I used Copic markers. I also added some texture behind the scene with some simple layers, using cardstock, cork and a stencil. 

I first stamped the image and colored with Copic Markers. Since I used bright and bold colors the last time I colored one of the window stamps (Desert Window with Tombow markers), I decided that I would try a lighter palette of colors. I have the markers I used listed below. 

The reflection on the water was tricky, since orange and yellow like to make green. I used the Copic Colorless Blender to push back most of the blue which helped. Another small coloring detail I did is adding a gradient of dots in the sand. I used the E34 for this. Small things like that can add simple but fun textures.  

I used one of the Square Rectangle Double stitch dies to die cut my colored Island Window, this time leaving the fun sentiment intact and added a slight black cardstock layer underneath. This card was feeling a little flat so I used an EK Success border die to create a decorative edge on the cork paper. then topped that with a layer of Lovely Lavender cardstock, before adhering the other pieces over top. 

The card base is 4 1/4 x 4 1/4 inches. I stenciled over the top of it using the Radiating Rays stencil and Sweet Corn ink. I also used liquid glue to attach any cardstock to the textured cork paper.

Copic Markers Used:

Thank you so much for stopping by today! Happy Stamping! 

Pedal Pushers with Island Window | By Jessica Shier

Hello Ai Fans!

This week I'm using the Island Window stamp as a backdrop for these fun loving gals from the Pedal Pushers set! 

For this one I started off with stamping these fun loving Pedal Pushers on to a piece of Neenah 80lb cardstock using Gina K. Amalgam ink. I colored these ladies with Copics, colors are listed below. Once I had them colored up I used a T-square and a W6 Copic marker to create the sidewalk. Then I trimmed the sidewalk and the ladies out, only the area above the tires though. That way I could layer it over the background.

This was super easy and quick to make. I first used a brick stencil with pumice stone Distress ink on top of a piece of fog cardstock. I kept the ink blending light and let it fade off around the edges. Then I stamped the Island Window three times across it. This was easily done with Distress Oxide inks since they are a pigment ink and layer nicely over colored cardstock and dye inks. I attached those together and ran them through with a rectangle die then layered a piece of  pink craft foam underneath, for a slight dimensional look. 

The sentiment is from the Pedal Pushers set also! There is a certain Birthday Wheelie Dog or Workout Gal Wheelie that the sentiments in this set would pair nicely with too. For this card though I simply stamped the "This is how we roll." with Picked Raspberry Distress Oxide ink on white cardstock.

Copic Markers Used:

C7, C5, C3, C1

W9, W6, W3, W1

E77, E74, E59, E51

E35, E34, E31, E17, E15, E11

YR27, Y38, Y35, Y26, Y21, Y02

B99, B95, B93, B02, B00

BG000, BV04, BV02, BV01

RV55, RV09, R85, R83

Thank you so much for joining me today! Happy Stamping!

Home Grown Eagle Window By Jessica Shier

Hello Ai fans!

This month I'm using some of the Windows to the World stamps. This Eagle window caught my eye, and with it getting warmer in the Northwest, Americana decor is popping up everywhere! Today is also Flag Day (June 14th, 1777) in America. Perfect time to combine the eagle with these red white and blue pattern papers.

I first stamped the Eagle Window image with Gina K. Amalgam ink and colored it in with Copic markers, colors listed below. I used a Gelly Roll white pen to add a few highlights through out the image.  This went really quick and I also used minimal markers. Images like these window stamps, are great for the summertime, when we might be a bit more busy. All of them  are so picturesque,  they can simply and easily be the focal point to any card front.

This image has a beautiful sentiment that surrounds the square image but I trimmed that off and added a sentiment "Home Grown" from the Succulent set. I thought that sentiment fit so well and I really enjoy mixing stamp sets together. I knew I wanted to add a gold border with embossing powder around it. This is easily done by swiping your clear embossing ink pad across all the edges. 

The pattern paper I used for today's card is from the Pebbles America paper pack. Unfortunately it is another bundle of pattern paper that I've stashed away for years, I've linked to a similar one below. I love that I am using my pattern paper more instead of hoarding it! To add a bit more stars I used a die set from Papertrey Ink and die cut the three sketch stars from vellum. I adhered those to the card in a cluster with liquid glue and added the heat embossed sentiment "Home Grown" from the Art Impressions Succulent set. I left the inside blank. This card could be used for anything, from celebrating someone in the military, to July Fourth greetings to a friend.

Copic Markers Used:

W9, W6, W3, W1, W0

E77, E74, Y18

B99, B95, B93, B91

YG67, YG45, YG03

Thank you so much for joining me today!

Happy Stamping!

Succulents Window by Niccole Kulig

Hello Ai fans!!

"Your friendship brightens my day and adds color to my life"

Don't you just love it when a vision turns out even better that you pictured? Today I am sharing a card that I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE how it turned out.  I  am using the Succulents Window stamp set from Ai.

I started by using one of my stencils to make my green squared background.  I like how it trails off on the right side. I trimmed down my panel so the card base showed.  I love the look of white on white.

I colored my Succulents Window stamped image with my Copic markers.  It really pairs well with the green stenciled background, don't you think? I added it to the left side of my card. 

I finished it off with some Nuvo Drops in the color English Mustard.  I wanted to draw out another color in my colored Succulents Window.  There is already enough green.  I really like the green and yellow together.

Once again here is the completed card.  There are so many other wonderful Windows to the World stamps over at the Ai website.  Check'em out, you won't be sorry!!

Thank you so much for spending some time with me today.  Come back again soon to see what we have been up to.

Copics used:

B0000

E51, E53, E55, E57

G99

R27

V04, V17, V99

Y11, Y13, Y15, Y17

YG00, YG03, YG13, YG17, YG25, YG67

Until next time ... Hugs & inky fingers!