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!

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!

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!

Hope Your Day is PAND-tastic! By Crystal

Hi Ai fans! 

I loved playing with the Panda-tastic set so much last week I'm back with another card using the same set. 

I think this set of three panda bears are so cute on their own that they make making a card really fast. 

I stamped the three pandas in the center of a Double stitched rectangle then I masked them off with a full stick post-it note. I used a polka dot stencil and Tim Holtz Distress ink for the background. I blended some of the colors to get more then four different color polka dots on my background.

I used a polka dot embossing folder to add a little bit of dimension to the cardstock that I matted my panda bears on. I adhered my whole panel to a 5 1/2" x 4 1/2" card base. 

Spectrum Noir Markers:

Blender, CC1, IG9, IG6, IG4 , PP1, DR3

Happy Stamping! 

O' Frap! Spring Chicken Set | By Jessica Shier

Hello Ai Fans!

With the release of those cute Hedgehogs and adorable Pandas, I decided to explore more of the cute critters in the Funny Farm line of stamps. I chose the Spring Chicken set and also the Oval Double Stitch die. It was not my intention to make the background the shape of a egg but it does work so well! 

I started with stamping the 2 chickens with Gina. K. Amalgam ink then coloring them with Copic Markers. I do have the list of markers I used below. This time I used maily cooled tone grays to match the same tone of the gray cardstock. After I was done coloring them, I fussy cut the pair out and inked the edges with a Memento black marker. 

For my fun egg shape I trimmed a piece of Gina K. Lemon drop cardstock with the Art Impressions Oval Double Stitch die. I believe I used the second from largest. To get the rays I ink blended 

Distress Oxide Ink in Tumbled Glass, through a radiant rays stencil. It didn't quite reach the bottom of the oval. But I easily remedied that with the green cardstock, which was a scrap and already had a curve. I use the same oval die on the green cardstock so that the stitching would continue all the way around. 

I've also been using some colored craft foam to create dimension lately. I cut some of the orange foam with a Art Impressions Circle Double Stitch die and also a darker yellow cardstock. I layered those so that the cardstock was on top and the orange craft foam is only glimpsed from the side. 

I cut two colors of gray cardstock with two different types of edge dies, just to mix it up and add more texture. 

For the sentiment I used a Distress Oxide ink in Abandoned Coral. I love this sentiment, I am not a morning person and only coffee will get me up and going. To create the speech bubble I sketched a oval around the sentiment and added a point. Then fussy cut it out and erased the pencil marks. I popped this up with some foam dimensional squares. 

The inside I used another fun sentiment from the Spring Chicken set, which I paired with the party hat wearing chicken. 

Copic Markers Used:

W6, W3, W1, W0

C5, C3, C1

E77, YG63, B00,

R05, R02,

Y38, Y35, Y21

That's it from me! Thank you for stopping by today. Happy Stamping!

Ride the Wave | By Jessica Shier

Hello Ai Fans!

This week I'm playing with the NEW Loads of Fun set. I had to make this granny live her dream of surfing! There is a lot of crazy texture on this card and I'm loving the mix so much.

I first stamped and fussy cut the lady, trimming of her ironing board legs to make it a surf board. I used a lot of gray tones on her since she is facing away from the sun. Which, I think, threw my white balance on my camera off, into the cool tones. lol! One of my favorite ways to die cut waves is using a cloud border die but using the negative side, the side with the more pointy ridges. I used a cloud border die on some Tonic Luxury Embossed paper to get that effect.

The ink blending is made using masking tape to block off the middle section of a piece of Neenah solar white 110lb cardstock. I used my blending brushes for this, and also a wave stencil for the bottom area. This was trimmed down with a rectangle stitch die. For the slate cardstock, I used a larger rectangle stitch die to die cut first, then layered some Deco Foil Mettalix gel over it using the same wave stencil.

The sentiment is stamped and heat embossed using white embossing powder to the upper portion of the ink blending cardstock. Can you believe that I don't have a ampersand in any of my die sets! I was suprised!! Luckily, I have hung on to some Thickers, from years ago, and had a perfect one to use, made from white foam. 

Copic Markers Used:
W6, W3, W1, W0
E81, E34, E31
BV11, BV04, BV02, BV01, BV00
Y38, R83

Alright guys, that is it from me! Thank you for joining me today. Happy Stamping! 

A Messy House Is.... By Jessica Shier

Hello Ai Fans!

Today I'm sharing a card and video using the A Messy House TF set. I think these cards would be great to send to a friend that has been overly busy. A little reminder to relax and take some time for ones self. Check out the video below for the process of this card!

 Now this stamp set, A Messy House TF, was designed to be used as a Trifold but I like to do something different. So I created a flat card but used the images to add dimension and depth. I started by stamping each of the 3 images on to separate Neenah Solar White 80lb cardstock. I could have stamped two of the images on the same cardstock to save some paper but I wasn't really sure how I was going to go about making this card. In the beginning I have a plan to make a tryfold style card but it just didn't turn out that way. 

I colored the lady first. I knew that I wanted her to be the certain of this card and have the most color. So I used red and aqua to really make her stand out. Then I colored her surroundings in grays and tans. I really like how this turned out color wise. I think all those neutral colors really do draw your eye to the relaxing among the mess. A lot of the shading for this was used using the E04 Copic Marker which is one of my favorites for adding shading. 

If you look closely you can see that the animals are about the same color, I added a bit more yellow to them to help them stand out. I also made the items the cats are on a bit darker and added red and aqua to the dog to match the lady. 

For the splatter background I masked the lady then used a stencil, distress ink and a blending brush to add some texture in the same color as the mess. I used the same color of Distress Ink on the floor. I did fussy cut the images on the left and right out then inked the edges with a black marker. I clued them on to the piece that I just ink blended on with the lady and added the sentiment from the A Messy House TF set with black ink gray cardstock. That is it! I hope you take some time and watch the video, it would mean the world to me. 

Copic Markers used:

W0, W1, W3, W6

C1, C3, C5, C7

E31, E34, E35, E04, E51

E74, E59, E15

YR27, Y21, YR23, Y18

R89, R83, R29, R17, R05, R02 

RV09, BG18, BG15, BG13, BG11

Watch Here

Thank you for stopping by! Happy Stamping!

Valentines Critters By Jessica Shier

Hello Ai Fans!

There is just a little less then a week left until Valentine's Day and I wanted to create another card using the, oh so cute, Valentine Critter set. Plus I've been wanting to work on coloring animal fur and this was perfect! I do have a video of this card down below! ❤

I thought it would be cute if the happy beaver was holding out a heart for the cute little mouse to fly in on his balloon to grab, they just look like they would be having some fun valentine day shenanigans.

I first stamped the beaver and the mouse with Copic friendly ink and colored them in. I used Copics first and then added some shading in with Prismacolor Pencils.

I used a stencil and some Tonic Mousse on the red cardstock for the background. I also utilized the large tag die from the Tag Stitched Dies set to cut out the critters and a piece of shimmery silver cardstock. I wanted this to have a bit of glitz!

I used the one of the smaller tag dies, from the Tag Stitched Dies set, to die cut some black cardstock and white heat emboss the sentiment that coordinates with the mouse. (yes I did notice that I forgot to color a bit of the balloon... oops!)   We'll just leave that between you and I. 😅

The inside I kept simple, and stamped the beaver again but in a light gray ink and the coordinating sentiment in red. 

Watch the video here.

Copic Markers Used:

Critters

E74, E59, E31, E35, E15

W0, W1, W3, C3

R83

Heart

Rv69, R29, R05

Balloon

BG18, BG15, BG13, BG11, BG10

0CB

Prismacolor Pencils Used:

PC946 Dark Brown

PC1056 70% Warm Gray

PC938 White

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