Happy October! Blog candy winners and lots of great links.

Wow....October already, where has the year gone?  We are just getting started on our home improvements, and I am hoping the roof gets done before the rain starts.  Other then that our household is pretty much just kicking back before the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

And I am a bit of a mess right now, our son just found out that he may be shipping off to boot camp in October.....sigh.....so proud of him for joining the Marines.....but also will miss him more then I can say in words....

Before I forget:  the winners of the portable Copic Storage containers are.......Heidi (CardsbyHeidi) and Sharon in Arizona!  Congrats ladies.

Please email me at Jacquie at afterhoursstamper dot com with your address so I can mail off your prizes.  I have more of the bags to give away as blog candy....so keep on following the blog to find out when I will be giving more of them away.

And here is my card for the SCACD challenge this week (we needed to use a stamp with an animal and then add texture to our project as well.  So I used one of the absolutely fabulous new stamps from the mini collection, Elisabeth Bell's "Angel of Hope."

From 2010-10-04

I used colored pencils to color in the image (LOVED using them by the way), and then added some white flower soft to the background for the texture.  I also added some glitter to the flower soft and stickles to the wings of the Angel.

Here is a close up:

From 2010-10-04

Before I get to the links for this week I wanted to call attention to a new listing on the blog, at the top of the blog, in the left column, right under my Copic Certified Designer badge.  I am compiling a list quick list of some of the best Copic marker websites, blogs and videos for you, watch as I add information in the coming weeks.

Here are your links for this week:

Color Me Copic:  What a GREAT blog!  You will love how much information there is on this blog, including quite a few videos on color hair.  Make sure to check out the color combination page as well, various designers have listed their favorite color combinations, very nice reference tool.

Finding time to stamp:  Wonderful post on how to find the time to stamp and create some wonderful paper projects.

Coloring Pleats and Folds with Copic Markers:  GREAT post on how to color in those pesky pleats and folds on your images.  Make sure to check out all of the tutorials, one also has a very good tutorial on how to color hair.

Free Digital Stamps:  You are going to love these images!  Absolutely adorable, and they are FREE!  There are quite a few cute stamps here, including one that is just in time for Halloween!

Coloring Bears/Animals with Copics:  Very nice post on coloring these images (though I prefer coloring light to dark, might try the dark to light as her examples are amazing).

Front and Back to your images:  Really fun idea on how to create a front and back for your images.

Love the video below, wonderful way to add a shadow to your image:



Ok that is all for this week, stay tuned for some really fun things next week, until then enjoy your crafting and as always thanks for visiting the blog : )

And the winner is........

Did you see the Academy Awards last night?  I thought it was one of the best shows they have done, and while I haven't seen many of the pictures that won awards, the show peeked my curiosity so we now have five movies on our must see list.  

Other then watching the awards our weekend was pretty basic, my accomplishment of note being that I managed to get all the laundry done and also finished a card (yes, only one).  Weekends seem to go by so fast, and lately during the week I haven't had time to sit down and stamp as much as I like.  Hopefully this week I can find some stamping time, especially as I get pretty grumpy when I can't find the time to stamp.


Here is the card I made yesterday, a plain card, but it was fun to color with copics:

From 2010-03-08

Isn't that the cutest boy stamp?  The stamp came from Susana's Custom Art and Card Design, I absolutely love her shop!  And if I get some time I will make some more cards this week with the other stamps I have from her shop.

It takes me forever to figure out what I want to do with a card, but eventually it comes together : )  Anyhow, how about some stamping stuff?

The Pearl Pens I ordered from Susana arrived early last week, and let me tell you they are everything you have ever dreamed of in a dimensional pen.  I have only had time to sample the product, but I can't wait to use them on a card!  And Susana now has the white pen in stock!  Not only are the pens great, but Susana has the absolutely BEST service, I placed my order and three days later I had the pens in my hot little hands!

Color Wheel:  This is a great reference to help you pick out colors for your projects.  Lots of information on color, all of which is easy to understand and follow.

Iridescent card stock:  I have read that this card stock is great for card making, haven't tried it yet, however it is on my list of things to order and try. 

GREAT flower tutorial:  Wow!  This tutorial is wonderful, it shows you how to make Anemones, and let me tell you they look amazing! 

The "Cinch" by Memory Keepers:  This looks like a great tool for those who make books and albums.  I especially liked how it seems to be very easy to use (ease of use is something I look for in tools). 

And here is a Mica Gloss video.  I bought a few colors of the Mica Gloss last year and have been looking for a video ever since.  If you haven't tried these yet I can tell you they are GREAT!  Amazing ability to blend, and the colors are wonderful.  I especially like the shimmer these inks give your project:



Ok, that is it for today, I have to get ready for work and out the door in 15 minutes (luckily the laundry is done so I might be able to find something to wear).

Have a GREAT day everyone, see you next Monday.