She Creates....

Hi, everyone!  This lesson (the final one!!!) shows us an easy way to free-paint flowers and leaves. Admittedly, I was a bit nervous since I don't normally free-paint and I was concerned my leaves would just end up looking like blobs on paper. Thankfully, it didn't turn out that way! Card 1: Those are real blobs! Card one features a wreath design; it was supposed to be a more abstract wreath and my coloring proves just how abstract it is! (You can laugh; I sure did.) I can see where I need to improve upon but it did turn out well for the first try! Card 2: Yes, Virginia; those are leaves. Card two is supposed to be layers of leaves; I was not happy with how it turned out because I was having trouble forming the leaves in the first place (IOW, it's totally the student's fault!). Thankfully, I was improving as time went on. Card 3: Not bad....but.... Card three is technically not a card; I didn't put it on a base. First time trying a rose and I ...

Hi, everyone! Today's post is all about landscapes and nature; it has proven to be my favorite out of all of them!! Card 1: She painted a sky!! Card one introduced the idea of a sky scene and rolling hills; the trees on the right hand side are meant to be out of focus (To indicate they are far away.). I love how the hills and the sky turned out; I can still work on my "happy little trees". LOL Card 2: Twinkle, twinkle, little star... Card two featured something that I really wanted to try but just couldn't figure out: Galaxy or nighttime scenes!! (Cue in a really loud WOOHOO! here. Thanks.). Not only am I thrilled with how this turned out, this became my favorite of the bunch. Can't wait to try this one again!!! Card 3: Cue the many cactus jokes. Card three has a happy cactus loving life in its little painted pot. I didn't think I could draw this happy fella here, but he came out pretty good (Side-note: Kristina had mentioned during ...

Hi, everyone; Marie here (again) but with today's Simply Watercolor projects! I am glad that Kristina brought up typography (lettering) because this was an area I was definitely lacking in. My handwriting is not all that great and it can be improved upon.  Thankfully, watercoloring helps in this regard! Today's cards include the following: Card 1: M is for... Card one used the same technique to imprint an image onto watercolor paper but used a wet-on-wet technique for the color itself. I liked how this came out. Card 2: ...mega-fancy Card two was the same way but the color was applied outside of the shape (In this case, the fancy letter M.); I was pleased with how the color came out. Card 3: Why, thank ya....thank ya very much. Card three was one of the simplest to make and it took the least amount of time; it has a bit of an airbrushed quality to it and I am very pleased with how it turned out. Card 4: I'm so colorful! Card four inc...

Hi, everyone. Marie here - really early because her internet was down last night - to show all y'all yesterday's Simply Watercolor products! Card one features a really cute bird and some balloons: Tweet, tweet! Card two has four adorable animals (Kristina had a tiger on one of the panels, but I went for a bear; it does work!): The dog says "woof", the cat says "meow"... Card three has one fabulous birthday she-bear wanting to celebrate: Celebrate good times, c'mon! I'm really looking forward to today's lesson, which should be popping up soon. Until next time... Toodles!

Surprise!! It's me again! (So soon???) Had to quickly make a card for Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge !! This week, it's all about  FUN IN THE SUN  (even though I tend to turn LobsterRed (tm)  during the summer)!! Yay for sunshine, rainbows, and, in my case, FLAMINGOS. Front of Card (Feat. Sparkle!) Inside: Why not be a flamingo? I mean, c'mon. Flamingos (or flamingoes; both are acceptable spellings of the same awesome pink bird) and they should be celebrated. Why not now? I suddenly want shrimp.... Anywho, the majority of the products used came from SSS' July card kit and I thought the kit was perfect for this challenge. The only holdout was SSS hybrid ink in Hollyhock. Products Used: SSS July Card Kit (Sold Out)  (Items can be purchased separately) Hybrid Cube Set Spring Flowers (Hollyhock) Until next time... Toodles!

Hi, everyone! Marie here with something really neat. I figured I needed to seriously up my watercoloring game, so I signed up for the Simply Watercolor class at  Online Card Classes  that is hosted by Kristina Werner; I'm glad I did because she is really good at watercolor! Anywho, today is Day 1 of the class and I have three examples of what I'm doing! Card 1: A really nifty technique that had me try plaid (and my shaky attempt doesn't look too bad); I will definitely keep trying in the near future, because I love the look of plaid! Card 1: Mad About Plaid Card 2: I really like how this turned out; the variation of color per row and column makes it eye-catching.  Card 2: Grids! Card 3: Another geometric design, but using circles as an example. I can definitely see this used for bubbles on other cards or possibly glass orbs, if the wash and shading is right. Card 3: Circles After finishing this first class, I can honestly say it was $20 well-spent. I'...

Hi, everyone. Marie here! Today features a card that I made using most of the materials coming from the Simon Says Stamp's card kit. Overall, I'm pleased with how it turned out: The video is right here: Products used: Lawn Fawn Really Rainbow 6x6 ,  SSS 120# Cardstock in White ,  SSS Beautiful Day Stamp Set ,  Memento Tuxedo Black Ink , Copic markers in  G00 Jade Green ,  G02 Spectrum Green ,  G03 Meadow Green ,  BV000 Iridescent Mauve ,  BV00 Mauve Shadow , and  BV01 Viola ,  MISTI Stamping Tool , and the  Fiskars Paper Trimmer .  So, do enjoy (and hopefully I'll figure out a new way to film)! Until next time... Toodles!

Hi everyone; Marie here! Today, I'm bringing just one card out of twelve that I made for a charity to give out to kiddos who are sick and in hospital. Many of these youngins are fighting cancer and other diseases that are life-threatening; what tends to cheer up a kiddo is a bright and cheerful card! I did have a helpful Bee to help with me; for my little one, color is always better. :D That said, here is my "just because": Just Because. :) It sparkles!!! The cards were made from standard-sized A2 (4.25" x 5.5") and are a mix of top-folding and side-folding (with some as landscape). Bee was able to help put some of the parts together, while Mama taped/glued/stuck them together (We made a pretty good team, actually!). Here's the best part: The only things I've used were the  Doodlebug Fairy Tales 6x6  paper pad, some Michaels brand card stock I had in my stash,  DoCrafts Stick It Foam Squares ,  Tombow MONO Adhesive , and (not necessary but ...

Hi, everyone; Marie here with a new review and new content for the YT channel. Occasionally, I will try new things but I hardly see anyone post reviews or first impressions on the things I try. I will give a grade based on product claim and ease of use. That said, here's my First Impression on the Tonic Easy Clean Mat (Warning: Glitter gets EVERYWHERE , I need stock in Swiffer cloths, and the mat does a good job.). Ease of Use: A-.  It does stick to the surface of the table and it's hard to reposition once it's "stuck". You can lift it up and reposition without issue. Product Claim: B.  While it is easy to clean using a microfiber or Swiffer cloth, you can't dump contents back into container by lifting mat up and funneling Messy Stuff into container. Just. Won't. Happen. Overall: B+.  As long as you position the mat next to the table's edge, it would be easy to wipe Messy Stuff into its original container. Would keep us...

First off, I'd like to apologize for not updating as much as I should! With getting into a new house, unpacking (Oh the joys!), and creating a new space for a craft room, I haven't been updating my blog! (EEK!) Anywho, I'm back and up for a challenge (or a few). Second, I have been able to film a couple of haul videos from  Simon Says Stamp , so I did manage to do something! In fact, here's the first one of two that were done this week! Filled with awesome goodies (I mean, Doodlebug pins!!! How precious are they!!!!) and one thing I haven't tried yet; I am planning on a First Impressions video about the  Tonic Keep Clean Mat , so keep an eye out for it SOON. I am also planning to put out a video or two using some of the newest goodies that have shown up at my doorstep. Bear with me as this gets rolling! Toodles!

(I realize I'm running a bit behind, since it's October, but there is a good reason for it!) A while back, I received Simon Says Stamp's September card kit in the mail; it was a really adorable mish-mash of birthday fabulousness (I'm a little partial to September birthdays; my daughter was born in September.) and I couldn't wait to play with it!  (The card in question!) While I did have the kit, it sold out pretty quickly, but you can purchase the items separately (I did receive the flower and jar shaker tags instead of the balloon shaker tags, but that was okay. I still managed to use them!).  The kit costs 24.99/month, but the individual items can run you up a bit more than that. Check out the video on how I made this card; my favorite part happens to be the shaker tag. :D Thank you to Simon Says Stamp for offering the card kits and thank you for coming by! ~Marie

The lovely folks at  Your Next Stamp  have set out a nifty challenge, so I figured that it would help me get out of my crafty slump. It sure did! I managed to take this sketch... ...and turn it into THIS: The stamp and sentiment is from Newton's Nook , the papers are  Simon Says Stamp Doll Pink cardstock and Echo Park Summer Dreams , embellishments are from Doodlebug  and Nuvo Glitter Drops . I used Prismacolor colored pencils for the stamped image, as well as Versafine ink. Overall, this card took about 15 to 20 minutes to make, from start to finish; it's summery and cheerful. :D Thanks so much for stopping by! ~Marie

Go figure that I enter the very last time Mojo Monday occurs! That said, the sketch was a good one: So, seeing some of the designs that came in did help, but I wanted something a bit different. I love Verve Stamps and I wanted to convey a "happy trails" kind of theme without being too sappy (I am a bit of a sap, but don't ruin my rep!).  I came up with this: The paper came from Illustrated Fairh, the ribbon came from Hobby Lobby, and the sentiment is from Verve's New Mercies set.  I also figured out the two-finger bow method that Gina K. uses on her cards. Yay! As a newer card maker, this was a push in the right direction; I like being challenged and I liked this result. :) Happy crafting! ~Marie

I'm quite excited; this is the first card I made using the  Simon Says Stamp  card kit for June and I'm quite thrilled with how it turned out: My Congrats card. This kit is sold out (Sorry!), but the individual pieces should be available; I have linked to the items that I have used in the kit. Copic Sketch markers used: Roses - RV21, RV23, RV25; Smaller Flowers - B60, B63; "Daisy" - BG000; Oval flowers - BV0000, BV000; Larger leaves - G20, G94, G99; Smaller leaves - G20, G24. I also used some Nuvo Glitter Drops in White Blizzard for a finishing touch. I also have a tutorial on this particular card: Items from the kit that are sold separately:  Echo Park Wedding Bliss 6x6 ,  SSS Floral Bliss Clear Stamps ,  SSS Cotton Candy Cardstock Thank you so much for reading!

Welcome to my new blog! This is a new blog for my cardmaking adventures; please stick around and follow me! ~Marie