Introducing Purple Onion Designs' Sunny Meadow Fair by Stacey Yacula!

I am excited to share the news that I am now designing with Purple Onion Designs!  Not only that, but I get to begin this new adventure by helping to introduce the newest release from Stacey Yacula!

Purple Onion Designs is offering the entire collection - all 24 stamps (30 individual images) at a 30% discount until Wednesday, May 15th.  

I think I'm as giddy as these two in the roller coaster:

Growing up in the 80s, I loved old musicals, and one of my favorites was State Fair (1945 version).  Other girls wanted to be Madonna, but I wanted to be Margie Frake, played by Jeanne Crain, live in an old farm house, wear lovely dresses, and meet a mature handsome man at the fair.  Okay, now I watch the movie and yell at her, "Are you crazy!  You only just met this guy!  You can't marry him and run away to Chicago!"  Ah, youth...

I stamped and masked the roller coaster image in Memento Tuxedo Black ink, and then stamped the background with a second generation of the same ink.  Everything was colored with Copics.  Then I heat embossed the sentiment in white and colored a slight shadow with a Copic marker.

I have two videos of this card.  The first one is full of tips about coloring the roller coaster and background, and the second video highlights the coloring of the pig and the bird.  You can watch them here or on YouTube.

Supplies:
Stamps: Purple Onion Designs Roller Coaster, Fairgrounds Background, Birthday Sentiment
Copics: C0, E21,23,25,27,29,40,50,51, R000,00,02,20,21,22,24,27,29,59, Y21,23,26,28, RV000,00,10,11, G40,43,46,94, BG0000,000,70,72,10,11,13,23,45
Ink and Other:  Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaMark, Zing white embossing powder

Thanks for coming over to visit!  I hope you have a little fun today!
Kara

Twelve Kits of Occasions - April

Welcome to the last day of April!  I have the pleasure of hosting over at the 12 Kits of Occasions this month with the theme, "For the Graduate".  Graduation day is a momentous occasion, whether it's from kindergarten, high school, college, or beyond.  It's always an achievement worth celebrating!  My hope was to help us stock up on a few graduation cards to have ready for the upcoming season, and I also made a few specific ones I know I'll need later. 

For me, rainbows symbolize bright hope of the future:

Our high school colors are red and white, so this one was colored specifically for our daughter who will be graduating next year, *sniff*:

A couple of my cards could be used for promotions and other transitions rather than graduation:

This ecstatic lady is on a string to make it a spinner card.  The image has both a front and back so she can twirl around in her office chair:   

 I made the tassel using some floss:

 I water colored this next card with Distress Inks and turned it into a shaker card:

I hope you will join me over at the 12 Kits of Occasions blog to see the amazing and creative ways each member of the team interpreted this kit!

All of the supplies included in the kit are listed over at the 12 Kits of Occasions blog.
Extra supplies that I used on my card include:
Dies:  MFT Single Stitched Rectangle Frame, MFT Stitched Scalloped Rectangle Frame
Distress Inks:  Mowed Lawn, Wilted Violet, Mermaid Lagoon, Candied Apple, Ripe Persimmon, Picked Raspberry, Black Soot, Mustard Seed
Copic Markers

Thanks for coming over to visit!  I hope you have a wonderful day!
Kara

Tag, You're It! #85 Happy Easter

Tag, You're It! is celebrating Easter with an Easter tag challenge.  I created a tag to add to my daughter's Easter basket.  It is looking from inside the empty tomb out towards the Resurrection Sunday horizon:

I created a video demonstrating how I created this shaker tag.  You can view it here or on my YouTube channel:

I hope you will join us in this fortnight's challenge.  Head on over to the Tag, You're it challenge blog for all the details and to see the wonderful tags created by my teammates.

Supplies:
Stamps:  PTI Inspired: Savior
Dies:  Poppystamps Stitched Main Street Tags, PTI Scene It Skyscapes, MFT Spring Garden
Copics: W1,3,5, C2,4, E43,44
Paper: PTI Spring Rain, Green Parakeet, Lemon Tart, Summer Sunrise, Orange Zest, Lovely Lady, Raspberry Fizz, Melon Berry
Other:  Sizzix Tim Holtz embossing folder, VersaMark ink, McGill Stylus and mat, 3 mm craft foam, SSS fine detail white embossing powder

Thanks for coming over to visit!  I hope you have a wonderful day!
Kara

Twofer Card Challenge #15: Zoo Animals

We're going to the zoo at the Twofer Card challenge!  I chose MFT Safari Friends as the main attraction:

First, a CAS note of thanks, with a little lion who thinks he's awfully punny:

Second, the whole gang got together, donned their hats, and popped in for a birthday party:

I hope you will join us on this wild ride around the zoo at the Twofer Card Challenge!  Please head over to the Twofer blog to see which animals were featured by our guest designer, Susan, and our design team. 

Supplies:

Stamps:  MFT Safari Friends, Happy Hippos (hats), Anything But Basic Birthday Wishes

Dies:  MFT Thanks, Mini Circle Shaker Window

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaMark

Paper: MFT Berrylicious, scraps

Copics: BV000,00,02,04,13,20,23,25, RV95, Y21,23,26, E93,95,97

Other:  Zing white EP, Signo white gel pen

Thanks for coming over to visit!  I hope you have a wonderful day!

Kara

Choosing Copic Colors - A Video

I am often asked how I choose Copic colors.  I started with about five skin tones, and slowly, and I mean s-l-o-w-l-y, worked my way to a fairly hefty collection.  I am by no means an expert, but I do have an opinion - lol! 

I created a video explaining my top 50 favorites and a method for using the colors you have based on charts and swatches.  You can watch it here or on my YouTube channel:

If you're interested, and/or newer to Copic Markers, I hope you will find the video helpful.
Thanks for coming over to visit!  I hope you have a great day!
Kara   

Office Spinner Card

The best way to celebrate at the office?  Some times you've gotta spin!  I love this set from Art Impressions.  It really captures the excitement of a new promotion or any sort of great news.

You can watch her in action and see how I colored and assembled the card here or on my YouTube channel:

 

 This card is going to go play over at CASology Week 337: Burst - This lady is bursting with excitement!

Supplies:
Stamps:  Art Impressions Chair Spinner
Dies:  Art Impressions Chair Spinner, MFT Stitched Rectangle Scallop Edge Frames, MFT Stitched Rectangle STAX
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Catherine Pooler Sea Foam
Paper:  Basic Grey Out of Print, Echo Park This & That
Copics:  E00,21,23,25,27, RV21,23,25,29, G000,00,02, C00,0,1,4,6

Thanks for coming over to visit!  I hope you have a great day!
Kara