The Magical Restoritive Powers Of RESPITE! - And The Completion of My Wizard

So after some extremely stressful few weeks in my house I had the absolutely pleasure of going away for the first time on my OWN for the weekend, while some respite worker came in stayed at my house for two nights with my son... and boy did I not only need it, but it did me so much good... I have come back invigorated and refreshed and really understanding that this is what I need if I am to not only survive being a single mum with a child with multiple disabilities and behavioural challenges but to thrive... for his well being as well as my own, which is also challenging as my own health is also not good... but anyway... I had a marvelous weekend away at my parents on site caravan in the glorious bushland setting of Daylesford, in the middle of Winter and literally missed out on it snowing at my camp site by 5km!!! I was thoroughly ANNOYED!! I WANTED SNOW!!.. LOL

But anyhoo... 

You will ALL be probably happy to hear that in my time away I Got back on my pencils and managed to do a little colouring.. in between my eating of gorgeous local produce down at the Local Cider Mill, of course matching that with a bottle of their organically brewed cider, and getting my Tarot cards read... something I had never had done before, and was BLOW AWAY by how accurate this gentleman was...

but I diverge!!! ;) 

I got out my delightfully magical Wizard digital stamp called "Wiz" by Mo Manning, which you can purchase HERE, (oh, and enabler alert, Mo has a SUMMER SALE ON!!! 20% OFF ALL STAMPS)  I had started but not finished and decided he looked rather sad half coloured and that it was time I stopped procrastinating and coloured him up!!... So without further Ade!! my gorgeous Mr Wiz!!

The Digital Stamp is called "Wiz" and was created by Mo Manning

This image has been coloured by in Polychromo Pencils Only

No Blending solutions of any kind was used

No blending stumps were used

Just pencil on pencil blending

The paper is Arches 300gsm HotPressed Smooth Watercolour Paper

I'm Sorry but I cannot provide a list of colour for anyone as I did not keep track of them all... there were just tooooooooo many!

The sentiment is my own creation so please credit me after the sentiment (A. Jensen) if you use it in your own works, with a link back to my blog in your post if possible. I appreciate your honesty in this regard. :) 

Well that's all from me for this post... I might have something else tomorrow. I have been a busy little beaver!!!

Happy Crafting!!

And remember to check out that 20% off Summer Sale at Mo's Digital Pencil!!!

Xo

Back At It With A Work In Progress

Hi Guys!!! Well after two weeks break, I'm back on the Polyies colouring up a storm... Still taking it easy, so this is just a work in progress picture to let you know I'm still around and living!! :)

This is a gorgeous image by Mo Manning by "Wiz" which you can purchase HERE

This is the picture of him with his First Layer of pencil on his coat.. 

And this is with his second final layer on his coat... Isn't amazing how much difference that second layer makes.. really increase the depth and colour of the image.

Ironically, Now having created SO much contrast and shadowing in his coat, I'll have to go back over his Beard and Skin and darken them up to match... but I'll wait till I finish the piece before I muck around with those little edits. :)

Will I hope you enjoyed this little sneak peek. Hopefully the next post will be him all finished and framed. :)

Happy Crafting. 

Xo Amanda 

Jumping Lamb Card Featuring "Emmy With Lamb"

This week I've made ANOTHER baby card in preparation for a little baby girl who will be coming into the world in June. This card though features something quite special. it's interactive!! yep... The little lambs actually rotates giving the card an appearance of the lambs leaping!!!

I'm totally in love with it and so glad it turned out. 

I've used the sweet little "Emmy with Lamb" image that Mo Manning created earlier on in the year.  It was just right with her little lamb doll fitting perfectly with my theme. 

A match made in heaven. :) What do you think!!

 

 "Emmy" has been coloured primarily with Copics, and finished with Polychromo Pencils.  I thought she needed to be sitting in a field of grass.. Only fitting really!! :)

 This is the button handle on the inside of the card that you turn to make the Lambs turn. :) I thought it would make a cute handle. It's actually two buttons stacked on top of each other, to make it a bit easier to "handle".. Teehee.. I made a funny!!.

Card Ingredients:

"Emmy with Lamb" by Mo Manning

Coloured in Copics and finished with Polychromo Pencils

"FQB - In The Meadow" Digital Scrap booking Kit by NitWit Collections

3D foam Dimensional used through project. 

Stencil Plastic has been used to create the Jumping Lamb "Wheel"

Superglue

1 Medium and 1 Large Button. 

Silhouette Cameo to fussy cut the pieces

"Antique Linen" Tim Holtz Distress Ink used to distress all of the edges of the paper pieces. 

Well I hope you have enjoyed this weeks little card from me. 

I look forward to bringing you something new next week. 

Happy Crafting

Xo HUGS

This card has been entered into the following challenges:

Challenge #121 Anything Goes w/Optional Humorous Sentiment & FREEBIE

Little Red Wagon : Challenge # 287 - "B"elieve It!

Welcome Baby w/ "Swing Star Boy"

This week over at Mo's Clubhouse blog we are throwing our lovely DT member Francesca Franz a VIRTUAL BABY SHOWER to celebrate the birth of her precious little boy Filippo. In celebration everyone on the DT team has created a Baby Shower Card for Franz... This is mine!!

 I've used the cosmically cute "Swing Star Boy (s)" for my image by the fabulous Mo Manning. A sentiment (shown inside the card) is include when you purchase this digital image. 

A female version is also available HERE. 

Image has been coloured in Polychromo Pencils.

I have surrounded this little fellow with golden stars hung from strands of twine!! :) The background papers are from the NitWit Collections. 

Card Ingredients:

"Swing Star Boy (s)" Digital Image by Mo Manning

Coloured In Polychromo Pencils

Background Papers from "NitWit Collections" 

Stars hung with Twine

Star Paper from my stash.  

I hope you have enjoyed my little card this week for our Virtual Baby Shower. Don't forget we have a Baby Shower Contest running at the moment on Mo's Clubhouse Blog, so pick a Mo Manning baby image and enter a card to win a Mo Manning Rubber Stamp!!

Happy Crafting Xo

Amanda

"Baby Shower" For Someone Special

Someone very close and special to me is having her first baby... and so OF COURSE I was going to make her a card!!! I mean, what kind of a dodgy friend would I be if I didn't make her a personalised AMANDA card... with a Mo's image.. Of Course!!

Today I have used the simple but lovely "Baby Shower"... It's quite an obvious choice.. seeing it's a Baby Shower I'm attending... and this is a Baby holding an umbrella!! I love how this image is kinda gender neutral, so you can colour her/him up any way you want to make it a boy or a girl...

I've been inspired by another DT member, the Lovely Kim Bell, to get out my Distressed Inks and have a bit of a paint this week, but of course.. it wouldn't be me at the moment, unless I added Polychromo pencils SOMEWHERE!!LOL.. and because they both use the exact same paper type, my Arches 300gsm Hot press Smooth Water colour paper.... Phew.. what a mouth full... they worked EXTREMELY well together.. as you can see by the final picks.. The hair has been done in Polyies, as well as the green spots on the Umbrella and the background base grey's. :) So expect to see more combo distress ink and Polyies from me in the future... or Polyies and Copics... because I REALLY have to get some more practice in with them before I forget for to use them all over again!! LOL

So anyhoooo .... onto my card!!

Card Ingredients:

"Baby Shower" Digital Image By Mo Manning

Painted/Coloured in Tim Holtz Distress Reinkers and Polychromo Pencils

"FQB - Tickled Pink" Digital Scrapbooking Kit by Nitwit Collections

Elements Distressed in Tim Holtz "Vintage Photo" and "Tea Dye" Distressed Inks

All Elements cut out using my Silhouette Cameo... I LOVE MY CAMEO!!!

Card is a 15.5x15.5cm Pre-Brought Kraft Card

3D Dimensional Foam pads 

Well that's it for this week peeps. Hope to see you next week!!

Thanks For stopping by... Happy Crafting!!

Xo

Bip Bip Birthday Tag

Hello Everyone... Well this has been ONE EXHAUSTING WEEK!! I took my not so little boy (15yo) camping for the Easter weekend on my own, and because of my chronic illness, even though I'm doing well at the moment, it took a lot more out of me than I expected...so I've had a lot of sleepy days since, and barely enough energy to get out of bed let alone move off the couch! so I will apologise to you right off the bat for this really short blog post... and also for the super poor quality of my photo... I was not even sure I'd be able to finish a piece for the weekly inspiration, but I have managed!!! Unfortunately it's NIGHTTIME and so I had no natural light to take a photo light I normally do.. So if you just tolerate the cruddy photo for a half a day... I promise in the morning, bright and early I'll take some better photos and post them!!! :) As promised, I'm back and have upoloaded the new photos... but have left the old photo below as an illustration of POOR PHOTO SKILLS!! lol...

So without any more waffling! Here's my gorgeous tag, using "Bip Bip Birthday"... a Super cute little Robot by Mo Manning.. of course!!

Now This is the OLD NIGHT TIME PHOTO!! I've left it here to illustrate just how much a difference  your photograph of your piece can make. In the above pictures the image is clear and crisp, the colours stand out and are bright and actually reflect how the true colours I how I coloured this little cutie!! You can see the Bluish tinge I placed on much of his metal body.... As you can see in the below picture the image is dull, with an orange/brown cast that I could not get ris of with photo manipulation.. it was the overhead "warm lighting" from our lightbulbs... this interfers with the colours drowning out certain colours, and making others just look plain wrong... The photo itself is also grainy! and it's not that I am poor at taking photos, just there is not enough natural lighting, and you should never use flash photography were photographing your cards, because it bounces of the the weirdest places, like the sheen of your PENCILS!! or the alcohol in the your copics make the ink from the printer shiny, so it bounce off there... and thats without considering all of the BLING some people put on there pieces... So my advice... if you have the ability to, take your photos in a light filled room, not in direct sunlight, on a consistent background.
I use just a plain piece of white cardstock A1 size, folded in half sitting on a chair in my BATHROOM!!! because the light is filtered through the rippled glass in the window.
I take MANY SHOTS, from MANY different angles.
Then they all get uploaded into my computer where I use Picassa to weed out the cruddy shots, then I crop them to size and colour correct any that are too blue!... now this is also A MUST!! every camera, whether is be a mobile or an SLR fancy smancy camer will have flaws, and most photos will need colour correction. so have a play with the programs you have and see what you can achieve with your photos. Usually mine will require the blue tinit to be corrected to slightly more yellow, an issue particule to my mobile phone camera, slightly more shadowing, and then slightly more highlight. Then it resembles as close as I'm going to get it to what I ACTUALLY PAINTED in real life!!
Anyhooo.. This wasn't MEANT to be a photography lesson.. LOL.. I will do a tutorial on this at some stage!! :)

Card Details:

Image: "Bip Bip Birthday" by Mo Manning

Coloured in Polychromo Pencils

Digital Papers and Embellishments is a Digital Scrapbooking Kit "FBQ - Some Assembly Required" by Nitwits Collections

Tassel I made from some cross stitch thread I had laying around! :)

Thanks for Popping By

Happy Crafting

Xo

Mushroom Forest Pop up - Featuring Amanita in Polychromos

Hello... well it's Good Friday here in Australia, (Thursday everywhere else, Timezones are such whacky things!!) and so not being religious myself...I just wanted to wish everyone this coming weekend a Merry Easter Egg!! LOL... I hope you eat lots of chocolate and get to visit with lots of friends and family and have a merry old time.

Now lets get onto my card... This week I had SO MUCH FUN!!! I got playing with my PENCILS AGAIN!!! whooooo hooooooo!!! I LOVE MY POLYCHROMOS!!! so if anyone is one the fence about buying pencils, or are tossing up about which brand.. one.. GET OFF THE FENCE and get your beehind into the art store and go buy some.. they are soooo much fun.. and too, BUY POLYCHROMOS!! you will not regret it!! Anyhoooo.. a little off track. teehee... I do that.. sometimes.. :/

So I finally got to play with what I will now and forever more affectionately call my Polys on an image that was not an Animal!!, Yep I had to have more then just blending skills... LOL, and did I have a little gem to play with. I've had this image stashed away for quite some time, and I'm so glad I waited to use her... and I think you'll just LOVE what I did with her, cause I had some FUN!!!

I "GUESS" I'll maybe show you the card then shall I... *Great big cheeky smile*

I MADE A POP UP MUSHROOM FOREST!!!... oh crud.. I just realised the heading of the post kinda gave it away... Oh well... ITS STILL SUPER COOL!!!. 

Isn't "Amanita" the Toadstool Baby Fairy just the sweetest!!! You can purchase here from Mo's Digital Pencil... Just follow THIS LINK!!! Here.. I'll give you a closer look at her CUTENESS!!! 

I've coloured her completely in Polys (Polychromo Pencils) without any blending fluids of paint thinners... This is just pencil on pencil and LOTS OF LAYERS and BLENDING!!! and yes... my hand is all crampy and feels like an eighty year old with arthritis now.. apparently I need to develop "a pencils hand"... I think I just need to chop it off.. LOL

Anyhoo.. I better go back to the start... and show you the front cover, and then I'll let you have a look at some more picies and angles. 

Isn't is JUST ADORABLE!!!

Now for all the details, I'm sure you would like...

Digital image by Mo Manning called "Amanita" 

Polychromo Pencils used to colour image. *I have collected the list of pencils used, but will post in another blog, as I lost the bit of paper!! :(

Digital Scrap booking paper and paper embellishments from NitWit Collections called "FQB - Thicket Collection"

Pop up Card is an SVG file by Lori Whitlock called "a2 baby boy blocks pop up card" *I have altered this design to fit my purpose

3D dimensional Pop Dots used to add dimension to pieces

Tim Holtz Tea Dye Distressed Ink used on edges of paper. 

Silhouette Cameo used to fussy cut all of my pieces!! YAY FOR NOT MORE FUSSY CUTTING!!!

So I think that's it! 

Thank you for popping by. I hope you enjoyed looking at my card and that it inspires you to think outside the box with your own creations. 

Happy Crafting!!

HUGS Xo

Amanda

This Card has been entered into the following Challenges:

613 Avenue Create: Challenge #118 - Anything Goes

My "Easter Chickie" in Polychromo Pencil with Colour Details

Can I Just say WOW!! The response from everyone over my "Easter Chickie" has been phenomenal! I never expected such a response from one first real pencil image. so THANK YOU too everyone who has commented and given such lovely comments and encouragements. 

Now I have had quite a few people asking me to list details of what colours I used and what paper so I thought I'd do a Blog Post just on this. Please note that no blending fluids of any kind were used in this colouring, and I did not use a blending stump. This is just layering of pencils. :)

 

Digital Image "Easter Chickie" by Mo Manning 

Paper: Arches 300gsm Smooth Hotpress Watercolour paper

Pencils: Faber Castel Polychromo's

Chicks Body: 186, 187, 111, 109, 107, 106, 102, 103

Cheeks: 131, 189

Feet & Beak: 186, 187, 115

Basket:199, 280, 285, 179, 182, 183

Rabbit:274, 272, 101, 131, 189, 132

Grass:278, 174, 167, 260, 170

Well I hope that helps those who were asking what colours I used. :) 

Thanks for popping by.. and Thank you again for all the lovely feedback!!

Happy Crafting! Xo

Oh I Got Me Some PENCILS!!!

So I could not resist myself. After seeing all of these beautiful pencil projects over at Kit and Clowder over the last 3 months and with there release of there new "Perfecting Pencils" class... I just HAD to have me some pencils... So I saved me some money!! and bought myself the "Perfecting Pencils Class" which allowed me to research which pencils were going to be the best for what I wanted them for and TADDDDDAAAA.. I bought me some FANCY SHMANCY PENCILS!!!

lol...

I've ended up Polychromos because I read on the Internet and saw to many thing on YouTube about lead breakages and bad quality control on Prismacolour and figured I that I wasn't going to be spending $300 odd on a pencil set to sharpen them away just to be able to use it once!!

So here's what I ended up with...

I purchased this amazing set online from The Art Shop in Australia. They gave me a fantastic price that worked out $50 more then getting it just in the normal tin!!

Now for the funny first try pictures. I had a bit of an unsuccessful play with them on the second day of owning them. I following the colours of skin tones that came with my lesson... however applied them WAY TO FAR OUT!! So instead of it being a cast shadow, it made my little person appear MASSIVELY sun burnt... or just "Brown".. LOL But hey.. I was just having fun.. and learning how they work...

 One "Clowdie" (a fellow peer on the Kit and Clowder Facebook page" suggested I should turn it into a Mouse!! or a Bear!! Lol.. I followed through with her suggestions.. but I thought a MONKEY was more appropriate!!! Teehee

Now we should also probably note, that this was just one some scrap paper I had lying around... I had by this point realised that this paper was indeed CRUD!! and I would NOT be using it for future pencil work! LOL

So today when I woke up the lovely Mo Manning had posted a new digital image of an "Easter Chickie" which is on sale for $1 for the next 24hrs.. and after some giggles and fun over the position of the "eye's" on the image... and some alterations on Mo's part.. the digi was re-released!! and I just HAD to have him to practice my pencils on...

Unlike my previous "Monkey" LOL.. this one turned out splendidly well and I'm SUPER chuffed with it... I printed the image on Arches 300gsm Smooth Hotpress Watercolour paper using my Lazer printer. This image has ONLY been coloured in Pencils with no use of blending fluid or oils... just laying and blending with pencils. :)

 If you'd like to learn how to colour with Pencils I HIGHLY recommend The "Perfecting Pencils" class at Kit and Clowder. They go through lots of pencil theory and you get to complete three different projects using either Prismacolour, Spectrum Noir or Polychromos... It's a Wonderful Class. :) 

Anyhoo. Just wanted to share my first goes with my pencils, so I can come back here in a years time and see how far I have come.. We all have to start somewhere.. :)

and Remember if you want this DARLING little "Easter Chickie" for ONLY $1 then you better head over to Mo's Digital Pencil in the next 24hrs before it goes back to it's normal price!! 

Happy Crafting! Xo

Sailor Child In Vintage Style!

Hello there me Hearties!! LOL  Another Mo make from me this week using one of the beautiful children out of the "Sailor Boys" set in Mo Digital Pencil. I love this set because of it's vintage feel, and it brings to mind images of little kids playing in there sailor suits down at the beach with there tin soldiers while there mums in there 1950s bathing suits watch on preparing a picnic for everyone to eat... it's just Gorgeous!! and of course, I owned a little Sailor suit just like this for my son when he was born. I have only one picture of him wearing it, as he sits on Santa's lap.. Screaming his lungs out at the scary man in the grey beard!.. oh the memories. LOL... 

Well back to my card :) I hope you enjoy it as much as I did making it... oh.. and check out his hair!!! I'm very proud of it.. LOL.. I know I know.. I bragging about hair.. But I am still learning with my Copics and my attempts at hair before Alyce from Kit and Clowder came to the rescue were just pitiful!! and oh!! his hair.. it actually resembles HAIR!! LOL... sorry.. just a little chuffed with myself.. anyhoooo.. back to the card.. I'm getting awfully distracted today! :) Some pictures.. That's what you are REALLY AFTER!!! So I will oblige. 

Card Ingredients!

6 x 6 white card 

Digital Stamp: "Sailor Boy" (set) By Mo Manning

Copics:

Skin: E000, E00, E11, E21, E04, R20

Hair:Y21, YR23, E15, E18 (a tiny bit of cheap mid brown and dark pencil to fix a shiny sticky patch)

Shirt:0, C00, C1, C3, C5

Pants:BV20, BV23, BV25, BV29

Scarf, Cuffs and Socks: R22, R24, E07, E09, E18, C5... 0, C00, C1, C3, C5

Shoes: Y21, YR23, E15, E18

Teddy:E31, E33, E35, E37, E29, R20

Background: 0, B91, B93... E30, YR21, YR24, E35, E57, E59

Digital Scrapbooking Papers and Embellishments: "FBQ - Aye Aye Captain" NitWit Collections

All elements Distressed in Tea Dye Tim Holtz, Ranger Distressed Ink 

3D Foam Dimensionals used

Thanks for popping by...

Happy Crafting!! See you next week. 

Xo HUGS!!

Dream Big!!

From the moment Mo showed us this new stamp "Reach Star (s)"  also available in a female version, I fell in LOVE!! I didn't know if it was the PJ's, the great big rounded tummies, the tiny little feet in comparison to the bodies, the hands, the way they are flapping as ONLY little toddlers do as they reach for something or the onezy with the cape! but I just had to have this stamp.

 I LOVED the sketchy design, a little different then the stamps I normally colour but I was willing to give it a go because I had the PERFECT digital papers to go with him. Recently having been introduce to NitWit Collection I came across an adorable Digital Scrap booking set called "FQB- Spaced Out Collection" and if there wasn't a more perfect match made in heaven!! Well I'll let you made that decision for yourselves ;) 

 

I really like this HUGE MOON on the inside of the card which allows the person buying the card to write there birthday wishes or such on it.. Very cute. 

 

Wanted to make him look like he was reaching for this moon... and think it was a great way to use the sentiment which is included with the digital stamp. 

 

All elements have been outlined in black. This is a really simple yet effective way to make your cards look professional, but also to make your elements blend into the card... nothing worse then seeing white glaring cut lines... a little trick I learnt from Paper tole. 

Card Ingredients:

"Reach Star (s)" Digital Image by Mo Manning - includes Dream Big Sentiment

Copics Colours Used:

Skin: E000, E00, E11, E21, E04, R20

Hair: YR04, YR07, E08, E18, E29

Onezi: B12, B24, B28, B29, B99, Y06, Y17

Cape: R22, R24, E07, E09, E18, C5

Moon: Y35, Y38, E15, E18

Distressed Inks Used in Background - sorry. I didn't keep track of which I used.

Digital Scrap booking Papers "FBQ - Spaced Out Collection" By NitWit Collections

Printed onto 200gsm white Quill Board card stock from Office Works

3D Foam dimensional used to elevate pieces off card and give depth. 

Double Sided Sticky Tape. 

2 Pieces A4 Navy Blue Card stock from my stash made into a 6 x 6 inch card base.

Now one last thing.. We have now moved to MONTHLY CHALLENGES!!! over on Mo's Digital Challenge Blog with the first challenge starting today, but they will run on the FIRST THURSDAY OF THE EACH MONTH!! so make sure you put that into your diaries...
Well I hope you enjoyed looking over my card, and I cannot wait to bring you a new card new week.

:)

Happy Crafting!

Xo

This card has been enter into the following challenges:

Challenge #114 Anything Goes w/Optional Twist Aquamarine - WON TOP 3!!!