A Day for Daisies - Penguin in the Sky

I made this card with Penguin in the Sky for a spread in a card-making magazine published in the UK last July.  Tammy's work was being featured and the DT was asked to create Christmas cards with the images, using a specific color palette for the spread.  Being published in a print magazine was thrilling for all of us whose cards made it "across the pond" in time.  Between the USPS and the British postal system, some cards didn't make the deadline despite being mailed weeks in advance.

I combined Hero Arts Stamp and Die set, Joy with the ADFD penguin and balloon image to create my card.  I simply die cut the word, "joy" and cut it apart, inserting the balloon in the center spot of the word.  I decided to make it look like another small penguin was inside the balloon and then covered the balloon with glitter.  The sentiment is white embossed and clear sequins and baker's twine were used to complete the card.


Challenges Entered:
Crafter's Cafe #162/ - Christmas and/or birthday
Crafting by Designs 12/7/ - Here Come the Holidays
Crafty Gals Corner #100/ - AG
Inspiration Destination #115/ - AG
Christmas Cards All Year Round/ - December/Anything Christmas
Come and Get It - Christmas
Sweet Stampin' Challenge 12/10/ - Animals

New DT Spot!

Hi Everyone,
I'm super-excited to announce my first post as a member of the CAS Colour & Sketch Challenge! It's thrilling to be invited to join this talented crew and take advantage of the opportunity to develop my CAS eye.  The new DT members officially begin posting in January, but each of us are being introduced to the blog in December.

This week's CAS C&S Challenge #203 is a seasonal sketch.  We chose one of the sketches from 2016.  I know coloring an image with Copics isn't exactly simple, but Sketch #164 was a perfect layout to showcase A Day for Daisies' beautiful Gentle Baby digital stamp.  The Amuse Studios' sentiment is in black embossing powder.   I stamped the white background with SU's Polka Dot stamp and Versa Mark ink and then used Iridescent Ice, added the image, and used a corner-rounder for the sides.

I hope you will join try your hand at a CAS card this week and play along with the challenge.  I'll see you with a new CAS card in January!!

Challenges Entered:
Dream Valley #146 - Christmas
TTCRD Dec. 6th/ - AG
Crafting By Designs 12/7/- Here Come the Holidays
Christmas Cards All Year Long/ - Dec. Anything Christmas

Reindeer Birthday

I declared yesterday a "pajama day" and spent a much-needed day in my craft room.  This card is one of the things I created.  I have a friend who has a December birthday, so I thought this would do the trick.  I just love the face on this girl!  It's a digital stamp from Sandra Caldwell, called #1018 Reindeer Child.  You can find her and more of Sandra's images in the Babycakes Digis and Designs Etsy Shop.

I masked the girl, stamped a background stamp with birthday words from Mama Elephant and added the words "B-day girl" to her t-shirt.

Challenges Entered:
Crafter's Cafe #162 /- Birthday or Christmas
Crafting By Designs December - AG
Craft Rocket #29/ - Winter
Little Red Wagon 370/ - Chilly Friends
Aud Sentiments #169/ - AG + Sentiment
Southern Girls #147/ - AG
Pencil Case #34 - AG
WWDT Open Challenge/ 11/15-12/12
Come and Get It - Christmas
TFIG 84 /- colors:  Cherry Cobbler, Espresso, Olive

A Day for Daisies - December Challenge

Back with a quick post announcing the December Challenge on the ADFD Blog - it's Add Some Sparkle.  We're showcasing some images Tammy release in 2012.  This one is called Holly Time Fairy.  She is on sale for $2.00 in the ADFD shop. Click on the link and add her to your ADFD collection!

It's hard to see the sparkle on my card, but I used red glitter glue around the outer wreath and on the fairy's holly berries.  Wink of Stella covers her dress and wings and a glitter pen was used to make stars in the night sky.

You have plenty of time to join us this month.  There's an adorable freebie on the blog for you to use.  Just add some sparkle!!

Challenges Entered:
Christmas Cards All Year Long - December/Anything Christmas/Holiday

Sandra Caldwell New Release

Back with a new release image from Sandra Caldwell.  This one is called #1213 Pork Elf. Don't you love the look on its face?!?  You can find it later today with all of the other new digis in the Babycakes Digis and Designs Etsy shop.

I hobbled together sentiments from a variety of sources to create my custom sentiment.  The word Christmas is from PTI's Rustic Wreath set and the "hogs and kisses" is altered from Sugar Pea Design's Happy Mail set.  It was originally "hugs and kisses," and with the magic of a brown marker and some white gel pen hugs became hogs!!  Puny - right?!?!

I think I have discovered a combination of colors I like for coloring Sandra's pigs.  Just the right amount of pink with a little brown.  I color the pig with R000, shade with R01 and then go over everything with an E50.  For the ears and nose, I start with R02, shade with E11 and then a light coat of E41.  My hooves are E41 with R01 and shaded with E31.

Challenges Entered:
Aud Sentiments #169/ - AG + Sentiment
4 Crafty Chicks #376 /- Winter Wonderland
CraftRocket #29 /- Winter Time
Come And Get It 11/27/- Baby It's Cold Outside
House of Cards 11/25/ - Lots of Layers/Colors
Pile It On #122/ - Two Patterns

A Day for Daisies - Snowball Sam

This little guy, Snowball Sam, is one of three super-adorable snowmen you can find in the ADFD store under the "winter" tab.  I used Sandy Allnock's idea of coloring the night sky with BV25 and adding white ink to look like snow accumulating on his hat and the branches.  The Sugar Pea Designs sentiment from Frosty Friends was just perfect to finish off the card!

Copic color combinations are always interesting to me. I moved away from using the sequential color schemes and played with a different third color.  The turquoise part of the scarf is BG70, 72 & 18.  I started using 75, but it grayed down the color too much - 18 provided a good contrast, but kept the colors vibrant.  The same thing happened with the other color in the scarf.  It's E07, 09  (love that barn-red look) and E18 is the contrast.  The reddish-brown was perfect and made the other colors pop!  C01, 00 and BG70 were used to shade Snowball Sam.

Challenges Entered:
Tuesday Morning Sketches/- #379

Shopping Our Stash #270/ - Warm and Fuzzy
Crafting By Designs 11/23 /- Get Ready for Christmas
Little Red Wagon 11/23/ - Sparkle and Shine
Aud Sentiments #169/ - AG + sentiment
Craft Rocket #29/ - Winter Time
The Pencil Case #33/ - AG

A Day for Daisies - Holding Fireflies

I remember catching fireflies as a child just like this little girl, so this image, Holding Fireflies with Wings from ADFD took me back in memory lane.  On top of that, the little girl's body position is just like the way one of my granddaughter's when she is examining something closely!  The image is a freebie in the ADFD Shop right now.













I really wanted to push myself to work on creating a night sky.  I wish I had masking fluid for the stars and in its absence, settled on the old technique of using Glossy Accents over the stars and fireflies after I colored them yellow.  It was a semi successful try.  Ranger's Distress Inks are the easiest to use when trying to blend inks.  My SU! inks dry too quickly.  I've used Sketch Saturday's sketch to design the card and finished it off with sequins and some Stickles.

It's definitely not summer in MN, but up until this past week the weather has been so mild I've worn sandals to work!!  Now it's shoes, socks and mittens!

Distress Inks:  Stormy Sky, Chipped Sapphire, Black Soot
Copics:  Hair:  E50, 51, 53, 25
Skin:  E00, R20
Wings:  Y00, Y21, BV00, BV02, V12
Dress:  Y000, Y00
Stars:  Y00, Y11

Challenges Entered:
Aud Sentiments #168/ - AG + Sentiment
Creative Knockouts #168/ - Lots of Layers
Just Keep on Creating - November Challenge

CAS Sympathy

Playing around with some shades of blue in a sympathy card for the 200th Birthday Challenge at CAS Colours and Sketches Challenge.

I've enjoyed working through their challenges to develop my CAS eye - which is a whole different kind of card-making than the Copic coloring I typically do!

I've used a Ranger stencil with Stormy Sky Distress Ink in the background; butterfly die cuts with SU's Bashful Blue, Not Quite Navy, Island Indigo; a sentiment from Paper Smooches and some clear sequins.

Challenges Entered:
CAS Colours and Sketches #200/ - monochromatic blues
Addicted to CAS/ #101 - Ombre
Aud Sentiments #168 /- AG + Sentiment
Just Keep On Creating/ - November Challenge

CAS Baby Card

Babies, babies, and more babies!  Between relatives and siblings for children at the school I teach at - it's been a fall of new births!  Here's a CAS card for a little boy.  I've flipped this week's sketch from CAS Colours and Sketches to design the card and pulled out at old die from PTI, some papers from my stash, and a Darice embossing folder provided the details.

The gold patterned paper is a scrap from a package of SU! Patterned paper - and more than 7 years old.  The other papers are from this year's Crate Paper's Oh, Boy! 6x6 paper stack.  Not that we paper hoarders need a reason, but just sayin' - major satisfaction when I open that paper draw and find an old scrap that is a PERFECT match for some new paper.  Can I get an AMEN from any of my people?!?!


Challenges Entered:
CAS Colours & Sketches/ - #199
Tuesday Throwdown #319/ - All About the Words

Sandra Caldwell New Release

 My card features one of the many  images Sandra is releasing today in her Etsy Shop Babycakes Digis and Designs.  This one is called #1144 Snowballed Kitty.  Be sure to check out the rest of the DT's work on the Sandra Caldwell Stamp Fans Facebook Page.

I used a snowflake embossing folder for the background and my new SU! alphabet to make the sentiment.  There was lots of white to work with in the image, so I used some B000 and B41 for shading for the snow and colored lots of layers for my sky background to provide contrast for the snow and snowballs.

Looks like kitty is on the losing side of the snowball fight!!

Challenges Entered:
Crafty Catz #345/ - AG w option of snowflake
Creative Fingers #119- AG
Simply Create Too #121/ - Christmas Colors
The Pencil Case #32/ - AG
613 Avenue Create #191/ - AG
House of Cards November Challenge - Lots of layers

A Day for Daisies - November Challenge

The November Challenge on the ADFD blog is to Use Some Burlap.  Originally I was planning to use a strip of burlap, but in the card construction process, I decided to create a frame from burlap which ended up becoming the card's background!  There's a whole lot of strong double-sided tape on this card!

I've never colored a cooked turkey before, so this was a challenge for me.  Google images helped me figure out what to do (in addition to quite a few years of turkey cooking experience!!)  I masked the image and stamped over it with SU's French Script background stamp and distressed the edges.  MFT's stitched frame dies created the frame and the "with gratitude" is a Lil' Inkers sentiment die.

Copics used:
Turkey:  E30, 31, 33, 35, 53, 37
Cranberries:  R11, 20, 21, 22, 24, 27, 39
Daisies:  Y11, 13, 15, 19
Small flowers:  BV13, 04, V15, 09
Leaves:  YG 03, 45, 67, G43

I hope you will play along with us this month.  A guest DT spot is one of the prizes!  Take a peek at the rest of the DT's work here.

Challenges Entered:
Crafting By Designs - November AG Challenge
Just Keep on Creating - November AG Challenge
Creative Inspirations #261/ - AG
Little Red Wagon #366/ - Happy Fall Y'All
Crafty Girls #29 /- AG
Time Out for Challenges #69 /- Give thanks with a Grateful Heart
World Wide Open DT Challenge/ - Oct. 15-Nov. 15
Tic-Tac-Toe Challenges/ -  #21

A Day for Daisies - My Big Brother

Lots of need for baby cards for me right now.  This is called My Baby Brother, from A Day for Daisies.  You can find it in the shop along with many other fabulous images for just about every occasion!

Stop back at the end of the week for another posting from ADFD.  We are working on Thanksgiving images for our November Challenge!

A Day for Daisies - Little Striped Dress

It's my turn to post a card on the ADFD Blog and I chose this quick to color image, Little Striped Dress.  I made the decision that the part on hair of this little miss would be a bit wonky.  Looking at her dress, if I were doing this again, I'd vary the highlight a bit - it's too straight, but I love the look of the balloons!
After fussy cutting her, I used the white background paper, which has been sitting on my desk for about a year (discarded from another card adventure).  The word "happy" was already die cut and I just had to die cut the word "birthday" from black paper (both from MFT).  "Stick It" adhesive paper is was perfect for adhering this super-skinny die cut.  Look carefully and you will see the three rhinestones that complete the card!

November's challenge on the ADFD Blog starts Friday.  Hope you will stop back and see what all of the DT created and play along!

Challenges Entered:
Crafty Gals #95/ - AG
Penny's Paper Challenge #301/ - AG
As You Like It 10/20/ - Old or New Stash (Old - it gets things off of my desk!)
Aud Sentiments #167/ - Cute + a sentiment
Southern Girls 10/27/ - Pop It Up
Less Is More #300/ - Celebrations & Festivals

Baby Girl CAS

It's a sketch week at CAS Colours & Sketches.  I'm throwing my hat in the ring for their DT, so cross your fingers for me!

I needed a girl baby card, so pulled out a retired set from Amuse Studios called I'm Here for this card. Just some stamping on patterned paper and fussy cutting.  Super simple!  I couldn't get the clothespin stamps to work, so I ended up drawing them in.  I was in Seattle last spring and visited the Amuse store.  This red-rubber set was in their sale bin for $5!  Love that kind of a deal as much as I loved to opportunity to visit the shop.

Challenges Entered:
CAS Colours & Sketches #197/
Dream Valley Challenges #143/ - One for the Girls
Crafting from the Heart #133/ - AG
Craft Your Passion #335/ - AG
Through the Craft Room Door/10-25/ - AG

No Lion- Once Sketch, Two Cards!

I'm back today with an image from Sandra Caldwell's new release this week.  This image is called #1133 Barely A Coward.  I started coloring the lion in traditional colors and then as I was going to work one day, I had the idea to color him in blues for a baby card (boys have been born in my family lately).  My idea for blue changed when I pulled out my 6x6 pack of boy baby papers.  The sentiment on the left is from PTI and the one below is a die from Mama Elephant.  I borrowed an idea from one of my fellow DT members, Bonnie Irving, and double fussy cut the turquoise lion from Bermuda Bay paper,

The sketch from this week's Paper Players challenge is used for the card layout on both cards.

Check out Sandra's Etsy shop for all of today's images and Sandra Caldwell Stamp Fans Facebook Page to take at peek at the DT work.

Challenges Entered:
Paper Players #318/ - Sketch
Crafty Friends #43 - AG
Pencil Case #31- AG
SAS For Kids - Celebration
Just Keep on Creating October - AG
World Wide Open Design Team Challenge #15 - 10/15-11/12

CAS Condolences

This is my second post for today.  I've needed a sympathy card for a colleague and decided to use the colors from CAS Colours and Sketches Challenge #196.  I used Wild Wasabi, More Mustard and Cherry Cobbler.  It's also an entry for their DT Call.  CAS isn't my normal style, but I love to stretch myself with CAS cards.  The stamp set is Banner and Wreath from Avery Elle.

Challenges Entered:
CAS Colours & Sketches #196/

A Day for Daisies - First Flight

Hi Everyone,
Back with another ADFD images, called First Flight.  I just love this one.  I know I say that a lot, but there is something about Tammy's style that continues to draw me in.  I think it's the sweet faces.  Aren't these two girls cuties?  I think I'll send this to my granddaughters.













Freshly Made Sketch's #259 provided the layout for the card.  I dug into my stash for some Halloween paper from Crate Paper and started coloring.  I masked the image and stamped over it with a SU Polka Dot background stamp.  As I started to add new things to the card, it pulled my eye away from the image, so I elected to keep it CAS.  No enamel dots, die cut sentiments, ribbons, bows, extra sentiments, etc.!

I hope you will play along with our October Halloween Challenge on the ADFD Blog.  There's just one week left!

Challenges Entered:
Freshly Made Sketches #259/
Crafting By Designs - Halloween Challenge
Crafty Gals #94/ - Be Fab-BOO -Lous
Creative Inspirations #260 - Halloween/Fall
As You Like It /- Old or New Stash & Why (Old because it creates room for new!!)
Creative Knockouts #164/ - Embossing
Cute Card Thursday #448/ - Halloween
Crafty Catz #343/ - AG + Embossing
Simply Create Too #120 - Halloween

Sandra Caldwell New Release Day

Back with another new release from Sandra Caldwell.  This week's image is called 1105 Cute as a Daisy.  She's one of a whole bundle of newly released images.  Check out Babycakes Digis and Design to shop or the Sandra Caldwell Stamp Fans Facebook group to see what the rest of the DT has created.

Challenges Entered:
Crafty Girls #27 /- AG
Creative Knockouts #163 /- AG
Crafty Friends #42/- Autumn Colors
613 Avenue Create/ - AG/optional: green & gold
Little Patch of Crafty Friends #44 /- AG

Monday New Release for Sandra Caldwell Stamp Fans

Monday means new digis are available in the Babycakes Designs and Digis Shop.  This one is called 702 Circus Balloon Pig.  Pop over to the Sandra Caldwell Stamp Fans Facebook Group and see the other images the DT has for you - and then go do some shopping!

A Day for Daisies - October Challenge

It's a new month, which means a new challenge for A Day for Daisies and since it's October, we have a Halloween Challenge.  The DT was asked to use images that were first released five years ago.  So many cute digis to choose from!  Here's the original post.  What a fun idea to take a walk back through time!

I just love this little girl and her cat, called Happy Halloween Night.   I hear that Tammy's images are so appealing and fun to color from many folks. I feel the same way!  I really concentrated on that Jack-o-Lantern and tried to make it look like it was lit with a candle.  IRL, the color around the image looks more like a dusky night.  I used BV20 and 23.  Stop by the ADFD Blog and see what the rest of the DT created for you.  You can always find our challenge posted in the upper right hand column.  Come and play along this month!  There are so many delicious ADFD images to choose from.













Challenges Entered:
CAS(e) this Sketch #193/
Crafting By Designs October Challenge - AG
Little Red Wagon #362 - Purple Orange & Green
Simon Says Stamp Wed. -10/5/ - Halloween
Crafty Girls #27 /- AG
Cute Card Thursday #446 /- AG

Seven Daughters - A Day for Daisies

Tammy's been back at the drawing board and this new image, Seven Daughters is free in the ADFD Shop right now.  Isn't it a beauty?!?  AND it's free!

Two of my granddaughters are over for the weekend, so we have all been working on various projects in the craft room.  This morning, Anika was happily mixing paint colors from a minimal number of craft paints I have around the house and painting her own version of Seven Daughters. Here's her painting!  Mine took all day to finish, but she knew exactly what she wanted.  I love the variation she came up with for hair and skin.

If you popped over from the ADFD blog, I promised to post the color combinations I used for the hair and skin of these beauties.  I'm always on the look out for ideas and this card has some combinations I haven't used before and I hope you find the information helpful.  They look better on the card than they show up in the photo.  I especially liked the dark browns with the blue undertones and the dark browns of girl 3.

Girl 1:

Hair - C9, 7, 5, 3, B21

Skin - E30, YR31, + E21over the top, R11

Girl 2:

Hair - E50, 51, 23, 33, 42

Skin - E50, 51, E 11, R20

Girl 3:

Hair - E77, 47, 29, 49 

Skin - E51+31 on whole face, 33, E93

Girl 4:

Hair - E50, 51, 23, 33, 35 

Skin - E51, 11, BV000, E93

Girl 5:

Hair - E50, 51, 42

Skin - YR00 + E21 on top, E23, R20

Girl 6:

Hair - E74, 77, 44, 47, 49, B24

Skin - E13, 15, 93, hint of 18; color over top with E31

Girl 7:

Hair - E09, 13, 15, 18, 44

Skin - E00, 21, 11, R20

Challenges Entered:

Crafty Gals Corner #91/ - AG

Cute Card Thursday #445 /- CAS

Aud Sentiments #165/ - AG + Sentiment

4 Crafty Chicks #318/ - AG

Crafty Friends #41 /- Special Occasions 

Let's Color Linky Party #13

Creative Knockouts #161 - Fall

Creative Knockouts latest challenge is sponsored by Di's Digis.  The prize is a generous $12 certificate for her shop.  Our theme is fall, so I used lots of fall colors on my card.

I used a digi (#624 Best Friends) from artist, Sandra Caldwell for my card.  You can find more of her digis on her Facebook Fan Group or in her shop, Babycakes Digis and Designs.  A thanks to Sketch Saturday for the card layout!

This is my last challenge as a member of the Creative Knockouts DT.  I've had a wonderful time working with the team and getting to know Kelly.  She's the best!  I hope you will join the fall challenge at Creative Knockouts.

Challenges Entered:
Sketch Saturday #431/

Creative Knockouts #161 - Winged Wonders

Emerald Faeries is the sponsor at Creative Knockouts this week.  It seems fitting that our challenge is Winged Wonders.  This cute image is named Jewel.  I just loved coloring that sweet face!  Take a peek at the DT work here and then join us for the challenge!

Challenges Entered:
 Craft Your Passions #329/ - AG
Inky Chicks #72/  - Fairies or wings

A Day for Daisies - Flowers in My Garden

The temperature is changing and nights are starting to become cooler here in Minnesota, meaning summer is on its way out and fall is beaconing.  My image choice for this posting is an serves as a reminder of the wonderful summer weather - and what could be better than this sweet little girl surrounded by flowers and a warm breeze blowing through her hair?   The digi, Flowers in my Garden is available in the A Day for Daisies Shop.

She's colored with Copics and the layers of paper are from my scrap drawer.  I created the flower from white satin ribbon, colored the pearl with my Copics, and used an SU! felt stitched leaf from my stash.

Hope you are playing with our challenge this month on the ADFD Blog.  Zubaida is a challenge winner from July.  Isn't she a fabulous Guest Design Team member this month?  You could be our next GDT member!
Challenges Entered:
Always Playing with Paper #77/ - Colors
Aud Sentiments #163/ - AG + Sentiment
Craft Rocket #23/ - AG
                                                                                             Let's Color #12/ - September
                                                                                             Pencil Case #26/ - AG

Whoooooo's Ready for A New ADFD Challenge?

Our September group post on the A Day for Daisies Blog features a collection of sweet owls. I used Owl Sister on my card.  I am a sucker for those circle flowers Tammy draws and love how these frame the owl. The card had a fall feel to it until I popped an oval frame I had sitting on my desk behind the image.  The background is a wood grain embossing folder to go with September's challenge  - Add Some Wood - and I got in the recessed areas with my Copics to add some visual interest.

I hope you will play along with the Add Some Wood challenge this month.  Remember, you can enter up to four times and the winner will join our team as a guest design team member!  You just need an ADFD image to play - and there's a cute freebie waiting for you on the challenge page!   I can't wait to see what you create.

Challenges Entered:
Crafting From the Heart #125 - AG
Craft Your Passions #327 - AG
TTCRD Aug. 30-Sept. 5th - AG
Crafting By Designs September - AG
Fab 'n' Funky #316 - AG
Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge #293- AG
4 Crafty Chicks #314 - Fussy Cutting
Craft Rocket #23 - AG