Soldier Pug

~ sproatmeyer ~ 1 Comment

The challenge this week at The Stamping Bazaar is to create a card or project based on the fun sketch provided. I made this card using Soldier Pug designed by the fabulous Marina Neira. I created the tag by using metal stamps to engrave the sentiment. I need to create more guy cards as I have just depleted my limited stash!


DT Challenge: The Stamping Bazaar – Challenge #4
Main Stamp: Soldier Pug (TSB)
Patterned Paper: scraps
Dry Embossing: Tim Holtz Sizzix Embossing Folders Woodgrain
Metal Die: Spellbinders Nestabilities Circles
Copic Colors:
-dog/eyes: E41, E42, E43, E04, E57, E59
-clothes: YG63, YG67, YG91, YG95, YG99, BG93, BG96, BG99, C3, C5, C7

Did you know? Military camouflage became an essential part of modern military tactics after the increase in accuracy and rate of fire of weapons during the 19th century. Until the 19th century, armies tended to use bright colors and bold, impressive designs. These were thought to daunt the enemy, foster unit cohesion, allow easier identification of units in the fog of war, and attract recruits.
[Military Camouflage, Wikipedia.org]

Beach Ball Betty

~ sproatmeyer ~ 1 Comment

The challenge this week at Lollipop Crafts is to create a card or project for a Girlie Girl. Our sponsor this week is Fairy Knoll and I used Beach Ball Betty for this card. I used the image without the beach ball and tilted it so she looked like she was flying.


DT Challenge: Lollipop Crafts – Challenge #16
Main Stamp: [altered images of] Beach Ball Betty (Fairy Knoll)
Patterned Paper: Flying High – Tweet (My Little Shoebox)
Metal Die: Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Seventeen
Copic Colors:
-skin: E00, E11, R20, R22, E04
-hair: R81, R83, R85, R89
-clothes: R22, R24, R29
-wings/eyes: G20, G21
-other: C1

Did you know? The Burgundy snail (Roman snail, edible snail or escargot), is a species of large, edible, air-breathing land snail. It’s preferred habitat has high humidity and lower temperatures, with loose soil which allows it to burrow in order to hibernate and lay its eggs. During hibernation this species creates a calcareous epiphragm in order to seal the opening of the shell.
[Helix Pomatia, Wikipedia.org]

Sandstone Citadel

~ sproatmeyer ~ 10 Comments

I made this card using Sandstone Citadel from Make it Crafty and combined it with this month’s free image, Holla Back Girl, from Kenny K Downloads. We’ve come up with all sorts of one-liners for this princess, but my favorite is simply “Yo, Prince!”


Here’s the background before it was cropped and covered – isn’t that image dreamy! I colored it in the style of the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany.


Main Stamp: Sandstone Citadel (MiC) and Holla Back Girl (KKD)
Patterned Paper: Signature Christmas (MME) and scraps
Copic Colors:
-skin/hair/eyes: E000, E00, E11, E04, R21, R24, B91, B95, YR21, YR24, YR27
-clothes: R21, R24, R27, YR20, YR21, YR23, E55, E57, E59
-castle: E40, E41, E42, E43, R22, R27, E07, E19, G21, G24, G28, E55, E57, E59
-foliage: T1, T3, YG91, YG95, YG63, YG67, YG13, YG17, E57
-sky/water: B91, B95, BG0000, BG000

Did you know? Neuschwanstein Castle is a 19th-century Romanesque Revival palace commissioned by Ludwig II and overlooks Schwanstein Castle, his father’s summer residence. It was built as an homage to Richard Wagner and was intended as a personal refuge for the reclusive king, but it was opened to the paying public immediately after his death in 1886. The palace has appeared prominently in several movies and was the inspiration for Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle.
[Neuschwanstein Castle, Wikipedia.org]

Hey Grandma

~ sproatmeyer ~ 5 Comments

Check out the challenge this week at Wags ‘n Whiskers where the challenge is to create a card or project using acetate, vellum, or tissue. I made this card using Hey Grandma and gave this tyke a little tooth too.


The front part of this card is mostly made from acetate except for the edge where I tacked it down near the fold. This makes the card fun and interesting to hold. I’ll have to be careful when writing my sentiments on the inside show they don’t show through. ;D


DT Challenge: Wags ‘n Whiskers – Challenge #38
Main Stamp: Hey Grandma (WnW)
Patterned Paper: Just Dreamy (MME)
Metal Die: Spellbinders Nestabilities Deckled Rectangle
Copic Colors:
-face: E00, E11, E13, E04
-hair: W3, W5, W7, W9
-clothes: BG13, BG18, B34, E43, E44, E47, YG21, YG23, YG25
-other: R43, R46, R59, W1

Did you know? Jalopy (also clunker or hooptie) is an old, decrepit, unreliable and often nonfunctional car which has limited mechanical abilities and is often rusty or dented or in an unmaintained shape. A jalopy is not a well kept antique car, but a car which is mostly rundown or beaten up.
[Jalopy, Wikipedia.org]

Lil Christmas Lolita Lilith

~ sproatmeyer ~ 10 Comments

The challenge this week at Lil Lolita Boutique is a double theme! You can choose to create a card or project with a Pink Christmas or All About Sentiments theme. I made this card previewing the new Lil Christmas Lolita Lilith and went all out in pinks and reds! The white fur areas even have pink sparkles on it and her nose is pink from the cold winter air.


Challenge: Lil Lolita Boutique – Challenge #23
Main Stamp: Lil Christmas Lolita Lilith (LL&L)
Patterned Paper: Signature Christmas (MME)
Metal Die: Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Ten
Copic Colors:
-skin: E00, E11, R22
-hair: E44, E47, E49
-clothes: R20, R22, R00, R01, R81, R85, R83
-other: E41, E42, E44

Did you know? In advertising, a tear sheet is a page cut or torn from a publication to prove to the client that the advertisement was published. With the emergence of online advertising tear sheets often now appear in the form of PDF, known as a “virtual tear sheet”.
[Tear Sheet, Wikipedia.org]

Sandstone Citadel

~ sproatmeyer ~ 4 Comments

The technical challenge this time at Make it Crafty is to create a card or project that moves! This was my first attempt with a spinner action and there were plenty of lessons to be learned. I also added pop-up sections on the inside of the card. The main part of the card features the new Sandstone Citadel image which will be available today. It was such a fun image to color and I can see endless possibilities with it!


Green? I had this idea to make a Wizard of OZ scene and focused on the Emerald City. So for this project I had every piece of green scrap paper sprawled out on my table! Here’s a good view of the “Emerald City” without any obstructions. I had all the YG and G Copic markers on the table and pretty much used them all plus a touch of blue.


The moving action happens when the card is opened and it’s spring loaded too! The center part is a typical spinner but I’ve wound it up tight so when the card is opened it flips around. I have a small tab sticking up just behind the Wizard which will stop it from actually spinning. The tension plus tab also helps it stay vertically and aligned with the card front.


Originally I had the backside of the spinning section blank – but how I could I leave it like that? So I browsed through my limited selection of sentiments and decided I’d cut out another rainbow. The card can have either side showing when it’s closed or opened.


Here’s a front-on view when the card is opened with Dorothy and the Wizard of OZ against the back part of the spinner. These two characters are actually coloring pages from Midisegni.it. The other moving part of this project is when these two pop up when the card is opened.


This was my first time coloring on the Cryogen White Curious Metallic paper and didn’t have a problem blending with it. It’s sparkly all over and absolutely dreamy to behold for glitter lovers! I ordered my paper through CutCardStock.com and the best part is … the sparkle even shows through the colored areas.


The other challenge is to create a scene.

DT Challenge: Make it Crafty – Technique Challenge
Challenge: There She Goes – Challenge #80
Main Stamp: Sandstone Citadel (MiC) and The Wizard of Oz (Midisegni.it)
Patterned Paper: scraps
Metal Die: My Favorite Things Die-namics Cloud Trio
Copic Colors:
-skin/hair: E00, E11, E57, E59, E55
-clothes: R24, R29, B91, B95, C1
-castle: basically all the YG and G colors plus B000

Did you know? Located in the center of the Land of Oz, the Emerald City is at the end of the yellow brick road. Everyone in the Emerald City is made to wear green-tinted eyeglasses; this is explained as an effort to protect their eyes from the “brightness and glory” of the city. However, in effect everything appears green when it is, in fact, “no more green than any other city.” This is yet another illusion created by the Wizard.
[Emerald City, Wikipedia.org]