I get a kick out of you!

Cat and I both like to draw images for our cards - design our own digistamps, if you will.  This is one that she really invested some effort into - four and a half hours drawing this image!  It's great though.  There are so many awful puns that go with a shoe.

I used some more of my pink crepe paper on this card, for the background layer and both hearts.  The reason the hearts are different colors is that the background cardstock  for each one is different.  Although I wouldn't normally use pink on a card for a man, for Valentines, you have to use pink or red, and red with green looks too much like Christmas.  I suppose I could have colored the shoe red...

Challenges:
Aly's Sunday Challenge - for the guys
Card Patterns - sketch
Paper Sundaes - Valentines
AIFactory - for boys
Meljen's - hearts
Truly Scrumptious - brown, pink, and green

Twirly Heart

I have a couple of fun things to tell you. First of all, I am pleased to report that I will be guest artist for CS Designs in February. I really admire Chris's distinctive artsy images, and look forward to seeing what her images inspire in me.

Second, I want you to know that they are posting the February Freebie Digis at Crafter's Digital Art Center. There are a lot of fun, free images to try, but the one I thought I would try first was this heart, which of course is from CS Designs.

I had several ideas about what I wanted to do, but when I reached for a sheet of paper to print it out, this idea popped into my head - what would happen if I printed it on black paper?  Well, the image was visible at an angle, if I managed to get the light to hit it just so, so I grabbed my souffle pens and tried tracing the lines.  My hand wobbled a bit, so I started doodling to cover my wobbles, and the next thing I knew, I had this heart.

The translucent layer of pink that you see on the card is crepe paper - it gives a fun, ruched texture.  The sentiment is cut with a cuttlebug die.

Challenges (besides the CDAC ones!):
Prairie Fairy - for a sweetheart
Charisma Cardz - Valentine
Delightful - have a heart
Digi Doodle Shop's Best - swirls
Color Dare - pink, pear, plum
Cheerful Stamp Pad - Valentine
Digi's by Phooka - love is in the air!

Dubious freebies

My buddy Cat said that I should put my head and rabbit images from my Year of the Rabbit cards up as digital freebies.  I laughed - the head that I drew is completely bald, and the rabbit is really only half a rabbit - I knew exactly how I was going to use the images when I drew them, and didn't see any other application for them.  I did save them, though.

So, I attached them to a reply and told her that if she used them on a card, I would put the images on my blog.
She was up for the challenge, so here you go:

These are my special Year of the Rabbit gifts to you.  Feel free to manipulate them in any way to make them work for you.  If you take them, and you make something with them, please let me know using the linky below.  I will come by and give you some comment love.

Year of the Rabbit

Every once in a while, I make something that I love so much, I can't even wait for the glue to dry before I share it.  This is one of those projects - an ATC to celebrate the Asian year of the Rabbit. 

Once I had it in my head that I wanted to do an oriental woman holding a rabbit, I knew that I had no choice but to draw it myself.  I had rabbit stamps and geisha stamps, but none that went together.  By drawing it myself, I guaranteed that they would both have the same style. 

I want to say something to those of you that think you can't draw.  I filled two solid pages of drawings before I did one that I liked enough to scan, and then I did even more to it after I scanned it.  That's how it is with drawing.  You don't just scribble something on a sheet of paper that looks perfect, you have to keep doing it over and over until your hand does what your brain keeps trying to tell it to do. 

There are a gazillion layers on this ATC.  There are two backgrounds, 4 punched circles for the hair, and so many little pieces for the outfit, it's crazy.  

What's even crazier is that I need eight of these for a swap.  Aaack!

Challenges:

Stamp R Us - animals

Be Crafty - new year

Alphabet - L is for Lady

Simply Create - punches

Nature Goddess ATC

Since I'm not hosting a technique swap any more, I thought I would play in Deb Lovett's swap.  I had been wanting to experiment with corrugated cardboard, and I had this great image from CS Designs that was perfect for the Bandana technique.

I love the texture of the corrugated cardboard, but I wasn't loving the color - I swiped some green distress on it, then gave it a wash of shimmery copper.  The Bandana technique is just fun to do.  Does it look crooked?  They all do.  It's the cardboard.  It doesn't like to be cut straight.

Challenges:
Corrosive Challenge - recycled material
Creative Inspirations Paint - favorite color
Paper Sundaes - distressing
Sweet Stampin - brown + 1
Stamp Insanity - monochrome
Digital Tuesday - tropical warmth

Origami butterflies

One of my Red Hat girlfriends came over yesterday for a playdate.  She had an origami butterfly pattern that she wanted to teach the ladies - she was wearing one as a pin, and the other ladies wanted one just like it.  Her only problem was that she didn't have a good supply of red and purple two-sided paper, so I told her we could make some.  So, she brought her butterfly pattern, and I pulled out my art supplies.

I had a good time making paper, but the paper that she liked best was one that I had made digitally!  I don't have a sample of it as a butterfly, but it is a background paper I had made for Red Hat cards.  Like my mother, I don't personally feel the need to have pictures of hats on my red hat clothing and jewelry - the color scheme is enough.  I think these butterflies are cute, though.  All they need are some pin backs.

Challenges:
One Stop Craft - more than one fold
Totally Gorjuss - hot colors
Fuzzy Wuzzy - animal
Stampin' Royalty - wings
Ooh La La - Bling it on
Card Ideas - Fabulous Folds

Lulu tag

I just joined the CS Designs group at Crafters Digital Art Center - It's a ning group, which means it's impossible to figure what is going on half the time, but if you like digital freebies and tutorials, there is a lot of good stuff in there.

Anyway, Chris (of CS Designs) gives the members of her group the Lulu Fashion Diva digi free for joining, so I felt like I ought to make something with it.

It's way different from what I usually make, but it was fun to put together.  I can always use a tag.  It's done with the Blended Glitter technique, and a bunch of ribbons, felt flowers, and stickers that have been sitting on my crafting desk unused for a long time - it's been a while since I've done anything like this!

There are other Lulu stamps here, if you like this style.  Chris has a lot of really different and fun stamps!

Challenges:
Crafty Emma - fairies (according to the CSDesigns website, Lulu is a fairy)
Fairy Tale - flowers
Stamp Something - cute
Tellen's Place - polka dots
Wags n Whiskers - Fairy
Little Red Wagon - one layer