a First for me . . .

I have been asked to make some cards on order for someone and of course the pleasure is all mine!  She gave me specifics so I could taylor make the cards for her family members.

The one I am showing you today is for her mother.  This kind of card is not what I am used to because I love clean and simple (CAS) cards.  I loved making this one but it was a challenge getting all the little things to fit in such a limited space!  So here it is . . .

I always have bad lighting because night time is when I get a chance to play ;)

I so hope that this card is not too cluttered!  My friend said that her mother likes flowers and so this is what I came up with.  I think that an older lady might like it.

How:

I stamped this Celebrate in Style image from Gina K. Designs on ivory card and cut it out using Spellbinders oval and my Cuttlebug (then built the layers using the scalloped oval dies).  

The dress skirt is paper pieced (for those who does not know how that is done  http://stamptv.ning.com/video/paper-piecing-with-gkd-patterned-paper ) and cut out by hand. 

I liked the sentiment (also from Celebrate in Style) on this card because it seems to suit an older lady since they are always dressed so well!  And of course I had to add some lace somewhere because, to me, these ladies and lace are synonymous!  This was stamped and then cut out using a tag from Fancy Tags One.

It was finished off with some bold paper flowers in "Vintage" colours and pearls.

My first try at Copic markers

I discovered the wonderful things that can be done with copic markers through the paper craft sites I like to visit.  Copic markers are alcohol based markers that blends and looks like you have painted instead of colouring! There is so much to learn about them and I wish that I had discovered this blog article Choosing copic colors before I started to buy my copics.  Through Theresa's article I was introduced to Marianne Walker, a copic certified artist and this (Natural blending families) post.  I learned so much about how the numbering system for copics work! Please do yourself a favour and visit these sites first!  These two ladies do beautiful things and visiting is so worth while!

Now for my first stamped and coloured image!

The lighting was bad and that is why this image looks pink.  I did not think my first attempt was bad but you can spot the mistakes - the greens on the cake are not blending at all and in her hair you can see some "auburn" spots that did not blend with the other colours either!

My second attempt was better -

See how the pinks on the cake blends better?  This is the extra one I made to start my copic portfolio and that is why I added all the colour names next to the image.  I love this little lady!  So cute!

Hope this helps you in your "copic adventures" ;)

My first two paintings

This was the painting that I started with!  Afterwards the teacher told me that she thought I was being a bit ambitious but she let me do it anyway because that was what I wanted to do.  (I love that about her!  She is very encouraging no matter what I attempt to do!)  I really wanted to do this one because it is the view from our house over the neighbouring farm's canola fields towards the Stellenbosch mountains (the main one being called Simonsberg after Simon van der Stel, one of our first governors).

I loved this second one because I LOVE this colour and it was quick to do (being smaller with a few less details ;) but I do realise that I have much to learn still.

I will not be blogging about painting for quite a while since I only get to paint every second week (maybe) and that means it takes forever to finish something! For now I am enjoying the journey especially since I do not have that much time to paint! I am still trying to decide what my next project should be.  Any ideas?

Lovely lullabies!

http://www.scripture-lullabies.com/films2/

Someone we know,  in the US, shared this wonderful music and testimonies with us and we loved it!
Maybe this is something that you will love and benefit from too!

There is an instrumental version (no vocals) that will be wonderful as background music for any occasion!

Enjoy!