Tuesday, June 30, 2015

An Artist Craft Room




Lacy Sunshine


I love designing craft rooms! This one is special because it's for Rory Phantom Artist designed by Lacy Sunshine, the current sponsor of the CreativeLady Birds Challenge. She is colored with Prismacolor Pencils. Planning her craft room was more fun using the craft table and room grid by Scrappers Delight. The bits and pieces were taken from the Mother's Day 2011 digikit and it was all merged in the Craft Artist 2 program.

Come and join me at Creative Lady Birds and share your talents with us. Anything goes! Sponsored by Lacy Sunshine.

Friday, June 26, 2015

I Love What I Get to Do!

 
This is a Lacy Sunshine image that I have used Prismacolor Pencils and blender to color and  merged it in the Craft Artist 2 program, with a digital background from the My Craft Studio program.
I truly love my card crafting hobby. I enjoy using and learning graphics to make my cards and framed art into works of art. These graphics include those in computer programs and digital images that are available online. I also use my husband's work, which he turns into graphic illustrations. The digital images are legitimately sold for the use of crafters for cards and scrapbooking among other crafts.
These are Cute as a Button images colored with Prismacolor Pencils and merged with a background by my husband Sandy in the Craft Artist 2 program.
 Another part of what I do is design cards for a digital artist in exchange for the free use of the digital images offered for sale. I've joined several challenge blogs as a member of teams designing cards as inspiration for crafters to compete in challenge competitions. For this I also receive the use of digital images.

Why am I writing this post? I am upset about the bullying that seems to be prevalent with in the digital artist community. Stealing art or words and making them your own is unacceptable, but to bully an artist and make life on or off the computer a misery without proof is also unacceptable.

I believe there is room for everyone and being a newbie should not bring pain for those just starting out. Crafters are put off by such behavior. It certainly takes joy out of a wonderful hobby! One crafter said, “I don't mean that everyone has to be full of joy and love, but common decency cost nothing.” It hurts the artists' bottom line too!

I will be trying my luck at the Lacy Sunshine Blog and the following challenges:

Sunday, June 21, 2015

A Tourist in Flagler Beach, Florida


Crafting from the Heart
Hi, We are having a blog hop over at Crafting from the Heart.
You should have arrived here by Design Team member Kandis 
 My Design Team card:
 A Dunderton Abroad
 Dr. Digi
I design this card for Crafting from the Heart. This stamp A Dunderton Abroad designed by our sponsor Dr. Digi. This fellow is discovering the many wonders of the coast of Florida. He is on the board walk along the shore in Flagler Beach, Florida.

I used Prismacolor Pencils and Prismacolor Blender to color this card. The background is a color sketch created by my husband Sandy. The colored stamp and the scene were merged in Craft artist 2.

I hope my card has inspired you to join our challenge at Crafting from the Heart. As always "Anything Goes." Sponsored by Dr. Digi.
The next lady to visit is DT Eemeli
Here is the list of DT members that are taking part, in case you get lost along the way:
Fiona
Susan
Sue
Kandis 
Carla  YOU'RE HERE!
Eemeli
Helen 
Heather 
Sandy
isobel 
Carol

Rory at the Beach in Flagler Beach, Florida

The latest Lacy Sunshine Challenge is right up my alley. I live 7 miles from the sleepy beach town of Flagler Beach, Florida. Although, I can no longer body surf in those wonderful waves, I still love to walk on the boardwalk, feeling the light sea breeze in that salty air.

Rory at the Beach by Lacy Sunshine, couldn't wait to dip her toes into the surf at the shore. She was colored with Prismacolor Pencil and merge with my husband Sandy Brooke's color sketch of Flagler Beach, Florida.

 Here are some other challenges I plan to try my luck at:

Friday, June 19, 2015

Sara Jane's Garden

Sara Jane

Lacy sunshine
Lacy Sunshine designed Sara Jane the digital stamp on my current card for this Simply Papercraft challenge. As soon as Sara Jane was introduced, I had to have her. She looks a lot like the little girls from my generation...dressed up and looking as though she just stepped out from a lovely vintage painting.

Sara Jane is colored using Prismacolor Pencils and Prismacolor Blender. I used a metallic gold Gelli Roll pen for her bracelet. Sara Jane was merged with a background of pieces from assorted digikits in the Craft Artist 2 program.

I'm looking forward to seeing your work at Simply Papercraft where challenges are your choice of freestyle or by suggested theme. Sponsor Lacy Sunshine.
 Here are some challenges I plan to try my luck at:

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

My Own Craft Room

Love My Copics

Cute as a button

This has got to be the most special composition for a card, I've done recently. Yes, I know the name of the Cute as a Button image is Love My Copics, but I love my pencils! Getting to color her with Prismacolor Pencils and Prismacolor Bender and a bit of silver from a Gelly Roll pen was fun. Planning her craft room was more fun using the craft table and room grid by Scrappers Delight. The bits and pieces were taken from the Mother's Day 2011 digikit and it was all merged in the Craft Artist 2 program.

Ok, so why is this composition so special. Well, it's because she could be me (she's somewhat younger and has a lot more hair). I feel so fortunate to be a retired art teacher, which has lead me to numerous crafting activities. Retirement could have been a boring depressing time. I'm lucky to have my creative hobbies and a wonderful room dedicated to doing them.

I love the challenge of new images to design for. I belong to several design teams, which has greatly improved my coloring skills. I love exploring techniques and styles as well as enjoy making friends around the globe.

I create cards as well as framed art and canvases. Some of my work is for sale locally. I recently received an honorable mention for a piece I created with an image from Aurora Wings. My work has been published in a few magazines.

I love to inspire others with good quality crafts. I hope you will share your projects at Cute as a Button stamps Facebook Page and Cute as a button stamps Facebook Group.

Sunday, June 14, 2015

Hot Sunny Day!

Karleigh Sue
Karleigh Sue is the current sponsor of Crafting from the Heart. I chose Hot Sunny Day for my design team card. I live in Florida and it sure is no lie...it's a hot sunny day, most days!
I used Prismacolor Pencil and some places have a bit of the Prismacolor blender. The colored image was merged with my husband Sandy's color sketch of St. Augustine Beach, using the Craft Artist 2 program.

Come and show your work at Crafting from the Heart, where challenges are anything goes. Sponsored by Karleigh Sue.

Here are some challenges I plan to try my luck at:


Have a Glass on Me!

Wine Drinker

Wine Drinker

SLS Lines
SLS Lines is our sponsor at Crafty Girlz Challenges. I chose the Wine Drinker image for these two colorful cards to use for my Design Team offering.
The Wine Drinker was colored with Prismacolor Pencils and odorless mineral spirits. She was merged with scenery put together from the Mediterranean Market digikit in the Craft Artist 2 program.

I hoe my card has inspired you to join our challenge at Crafty Girlz Challenges, where you can follow the theme or do your own thing. Sponsored by SLS Lines.

Friday, June 12, 2015

Fly Boy/Corsair Challenge #10



Cute as a Button
Ahh to just cruise above it all! This little guy in his Corsair plane loves the breeze. The Corsair was designed by Francesca Lopez for Cute as a Button. I use Prismacolor Pencils to color this image, the gold stars were done using a Gelly Roll Metallic Pen.  This image was then merged with a digital background in the Craft Artist 2 program.

This is my design team card created for the latest challenge "For the boys" at Cute as a Button.
 I hope you will share your projects with us!

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Clermont's Historic Village



My husband Sandy and I took a day trip to Clermont, Florida. He was looking for a WWII museum that would be interested n providing a display for the many WWII photographs taken by his father, Anthony Brooke Sr.
We visited the Clermont Village and Museum on the shore of Lake Minneola. Dodie King, the Village Manager was very happy to take the photos and planned to display them. The World War II Museum is housed in an authentic WWII Quonset hut. Their collection includes uniforms, documents and military artifacts provided by local veterans. 

While we were there we toured the other historical buildings on the property.
Besides the quonset hut museum, there are four restored buildings giving visitors a glimps of days gone by. The Townsend House was built around 1895 by James and Sallie Townsend. James founded the St. Mark A.M.E. Church, which continues to serve the community to this day. After taking a course in midwife-nursing, Sallie assisted at the birth of more than a thousand children. She opened a maternity home for black women in 1941.

The Kern House was built around 1885. Alexander and Eleonora Kern were early settlers in Clermont. Their's is a two-story frame house. Alexander built and operated the first public water system in Clermont. He owned and operated the Wilson General Merchandise Store from 1897 until his death in 1907.


The original Cooper Memorial Library built in 1914 was named for Mrs. Alice Cooper, who offered to lease a lot in town to the Clermont Library Club, if it used it for a library.
The Clermont Railroad Depot was built around 1925 by Peter Demens and is currently used as the office of the Historical Society. The Village also includes a replica of Clermont's first school, constructed with the assistance of old build photographs.
Color sketches and photography provided by Sandy Brooke.
 Clermont Historical Village is located at 49 West Avenue, Clermont, Florida 3471. Admission us free and guided tours are given by volunteers. Operating hours are Friday 1 to 3 p.m. And Saturday and Sunday 1 to 4 p.m.
For additional information call 352 593-8496
Check online at: www.clermontvillage.org or Facebook at Clermont Historic Village Museum

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Baseball Kids June 10th Release

Introducing Rockford Peach and Sandlot Slugger designed by Francesca Lopez for Cute as a Button Stamps. These kids played on the same ball team and were fun to color with Prismacolor Pencils and a Prismacolor blender marker. The two were merged with my husband Sandy's color sketched background in the Craft Artist 2 program.
Sandlot Slugger
Rockford Peach


These are my design team projects created for the new releases at Cute as a Button.

I hope my work has encouraged you to show your work on the Cute as a Button Facebook Group or on the Cute as a Button Facebook Page.

I will try my luck at the following challenges:

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Bam Bam/Cave Boy Challenge 10



Who could forget to mention Bam Bam and his pet woolly mammoth. Shaggy prehistoric elephants were most probably a popular item on the lunch menu of early humans! Here in this stamp designed by Francesca Lopez for Cute as a Button, the little mammoth looks positively cuddly!

This image was colored with Prismacolor Pencil with touches of Prismacolor Blender Marker. The colored image was merged with a digikit background from Natural Landscapes in the Craft Artist 2 program.

This is my design team card created for the latest challenge "For the boys" at Cute as a Button.
 I hope you will share your projects with us!


Monday, June 8, 2015

Singing in the Rain

Singing in the Rain
As soon as I saw this fabulous image, I had to have it! The image is called Singing in the Rain. It depicts the iconic image of Gene Kelly dancing in the puddles around a street light while a policeman watches, in the 1952 American Musical comedy film of "Singing in the Rain." This stamp was designed by Just Inklined, our sponsor for the Crafting from the Heart Challenge.

I colored the image with Prismacolor Pencils and my husband Sandy provided the color sketched background of the British pub, located in St. Augustine, Florida. The image and background were merged in the Craft Artist 2 program.

I do hope you will join us in the challenge over at Crafting from the Heart, as always it's "Anything Goes." Sponsored by Just Inklined .

I plan to try my luck at the following challenges!
 

Friday, June 5, 2015

Kitchen Knight Challenge 10 June

Don't you just love it when children use their imagination and what they can find around the house to create costumes! Artist Francesca Lopez has given this little guy, just what he needs to be the Kitchen Knight! This boy was colored using Prismacolor Pencils and a Gelly Roll Pen. My husband Sandy's color sketch of our kitchen was merged with the knight in the Craft Artist 2 program. I love the Cute as a Button images to use in my digital programs!

This is my design team card created for the latest challenge "For the boys" at Cute as a Button.

I hope you will share your projects at Cute as a Button stamps.
Some other challenges I plan to enter are:
 


Thursday, June 4, 2015

Raise the Flag


Patriotic Audrey


It might be a bit early, but Patriotic Audrey loves to walk and wave her flag, in the Flagler Beach parade with Uncle Sam, every 4th of July. The Stamping Boutique, our sponsor designed Patriotic Audrey. This is my design team card for the current challenge at Simply Papercraft. I used Prismacolor Pencils and the Prismacolor Blender to color this image. The background of the Flagler Beach, Florida, July 4th parade is a color sketch created by my husband Sandy. The colored stamp and the scene were merged in the Craft artist 2 program.

I hope my card has inspired you to join our challenge at Simply Papercraft. You have a choice of following the them or doing your own thing. Sponsored by The Stamping Boutique.

St. Augustine Distillery

Yesterday, my husband Sandy and I went on a journey back in Time. Of course every time you go to St. Augustine, Florida, you have at least one foot in the past, but yesterday we went to the St. Augustine Distillery on Riberia Street. We took the terrific free tour and at the end we got some free tasting of both vodka and gin. Mark our guide explained the process of distilling the liquor and also the history of the building. We also watched an interesting video about the distillery. Yes, we did go to the gift shop and came home with a bottle of St. Augustine vodka for Sandy and some chocolate popcorn for me!






Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Written in the Stars!

Reach for the stars
Poppyseed graphics

Reach for the Stars is an image by the current sponsor Poppyseed Graphics for Crafting with an Attitude. The image was colored in Prismacolor Pencil and Odorless Mineral Spirits. A Gelli Roll pen was used to fill in the numerous stars.The image was merged with a background made from the Twilight Forest digikit in the Craft Artist 2 program.

I hope you will join us in this challenge over at Crafting With an Attitude, as always "Anything Goes." Sponsored by Poppyseed Graphics.




Sweet Fashion

Cute as a Button

Just playing around in my Craft Room with my Prismacolor Pencils and colored this little cutie! She made such a nice birthday card, I have to show her off! Her name is sweet Fashion. I had a few pieces of colorful scrapbook paper to set her off just perfectly!

 I so enjoy being on the Design Team for Cute as a Button, Francesca Lopez creates the most amazing images!

 I hope you will share your projects at Cute as a Button stamps Facebook Page and Cute as a Button stamps Facebook Group.

I will be entering some challenges with this cute little girl, wish me some luck!
 

Monday, June 1, 2015

Anchors Away Challenge 10 June


I so enjoy being on the Design Team for Cute as a Button, Francesca Lopez creates the most amazing images!Jesus is My Anchor is the perfect choice to be featured in my beach scene. He is my choice for challenge 10 For the Boys. Prismacolor Pencil was used to color this super digi image! He works so well with the Craft Artist 2 digikit Summerside.

The second picture is on canvas, the ship was cut on my Cricut and the dock was printed from a digikit on my Craft Artist and then cut out. the background in scrap book paper.

I hope you will share your projects at http://cuteasabuttonchallenge.blogspot.dk/. The current challenge is For the Boys.