The last two Doctor/Nurse cards

The last for now, that is!  I hope to make another batch for my nephew in the fall.  I used the Dream Pop papers from Close To My Heart, along with the Proud Nurse set from Art Impressions:

Both are coloured with Copic markers, and cut from Art Impressions Inside-out Stitched dies.

More Doctor/Nurse cards

I have four more of the cards I'm making for my nephew... using the Proud Nurse Set & UM4099 from Art Impressions:

I had such a blast making these - all are coloured with Copic markers and the papers are an older 6" pad that I've had around for awhile.

Window card for Watercolor Weekend

This is one of the cards that I taught at my recent card class at the Crafter's Workshop, and I'm sharing it on the Art Impressions blog today for Watercolor Weekend!  The class featured the 5014 WC Window Set from Art Impressions:

 The base is cut with a 3 1/4" x 4 1/2" stitched rectangle die, from Canson Watercolor paper, and I started by colouring the smaller window in the set with my N55 Cool Grey 7 Tombow marker, stamping it about 3/4" down from the top edge.  Still using the N55, I stamped the kitten from 5016 WC Mini Critter Set on the window sill, and the pot from 4869 WC Small Container Set about 3/4" below the window.  I masked off the pot, and stamped the bricks from 5018 WC Cobblestone Set with N55.  With the fine point of the marker, I sketched in the curtains directly on the paper. (If you're nervous about adding details with a marker, use a pencil to get it exactly as you like, first!).

I used my damp #4 paintbrush to pull the colour out of all the lines, dragging it towards where the shadows would fall.  I scribbled 992 Sand onto my palette, and painted it in streaky strokes to suggest weathered wood on the shutters.  I used 947 Burnt Sienna to add colour to the kitty, and the terra cotta pot, going in a second time to add another layer of colour where the shadows would be.  With 177 Dark Jade and a sprig from 5007 WC Foliage Set 3, I created the vine leading up from the pot, through and over the shutters, adding a few smaller sprigs using the tiny greenery in 5009 WC Mini Flower Set to fill in a few areas.  With 533 Peacock Blue/177 Dark Jade I coloured the floral cluster from the Mini Flower Set and added it to the pot.  With the tiny dotted flowers from the set, and the 533 marker, I put clusters of flowers throughout the vine.  I dabbed all the foliage with my damp brush to soften all the lines.

With the tiny grass from Foliage Set 4051, and my 126 Light Olive, I added grass around the pot & cobblestones, then pulled out the colour to add a suggestion of a grassy area on the ground.  I picked up 565 Deep Blue from my palette to paint in the shadows on the window, around the shutters and cobblestones to add a little depth to my scene.  You really can't see it in the photos, but there is a faint wash on the wall of 491 Glacier Blue, which softens the look of the wall quite nicely.  Be sure to check out the Art Impressions blog today, to see what Dot & Tricia have to share!  Happy painting!

Doctor cards

I have a nephew who is doing his residency after finishing med school, and he needs a stash of thank you cards to thank the many mentors & practices that he works with all the time.  I've made him a few of these in the past, and apparently they're quite a hit when he hands them out.  So here are 3 from my latest batch:

 I used the Hello Again papers from Carta Bella, and used my sewing machine to add a little zigzag stitching to the backgrounds.

 This image is from the Art Impressions Proud Nurse Work & Play set.  There's a similar sentiment with a birthday angle in the set, but these are to be thank you cards, to I printed out all the sentiments with my computer

My two fellas are from the UM4099 set from Art Impressions, and I raised up the sentiments with pop dots, and added a syringe to "Doctors call the shots".  Everything is coloured with Copic markers.

Anniversary card for Inspired By

Oh, it's been so long since I participated in a challenge!  I am very happy to be playing along with this week's Inspired By challenge, which is a box of decadent chocolate covered strawberries.  I was kind of trying to go with the colours... but veered off a little, so I'm mostly working with the layout, as well as the sketch that Laurel provided (if you follow Inspired By on facebook, she gives us a weekly sketch!).  It also just happens to be our 25th anniversary in a couple of weeks, so this is going to be the card for my hubby:

My niece gave me this lovely Studio Katia background die - and it was perfect for the challenge.  I used the Charlotte papers from CTMH, and cut the die in about 5 of the papers to get the look.  I die cut some hearts and mounted them and the sentiment strip with pop dots.

Tropical Scene for Watercolour Weekend

Even though we don't have many palm trees in Canada... the warmer summer weather has me feeling a little more beachy, so I have a tropical scene for you today:

 This little shed from the 5121 WC Garden Shed Set looks like a beach hut to me, so I stamped it using my Tombow marker #969 Chocolate.  With #676 Royal Purple and #703 Pink Rose, I stamped the tiny dot cluster from 5009 - WC Mini Flower Set in and around the hut, to suggest tropical flowers, and added the tiny foliage stamp with #158 Dark Olive for greenery.  From the 5120 - WC Palm Tree Set, I used the two trunk images with #969 to add the trees behind the hut, then with #126 Light Olive and #158, I added in the different palm fronds.  Using my #4 paintbrush, I pulled out the brown of the trees and the shed, and only lightly touched all of the flowers and foliage to liven the colours.

 I painted the hut with #991 Light Ochre, and a bit of #969 to suggest painted wood, and added #515 Light Blue to the door and painted it to suggest the ocean in the background.  I used #N65 Cool Grey 5 and the stepping stone image from the 5018 - WC Cobblestone Set in front of the hut, and then painted a wash with #126 to indicate the grass.  I added #565 Deep Blue to my palette, then painted in the mountains, a soft sky, and added it around all of the images to indicate shadows.

I stamped the sentiment from 5136 - WC Sentiment Set 2 using Versafine Onyx Black ink, then mounted my image onto the base using pop dots.  I layered some paper flowers and a wooden button to the bottom corner of my card, along with a few loops of May Arts twine.  The paper flowers and the flowers on the image were all touched with a Wink of Stella pen, so they're quite shimmery in person!  And you can't really tell in the photo, but that background paper has tone-on-tone sunglasses all over it.  Be sure to check out the Ai blog on Saturday to see what Tricia & Dot have come up with.